Health and Well-being

Inuvik to Los Angeles: Some Life Lessons From a 10,000 kilometre Bicycle Trip.

In July 2001, I started a long bike ride. I started in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and planned to ride to Los Angeles, California in 6 months. Things did not work out that way… Here’s a few things I learned:

When I started at the “End”, I had:

• clean bike and bags,
• minor sponsorship (including Patagonia. I secured discounted gear: tent, sleeping bag, jacket),
• some donors,
• $900 (after buying plane tickets north),
• 0 bike touring experience, and
• 4 weeks ‘training’ (0 km on gravel). 😬

My goal: avg. 70–100 km per day, take a few days off, ride 10,000 km in six months.

[“No prob…” I said]

Planned route:

• Dempster Hwy- Inuvik, NWT to Dawson City, Yukon. Approx 800 km of gravel.
• Top of the World highway- Dawson City, YT to Tok, Alaska. Approx. 300 km of gravel/seal coating.
• Circle through Alaska: Tok, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Tok.
• South to LA. (Stay ahead of frost and snow).