PowerCycle

Last updated: 01/28/2012

What is this site for?

It’s where I log what happens during my travels.

Where are you from?

Born in the United States, moved to Canada when I was 5 and lived there until I was 19. Moved to Florida and have lived there up until 2009 when I left on this trip.

Have you ever been on a bike tour before this trip?

The only other times I’d been on a loaded touring bike was when I went on a 3 day ride around Lake Okeechobee a couple months before leaving on this trip and on an overnighter in the Everglades. Those were my first and only “test” rides. All my past riding experience had been on mountain bikes and almost none of it on roads.

What was the first month like?

Different is the best word. Some things were very new to me like riding a loaded bike on a busy road. Physically, my ass took the worst of it. After 3 years of riding it’s still rare to have a completely pain-free day. Traffic took a lot of getting used to. Touring riders get a lot of attention but it was fun having so many people interested in what you’re doing. Florida and Georgia were not the best 2 states to start out in just because there’s a higher percentage of jerks on the road. There were plenty of nice people around which helped offset that. I learned quickly that dogs suck and most people that own dogs shouldn’t.

What isn’t anything like you expected it to be?

The people. I was so completely wrong about this. Having never traveled outside Canada or the US here’s what I thought it would be like:

US/Canada: minor threat of robbery in southern states
Mexico: robbed for sure at some point
Guatemala/El Salvador/Nicaragua: strong anti-US sentiment, minor risk of robbery, bribery not uncommon
Colombia: minor threat of kidnapping and robbery

Things changed a little when I started reading about bicycle touring and what others have experienced. The only thing I ever read was how friendly everyone was. Rare cases of theft were limited to incidents off-bike (buses/markets). On-bike incidents were unheard of except in one place, Pajain, Peru (funny story, I ended up getting robbed to the north of this town as well).

Here’s what it’s actually been like. A lot of guys in their 20’s are jerks. This is true in every country but the US is by far the worst. They are the only ones who will ever yell something stupid out, flip you off or drive/honk in an aggressive manner. It never went beyond that even if I stupidly tried to make it worse (yell back/flip them off).

The only bribe I had to pay was to a customs agent leaving Costa Rica. I didn’t have an entry stamp and he threatened not to let me leave unless I gave him $50; I talked him down to $20. The drop point for the money was the bathroom. It was all very 007-like.

I’ve never ridden through or stayed in an area where I felt unsafe. I’ve camped in the open in small towns in almost every country, I’ve ridden through and camped in very remote areas, stayed in very cheap hotels in very poor areas and traveled to many places with bad reputations. The least friendliest thing someone has done to me is not wave back (OK getting robbed in Peru but I’m saying in general). I noticed this a lot in El Salvador and Costa Rica and to some extent Colombia. The place I was treated to the most hostility was Georgia in the United States (by rednecks).

I have US and Canadian citizenship and passports for both. I use my Canadian passport while traveling because I assumed that people would treat me differently depending on where I was from– mostly hating me because I’m assumed to be American. This turned out not to be a problem because the perception in Latin America is that every white person is from the United States and speaks perfect English. I still use my Canadian passport because I like all the stamps. The place I got the biggest anti-US vibe was Argentina which was the opposite of what I expected. US foreign policy is the common theme for anything negative, in which case I usually agree with the person and then we get along great.

The friendliness can be overwhelming at times. I get honked at, waved at, thumbs up, fist pumped, cheered or my hand shaken every day. In a lot of counties it was a dozen times per day or more. I do get stared at lot and it can be very hard to deal with sometimes. Other than northern Peru near the coast, it was out of curiosity.

What are other travelers like?

I love meeting other bicycle touring riders! There’s an immediate ‘click’ no matter where you are, what languages you speak or don’t speak, where you are from or what’s going on at the time. We are drawn like magnets to each other. After meeting and getting the usual, “How’s the road/traffic/food/prices/scenery ahead?” questions out of the way conversations are relaxed, cordial and I always learn a lot about where they are from.

Backpackers generally tend to be young twenty-something US/Canadian/European/Israelis away from home for the first time who carry a lot of stuff on their backs and take the bus everywhere. I only ever see them in touristy places unless they missed their connecting bus. Conversations are limited because we just don’t have that much in common. I’m also about 15 years older than most of them and couldn’t care less about what hostel has the best party scene. Notable exceptions are actual travelers who focus more on the place/culture rather than how fancy their gear looks. They are easy to spot but kind of rare. The female backpackers are nice.

I say I don’t like hippies but I can clarify that a little. I don’t like people who just float around and look like they are high all the time. If they have a dog with them it’s even worse. I especially don’t like people that sell their little homemade trinkets in areas where they are competing for tourist dollars with locals that are selling things to feed their families.

