On April 4, 2014, I cycled to Oxnard, California and met up with Johnny from Milestone Rides who was, on the time time, within the technique of leaving his job and dealing to turn into a full-time bike owner (like myself). As you’ll be able to think about, he had fairly a number of questions for me about how I made the leap from being a passionate bicycle touring fan to a full-time skilled bicycle traveler.
Throughout our time collectively in each Oxnard and Camarillo, Johnny and I cycled to the close by CSUCI College and ate lunch collectively at a close-by Mexican restaurant. Throughout our time collectively, Johnny and I spoke about our bike excursions, out experiences with the Journey Biking Affiliation, and our desires for the longer term.
Earlier than we went our separate methods, Johnny sat down and did a fast interview with me about my very own bicycle touring experiences, asking me:
How did you first get began with bicycle touring?
What’s the easiest way to determine what gear to hold in your bike excursions and what objects you need to depart at dwelling?
What unusual or foolish objects are you carrying with you in your present bike excursions?
Are the belongings you pack for each bike tour the identical? Or completely different?
Why do you select to journey with out a camp range?
How do you decide the locations to your bike excursions?
What impressed you to go in your first bike tour? And what’s it now that continues to encourage you to journey by bike?
How is it doable so that you can journey for months on finish?
At what level did you resolve to turn into an expert bicycle vacationer?
The place are you going in your subsequent cycle tour?
Right here’s a fast transcript of the video above:
On April 4, 2014, Johnny (from Milestone Rides) traveled to Camarillo, California for a fast bike experience and interview with TOURING-BICYCLE of BicycleTouringPro.com.
I didn’t have anyone educating me how to do that. My uncle had gone on a motorcycle tour earlier than and he confirmed me how one can put the luggage on the bike, however he didn’t actually inform me what to pack or something. So I’ve type of figured that out through the years. You go on a visit and carry a bunch of stuff you by no means use. And you then come dwelling and say, “I carried this factor round with me on my bicycle for an entire month and I by no means used it.” And you then go on one other journey and also you say, “I’m going to go away that factor at dwelling.” In order that’s just about it. Nearly yearly I normally convey one thing that I find yourself not utilizing, but it surely’s a brand new merchandise that I feel, “I’ll do that out and perhaps I’ll use it.” On my upcoming bike tour I’m planning to convey a kite and a ping-pong paddle, so we’ll see if I ever use any of these things.
Are the belongings you pack normally the identical?
By no means! I by no means pack precisely the identical issues on my bike excursions.
So, what goes into packing for a bicycle tour?
Nicely, there are the fundamentals you want for a motorcycle tour. Tenting gear is crucial for me, as a result of I spend a lot time tenting. And clothes modifications somewhat bit relying on the place you’re going on the earth (and what time of 12 months you’re touring), however it’s the private objects that in all probability change essentially the most.
On my early bike excursions I introduced a camp range and pot and cooking gear and all the things, however in the previous few years I don’t convey all that stuff any extra. That’s one of many issues that I although, “I’ll attempt going with out it,” after which realized I don’t really want this cooking gear in any respect. I do miss it typically, however not sufficient to be carrying it round with me on a regular basis.
How do you set up your bike excursions? How do you decide the locations to your travels?
I decide the locations based mostly on the place I need to go.
So, it’s normally a matter of going to a spot you’ve by no means been to earlier than?
Yeah, that’s normally it. I’m simply focused on a spot for no matter motive… and I feel each tour has been completely different. I imply, what motivated me on my first bike tour may be very completely different from what motivates me now. My first bike tour I did once I was 17-years-old, so at that age I used to be leaving dwelling for the primary time in my life and I used to be attempting to show to myself that I might do one thing massive and memorable by myself. Possibly I used to be attempting to show that to myself for the primary couple years of my bicycle travels – that I might do that in varied places all world wide.
What’s your motivation now while you’re touring?
That’s a superb one. I don’t know. I assume, perhaps, attempting to determine the place I belong, to a sure extent. If you’re from a sure space and that’s all you understand… like, I grew up right here in Ventura County, California, however I don’t actually really feel at dwelling right here now that I’ve traveled everywhere in the world. I feel there are different locations the place I felt like I linked extra with the folks or one thing else. In order that’s type of what I have a look at now… is like, “Might I reside right here?”
You’ve been doing this for some time?
Yeah, 14 years.
14 years! Wow. And also you get to go on these lengthy journeys. So, how is that doable so that you can take an intensive depart from work? Or how did you get that going?
My fundamental secret is that you just simply should be cussed. You simply should be obsessive about what you need to do. That’s the primary factor. After which repeatedly work in the direction of that.
For me, I feel the large transfer that I made occurred a pair years after I graduated from faculty. I had been happening bike excursions for six years at that time. And through these six years I had been telling myself, “I want I might simply journey the world and receives a commission to do this.” All my buddies would say, “Good luck with that. You’re dreaming!” However once I lastly made the dedication to myself that I used to be going to try to try this, that was actually all it took. You gotta make the choice and go for it!
I do know you’ve gotten a few cycle excursions arising. Are you able to inform me the main points for what you’ve gotten happening?
Yeah. I’m leaving quickly on a 6-month-long bike tour via about 13 completely different international locations in Europe and Asia. I is likely to be longer than that truly. I don’t even know. I’ve rented out my complete dwelling for an entire 12 months, so I do know I’m going for the six months after which I’ve a while afterward.
I like going again to locations you’ve been to earlier than. You see it otherwise… and on the identical time, you type of really feel at dwelling. It’s kinda cool.
Thanks Johnny and Milestone Rides for popping out to fulfill me in Camarillo and for taking the time to interview me and submit this video. I actually admire it!
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