Josh & Sarah Ride - Invidious

A night to remember 🇹🇷

We'd mentioned feeling torn with our route crossing Turkey. The central mountains are frozen until late spring and empty as locals seek milder conditions on the coast. This is the path we feel drawn to but without our fully loaded winter setup, we thought the coast would be kinder to us after the harshness of last winter.

But I want to be honest, the riding hasn't been highly inspiring. Of course, pedalling along such a busy coastline means we're unlikely to find solitude and vast landscapes.

The people of Turkey have been what's made the journey so far. We've been blown over by how friendly and hospitable people are to us as two smelly cyclists riding through.

That was never more true than on this night.

We met Mehmet and got talking about cycling. He's a tourer himself and was curious about our route. We spoke about our journey so far and asked him questions about potentially crossing central Turkey in winter (we're torn!) 🚲

He asked where we were staying for the night, and we answered as we usually do, "We're not sure". Mehmet made a quick phone call and asked if we wanted to spend the night with him and some of his uni friends.

They had plans for a winter ascent of a nearly 4,000-meter peak and would be staying at the university. We've stayed in some interesting places along this journey but never a university. Of course, we said yes, a little unsure of what to expect.

We rocked up to the university, where about 80 people gave us some friendly but very puzzled looks as we wheeled our bikes into the sports hall. Mehmet took us to the canteen for dinner, and we then accompanied the 80 people to a talk about mountaineering. It was all in Turkish, but a little translating from our new friends meant we got the gist.

We returned to the sports hall, where we'd all be sleeping for the night beneath what we soon found out was a very leaky roof. We found it pretty novel to be in a room with 80 young adults who would all soon be in their crampons up a huge peak. But they found us and our bikes even more of a novelty, I think.

People took turns riding our loaded bikes around the hall and asked us questions about why we were there (understandably).

A huge storm rolled in overnight, which sounded even more ferocious on the tin roof. It didn't take long for the roof to leak and we found ourselves frequently waking, trying to reposition our pad away from the new leak stream ⛈️

We felt so lucky to have met Mehmet and get an insight into a world we easily could've missed. We shared so many interesting and inspiring conversations over the course of the evening.

As the rain bellowed down in the morning, our new friends packed in their ice picks and we bid them farewell. A little worried about the conditions that awaited them at higher altitudes, we waved them off and wished them luck.

This journey never fails to surprise us but this night, although short and soggy in parts, will not be one we forget in a hurry.

1 day ago | [YT] | 144

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Josh & Sarah Ride

Picking back up where we left off with our posting from cycling across Turkey 🇹🇷

After so long on the road, days develop a natural rhythm, yet no two days look the same.

People constantly make jokes at us for coming from the UK and being used to the rain. And despite living in the wettest part of England, The Lakes, I've never known rain like Turkey.

We found ourselves pulling into a small town just as the rain began to patter. Bad timing, as we wanted to pitch our tent, but being in a populated area made it difficult. This is also at the foot of a 20-mile climb that we would ideally like to tackle at the start of the day. Not when biblical-level rain is forecast.

Some locals in a petrol station took pity on us and said we could pitch our tent behind the shop. It had the semi-shelter of some solar panels above us, which offered some relief from the rain.

It was anything but a restful night with the sound of the pumps going through the night but we were grateful for a place to be, out of the rain.

Our following day's ride took us up into the next valley, where we stumbled upon a roadside eatery serving pide. It's a traditional Turkish dish with a pizza-like base and an array of different toppings. We tried spinach and egg, which was delicious.

As we weren't able to use our stove the night before, we thought cooking with an open flame at a petrol station may not be wise, but we were grateful for a proper meal.

Whether it was the speed we gobbled down the food or the haggard look on our faces, the owners thought we still looked hungry and bought us a dessert pide of honey, tahini and walnuts. It was malty, sweet and incredibly moreish, easily one of the tastiest things I've eaten in a long time.

Days on the road developing their fated rhythm of sleeping in odd places, no knowing what awaits us, but always discovering new things and kindness on the way🚲

1 week ago | [YT] | 225

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Josh & Sarah Ride

Thank you so much for your love and support for our most recent film 🎥

We love making these films for so many reasons, one of which is the chance to reflect on this incredible journey. After pedalling along Montenegro's bustling coastline, we were seeking a sense of remoteness in Albania.

The wild and rugged landscapes stole our hearts, whilst also scratching that adventure itch. But it was the people we encountered that truly left an impact on us. We've found that busy cities and populous regions can feel more isolating than desolate mountain passes.

