Interesting Links

See my present location via my Spot Map

Generally Useful:

Warmshowers – Invaluable hospitality site for touring cyclists
PanAm Riders – Google Group for PanAmerican Cycle Tourists
Darren Alff’s ‘Bicycle Touring Pro’ Site
Crazyguyonabike – Journaling resource for bicycle tourists
Map My Ride – Route planning and mapping resource
Bikepacking.net – Resource for overnight off-road lovers

People I’ve Met Along The Way (who have websites):

Aurelie & Florent – (http://terredepaysages.over-blog.com) – An inspiring French couple who are cycling around the world. I met them in Denali National Park, Alaska. The first cycle tourists I met on this tour, they inspired me to start this blog and consequently had a huge impact on the tour I was just starting.

Remi Lafreniere – (www.remilafreniere.com) – I met Remi in Fairbanks Alaska while on his way up to Prudhoe Bay. He was near the start of a superhuman tour which he completed on 22/05/11. Remi cycled 69,300km round trip from his home in Ste-Marcelline-de-Kildare in Québec, Canada, taking in the most northerly, westerly, southerly and easterly points of the Americas… all in just 365 days!!! REMI = COMPLETE LEGEND!

Penny & Bill Howe – (www.ageingoverlanders.co.uk) – I crossed paths with these traveling stalwarts on the Dalton Highway. Fellow English folks, Penny and Bill completed a 26,734 miles, 3 year round the world cycle tour in 1986, a time when cycle touring really was adventuring. They haven’t stopped moving since. When I met them they were on the second part of their ‘Odd Way Round’ journey, touring the Americas in a Classic a 1974 Mercedes Benz 206D Campervan. Sadly the van died in Acapulco, Mexico and they had to fly back to the UK… but they’ll be back.

Andre & Marion – (www.marandi.ch) – These guys were rolling into Deadhorse , Alaska just as I was leaving. They were literally just completing their cycle up from Urshuaia, Tierra del Fuego, just as I was starting to roll south. At a time when injuries threatened my tour they gave me a real boost and dose of inspiration.

Justin Smith – (www.roadsunwound.com) – A fellow PanAmerican cycle tourist, Justin and I met 7 days into my journey down the Dalton Highway. In Fairbanks we teamed up to form the mighty ‘Steel Thigh Crew’, partnering each other all the way down to Vancouver, Canada. With notable similarities in age, outlook and motivation, yet enough differences to hold interest, I count it as a real blessing to have had the opportunity to ride with Justin. Now a good friend I keep my fingers crossed that we may team up again before hitting Urshuaia.

Miles Martin – (www.milesofalaska.net) – We met in Fairbanks, Alaska. As a young man Miles went alone into the Alaskan wilderness to live. Now an artist, he is one of the hardy breed of Alaskans who help expose the Jon Krakauer created Chris McCandless (‘Into The Wild’) as a naive, idealistic idiot. We cannot pass judgment on the real McCandless for we do not know him.

Andrea DeGruttola – (www.andreadegruttola.net) – Our paths crossed on the Elliott Highway, Alaska as this Italian was about to hit the Dalton. He was traveling north up to Deadhorse.

Dan & Marc – (http://paddleforsustainability.org) – By a bizarre twist of fate we bumped into each other as Justin and I were enjoying more than a few jugs of Ale in a Jasper brew pub, Canada. They were in the process of paddling a pioneering 205 day route from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean in Birch Bark Canoe that Marc had built himself. We were in awe of the intensity and hardships inherent in their expedition just as they were amazed by the time commitment of ours. True champions of sustainability I doubt I’ll meet hardier travelers than these.

Jens – (http://velomerica.de) – Jens and I seem to be shadowing each other down the Americas. We first met when he joined Justin and I to cycle the last part of the Cassiar Highway, Canada. Our second meeting was a bit more bizarre when he popped his head out of the back of a VW Camper heading north out of La Paz, Baja California. On more than one occasion I have stayed in a Hostel and found his name in the visitors book. We eventually joined forces in July 2011 and enjoyed the brief ride from Puebla to Oaxaca, Mexico as a team. Our routes are very different but our progress seemingly the same.

Tom – (http://www.click-stand.com/) – As the inventor and manufacturer of ‘Click-Stands’, the blue pole you may have seen propping up my bicycle, I had been in contact with Tom before even landing in Anchorage. We opened a dialog that led me to the privilege of a welcome night out of the rain in his beautiful home in Washington State. Tom not only builds bike stands, he also builds bikes… the machine he rode out to meet me on was really quite something.

Bryan – (www.pedalpedalpedalpedal.blogspot.com) – The only other cycle tourist I met on the extremely wet US Pacific coast. Bryan spent just under 5 months cycling just over 5,500 miles from his hometown of Seattle down to Key West, Florida. We met in Florence, Oregon, rode together for a day and enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinners camped up in Coos Bay.

