Hi, I'm cycling around the world! So far 27000 miles and 5 years on the road. Ask me anything!

I would love to do something like this one day. Do you ever get scared or fear for your life?

Hi there! Yes, in my experience its always worth leaving the comfort of home and go out on an adventure! I never really feared for me life, but I was afraid to get robbed in some places in south and central america. Luckily the world is mostly made up of good people who only want to help! The real risk is being out in the traffic for so many hours every day. I had some close calls, but so far no accidents (knock on wood).

How ripped are your thighs?

Haha, sorry but I don't have some very good photos of me legs... but check here :-) https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasandersen/13326806513/

Hey mate that is cool as.

Tell me a bit more about the bike? Are you using 700C, 26inch, triple chainrings?

I toured for a little while as well. Safe travels, may the wind be at your back, the the climbs easy and your tyres puncture resistant.

Hey there! I'm using a Bianchi road bike with 700C/25 tires. Only two chainrings which sometimes makes it a bit tough in the mountains with all the luggage... it's good training :-) All my equipment is listed here: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/equipment/ Thanks a lot of happy cycling!!

That's the third time that I am reading one of your AMAs on reddit, and I have watched every "day" on your blog, I love it !

First of all, I absolutely enjoy reading your stories, keep going !

But I have a question, how do you manage the stats on the website (like Distance, ride time, avg/max speed and total) ? Like, does your Garmin let you keep a daily log ?

Also, what do you plan to do after coming back to Denmark after all these years ?

Hi there! Great to know you are enjoying the blog. It takes a bit of time and effort to keep it up to date... Yes, my Garmin GPS will record the daily distances and times, then I just post to numbers on the website. And what I will do when I get back to Denmark. Good question! I'm not really sure yet, but I thought about writing a book and do some presentations. Maybe even starting my own company in the IT field - that is some of my ideas. Thanks for the questions and see you on the blog :-) Thomas

Have you tried Balkanian food since i guess you passed through Balkan to get to Turkey?

Hi! On this trip I cycled through Romania and Bulgaria to get to Turkey, but I have been in the Balkan countries before. Loved the cevapcici and other great food there! Great corner of Europe down there - I recommend it to anyone!

How was your experience on the Romanian roads? Being Romanian, I know that our drivers are not so friendly with cyclists. Hope you met nice people there.

I loved Romania.. great place for cycling. The biggest problem was not the drivers (I try to find smaller roads) but the stray dogs! The sometimes got very angry... Beautiful country, would love to come back!

For how long are you planning to continue on the road? Have you already thought what you will do when you stop?

I should be back in Denmark in about a year from now after cycling through Africa and then back through Europe. I have spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to do, but havn't really come to any final conclusion yet... But, I have been thinking about writing a book so that might be the first project.

Wow, this sounds really insane and amazing!

As someone who doesn't do very well with finishing what I start, what keeps you motivated to finish your goal? Do you ever feel tired and wish you were back home?

Also, how do you finance this trip? I've always been curious about people who do things like this. Sponsors?

Anyway, thanks!

Hi there! I like this life style so much that motivation is not a real problem - but sometimes money is :-) I do of course get tired of cycling from time to time, but then I take a break. After a week or a month the appetite for adventure comes back. The daily budget is 20$ a day. So far I have self financed everything by saving up money before I left and working for 9 months on a cattle station in Australia.

I'm not sure if you are still answering, but firstly everything you are doing is amazing, and I'd love to one day do something similar (but on a much smaller scale!). How much are you eating a day? Do you take food with you or stop somewhere to buy it?

Thanks a lot for the nice words... the World is a great place, so I can only encourage to go out there and see it :-) I did spending a day writing down everything I was eating in a single day. Have a look here: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/12/day-1525-sullana-mancora-what-does-a-cyclist-eat-during-a-day/

Awesome!

• What did you do before the ride?
• How much are you spending a day on average?
• Did you have to save much before?

I want to do a similar trip, but around the world in 80 years, with breaks in between. :D So far I have ridden from London to Croatia, so a fair bit to go.

Great!! I used to work with IT before the trip, but I got tired of sitting in front the of the computer 10 hours a day. Before I started I saved up money for 1 year of cycling on a 20$ a day budget. Once I got to Australia I got work on a cattle station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf4Ogh2To1g. It was an experience in itself working there, and I saved up money enough to cycle through the Americas! Happy cycling, it's a great life style :-)

How far do you ride each day? How much longer do you think you will be riding?

