Thomas Stevens might have been the first around-the-world bicyclist beginning in 1884, but he certainly wasn't the last.
The Pattersons, at left in Morocco, took the plunge in 2002 after Pat had turned 62 and Catherine had recovered from a heart attack.
Their nearly four-year bicycle tour took them through 57 countries on 4 continents. They made many friends and covered thousands of scenic miles, but also had to endure a collision with a truck in Portugal and a hold-up at gunpoint in Peru.
“Afterward we look back and realize that these tough moments are part of the fabric of our journey. If we wanted the safety of a cocoon we'd go on a cruise,” Cat wrote.
The California couple published a great journal at their website — WorldRiders2 — that describes their experiences and offers many tips for adventure-seekers planning to set off on their own world bicycle tour. I think the most valuable lesson a would-be bicycle tourist can take from the journals is to remember to just go with the flow.
As explained on the website: “You see, each time you choose a direction it is chance and coincidence that leads to the next interesting story on the paths that we call life.”
In addition to images and text, the Pattersons posted short video clips, such as scenes from a hotel or a camel market in Morocco.
Their clockwise journey started in California. They bicycled across the US, hit Greenland, and then cycled around Northern Europe before heading south into Spain. Then followed North Africa and southern Africa, and another jump across the Atlantic to South America, where they rode the length of the continent and back into the US.
Skipping around, I found many interesting anecdotes in the journals. If this doesn't give you an itch to pack your panniers, nothing will.
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