PanamericanPeaks Synopsis

Summary of the 15 month Panamerican Peaks project: Cycling from Alaska to Patagonia and Climbing the highest mountain of every country in between. Impressions from the road and the mountains, cycling, climbing, camping, craving, coping, and celebrating. Enjoy!

[bikegrrl]

Thank you for transporting me from my dining room table to familiar and unfamiliar places both on my continent and further south--your video is a testament to a variety of "peak" experiences (and also challenges!)that traveling offers, and I really thank you for sharing it and them with us, Thomas!

[aszman]

I ran across your story in someone else's blog. I am an avid cyclist but this trip you did just takes it to an all new level. AWESOME and very inspiring.

[FreeRhuna]

Wow, you take it to another level !
I did a trip by bicycle for the first time in my life following the Rhine in Germany, crossing Switzerland, connecting the lakes in Northern Italy, a visit to the Matterhorn and back to Belgium via France.

Next year I plan to drive to Athens and maybe crossing the Mediterranian to Israel and beyond.
I have only 60 days and and a small budget.

[chrisgarty]

Great video. And short enough that I anyone can get a snapshot of the experience. Inspirational :)

[tlausser]

Daniel,
I did not have any problems with the BB on my recumbent.
One part I needed several times are the plastic O-ring fittings at the central joint of the frame under the seat. Due to the twisting forces of legs and your back, that joint tends to loosen up when the plastic fittings wear down. When that happens, you get a creaking noise on every pedal turn which can drive you crazy. These rings are very cheap, but you won't find them in remote places. I always carried a few spares.
Thomas.

[tlausser]

Daniel,
I don't know the vendor of the seat pad. It had been on the used recumbent, and I just kept using it. It worked surprisingly well. It's a synthetic mesh fabric which doesn't stay wet very long when it gets wet and it doesn't hold the sweat or smell bad etc. I would most definitely use it again.

I'm not sure what part of the BB you're referring to. You should not assume you can get BB part in Central America, only in big cities. Check with the manufacturer challengebikes

Thomas

[tlausser]

admx94, thanks for your comment.
Denali was one of the few summits I didn't reach, despite good weather and great acclimatization. A confluence of circumstances (sick guide, slow replacement of guide during good weather, then bad weather, then group running out of time) prevented me from attempting the summit.
However, we lucked out on Mt. Logan, which some say is the "bigger mountain without the crowds".
Anyway, best of luck to you whenever you attempt Denali.
Cheers, Thomas.

[tlausser]

Dan, at 6'1" I was lucky to have the seat fit my back perfectly. I don't know the size of the crank arm, I didn't change them. I did increase the front ring from 42 to 53 allow for ability to pedal at higher speeds; I paid for that in the lowest gear when I had to push up steep hills due to heavy overall weight of bike, trailer and bags (60+kg).
The chain as it stays well lubricated and protected from rain, dust, salt, etc. inside the plastic tubing. I replaced it once roughly half-way.
Thomas.

[tlausser]

Hi Rhune,

Thanks for your comment. Bicycle touring across the Alps sounds like a great adventure, lots of different scenery, cultures, languages, etc. I did some MTB around Mont Blanc and in the French Alps some 10 years ago, which was great.

Good luck for your Mediterranian adventure next year.

Cheers, Thomas.

[dantheadventureman]

Glad to hear that worked out ok. I have another question for you concerning the chain. The recumbent chains are pretty long and heavy, so did you carry an extra chain, or did you just carry some chain links and use the same chain for the hole trip.

Thanks,
Dan

[dantheadventureman]

Hey Thomas,
Got my recumbent and love it. I wanted to ask your opinion on your seat pad for your bent. Your seat pad looks like a Ventisit model if I'm not mistaken, how did you like it and would you tour long distance with it again, I'm looking at getting one myself. Also I'm sure your Bottom Bracket on your bent is a Standard English thread BB and wanted to ask what you did in Central/South America when it was time to replace the BB. Just want to know if it's easy to find that part there.

[tlausser]

Yes, the Seiran frame is aluminum. And no, I did not find any shop capable of welding aluminum, not in Esquel or even in Bariloche. Instead I ordered a replacement part from the manufacturer Challengebikes in the Netherlands. Due to my upcoming Aconcagua expedition I took an unscheduled 10 day rest break and flew home to Florida. I had them ship my new rear fork to Florida, then took it with me to Argentina and had it installed while up on the mountain. Challengebikes was very accommodating.

[tlausser]

Except for the large cities (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Guatemala City, Panama City, etc.) there is no problem finding the Panam Highway and staying on it. I tried avoiding the big cities whenever possible. And I tried avoiding the mountains (i.e. in Costa Rica) and stay close to the Pacific.

[dantheadventureman]

Hey Thomas,
Dan here again. I see in this video that you snapped your frame. Now correct me if I'm wrong but your recumbent is aluminum right? I also wanted to ask, did you get it welded back together on the trip and if you did was it hard finding an aluminum welder to get the job done.

Thanks and great slideshow,
Daniel

[dantheadventureman]

I'm talking about the hole BB..ie bearings and cups, I have a GXP BB from Sram and was just wondering if it's no problem finding a replacement in the big cities. I would think it's not a big deal since Sram is a pretty big name and my BB is a standard english thread which is very common on bikes. By the way did you ever have to replace the bearings in your BB during your trip, and if you did was it not an issue, or did it last the hole trip. Thanks Dan.

[dantheadventureman]

Hey Thomas, another question, you look like a pretty tall guy like myself. I'm about 6'3". I wanted to ask did you have a 170 crank arm or a 175. Also was it hard for you to put your leg down and keep your bike upright with the 26" wheel in front.

Thanks,
Dan B.

[dantheadventureman]

Hey Thomas, through Central America did you have any problems staying on Highway 1/ Pan America Highway or was it easy to accidentally get lost and end up on another road without really knowing it.

Dan B.