TWO MUMS. TWO TODDLERS. TWO BIKES. 25 DAYS ACROSS TURKEY.

How far can two mums, two toddlers and two adventure bikes get across Turkey in 25 days?

In October 2026, I’m swapping horsepower for pedal power and setting off on one of my most ambitious adventures yet.

Together with my friend Tori, our toddlers Skyla and Leo, and two heavily loaded SCOTT Axis e-bikes, we’re attempting to cycle more than 1,000 kilometres across Turkey with over 21,000 metres of climbing – roughly 2.4 times the height of Mount Everest from sea level.

Oh, and we’re bringing the toddlers.

Because apparently cycling across Turkey wasn’t quite complicated enough.

Our route will take us across approximately 80% tarmac and 20% gravel, through mountains, towns, tiny villages and some of Turkey’s incredible landscapes. There’s no race clock, no podium and, deliberately, no absolute guarantee of how far we’ll get.

That’s actually the whole point.

How far can two mums, two toddlers and two bikes get across Turkey in 25 days?

We’re about to find out.

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WHY TURKEY? WHY NOT LAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATS?

When we started talking about a big cycling adventure, Land’s End to John O’Groats was the obvious option. It’s an iconic challenge, it’s a huge distance and doing it with toddlers would certainly be hard enough.

But it’s also been done. A lot.

There are books about it, GPX files, established routes, blogs telling you where to stop, accommodation recommendations and endless accounts from people who’ve already ridden it. We’d know roughly what was coming, where we’d sleep and how to solve most of the problems before we’d even left home.

That’s a challenge. We wanted an adventure.

Turkey gives us the unknown.

There isn’t a proven toddler-towing cycle route waiting for us to download. There isn’t a guidebook telling us which roads will work with trailers, where we’ll be able to sleep each night or whether what looks perfectly rideable on a map will actually be sensible when we arrive.

Accommodation isn’t booked along the route because we don’t know exactly where we’ll get to each day. Weather, mountains, road surfaces, toddlers, mechanicals, battery range and sheer exhaustion can all change the plan.

So rather than simply following somebody else’s route, we’re going to need Plan A, Plan B and probably Plans C, D and WTF-do-we-do-now.

That’s what excites me.

The path isn’t completely known. The outcome isn’t guaranteed. We’ll have to make decisions on the ground, adapt and see where the adventure takes us.

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WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Becoming a mum has changed my life in just about every way imaginable, but one thing I’ve been determined not to lose is my sense of adventure.

Before Skyla arrived, motorcycles had taken me around the world. I’ve competed at Red Bull Romaniacs and raced the Africa Eco Race, following the historic original Dakar route through Africa to Senegal. I’ve travelled to 49 countries, ridden motorcycles in 35, raced through deserts, slept under the stars and repeatedly pushed my body far beyond where I thought its limits were.

Then, in December 2024, I became a mum.

Suddenly an adventure involves nappies, snacks, nap times, breastfeeding, toys and approximately 74,000 things that apparently need to leave the house with one very small human.

But becoming a parent hasn’t made me want to show Skyla less of the world. It’s made me want to show her more of it.

Turkey is an experiment in what adventure can look like after motherhood. It won’t be fast, it definitely won’t be glamorous and I’m under absolutely no illusion that everything will go to plan.

There’ll be tired legs, toddler meltdowns, wrong turns, camping chaos, mechanical problems, questionable weather and probably moments when Tori and I wonder what the hell we were thinking. But there’ll also be mountains, tiny villages, new people, incredible landscapes, toddler giggles, wild places and memories I hope we’ll carry forever.

Adventure doesn’t stop when you become a family. It simply changes shape.

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MEET THE TEAM

Vanessa & Skyla

I’m Vanessa Ruck – aka The Girl On A Bike – an adventure motorcyclist, racer, speaker, content creator and, most importantly these days, Mumma to Skyla.

My journey into adventure came after a road traffic accident in 2014 changed my life. Seven surgeries, years of rehabilitation and living with chronic pain followed. Motorcycles became a huge part of rebuilding both my body and my mind, eventually taking me from simply trying to walk without pain to racing some of the toughest events in the world.

Now I’m swapping the throttle for pedals and seeing just how much of that adventurous life I can share with my daughter.

Skyla will be 22 months old during the expedition and has been around bikes almost since she was born. She’ll alternate between her trailer and a front-mounted seat, giving her everything from a comfy place for a nap to a front-row seat for the adventure.