My average is around 100 km/60 miles a day. The next stage of the trip will be from South Africa and back home to Denmark. I should be done in about a year!

What was the most interesting experience you had?

Be received like a real VIP with police escorts and everything in Malaysia was pretty cool: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2011/05/day-213-port-dickson-melaka/. Also also loading up the bike with 20 days worth of food to cycle into the remote mountains of Argentina with my Swedish friend was a highlight of the trip http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/05/day-1301-el-penon-laguna-brava-reaching-new-heights/

I just went through all your photo albums, absolutely amazing! My question is, what would it be your 3 top tips to someone who has no experience and wants to do the same?

Thanks a lot. I like to take lots of photos, in fact over 40000 on the trip) and some of them turn out OK :-) My advise would be: 1) The hardest thing about going on an adventure is to begin, so set a departure date and stick with it. 2) Don't buy the most expensive gear you can find. Your success depends much more on your mental way of thinking. 3) I never heard about anyone regretting going on a bike tour or any other adventure :-) Good luck!!

I can't own a bike for a week without it getting stolen... What do you do around the world to prevent getting you're bike taken?

The thing about cycle touring is that you will be out in the middle of nowhere and in small towns most of the time. In these places people don't steal bikes. When I'm in a bigger city I usually don't leave it before I get to a destination where I can put it inside a house/hostel/hotel... I do have a chain luck but I almost never use it.

As a fellow cyclist from Turkey/Istanbul, I get chased by dogs very often :)

Did you find a proper way of preventing dogs from chasing you during your long trip?

By the way, here is a regular day for me heading to the velodrome; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGNJh0RWnlk

Hey there! I loved Turkey, but the stray dogs you have there are among the worst in the world! In the beginning I would try to ride away which is probabably your strongest instinct... but I learned that a better strategy would be to stop since the dogs will also stop. Then you will pretend to be throwing a stone or a water bottle after them, and you can usually continue... Hope to be back in Turkey for more cycling or even just a holiday soon!

Hi there! Thanks for doing the ama. I have always considered doing something like this, so I thought I would ask about your hardest experiences to see if I think I could handle it:

1) Worst sleeping arrangement/issue? What if there is just no place to camp/find affordable hotel/etc? Any advice?

2) How do you deal with going to the bathroom when in a crowded country that you don't speak the language? E.g. emergency #2 situation?

3) What are some of the hardest issues/situations that you had to overcome and how did you deal with it?

4) Percent time camping to percent time in couchsurf/hotel/hostel?

Thanks so much!

Hi and thanks for your good questions! Here we go :-) 1) I have stayed in some very very basic/dirty hotels in asia and south america. Best if you are not too sensitive and good to have your own slepping bag... Also, camping in the rain for days when everything gets wet can be tough. In Newfoundland in Canada I had to pay for an expensive room just to get anything dry again 2) There is always a restaurant or gas station where you can use the toilet. If you are in the middle of nowhere... well, then you only need toilet paper :-) 3) The hardest part of the trip has been the fact that a close family member got sick, so I had to choose to continue the trip or go home. I did go home for a break, and then came back to my bike later. Good decision I think... 4) In Central/South America maybe 30% camping, 50% cheap hotels, and 20% couchsurfing or friends. When the hotels got very expensive in Australia and the US/Canada I would always be camping or staying with friends/CS. Hope you can use some of that. Happy cycling!!

I know that you saved money before leaving and worked in a cattle farm, but how do you manage the money ? Like, do you carry a credit card to withdray money every time you enter a new country ?

Yes, I have a credit card and usually visit an ATM once I get to a new country. Unfortunately the fees can get quite high (4-5$ per withdravel). Lately I have been carrying some USD as well since they were easy to change anywhere in central/north america.

Has your resting heart rate dropped significantly from all of the miles you've put in?

My resting heart rate is now somewhere around 55... Not too bad. In fact I don't know what is was before since I was not really very interested in sports before this trip.

Assuming you listen to songs while cycling, what're some tracks you would recommend for long distance bike rides?

Also did you modify your playlist as you travelled through different countries?

Hi there! Yes, I like to listen to music when the traffic allows it. My favourite type of music is blues (so I loved the southern states in the US). I would say you should just listen to the music that you normally like. Another thing that I like to do is to listen to the local/national radio stations in the country I'm cycling through. That would give you an idea about whats happening in the area, and you would learn something about matters to the people in that place. I also listen to podcasts, mostly from my native country Denmark...

