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Goat traverses a landslide
This article is one in a series of interviews with long-term international bike tourists. This time I talked with Goat from Riding the Spine to get his take on things.
World Bike Touring Examiner (WBTE): Would you please explain a tad bit about where you’ve been and where you’re going.
Goat: We are mountain biking from the top of Alaska to the tip of South America following the longest semi-continuous mountain chain in the world - the Brooks range, the Rockies (Canadian and US), the Sierra Madre in Mexico, Los Centrales in Central America, and then through the Andes. Our route is primarily off pavement - indeed we seek the smallest "trochas" we can find and make it a point to be in the mountains as much as possible. Riding dirt is harder/slower but exponentially more fun and rewarding.
WBTE: How long have you been on the road?
Goat: We have been traveling for 3 years, although we stopped for 6 months after 2 years of riding because we ran out of money.
WBTE: What prompted such an extended journey? Had you done a lot of touring before?
Goat: l had done a bit of touring but nothing compared to this - a week around Hawaii (the big island) was my longest trip prior to this mission. This trip was inspired by the Great Divide Trail - a mountain biking route that spans the length of the Rocky Mountains. l dreamed of riding it when l first heard about it in high school and, while my dream waited, it grew to include the entire length of the Americas. In college l met Jacob and we started scheming. The rest is history.
WBTE: I know there are plenty of wonderful days when the sun is shining and you’ve got the wind at your back. But there are also days when it’s raining or you face a headwind or you’re climbing a hill that just won’t end. How do you get through those days? What keeps you going?
Goat: This is what l do. l am happiest on the bike, riding and experiencing all there is to experience. Every day is new and different, and yet every day is the same. Mine is a charmed existence.
WBTE: As hard as it is to pick out one or two highlights – would you, could you? Tell us about a couple of those incredibly wow-ing, drop-your-jaw experiences you’ve had.
Goat: For me the highlights are usually incredibly beautiful, weird places or epic trails
- climbing to the top of the highest peak in Central America (Tajamulco in Guatemala) and biking back down was one such moment
- swimming in a pool equipped with a natural water slide spanned by a natural arch and literally on the edge of a thousand foot waterfall was also pretty incredible (Mexico)
- the people are always interesting - we have hung out with the military of many nations, dope growers of various flavors, and every sort of hospitable local you can imagine. They are always ready to share what they have -- be it very little.
WBTE: What about those days you wish you could forget (but you know you never will)? Those days when everything goes wrong and then even more goes wrong? Tell us about a couple of those.
Goat: The day I got frostbite in the Rockies is certainly one of our lower points. l was hypothermic too -- close to death really. l had neglected to change clothes fast enough as the temperature dropped with the setting sun at the end of an extremely long day of semi-controlled sliding down snow covered mountain trails. My sweat froze and my body stopped being able to take care of itself. My circulation shut down and my feet froze. l put on all my clothes and got in my sleeping bag with a hot water bottle. I got over the hypothermia pretty quickly but the agony of frost bite lasted months. l did heal though, and didn’t loose any thing permanently.
WBTE: You’ve toured through many countries and I know they each are unique and have their advantages and disadvantages. But if you were to talk with someone relatively new to cycle touring, where would you recommend they go? Why?
Goat: It depends what they are looking for. If you like your amenities the US is huge and varied and there are lots of great places to explore. In the US you can find the Great Divide Trail, for example, or countless back road routes. If you are looking to get a bit further out, Mexico is great. It has all sorts of natural beauty, varied terrain, great food, and really fun people
WBTE: Any special tips or advice to wannabe tourers?
Goat: Your bike is your life. Make sure it fits (really well and comfortably) and can easily carry however much stuff you are fixing to haul around. You can’t beat an Xtracycle for this (www.xtracycle.com).
You don’t need any where near as much stuff as you think you do (especially clothes) but multiple pairs of cycling shorts are essential.
WBTE: Thanks Goat – I wish you all the best for your final push to the tip!
If you enjoyed this interview, you might enjoy these other interviews with world cyclists:
Sean from Riding the Spine
Jacob from Riding the Spine
Friedel from Travelling Two
Sonya and Aaldrik from Tour.TK
Alastair Humphreys
Peter Gostelow
Tim & Cindie from Down the Road
There are also a number of families who have adopted a life on the road with their children:
Dorrie, Mike, and Gregory Williams
Comments
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