Imagine the hardest ride you’ve ever done. Now imagine something even harder – that you have to complete on your grandparent’s single speed from the 1960’s. Sound good? Depending on your sense of adventure and motivation, that either sounds like a recipe for disaster, or the trip of a life time. For adventurer Jose Viano, it is only part of the trip of a lifetime since he’s already ridden more than 7000 miles on that bike to get here.
All of this started as a tribute to his grandfather as Jose decided to ride his Italian single speed bicycle from the 1960’s from Uruguay to the north of Brazil. Yes, it’s a fully loaded bike that already weighs a ton without gear, plus skinny tires, and no bail out gears. It’s quite the ride.
And while Jose’s trip has already racked up monumental mileage, his hardest riding is yet to come. With the idea of riding the Transamazonica, Jose says he will have to contend with dirt roads which most likely will be mud roads this time of the year during the rainy season. Jose plans to ride from Belém to Santarém, Brazil – a distance of roughly 854 miles. By car, the journey is said to take nearly 22 hours. By bike… who knows?
Jose hopes to find out though, though he’s he’s hoping to scrape together some cash. According to the adventurer, 7000 miles on a vintage bike have depleted his funds, and Transamazonica trip will require money to pay bribes to “pirates” to allow him to pass, money for ferries, food, and more. As such, he’s gone the decidedly modern route of creating a GoFundMe account in order to fund his adventure.
Meanwhile, he’s already started the ride and is currently in Pacajá, Brazil. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram as j22vision.