And yes, she’s still breastfeeding – so apparently Mumma Taxi also provides its own onboard refuelling service.

Tori & Leo

Alongside us are my brilliant friend Tori and her little boy Leo.

Tori is a nurse, ex-military and former Army skier, so thankfully she’s not exactly someone who shies away from a challenge. We have a very similar approach to motherhood: becoming mums hasn’t removed our appetite for doing slightly ridiculous things, we’ve simply learnt to bring the little humans along with us.

She’s practical, resilient, loves a challenge and is exactly the sort of person you want beside you when Plan A has disappeared somewhere over the horizon and you’re already halfway through Plan C.

Leo and Skyla are going to make sure neither of us gets too comfortable.

Gary – PappaDuck & Support Crew

Then there’s Gary.

Depending on who’s talking, he’s Gary, my adopted “Dad”, or PappaDuck to his god-granddaughter Skyla.

We originally met through Tour1 Harley-Davidson trips, where a shared sense of humour and relentless banter turned into a friendship. Since then we’ve ridden motorcycles together in more than 15 countries, and he’s become part of our family.

For Turkey, Gary is taking on a very different role: driving our support motorhome across the country.

Turkey is simply too unknown for us to sensibly attempt this completely alone with two toddlers. The motorhome gives us a safety net without removing the adventure. It’ll be our kitchen and cooking base, shower, charging station, occasional wild-camping home and emergency support if something genuinely goes wrong.

We’ll still be carrying our own day-to-day kit on the bikes and trailers and riding the route ourselves. Gary isn’t there to shuttle us past the difficult bits; he’s there because responsible adventure with two tiny humans sometimes means having a bloody good Plan B.

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WHY E-BIKES?

Our wheels for the expedition are two SCOTT Axis e-bikes, both running Bosch eBike systems with 800Wh batteries.

For me, choosing an e-bike isn’t about making the challenge easy. Following my accident and seven surgeries, I live with chronic pain and have a reconstructed hip. Pedal assistance makes an expedition of this scale physically possible while still requiring me to ride every kilometre.

It also gives both of us something incredibly valuable in Turkey: contingency.

We don’t completely know what the roads will throw at us. We don’t know how slowly we’ll climb while towing toddlers, how much extra energy a difficult surface will consume or whether a day we thought would be manageable will turn into something completely different.

The e-bikes give us another tool for managing that unknown – while our legs still have to keep turning.

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TODDLER BUSINESS CLASS – HAMAX

Possibly the most important equipment of the entire expedition.

Our Hamax Outback trailers will be carrying the most precious cargo we have: Skyla and Leo.

Think of them as toddler business class. While Tori and I are sweating our way up another mountain, there’s a very real possibility they’ll be behind us eating snacks, reading books, watching Turkey roll past and having an afternoon nap.

The trailers give them suspension, weather protection and their own comfortable little space during longer stretches of riding. We’ve already been putting them through their paces and, ultimately, the most important review isn’t mine:

The kids bloody love them.

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FRONT-ROW SEATS – KIDS RIDE SHOTGUN

When they aren’t relaxing in their trailers, the toddlers can come up front using their Kids Ride Shotgun seats.

It completely changes their experience. Instead of watching the adventure from behind the bike, they’re between our arms, seeing the road ahead and experiencing the ride with us.

We’ll swap between Shotgun seats and trailers depending on terrain, weather, tiredness and, realistically, which toddler is currently cooperating.

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LITTLE BIKES, BIG ADVENTURES – STRIDER

Because apparently taking four bikes to Turkey wasn’t enough, the toddlers’ STRIDER balance bikes are coming too.

Skyla first started exploring her STRIDER when she was tiny, and watching her progress from simply sitting on it to confidently riding and tearing around pump tracks has been incredible.

The STRIDERs mean that when Mumma Taxi finally clocks off and we stop riding for the day, the kids can have their own adventures too. They’ll have familiar bikes to explore campsites, towns and wherever else we end up calling home that evening.

Adventure shouldn’t just be something they’re carried through. I want them to be part of it.

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NAVIGATION – BEELINE

Getting lost can be part of an adventure.

Getting lost somewhere in Turkey with two toddlers, two loaded bikes and absolutely no idea where you’re sleeping that night is perhaps slightly less entertaining.

