Alan Gillespie, Wanaka, New Zealand

In summary the tour exceeded all expectations, the scenery, the history and culture, the changing face of civilisation, the mystique of Tibet, and the physical challenge of cycling through it has been rewarding. I have had the time of my life!

Kirsty Anderson: Newcastle, England , UK.

"I cant thank you enough – the trip was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Suitably challenging but the great support from Lee, the Nepalese and Tibetan staff and other (rather more experienced) group members made it achievable and a truly remarkable experience.

I was concerned that it was considerably cheaper than other trips, some corners may have been cut, but that certainly didn’t seem to be the case.

Looking forward to next years trip already although I haven’t quite decided which one it will be. I will certainly be recommending Red Spokes to my cycling friends".

Michael Olthof, Waverley, Victoria, Australia

"I had been looking forward to doing this trip for several years and I had very high expectations. All of them were met. It was magnificent.

Due to the apparently unusually strong headwinds and, in parts, extremely rough roads it was a bit tougher than I had anticipated. But nothing could detract from the positive aspects - the camaraderie within the group, the satisfaction felt at the end of each day, the exhilaration of actually "doing it" - cycling across the greatest mountain range on Earth. And towards the end - the thrill of the spectacular descent into Nepal, with the amazing change in environment as we did so.

I would not recommend this trip to just anyone; but for those who appreciate a challenge, this is the one for you! Thanks to Giles, Loca and all the crew for making everything run so smoothly."

Christine Jackson, Isle of man, UK

I loved the whole experience. I met loads of fantastic people and felt that the group gelled together really well; particularly considering the youngest was 19 and oldest was 63. People were really laid back and looked after each other in a quiet sort of way. I was higher maintenance (!) than I would have liked to have been due to illness. It was really reassuring to know that David and the support crew were there and were really supportive and extremely helpful. I would love to do the whole trip again!! Am already looking into my next trip. Thanks for a fantastic experience.

Steve Colligan: Manchester, England, UK

Tackling the Roof of the World and Everest on my unicycle was the hardest thing I've ever attempted on one wheel. When you look at the obstacles facing you, whether it’s the high mountain passes, the rocky dirt tracks, sub-zero ferocious winds, the thin air at high altitudes, or just the massive distances needed to cover -there's just nothing going for you. This was even more apparent riding the unicycle. As I write, I still can't believe how much I had to push my body to its limits to achieve my goal of completing the ride from Lhasa to Kathmandu. It was hard, very hard. But what a fantastic adventure - I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

I would like to thank Dermot (Red Spokes) for believing in me and agreeing to let me join the tour in the first place. From the first phone call with Dermot he was so supportive and encouraging, and has been throughout. Thank you for that. Unicycling with a group of mountain bikers did mean that I had different requirements and needs to the rest of the group. These were all met without compromising the others and their needs. In fact the whole group were always there with their words of encouragement and support. Thank you everyone for that.

Throughout, Suresh, Red Spoke's Nepali mountain bike guide and tour leader, was the perfect leader and guide. Having ridden this route 21 times he had so much experience which helped this tour run smoothly and without problems.

The Nepali camp crew were excellent. Great food, which was always varied and healthy, whether it was first thing in the day, on the ride itself, or for the three course evening meal. The tunnel tents were spacious and we even had a Western style loo (not en-suite though).In camp we were always well looked after - nothing was too much trouble for them.

The Tibetan guide was always informative when visiting monasteries and other places of interest. Tensing was always there to help you, or to answer your endless questions. Thank you Tensing for your endless support with my extra long days on the unicycle.

Overall, I rate Red Spokes as a very professional adventure tour company. Would I go on another one of their tours? Only if I can take my unicycle!

"This was a fascinating journey from start to finish with a great group of fellow cyclists, guides and support crew. I feel a huge sense of achievement having completed the journey. Both Tibet and Nepal are stunningly beautiful countries. Cycling in the Everest region is an experience that will stay with me for many years.

I would definitely recommend Red Spokes to anyone I know who is thinking of doing a long distance cycling trip. Everything ran extremely smoothly and I think this has a lot to do with the experience of the guides and the well thought out organisation that went into the planning of the trip".

Arthur Twiggs: Surrey, England, UK.

"My recent trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu was the most fascinating holiday and hardest work out I have ever done. Because of my age and the fact of not having done anything on this scale before, I was apprehensive for many months beforehand, and was so pleased when we started to find that the back up and support was as comprehensive as advertised. No one felt obliged or pressured to ride in the vehicles unless absolutely necessary to reach the planned stop before nightfall which lead to a genuine sense of cooperation and camaraderie between all members of the group from youngest to oldest, and no stigma attached to having to accept a ride for a while. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the standard of hotels used, not expecting the clean 3 star establishments with en-suite facilities and  "proper" toilets that were provided. A local guide and transport were used on the five acclimatisation and rest days in Lhasa, Xigatse and Kathmandu for the sightseeing trips which I had not expected and which added greatly to the overall holiday experience. However, I must say that most of my comments must go to the fantastic service and facilities provided by Loka and his team. I was expecting very primitive conditions with tiny two man tents and not much else, but we were made very comfortable and well fed under a wide range of climatic extremes and from dawn to dusk, not only at the camp sites, but also at the regular 20km and lunch stops during the cycling days.

I will always remember Loka looking out and walking down the road to see that everyone was managing to reach  the stops OK with genuine concern and encouragement. There was always more than enough food providing ample carbohydrate three times a day with hot water for washing as a wake up call every morning and a proper sit-down toilet.   Bye for now"