Sarah

A few years ago now she said Yes, and promised to share many adventures with me.  Her ability to dream up way-out routes and schemes is second to none.  All I have to do is try to keep up!

Joe

Joe caught us up one afternoon just after Celendín (Northern Perú), having followed our Schwalbe tracks in the dirt for a few days.  Reluctantly admitting to a bicycle ownership into double figures, he used his Surly Pugsley to great effect for the time he rode with us.  See more at “Pedalling in Place” (links).  More adventures are planned…

Anna

We were having an unplanned, illness-induced day off in Liberia, Costa Rica.  The hostel was already thronged with cyclists, when Anna walked in and introduced herself.  We’d used large parts of her route through northern México and had a number of nearer misses further up Central America.  We ended up riding round the Nicoya Peninsula, through the cloud forest, then on from Alajuela to Bocas del Toro in Panamá with her.  We’re still waiting for her to do blog-justice to some of her Central American adventures – particularly the Mosquito Coast…

Russell

Russell arrived at the Toaster House in Pie Town NM, late in the afternoon after rain, having followed our tracks since Grants and earlier.  He out-ran us on the way to Silver City despite a bike that was causing him problems as it imploded under him.  A great correspondant and word-smith since then.

Katherine

Only 2 days into our Americas Trip we’d camped at Sparwood on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.  We teamed up to head through the Bear-heavy Flathead Valley, and rode together off and on for a total of 3 weeks until she outpaced us in northern Colorado.

Mary and Phil

Eureka, Montana was the beginning, and we parted sadly a few days further on at Sealy Lakes as they were heading back to their van and onward to home.  Much discussion of rock-climbing, nomadic lifestyles and things more general was had.

Mario and Anita

A lazy afternoon at Agua Azul, splashing around in the cascades brought many travelling companions.  Javier and Sylvia, who we’d already met arrived, then two more!  Months later when we parted for the last time we’d sold Sarah’s trailer to Anita and cycled from Ometepe (Nicaragua) to the Nicoya (Costa Rica)

Javier and Sylvia

El Hostelito in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas was naturally a rich place to meet other cylists.  We’d been starved of like company through most of México.  Spaniards, Javier and Sylvia cycled with us for a short while to Palenque, then were part of the Mayapedal crew.

Angus and Eugenio

After a chance meeting just after La Union on our way to Huánuco (Perú), we spent a happy couple of days wishing we were young again while trailing the boys up the hills.  Angus (Byron Bay, Australia) had met Eugenio (Argentina) in Buenos Aires, and once he’d found a frame to fit all of his 2+m height they set off north-ish.  Tales of adventures and experiences flowed non-stop and inspired us both

Sarah and Alex

Villa Union, Argentina and a siesta-induced ghost-town with us searching for stove-fuel after a generous ice-cream serve saw us meeting Sarah and Alex.  Randomly-predictably we had a mutual friend (this is cycle-touring after all) in Joe Cruz.  They then proceeded to drag us kicking and moaning along the Ruta 40 for a couple of 100+km days before we took a nice quiet paved-dirt route for a rest!

 Andoni, Alice, Maia and Unai

We were squeezed in together in the wonderful home of Antonio in Belén, Argentina; then had a chance to ride together for a couple of days an unforeseen distance and time further south between Futaleufú and our parting in Villa Santa Lucia on the Carretera Austral, Chile.  On the road since the mid-2000s it is their life.  Another inspiration.

The Patagonia Crew

Alone together through much of our Americas trip, things all changed as we got to the southern end.  The Carretera Austral and the route onwards towards Tierra del Fuego turned out to be highly social and full of cyclists – even though we were there later than ‘the season’.  We met, enjoyed and remet lots of people – some mentioned here.