There's a sense of anonymity when surrounded by so many people but this changes in more remote regions. The unfamiliar sound of our bikes rattling over gravel tracks alerts the resident dogs, who in turn alert the locals. It's in these regions that we also find ourselves reaching out for help. Whether it's for water, directions or if it's okay to camp nearby.

People are also more curious of us on the bikes in these provinces. Wondering why on earth we're so far away from any infrastructure, riding our bikes up dusty tracks. It's these interactions, where we find ourselves vulnerable, that we experience the best of humanity.

Our time in Albania remains some of our hardest riding to date. Choosing to tackle an off-road motorbike route at the height of summer was testing. But the landscapes and people we encountered more than made up for the sweaty, gruelling climbs. Worth it in my opinion.

These are the few snaps I'll share from our time in Albania, a reminder of warmer times.

Thank you for your incredible support on this wild journey 🚵‍♀️🚵‍♂️

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 238

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Josh & Sarah Ride

I'm over the moon to say our latest film is live! 🥳

This film spans our time in Albania, some of our hottest, most memorable and hardest-riding to date. We had a firm idea of adventure when we set off on this journey back in November 2024.

Lured by rugged, desolate mountains and a sense of isolation, we thought getting away from society would bring that sense of adventure-fulfilment. Our time in Albania was a poignant part of our journey, as the people and experiences here shifted this idea of adventure and our trip.

I really hope you enjoy the film and if you do, we would appreciate it if you could "hype" it. This is only possible on mobiles or the YouTube app. It helps support us and will help more people get the chance to watch our film. I'll pop the link in the comments 🎥

Thank you for your incredible support 🚵‍♀️🚵‍♂️ Big love from Sarah & J

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 359

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Josh & Sarah Ride

I'm excited to share that our latest film is almost finished 🥳

This next film covers a larger section of our journey through Albania, a poignant part of our trip and some of the hardest riding we've had to date. Telling the story of our journey into the Accursed mountains, finding a new sense of connection in unlikely places and riding an off-road motorbike route we thought we'd tackle on our bikes.

It's a raw insight as we traverse the mountain backroads of Albania and experience rural life unfolding before us. It offers a rare window into the people who call these wild, remote landscapes home, revealing the quiet rhythms of their daily routines.

Time outside renders you at the mercy of the elements, but you feel it all the more when you're exploring on the harsher end of that spectrum. This part of our journey felt testing at times, but it has also been some of the best experiences to date.

We left on this journey wanting to seek out rugged, secluded mountains; to feel dwarfed by our surroundings and far away. This wild sense of adventure was driving our route planning. But it was the encounters in this film that shifted our perspective completely and made us reconsider the ethos driving our journey.

I'm very excited that we will be releasing the film later this week, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, these are a few photos from this section of the trip, transporting you to slightly warmer times than what we have at the moment.

Thank you for your continued, incredible support 🚵‍♀️🚵‍♂️

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 237

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Josh & Sarah Ride

Moments of peace on the Turkish coastline 🌊

Turkey has been full on. It's so vast and even what appear to be "smaller" cites on the map feel gigantic, taking hours and hours to cross.

With only a 90-day visa, we feel a niggling pressure to cover big distances so we can explore further and deeper into the country. We've ended up riding some of the biggest, craziest roads to date. The last few days have been spent crunching miles on 6-lane roads, cycling beside deafening trucks which shake the world. After a big stint, it feels like your whole body is shaking, covered in grit and muscles tensed.

We found a section of the coastline and it was a real moment of peace. Vehicles felt so far away and we enjoyed the elements on us, smelling salt in the air, breeze on our skin and birds chirping up high.

We're embracing these moments of solitude whilst we can, before joining the fast-flowing traffic once again 🚲

1 month ago | [YT] | 208

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Josh & Sarah Ride

Our plan for exploring Turkey 🇹🇷

I'll be honest that our route for Turkey is changing more frequently than the weather here at the moment.

Last winter, pedalling through Bavaria and Upper Austria at the height of winter was incredible but pretty brutal. We have toyed with the idea of a winter mountain crossing in Turkey, but it would require a lot of gear, preparation, and determination to get through the freezing temperatures.
One of the lures of the mountains is seeing and experiencing local life. But when the air is bitterly cold, and there are several inches of snow on the ground, life takes itself inside.

So, we decided a southern coastal route would allow us to stay warm without carrying loads of gear and wait out most of winter until we could cross the mountains 🏔️

I write this with complete confidence that this is our plan for now, but honestly, we're torn. Just a few days ago, we were adamantly taking an inland route.

