Bike Life

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...

Do you believe your bike touring days will be over if you have kids? Meet Ed and Jocelyn and their two boys as they share their bike touring experiences as a family. This Canadian family joins the Bike Life Podcast from Europe, where they are on a six-month adventure taking them from Spain to Norway. In this episode, they share their current and past experiences of what it is like to do long-dista...

Do you want to get into cycling without breaking the bank? With over 30-years of experience, John Bolton knows a lot about cycling and the gear that goes with it! John runs a YouTube channel called Cycling on a Shoestring. He is an avid cyclist who gives honest, objective reviews, tips, and tricks in his videos. Whether it’s clothing, gear, bikes, routes, or components, John reviews it all. John i...

Meet Claude Marthaler – a self-described Cyclonaute. For Claude, traveling by bike is a way of life. He has spent the past 16 years biking around the world and has authored 11 books and bike travelogues. From 1994 to 2001, Claude spent an incredible seven years on a solo bike tour traveling through 60 countries and biking over 122,000 kms. He loves the mountains and hiking and has spent a lot of t...

Storytelling, adventure, love of cycling, human to human connection . . . that’s what bike touring is all about. And that’s precisely what you’ll see in the “world’s best bike movies” presented at the Filmed by Bike Annual Film Festival. Filmed by Bike is celebrating 20 incredible years of bringing bicycle stories from all over the world to the silver screen. Festival Creator and Director Ayleen C...

What do you do when you are a 71-year-old retired grandmother concerned about climate change, and you want to make a difference? You hop on your pink bike and ride 2500 km from your hometown to the COP26 Summit in Scotland! Meet Dorothee Hildebrandt. She is so passionate about stopping climate change that she spent six weeks cycling alone from her home in Katrineholm, Sweeden, to the COP26 Summit...

The story of Peter and Tracy Flucke is like a book with many chapters centered around bicycling, together and alone, for more than fifty years. Their first tour in 1991 was one for the books; a multi-day fundraiser ride with Peter pulling their 6-month-old daughter in a trailer with his road bike. Changing diapers along the side of the road, warming bottles in gas station microwaves, what an exper...

Ken isn’t one to slow down. When the pandemic hit, he knew he had to find a way to continue touring and hosting his beloved Warmshowers family. It was time to get creative. Ken Francis is a passionate and seasoned cyclist, a longtime Warmshowers user, host, volunteer, and former Board member. He began hosting cyclists through Warmshowers in 2013 and has welcomed more than 269 guests over the years...