Join Erik Douds, as he shares incredible stories from the road, starting with a spur-of-the-moment decision to join friend Annalisa on a TransAmerica bike tour – a journey that even included a detour for the New York City Triathlon! Discover the unique challenges that Erik, Annalisa, and other Type 1 diabetics face, as they manage blood sugar, insulin, and nutrition during demanding long-distance rides. During three years on the road, Erik logged 10,000 miles, fueled by community support and sheer resilience. From an Alaskan wilderness expedition featured in Adventure Cyclist magazine to navigating India just prior to the pandemic lockdown, Erik reveals how these "accidental" tours became life-changing adventures. 

Erik and Annalisa have completed a series of Miles of Portraits videos available on YouTube.

Miles of Portraits India.

Miles of Portraits Southwest.

Miles of Portraits Alaska.

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Meet Giacomo Turco, an aerospace engineer from Italy, who on this episode shares his thrilling bikepacking adventures across Iceland, Mongolia, and South America. Discover how a chance encounter on Instagram with a previous guest, Melanie Schautt, led to an unexpected friendship and shared adventures, including Giacomo’s terrifying brake failure in the Andes. Other near-disasters in South America followed, as Giacomo had to be hospitalized due to a bacterial infection, faced a blizzard whiteout at 5,000 meters in Peru, and pedaled for days without human contact on the Ruta de los Seismiles in Argentina. In the communities he visited, Giacomo experienced incredible hospitality, participating in traditional ceremonies and being offered shelter, food, and “lightly alcoholic beverages.” Giacomo's passion for exploring uncharted territories and pushing his limits shines through as he discusses his unconventional approach to bikepacking and teases his next grand adventure. Prepare to be inspired and entertained by this captivating storyteller and his insatiable thirst for the unknown.

Giacomo's Instagram is @cycling.beyond and his YouTube channel is also called Cycling Beyond. 

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Alden Roth shares his thrilling experience in the Silk Road Mountain Race, a grueling, mostly unsupported, two-week cycling event through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. A self-proclaimed “diving in headfirst” kind of guy, Alden recounts past exploits, such as a cross-country road trip, repeated efforts to bicycle from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, and his foray into ultra-running, kicked off by a spontaneous 50k race. His Silk Road Mountain Race was no less dramatic, featuring a mechanical breakdown fixed with super glue, camping on a mountainside during a blizzard, a close call with a demanding local, and ultimately, a crash. Alden persevered through it all, driven by the challenge of the stunning landscapes and supported by fellow racers and locals. This episode is full of inspiring tales of resilience, guaranteed to make you want to hop on your bike and dive headfirst into your next adventure. 

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Ayleen Crotty, founder of the prestigious Filmed by Bike movie festival, joins us for a captivating conversation about the fascinating origins of this unique event, born from Portland's vibrant bike culture in the early 2000s. Ayleen shares her personal journey into cycling, from a hesitant start in Illinois to following her passions by moving to Oregon for community building and two-wheeled adventures. Hear about Filmed by Bike’s evolution, the challenges of organizing grassroots events, and the festival’s inspiring transition to a platform supporting filmmakers worldwide. In a time currently dominated by negative media, this episode is a celebration of bikes, films, and the power of human connection.

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Saddle up for an inspiring conversation with Joe Kurmaskie, the "Metal Cowboy." Joe recounts his incredible family-cycling-adventures-turned-books, including hauling his two sons – and his dad's ashes! – across America (Momentum is Your Friend) and a later epic journey across Canada with his wife and three sons (Mud, Sweat, and Gears). Discover the hilarious origin story of Joe's nickname and hear about his battle with a life-threatening illness that fueled his passion to give back. Joe founded and operates Reborn Bikes, which provides thousands of refurbished bicycles to Oregon communities in need. This episode is a testament to Joe’s spirit of adventure, his resilience, and the deep influence that the bicycle has had on his life.

The central repository for Joe Kurmaskie’s extensive work is the Metal Cowboy website.

Visit this website to find out more about the untamed life of Evelyn Hamilton. 

