Cyclists heading up

During this cycling trip, I participated in many cycling mobilisations as part of an academic research. I met cycling activists in 6 cities in North and South America: Santiago, Lima, Bogota, Mexico City, San Francisco and Vancouver.

An article in French has just been published in the magazine of a French national NGO. It is written in the first person with a more personal tone.

Cicleayque, I spoke a little about you 😊. It was a pleasure to meet you in Coyhaique. I see that Samu is still happy in the nature with his bike! Congratulations on your actions to improve mobility in your city.

An academic paper on the Revolución Ciclista Plurinacional in Santiago (with P. Rérat 🚲🇨🇱) has been published in an international journal.
We analyzed this movement through the lens of mobility justice and its cycling, political, environmental, feminist demands
https://bit.ly/3DTcTVL DM if you want to read the full article

In October 2019, when we left with Katrin to Buenos Aires and then Ushuaia, Canada was very far. We could only make 7000km to Santiago before the pandemic. After one year in Vienna and 22000km together to Cancun, I continued another 8000km alone to Vancouver. This arrival in Canada ends an incredible experience of 30 000km of cycling through unforgettable landscapes and encounters. I never thought that this arrival in Canada would be so sad. Now it's time to start a new life with new beautiful experiences.

Retour sur ce passage de frontière entre le Chili et la Bolivie qui n'était pas de tout repos!

Anecdotes de voyage en période de Covid : la Bolivie à vélo Le passage de la douane entre le Chili et la Bolivie, le tout à vélo, voici une nouvelle histoire de voyage en période de Covid et de confinement

KM 28 003
From San Francisco, I have 10 days to ride 1200km to arrive in time for the world track and field championships in Eugene where I bought tickets for 3 days. I continue to follow the coast where the landscapes are similar to those of the Big Sur but with many more rocks in the ocean.  The mornings are very cloudy, which gives a particular atmosphere. The road then goes inland to the "Avenue of the Giants": 50 km among the majestic Sequoias, some of which are more than 3000 years old. It was magical to ride among these ancestors who have known millennia. After a return to the coast, I turned off towards Eugene following the beautiful road along the Umpqua River, a sanctuary for Elk unique in the world.

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San Francisco is a city that I had been dreaming about for a long time with the famous Golden Gate Bridge. I was able to travel all over the city during my 3 weeks of research on cycling mobilizations. I was lucky enough to be in SF during the Gay Pride when the whole city is celebrating. Steep hills are not a myth and you have to know the city well to avoid them. The efforts are still worth it, once at the top of the mythical Twin Peaks or Dolores Park, the view is incredible. I also crossed the bay to learn about the history of Oakland and their cycling community.

KM 26 436

From Los Angeles, I pass by mythical beaches like Malibu or Santa Barbara. Between Cambria and Monterrey, I attack the winding and steep roads of the Big Sur region. It is one of the most beautiful places of the American west coast with cliffs that fall directly into the ocean. The Hearst Castle with its incredible pools is also a nice discovery!

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The crossing of the American border is faster and easier than I thought. Passing from Tijuana to San Diego, I change world... The social inequalities of Mexico give way to the big houses of California and the Tesla on every corner. I follow the coast and the surfers' beaches until Los Angeles. This huge city to cross is a small disappointment even if some districts are nice along the ocean (Santa Monica, Venice) and the Getty center and its gardens are worth a visit!

Km 25 056
This peninsula of Baja California had long intrigued me. Arriving from the ferry, I was not disappointed when I saw the cactus valleys and the turquoise blue water. Cycling onward from La Paz was much less pleasant with a headwind every day and the heat stifling as I followed endless straights. However, these long desert stretches often ended with incredible scenery along the Sea of Cortés to Loreto and San Felipe or the Pacific. The trip also allows me to discover some stories like the invention of the Margarita cocktail in Ensenada and unexpected places like the biggest saltworks in the world in Guerrero Negro. Of course, I will not forget the different meetings with the people who hosted me and who explained me the history of their city. Now I can't wait to discover California!

Km 23 348
Mexico - Mazatlán

Leaving Mexico City, I decide to take the shortest route with less elevation gain. I discover that the whole region is dedicated to the culture of the blue Agave for the manufacture of Tequila. This gives some colour to the desert landscape with the mountains in the background. I ride along the difficult slopes of the magnificent Lago Chapala, discovering the colourful villages, the "Pueblos mágicos" and the historical centres of larger cities such as Guadalajara, where I meet up with a girl I had hosted in my student accommodation in 2015. All along the way, I met some nice people thanks to the great Mexican network of help for cyclo-travellers. Now it's time for Baja California!

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Katrin stays in Geneva for work and I leave alone to continue my research on cycling mobilisations, this time in North America. My first stop is Ciudad de Mexico. This city is huge and its outskirts are an urban chaos. However, it is full of pleasant neighbourhoods, with its flowery streets and its ancient architecture, modern with Luis Baragan and contemporary with the impressive Jumex museum. Its history is also rich with the Aztecs (el templo mayor, Teotihuacan), the Basilica of Guadalupe, the magnificent Castillo de Chapultepec or the various houses and workshops of Frida Kahlo! Mexico City is a nice surprise for me!