I recently had the pleasure of going on the Seek Travel Ride podcast with Bella Malloy. If you haven’t heard of this podcast before, it’s all about bicycle travel, and there are over 80 interviews available from people of all levels of touring experience.
Simply press play or click the “Share” button below to find this interview on 18 different podcast services.
Time Stamps:
0:00 – Introduction
3:30 – What Was My First Bike?
5:27 – How Did I Get Into Bicycle Touring?
9:28 – Tandem Touring Across Continents
14:32 – How I Became A Bicycle Nomad
16:58 – Why Do I Prefer To Live An Unpredictable Life?
19:06 – How Do I Plan My Routes?
21:43 – Exploring Thoroughly vs. Quickly Passing Through Countries
23:01 – Does My Family Ever Visit?
23:40 – Do I Miss Anything From Home?
24:58 – The Incredible Hospitality of Islamic Countries
26:18 – How I Keep An Open Mind About The Places I Visit
28:00 – Do I Have A Negative Perception of Any Country?
31:20 – My Near-Death Experience in Peru
40:57 – Did My Near-Death Experience Make Me Want To Stop?
42:52 – Do I Have Any New Fears From My Accident?
43:52 – Do I Use Travel Insurance?
45:59 – Adapting to High-Altitude Environments
48:30 – Cycling Around The World As A Vegan
53:30 – Waking Up With Rhinos Next To Our Tent
55:47 – Camping With Wild Animals
58:57 – Tips For Wild Camping With Dangerous Animals
1:01:57 – Encounters With Lions, Giraffes, Elephants
1:03:14 – Looking For Nocturnal Animals
1:05:03 – How To Succeed At Wild Camping
1:11:50 – General Equipment Advice
1:15:32 – The KOGA Denham Bars
1:16:54 – Bicycle Saddles + Riding Without Padded Shorts
1:21:17 – Cycling Alone vs. Cycling With Someone Else
1:26:52 – Solo Woman Cyclists In Saudi Arabia
1:28:47 – My Five Favourite Countries In The World
1:33:50 – Life Lessons From 12 Years of Bicycle Touring
1:36:30 – How Do I Create Content While Travelling?
1:37:53 – Simple Things That Create Joy In My Life
1:39:06 – Describing One Day of Cycling in Namibia
1:44:02 – What Song Is The Backtrack To My Travels?
1:45:56 – A Never Ending Climb or Never Ending Headwind?
1:47:47 – Four Hours Cycling Alone or With Someone Else?
1:48:40 – What Am I Most Looking Forward To In Africa?
Bella’s Introduction:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a full-time bicycle nomad? What would it be like to permanently travel the world on a bike tour with no fixed end date?
In this episode, Alee Denham shares his experiences and insights of doing just that, having spent years cycling all around the world.
Alee shared that he first got the idea to travel by bicycle while on a backpacking trip just after high school. His first short tour took him through Myanmar and despite the challenging conditions due to the political climate at the time, he was hooked. Before he knew it, he was setting off on a two-and-a-half-year tandem journey from Europe to Australia.
But the end of that huge multi-year trip was just the start of what has become Alee’s lifestyle. As a self-proclaimed bicycle nomad, his bike tours have taken him all around the world, across six continents, visiting over 100 countries.
Something unique about Alee’s touring style is his appetite to take the most rugged of routes. He enjoys exploring trails, linking hike a bike sections to access areas many others wouldn’t consider when bike travelling. Alee also likes to spend the maximum time possible in different countries, to fully appreciate its terrain, people, culture, and wildlife.
Before arriving, he will read through Lonely Planet guidebooks to get a feel for the country, before exploring it every way possible. This isn’t just by rolling through the landscape either. Alee regularly stops to take hikes, see the sites and spend time with locals, to fully appreciate the country, its people, wildlife and culture.
Alee is also the face behind CYCLINGABOUT – one of the premier online resources when it comes to everything bicycle touring and bikepacking. From gear reviews to adventure stories and insightful videos, chances are if you have a question about bicycle travel, CYCLINGABOUT will contain the answer.
Alee has completed several long-distance tours both with a partner and also solo and he spoke about the pros and cons linked with each. Ultimately, there are benefits to doing both and Alee appreciates that not just one style will ever be perfect.
During his journeys, Alee has had to deal with the unexpected. A particularly harrowing moment was when he was cycling in Peru and the trail he was walking his bike along unexpectedly gave way, plunging him thirty metres (100ft) down into a ravine. His story of survival from that day, and the subsequent experiences of getting help and accessing medical services when stuck in a very remote area of Peru were captivating. I couldn’t imagine being in that situation myself but Alee seems to have the right persona and level-headedness to be able to deal with the uncertainty and challenges which came his way.
