Will Lyons

Day 74! Final day of cycling in Turkiye! 🇹🇷 🚴 10 weeks and almost 5400km! From Marmaris we headed west for the first time on the trip, following the single road down the Datça peninsula, in search of the finish line and the beach! 🏖️ Sorry to everyone that has had to be within a 10m radius of us over the last few months we’re not usually this smelly. 🧺 📸 @ktearlie

Days 68 - 73 of cycling to (and now across a bit of) Turkey! 🇹🇷 🚵‍♂️ After a final rest/planning day in Akçay, we started the final push to our finish line (Datça). Thanks to Bodrum Boat Show meaning the ferry crossing would be cancelled, we diverted on a more inland route after a stay in Izmir. 🗻 Heading through Selçuk, Çine, and up some of the biggest climbs of the trip, we pedalled to meet the coast again at Marmaris! 🌴 🏕️ 1-2. Possibly one of my favourite camping spots yet! With @maria.cycle_tourist and @ghorbani5696 , friends we met on the road! 🦩3-5. Into Izmir, ft. a big blue cycle path, flamingos and a slightly challenging lift. 🛗 🃏6. A long day of cycling turned into a big night of dinner and games with wonderful Warm Showers hosts Ugur, @ilknur.xo and their friends @itz.goran and @fadddville 🙀 7-8. Mandatory kebap stop. With cat. 🥱 9-11. Our penultimate day on the bikes was one of the biggest yet, with epic hills, views, descents and tired legs. @ktearlie

Days 61 - 67 of cycling to (and now into) Turkey! 🇹🇷 🚲 We made it to Turkey! 🇹🇷 After a challenging day leaving Bulgaria, and through a bit of Greece, we crossed the border into Edirne! 🕌 From there we headed south, down to Çanakkale and the coast, planning to cling on to the last bits of summer(ish) sun! 🦃 1-3. Crossing the boarder to our final country of the trip! For a night in Edirne. ⛈️ 4-6. The start of a few challenging days. Including, multiple punctures, worn bike parts, sideways rain storms, unbelievably sticky mud, and of course dogs chases! 🏡 7. The legendary Ayşe and Verdat, who welcomed us into their home for the night while we were fixing puncture no.2 on the side of the road. 🛠️ 8. Getting things set for the final push at Keşan’s premier bike repair shop - @cetin_azizoglu 🐴 9. After a ferry and some long costal dual carriageway rides, we made it to Çanekkale. Home the Trojan horse from the movie Troy. Unfortunately we were not allowed to climb inside. 🙏 10-11. We have been consistently shown kindness from Turkish people. @serkan.orhan.5203 rode past us and stopped to share a meal. @isa.gunes.754 a local cycling legend who rode with us down an incredible mountain descent and most of the way to Akçay.

Days 53 - 59 cycling from the UK to Turkey! 🇬🇧🇹🇷 After catching up on some rest in Skopje we headed east, up into the mountains and Bulgaria to the first ski resort of the trip, Bansko! Trying to stay ahead of the rain and cold weather, we continued on to Plovdiv, before the final push to the Turkish border! 🇲🇰 - 🇧🇬 🙀 1. @ktearlie fresh after a night camping at the Štip thermal baths alongside about 20 stray cats. 🥐 2. Fuelling up before the climb out of Delčevo. ⛷️ 3-4. Exploring Bansko by bike, unfortunately without any snow. 🧦 5-7. Wrapping up for some cold descents, but with some stunning mountain views. 🛁 8. Another thermal bath camping setup, this time using a plastic Jerry can full of hot water to heat the tent! 🦆 9 -10. Following a wiggly route to Plovdiv suggested by our Warm Showers host, via Batak reservoir. 🇧🇬 11-12. Exploring Plovdiv’s Old Town, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. (Can’t wait for that to come up in a pub quiz!)

Days 44 - 51 on our journey to Turkey! 🚲 🇹🇷 After a slow start leaving Belgrade thanks to multiple tyre changes, we rejoined the EV6, back for our last stint along the Danube, through the Iron Gates Gorge. We then turned south with sights set on North Macedonia and Skopje! 🇲🇰 🫠 1-2. The 11pm hunt for a wild camping spot after a long day of unscheduled bike maintenance. 🚛 3-5. The trucks and unlit tunnels were worth it for the epic views through the Iron Gates George. 🚵‍♀️ 6. @ktearlie racing towards the huge descent out of Serbia and into North Macedonia. 🗿7-11. Into Skopje, for a bit of sight seeing and a lot of eating!

