S03 E04: Tara Weir on Solo Cycling the Globe

It was a huge pleasure to connect with adventure cyclist Tara Weir to talk about exploring the globe on two wheels. Tara has cycled more than 37,000 kilometres in twenty different countries. She’s a solo adventurer, known for tackling challenging routes with no support cars or guides – just a bike and an unrelenting will to keep moving forward.

We talked about Tara’s roots in Toronto and her early tours through India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia. Planning, logistics, and training for long rides were discussed, as well as some of the motivating books and people who inspired Tara to explore the planet. We also touched on staying positive on long rides, and the awesome impact that the people you meet along the way can have on a traveler’s experience.

Tara recounted some of the challenges from her ride on the Wild West Route, a tour she did last year (2019) from Canmore, Alberta through Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, all the way to the Mexican border. During that ride she covered more than 4,500 kilometres and 58,000 metres of climbing – all while dodging bears and fighting huge temperature swings.

We talked about the pure wonder of exploring Mongolia and Australia, the magic of Myanmar, and her future plans to travel to other locations around the world.

Countries where Tara has ridden: China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Tajikstan, Kyrgystan, Canada, the US, Chile, Argentina, Greece, and Nepal.

Show Info and Links:
Tara’s Blog: The Adventures of Margo Polo – https://followmargopolo.com/

Books Tara mentioned during the show:

Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook – Neil & Harriet Pike

The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa – Neil Peart

Paul’s Additional Info:

Paul de Burger – Photography: www.pauldeburgerphoto.com

Paul’s Professional Speaking & Corporate Training: www.pauldeburger.com

Intro Music: RetroFuture Clean Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/