Traveling is a great way to meet the locals. Dominic Gill had this in mind when he decided to embark on a solo bicycle ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina.

But he has an unusual way of attracting locals: he is asking them to help him pedal his tandem bicycle. Dominic’s website, Take a Seat includes footage from the documentary film he is making about his journey, including his trailer:

Currently on the road, he was in Guatemala as of this writing, having pedaled the bicycle built for two by his lonesome for 5,247 of the 13,793 miles he has traveled. (For mileage updates, check his homepage.)

Why the bicycle built for two? On his webpage, he says,

One of the most interesting aspects of cycle touring is meeting people. However, these meetings are usually limited to stopping-off points. By riding a tandem solo, while there is a good chance I may be burdened with cycling a heavy machine thousands of miles solo, I’m confident that I will meet a large number of willing pedaling passengers. Whether they be curious city dwellers, happy to take a novel journey to the office, tourists wanting to go
anywhere anyhow, or a Peruvian villager welcoming an alternative to the overcrowded and unreliable rural bus service, there will be some colourful characters. With them sitting eight inches behind me, I’m sure to find out.

He left in June, 2006 with nearly 20,000 miles of open road before him, expecting to complete his journey by this August. Read about the adventures along the way in his journal. Dominic’s trip is also raising money (with a goal of 5000 British pounds) for Hope and Homes for Children.

Vagablogging was able to ask Dominic a few quick questions as he made his way across Guatemala.

How difficult is it to find partners for your tandem bike?

About 65 percent of the time, I have no partner, so a lot of the time it’s difficult. It is usually easier on my own, but since not having anyone on the back defeats the object, I never turn anyone down. The difference is made at the end of the day when I have a friend to chat with and share the good and the bad times.

Does everyone who agrees to ride with you know how to ride a bike?

On this trip, I have taught two people to ride bicycles, and one of them thereafter joined me for a day. To be honest, the less someone has ridden a bike, the easier it is since they don’t have any of their personal habits upsetting the balance.

How much weight do you carry (excluding passengers)?

The bike with gear is often round about the 100kg mark. The bike itself (and trailer) is about 35kg.

Who do you find to pedal with you? How long do they typically accompany you?

I have had people on for as long as 10 days and as short as a block. All sorts of people ride with me: cycle enthusiasts that have contacted me wanting to join in, heavily laden hitchhikers, locals wanting a laugh, and gas station attendants looking for a five minute break in monotony.

What types of reactions do you receive?

The whole range:

“Are you mad?”
“What an amazing idea.”
“You must be super strong.”
“Do you not have a car?”
“You have forgotten someone.”

Anyone with some pedal power (or words of encouragement) to offer Dominic, can contact him here.