Bike Life

Dave and Leo are not your typical Warmshowers hosts. In fact, there is nothing typical about this couple. They met on a scuba diving trip almost 26 years ago, and the rest, as they say, is history. They first heard about Warmshowers through a camping forum, and in their thirteen years of hosting, this 62 and 66 years young couple have welcomed hundreds of cyclists to their Florida home. Dave and L...

Adam Swanson has virtually grown up on a bike. He was just an infant when his family took a bike tour across Mexico, and now, at 18 years old, he is on his first solo worldwide tour. After graduating high school last year, he set off for a gap year traveling the world with the full support of his family who are longtime Warmshowers hosts. Adam believes that long-term travel at his age makes you a...

Bike touring helps us check in with ourselves and our needs. It teaches us how to nourish ourselves appropriately, how to trust the signals our bodies are giving us, how to understand and navigate our fears and anxieties. It helps us develop a deeper relationship with ourselves, our needs, and our capabilities that carry into all aspects of our lives. What started as a bit of a fantasy for Sheelag...

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 independent trips and different routes. How did they come together? They crossed paths on the same evening in Midland, MI, and became Matt and Kathy’s first-ever Warmshowers’ guests.  Nathan Babb, Gus Kl...

A night in a Texas jail . . . a stay with a Canadian Mountie and an opera singer . . . an unforgettable party with a local mayor in a tackle shop. What do these things have in common? They are just some of the incredible times that Chris and Ties experienced on their 14,000-mile bike tour across the US and Canada. Meet Chris Fieldsend, who, after careful planning, set off on a yearlong tour with h...

It started with a bike breakdown on a cycle tour through Namibia, Africa, in 2014. No problem for a seasoned cyclist like Ursula, but she was in a remote area with no access to bike shops or spare parts. Was her tour over? What happened next would forever change Ursula’s life and the lives of countless children. Today we welcome Ursula Koll, who has had many incredible experiences solo cycling thr...

Today's episode of Bike Life first aired in 2020 and quickly became one of our most popular shows. We are joined by passionate and seasoned cyclist Ken Francis, a longtime Warmshowers user, host, volunteer, and former Board member. By the mid-80s, Ken had already completed three cross-country tours of the United States, during which he relied on the hospitality of strangers. He began touring pre-t...

Today's guest is Pinar Pinzuti, the founder of Fancy Women Bike Ride; a woman-only bike event held in cities worldwide. Pinar's goal is to bring more diversity into the cycling world and empower more women to ride more often.  Pinar has been traveling by bicycle since 2006 and using Warmshowers hosts around the world. She has tried all forms of bike touring; long-distance Cycling in South Ame...

Today, we are joined by Susan Doram. Susan is a published writer, award-winning personal trainer, cycle coach, and worldwide solo cyclist. In 2017, Susan set off for a 2 ½ year solo cycling tour around the world. Her epic journey took her through 15 countries on four continents! It was a “slow cycle” tour, and she credits her bike for helping her meet the most interesting people, especially her Wa...

We are joined today by Ben Riopelle. Ben is a Vet Tech from Colorado who is combining his love for animals and conservation with a long dreamed about first-time bike tour. Since graduating college, Ben has worked both as a veterinary technician and a teacher. In 2019, while working as a vet tech at a low-cost, high-volume veterinary clinic in Colorado, he was offered a spot on a trip to Panama to...

We are joined today by Jerry Kopack. Jerry has bike toured through 17 countries and is a member of the Warmshowers Board of Directors. He is propelled by the curiosity of the “human experience” and lives by the mentality to always say yes.  Jerry had been following the “formula for success” he was taught in college and worked for ten years in corporate finance. In 2005, his mom called an...

We are joined today by Dan Beaumont. Dan is on an epic 4-month journey cycling 10,000km across Britain to raise funds for Mind Over Mountains. At the time of this recording, Dan was on day 90 and about 7000km into his journey heading down the west coast of Wales. He was resting in the beautiful yard of his Warmshowers hosts, Catherine and John, who are feeding him well! Dan has stayed with many Wa...