We’ll each be using a Beeline Velo 2 for navigation, GPX routes, ride tracking and elevation. I’ve used Beeline’s Moto products on my motorcycle adventures for years, so taking their cycling technology on this expedition felt like a natural fit.

And possibly my favourite feature?

Confetti when you reach the top of a climb.

With more than 21,000 metres of climbing ahead of us, I’m expecting a bloody parade.

Shop Beeline through my affiliate link. Beeline Moto review and support-code details.

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STAYING CONNECTED – CARDO

Communication is going to matter far more on this trip than it does on a normal bike ride.

When we’re cycling on roads with trailers, Tori and I could naturally become quite spread out. We don’t want to spend 25 days shouting at each other – and there are plenty of little reasons one of us may suddenly need to stop.

Both toddlers were out of nappies at around 20 months, so “Mumma, wee wee!” could quite genuinely bring one bike to an immediate halt while the other is 100 metres further up the road.

We’ll be using Cardo Outdoor intercoms to stay in constant communication while riding. It means we can warn each other about traffic or hazards, coordinate stops, tell the other when a toddler needs something and generally keep our little convoy together without having to be side-by-side.

We’ll also be able to hear directions from our Beeline navigation while using bone-conduction headphones, allowing us to remain aware of traffic, our surroundings and the children.

I’ve trusted Cardo motorcycle intercoms for well over a decade, so bringing that same technology into a completely different type of adventure makes total sense.

Watch my motorcycle Cardo intercom review on YouTube. Cardo discount details and reviews.

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POWER – JACKERY

Four humans. Cameras. Phones. Navigation. Intercoms. Lights. Charging.

Our travelling circus requires a slightly ridiculous amount of electricity.

A Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 will travel in the support motorhome and become our mobile charging hub, keeping the cameras and technology needed to navigate, communicate and document this expedition alive.

Because apparently going off-grid now requires carrying half an electronics shop with you.

Jackery code: thegirlonabike05 – 5% off portable products, listed as valid until 30 November 2026. Shop via my Jackery partner link. Jackery discount details.

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TYRES – MICHELIN

More than 1,000 kilometres of Turkish road and gravel means the relatively tiny patches of rubber connecting our bikes to the ground matter rather a lot.

Michelin are supporting the expedition with tyres and tubes for the bikes and trailers, helping us balance rolling efficiency on a predominantly tarmac route with the capability needed when we head onto gravel.

Hopefully the only tyre-related content you see from us is them happily going round and round.

I’ve probably just cursed us by writing that.

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WHEN THERE ISN’T A BED – VANGO

We aren’t pre-booking accommodation along the route because doing so would completely remove our ability to adapt. We simply don’t know exactly how far two mums towing two toddlers across Turkey will realistically travel each day.

We’ll find accommodation where we can, but when there isn’t somewhere suitable – we camp.

That’s where Vango comes in. They’re supporting our camping and sleep setup with lightweight tents, sleeping bags, mats and expedition equipment, giving us the freedom to stop without needing a hotel conveniently positioned at exactly the point our legs or toddlers decide the day is over.

After towing a toddler up several thousand metres of climbing, sleep isn’t going to be a luxury.

It’s survival.

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FUEL FOR THE HUMANS – GRENADE & WAYFAYRER

Keeping ourselves fuelled properly is going to be critical.

I’m still breastfeeding a 22-month-old who isn’t exactly the world’s most enthusiastic eater, while simultaneously asking my body to cycle day after day. That makes getting enough calories, protein and hydration particularly important.

Grenade are keeping us stocked with protein bars, giving us something quick and easy to reach for while riding or when we need calories without stopping the entire convoy.

Then there are the days when we’ve ridden for far longer than planned, everyone is exhausted and absolutely nobody can face cooking from scratch.

For those moments we’ve packed Wayfayrer expedition meals: proper, ready-to-go food that can turn a grim, hungry evening into something considerably happier. The All Day Breakfast is already a firm favourite, alongside [ADD SECOND FAVOURITE MEAL] – and obviously the naughty Chocolate Pudding treats have made the cut too.

Sometimes adventure nutrition is carefully calculated protein and carbohydrates.

Sometimes it’s chocolate pudding in a tent.

Balance.

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STAYING ONLINE – HOLAFLY

Being connected during this expedition isn’t simply about posting on Instagram.

We’ll need mobile data for communication, navigation, weather, changing plans, finding accommodation, emergency logistics and keeping in touch with Gary and the support vehicle.

