Around the World on a Bicycle
in 1,461 days.

Introduction

Where did you go?
The red line above is where I rode my bicycle (41,144 KM). Although I did cycle all of North America in a continuous line, I am not a "purist". There are too many places that are just too ugly, unfriendly and dangerous for cycling. So, to complete my circumnavigation, I connected the dots and lines with either an airplane, train, bus, truck or ferry. See the complete list below.

Why would anyone ride their bicycle around the world?
Ask yourself this question, "If you could do anything -- anything in the world -- what would you do?" You can guess my answer. I feel that life is a gift and that I have only one chance to live. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." And, to be honest, I had more than my fair share of angst and riding around the world was the only option I could see to overcome my malaise and become (or is that prove) to the world who I thought I "should" be.

How do you ride a bicycle around the world?
How does one define bicycling around the world? Well, you wouldn't get very far trying to bicycle around the equator since it is mostly water. However, you could try lugging your bicycle to the North or South Pole, once there you could finish the trip in minutes. Or, you could even join the astronauts as they pedal a stationary bicycle while their ship orbits the earth every 90 minutes. Maybe a more practical definition involves bicycling every continent or every country. As it turns out, these aren't practical options. For instance, the definition between continent, continental plate and island are not clearly defined; while zigzagging between the invisible and often disputed political borders seems silly. I define bicycling around the world as cycling the circumference of the earth (40,077 KM [24,855.34 miles] as measured around the equator) without treading the same ground twice (otherwise I could have stayed in San Francisco and bicycled circles around the donut shops and pubs) and visiting as many cultures and phenomena as practical. As you can see from the map my route consists of a compromise between all the above considerations while avoiding prevailing headwinds, rainy seasons, war zones, health emergencies and cold weather. All the while, I constantly pushed forward, never counting the same kilometer twice.

Share the Adventure.
On our first trip, bicycling across The United States, I realized that everyone I encountered was partaking in my adventure and were adventurers themselves. On the road, being a "crazy bicyclist" inspired many people to follow their dreams. Many people have emailed saying they quit their jobs and cycled countries like Cuba or Australia or Canada, or they have backpacked Europe, hiked the Inca trail, kayaked New Zealand. Some people told me they quit traveling because they were inspired to go home to the adventure of building a community or pursuing a new career or a new love. It has been my honor and privilege to have gotten so many emails over they years. And, believe me, I could never have accomplished my journey without all your words of kindness in return.

What countries did you visit?

Note: Some countries listed are given the benefit of the doubt, such as Tibet. Also, I don't count airports in transit, such as Chile and The United Arab Emirates, though I did get a great look at these countries.

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Guatemala
5. El Salvador
6. Honduras
7. Nicaragua
8. Costa Rica
9. Ecuador
10. Peru
11. Bolivia
12. Uruguay
13. Argentina
14. England
15. Wales
16. Ireland
17. Northern Ireland
18. Scotland
    
19. Belgium
20. Holland
21. Germany
22. Czech Republic
23. Austria
24. Slovenia
25. Italy
26. Croatia
27. Bosnia and Herzegovina
28. Greece
29. Turkey
30. Egypt
31. Israel
32. Palestine
33. India
34. Nepal
35. Tibet
36. China
37. Thailand
38. Myanmar
39. Malaysia
40. Laos
41. Vietnam
42. Australia
43. New Zealand
44. Kenya
45. Tanzania
46. Zanzibar
47. Malawi
48. Zambia
49. Zimbabwe
50. Botswana
51. Lesotho
52. South Africa

On separate trips I visited:

1. France
2. Spain
3. San Marino
4. Monaco
5. Indonesia
6. England (I attended university)

Also saw these countries from their neighbors or airports:

• Chile (I flew through the Chilaen Andes. It was awesome!)
• Paraguay
• Saudi Arabia
• The United Arab Emirates (airport)
• Mozambique
• Taiwan (airport)
• Singapore (airport)