About us
Annkathrin: Discovering new places
I, Annkathrin, was born in the winter of 1997. Character traits such as being a bit shy, creative and adventurous already characterised me as a child. I went on lots of little trips and holidays with my parents and siblings - mostly out into nature. We were always on the lookout for new places that we didn't know yet. I enjoyed the freedom of being able to explore my surroundings on my own with my own bike and my bike was often a means of transport that got me from A to B easily.
My school days were mixed. I was an average student in terms of grades and had few friends. During my time at grammar school, I also took part in the theatre club. I put on a few plays as part of this group, which I enjoyed. After leaving school, I trained as a design assistant and then worked in a small advertising agency. During this time, I was always travelling at weekends, mainly in the countryside. And travelling became more and more important to me.
Nico, the freedom lover
I, Nico, was born in 1992. As a child, I was cheerful but also reserved. My bike was my constant companion, whether it was for travelling to school or for leisure activities. Although I never travelled beyond Germany's borders, I was fascinated by being on the road. The last family holiday before my 18th birthday took us to Denmark. After that, travelling took a back seat for a while.
My time at school was a challenge. After graduating from secondary school, I tried out various jobs and finally completed my IHK qualification as a digital and print media designer. Along the way, I continued to develop my skills and took a renewed liking to travelling. At first I travelled through Germany by train and rucksack, later I discovered wild camping for myself. I liked the idea of making my own independent decisions. I realised that I could only live my life once and wanted to make the most of it.
From holiday to adventure
We haven't had much to do with cycling so far. Admittedly, both of us have enjoyed cycling since childhood, but never over long distances. That changed for Nico thanks to the inspiration of his brother, who started travelling by bike out of his own interest over the years. His knowledge and the quality of his equipment grew steadily and also inspired Nico. Eventually, he got carried away by YouTube channels such as "Rausgefahren" and started his first cycle tour along the Elbe side canal from Lauenburg to Wolfsburg and back as well as to Scharbeutz and back in 2020 with his Rockrider MTB (332,5 km). He met Annkathrin in 2021, but the planned cycle tour across Denmark, Sweden and back through Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (767,52 km) he was still doing it alone. However, Annkathrin took a liking to the idea and also started following cycle tour content on YouTube. That's how we ended up cycling across the Netherlands together on our summer holiday in 2022 (433,02 km) have cycled.
The desire to travel the world had been on our minds for a long time, even when we moved into our first flat together in Lüneburg. We consciously decided against the conventional path that many people our age take: buying a car, owning a house, getting married, having children and then working hard until retirement to pay off loans. Instead, we wanted to become independent, free our minds from constraints and fears and do something special with our lives. In September 2023, we finally decided to turn this dream into reality. We researched, informed ourselves, planned, ordered bikes, passports and vaccinations, informed friends and relatives, tested our equipment, cancelled subscriptions, contracts, our flat and jobs and built our virtual presence .
The vision of our journey
The decision to start our trip around the world by bike was primarily based on financial considerations. In addition, travelling by bike is extremely sustainable, environmentally friendly and climate-friendly, which fits in well with our interests. A bicycle is also easier, quicker and cheaper to repair than a motorbike, car or van. As we mainly stay in tents, there is also no pressure to book new accommodation for each night and arrive at specific times.
Our first planned route section will take us westwards through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, along the Atlantic coast via Spain and Portugal to Gibraltar. We then want to continue eastwards to travel via Andorra and hopefully leave the EU via Turkey during the winter. We are particularly looking forward to travelling to warm and hospitable countries such as Iran, Thailand and the whole of Latin America.
The whole trip is open-ended. We don't know when or if we will return to Germany. It could be that - for whatever reason - we return after a few months. But it is also possible that we will be travelling for many years and at some point find a place where we want to stay longer. Ideally, we will circle the globe at least once.
With this unusual and new lifestyle, we hope to get to know ourselves and the world better, see it with our own eyes and create unforgettable experiences. Our photos and videos should not only inspire friends and family, but also inspire other people to follow their dreams. We want to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and discover the real life. Sometimes you can achieve more than you think.
Enable us to have more adventures
If you want to support our bicycle world tour and be part of our adventures, you can join us with a one-time donation via PayPal, a monthly subscription on Patreon or use our Amazon link. Every donation helps us to constantly improve our content and equipment, continue our journey and buy spare parts and food. On Patreon, you will receive exclusive benefits such as access to our Discord server as a thank you.