Episode 141: Samer Abouhamad

Reflections from Cycling Across the World

Lessons From a Long Distance Bikepacker

What does 73,000 kilometres, six continents, and three years on a bike teach you about life? Well in this episode I sit down once again with long-distance cyclist Samer Abouhamad to unpack his incredible journey around the world. The latest leg of Samer’s adventure took him from Melbourne all the way to Lebanon. Through Central Australia, SE Asia, China, the Tibetan Plateau and across the Pamirs and through the endless desert of Saudi Arabia.

The Freedom of Bike Travel

For Samer, freedom is simple: a bike beneath you, the sun setting, no fixed place to sleep, and your favourite song playing through your headphones. That sense of unfiltered freedom kept him turning the pedals, even on the hardest days.

The Highs and the Lows

This ride wasn’t all smooth roads and beautiful sunsets. Samer faced extreme heat in the Gulf, food poisoning, forced police escorts, and freezing mountain passes where he literally warmed his feet with cups of tea. Yet, through every low point, he leaned on a philosophy of breaking the trip into smaller milestones: one climb, one town, one day at a time. This is a technique Samer used on his previous long distance tours from North to South America as well the North Cape to Cape Town. Breaking each day into little chunks, not focusing on huge distances but instead small achievable goals were the key to making this ride feel like it was something he could stick with.

Lessons from a World by Bike

So what does riding aroudn the world teach you? These were the key lessons and themes which Samer spoke of:

• Start before you’re ready. Overthinking kills momentum and sometimes you just need to be bold (or naive) enough to begin.
• Keep perspective always. Food, water, health, and a bike can be enough. Gratitude will help to fuel your resilience.
• Connection matters. The road may be lonely at times, but sharing kilometres with friends or even strangers you meet will create lasting memories. Those shared moments can fuel you when things feel tougher.

Golden Quote

“It’s like the closest I’ve ever been and ever will be to freedom, just being on your bike.” Samer

Listen Now

Catch the full episode on your favourite podcast player and be sure to give him a follow via his instagram account @lion.samer If Samer’s story sparks something in you, let me know and I’ll pass your message along to him. Who knows, it might be the nudge you need to plan your own bike adventure.

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The Seek Travel Ride podcast