I am Dravis Bixel, a cyclist, adventurer, and nomad. I have ridden through nearly 70 countries on five continents. From the deserts of Africa, to the steppes of Mongolia, and the coast of Australia. When not traveling, bikes are still a huge part of my life. I have worked as a bike courier in Seattle and New York. I ride to see friends, get groceries, or go camping. Cycling is a way of life.

The route through the Americas has an ancient history. It is the path the first human settlers took after crossing over from Asia. This migration went south and across two continents in a very brief time. All of this without the aid of a bicycle. This route will follow some of that path out of Alaska and down the Pacific coast. It will go through the jungles of central America and over the Andes mountains.
For and interactive map of the route that has been covered so far click here.

The route crosses over 15,000 miles through 15 countries. They are:

Why take on a journey such as this? To quote George Leigh Mallory, 'Because it's there.' There is something in humans that makes us want to take on great challenges. It is this ambition that drove our ancestors to leave Africa, to cross continents and oceans. It is the reason that we have permanent settlements on all seven continents and in space. The history of humanity is one of exploration and adaptation. That desire still lives in us. It is what makes humans climb the tallest mountains, explore the deepest oceans, and put a man on the moon. We do these things 'not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept;' as John F. Kennedy said. Not all of us are called to do these things. Fewer are willing. Now seeing that this expedition is possible, I cannot let it go. It has become my singular desire. The obsession that keeps me awake at night. This is my Apollo program. My Everest. To circle the world on a bicycle is the ambition now drives me.

Carl Sagan understood this when he wrote, 'For all its material advantages, the sedentary life has left us edgy, unfulfilled. Even after 400 generations in villages and cities, we haven't forgotten. The open road still softly calls, like a nearly forgotten song of childhood.' How right he was. After all these years cycling is still such a simple pleasure. I ride with the same childlike joy and enthusiasm as when the training wheels first came off. Exploring the world makes that even more fun. Packing everything you need onto two wheels and heading down the road is the ultimate freedom. You can go anywhere, ready for anything. This world is a vast and beautiful place, but too few of us get to understand it, to feel how enormous it is, and how small we really are. The problem with jets and cars is that you are traveling without actually being anywhere. One travels from location to location while missing the vast and beautiful in-between. The power of the bicycle is not just how far it can take you, but where it will take you. It allows you to experience the steep mountain passes, the heat of the deserts, the immense open prairies, and the endless forests. You have time to meet people from different countries, with different religions, who speak different languages. Yet all of us are one people. Sharing the same smiles, the same laughs, the same joys. The trip is more than just riding through the world, it is about connecting all the people who live there. I could not be more excited.