The Accidental Bicycle Tourist
Host Gabriel Aldaz sits down with other bicycle touring and bikepacking enthusiasts to have unexpected, revealing, and often humorous conversations about their most memorable bike touring adventures. You’ll hear individuals, friends, partners, and families from all walks of life share the joys (and sometimes challenges) of bicycle touring. A willingness to explore the unknown, overcoming self-doubt, resilience, and experiencing acts of kindness from complete strangers are recurring themes. Gabriel hopes that the episodes, dropping every other week, will inspire you to get out and see where the road leads you.
For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram:
https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist
Episodes
47 episodes
ABT047. Travels with Dexter
On this episode, you’ve got a front-row seat to one of the wildest rides of the year. Follow the story of Ana Carmen Navajas as she evolves from an innocent 14-year-old who brought along a water pistol and a pile of CDs on her first group overn...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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1:04:00
ABT046. Work/Ride Balance
Ever dream of telling your boss, "I'll be back in six months... or a year," and pedaling off into the sunrise? Mike Vermeulen didn't just do this once; he made a habit out of it. Join us for a wild ride as Mike explains his genius strategy: wor...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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1:08:01
ABT045. Pedaling for Peace: How a World Bike Trip led to a new Visual Language
Imagine setting out on a bicycle tour for world peace, only to be chased by machine-gun-toting militias in Syria, get dangerously ill from rancid kidney beans in the Sahara, and be forced by border guards to take a huge detour to Jerusalem, onl...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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1:04:50
ABT044. The Biking Viking
What kind of travel club demands that you visit a number of countries at least equal to your age? Welcome to the world of De Berejstes Klub (DBK), Denmark's "Travelers' Club.” Meet Claus Andersen, "the Biking Viking," a man on a decades-long qu...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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58:05
ABT043. Tour d'Afrique
“Just Do It” is Henry Gold’s motto for life. (In his mind, at least, he beat all famous athletic footwear companies to this slogan). Henry’s story is a wild ride, starting with a childhood fascination with Africa sparked by a legendary barefoot...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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1:05:13
ABT042. The Accidental Origins of Bicycle Touring
Ever thought your daily commute was tough? Try cycling around the world on a high wheeler in the 1880s! Our guide to these incredible-but-true stories of journeys sparked by sheer chance is Canadian author David Houghton, who has traveled to ov...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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57:08
ABT041. 3 Wheels, 2 Seats, 1 Goal
What's the best way to cycle 20,000 miles from the top of Alaska to the tip of Argentina? Probably not on a tandem bicycle pulling a trailer - by yourself - hoping that complete strangers will hop on the back seat. Still, that's exactly what Br...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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1:11:25
ABT040. Commit. You'll Figure it Out!: The Pan-Mass Challenge
Ever wondered what it's like to be part of a massive, two-day cycling event that has raised over a billion dollars for cancer research? In this episode, we hear from Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) veterans Lew Kornberg and Sameer Kazi. Lew is a seaso...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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56:27
ABT039. Connecting Africa with Purpose
Get ready for an inspiring adventure as Ellie Mitchell-Heggs shares her incredible plan to pedal 10,000 kilometers across Africa. As of this episode, Ellie is in Tanzania, one-third of the way to Cape Town. She discusses the motivation behind h...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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49:06
ABT038. A Bear of a Ride: From the Canadian Wilderness to the Tour and Back
From dropping out of high school to go mountain climbing to becoming a world-class professional cyclist, Svein Tuft's journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode, hear how a simple need for cheap transportation to climbing spots led Svein...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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1:05:11
ABT037. Open Source, Open Roads: The Hacker Bikepacker Story
What happens when a Spanish software developer who loves open-source technology and an Austrian biomedical scientist who didn’t always love bicycling decide to travel on second-hand grocery-getters from Europe to Central Asia? You get the wild,...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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1:04:03
ABT036. Finding a Place in the Wild
What if you could reframe your greatest fear not as a barrier, but as an invitation? Join Laura Grace on her incredible journey from being too afraid to wild camp alone to spending over a year on a solo bike tour through South America. In this ...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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40:53
ABT035. Bitten and Back: Overcoming Fear After a Dog Attack
For cyclist Julia Esser, a dream journey through South America turned into a nightmare when she was brutally attacked by three dogs in a remote Colombian town. Forced onto crutches and faced with a long, painful recovery, Julia had every reason...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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56:21
ABT034. Alpine Escapade
Join me and my old buddy Jason Ruhl as we spend a week pedaling through the stunning landscapes of Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy, from Luzern to Jason’s charmingly rustic Italian retreat overlooking Lago Maggiore and back. Fueled by p...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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56:51
ABT033. Zigzagging Across the Americas
Ever dreamt of dropping everything to cycle across continents? Meet Yann Tourman, who did just that, embarking on an epic bicycle adventure in 2018 that's still rolling! Beginning with a spontaneous decision in New York to bicycle to the tip of...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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58:05
ABT032. Touring with Type 1: A Journey of 10,000 Miles
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 th...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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1:03:22
ABT031. Into the Unknown
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 Schau...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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1:02:32
ABT030. Diving into the Silk Road Mountain Race
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 expl...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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58:35
ABT029. Bicycle Frame of Mind: Portland. Film Festival. Community.
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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1:03:30
ABT028. Metal Cowboy
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 Fri...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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56:46
ABT027. Take the Long Way Home
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 int...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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1:03:51
ABT026. Tracking Lawrence of Arabia
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 an...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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56:45
ABT025. Cranking up the Challenges
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, ba...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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1:03:41
ABT024. 2024 Holiday Special
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 coz...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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1:30:30
ABT023. Salt Flat Tires: A Bikepacking Roller Coaster Ride
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 batt...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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1:06:37
