Inspiration from the Pattersons: long-term bike travel

Talk about giving it all up for travel. Six years ago Pat and Cat Patterson sold off their real estate business and cars, and rented out their house. In return? The couple spent four years biking through 57 countries across four continents.

As if that weren’t enough, they’ll soon be off for another six months. Starting in November they’ll be cycling a region not covered on their previous trip: Southeast Asia.

I found out about them while reading a recent CNN.com article. Besides their inspiring story, what jumped out at me was their equally inspiring attitude. In the article, Pat talks about the evolution of his life philosophies over the years, from “The one that dies with the most money wins.” to “The one that dies with the most toys wins.” to “The one that dies with the most friends wins.” to “The one with the most memories wins.”

And the videos on their website show their good humor—and occasional plain goofiness. Check out all of the people Pat videotaped saying “You must be crazy!” in their different languages. Or see video outakes from their four-year route (click the red markers.)

Pat & Cat were nice enough to answer some questions via email from Southern California:

What are your plans for SE Asia?
We will fly to Taiwan, cycle the coast then hop down to the Philippines and cycle Luzon Island. Then to the tiny country of Brunei which also puts Malaysia and Indonesia in close proximity. From the Isle of Borneo we’ll get to Jakarta and cycle half of Sumatra, then skip over to Singapore. Continuing north we’ll visit Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos along the way. Then across southern China and back to Taiwan. We estimate about 4,000 miles cycled, which will give our poor tired bikes more than 30,000 miles cycled.

Having already gone through the planning process once, how are your preparations for Asia different from your last trip?
The preparations differ only slightly. We’re pretty much minimalists so not much will be added. We have decided to carry a cell phone for emergencies both on the road and calls from home. (Cat’s parents are 89 and 87)

What advice would you share to others starting a big trip like yours—biking or otherwise?
We encourage others to get out and see the world. Go without fear but always be vigilant. Most of the horror stories are over-blown. Research all avenues. Check with the US State Department Travel Advisories but don’t let them scare you. (We think their negative reports are designed to prevent lawsuits.) Also, make medical preparations such as required inoculations ahead of time to avoid the blahs on your first few days away. Both of us take medications—we found that they are available almost everywhere and usually cheaper than here at home.

I like your quote “The one who dies with the most friends wins.” How do you connect with people on the road?
It seems easy to connect with people when you cycle into their city, town or village. We have more than 3,800 friends on our mailing list. Most we meet while cycling. We handed out little cards with our names and web address on them. We get messages all the time from people we met on the road.

And what do they do when they’re not planning for their trip? In April they’ll be showcasing some of their photography at a restaurant in Ventura, California (and posting the photos to their website, WorldRiders2.com). And a book is in the works—stay tuned.