🚵‍♂️🚵🏽‍♀️ Days 30-42 on our bike to Turkey! 🇹🇷 These two weeks took us from a rest day in Brno, over the Slovakian mountains, and back to meet the Danube again near Budapest. From there we continued south into Serbia to Belgrade! 🇨🇿🇸🇰🇭🇺🇷🇸 1. Sunset photoshoot on a wild camp night outside of Budapest. 📸 @ktearlie 2. Picking up an essential breakfast of flatbread and doughnuts, from Serbia’s best bakery…possibly… 🍞🍩 3. Szilveszter and Eni who hosted us for our first night in Serbia, took us to their local city celebration with friends and family. 🎇🎆 As well as being all-round lovely people, they spent their honeymoon cycling and roller skating from Finland back to Serbia! 4-6. Crossing the Slovakian mountains, with some of the best views of the trip, but also some of the toughest, muddiest tracks (as trawled through by @ktearlie ) ⛰️⛰️ 7. Heading to Hungary, from the beautiful town of Banská Štiavnica. 8. Maintenance time in Budapest at @ridekalman - whose bike shop was filled to the brim with guitars, amps and bikes (obviously). 9. Back on/over the Danube, with a view of Esztergom Basilica. 10. Seeing the city sights in Belgrade before continuing on through Serbia, to North Macedonia and Bulgaria.

Very excited to be nominated for a Production Music Award this year, in the Drama Score Category! 🎻 Thanks so much to @saban_music and @infinityscores for putting the track forward! @productionmusicawards @cezame.music.agency Cycle content to resume shortly. 🚲

Days 16 - 28, riding to Türkiye! 🇹🇷 This very overdue Instagram catchup took us from Strasbourg, through the Black Forest and southern Germany to Regensbourg, then over the Czech Republic for a bit of r&r in Brno. 1. Switching between the Danube to the Iron Curtain trail. 2. @ktearlie in Ulm, about to start the EV6 route. 3-4. Rest days in Regensburg. 5-7. Crossing The Black Forest, via almost all bus shelters and cafes to avoid the rain. 8-9. Castles in difficult places to build castles (Hohenzollern & Prunn). 10. First Danube ferry crossing, on Matting cable ferry, powered only by the current (and a Euro). 11 - 13. Slight detour exploring Czechia 🇨🇿 - from Český Krumlov into Brno!

Days 8 - 15 on a bike! Cycling from a rest day in Rocroi 🇫🇷 to Strasbourg, via Belgium, Luxembourg and a bit of Germany! 1. Our @oxfordbikeworks posing over the Meuse river. 2. Sunrise at festival @festivaldechassepierre , which started the day after we left…maybe next year? 3-4. Into Luxembourg and some of the best cycle paths yet! 5. @ktearlie spinning up a French spiny path. 6. More cycle fuel (from @pursuing.mountains recommendation list) and a rest day in Strasbourg (7-9). Much more food (pastries) consumed and sights seen. I would be more up to date with these posts, and have more photos but unfortunately I am struggling to function as I’m now 80% bread.

Days 1 - 7 of cycling from the UK to Turkey (Salisbury 🇬🇧- Rocroi, 🇫🇷 ). 1 - Setting off all smiles from Salisbury. 2 - A quick break in Brighton before the overnight ferry (Newhaven-Dieppe). 3 - First stop, la pâtisserie, for essential cycling fuel. 4 - Putting my Duolingo streak to good use with Chris who hosted us for a night. Où est la boulangerie? 5 - Time for relaxing - campsite no.3. 6 - @ktearlie setting the pace through the French countryside. 7 - Into Belgium! 🇧🇪 Everything was suddenly more expensive and the drivers were terrible at overtaking. We are now back in France. Will try again later. I’m probably not going to be doing regular posts, but will have each day cycling on Strava if you’d like to see! https://strava.app.link/G6Fl0bmUNVb

What a treat spending today here and to hear the LCO record some of the tracks I’ve been working on with @glenandrewbrown 🎼🎶

Great fun putting these tracks together for Hypersonic Music’s Contemporary Cinematic album! Really grateful to work with @crzysnd on a few as well!