Motorcycle touring riders are pretty cool. I have a lot more in common with them and they are always my age or older. They sleep where I sleep, eat where I eat and generally suffer through the same bad weather and the same bad roads as I do. They also see more of the actual country than other travelers so we always have lot’s of good stories to share.

It’s rare to find RV/private vehicle travelers outside the US and Canada with the exception of Baja and Patagonia. The ones I have met were great people and we tend to share the same interest in experiencing the actual country instead of just the tourist attractions.

Where have you ridden so far? What’s next?

From my home in Florida I left on Feb 21st, 2009 (my birthday) and rode to Alaska arriving there on Aug 3rd, 2009. Needing to get south before winter set in I took a ferry on August 24th, 2009 from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver Island in BC, Canada arriving there on August 31st, 2009.

From there I rode down the coast before crossing into Mexico on Nov 22nd, 2009. After riding through Mexico and every country in Central America I took a plane (because there are no roads) from Panama City, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia arriving there on Oct 8th, 2010.

As of the last update I’m on my way to the southern-most city in the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. From there I’ll hop on a plane and head over to New Zealand (or Australia; not sure yet but I want to go to both). After that I’m thinking about riding around SE Asia. From there I’m not 100% sure. I expect to get to Ushuaia in February/March. Australia is still a possibility but I’m considering Africa now or possibly Europe.

Did you ever have to take a bus or hitchhike?

Not by choice. On the way to Alaska I had to sit in the back of a pickup truck through a road construction area for 6 miles because they wouldn’t let me ride my bike. Heading into Cusco, Peru I broke 3 spokes on my back wheel and had to hitch 40 miles into the city.

Why are doing this?

This trip is more to me than just seeing if I can ride a bike to Alaska or anywhere else for that matter. All that’s needed is desire, opportunity and common sense. The desire to see/do more has always been with me. Opportunity was the biggest obstacle and I was very fortunate in that respect. Common sense comes from experience I’ve been through enough to know if I’m doing something stupid (usually).

For me this journey is about providing myself with an opportunity to learn from other people/cultures so I can contribute more. Up until now I haven’t done much of anything except consume. OK, I’ve helped a few people over the years which I’m thankful for but I need to do more.

Where do you sleep?

This depends a lot on the location.

United States (east of Mississippi river)- mostly cheap motels, a little “free” camping and camping in town parks if possible. Virtually all land was private and fenced in. State/private campgrounds were uncommon.

United States (west of Mississippi river)- mostly state/private campgrounds, cheap motels once in a while and a little “free” camping. Most areas along my route were private and fenced in. In Alaska you can camp just about anywhere you like which I did.

Canada – mostly provincial/private campgrounds, motels on occasion and some “free” camping. A lot of land is fenced in outside of the Rockies and the Yukon.

Mexico/Central America – mostly motels/hostels (private rooms; not dorms). Virtually all land is fenced in with the exception of Baja. Very few “free” camping opportunities. Campgrounds are basically non-existent.

Colombia/Ecuador – mostly motels/hostels (private rooms; not dorms). Everything is fenced in so “free” camping spots were rare.

Peru/Bolivia – mix of hostels and “free” camping. Fenced in land is rare.

Chile/Argentina – in the north and central areas a mix of “free” camping and paid accommodations. Except for very remote places everything is fenced in. In the south mostly camping in “free” areas and paid campgrounds.

I’ve used couchsurfing.com and warmshowers.org a couple times each. It can be difficult to coordinate places to stay in remote areas (no phone/internet) and they are few and far between outside the US/Canada.

Any other comments on camping/hotels in Latin America?

Paid accommodations are very cheap ($4-$15 a night) and for me it was usually easier to sleep because it rained at night a lot (noisy). I’m also riding by myself. If I start riding at 8am I’m done by around 2pm. Sometimes even earlier. Once I get cleaned up, work on my web site/bike and eat something I still have 8 or 9 hours to kill. I’d go crazy sitting around in my tent all afternoon/evening. Being in a little town/village was nice since I could have a beer, eat something better than anything I could make on my own and check out the sights.

Camping in the outdoors, away from people, was extremely difficult in every country except Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. I don’t trespass which ruled out a lot of places since 99% of all land was behind a barbwire fence. For safety reasons I preferred to camp where I wouldn’t be seen. This is virtually impossible in countries with high population densities. It wasn’t an issue at all in southern Argentina/Chile. My Spanish is also not strong enough to get me out of a jam should the need arise. Official campgrounds were exceedingly rare north of Chile/Argentina (I can recall maybe 3 or 4). I’ve been allowed to camp on someone’s property, in soccer fields and next to churches.

How much does your gear weigh? How much do you weigh?

My gear hovers around 80 lbs (36 kg) including the panniers but not including water or more than 2 days worth of food. My fat ass weighed 207 lbs (94 kg) when I left Florida. In the first year I lost 22 lbs (10 kg). I’ve lost a bit more since then. These days I’m around 180 lbs (82 kg) and my friends/family say I look too skinny. It’s hard to gain weight when you ride 50 miles a day.