I'll be honest that cycling through last winter was an incredible experience, and we didn't make it easier for ourselves by choosing a mountainous route. But it was tough and at times we struggled with the unrelenting cold. This has been part of the driving force behind our decision to take a coastal route, in the hope that we can keep a little warmer in our tent at night.

The incredible hospitality continues and the mild temperatures feel a bit alien at this time of year.

We've been invited for never-ending cups of tea and handed everything from biscuits to bread as we perch by the roadside. Sometimes even whilst peddalling on three-lane highways through car windows!

We may not be completely sure which way the road is taking us, but we're enjoying soaking up the ride in the meantime 🚲

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 224

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Josh & Sarah Ride

As we travelled east, we heard tales of Turkish hospitality.

And still, we've been blown away by just how kind people are.

From the warm hellos, to being welcomed in for cày, offered food, water and shelter... it has made us feel so welcome and safe.

In Yalova, we stayed with Ali and Ece, who opened our eyes to the incredible world of Turkish desserts. Helva and kunefe 🤤

Markets became this whirlwind experience of tasters and bags that just get hung onto your bike.

On one of our coldest evenings, a farmer saw us cycling late and told us to camp in his shed. We shared tea and biscuits, talking about life. In the morning, he kindly gave us olive oil and olives from last year's harvest.

During one of our hardest days, we stopped by a small town market to get dinner supplies. The cafe next door brought us coffee, both Sarah and I were in 2 separate conversations, and we were then invited to stay at a vineyard owned by local English teachers. We cycled there with 7 charming young boys who were off on a ride.

Each day is filled with conversations. People stop just to ask if they can help. Cars pull over to give snacks or just hand them out of windows.

It's changed how we interact with people and see everyone around us.

We hope we can take this experience forward and treat all strangers like family, offering help and kindness to anyone in need, without a second thought.

Thank you Turkey, and the wonderful people we've met

2 months ago | [YT] | 221

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Josh & Sarah Ride

People warned us against us making this journey 🚳

Locals and fellow cyclists alike told us the road into Istanbul is a nightmare and advised we get the metro in, to avoid the busy roads. But part of this journey is wanting to see all the beautiful, magnificent parts of a country, and all the bits in between.

Cycling means we don't just coast from highlight to highlight, but instead get to see the life that happens in between. Of course, we would avoid cycling anywhere that's dangerous.

But knowing that fellow tourers had done the journey and lived to tell the tale, we wanted to see for ourselves. What is it like to cycle into one of the biggest cities in the world?

As you can probably imagine, it wasn't very scenic. And the dense fog on the morning we set out made the visibility even worse. It was 100 miles along multi-lane roads, getting to know the petrol stations and their resident canines.

Getting closer to the hub of the city, the lanes and traffic intensified. It was dusty, loud and chaotic. The sound felt inescpaable and we had to shout to each other when standing side by side at some points.

It made me a little apprehensive for the city, but whether it was the time of year or the intermittent rain, it wasn't as busy as I thought. I envisaged throngs of people lining every street and an influx of sights, sounds and smells. But we were able to amble around the city leisurely and rarely encountered big crowds.

Istanbul is a city we've been eager to visit as the point where East meets West, and we say farewell to the European continent as we cross into Asia 🌎

We explored with all our senses, wandering through quiet cobbled streets and visitng magnifcent buildings. Said yes to any free sample that came our way and perused some of the local specialities.

But after a few days of being city mice, we were ready to be back in the saddle heading East 🚲

2 months ago | [YT] | 271

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Josh & Sarah Ride

Things have been pretty full on since we've been reunited with our bikes and the riding has been pretty full on 🌎

We've begun our pedal across Turkey but our route is changing almost daily. This big, beautiful country has so much we want to see, but with the potentially wintry conditions, we're unsure of the best route.

Once we have a rough plan, we will give a thorough update on pur route and the bikes 🚲

But for now, I wanted to share an interview we did for the Warm Showers Bike Life Podcast a few weeks ago. On a journey like this, we can get so swept up in the moment that we don't often take the time to reflect on where it has taken us.

It was awesome to sit down with Jerry and look back at this wild ride so far and get some inspiration for the journey ahead.

Below is the link to the Warm Showers website, where you can listen to the podcast as well as on most other podcast platforms. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for your incredible support 🌄
www.podpage.com/bike-life/embrace-the-journey-not-…

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 198

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