The Accidental Bicycle Tourist – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Alan Gilbert has always been interested in long, challenging bicycle rides. For Alan, the chance to ride across the United States from Pacific to Atlantic in 38 days finally presented itself in 2022, upon retiring from his job as a technology executive. The timing also coincided with the end of COVID, which had kept Alan cooped up at home and yearning to get out, meet people, and explore the country 100 miles at a time. Rather than undertake this Big Hairy Audacious Goal alone, Alan found a riding partner, Dave, and their respective spouses, Sue and Dee, became known as the Support Angels. In this episode, we will dive into Alan’s BHAG, as well as trace his love of touring to its origins (a trip in Ohio when he was seventeen) and what he’s been up to since finishing his coast-to-coast adventure (a fully supported tour of classic mountain climbs in France).  

You can learn more about Alan’s adventures by reading his blog on Medium.

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Roger Levy, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, considers himself a scientist of language and a polyglot, speaking five languages fluently and many more conversationally. In this episode, Roger will share the sounds and flavors from his six bike tours across three continents. Since Roger also happens to be a longtime friend, I was his partner on two of the six tours. On his solo adventures, Roger enjoyed the delicious breakfast offerings in Taiwan and ended each day of riding in Scotland in a pub and perhaps a whisky distillery. He also trained with the Stanford University triathlon team and discovered the bicycle-friendly country of Rwanda. Everywhere he went, Roger bravely took on the roads, the weather, and the language barriers he encountered.

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Imagine bicycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles in one week, not alone, but in a peloton of thousands. For 545 miles, a team of roadies dedicate their time and energy to supporting your southward journey. The daily rest stops are extravagant events with costumes, dance parties, and drag shows, while the nightly camps provide relaxation areas, medical facilities, and excellent food. Everywhere – among the riders, the volunteers, and residents along the route – there is exuberance and joy. This is the AIDS/LifeCycle, a yearly charity ride that raises millions of dollars to fight HIV/AIDS. Our guide to the ride is Meg Shutzer, an investigative journalist, filmmaker, and spinning instructor who currently captains the inclusive WeSpoke team and has participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle every year it’s been held since 2016.

New Generation Queens: a Zanzibar Soccer Story can be rented on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/newgenerationqueens

Meg’s website is www.megshutzer.com

The New York Times article can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/29/us/juvenile-detention-abuses-louisiana.html

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Suffering a heat stroke in the middle of Vietnam’s mountainous jungles was definitely not in the plans when Hannah Bowley decided to cycle from Hanoi to Singapore. Hannah was in month nine of a one-year touring adventure, and Southeast Asia was the third leg of her trip, following long rides in Western Europe, which included the Camino de Santiago, and South America, including the Carretera Austral in Patagonia. Thanks to the remarkable kindness of her Vietnamese host, as well as the help of many others she met through the Warmshowers community and elsewhere, Hannah continues to live her dream of chasing summer around the globe.

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Inspired by a man who bicycled across France to attend a wedding, Simon Alfassa decided to organize his own solo bike tour from Berlin (where he resides) to Copenhagen. There’s just one problem: He has no idea what he’s doing. From using his “super weird” secondhand city bike to carrying many kilos of dead weight to stashing his smartphone in a soaked rain jacket pocket, Simon makes all sorts of mistakes along the way. However, with a healthy dose of optimism, perseverance, and improvisation, Simon overcomes the obstacles caused by his lack of experience and preparation. In this episode, we use Simon’s journey as a case study to present 10 fun bicycle touring tips for beginners and hopefully entertain travelers of all experience levels.

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A long blue line runs 70 kilometers, across picturesque islands and over majestic suspension bridges, between Onomichi and Imabari in Japan. This is the famous Shimanami National Cycle Route, a trail that Singapore native Poh Yu Seung and his wife selected for their first bicycle tour. The couple packed their Brompton-style folding bikes and flew to Osaka, home of the famous Shimano Museum. From Osaka, they took the train to Onomichi, where they began their cycling journey. Yu Seung shares the unique characteristics of the Shimanami Islands, as well as learnings about Japanese culture, a fascination with the Brompton folding bike, and the rich Japanese bicycle industry tradition, which is largely unknown both domestically and abroad.  

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Ida Sigusch and Tilman Jiménez Reichow met and fell in love in Umeå, Sweden. A long bicycle tour through Europe, initially on a recumbent tandem, strengthened their relationship (this is by no means a given). On the road, Ida and Tilman met many friendly and helpful people who helped them in their quest to reach lighthouses at extreme points of Continental Europe. In the process, they also overcame mechanical issues, insurance problems, rabid dog attacks, and the harsh environment of the Arctic Circle. At times, they only managed these difficult situations because they were together. And so, they say, “It takes two.”

Ida and Tilman’s English-language website can be found at https://justtwowheels.de

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One of the hardest parts of turning a vision into reality is simply getting started. Professional photographer Christopher Briscoe has made a habit of starting – and completing – bold undertakings, such as multiple long-distance cycling trips in the United States. He embarked on his first cross-country bicycle journey with his friend Brian in 1976. Most recently, in 2016, he and his son Quincy followed Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago, a ride that is captured in a book and a film, both titled The Road Between Us. After thousands of miles traversed over every kind of road and every type of weather, and after getting to know so many people, Christopher’s recipe for success is simple: get out of your comfort zone.

Christopher’s Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christopher-Briscoe/author/B0189R39BM

Shifting Gears Publications: https://www.shiftinggearspub.com/

The Road Between Us can be viewed on Vimeo free of charge: https://vimeo.com/327512864

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Cuba is a fascinating island nation whose beautiful beaches, diverse geography, tropical climate, relative safety, and less-traveled roads have made it an excellent bicycle touring destination. Canadians Jim and Susan Allman have been exploring Cuba by bicycle for the past 20 years. They share incredible stories about finding accommodations, navigating the currency and the black market, dealing with the police, and interacting with locals who remain friendly and welcoming despite constantly struggling to make a basic living. Clearly, everything works a little differently in Cuba, which remains a single party Marxist–Leninist socialist republic despite decades of economic and political pressure from the nearby United States.

Music provided by MokkaMusic and https://inaudio.org

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Inspired by his mother and his acting professor, Mark Vashro began to dream of bicycling across the United States as a college student. In 2010, after two years of preparation, Mark cycled from Boston, Massachusetts, to San Diego, California. Determined not to put his acting and filmmaking career on hold, Mark carried along 125 pounds (57 kilos) of equipment so he could film his ride. On the road, Mark overcame multiple hardships, including a break-up with his girlfriend, a period when he decided to stop filming, and a loneliness that nearly caused him to call it quits. After reaching the Pacific Ocean, he did not suspect that completing his documentary film, Bike Against the Wind, would be an even greater challenge than the journey itself. 

Bike Against the Wind can be viewed on Vimeo free of charge: https://vimeo.com/104778796

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