Cycling reporter finally saddles up

After months of setbacks caused by injury cycling reporter Leon McCarron has finally set off on his epic trip from New York in search of unheard voices. He's also announced plans to extend the trip beyond Australia and into Asia and Europe to make it a full round-the-world trip.

Leon's unique angle on this expedition is that he'll be using it as an opportunity to interview as many people as possible along the way. A graduate of the University of Kent in Film, Practice and Academia, Leon will be taking his trusty HD camera and laptop to record the views of the people he meets along the way. And you'll be able to get a flavour of those encounters right here on road.cc.

"I will interview the people who make up the cultures within which I am guest", says Leon on his blog. "I want to provide a platform for people who feel they are victims of social injustice, inequality, exploitation, repression, discrimination – I want to give these people a voice to have their story told. I want to retain a large degree of versatility regarding the subject matter as well - while raising awareness of injustice is my primary concern, I would also love to hear other thoughts and opinions I encounter. I feel that if someone is truly passionate about a topic close to their heart, it will make for intriguing viewing and listening. Therefore I will be constantly alert to anyone who has a message they want to deliver"

Adding a video production suite to the usual complement of tents, stoves and clothing of round-the-world cyclist means that Leon's Santos Travelmaster bike (supplied through MSG bikes, the same chaps that kitted out James Bowthorpe and who we'll be visiting next week) is loaded up to the max, with front and rear panniers and a two-wheel trailer piled high with kit. After a first day that saw Leon moving "much slower than I'd been expecting", he's sensibly decided to take a say to see if he can shed a few pounds from the payload.

Leon's odyssey certainly looks like it's going to be an engaging one, and he's agreed to keep road.cc readers updated with regular video blogs. Look out for the first one in the coming weeks...