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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Five-year-old Alix has already experienced more bicycle tours than many adults. In this episode, her parents, Mylène Lenzi and David Clément, share the experiences gained by touring with Alix, give tips on what equipment to bring along, and list their favorite child-friendly routes in Europe. Along the way, they also tell about the Festival du Roc Castel, a unique summer gathering close to their home in France that celebrates slow travel.

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During the pandemic, Malte Bossert came up with the idea of a themed bicycle tour whose goal would be to visit all 46 places in his native Germany with the name of Neukirchen (literally, “New Church”). Malte convinced his lifelong friend and fellow computer science student Tilman to participate, and together they wrote a program on Christmas Eve to optimize their route. Zigzagging around Germany on a recumbent tandem, Malte and Tilman were surprised – and at times overwhelmed – to experience six weeks of fame, as mayors, local organizations, church officials, and even local newspaper reporters lined up to meet them and prove that their Neukirchen was the best.   

Malte and Tilman’s blog, written in German, can be found at www.neukirchen-tour.de.

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When Michelle Savacool set out to cycle Chile, top to bottom, a distance comparable to crossing the United States, she worried most about the weather. Indeed, the first unbearably hot days in the Atacama Desert turned her plans upside down, and she was forced to reassess the purpose of her trip. Abandoning her goal of pedaling the length of Chile, Michelle nonetheless had a fantastic experience as a solo female traveler that included cycling the famous Carretera Austral in Patagonia and continuing into Argentina along a little-known border crossing.

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