On his 34th birthday, Fjordian Teemu Lampinen set off on a two-year tour of the world — by bicycle
Eight years ago, Helsinki-based Fjordian Teemu Lampinen bought his first road bicycle and had what most people would consider an insane idea: What if I road this bike around the world?
Fast forward to the present, and that seemingly crazy idea has become a(n equally crazy) reality.
Teemu kicked off his ambitious adventure on August 26th — his 34th birthday — and over the next two years, he will cycle 29,000 kilometers, pass two antipodal points (Madrid and Wellington) in order to comply with Guinness World Record requirements, and spend most of his nights sleeping in a tent.
While Teemu is taking a two-year study leave from Fjord to take this trip (and study nutrition), he’s not completely losing touch with his fellow Fjordians. Along the journey, The will also make a few professional pit stops, popping in to visit friends and colleagues at the San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, New York, Madrid, London, Berlin and Stockholm studios.
Naturally, there were questions before he left: How do you feel now, just a few days before the departure? What are you looking forward to the most?
Here’s what he had to say:
“Some days I have a clear vision about the trip and feel very confident about myself and the gear, but some days I’m utterly petrified and figuring out if I’m taking the right clothes, camping gear and tools for the trip. The route will change for sure on the way (local drone regulations, visas, weather, etc), so it’s very important to be mentally prepared for unplanned things and also to be open for new ideas and plans. Accidents and mistakes will also happen for sure, but the most important thing is to stay positive and laugh to them afterwards.
I’m looking forward meeting my dear colleagues, which some of them I’ve never met face to face. I’m also very excited about fiords of New Zealand and the mountains of Central Asia. I just hope I won’t wreck my drone before that!”
Teemu will be documenting his adventure via drone, as well as on social media. Follow his adventures on Instagram @tourdeteemu!
Follow Teemu’s journey on Instagram @tourdeteemu!
