[ About ]

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Zero Carbon Adventures was launched in 2020 by Conor Murphy and for the past 6 years, we have been leading groups all over the UK and Europe. From Land’s End to John o’Groats, London to Amsterdam and across the mountains of Northern Spain, all whilst minimising our impact on the environment and maximising our experience.

We are a generation of explorers, but we live in a time where we can hop on a plane and arrive in a different country within the same day. We are forgetting about the journey in between.

Our cycling tours focus on the journey, rather than the destination, embracing the extraordinary places and people along the routes.

Zero Carbon Adventures is underpinned by three core values: Sustainability, Simplicity and Connection

A man wearing a bicycle helmet and outdoor clothing standing outdoors with trees and a wooden structure in the background.

Conor

founder, guide and trip planner extraordinaire

Inspired by his own bikepacking trip through Colombia, Conor trained as a cycling guide and started Zero Carbon Adventures in 2020 to help others explore on two wheels by offering sustainable and inclusive cycling tours. 

He is passionate about creating bike adventures which connect people with the places and communities on the route, focussing on exploring new places in an environmentally sensitive way and with enough time to fully appreciate them.

Conor has always travelled by bike because he can explore and learn, whether it’s about the history of a place or new cultures, and also about himself.

When on a tour with Conor, he is known to share unexpected snippets of insight about history and culture in a remote location.

His cafe order is a long black and an extra large croissant. 

[ team ]

Meet the rest of the team

A smiling woman wearing a helmet and cycling gear, standing with her mountain bike on a sandy beach with tide pools, overcast sky, and distant hills in the background.

Lisa

Our lead guide and trip planner, Lisa has a unique ability to find the best cafe stops and an absolute master selfie-taker, as well as being a wealth of knowledge about all things bikes.

lead guide and trip planner
A cheerful man wearing a red helmet and a colorful cycling jersey with the text 'edinburgh rc' smiles outdoors. He stands with hands on hips in front of trees and a vehicle on a cloudy day.

Steven

Our Scotland expert and guide in the north, Steven has an unparalleled ability to cook up a storm with very few kitchen utensils and ride a road bike on gravel tracks.

scotland expert and guide
A person cycling on a rural road in a desert landscape under a clear blue sky, wearing a yellow jersey, helmet, and sunglasses. 
MArketing manager and travel enthusiast

Emma

Our marketing manager and travel enthusiast, Emma is passionate about storytelling and human powered travel, and especially enjoys it when she gets to combine the two.

Group of four cyclists, three men and one woman, wearing helmets and outdoor jackets, gathering outdoors in front of green trees, possibly preparing for a bike ride.
Winding country road through green fields with sheep grazing, trees in the background, and a cloudy sky overhead.

Our values

Group of cyclists resting and chatting near a small white van with bikes mounted on top, on a grassy hillside with a scenic view of distant hills and cloudy sky.

Sustainability

We understand the importance of sustainable travel and it's one of the reasons why we are so passionate about bikepacking. Cycling rather than flying or driving helps reduce our environmental impact while also helping us connect with nature. 

We have calculated the carbon cost of each of our tours and list this on the tour information page as environmental transparency is important to us.

All our rides begin and end near accessible public transport links, whether it's a local train station or an international ferry port as we always prioritise the most eco-conscious way of planning and running our tours.

We always use an electric van to transport luggage and support us along the routes.

We’re also committed to the Leave No Trace principles, ensuring we protect and respect the wild places we explore.

Map of the Scottish Highlands, showing towns, roads, castles, and geographic features along the coast and inland.

Simplicity

We appreciate the little things in life but sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters when we get caught up in the fast paced rhythm of daily life.

Travelling by bike offers us the opportunity to slow down and experience joy in the little things. Whether it’s sitting around a campfire at the end of the day, gazing up at a sky full of stars or sharing a well-earned pint after exploring stunning landscapes, our bike tours help you take a moment to appreciate the simple joys in life. 

We are also partial to using a paper map.

Seven people in outdoor clothing are walking in a line on rocks over a river, surrounded by trees with sparse leaves and cloudy sky.

Connection

When we travel by bike it gives us the time and space to explore our surroundings and to connect with nature and our fellow riders. We keep group sizes small, with a maximum of 8 riders per tour, which allows for a relaxed and friendly environment. 

We also make time to stop, chat with locals and learn about the people and culture which shape each landscape we pass through.

By the end of a trip, we have both a great sense of achievement and a deeper connection to the places we’ve travelled through, to ourselves and to our fellow riders.