The Accidental Bicycle Tourist

Gabriel Aldaz
  • 5.0 (26)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Host Gabriel Aldaz sits down with other bicycle touring and bikepacking enthusiasts to have unexpected, revealing, and often humorous conversations about their most memorable bike touring adventures. You’ll hear individuals, friends, partners, and families from all walks of life share the joys (and sometimes challenges) of bicycle touring. A willingness to explore the unknown, overcoming self-doubt, resilience, and experiencing acts of kindness from complete strangers are recurring themes. Gabriel hopes that the episodes, dropping every other week, will inspire you to get out and see where the road leads you.    For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram:https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

  1. ABT051. Heinz Stücke: The World by Bike (Part 2)

    FEB 6

    ABT051. Heinz Stücke: The World by Bike (Part 2)

    Fifty-one is the number of years that Heinz Stücke spent on a bicycle away from home. Fittingly, Episode 51 provides the finale to the Heinz Stücke saga, where more keywords are pulled from the Christmas cookie tin. Heinz recounts how he stumbled his way into an audience with Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, accidentally fired a gun in a crowded Zambian bar, charmed his way into a Saudi Arabian visa by procuring a fake airplane ticket, then smuggled his bike into the country on a confused donkey. Through it all, Heinz kept painstaking statistics, writing 18,000 pages of diaries and practically tracking every cup of coffee he consumed since 1962. Tune in to hear this whirlwind tour of obsession, survival, and the art of getting out of trouble with sheer audacity. From having his bicycle stolen and recovered six times to being woken up in a ditch by a friendly dog, “The Man Who Wanted to See It All" has compiled an unrivaled dictionary of bicycle adventure from A to Z – minus the word “regret.” For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 4m
  2. ABT050. Heinz Stücke: The World by Bike (Part 1)

    JAN 24

    ABT050. Heinz Stücke: The World by Bike (Part 1)

    What do you do if you absolutely, positively do not want to work as a toolmaker with a wife and 2.4 kids in post-World War II Germany? If you’re Heinz Stücke, you simply get on your bike and don’t come home for fifty-one years. In this landmark episode of The Accidental Bicycle Tourist, your host Gabriel Aldaz treks through a snowy German winter to find the man who cycled 648,000 kilometers across 196 countries—only to discover that the residents of his hometown aren’t entirely sure if he’s still alive. Entering Heinz’s home is like stepping into a travel-themed archive, packed with enough maps, photos, and artifacts to make visitors believe that they have entered the Museum of Heinz Stücke. To inspire the legendary traveler, Gabriel has brought along a surprise: a Christmas cookie tin filled with 500 scraps of paper. What follows is a whirlwind tour through the memory of a legend. Heinz recounts sneaking into the 1970 World Cup as a professional photographer and flying over Montserrat a year after a volcanic eruption buried its capital, Plymouth. From hiking to the world’s tallest waterfalls to witnessing the "crunchy" charm of fried tarantulas in Cambodia, Heinz proves that a life well-pedaled is never boring. Tune in to part 1 of a hilarious, awe-inspiring 2-part journey through five decades of life on two wheels. For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 10m
  3. ABT049. Queen of the Ice

    JAN 10

    ABT049. Queen of the Ice

    In the Season 3 premiere, you’ll meet Antonella Giacomini, an Italian mountaineer and adventurer who has been called the Queen of the Ice because she loves to traverse glaciers in remote corners of the world. A woman accustomed to skiing while pulling a sled across ice fields, Antonella recounts how she accidentally got into bike touring while trying to reach a glacier in Patagonia with her expedition gear. She has come to love the concept of bicycle touring, visiting countries like Italy, Costa Rica, and Canada on two wheels. Regardless of her mode of transportation, Antonella has learned valuable lessons, such as how to survive a four-day snowstorm that wrecks your tent. Or how to enter Argentina illegally three times but always manage to get out. From shattering the cruel myth that biking from northern to southern Italy is "all downhill" to performing sacred rituals to scale unclimbed peaks in Mozambique. Antonella’s wild stories offer proof that to experience life fully, you should travel, travel, travel. For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1 hr
  4. ABT048. 2025 Holiday Special

    12/26/2025

    ABT048. 2025 Holiday Special

    It’s time to celebrate another memorable season of the podcast! During the 2025 Holiday Special, Sandra and Gabriel reveal the top three episodes of the past season (as chosen by the listeners) and check in with each guest to hear the latest from their busy lives. Topics discussed include the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race, a movie called Planetwalker, the graffiti on the roads of the Tour de France, and how to stay relevant after retirement from professional cycling. Sandra and Gabriel also get updates from several other guests from the past season who are still out on the roads of South America, Africa, and have even found their way to a couple of distant islands. Listen in as well to get a preview of guests and topics that will be featured in Season 3. (Yes, there will be a Season 3!)   The films that were discussed in this episode are Planetwalker and Feeding the Rat. We also talked about Tuft Camps and FKT Challenges. For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 11m
  5. ABT047. Travels with Dexter

