Turning heads on two wheels: Who's the man touring on a towering bike?

He's been spotted for weeks now, popping up across the island of Ireland from town centres to quiet country roads, perched high above the traffic but moving serenely through it.

This Frenchman's travels have prompted double takes, waves, gasps and the occasional photo from quick-thinking passers-by.

And the ride turning all those heads? A purple, two-metre tall bicycle that looks like a steampunk take on a penny farthing.

Meet Alan Rouget, or Bobyvouac as he's known on social media, who is making his way around the island on the eye-catching, extra tall bike, which he designed himself.

Rouget had never set foot - or wheels - in Ireland until November, when his tour began in County Cork.

He has since travelled the length of Ireland's west coast, but in recent weeks, his journey has brought him to Belfast.

Rouget, who is from Brittany, has already cycled over 2,000km, but said his trip had "only just started".

Rouget worked in restaurants to save up for the experience - a trip born out of a desire to improve his English and one that is as much about cultural discovery as adventure.

"I wanted to make this trip so it would be like a training mission, that way I could possibly travel further on another occasion," he added.

He has chosen to travel slowly and independently, allowing time for conversations with strangers and encounters he might otherwise miss.

"Every day when I stop and take a rest, people will come up to me and ask questions," he said.

"When you do something different or unusual, people will look at you as if you are a strange guy but I would like to change that mentality."

His custom-built bike stands at two metres tall and weighs around 80kg.

It has been cleverly crafted to include everything from a water dispenser, a passenger seat and even storage compartments for his tent and ukulele.

"I'm not a welder, but I designed it and painted it and I give it a lot of love," he said.

The unusual design, he explained, was inspired by a fascination with shapes found in nature.

"When I created the bike I started to wonder how much the round shape is at the source of everything. It goes from the planet to the atom. It is a naturally reassuring form."

Travelling on such a large and heavy vehicle does come with its own challenges - it can be difficult to store and physically taxing to ride for long distances.

The obstacles however, are not going to dampen Rouget's plans.

"One thing is for certain, I will either have to lighten it up or recreate another, lower bike," he said.

The 24-year-old's journey has been as unconventional as his bike.

Rather than booking accommodation, Rouget has spent his nights either camping or staying with people he has met along the way.

"If I have a little place of grass, it's enough," he said.

"I enjoy being outdoors and in the wild probably more than some people enjoy living in the comfort of their home."

Despite the attention he attracts, Rouget said his adventure was ultimately about enjoyment and self-expression.

"It's important to embrace our inner child, to create and just enjoy life."

One person who has hosted Rouget is Daniel Iglesias - a fellow cycling enthusiast who makes his own custom quirky bikes as a hobby, combining creativity with engineering skills from his day job.

The pair met on social media before Rouget's trip, and have been out riding around Belfast together.

Originally from Salamanca in Spain, Iglesias has been living in Northern Ireland for the past seven years and has become part of the "biker community".

To date, he has built four bikes, working in a friend's workshop in Belfast.

Iglesias said he spends "a lot of time watching videos about new designs and then go about creating my own".

"My passion is quirky bikes."

He said the process was largely one of trial and error.

"I craft out a drawing on paper and later try to cut and weld metal parts to make it come to life," he said. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

Iglesias has accumulated a total of nine bikes which he stores in his home, something he said his partner is supportive of.

"She doesn't mind, as long as I am happy," he joked.

For now, Rouget is "going with the flow" and has no immediate plans to return to France - but Iglesias will carry the torch for quirky bikes when he does.