Bike Life

Sara Qiu Ruan has embarked on a life-changing adventure, conquering her fears and cycling with the profound purpose of helping people. Sara’s solo cycle tour has taken her across 7500km and into 10 countries – and counting. She has overcome her fear of asking for help, adjusted to wild camping, and stepped out of her comfort zone by connecting with people she meets along the way. But her journey i...

Four years ago, Tyler Diedrick had never cycled more than 10 miles at a time and didn’t even know that bike touring was a thing. Then he was gifted a book called To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins, and it changed the course of his life. Tyler quit his job, sold a majority of his belongings, bought a bike off of eBay, flew to Sacramento, CA, to pick it up, and set off for Alaska! What f...

For many years, Jo Davies harbored a natural yearning for adventure. When her US work visa was about to expire last year, she could have just flown back to the UK. But this adventurer decided to take the “scenic route” and ride her bike home instead. Currently in Panama, Jo shares her incredible experience of leaving Boston for Vancouver, turning left, and heading down the Pacific coast into Mexic...

Is this a joke? That’s what retired fireman and professional grandpa Steve Diaz said when he found out that he won the Warmshowers 2022 Bike Giveaway. Steve and Cindy, who live in beautiful Mt. Shasta, CA, heard about Warmshowers 4 years ago and set up a profile. They were excited to get their first guest soon after, who turned out to be Ken Francis! For those of you who don’t know, Ken is a Warms...

What do you get when you combine a historian interested in learning about people and a love of bicycling? A 12,000-mile, 420-day perimeter trip around the USA. When Anne Winkler-Morey and her husband set off, she thought they might only make it through Wisconsin. But pedal by pedal, they made it all the way around the perimeter of the United States. They stayed with 143 hosts during their trip; ma...

Sanna Ghotbi and Benjamin Ladraa are bike travelers and activists from Sweden, who are on an epic 2-year, 48 000 km journey through 40 countries to Western Sahara. By the time they are done, they will have traveled more than the length of the equator! This epic trip is not just for fun; they are dedicated activists raising awareness about human rights worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of refugees l...

Meet Tucker Atwood, a math teacher, actor, author, and adventurer. In 2019, Tucker and his brother spent 4 months thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. The trip gave him a new perspective on life and inspired him to go on more adventures. So, he bought a bike and began exploring while riding. He bike-toured the East Coast Greenway in 2021 and experienced many ups and downs, inclement weather, and eve...

Richard Martin, aka Murdock, discovered Warmshowers entirely by chance. Eight years and 200 guests later, Murdock has become a hosting legend! One day, on his way to work as a wildland firefighter, he met a cyclist on the road who had just climbed a steep hill and looked exhausted. He stopped to offer her Gatorade, which turned into an offer of a place to stay, and then dinner, where she told him...

Meet Kanishka Poddar, the Bicycle Mayor of Ranchi, India. In 2015, Kanishka ran into a woman from Spain who was touring India by bike and thought, “who travels India by bike? That’s insane.” But she inspired him to hop on a bike for the first time in 20 years, and he experienced the sheer joy of exploring places at his own pace. Fast forward 8 years, and now Kanishka is the Bicycle Mayor of his to...

You never know what will happen when you stay with a Warmshowers host. When Adriel Klein’s host’s door opened, he met the love of his life! Adriel’s love for biking and charity work began with his first cross-country tour riding across America with a group called Bike & Build . After that trip, he took every opportunity to bike as much as possible. On his second cross-country tour, Adriel reli...

Kari Loya got his love for biking and adventure from his dad, Merv. They took their first bike tour together when Kari was in his early teens and always talked about biking cross-country someday. When 75-year-old Merv was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s in 2015, Kari knew that “someday” was here. With very little planning, they set off for a father-son journey of a lifetime; 73 days and 4,6...

Pam and Glen Goodnough are living examples of the saying, “age is just a number.” They married 40 years ago during their first cross-country bike tour and have not slowed down since! Now in their mid-60s, their retirement gift to themselves was to take a world tour, which they started in 2019. They made it through the Pacific Coast, New Zealand, and Malaysia before Covid forced them to return to t...

