Resources

Some inspirational books and websites which has given me the extra knowledge and dedication I needed prior leaving.

Books

Going Postal

Going PostalThis book is the story of a British bloke, Nathan Millward, going from Sydney to London on a postie bike. I saw the guy doing an interview on TV one morning and immediately when to the book store and purchased his book. Highly recommended reading and well written.

Cycling Home From Siberia

Cycling Home From SiberiaFantastic cycling adventures of Rob Lilwall, another British crazy man. Meeting a mate in Siberia, Al Humphreys (English again) who was an around-the-world cycling journey, Rob began his journey back home going south all the way to Australia then up in South-East Asia, India, Central Asia then Europe where he completes his tour in London 3 years later. That’s the book which inspired me the most so far. It simply told me to do it myself. Fantastic reading.

Bear Grylls: Mud, Sweat and Tears

Bear Grylls Mud Sweat and TearsWho doesn’t know Bear from his cult TV show Man vs Wild. I simply had to red this one. I especially enjoyed the Everest climb section, but the whole book has insightful accounts of Bear’s life before becoming a well known figure. The courage he shown after his back injury and how he fights to become a SAS soldier is truly inspirational.

The Longest Climb: The Last Great Overland Quest

The Longest ClimbStory of a group of cyclists and alpinists trying to attempt the longest climb possible on the planet; from the lowest point to the highest. Starting from the Dead Sea, the group cycles all the way to Everest Base Camp then try to climb on top of the highest peak on earth. Another inspirational journey for any cyclists and outdoor enthousiast.

Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook

Adventure Cycle-Touring handbookDetailed and comprehensive guide for touring cyclists. The book has 3 main sections: practicalities, route outlines and accounts from other riders. This guide covers all aspects of cycle touring from planning to gear selection and maintenance. The route outlines was quite useful as the book gives good details on the most popular routes. Highly recommended for planning a long trip.

Websites

There are so many of them out there. This is a brief list of those I often refer to.

http://www.gobicycletouring.info
This one is more of a website containing links to other cyclists site

http://www.worldtravellers.dk
Story of a Danish bloke who spent 4 years on the saddle; full of useful information

http://goingslowly.com
I particularly like their database and the images are fantastic

http://travellingtwo.com
Inspiration for bike touring

http://www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk
Like the name suggests, this site provides numerous tips for adventure cyclists

http://www.himalayabybike.com/HBB_new/HBB_Home.html
Himalayan routes information based on “Himalaya by Bike” published by Trailblazer

http://www.tour.tk
Provides useful information on places and countries as well as tips and general touring information