Bill Dodds, a 70-year-old retired Tyne and Wear Metro driver, has cycled more than 21,000 miles across 27 countries, facing extreme weather and sleeping under the stars. His adventures include crossing the United States, traversing Japan, and riding through the Stans—former Soviet states in Central Asia.
From Metro Driver to Global Cyclist
Dodds began his career driving the original Class 599 trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro in 1980 at age 24. Those trains recently completed their last official services after 46 years and half a billion kilometres. But Dodds' cycling feats are even more remarkable. His trips have taken him from the Coast to Coast route ending at Tynemouth to crossing the United States, tackling the length of Japan, and traversing Central Asia.
Now 70, Dodds covers 40 to 45 miles a day, down from the 70-mile daily average he maintained about 20 years ago. Between 2002 and 2013, he saved up his holidays to take three to four weeks off at once, carrying a tent and sleeping bag on his back.
Memorable Journeys and Kindness of Strangers
His journeys have included camping under the stars in China's Taklamakan Desert, the world's second largest; hearing coyotes howl while sleeping in copses of trees in the United States; and battling typhoons in the Japanese Alps.
According to Dodds, "I'd fly back to the same place and start the next section. It was never something I set out to do. I did the coast to coast from Whitehaven to Tynemouth then thought, what's next? Then I did Land's End to John O'Groats and continued step by step. Then it was cycling across the United States and it just went from there."
Favourite Destinations and Cultural Encounters
Dodds says it is impossible to choose a favourite destination, though the United States hold a special place because of the spectacular scenery of the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone National Park. But it was about more than landscapes. "Everybody warned me about America, how violent it was, but in small towns in the Midwest people were incredibly kind. If I was in a diner, someone I'd spoken to in passing would pay for my meal without me even knowing about it," he said.
When riding from Turkey to China via Azerbaijan, stopping in the Silk Road cities of Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, the scenery was totally different but he still felt people's kindness. "I'm a fairly nosey person anyway so I'll stop and talk to people who are cutting hedges in the Cotswolds or picking cotton in the fields in Central Asia. Even though I can't speak their language and they can't speak mine, we made ourselves understood. Wherever I went people were kind," he added.
Adapting to New Foods and Cultures
Language is not the only challenge; unfamiliar food is common. "Sometimes you don't have a clue especially in Central Asia and China, there's no menu and I'm probably one of the first westerners they have seen, so I'm pointing and asking for something even though I don't have a clue what it is," he said. In one village in Western China, he sat eating with chopsticks while about 20 people watched through the window. In another, he stopped for a Coke and ended up nursing two 18-month-old children, one on each knee.
Cycling with Family and Future Plans
Though most of his rides are solo, Dodds enjoys cycling with his son, Paul, 47. The pair have cycled the length of the Danube, starting in Toulouse and ending in Istanbul. "Paul is bigger and stronger than me now, he takes the bulk of the weight when we travel. I've got to cut back on the amount of gear I take and I'm travelling lighter each time," Dodds said.
Despite slowing down, Dodds shows no signs of stopping. He recently completed a two-week, 500-mile ride along Ireland's west coast and is planning his next adventure, though he hasn't settled on a destination yet. "It's a great way to get around, you can dump the bike and just go and have a look at things that catch your interest. It's amazing how you end up doing things you wouldn't usually do," he concluded.