Wow, great trip! Your bike looks extremely light in some of those pics. I plan to do something similar and would probably have more than twice as much gear (back and front Ortliebs, handlebar bag, and rack pack).

Did you start heavy at first and gradually left out the stuff that wasn't needed? What equipment or minor luxuries do you miss the most? Ever been surprised by cold weather without enough to wear?

Thanks. It's a great life out there on the road. Heavily recommended :-) I do like to travel light, and since I'm now using a road bike I kind of have to keep the weight down. I did have to buy more warm gear when I was cycling in the high andes mountains, but the temperature drops slowly so you usually have enough time to get more stuff. I would probably like to travel with even more camera equipment if weight was not an issue... Happy cycling!!

Great work! Do you require visas for every country you visit? How do you manage to get them?

Thanks! Usually I can just cycle up to the border and get a stamp or a visa there. That would give me 1-3 months in each country - enough to get through to the next one. In a few cases (I remember India) I had to apply for a visa beforehand. My next stage will take me to Africa which will be more complicated.

What's a moment you had that was out of this world?

Climbing to 4500 m of altitude in the very remote Andes mountains between Argentina and Chile. We didn't see a single house for 10 days. It felt pretty out of this world :-) http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/05/day-1301-el-penon-laguna-brava-reaching-new-heights/

How was your experience in colombia?

Colombia was one of my all time favourite countries. Such nice people, and I ended up staying for 3 months which was a lot longer than I had planned. Hope to come back soon :-)

Why is Kyrgyzstan such a popular country to cycle through?

I think because its on the silk right there on the way from europe to asia. I didn't go that way myself, but would love to visit central asia one day!

What items do you always customarily have with you?

I always have my tent, sleeping bag, stove, some water and food so that I'm 100% independent... This is my complete packing list: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/equipment/

the photo of the bike with two panniers - is that everything packed up?! there's no way!

This is how my bike looks today - with everything on it https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasandersen/21712845615

What kind of bike?

I'm using a Bianchi road bike: Doing a great job even after 43000 km! http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/equipment/

picture of your quads?

Haha... I don't have a very good photo but try here https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasandersen/13326806513/

How do you pay your bills?

The very nice part of my life style is that I don't have any bills to pay. Only food and cheap accomodation from time to time when I'm not camping or visiting friends...

Is there one day during your trip that sticks out the most?

Maybe the day I left civilization with my Swedish cycling buddy and we were going into some very remote mountains in Argentina. The landscapes up there were just mindblowing http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/05/day-1301-el-penon-laguna-brava-reaching-new-heights/

Do you carry different lenses with your Canon 500D ? Or only one ?

What do you think would be the best camera to tour the world ? A mirrorless ? A compact ? A regular DSLR ?

Also, how do you keep yourself aware of what is happening in the world during the trip ?

I do have two lenses for my 500D. The standard kit lense and a 50 mm fixed. I think I will add a 24 MM fixed and maybe skip the kit lense. The 500D is not a very heavy DSLR, but these days I think they make very compelling mirrorless/compacts that would be a good alternative. Some cyclists only use the GoPro and their photos are very impressive. Hmm, many options and I'm not really sure what is the best. Personally I like my Canon :-) I don't really follow the news when I'm out on the road, but my theory is that if something really importantant happens in the world I would see it on Facebook or someone would tell me haha :-)

Hey dude, I think what you're doing is amazing. However to most of us, it's something that we'd never think about. Why did you decide to leave Denmark and see the world on a bike? Did you just wake up one day and start saving?

Thanks a lot! The hard part is indeed deciding to leave and tell all your friends and your family that you are doing so. The rest is easy :-) I did do a couple of shorter cycling trips before I left on this big one, so I knew that it would be something that I would like. Also, I didn't expect my trip to take 5 years - actually I was counting on 1 in the beginning, but I guess I got addicted :-)

Thomas, i'm going to ask a question because it hasn't been asked yet..

How many times has telling this story got you laid on your journey so far?

Haha, good one. When you come to a hostel the story might get you some attention... and one thing can lead to another. On the other hand, being a smelly cyclist with a big beard, I don't really know haha

You, sir, are a hero. I was on a trip on my motorcycle across India, travelling 11,000 kms and people make that a big deal. I saw people, many people cycling up to the apex of passes that are more than 5000 meters. You guys are the real heroes.

Ok, for the question - I see from a comment below that you applied for a visa for India. Have you been here already? Where all did you travel? Any good stories from India?

