Chainwheel Diaries

Do cows appreciate Shakespeare? My guest today has recitedShakespeare while pedaling alone through Montana, with only a few cattle listening in. Taylor is an actor that has appeared in films, television,and theatre, and you may have seen him in one of his many acting performances. He’s also the cohost of Bike Talk, a podcast about prioritizingbicycle transportation and we’re going to dig into that...

Greetings! Bike travelers and bike packers, welcome toanother episode of Chainwheel Diaries. Stories about bike travel, told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host, Brian Berlin. Today’s guest survived an encounter with a wallaby during abike adventure, but both he and the wallaby were able to ride, and hop away from the incident. His name is Mark Farrugia, from Victoria, Australia, andhe’s ri...

Bike travelers and bike packers are very familiar with theacronym EFI. What does it stand for? You’ll soon find out. EFI originated with an epic bike ride from Cairo, Egypt, toCape Town, Africa. The whole continent, from one end to the other. This epic bike ride had never been attempted before and was entered into the Guinness Book. And the man who created that bike tour and founded TDA Global Cyc...

Greetings, bike travelers and bikepackers, welcome to another episode of Chainwheel Diaries, stories about bike travel, told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host, Brian Berlin. Today’s guest is Stephen Growden, a retired high schoolsocial studies teacher who has ridden dozens of organized bike tours. Stephen has chosen different tour types and tour providersto match the type of adventure he’...

Like most people, I don’t like spiders. I’m not terrified ofthem, but I don’t like them. My guest today, Andre Batista, had a spiderexperience while riding his bike. Seems Andre’s spider wanted a ride, but Andre wasn’t having any of it. This story is just one of many as Andre recounts his manybikepacking adventures. His stories are humorous, educational, and inspiring. Quick reminder: Chainwheel D...

Karen t'Kint joins Brian, and she shares great stories about her bike adventures in California, the Pacific Northwest, and her epic rides across South Korea and Japan. Important links to products and services mentioned by Karen. TDA Global Cycling: https://tdaglobalcycling.com/Niner Bicycles: https://www.ninerbikes.com/Moots Bicycles: https://moots.com/Revolution Bicycles - Humboldt County, Califo...

I’m kicking off the 2026 season with a compilation of someof my best interviews from past episodes. I reviewed these past episodes and realized there are somereally great bike travel stories being told. I picked out some of my favorites and edited them into what I’m calling my Best of Chainwheel Diaries podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I have. Thanks for tuning in, and please s...

Hola bike travelers and bike packers, welcome to anotherepisode of the Chainwheel Diaries, stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host, Brian Berlin, coming to you from the PalosVerdes Peninsula, home to some of the best bicycling scenery and climbs in Southern California. And by the way, Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! May it be a year of fulfillment and happines...

The latest episode of the Chainwheel Diaries podcast features an interview with Gregg Beytin, an experienced bike adventurer who runs a Meetup group for bicyclers who want to experience bike camping on weekend overnight rides.  Gregg also has extensive experience with bike travel, the evolution of touring styles, and the community aspects of bike camping groups. The discussion covers Gregg's...

"You don't stop riding your bike because you get old. You get old because you stop riding your bike."  That's Ken Francis, my guest on this episode of Chainwheel Diaries. Not only has Ken been bike touring since he was 13, but he's also a Warmshowers host for over 13 years, hosting more than 326 guests at his Long Beach home, often welcoming cyclists from diverse routes su...

Geoff Morgan, living just north of London and still employed full-time, started bike touring about five years ago, inspired by Simon Doughty's "Long Distance Cyclist Handbook" and encouraged by Covid lockdown circumstances. His initial tours began with simple weekend trips using an old tent found in his shed, gradually evolving into longer and more ambitious rides across the UK and...

Greetings! Bikepackers and Bike Travelers, welcome to another episode of the Chainwheel Diaries Podcast. Stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host Brian Berlin Ever confronted a Mormon Cricket? Well my guest today has, and cleverly assigned the highest level of bike travel body odor to this critter.  His name is Robert Hickman. He’s an artist and teaches sculpture a...