Today’s episode of Bike Life aired earlier this year and quickly became one of our most downloaded shows of all time. With over 30 years of experience, John Bolton knows a thing or two about cycling and the gear that goes with it! He shares his vast knowledge on his YouTube channel called Cycling on a Shoestring. John is passionate about the cycling community and gives honest, objective reviews, t...

Today’s episode of Bike Life aired earlier this year and attracted tremendous attention for its unique story. We are happy to bring it to you again and wish you happy riding and hosting! Nate was biking cross-country on his first long-distance tour. Augusta (Gus) was on a 2 ½ month ride from Washington through Canada to Maine. Two people from different parts of the country on separate trips and ro...

The one thing missing from Sal Garro’s childhood was learning how to ride a bike. As an adult, he was teased about being the only “grown-up” who couldn’t ride. With the help of friends, Sal finally got on two wheels. However, he lives in New York City, where traffic is fierce, and he just wasn’t confident enough to ride. Enter the adult tricycle; yes, it’s a thing! Purchasing an adult tricycle was...

What do you do when you dream about taking a long-distance bike tour but know nothing about solo cycle touring? You buy a bike, load it down, and ride 60 miles through the Wisconsin countryside, that’s what! Tarra has been passionate about the outdoors since serving in the United States Marine Corps where she learned to become one with nature to survive. This training gave her the courage and moti...

UK resident Antony Butcher considers himself a “terrible cyclist.” He likes to go on grand adventures and then put his bike away for long periods until the next big trip idea comes along. After a mental health breakdown in 2017, the idea hit him to cycle across America from New York City to San Francisco. When he began planning the trip, he panicked because it turns out that America is a really bi...

Sustainability, environment, cycling, community, leadership, and bamboo. These are all passions of today’s guest, Warmshowers Board Member Lucy Binfield. Lucy grew up cycling in the UK lake district and always dreamed of taking a long bike tour. She got her chance after university when she moved to China and took a three-month tour through China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The unique part is that...

If you have ever dreamt about cycling in Australia, then stay tuned. After today's episode, you will want to update your bucket list to include the world-class, off-road cycling experience known as The Munda Biddi Trail. Rhonda Oshanek, who works with the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, joins us to share her experiences and fills us in on all we need to know about the trail, including the best time...

Meet Ben Grannis. He was so inspired by someone else’s story it prompted him to take action in his own life. In August 2021, Ben began a 10,000 mile journey to raise awareness for distracted driving and promote  digital wellness.  Mission Driven recounts how one family’s response to tragedy taught Ben the importance of community, the impact we make on others, and the need for awareness i...

How do you experience the best of humanity? According to Daniel Stein, you experience it from a bicycle seat. Daniel believes other people view cyclists as trustworthy individuals making them more open to interactions. Originally from New York City, having lived in Chicago, and now living in Mexico City, Daniel has a unique perspective because he uses his bicycle as his primary means of transporta...

When you think of retirement, do you wonder how you will fill your days? Do you think retirement may be boring? It doesn't have to be according to today's guest. Meet Anne Breedlove, a seasoned cyclist and soon-to-be author.  In 2008, Anne and her husband retired at 54 and 61 to travel the world by loaded bicycles. Before grandchildren, they spent eight years cycling approximately 30,000 mile...

If you are an avid cyclist who has dreamed about traveling the world, meet Joe Diomede. Better known as Bicycle Joe, this cyclist has pursued his passion for seeing the world on two wheels and has authored a book about his many adventures. Cycling has changed Joe’s life, and he has spent many years working and living on his bicycle. Inspired by his bike life, Joe recounts incredible memories he an...

Can you imagine hosting almost 300 people in four years? That’s precisely what Chuck Atkinson and his wife have done. Chuck and Susan are ex-pats from the U.S. They flew to Istanbul in 2011 with the idea of pedaling on their recumbent trikes for two years. Outside of a few breaks, the couple has remained on the road across the Atlantic for years. Four years ago, the Atkinsons decided to settle in...

If you are a cycle tourer who takes the ability to tour on your own for granted, then meet Priyanka Dalal. She has overcome many cultural barriers to become the first known female solo cycle tourer from India. When Priyanka started touring, not one person in her circle had any experience as a touring cyclist. But she didn’t let that stop her! In 2014, she traveled to Europe to complete her first s...