Do you have a death wish (from my Aunt and others who thought going to South America/Mexico was a bad idea)?

No, but I understand there are risks. I intend to avoid obviously dangerous places/situations and listen to the locals. The only places I’ve intentionally avoided so far were East St. Louis, Illinois and Paijan, Peru.

Any dangerous encounters of the animal kind?

I rode right by bears, bison and moose quite a few times in the Rocky Mountain states, Canada and Alaska (usually by accident). Camping involved taking precautions against bears which I did (hang food, no cooking by tent, etc). Never had any problems. Dogs on the other hand… I hate them. I’ve been chased by them hundreds of times and luckily only had my panniers bitten. I’ve had to kick a few in the head to save my legs. Usually they just distract me while I’m riding in traffic or on bad roads. I fell once when two chased me on a bad road but damage was minor.

Any dangerous encounters of the people kind?

In northern Peru a motorcycle rammed into the front of my bike knocking it over. I jumped off but not before one of the guys bolted with my front pannier. Fortunately he dropped it when I started chasing him. 2 other guys in on it ran off as well. I don’t think they were expecting a fight. Should I be fighting back when 3 guys are trying to rob me? If I can see that they don’t have a gun hell yes I’m going to try and teach them a valuable life lesson.

How long are you going to be doing this?

No idea.

Don’t you miss [person]?

Terribly. I’ve traveled back to Florida 3 times since leaving to visit family/friends (twice planned; once unplanned). I made it up to Canada to see my sisters and nephew once (under bad circumstances but it all worked out). I also saw family on the way to up Alaska. Skype keeps me in contact.

What did you do with all your stuff?

I sold/donated virtually everything I owned. I left some irreplaceable things like my photo album with family. I was renting the house I lived in and the lease was month to month. I sold my vehicle at a nice loss with the market being what it was at the time. I own some land in Tennessee that I would have liked to have sold but I’m stuck with it since the market is dead. It’s just me and my bike now.

Why did you get rid of everything?

I wanted to be able to travel without having to watch a storage unit eat up all my savings. A lot of the material things I had just don’t seem that important anymore so I’m glad I got rid of them.

Do you have health/travel insurance?

No. Too expensive and getting things patched up on the road is much cheaper outside the US if something should happen. The dental providers in big cities are comparable to US ones at 1/10th the price for cleanings/minor work. I would like theft insurance but I couldn’t find anything that insures for more than $500 and that wouldn’t help much.

Can I make a donation to your trip?

When I left I didn’t see my travels as anything worth contributing to so when offers did come in for donations I pointed people to places that actually do some good. I’m not riding for a “cause” or for some other noble purpose so accepting money didn’t feel right. Some good has come out of this trip that I wasn’t expecting however.

The publicity I have received does help promote something that I think is beneficial and that I didn’t consider when I left. Pulling up anywhere on a loaded touring bike elicits a natural curiosity in people that is the same regardless of what region or country you are in. Someone, and often groups of people, almost always come up to me when I’ve stopped somewhere. Sometimes I’ll just be riding along and they’ll wave me over or pull up beside me and ask that I stop so they can talk. That’s something I never expected. Then you get the opportunity to share things about were you are from and what you’ve seen in the places you’d traveled to. This helps to dispel a lot of the myths that are out there and hopefully encourages other people to travel and maintain an open mind.

So, no I don’t take donations. If you want to spend some money go travel somewhere outside your home country and then go back and tell everyone how amazing it was.

How much has this cost you so far?

The first year cost about $13,000 US. I spend a lot less these days. Probably $20 US per day including a hotel room (that’s $7,300 per year or $400 a month). This does not include big ticket items like bike repairs/maintenance (maybe $500 a year), tickets back home (FML), medicine (normal travel stuff–maybe $100 a year if that), bribes ($20 negotiable) or new gear from loss/breakage ($0 unless you do stupid things like I do every once in a while).

How’s your Spanish? (my personal favorite)

I know enough to get by at a very basic level. I can handle most things that involve eating/drinking/sleeping and money. I can understand maybe half of what people say to me depending on how fast they speak (if they talk fast I just stare at them and say yes a lot). I can handle most questions about my trip.

Has this trip changed you in any way?

Seeing the devastation we cause through our (western) lifestyle choices and from overpopulating the planet is mind-boggling. We are destroying this planet and every living thing on it and it pisses me off a lot more than it used to. Traveling can sure open your eyes. I would never go back to the way of life I led before this trip.

I still have questions about [whatever]…

I created something called an Ask Me Anything page in early February 2010. Lot’s of great questions were posted there if you want to take a look. I get emailed if something new is submitted. Or just email me using the Contact page. I love hearing from people that I met on the road or that just stumbled across my site because they were interested in touring.