About Us: Who are we?
So, a little about us. We are an Aussie couple that share a passion for nature, adventure and the outdoors. We each have travelled to over 70 countries, climbed several mountain summits and hike every opportunity we get. In 2014, we discovered cycle touring, and headed off on our first (unplanned/ spontaneous) cycle tour. We cycled 8,500km from the French Alps to China. We loved it so much that it is now our preferred way to travel. To date we have travelled over 20,000km by bicycle.
Why we love cycling?
We had no idea what to expect on our first cycle tour, but we soon came to realise that cycle touring is the best way of travelling and seeing the world. Not only is it affordable and a great way to keep fit, it allows the breakdown of boundaries that exist between you, the locals and the culture. You are no longer just looking at a country and it’s tourist highlights, you are experiencing the country and meeting it’s people.
It is also a very environmentally friendly way to travel. Through the cycle touring lifestyle we became even more aware of waste and conserving. Whether it be water, food, equipment or even gas for the stove, we learnt to make it last.
What is Cycle Trekkers?
Sharing is caring, so we thought it would be nice to share our experience with others. I hope our website can help people with their cycle touring plans, inspire people to hop on a bicycle instead of taking a car or bus, and share some of amazing stories of the people we meet. It’s also a great way for us to record our memories and share them with friends and family.
So though keeping a website and blog is quite time consuming, we think it’s worth it and hope you enjoy it! If you do have any suggestions then please get in touch – we’re always looking at ways to improve.
We hope you enjoy our site and look forward to sharing our journey with you.
The Cyclists:
Kelly
Kelly is an ecologist with a special interest in bat conservation. She currently works as the Citizen Science Program Manager at the Conservation Council of WA, and is the First Vice President of the Australasian Bat Society and Co-founder of the WA Bat Network. Kelly has experience in science communication, events coordination and is also a qualified yoga teacher.
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, soon after graduating from university Kelly moved overseas, where when she wasn’t taking part in long distance cycle trips, she spent time living in Canada, the UK, France and Guatemala, and returned to her hometown Perth in 2023.
Michael
Also, born in Perth. Michael didn’t leave Australia for the first time until he was 21, and once he started travelling he was hooked and has been travelling on and off ever since. Michael has lived in Turkey, England, Scotland, France, Canada and Guatemala, and has the dream of owning a hostel or guesthouse, where he will be able to display the thousands of postcards and beer labels that he’s been collecting over the years during his travels.
Though Kelly came up with the cycle touring plan, it was Michael that planted the seed. Michael has wanted to cycle across countries since meeting a Scottish guy in Turkey, that cycled to Turkey on a beat up, old bicycle. Michael believes that cycle touring can be done by anyone and that you don’t need fancy gear to do it. The hardest thing is the initial step, just getting out there and doing it. Kelly and Michael proved his theory right, as they have cycled through 16 countries with homemade gear, cheap hybrid bikes and very little money.
The bikes:
We talked a bit about us, now lets talk a bit about our bikes. We both rode (and still ride) Brodie Circuit touring bikes while in Canada. Michael’s bike is a 2015 Brodie Circuit and Kelly’s bike is a 2016 Brodie Circuit. These bikes were born and bred in Vancouver, Canada, where we picked them up at the start of our Canada trip.