We are joined today by Kevin Belanger. Kevin is here to share his wisdom, knowledge, and personal experiences on the important conversation of being queer in the outdoor community. Kevin was a guest on Bike Life episode #33 , Great American Rail Trail. He is the Manager of Trail Planning with Rails to Trails Conservancy and The Great American Rail Trail , a multi-use cross-country trail under deve...

We are joined today by Aaron Stephenson. Aaron is a Spanish teacher who lives with his family in Massachusetts and uses his summer breaks to cycle for a cause. At age 13, Aaron began working in a bike shop where his dream of cycling across the country was born. He has always been fascinated with the beauty and simplicity of the bicycle. The speed of a bike is perfect for encountering the world aro...

We are joined today by Kevin Belanger. Kevin is the Manager of Trail Planning for the Rails to Trails Conservancy and the Great American Rail Trail. The Great American Rail Trail is the flagship project of the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC). RTC was formed in 1986 with the mission to convert unused railway lines into hiking and biking trails. There are many miles of abandoned railway trails acr...

We are joined today by Lorraine Lambert. Lorraine is a “later in life” first-time cyclist who discovered her path after a traffic jam moment. About eight years ago, while sitting in a traffic jam on the way to work, Lorraine was struck by the thought that she was “stuck on the slippery slope of middle age and heading downhill fast with no way out.” She knew right then and there that she wanted her...

Today's episode of Bike Life, first brought to you last year, contains some great information on planning your next bike tour. Whether it is your first long tour or you are a veteran, you will learn something from our guest Bill Roy. Bill is a 66-year-old seasoned touring cyclist who has logged over 30,000 miles on his bike! Since 2016, he has taken four major tours visiting almost all of the stat...

After releasing their first book, Bike Life , detailing their personal cycling journey, Tristan and Belén dreamed about writing a book featuring unique ways other cyclists travel the world. Their goal is to get more people traveling by bike, so the stories in 50 Ways are relatable to everyone. No matter your situation, 50 Ways to Cycle the World showcases unique stories of riders and how they over...

Today's episode of Bike Life, first brought to you last year, contains great information on hosting that we want to share with you again. Whether you are hosting for the first time or resuming hosting after the pandemic, our guest Ann has some great tips for you. Now is the perfect time to take a few minutes to log into your Warmshowers' profile to update your preferences, enhance your bio, add so...

Sara has been a cycling enthusiast since childhood. She took her first long bike tour in high school, going on a 1000-mile group bike trip that changed her life. She continued her love of bike advocacy in college, and after graduation, Sara and her friends decided to bike to every state in the US. They set off on their year-long trip and became inspired to do more than just bike. To share their lo...

Katie got involved in athletics as a child. But as she got to middle school, the competitive nature of team sports began to bother her. To fulfill a school requirement, she took a walking/running class and ran her first full mile. That first mile led to her first marathon and started her journey of endurance athletics. After running her first marathon, Katie set her sights high and decided to comp...

Natalie's love of cycling started with short weekend trips when she was in college. After graduation, she wanted to try something different, making her step out of her comfort zone. In the summer of 2018, Natalie took off for a three-month, cross-country bike tour from Anacortes, WA, to Bar Harbor, ME. Natalie did not do a lot of training to prepare. She didn't buy a lot of fancy new gear; in fact...

Hollie liked riding her bike as a kid but never really thought about taking a long cycling tour. Years later, while working as a tour guide in the Yukon, a friend convinced her to take a 6-day, 360-mile cycling trip through Alaska. She was hooked! Even during adverse weather conditions and running into some unfriendly wildlife, she knew bike touring was for her. Hollie spent the next few years wor...

We are joined today by Antonio Piretti. Antonio is an Italian/Canadian musician who has just completed a 6000km musical bike tour through 16 European countries. He describes the trip as somewhat of a miracle in these "locked down" pandemic times. Antonio began planning his tour over two years ago, but many of his concerts were canceled once the pandemic hit. He did not let this deter him and inste...

We are joined today by Quintin Reich. Quintin is a cyclist and longtime Warmshowers.org host located on the Pacific Coast route. During college, Quintin worked for a bike equipment manufacturer and developed a keen interest in bike touring. In 1991, he took an extended tour through Europe and was profoundly affected by the experience. The concept of complete strangers offering help, hospitality, f...