Matt Whitehead– Bicycle Rust and Foam Dust

For the love of life, adventure and freedom Matt Whitehead rides America’s Eastern coastline, across the interior of Canada and now the Western Coast, south into the dusty lonely desert of Baja. Why? “To travel and do something I enjoy doing.”

Matt Whitehead is a laborer from NSW, Australia who left school at 14 and became a plumber. He’s since worked to save enough money to travel the world several times over in a uniquely minimalist style bicycling long distances. His adventures began when all his money got stolen during a holiday in mexico… his only way home was riding a $10 bike out of Mexico, up to a friends house in Austin, Texas. Enjoying the ride Matt decided to “Keep doing this”. Finding riding bicycling an economical means of travel and meditative; good for his soul and mind, Matt went onto ride from New Jersey up to Maine. Chasing waves up the Canadian Coastline in Nova Scotia.

my biggest fear is when my body gets to an age that i isn’t capable of doing the things that i want to do, and then saying, i wish i would of done that… Cause you can’t, once your there you can’t go back. So right now whilst my body is good I may as well do it!

Matt’s travels don’t end there; After scoring great waves Matt was accompanied by his girlfriend. Together they rode across Canada to the far shores of Victoria, before heading south finally reaching California.

When you’re on a bike people are really open to you, they see what you’re doing and they relate to it for some reason, even if they’re not into anything like that themselves. People are just stoked to help you if you’re travelling on a bike.

After having his prize possession bicycle stolen in San Francisco Matt eventually found his way back onto a new bike, picked up a Patagonia Wetsuit at Cardiff and eventually hit the road south into Baja. Matt is now riding solo, hugging the coast and battling the elements, food and water shortages and surfing his way south.

My ultimate goal was and still is to get to Tierra del Fuego, the most southern tip of South America. I don’t know how realistic it is or if I’ll have enough strength left to go that way, but if I’m riding and its completely sucking then I’m not going to continue. It is ultimately for fun and a good experience.

Movie by Korduroy TV

To Find out more info on Matt or to follow his travels check out his website; Bicycle Rust & Foam Dust or his facebook.

Background Photo: by Mike Tittel