Ed & Bobbie – (http://trashdogs.org) – I was lucky enough to stay with Ed and Bobbie Gross in their beautiful house in Brookings, Oregon. Ed is the creator of Trashdogs, a team that clears up after the rude, selfish and ignorant beings who insist on dumping their rubbish in places it doesn’t belong. Really great people running an extremely effective and worthwhile organisation.

Ron – (www.ronnies70thadventure.blogspot.com) – While I luxuriated in the warmth of a coffee shop in Fort Bragg, California I was briefly joined by Ron Bloomquist. Ron is remarkable in that he decided to celebrate turning 70 by going on an extended bicycle tour. More than double my age, I cannot fathom what it must be like to haul a loaded bike up hills and sleep in a tent in the rain. Ron is an all round good sport and a great example of how there are no rules in cycle touring.

Daniel – (http://pushingthepedals.com/) – When in San Francisco I was wrestling with Brooks to replace my broken saddle, a process akin to hitting my head repeatedly against a brick wall. Daniel turned out to me my savior. A mechanic and general font of knowledge at San Francisco’s oldest bike shop, American Cyclery, we bonded over a shared love of touring and Rohloff internal gearing. Not only did Daniel sort me out with a new Brooks B-17 Champion, but he also invited me to the shop Christmas Party. Watch out for his upcoming bike tour of India and the Himalayas.

Kevin – (http://www.warmshowers.org) (www.crazyguyonabike.com/koleary) – A remarkable character who I was fortunate to have host me in Las Vegas. Any cycle tourist who uses the incredible Warmshowers hosting facility owes Kevin more than they know. Kevin selflessly volunteers a lot of time to help the websites creator, Randy Fay (www.hobobiker.com), keep this invaluable resource up, running and moving forward. He is also a long distance hiker of note and has a PanAmerican tour in the pipeline. You should go to Vegas and if you’re a Warmshowers user you should offer Kevin your thanks.

Parys – (http://americaenbici.blogspot.com/) – Apart from Andres and Marion who I met in Deadhorse, Parys is the only cyclist I have met who is traveling north from Tierra del Fuego up to Prudhoe Bay. We converged about half way down the Baja peninsular where he inspired me to carry less food. Unfortunately Parys didn’t have a visa for the USA and being Polish didn’t have the luxury of the visa waiver program… the authorities wouldn’t let him in and his dream died in Tijuana.

Julian & Eleanor – (http://theslowwayhome.blogspot.com) – Julian has been on his tour since July 2008 when he set out from Ireland to cycle down to Ghana. He simply never stopped, pedaling all the way to South Africa before crossing to Argentina and heading north. Eleanor ( http://borntohorn.blogspot.com) joined him in Colombia. A really nice couple, I met them in the South of Baja near the end of the least inspiring leg of my tour… I needed hope and that is what they gave me.

Websites I’ve Appeared On:

Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska – http://tetlin.fws.gov/center.htm
Justin’s Blog – www.roadsunwound.com
Tom’s Click-Stand site – www.click-stand.com/Happy_Customers_.html
Bryan’s Blog – www.pedalpedalpedalpedal.blogspot.com
Ron’s Blog – www.ronnies70thadventure.blogspot.com
Fort Bragg News – www.fortbragg.com
Daniel’s Blog – http://pushingthepedals.com
Parys’s Blog – http://americaenbici.blogspot.com/

My Friends From Home Who Are Touring In The Americas:

Alex & Katie – http://alex.mj2p.co.uk/blog.html (Started riding: Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 07/07/11)

Russell & Sadie – http://thepacifictour.wordpress.com (Started riding: Seattle, Washington, 07/11)

Others Currently On Their Bikes In The Americas:

Cass Gilbert – http://whileoutriding.com (Started riding: Anchorage, Alaska, 07/06/09)
Anna Kortschak – www.wishfish.org (Started riding: Deadhorse, Alaska, 20/06/09)
Jason, Jeff & Doug Volk – http://volksonbikes.blogspot.com (Started riding: Deadhorse, Alaska, 02/07/09)
Paul Gareau – www.panamericantour.net (Started riding: Fairbanks, Alaska, 16/06/09)
Hanna Jakobson – http://www.hannamijakobson.com/english/home/ (Started riding: Vancouver, Canada 16/09/09)
Laura & Erich – www.polarbearstopenguins.com (Started riding: Palmer, Alaska, 01/08/10)
Tom & Sarah – Banff to the Bottom (CGOAB Journal) (Started riding: Banff, Canada, 09/08/10)
Matt Burney – www.spokecount.com (Started riding: Albuquerque, New Mexico, 29/12/10)
Monique & Rene – www.2bikepackers.com (Started riding: Quito, Ecuador, 27/03/11)
Brett Watson & Ryan McMahon – http://conbigotes.wordpress.com/ (Started riding: Vancouver, 02/05/11)
The Berg Brothers – http://boundsouth.org/ (Started riding: Anchorage, Alaska, 09/08/11)
Ian Lacey & Lee Saville – http://www.350south.org (Started riding: Deadhorse, Alaska, 08/11)