Greetings bike travelers and bikepackers, welcome to another episode of the Chainwheel Diaries podcast – stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host, Brian Berlin. My guests today are Dave Morriss and Wendy Holmes, a seasoned bike traveling couple that have ridden on several continents. They are an absolute delight, and in the interview, we trace their beginnings from...

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. But how many times have you seen it written on a poster or you’ve heard it from a fellow bicycler, that going on a great bike adventure is all you need to work through your mental health challenges. That’s certainly not true for everyone. And my guest today, Bryan Rogala, can attest to that. Bryan wrote an article that was published last Dece...

Welcome bike packers and bike travelers to another episode of Chainwheel Diaries, stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I have a special treat for our listeners today, but let’s start with some trivia. Think you know everything about George Washington? Not the first President of the US, but the town of about 900 people in Western Washington State. For real, there’s a George,...

Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you should know about Ryan Van Duzer, one of the most prolific bike travelers and bicycling advocates anywhere. He does not own a car and rides his bike everywhere, leading by example that we can get around without automobiles. He is famous for his mantra “No Whammies, No Flatties, and No Crashies” and his slogan “Get Out There”. Adventures are well-doc...

Welcome to Episode Ten of the Chainwheel Diaries podcast. Stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host Brian Berlin. Today’s episode features an interview with Greg Frisliie, former bike shop owner and 50-something bicycler who, along with his friend Adam Kidd, will participate in the inaugural Great American Wheel Race, which kicked off today, June 9 2024. Great Ameri...

Welcome to Episode Nine of the Chainwheel Diaries podcast. Stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host Brian Berlin. Today’s episode features an interview with adventure cyclist Tim Tower who has cycled thousands of miles through multiple continents and countries, including Latin America, South America, Greece, Europe, Africa, and the US.   Tim documented his trip in...

Welcome to Episode Eight of the Chainwheel Diaries podcast. Stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host Brian Berlin. Today’s episode features an interview with adventure cyclist Kevin O’Leary, who did an epic ride of 2900 miles from his home in Silver City NM to Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Kevin documented his trip in journals he published on the crazy...

Chainwheel Diaries Season Two Episode Seven features my interview with Fletch Dobbs, a bicycler from San Jose, California, who recently completed Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier route from San Diego CA to St. Augustine FL. Hear how Fletch overcame adversity on the route to keep on pedaling. Chainwheel Diaries is available on Spotify, Apple, Audible or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you...

Warmshowers is a non-profit organization that connects bike travelers with overnight hosts all over the world. I've been a member for over two years, and thought that a Warmshowers host would have plenty of good stories for the podcast. I posted on the site and got a response from Paul Tuke, who teaches English as a second language (ESL) in Kutaisi, Georgia. Not the Souther U.S. state, but th...

Welcome to the Chainwheel Diaries Podcast – stories about bike travel told by the travelers themselves. I’m your host, Brian Berlin.  As I mentioned in Season Two – Episode 4.5 of the podcast, I discovered a site containing over 16,000 journals and articles, and three million plus pictures, all related to bike travel – called crazyguyonabike. I read several of the journals and decided the authors...

Welcome to Season 2, episode 4.5 of Chainwheel Diaries, stories about bike travel, told by the travelers themselves. Episode 4.5 is a different format as I take the podcast into a new season. No guests, just me, talking about my plans for the podcast, where I’ve been, and where I intend to go. Chainwheel Diaries is available on Spotify, Apple, Audible or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you lik...

 "Carbonated-Neutral": Bike Touring + Friendship + Beer = Fun There's a new bike tour in town that emphasizes fun and friendship for riders of all ages and skills. I sat down with founders Jeff Thompson and Jason Lindgren to learn more about Craft Cycling Tours.  Chainwheel Diaries is available on Spotify, Apple, Audible or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like the podcast, p...

In 2012, John Nitti, newly graduated from college, undertook an epic bike ride across the United States and back, a total of 10,000 miles. He wrote a book about his adventure, "Sharing the Road: An Amateur Cyclist's 10,000-Mile Solo Bike Trip Across America".  It is a great story and well-written. I asked John to appear on the Chainwheel Diaries podcast and he graciously agreed. Cha...