Roland and Belinda Hinmueller left Alaska on a tandem bicycle in July 2009 enroute to Tierra del Fuego. They are now in Mexico and are having a hard time pushing on due to finding so many things to see and do. You can follow along with them on their website, www.cyclingwithsally.com
World Bike Touring Examiner (WBTE): Would you introduce yourselves for us?
Belinda: Roland is 32, from Vancouver, Canada and is a Primary School Teacher. I'm 29, from New Zealand and a Registered Nurse. We met in Europe on a bus tour ten years ago and after visiting each other several times, Roland moved to New Zealand six years ago and now has dual citizenship.
Another dimension to our trip is that we are volunteering with The Salvation Army along the way. This experience has been incredibly educational, rewarding and has given us a new found respect for the thousands of volunteers and staff members that work tirelessly doing good things for others in need. We are proud to be involved with this organisation that helps people in very practical ways.
WBTE: Why the bike? Why not travel in a car like most people?
Belinda: Roland initially heard about other people cycling the Pan American while he was hiking the Appalachian Trail back in 2006. When Roland and I started talking about doing one more big adventure before having kids; he suggested we do this trip. I agreed to do it as long as we did it by tandem bike. This is interesting in itself as at that point I’d never ridden a tandem but I was adamant (which is strange to think about in hindsight!). We only tried out a tandem for 10 minutes in New Zealand and then we flew to Vancouver and bought a Co-Motion tandem. We had one ride around town and then flew to Alaska to start our trip. Fortunately for us, we love the tandem!
Going by bike offers a more intimate experience, allowing us to see and take in the surrounding world more wholly than whooshing by in a motorized vehicle. Also, it is a physical challenge and it’s already mind boggling to think we have cycled from Alaska to Mexico and we’re not quite half way!
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?
Belinda: Copious amounts of coffee, something sweet and a game or two of cribbage before facing the elements once more usually does the trick (any and all excuses to get off the bike, warm up and dry off). Knowing that a restaurant or a place to stay is just around the corner minimizes all those niggley discomforts.
Being flexible with time. (If the going is tough, allow two days to get to a destination instead of pushing it in one.)
Music and audio books are a masterful means of distraction and tend to get our minds off the kilometers and off the elevation gain/loss.
As we have put a few thunderstorms, mountain ranges, and terrible horrible no-good very-bad headwinds behind us, we know that these character building discomforts will not last forever. Plus riding tandem you have the pleasure of knowing that you're not the only silly bugger out there and our combined efforts will get us through -cheesey as that sounds!
And let's be honest - sometimes it just sucks and you feel miserable and maybe have an argument or two!
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.
Belinda: Although we have been spoiled with beautiful vistas and picturesque towns all along our route, time and again, we often find ourselves commenting on how the people we’ve met along the way is what has made our journey truly memorable. Whether it’s people we have stayed with, or people we’ve randomly met, or other touring cyclists we’ve bumped and shared a few stories with. Something special we have found about cycling touring is we are received differently by locals than tourists jumping off a bus. We are more vulnerable to the world around us. That allows closer connections with people who are curious or want to encourage us in some way.
One example of that was when we knew our rear rim was cracked and on borrowed time. It was almost dark and our campground was another 10 km away when we were suddenly stopped by a friendly man in a pickup truck. After asking us a couple of quick questions, he proceeded to give directions to his place and invited us into his home for the night.
Now if the story ended here, it would be a pretty awesome example of unexpected kindness of strangers. But as we shared a meal together, we got to talking about our travels and our bike rim's precarious condition. Tom phoned several of his mates to try and get our rim temporarily fixed or replaced. (On a side note: our tires have 40 spokes and are not commonly found in bike shops, let alone in small country towns where we were).
When he ran into a dead end on our rim, Tom insisted on giving us a ride to San Francisco which was 180 miles away. We were reluctant to accept this generous offer because the bike was still rideable (but without rear brakes). In addition, our pact with each other was to only accept a ride if we were sick, the conditions were dangerous, or the bike was totally out of action.
