Who are you?
I'm David Byrne, an Eagle Scout from Amery, Wisconsin. Julie Retka, my wife, will join me in South America in June. We met on a Rovers bike ride in 2000, live in St. Paul, Minnesota and were born in 1957. Julie is a teacher taking a two-year leave-of-absence from St. Paul Public Schools. David is a retired UPS driver.
How do you prepare for cycling the world?
I biked to work year-'round from St. Paul to Minneapolis. more...
How can you afford it?
For 30 years I biked to work at UPS; my weekly fuel cost was zero. My job has good Teamster Union benefits; I have a defined-benefit pension that will pay me half of my regular (40-hour) pay.
How long will you be gone?
Two-and-a-half years. We expect to reach the tip of South America in a year (~March, 2010); and another year cycling from South Africa to north Africa (~March 2011). We'll continue cycling north through Europe to Hammerfest, Norway in the summer of 2011.
Will you camp out most nights?
No. Campgrounds are uncommon south of the border; and staying in hotels there can be cheaper than camping here. We have a camping hammock to provide shelter for comfortable sleeping in a pinch.
Why are distances only in kilometers?
Non-metric measurements are obsolete. I switched to the metric system in 1975. It's easy. more...
What do you mean by "recycling"?
While I do encourage the recycling of aluminum, glass, paper and plastic; here I'm using recycling to mean redoing, rather than reusing; such as: rerunning a race, replaying a game, or reliving my youth.
Are you trying to set a world record?
No. Many cyclists have done similar tours. Here is a list of links to long-distance cyclists' websites.
Why are you doing this?
I can think of nothing better to do.
