We are joined today by Josh Garman. Josh is a touring cyclist who lives in the U.K. and recently cycled 600 miles across England ~ with E.T. as his co-pilot!

Josh is an accidental touring cyclist who started his first tour with no prior cycling experience. He had spent time in Australia as a barefoot long-distance walker but had never considered a bike tour. When Josh returned to England, he learned about Chris Brannigan, a father who walked across England barefoot to raise money for his daughter’s medical treatment. Josh was captivated by this unique story and decided right there and then that he would do something to help.

He came up with the idea of doing a cycle tour to raise funds for Chris’s charity, Hope for Hasti. While planning his trip on a gloomy, rainy day, the scene from the movie E.T. where Elliot rides across the sky with E.T. on his bike came to him. The vision brought such a simile to his face, and he decided that he would take E.T. along with him to bring attention to his fundraising cause. In 2 short weeks, with very little planning, a small budget, and way too much gear, he set off. 

Josh spent a total of 23 days on the road. It was very slow going at the start, and he quickly realized that a mountain bike loaded down with gear is not the right way to travel on the English roads! Having E.T. along brought him tremendous attention. Josh spent the first night sleeping in a small tent, but people started offering him shelter after news of his tour got out. He spent 21 of the 23 nights on the road staying in people’s houses, some of which were Warmshowers hosts. Josh was overwhelmed by the kindness he received from total strangers on his journey. 

On the second last day of Josh’s tour, he and Chris Brannigan from Hope for Hasti finally got to meet. His trip was such a magical experience for him that he knew he would do it again. For his next challenge, he plans to cycle 5000 miles around the coast of England, towing a bicycle camper he built to resemble a school bus while raising money for charity.

You can learn more about Josh on Instagram at ExpeditionJosh, on Facebook, on Patreon, YouTube, or his website ExpeditionJosh.com. 

To learn more about Hope for Hasti, or make a donation, visit their website HERE.

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