Around the world by bike
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31365)
Denmark
May 2, 2012 11:10am CST
I visited the library today and I borrowed a book about a Danish man who travelled around the world. He visited many different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Central America. He also visited the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. His trip lasted 4 years and he didn't use cars, trains or busses, he always travelled by bike.
The only exception was the times when he had to get from one continent to another for instanse from Indonesia to Australia. He had to fly in those situations, but the rest of the time he always used his bike.
I look forward to reading about his trip, but I don't think that I could have done the same thing as him. I think that it would have been much too hard to ride my bike all the time. He travelled more than 62000 km during those four years. I would also find it hard to travel alone for 4 years. I am sure that he found new friends among the other tourists and the locals, but I still don't like the idea of travelling alone for such a long time.
What do you think about his trip? Would you consider travelling around the world by bike? Why/why not? Would you be able to travel alone for 4 years or do you think that you would get lonely?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@petersum (4522)
• United States
2 May 12
I had to welcome one of these round-the-world cyclists once in a diplomatic mission. I put on the appropriate face and spouted the words that I really didn't mean. Honestly, I thought he was an idiot!
Just a few weeks later, we received news that he had been murdered in another country.
It's a dangerous thing to do.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
2 May 12
He sounds like a man who overestimated his own abilities when he decided to cycle around the world. It can be a risky thing to do. When you are alone in a desolate area you are an easy target for robbers, and it can also be dangerous in other ways. The man that you met is a proof of that. The man that I wrote about when I started the discussion travelled for 4 years without major problems, but many people wouldn't have been able to do the same thing as him.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
2 May 12
I used to do very much cycling when I was 14 to 33 years old. I then moved to so somewhere with decent bus and train travel. I had to cycle to and from work with many heavy books. I learned how to drive car and passed my practical driving test two years ago. It was so funny to get a free bike in the Netherlands when I studied there. It was an old bike with just three gears. In that country it is very flat unlike Wales which I took it back to. Yes, in Wales where I studied at the university there are many hills. I ended up purchasing a 21 gear bike. It is now in my garage and I have had it since 1997. It would be hard to cycle all around Europe but at least the tracks and roads there are in good condition. It would not be easy for me to cycle around the world on my bike. I have my daughter and disabled son to think of. My son would have to miss four years of school. The head teacher is hard pressed to allow 10 days. I traveled around the world by air when I was 20 to 21 years old. I wish I could do a ground and sea only trip around the world but I can't due to the time it would take. The summer holidays are six weeks long otherwise a month is the maximum time I can take a trip for.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
3 May 12
It is interesting that you like me used to live in a place that had a lack of public transport so you and your ex-boyfriend rode on your bikes. I try not to get dependent on my car now that I have learned how to drive. That is why I walk my disabled son to school pushing along his wheelchair.
In Australia I met some Dutch girls and they had hired motorbikes in Thailand. They had an accident whilst there which was very sad. The roads there would have been hard to cycle on so I really admire that man cycling in the other continents.
I am a teacher myself yet the school has strict rules. 10 days was hard to get. I just can't imagine the head teacher agreeing to a year off. I can dream though. I should try to travel in each school holiday but it would be advance booking the cheapest tickets.
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@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
7 May 12
I also find it a little hard to understand that the head teacher said yes to one year. My parents once planned a vacation that didn't take place in the summer months and I had to miss school for one week. The head teacher gave my parents the permission, but she was not happy about it. I am pretty sure that she would have said no to one year. The Danish family that I mentioned were able to travel for one year, because the parents were teachers, but I think that many school would have said no.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
3 May 12
In the past I also used my bike a lot. My ex-boyfriend and I didn't have a car so we had to ride our bikes or walk when there was no public transportation. Today I don't use my bike much, because I live in a relatively small town and it takes me 10 minutes to walk to the shops. When my husband and I want to visit one of the neighbour islands we go by car.
Yes, the roads in Europe are generally in good condition, and that would make it a lot easier to travel by bike. There are other parts of the world where it would be challenging to travel by bike. The man that I mentioned when I started the discussion visited every continent by bike, and I think that is very impressive, I wouldn't have been able to do that.
