Our friends Mireia from Spain, and Alex from Belgium were born to live adventurously. These two Montague bike riders have decided to take a year off on their professional careers to live their dream: They’ve just begun their year long journey of traveling North America, Central America and South America and they’ve been kind enough to keep us posted on their adventure. They have specially outfitted a Land Cruiser for this trip and will use it to get off the beaten track where they can further explore with their Montague bikes.
They’ve hand constructed the interior of their 4×4 to make use of all the available space and travel as efficiently as possible. The vehicle is equipped with a second battery to run a fridge and a sink, storage cabinets, a place to sleep, and even with all that they have room to store their Montague folding bikes. They decided to ride Montague bikes for two main reasons: Montague bikes fold easily and they needed folding bikes with full size wheels to ride off road in some pretty isolated areas. Since they are planning on riding their bicycles every day, they need to feel comfortable on both paved roads and rough terrain. Given their very real space constraints, the ability to fold a Montague in a matter of seconds for storage is a definite plus.
The bikes will be an essential part of their days as they visit the many cities, towns, parks, trails, and other places they plan to explore during their yearlong adventure. They will “Park & Pedal” everyday: Park their 4×4 and explore the latest location by bike. By cycling, not only will they save money on gas and parking, but they will save time – it’s much faster than walking or being stuck in a traffic jam! Really there’s no better way to see a new city than by bike. You’re out on the street, mingling with the people, and you can truly experience your surroundings, rather than looking at them through a window while passing by. Mireia and Alex also plan to use their bikes for exercise after the inevitable long days of driving.
Their goal is to finish in Brazil in July 2014, crossing the entire US via route 66, continuing into Central America then South America along the west coast and traveling up the east coast to Brazil. On July 2014 the Soccer World Cup will take place in Brazil: Mireia and Alex love this sport, and they plan to finish their voyage in the electric atmosphere and spirit of this big event!
We will keep you posted about their exciting journey and the fun places they visit. They’ve promised to update us on a regular basis, so check back often for the latest adventure of Mireia and Alex!
