Hey, I'm Tristan.

I'm on my way to cycling 100,000 kilometres around the world through more than 100 countries on six continents. So far I've covered around 71,000 kilometres and ridden through 70 countries, having spent around four years on the bike.

I work as a freelance writer and photographer, which I love as it means I can work from anywhere in the world and can travel pretty much indefinitely, which is all I’ve ever really wanted.

Please have a look at my website at www.tristanridley.com or my Instagram: @tristanrid

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is the internet done right, and it's great to meet locals from around the world. Best idea ever.

Interests

I prefer to be outdoors so my interests are mostly things like biking, hiking, climbing and camping. I also read a lot, especially when I'm somewhere scenic so I can occasionally glance up from the book, gaze wistfully out at the view and try my best to look pensive. Photography has become a major passion of mine, and I've also now made several short films about my journey.

• photography
• traveling
• bouldering
• cycling
• rock climbing
• adventure travel
• adventure
• climbing
• cycle touring
• bikepacking

Music, Movies, and Books

My parents were hippies so I grew up on folk music and love anything acoustic. I'll happily listen to almost anything, but these days I mostly listen to techno, rock, folk, and any combination of the three.

With movies, I'm a fairly gentle critic, as I can pretty much enjoy anything. In particular I like travel and adventure movies or anything that doesn't take itself too seriously. The Princess Bride was a childhood favorite. The Motorcycle Diaries is great. Only one movie has ever made me cry. Granted I was just a kid. But it was Gladiator. Weird right?

And books. I love to read. I generally prefer fiction; stories that I can immerse myself in and that inspire me to new adventures. I especially love sci-fi and fantasy, and my favourite author at the moment would have to be Patrick Rothfuss.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I crossed Papua New Guinea by bike and boat, contracting Dengue Fever and narrowly escaping a gang of men with machetes in the process. In China I was twice hit by trucks and nearly arrested, and in Turkey I was almost shot by two farmers who mistook me for a bandit. I've also cycled the length of Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town, getting held up at gunpoint in Egypt but making it through unscathed. In Australia I hitchhiked in a Ferrari, in India I rock climbed with wild monkeys, and in England, when I was younger, I once downed 2 pints (about 1.1 litres) of beer in one go. Some I'm more proud of than others.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share some great stories, teach you a little about bicycle repair, and if you happen to be planning a long term expedition around the world, I can definitely help. I also have a staggering collection of jokes memorised (some good, some terrible) which I'm always happy to tell, and if you have any new jokes then I definitely want to hear them.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can tell you some good jokes, a few really bad jokes and some great stories from my five years on the road. I also give bloody good hugs, if you're lucky.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Australia, England, India, Kenya