Australian archaeologist and cyclist Sam Wood has turned the ancient epic of Homer's Odyssey into a modern bicycle tour, offering riders a chance to retrace Odysseus' legendary journey from Troy to Ithaca. The 27-day trip winds through Turkey and Greece, combining historical sites with challenging cycling routes.
From Hannibal to Homer
Wood, who studied classical archaeology at the University of Sydney and worked at the British Museum, first gained attention in 2009 when he and his brothers retraced Hannibal's route over the Alps. That adventure became a BBC documentary and inspired Wood to found Bike Odyssey, a touring company focused on historically themed cycling journeys. His routes have followed Richard the Lionheart's Third Crusade, the Venetian empire's expansion, and Alexander the Great's conquests, but the Odyssey remained a personal passion.
"I studied the Odyssey back at university and loved it," Wood said. "The very word is a theme that resonates with our journeys, so it was always a trip I wanted to do." The company's logo features Argos, Odysseus' faithful dog, the only one to recognize him upon his return to Ithaca.
Mapping the Myth
Condensing Odysseus' decade-long voyage into 27 days required compromises. The exact route of Odysseus has long been debated, with locations like Circe's island of Aeaea placed anywhere from Sardinia to Georgia. Wood chose to focus on Turkey and Greece, combining Homeric references with major archaeological sites. "Troy and Ithaca are easy, but everywhere in between is up for grabs," he said. "Fortunately, Troy is a really great site and there's archaeological evidence of burning in layers that could be relevant to the events of the Odyssey."
Stops include Lesbos, Mount Parnassus, Ephesus, Delphi, and Mycenae, offering riders a mix of myth and history. Parts of the journey follow the Turkish coast aboard a traditional wooden gulet, allowing participants to sail between islands in the Dodecanese. "When we're sailing from island to island, we can tell a story about Odysseus travelling home on his boat and it feels very real," Wood said. "So much of the Odyssey is about the journey and the wine-dark sea, so being on a boat in the Med is a spectacular way to capture that atmosphere."
Challenges on the Road
Daily rides range from 50km to 70km, and while ebikes make the tour accessible, traditional bikes can be demanding. Penny Clowry, a 52-year-old from Canberra, admitted: "I had no idea how big the mountains were in Greece before I had to bloody ride up them." Despite the physical strain, she found the experience transformative, especially when cycling through a village at sunset and seeing a woman in traditional dress herding goats. "It felt like I had stepped back in time," she said.
Wood has faced logistical hurdles, including cancelled flights, closed borders, and a frantic dash to secure last flights back to Australia during Covid lockdowns. Guest mishaps also occur: "We've had multiple people turn up with no bike experience after telling us otherwise," Wood said. "One had only ever ridden in a bike trailer and another had no peripheral vision so she went straight off the edge of the road at the first corner! She was fine and she kept riding, but I had to stay close to her for the rest of the journey."
Personal Journeys
The tour attracts a range of participants, including a 70-year-old woman who hadn't ridden a bike since age five. She completed the Odyssey and has since taken three other epic rides, now leading two ebike groups in New South Wales. Wood sees the Odyssey's themes of longing, perseverance, and the battle between fate and free will as universally relevant. "The Odyssey is the story of a man returning to his family having been away for 20 years, and it's an enormous emotional journey for Odysseus," he said. "It's such a rollercoaster for Odysseus, who is saved by the gods then doomed by other gods. But going on a big journey like that always feels relevant to people's lives and they can tie it to whatever they're going through on a personal level."