Hi there! I loved India. When people ask me about a favourite country it's a very hard question, but I usually say India :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=191nSOnatrE I cycled from Goa in the west to Calcutta in the east. I didn't really make it up to the Himalayas. Next time! Happy motor bike riding!

What do you do with your bike when you're in the tent? Do you lock it up outside, or take it in with you?

I will usually only camp if I'm in the middle of nowhere. I just leave the bike outside my tent. I only have a small 1 kg one man tent, so it would be impossible to take the bike in there. I hardly fit myself :-)

What is the most dangerous encounter you have had in your travels? Do you plan on traveling in India? Along the places you traveled, what did you see that people lacked the most compared to developed countries (technology or otherwise)? Finally, has the trip reaffirmed your faith in humanity? [Edit: Deleted part about America - I skipped the line where he mentioned going up towards Canada]

In 5 years of travelling not a single person has ever wanted to harm me (well, one guy stole my mobile phone in Peru). On the other hand I have got so much help and support from people all over the world, so yes, in fact the ride has reaffirmed my faith in humanity - and I think thats a great thing!

How do you escape/pause your debt, job, financial obligations, family, etc. While doing this? This interests me more than anything since getting away for a week, let alone longer, is something I would really enjoy.

I'm not rich and had to work hard to safe money for the trip. On the other hand I luckily don't have debt, so once I have saved up money that leaves me with financial freedom...

Hi Thomas! What was your favourite/most outstanding scenery on your journey so far?

Hi there! I would say the Andes mountains between Argentina and Chile. The color of the mountains are just amazing, and it's a very remote place http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/05/day-1301-el-penon-laguna-brava-reaching-new-heights/

What do you do for money?

Before I left I saved up enough money for one year of travelling on a 20$ a day budget. That was enough to get me to Australia where I started to work on a cattle station. Quite the experience and unlike any other job I ever had... I managed to earn enough there to take me through the Americas. Now I need to find more work so I can go to Africa!

Wow you must b one hell of a person! Just wanted to ask which country has been the most difficult to cover?

hehe, thanks :-) The most difficult parts of the trip were crossing the Australian outback because there is just nothing out there. Also fighting some very very strong head winds in Patagonia in Argentina was a real challenge, and finally the altitude in the high Andes mountains. I do like when things get tough, and the rewards you get in terms of beautiful views and the sense of accomplishment more than makes up for the hard part :-)

You look thin so how many calories do you consume a day?

Have you lost weight since you've started, if so how much?

Long distance cycle touring tends to make you quite thin. In fact I look forward to join a gym one day so that I can get some muscles back on my upper body. Usually I need something like 2500 extra KJ per day... I did get quite thin at some point, but trying to gain a bit more weight now...

Hey, I wanna do this - for a lot shorter distances tho, like 300-500km. Got any tips for a first timer?

I also started with shorter trips, riding for a week in my summer holidays in Europe. That way you will learn very fast if you like the idea of bike touring. Here is a great website with lots of information for people thinking about touring: http://tomsbiketrip.com/

Hey man! Crazy/awesome thing you're doing.. pretty jealous. But I gotta ask.. what has been your peak/valley experiences so far? (Best/Worst)

Thanks :-) The best part as been meeting so many very nice people around the world - in many cases even got invited into their houses for a meal or a bed for the night. I have also seen some pretty specatuclar landscapes out there (here in the high Andes mountains between Argentina and Chile http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/05/day-1303-refugio-valadero-up-up-up/). The most difficult part of the trip has been the fact that a close family member got very sick while I was away. That is never an easy situation. I made it back to Denmark for a break before I got back to my bike and continued...

Have you decided on what route you'll take in Africa? Been following your trip for years now and I'm really excited for this next leg, Africa is fascinating and not a lot of cyclists blog about it.

Hi there! Glad to know you have been following along for a while. I'm obviously very excited about Africa as well :-) I still need to do some research about possible routes there, but this is one idea: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/route/

Hi and thanks for answering questions. Have you had any issues with overuse injuries or stubborn pain? What did you do about them?

I do try to listen to my body. I had some knee and back pains at some point, and the obvius solution is to take a break and start up again with less distance per day. That is exactly what I did, and it solved my issues...

How are you funding this?

Before the trip I saved up enough money for one year of travelling on a 20$ a day budget. Once I get to Australia I had almost no money left, but I got a job on an outback cattle station. I stayed there for 9 months and was able to save up enough money to go to the Americas. And here we are, 5 years later :-)

how do you get food?

and how are you not tired?