When you have children it is not easy to travel for a long period of time. I know one Danish family that travelled for one year and they had 3 or 4 children. The children missed school for one year. They got the head teacher's permission, because their parents were teachers and they made their own "school" in the car or in the hotel rooms where they stayed. In my own school I don't think that would have been possible.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
3 May 12
I am also want to travel the world, but not on bike - and not alone. I think that is would be too lonely for me to travel alone and I like to share my experiences with others when I travel.
@jricky1 (6797)
• China
4 May 12
I would say that it is really cool doing that.I had dreamed of this before and i think this may really need more about our physical health to support keep going.Well,there are two men that is famous in our country and they go to europe only by getting lifts.I think that's really cool to do that and realize your dream.Hope that one day i could be also like that.Good luck my friend.
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@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
7 May 12
Yes, your physical health is important if you want to travel the way that the man did. I don't think that I would be able to travel around the world by bike. It is impressive that he was able to do it, but I don't think that I have the physical strength to do the same thing. I would love to travel around the world that is one of my big dreams, but I would prefer to use means of transportation for instanse trains, busses and planes.
@jobfindonline (1744)
•
2 May 12
I thought it was a joke when I read the headline of your discussion. I was really surprised to know that fact. It is not easy to travel by bike in some distant places and in the long period of time.
I'd like to travel around the world by airplane and not by bike. Aside from the undeniable reason that biking around the world is tiring, I like seeing the layers of clouds when I am on a plane. My other commitments in life would not allow me to travel around the world for 4 years and for sure I will be lonely and will miss all the people who are close to my heart in my home country. Even if I meet new ones still my feeling will be, as the saying goes, "there is no place like home".
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
2 May 12
Flying is very relaxing compared to a bicycle tour. I would also prefer to fly instead of travelling around by bike. I think that I would get exhausted pretty quickly if I had to travel by bike. I would also have carry all of my luggage on the bike and that would make it even harder to travel that way. Today I am married and I couldn't be away from my husband for 4 years, but even if I had been single and independent I don't think that I would have enjoyed that kind of trip. It would be too lonely for me, and I would miss my family back home. I am sure that I would meet new friends, but it is still a long time to be away from my family.
@asuankhor (37)
• Taiwan
3 May 12
since when i'm living oversea for one years in taiwan,looking at the government's education policy,the government has been actively promote about the recylce,this activity getting a lot of feedback,and a lot of the taiwanese are keeping doing Waste classification and moreover to promotion about the this activity. in recent years,government recommed having vegeteles on monday.And in all the world news,i can heard about that,many countries are keeping promoted about vegetarian foods, because the global warming...sometimes i going out on foot or riding a bicycle and i have a dream about that i wanna ride my bicycle to ride around the taiwan?I admire the protagonist can travelling along for such along time.If i'm the proagtagonist,maybe i need a lot of courage and encouragement,to complete.If the side having a partner,perhaps i will continue this journey.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
7 May 12
I hope to visit Taiwan one day. I think that a bicycle ride around Taiwan sounds interesting or maybe we will rent a car and drive around. So far I only know that we are going to visit Taipei, but I am going to read a bit more about Taiwan before we leave. I also admire the man who travelled around the world on his bike. I don't think that I would be able to do the same thing as him. I think that it would be too hard to me to travel that way I prefer to travel in other ways (car, bus, train or plane) If I was able to travel with my partner I would enjoy the trip a lot more.
@salma07 (639)
• India
2 May 12
This sounds interesting, i am a huge fan of travelling although i was not that lucky enough to travel to lot of places in my life time..but i always dream about going on a journey and discovering a new path. Can u please give the name so that i might check this one out..or is it title of this discussion
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
2 May 12
His name is Nicolai Bangsgaard. You can visit his website: www.worldtravellers.dk I don't think that the book has been translated to English, but on his website there is information in Danish and in English. I share your interest in travelling. It is one of my biggest passions. When I don't travel on my own, I like to read about other people's experiences. I find it interesting to read about the places that they visit and the people that meet, but of course the very best thing is to travel on your own 
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
2 May 12
I couldn't do it either. I think that it is impressive that he managed to visit so many countries by bike, but I think that it must be hard to travel that way for 4 years. I don't have the strength to do that. I have travelled around by bike in my own country, but my country is quite small so it was very different from his trip.