After fond farewells we left with Tom’s contact details and his promise to help us if required. Well, after 20 miles and almost reaching the summit of a demanding pass we heard the unwelcoming sounds of our rear tire exploding. We called Tom and without hesitation he was on his way. While we were waiting we had the pleasure of meeting six other individual cycle tourists that all congregated on the side of the road with us. It was an uncanny experience coming across so many other cyclists, sharing stories, comparing gear and lunch menus. We officially named it the Summit Conference. Tom arrived soon after and was a tad surprised to see a gabbling mob of excited cyclists.
It is worth noting, Tom is very much a country man and the idea of heading towards a massive city was rather daunting. We assured him we would be very appreciative of a ride to the next closest town but he would hear nothing of it. We were off to San Francisco. In an attempt to recycle his hospitality we wanted to take him out for dinner or at least pay for the petrol but again, he would hear nothing of it. After dropping us off at our friend’s house in San Francisco Tom made a beeline back to Garberville. Meeting Tom couldn’t have come at a better time and his selfless eagerness to help was really astonishing.
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.
Belinda: We have had our share of misfortunes, bad directions, mechanical failures, miserable weather, unsubstantiated advice, and worrying moments. Fortunately brilliant things have often happened on the tail ends of these mishaps or when you least expect it. By experiencing these lows and having these reference points, you really appreciate the good weather, the bike not making groaning sounds, and people sharing positive and encouraging stories.
Although there is no specific day that we'd like to forget, an on-going struggle we are exposed to is witnessing the extreme lifestyles of people here in Mexico. There is a definitive line between the poor and rich. The intimate and unique type of travel offered by bicycle touring is having the opportunity to meander through places that are less touristy and reflect a certain authenticity of how people live and how things actually are. Many times these sights, smells, and insights are challenging our thinking and perspectives.
We have also had the privilege to be invited into many homes from a huge range of backgrounds. As guests, we are extremely appreciative of the hospitality and kindness offered by hosts in whatever form that may be. Relating this and how people genuinely want to be a part of our cycling experience in some form or another is very emotional and touching. Having a family in tears after you leave them and only knowing them briefly is tough. Knowing that we will never see 99 percent of the people we have met as they don't have the resources to travel, email or even mail, and knowing we can't reciprocate the hospitality and warmth they have so generously shown us humbles us every day.
WBTE: We talk a lot about life lessons. What kinds of lessons do you think you’ve learned from your bike?
Belinda: If you're feeling tired and grumpy, eat before you talk to one another. This is probably one of our best lessons. Also, to remember we are different people with different ways of dealing with stress and allowing this can help to keep the peace. We’ve also learned to work to one another's strengths.
By far, the biggest lesson we have learned is a rekindled faith and trust in humanity. There are awesome people everywhere that do awesome things, and do it without looking for recognition. We need to take advice from locals and people that have visited a particular country rather than the skewed perceptions communicated in the media so to get a full and more accurate picture.
With cycle touring, life is stripped to the essentials. Cycling and camping along the side of the road (roughing it) gives you a certain perspective about life, how little you need to sustain yourself, and how the simple pleasures of a roof, place to wash, a bed, warmth, and companionship are true treasures and treats.
WBTE: You’ve toured many miles and have gained tons of experiences through those miles. If you were to talk with someone relatively new to cycle touring, what recommendations would you give them?
Belinda: The great thing about cycle touring is that there’s no right way of doing it. Every cyclist we have met comes from a different background, has different views on life, different objectives, different pocket books, different motivations, different time frames, and different philosophies on touring itself.
For example, some are very weight conscious and carry light to make the cycling easier, whereas others swear by 'luxury' items to make camping and traveling more comfortable. Or another example is we wear sneakers cycling and use cages as we like the versatility but others prefer clip-ons.
This is your trip and you will do it the way you wish. The distances you cover, the routes you take, the length of time you are giving yourselves, and what you are budgeting each day (or trying to). It will be awesome and it will be difficult. You could read literature and get advice till you're blue in the face but we think you learn the most (and very quickly too) on the road and adapt as you go.
The most important bit of advice we can give is ..... YOU CAN DO IT!
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