This is what and where I eat food on a typical day in Peru http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/12/day-1525-sullana-mancora-what-does-a-cyclist-eat-during-a-day/

Do you have an income of any kind? I'm not asking for numbers just a yes or no (sponsors etc)

When I left I had enough money saved up for one year of travelling. That took my to Australia where I stayed for a while to work more... I was using that money to cycle through the Americas. I did do a bit of freelance programming on the road, but very limited...

Wow, this is amazing ! Good job bro! I want to ask, how do you motivate yourself to keep going as surely you have some low/depressing stages?

Thanks a lot! The good thing about cycling is that this activity in itself almost cures depression - so yes, some days I feel low in the morning, but I know things will be OK once I'm back on the road.

Um, do you have a job?

I have only had part time/temporary jobs for the last 5 years - although I have managed to earn enough money to keep going. It's a balance...

How many tubes have you had to change?

I didn't count the tubes, but I'm on my 10th set of tires :-)

Any reason you're leaving out the UK in your trip?

The UK would be a little out of the way coming up from Africa and going towards Denmark. I would love to come over and do some cycling there on another trip though!

Hi! Thanks for the AMA and congratulations on your efforts. Being a keen cyclist myself, I wonder how do you manage to cycle 100km a day with all that equipment without getting exhausted. Do you cycle every day? How/when do you recover? What do you eat and drink?

Hi there and thanks a lot. I do average 100 km/day when I'm actually on the road, but I also do take breaks in the cities that I'm passing through. In fact I'm taking a longer break right now to earn more money for the trip to Africa. What I eat depends very much of where I am. I did write this blog post about what I was eating during a whole day in Peru: http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2014/12/day-1525-sullana-mancora-what-does-a-cyclist-eat-during-a-day/

Did I meet you in Wagga Wagga, Australia?

I didn't go to Wagga Wagga as I was following the coast from Melbounre to Sydney. Must have been another cyclist.

How do you fund this endeavor? Whats your favorite star wars movie?

I saved up money enough for a year of travelling before I left. My daily budget is 20$... Once I got to Australia I worked on a cattle station for 9 months which enabled me to get through the Americas. Now I will need to work more before going to Africa. And sorry, but I'm not a star wars fan...

What kind of bike do you use? Have any mechanical short comings?

What were your essentials that you left with, what did you pick up along the way that you overlooked? What are you bringing back?

Now that you've travelled, what would advise someone who would do a similar trip?

Do you have anyone waiting back home?

I there... great questions! I'm using Bianchi road bike and it is holding up very well. Of course I have flat tires, and had to replace the chain, chainrings, etc. a couple of times. I also got a crack on the rim of my back wheel so had to get a new wheel in Australia. I had been studying the packing list of other cyclists before I left, so I had all the stuff with me. I have updated my smart phone and camera on the way... My own equipment list is here http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/equipment/ I'm trying to be as light as possible, so I will not be bringing back souvenirs from every country. But, I do have a nice collection of sim cards :-) For advise I would say that the hardest part is to begin - the rest is easy. Just set a fixed date for departure and stick to it... I'm having my parents and sisters (and my new little nephew) waiting for me back home. I'm missing them so will be great to see them again!

How do you keep your bike so clean and scratch free?

In fact my bike has many many scratches and it is usually also rather dirty... I guess most people would not consider stealing it, but it's still a very important bike to me :-)

I often heard that having a smartphone (with a dynamo usb hub) might be better than having a GPS, what do you think ?

Also, do you need/use a dynamo hub ?

How do you manage your electricity consumption ?

Good question. I do have both a Garmin GPS and a smartphone. I think the garmin is more prescise, and the phone runs out of battery very fast if I use the map a lot. I don't think I want to add a dynamo to my setup - it's already hard enough to cycle with all the luggage haha. Maybe a solar charger, but these things don't seem to be too stable. What I do have is an extra battery with USB connecters that I can use to charge my phone and gps a few times. Otherwise I find that I can always stop for an hour or two at a coffee shop to get things charged up. Finally, if I'm really in the middle of nowhere I don't really mind running our of battery. A good excuse to start looking at the landscapes and enjoy where you are even more :-)

How do you bike over water?

Haha, I guess I ought to use a paddle boat? :-)

How's the trust fund holding up?

I have been doing normal work to fund the trip. In fact I worked for a while on a cattle ranch in Australia which was quite the experience! http://www.cyclingtheglobe.com/2013/12/day-880-1034-back-on-the-cattle-station/