Cycle Legs Australia to London - a series of cycling holidays like no other
In 2001 AllTrails pushed the boundaries of cycle tours in Australia and organised what was at the time, the biggest nine-day fully supported bike ride ever assembled, from Melbourne to Sydney. A great success for 100 cyclists and our charity.
We’re still pushing those boundaries today and in 2011 we began ‘Cycle Legs to London’ – a bike ride spread over 5 years, with 24 legs from Melbourne, Australia to London, England where riders can join us at any stage of the itinerary - do a little, or do a lot. This cycling adventure presents a rare opportunity for you to play a valuable part of something big and it is something that you will never forget - a bike ride that is just as much an expedition as a bike tour and each leg is part of something special.
Even if you are not doing all 24 legs, each leg is an achievement in itself. Imagine being able to say that you have ridden from Phuket to Bangkok, or Rome to Paris. You are part of the team of riders who are completing a ride across the globe and just like a relay team, every rider on every leg is an important cog in the wheel. You do not have to be an elite athlete; almost anybody really can do it with a bit of determination and confidence. You just have to be brave enough to commit to what will be a life-changing experience.
We started off in 2011 with two legs of the journey through Thailand and Laos (Leg 6 & 7) and in 2012 we have added a couple of European legs in Italy and France including some legendary cycling routes - we even finish in Paris the day before the Tour de France so that we can take in the atmosphere of the big race. More rides will be added every year to complete the journey. In 2013 we add legs from Turkey to Italy and get ready for the following year linking Laos & China to Turkey. After that we will fill in both ends including Melbourne to Darwin and Paris to London. A total of 24,000km from Melbourne to London.
All sections of the route will be driven and researched before the tours ensuring that conditions, roads and countries are suitable and safe for cyclists. We know that the scenery and cultures along the route will be stunning and forever etched into the memory of our riders.
Double Guinness World Record Holder Phil McDonald is remembered for his epic 15,000km bike ride around Australia on his Penny Farthing in 1988 and will ride and lead these Cycle Legs tours in conjunction with local reputable tour operators who already run bicycle tours in their own country. The average pace will be 20km/hr average on the flat, allowing time to obsorb the beauty of this magnificent route. A support vehicle will also be there to pick up part-time riders and partners who only want to ride some of the daily distance.
What an adventure. Albert Einstein once quoted “the legs are the wheels of creativity” – and we say “Cycle Legs are the wheels to the world” – come and join us.
See the ‘International Rides’ section here on our website for more details on each up-coming leg. You can register you interest via our Contact Us page, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call us on +61 3 9645 3355 to join the adventure that is ‘Cycle Legs Australia to London’
Phil & Susan McDonald
