Most cyclists try to take as little as possible on a big tour but Briton Oli Broom has deliberately added an extra kilo to his bags, in the form of a cricket bat.

Why? What else but a quest to get from England to Australia by bicycle in time for the next Ashes tournament, a long-standing cricket competition between the two countries. Along the way, Oli is trying to get in as many games of cricket as possible with the people he meets and to raise over $150,000 U.S. for his two charities, The Lord’s Taverners and the British Neurological Research Trust.

Since leaving home in October 2009, Oli has made it as far as India and he aims to reach Brisbane, Australia by November 2010, cycling a total of 25,000km. So far he’s met with a few challenges but he seems to have adapted well to the rigours of the road.

“Every day has brought highs and lows. The lows have generally been related to the heavens, which have been unkind to me, unleashing day after day of torrential rain. But looking like an idiot is a great way of making friends,” he writes in a blog entry on his website, Cycling To The Ashes.

What makes Oli’s journey especially nice to follow is the video account of his journey, created by volunteer film makers. The first part came out recently and shows Oli’s adventures riding between the UK and Syria. It’s well worth a look for an insight into daily life on a bike trip.

Film Until Ashes – BFF festival edit (part 1.)