Tyler Kellen and Tara Alan are a young couple who have set out to the see the world from atop their bicycles. They've been on the road nearly a year now and plan to arrive in their destination of Kuala Lumpur in about another year, give or take a couple of months. You can follow their adventures at goingslowly.com
WBTE: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your trip.
This is our first bicycle tour! We started in Glasgow, Scotland on April 1st, 2009 and hope to reach our final destination of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by 2011. We have no sponsors; our tour is entirely self supported. We aren't doing this for any causes, and we aren't even obsessed with bicycles. We are just two people who want to see the world! We've kept a detailed journal for every day and will continue to do so for the entirety of our multi-year adventure. Tyler is an independent software developer. Tara is writer. We are both amateur photographers. You can read more at http://www.goingslowly.com/
WBTE: Why the bike? Why not travel in a car like most people?
Originally Tyler wanted to do a trip like ours on a motorcycle, but it was deemed infeasible due to the cost. The idea for bicycle touring came while watching Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's documentary “Long Way Down”. When the guys met a bicyclist riding in the deserts of Africa, Tyler was inspired.
We never considered a car as an option during our planning. Cars go too fast. Life goes too fast. Everything moves far too quickly these days. A bicycle forces you to slow down. It lets you truly experience the landscape and the seasons of the areas you travel through. It facilitates connecting with people by putting you face to face with them on a regular basis with a ready topic of conversation at hand: your bicycle! Bicycles are less conspicuous and they provide a world of camping opportunities unavailable to those who travel by car.
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?
We work together as a team, encouraging one another. During tough rides we often listen to music; it helps shift our focus from whatever unfavorable conditions are keeping us down. We do our best never to say, "it will be better when..." or "I will be happy when...", instead attempting to stay focused on the present moment: enjoying or conquering the next pedal stroke and the hundred meters directly in front of us.
Tyler: When we feel like quitting we fall back on a phrase I say often: "Life isn't about what you want right now. It's about what you said you would do." Hard times are also easier now that we have a year of incredible memories behind us to think about. The more good experiences you amass, the easier it is to take the bad days in stride.
Tara: When we first left, Tyler was very stoic, not admitting when he was unhappy or uncomfortable because he didn't want to complain. It drove me crazy because I felt like I wasn't "hardcore" enough for the trip, and I felt like I was the only one of us having trouble. When I get frustrated, I cannot keep it in. I have to vent it in some way in order to let it go and begin thinking rationally again. Sometimes just admitting, "this sucks" or the dreaded "I want to go home," can work wonders! Thankfully Tyler has come around, and joins me in the venting process now :) You just have to be honest and communicate if you want to move forward happily.
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.
Our first experience climbing the Swiss Alps (Julierpass) was an incredibly intense experience for both of us. The scenery was pristine, and we were in great spirits, but there were definitely periods throughout the day when we didn't think we were going to make it to the top. Tyler's rim broke, mid-climb, but he patched it up and we kept going. At one point, when we were exhausted and hungry, a group of friendly racing cyclists gave us fruit and energy gels to fuel our final stretch. During the last six kilometers, a back-to-back series of steep switchbacks, we were "in the zone." When we finally reached the top, it truly felt like we had conquered the world. You can read the full story here.
More recently, we were cycling on the gorgeous, intensely mountainous Greek island of Crete. Along the Southern coast, there is a string of towns, normally inaccessible except by boat. To get from one to the next is no easy feat. We decided to take a "shortcut" which led us off-road on rocky muddy tracks through fields and up and down steep hills. The paths were rough that we pushed most of the way. Instead of being put off by this, we greatly enjoyed it, and were completely wow-ed by the wild, secluded scenery. Towards the end of the day, we found the perfect free-camp right by the ocean. A local sheep farmer drove by in his truck, gave us some fresh sheep's milk, and invited us to share a pizza dinner with him. It was incredible day. You can read the full story here.
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.
On our way out of Sicily, instead of stopping early to free camp near dusk, we rode right into a city. Instead of getting a hotel room while we were in the city, we kept going to look for a free camp. Before we knew it the sun had set and we were riding in pitch black darkness. We were far from any good free camps, and we didn't have proper lights on our bicycles. Every time cars passed we would be blinded by their headlights. Tara was terrified of falling off the side of the road into the ditch, or getting tripped up by one of the many potholes. We were near the beach and tried to camp there as we would normally do, but the beach was lined with houses. Finally after hours of searching we gave up and made our home for the night on a little pull-off just off the highway. It was not the safest place to camp, but we were desperate as we set up camp, half crazed and in disbelief of how bad everything was going. Just when we thought we were in the clear, the police came and told us to leave. We convinced them that it would be safest if we stayed. Finally they left, and that was the end of one of our worst days on the road. You can read the full story here.
One day in Tunisia, we were faced with the worst headwinds we'd ever experienced. Sand was blowing in our faces so fiercely we could barely see, even with sunglasses and headscarves. We barely managed to eek out 50 kilometers, and called it quits when we spotted an abandoned building just off the road. Tyler got the tent set up, and then noticed that billows of fine sand were blowing into it, covering all of our belongings. We emptied everything out, and tried to relocate. The tent blew out of our hands several times, the ground was full of rocks and we couldn’t get it pitched anywhere else. We broke a tent stake trying, etc. Nothing would go right. For what felt like hours we fought and fought with the tent, wanting more than anything to be done for the night. Finally we managed to get everything set up, but it was a sour end to a bitter day. You can read the full story here.
WBTE: We talk a lot about life lessons. What kinds of lessons do you think you’ve learned from your bike?
Tyler: The most important lesson I’ve learned from my bicycle (and even moreso from Tara) is to slow down. I’ve also learned repeatedly, and quite frustratingly I might add, that I am not invincible (I’m due to re-learn that one several more times for several more years I suspect). Lastly, my bicycle constantly forces me to relinquish control peacefully.
Tara: Honestly I'm so proud of myself! At the beginning of our trip I was constantly exhausted and fell over all the time. Since then, I've gotten stronger, conquered all kinds of fears, and become a much better cyclist. I've learned that I really can "cycle around the world" and that I actually like biking! By keeping a journal every day, I've also become much more disciplined. By traveling just 30 miles a day on a regular basis, I can cross continents. This trip, and Tyler have really taught me that with time and pressure, I can create or do anything I choose, as long as I don’t relent!
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?
- Take it slowly.
- Don't waste time comparing yourself with other tourers.
- Don't try to be hardcore unless you're doing it purely to prove something to yourself (see #2).
- You'll have a much better time if you indulge once in awhile.
- Don't take yourself too seriously.
If you need even more inspiration, check out these other interviews with world cyclists!
Nancy Sathre-Vogel is currently cycling from Alaska to Argentina with her family as he 12-year-old sons attempt to break the world record as the youngest people to cycle the entire length the of Pan American Highway. She is documenting their journey for Guinness World Records at www.familyonbikes.org. She also write for the Communities to the Washington Times and is the Boise International Travel Examiner as well.
Comments