What does it take to cycle 15,000 kilometres from Scotland to China along the ancient Silk Road? And what happens when the countries you just rode through are plunged into war the moment you get home?

In 2009, Helen Watson and her husband Ed clipped in at Glasgow and pointed east. Their route took them through Syria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and into China, riding one of the most remote, politically charged and culturally rich corridors on earth.

Months after they got home, the Arab Spring broke. And the world they had just ridden through started burning.

We discuss:

• What it really means to cycle tour through the so-called Axis of Evil
• How bike touring gave them access to homes and lives no other travel could
• Riding as a woman through deeply traditional societies across the Middle East and Central Asia
• The moment the Arab Spring broke and the helplessness of watching those places burn
• How the hospitality they received on the road led them to sponsor the first Syrian refugee family into Scotland

Helen's book Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey Along the Silk Road is out now and available for purchase here here: https://www.helenwatsonwriting.com/

If you've ever wanted to cycle Central Asia, ride through Iran, or just hear one of the most extraordinary bike adventure stories to land on Seek Travel Ride, this is the episode for you.

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