Continuing our look back at an incredible first year of trips, here are Set Forth’s biking and car-touring highlights from 2024!

Highlight #1: Conquering High Passes in France’s Southern Alps

Working with Malcolm to plan last summer’s bikepacking trip through the French Alps gave Set Forth the opportunity to build a trip with a single goal: cramming as much superb cycling as possible into each day. From the start Malcolm was clear that, despite the fact that his time in Europe would mark his first time bikepacking, he was on a mission to build an itinerary that challenged him on the bike, and pushed himself each day.

After several weeks of collaboration, ranging from high-level debates over the merits of camping versus relying on indoor accommodations (hotels all the way — with no camping gear you can carry a much lighter load!) to detailed debates on what to bring and how to pack it, we ended up with a fantastic itinerary (here’s a link to the riding routes!) that fully delivered everything Malcolm was looking for. Over the course of a sunny week in August, Malcolm climbed a half-dozen icon “cols” including Tour de France staples, visited sleeping faming villages and bustling resort towns across the Rhone Alps, and spent a whole lot of time turning his pedals and expanding his perception of what was possible on the bike. Mission accomplished!

Highlight #2: An Irish Adventure for the Ages

This fall, Set Forth worked with sisters Beth and Ellen to plan a bucket list tour of Ireland, linking important places from their family’s heritage, classic Irish destinations and landmarks, and a few off the beaten path gems as well.

The sisters’ adventure began in North Ireland, visiting in Belfast and its surroundings and soaking in that region’s deep, tumultuous history. From there, a day dedicated to visiting their ancestors home villages in central Ireland eventually brought Beth and Ellen to Galway, the perfect base for exploring the Cliffs of Moher and the less-crowded coastline of the Connemara region. Finally, they wrapped up the whirlwind week with several days in Killarney, enjoying that region’s world-class hiking, and the picturesque coastal landscapes on the Ring of Dingle.

While it can feel tough to tour a bucket list destination when you only have a week to work with, Beth and Ellen’s trip clearly shows that with some good planning (and a lot of energy!), it is certainly possible to fit a ton of once-in-a-lifetime-adventuring into a single week!

Highlight #3: Exploring the Scottish Highlands by Bike

The opportunity to help our friend Teddy plan a bike trip in Scotland this fall was special. Teddy and I (Nate) have been friends for 2014, when we met as leaders for Overland Summers. That year, Overland introduced us both to bike touring and, while I dove in head first (including leading bike trips for Overland in future summers), Teddy remained a hiker and has only recently explored further into the world of cycling. So, when Teddy reached out for some help planning his first-ever solo bike tour, and in the Scottish Highlands no less, Set Forth was stoked to dive in.

The trip we put together (here’s the route) hit all the notes of a great bike tour: a bit of a logistical headache to sort out a bike rental and gear in the starting city (Glasgow), some epic moments of beauty and solitude (just look at those pictures!), a mid-trip route adjustment as the over-ambition of planning meets the reality of cycling day after day, and an overarching sense of satisfaction as the route reached its end. We are pumped that Teddy had such a fantastic first bike tour, and already looking forward to planning his next two-wheeled adventure!