To get involved with Joe’s refurbished bicycle programs, visit Reborn Bikes, WashCo Bikes, or Free Bikes 4 Kidz.

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Eric Matthes, author of the bestselling Python Crash Course, embarked on a life-altering, year-long bicycle journey around the United States in the late 1990s. This episode dives into that fascinating period in Eric's life, when he interwove bicycling with his other passions: programming, teaching, and writing. Eric candidly shares his initial struggles, including a pivotal near-knee-destroying trip to Niagara Falls that almost ended his touring career before it began. Successively more challenging outings culminated in his 14,216-mile Seattle-to-Alaska-via-Florida circumnavigation. Hear about Eric’s cross-country adventure, including his memorable time riding alongside his friend Sara, scary moments in the south, and encounters with bears in the north. Discover how this transformative experience shaped Eric’s path to becoming a successful author and his unique perspective on overcoming life’s obstacles, both on and off the road.

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Journey to the Middle East with Miles Spencer as he unravels the fascinating story of T.E. Lawrence's early life and adventurous spirit. Discover how Lawrence's youthful bicycle tours through France, meticulously documenting medieval castles and cathedrals, foreshadowed his legendary role in the Arab Revolt. Miles, along with his friend Wells Jones, retraced Lawrence's wartime trek across the Arabian Desert from Jeddah to Damascus, sharing their own experiences of navigating the challenging landscape and encountering the welcoming culture. This episode delves into Lawrence's complex character, his deep understanding of the region, and the historical context of his pivotal role in World War I. While not a "bicycle tourist" in the conventional sense, Lawrence’s life on two wheels embodied many of the same principles that drive cyclists to explore the world by bike today: a thirst for adventure, a desire for self-sufficiency, and a means for testing one’s endurance limits.

A Line in the Sand by Miles Spencer and Wells Jones is sold on Amazon. 

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Meet Laura and Shaun, a Canadian couple whose cycling adventures began when the 2020 lockdown forced them to cancel their plans to spend a year traveling the world. Hear their hilarious first tour stories, complete with grocery-getter bikes, backpacks, bungee cords, and borrowed panniers from the ‘80s! After a successful first outing, the couple undertook a honeymoon-on-wheels exploration of British Columbia and a bikepacking tour of Baja California, Mexico. We kick off Season 2 of the podcast by following Laura and Shaun’s evolution from accidental bicycle tourists to seasoned adventurers. The culmination of their journeys is an ambitious 2022 Patagonian tour, full of dramatic weather, logistical nightmares, and heartwarming kindness from both strangers and fellow travelers.

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Ever wondered about the voice that welcomes you to The Accidental Bicycle Tourist podcast? In this special holiday episode, host Gabriel pulls back the curtain, inviting his wife Sandra as a guest for the very first time! Join them in their cozy home in Germany as they reflect on their summer bike tour with baby Emilio, sharing hilarious mishaps and heartwarming moments. But that's not all - find out which episodes you found most memorable this past season, including a series of entertaining discussions with those episodes’ guests. Also, catch updates from other Season One guests and learn a bit about the podcast’s listeners. Filled with laughter, reflection, and a dash of that irresistible accidental charm, this episode is the perfect way to wind down the year and look ahead to the open road in 2025.

One of the selected episodes is "Adventures of a High-Tech Nomad" with Steven K. Roberts. If you would like to read the serialized version of his book Computing Across America, please visit his Substack page.

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Fueled by a quarter-life crisis and the desire to break free from routine, bikepacking newcomer Melanie Schautt embarked on a transformative half-year cycling adventure through South America with her friend Louise, a seasoned cyclist. From battling fierce headwinds and a near-quitting moment on the Carretera Austral in Patagonia to overcoming mechanical issues and a couple of injuries, Melanie had to be resilient to keep pedaling. Amidst the struggles, she also discovered the unexpected joy and freedom of finding her own pace, the value of enduring friendships, and the thrill of conquering challenging terrain, including the Lagunas Route and Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. Melanie’s vivid storytelling may leave you craving to launch your own South American bikepacking adventure. 

If you would like to explore Melanie's posts for yourself, her Instagram is @livingintents. She also maintains a website with additional information.

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