You can’t go any further west than this, unless you start swimming. 6,355km after departing from Istanbul, on the 130th day, I have finally finished my bike trip. Feeling amazing today. Feeling unstoppable. For the past half a year I’ve made my life into a high-speed adventure, and it won’t stop here!

my 7,015 kilometers (4,359 miles) continental bicycle ride from Asia to Africa, via Europe. Started in Istanbul and finished in Portugal & Morocco!

Ferry crossing over to Tangiers, Morocco, the 3rd continent of my trip, Africa!

Looking south, across the Straight of Gibraltar, is the coast of Morocco!

Tarifa is the southernmost point of continental Europe. Here meets the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea at the Straight of Gibraltar. I can see Africa from across the sea!

200km in 10 hours. First sighting of Africa just beyond all the kites flying in a beautiful sky! This is the real ending of my bike trip finally!

200km in 9.5 hours

110km in 4.5 hours

150km in 8 hours

This is the westernmost point of Europe.

The last 42 kilometers until the westernmost point of Europe!

200km in 12 hours

135km in 5.5 hours

155km in 8 hours

95km in 4 hours

105km in 4.5 hours

75km in 3 hours

140km in 7 hours

First birthday celebrated outside of America, and so close to finishing this bike trip!

195km in 11 hours

115km in 6 hours

170km in 9 hours

The Way of St. James, by bicycle: extended edition!

190km in 8 hours

55km in 2 hours

170km in 7 hours

140km in 5.5 hours

120km in 4.5 hours

170km in 10.5 hours

250km in 13 hours

240 km in 13 hours

1,300km starting from Lille, routing through Paris, Normandy, Rennes, Nantes, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and Bayonne! Onwards to Spain & Portugal afterwards to finish the trip!

110km in 4.5 hours

50km in 2 hours.

85km in 3.5 hours

70km in 3.5 hours

105km in 6 hours

The John Frost Bridge, a decisive point of Operation Market Garden in World War 2

180km in 9 hours

125km in 6.5 hours

115km in 5 hours

295km in 16 hours! Longest ride of my life.

200km in 9 hours.

85km in 3.5 hours.

90km in 4 hours.

110km in 6 hours.

Days 50 & 51 have been some of the toughest riding of this entire trip. The endless steep hills going across Czech Republic from Brno to Prague have been challenging.

120km in 9 hours.

Photo of the “House of the 4 Idiots”

135km in 6 hours.

One of my favorite cities in the world!

65km in 3 hours.

200km in 10 hours.

120km in 4.5 hours.

A very nice little Hungarian town along the Danube just south of Budapest

150km in 7 hours.

My one stop in Crotia!

A lot of history goes along with this small Croatian city along the Danube.

120km in 4.5 hours.

Awesome city along the Danube. Beach, fortress, paintball match, and lots of new friends.

83km in 3.5 hours.

First sighting of the river which I will be following for the next few hundred kilometers!

Awesome view from the balcony of my CS hosts apartment

240km in 12 hours!

The Serbian city with a Skull Tower, a small concentration camp, and the launch point for the long ride up to Belgrade!

160km in 10 hours.

Biking through these dark tunnels on the approach to Niš were one of the most dangerous encounters I’ve ever faced on my bike!

Loving my time here in Sofia so far!

150km in 8 hours.

Another frustrating flat tire, but I made some new friends when a group of bikers saw me and stopped to help!

As I was trying to find the border control to pass from Turkey into Greece after leaving Edirne, a Turkish soldier warned me not to get too close to him…

180 kilometers in 11 hours.

240 kilometers in 15 hours.

After finally making it out of the outer limits of the city of Istanbul, I was just about to stop in the town of Silivri for some food & rest, when I got a flat tire. Drivers may be mean and every country claims to have the worst drivers, but you gotta learn to trust the traffic behind you, or else you end up taking a forced lunch break like I did!

Spent an awesome week in Istanbul!

Wait a sec- 20 hours in London before I start this trip!

Plotting routes using google maps, also shows me what kind of elevation I’ll encounter on my rides. Another crucial tool that makes this entire trip work.

What are those wheels on my bike that don’t look like regular wheels? Aerospokes!

These awesome little speakers bring music to the road straight from my bike!

There are many bikes out there, but this one is mine… and I love it! I’m riding on a single-speed 2008 Jamis Sputnik track bike. This isn’t the type of bike anyone would recommend anyone to use for a bike trip across Europe, or any other continent for that matter. So what, I’m doing it.

CouchSurfing, duh! This is the single most important aspect of my entire trip. Couchsurfing serves up inspiration, friends, hosts, surfers, fellow travelers, insight, experiences, amongst many other great virtues. It has totally changed my life for the better, ever since I joined 5 years ago, and it keeps driving me forward full steam ahead!