Holafly are providing eSIMs to keep us connected throughout Turkey, which also means I’ll be able to share the adventure as it actually unfolds – including, presumably, all the bits that go spectacularly off-plan.

Holafly eSIM guide and discount details

Discount code: TheGirlOnABike – 5% off Holafly eSIMs.

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LOOKING AFTER THE BODY – SINOGEL

This expedition carries an additional physical challenge for me.

I live with chronic pain following my 2014 accident and have undergone seven surgeries, including major reconstruction around my hip. Ahead of Turkey, I’m having another Sinogel injection into my hip to give my body the best possible chance of coping with 25 days on the bike.

Sinogel are supporting both my treatment and the expedition.

My body isn’t perfect, and that’s actually an important part of the story. Adventure doesn’t always require a perfect body.

Sometimes it means learning how to adventure with the one you’ve got.

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EXPEDITION KIT – MOSKO MOTO

Motorcycle luggage on a bicycle expedition?

Yep.

I’ve trusted Mosko Moto equipment on my motorcycle adventures for years, and selected pieces are crossing over into Turkey to organise tools, spares and the mountain of little things we need accessible while riding.

One of the interesting parts of preparing for this expedition has been taking everything I’ve learnt from years of motorcycle travel and working out what translates when you remove the engine.

Turns out quite a lot does.

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THE PEOPLE & BRANDS HELPING MAKE IT HAPPEN

An expedition like this might have two mums turning the pedals, but there’s a much bigger team helping us reach the start line.

A huge thank you to:

SCOTT – e-bikes, riding kit and equipment Hamax – child trailers Kids Ride Shotgun – front-mounted child seats Cardo Systems – rider communication Beeline – navigation Jackery – portable power Michelin – tyres and tubes Vango – camping and sleep equipment Holafly – connectivity Sinogel – treatment and expedition support Grenade – nutrition Wayfayrer – expedition meals Mosko Moto – luggage and expedition kit STRIDER – little bikes for little adventurers

And to everyone helping behind the scenes to somehow get two mums, two toddlers, two e-bikes, two trailers and an extraordinary quantity of stuff across Turkey – thank you.

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DISCOUNTS & CODES

A few of the companies involved in our adventures also have discount or affiliate codes that you can use yourself.

Some of these are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you. It helps support the free content and adventures I create, so genuinely, thank you.

BEELINE

The navigation we’ll be following across Turkey.

Support code: THEGIRLONABIKE. This is an affiliate/support code and does not currently give a money-off discount. https://beeline.avln.me/c/xcuapLUIaXdE

Shop Beeline through my affiliate link. Beeline Moto review and support-code details.

HOLAFLY

eSIMs and travel data without having to swap physical SIM cards.

Code: TheGirlOnABike – 5% off. Holafly eSIM guide and discount details.

CARDO

The communication systems we’ll be using throughout Turkey – and the brand I’ve trusted on my motorcycles for years.

Code: TGOAB – 10-25% off eligible motorcycle products, depending on the model. See the Cardo discount details and reviews for the product breakdown; this is not a confirmed offer for Cardo Outdoor.

Shop Cardo through my referral link. Cardo discount details and reviews.

STRIDER

The little bikes that have helped introduce Skyla to life on two wheels.

Code: TGOAB. My existing STRIDER page lists 8% off through the affiliate link; check the offer at checkout.

Shop STRIDER through my affiliate link. STRIDER discount details.

MORE DISCOUNTS

Jackery code: thegirlonabike05 – 5% off portable products, listed as valid until 30 November 2026. Shop Jackery via my partner link. Jackery discount details. Browse my full discounts page for other current offers.

I’ll keep this section updated with the current codes I actually use rather than filling it with random discounts for products I don’t.

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FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE

The polished films will come later. While we’re actually crossing Turkey, I’ll be sharing the reality of the expedition as it unfolds – the incredible bits, the difficult bits, toddler chaos, behind-the-scenes decisions and probably more than a few moments where we wonder whose bloody idea this was.

You can follow The Girl On A Bike / @thegirlonabike across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Afterwards, the full expedition will become a multi-part YouTube series, taking you properly behind the scenes of what it actually took to attempt something like this with two tiny humans in tow.

We’ve planned. We’ve trained. We’ve built Plans A, B and C.

But deliberately, we don’t know how this story ends.

There is only one question we’re trying to answer:

How far can two mums, two toddlers and two adventure bikes get across Turkey in 25 days?

Let’s find out.