In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we talk with 26-year-old Claire Wyatt, who is currently cycling 16,000km around Australia. Claire is passionate about solo bicycle touring and sharing stories of kindness from around the world. She tells us about her big adventure in Australia, her passion for cycle touring over the past four years, and her early years growing up as one of five children.

After studying criminology at Loughborough University, Claire moved to Cambodia to work for a travel company. It was there that she got into cycling in her 20s and eventually went on her first cycle tour around Cambodia for three weeks. She tells us about the lessons she learned on that trip and how it inspired her to continue exploring the world on two wheels.

Claire also shares with us the challenges of cycle touring, from budgeting to communication and staying safe on the road. She tells us about the magical moments she's experienced while out on the road and the kindness of strangers she's encountered along the way.

Throughout the episode, Claire provides practical advice for women who want to travel by bike, including how to plan a trip, what equipment to invest in, and how to communicate with locals. She also shares the story of how she was inspired by Dervla Murphy, an Irish travel writer who cycled from Ireland to India in the 1960s.

If you're interested in following Claire's journey, you can check out her blog and follow her on Instagram at @exploringbybicycle. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button for new episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast every Tuesday at 7am UK time. You can also support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast. Thank you for listening!

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Show notes

26 years old
Travelling by bike
Her big adventure in Australia
Her passion for cycle touring over the past 4 years
Her early years growing up and being 1 of 5 children
Getting into cycling in her 20s after university
Having a twin sister
Studying criminology at Loughborough University
Moving to Cambodia to work for a travel company
Her decision making process
Taking redundancy
Going on her first cycle tour around Cambodia for 3 weeks
Figuring it out on the first trip
The magic letter and how it helped her communicate with local people
Staying with local family and cheap guest houses
Heading home during COVID
Setting up a small project called Mind over Miles
Cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) to raise funds for the Adventure Therapy Charity
The lessons from cycling LEJOG and why it was a good experience
The bike - Surly Ogre
Investing in new equipment
Power while on the road
Carrying her laptop and working while on the road
Money and budget while on the road
Cycling 16,000km around Australia
Starting in Tasmania and ending in Perth
Planning to cycle from Cambodia back to the UK
The challenges of cycle touring
Magical moments while out on the road
Using Warmshowers for accommodation
The kindness of strangers
The Great Queensland Rail Adventure
Learning mechanics for the bike
Communicating with family and using a Zoleo
Communicating via radio (Channel 40 in Australia) with the truck drivers
Advice for women who want to travel by bike
Being inspired by Dervla Murphy
Book: Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy
How to connect with Claire
Her blog

Social Media

Blog: https://wanderingwyatt135121267.wordpress.com/

Instagram: @exploringbybicycle

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