Why Bike Latin America?

I have always thought about doing a long distance bike trip ever since I was in college. Originally, I had thought about doing Europe via bike. Time passed and somehow the idea seemed to pass. I may not have really thought about it much again until I did some road biking for triathlons.

Then earlier this year, I saw a video of a motorcycle rider who went from Alaska to Argentina. It looked absolutely amazing. At the same time, a few friends were contemplating a trip to Patagonia (Argentina) and Tierra Del Fuego (Chile). It clicked in my mind: I would buy a motorcycle in Colombia and ride down to meet up with them. I would hit a couple of bucket list items on the way: Machu Picchu and Galapagos; as well as, Lake Titicaca, the Nazca Lines, Atacama for astronomy …

So I started to research the idea motorcycling from Columbia to Argentina. I started looking up purchasing motorcycles in Bogota or Medellin. I started reading blogs to find out which routes people took. As I was reading these blogs, I encountered a number of people who did similar journeys on bicycle. Here are some examples:

http://journals.worldnomads.com/thefuegoproject/story/53170/Colombia/Medellin-to-San-Agustin-Colombia#axzz2zlcxLPMe

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

 I then began to debate which would be the better way to do this: on bicycle or motorcycle? Clearly, each has their benefits.

A motorcycle can cover more ground in a shorter period of time. A motorcycle can carry more equipment. A motorcycle also has the advantage of allowing you to distance yourself from a dangerous situation quickly.

A bicycle has the advantage of being quiet. In a wilderness setting, you are less likely to scare any wildlife. You’re more likely to see things, because you’re going slower. Finally, a bicycle represents a physical challenge. I think this last reason was the primary reason for me choosing to try to do this on a bicycle. For a number of reasons, I did not feel like I was in the best physical condition.  I felt that if I did not choose to do this now, I would probably never do this trip via bicycle. And if I did do this now, I might do something like this again through a different geography.

So the next up was to prepare for the trip.

I expect there will be many deviations, but I pretty much knew their route that I was going to take: I would start in Colombia. I would go to Ecuador, onto Peru, then to Bolivia, followed by Chile, and finally Argentina.

The most difficult question is what equipment did I need? I started reading blogs and determined that I need a different kind of bike; a touring bike. The touring bike is like a road bike, except it has a longer chain stay to allow for carrying panniers (bags) without interfering with your feet while pedaling. It also has wider, thicker tires to endure rougher roads. Additionally, since I would be traveling through some areas of poverty, I did not want a bike that looked too fancy. Fortunately, I found the perfect bike for my needs through craigslist: a Raleigh Townsend.

When you have to carry everything that you need for the next 3 to 4 months, but you have to carry it all on your bike, space becomes a serious issue. So the following is a list what I’m taking (Note this changes):

·       Spare tire
·        Three spare inner tubes
·        Inner tube repair kit
·        Spare cleats
·        Spare spokes
·        Tools: vice grips, pliers, bike multi tool, Leatherman, spoke tool, chain whip, tire tool, Swiss knife.
·        First aid: band aids, gauze, tape
·        Basic toiletries
·        One pair of pants
·        One nice shirt
·        Three tee shirts
·        Three bike shirts
·        Three pair walking shorts
·        Three pair riding shorts 
·        Underwear and socks
·        Long underwear
·        Long sleeve T shirt
·        Tent
·        Sleeping bag
·        Compact travel pillow
·        Lightweight Cot
·        Solar shower
·        Hydro pack
·        Mini water purifier
·        Shoes: riding, walking/running, decent, and sandals
·        Computer with computer bag

For a number of reasons, I did not have the opportunity to test out my fully packed gear while still in Miami. I’m now in Cartagena.  I’m doing my packing to get ready for my first day on the road. I’m finding that it is going to be difficult to take everything that I brought with me. I’m questioning whether I can bring all of the shoes. I’m questioning what toiletries that I really need. I am even questioning whether I really need the handle for my razor blades. Space is definitely an issue.