In Part 2, Madeline Hryse explains why her crankset fell off in the middle of a remote Kyrgyzstan mountain descent, why duct tape did not fix it, and why she kept pedaling anyway. There is a story about a Tibetan woman who could not speak Chinese, could not read Tibetan, and tried to introduce her to all of her friends regardless. There is an extended and deeply earned defense of the camping chair from Part 1. And there is a closing segment on personal hygiene that answers the one question everybody is too polite to ask a four-year bike tourer: how often do you actually wash your pants? The answer involves dirt, sweat, and a working theory about what "clean" even means anymore.

This half also covers her newly announced Tumbleweed Bikes sponsorship, her upcoming Continental Divide ride from Canada to Mexico, the single most important lesson four years of travel taught her about humanity, and a documentary recommendation about a man who biked Kyrgyzstan while dragging a small mountain of climbing gear behind him. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — it dropped 10 minutes ago.

Show Notes

About the Guest


Madeline Hryse recently completed four years of continuous nomadic travel — three years backpacking through Asia, one year cycling solo and with company from southern China to Sweden. She is newly sponsored by Tumbleweed Bikes and will spend this summer cycling the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico, after a shorter welcome-home trip through the Sierras.

What's Covered in Part 2


The Accidental Influencer

South Korea — The Grandma Era


Asia, Up Close — Family and Culture


The Tibetan Border Story


The Crankset Disaster


On Fear — Short-Term vs. Long-Term


What Four Years Taught Her About People


Hygiene on the Road — The Segment Nobody Else Asks For


What's Next


Off the Beaten Path — The Road from Karakol


Pay It Forward — Leave No Trace


Links & Resources



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