    12/12/2025

    ABT047. Travels with Dexter

    On this episode, you’ve got a front-row seat to one of the wildest rides of the year. Follow the story of Ana Carmen Navajas as she evolves from an innocent 14-year-old who brought along a water pistol and a pile of CDs on her first group overnighter to a hardened road warrior. A critical moment in Ana’s adult life came when, while living in England, she rehomed a naughty, energetic dog named Dexter. Together, Ana and Dexter took on increasingly challenging bicycle tours, accumulating new friends and extraordinary adventures at every turn. You’ll hear how a wheel falling off Dexter’s trailer in England’s Lake District led Ana to meet a British couple who later wrote a song about the incident. Then, a year ago, Ana and Dexter sold everything to chase her dream of riding for a year from Europe along the Silk Road to Xi’an. In Muslim-majority countries, Ana faced immense scrutiny as a woman traveling with a dog. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Afghanistan, where the pair survived a Taliban raid and Dexter had a gun pointed directly at him. Outpedaling every obstacle in their path, Ana and Dexter have proven the power of optimism and perseverance in the quest to fulfill a dream. You can follow Ana on Instagram. You can listen to Stuart and Sarah Brierley’s song on Youtube. For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 4m
  6. ABT046. Work/Ride Balance

    11/28/2025

    ABT046. Work/Ride Balance

    Ever dream of telling your boss, "I'll be back in six months... or a year," and pedaling off into the sunrise? Mike Vermeulen didn't just do this once; he made a habit out of it. Join us for a wild ride as Mike explains his genius strategy: work for five years, then take a personal leave of absence – or quit if necessary – to cycle across a continent. From flying over the handlebars of a brake-less 10-speed on his first overnighter heading for the tip of Cape Cod to accomplishing the incredible feat of cycling across six continents, Mike has seen it all. He’s mostly gone solo but has also found riding partners on “companions wanted” forums and joined three classic Tour d’Afrique (now TDA Global) supported rides, including the last section of the inaugural Silk Route adventure. Tune in to discover how this compiler engineer hacked the code to optimize his work and bicycling careers, accidentally creating a masterclass in work/ride balance!   For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 8m
  7. ABT045. Pedaling for Peace: How a World Bike Trip led to a new Visual Language

    11/14/2025

    ABT045. Pedaling for Peace: How a World Bike Trip led to a new Visual Language

    Imagine setting out on a bicycle tour for world peace, only to be chased by machine-gun-toting militias in Syria, get dangerously ill from rancid kidney beans in the Sahara, and be forced by border guards to take a huge detour to Jerusalem, only to get tear gassed upon arrival. That was Alan Stillman’s reality. In the late ‘80s, Alan embarked on a wild 15,000-mile journey that was less about quiet reflection and more about surviving incredible mishaps and adapting to foreign cultures. Hear how Alan’s chaotic life-or-death experiences sparked an idea for a universal picture language that would later help doctors, travelers, and even the US military. This isn't your average bike trip; it's an adventure that proves that sometimes the bumpiest road leads to the most unexpected destination. For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    1h 5m
  8. ABT044. The Biking Viking

    10/31/2025

    ABT044. The Biking Viking

    What kind of travel club demands that you visit a number of countries at least equal to your age? Welcome to the world of De Berejstes Klub (DBK), Denmark's "Travelers' Club.” Meet Claus Andersen, "the Biking Viking," a man on a decades-long quest to keep his coveted DBK membership card! Journey with him back to Russia during the 2018 World Cup, where a tense encounter with four masked men took a surprising turn towards friendship. Discover why, out of all the places he has cycled, Syria and Uganda stand out as unexpected top-five cycling paradises. We also delve into the kindness of strangers in unexpected places, including the tale of how a professional stunt cyclist in India led Claus to a man who ingeniously repaired his destroyed bike crank. However, a life of constant travel is not without its perils, as Claus shares a heart-stopping account of a run-in with a motorcycle in the chaotic traffic of Surabaya, Indonesia. Claus Andersen is a true citizen of the world, with a wealth of stories that will evoke laughter and inspire new destinations for your own next adventure on two wheels. You can learn more about the Biking Viking's adventures on his website, Travelling Claus.  Vote for your favorite episodes and provide any kind of additional feedback on The Accidental Bicycle Tourist podcast 2025 survey! For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram: https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

    58 min
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5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Host Gabriel Aldaz sits down with other bicycle touring and bikepacking enthusiasts to have unexpected, revealing, and often humorous conversations about their most memorable bike touring adventures. You’ll hear individuals, friends, partners, and families from all walks of life share the joys (and sometimes challenges) of bicycle touring. A willingness to explore the unknown, overcoming self-doubt, resilience, and experiencing acts of kindness from complete strangers are recurring themes. Gabriel hopes that the episodes, dropping every other week, will inspire you to get out and see where the road leads you.    For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram:https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist

Information

  • Creator
    Gabriel Aldaz
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Accidental Bicycle Tourist
  • Show Website
    The Accidental Bicycle Tourist

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