Super Cycling Man Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing The Super Cycling Man
Super Cycling Man Will Hodson is our guest today on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots Podcast.
It is super to have today’s guest on the show, as he is quite simply the nearest to a real life superman that I have ever spoken to.
He is a man on a mission, and it is a mission that will take him around the world and inspire the world at the same time.
Starting in April 2015 and finishing in January 2020, he is going to try to complete a record-breaking 7 Continents Round the World Cycle ride.
As you can expect whilst wearing a superman costume?
You can only imagine how sore parts of his body are going to be on this epic adventure!
His super man cycling adventures actually started way back in 2011, when he cycled 4,000km from his home in Tooting to Turkey.
He raised over £5,000 for charity but this was literally just a “Hey honey I’m just going for a ride on the bike for awhile!” kind of trip in comparison.
Now he is working his way up to the kind of fitness.
To tackle head on this amazing trip and on the way aim to raise £100,000 towards the World Cancer Research Fund and Parkinson’s UK.
How The Dots Joined Up For Will Hodson
But like so many inspiring tales of achievement and extreme effort that we hear on Join Up Dots, more often than not it’s the smaller ripples that make for lasting change in the world.
Our guest teaches year one children at Brandlehow Primary School in Putney, and is also the Healthy Schools Coordinator for his school.
He said: “I’ve got my own super cycling club that I run after school.
And its great to see the kids get excited about cycling; one girl said that she wants to cycle to Egypt.
So I’m hoping to inspire them to go on their own adventure.”
I’m sure he is going to do just that too.
So what is it about cycling that so appeals?
As it is renown as being one of the hardest form of long distance endurance?
And how has he managed to get so much time away from school, he can’t go with the “Oh its a teacher training day” after all?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the Super cycling man himself, Mr Will Hodson.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with the Super Cycling Man such as:
How he feels passionately that we should have micro adventures and challenge ourselves on a daily basis, no matter how small the difference is they all add up.
How he believes that the world is 99% a happy friendly place where people are caring for each other, no matter where you come from or look ike.
Why it is so important to have many streams of income coming into your life if you want to live the life of your dreams.
Why we should forget the big picture as it is too scary to comprehend, and instead just start working on breaking everything down into small chunks.
And lastly……
Why he thinks that Pharrell Williams, classic tune “Happy” should be the theme tune of his life, as he loves the thought of making the world smile everyday.
How To Connect With Super Cycling Man “Will Hodson”
Return To Top Of Super Cycling Man
If you are inspired by the conversation with the Super Cycling Man, then check out the amazing Dr Janelle Barlow, Hal Elrod, Kristin Addis and Dan Lok
If you want our whole collection of shows then jump over to the podcast archives here
Audio Transcription Of Super Cycling Man Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK, David Ralph.
David Ralph [0:26]
Yes, I lo bear everybody and welcome to another edition of a Join Up Dots. This is Episode 235. And it’s one of those storeys that when I started the show, many, many moons ago, was the kind of folk that I wanted to have on their kind of normal fi Well, this guy isn’t that normal, actually, I’ve been talking to him beforehand. And he’s got a certain set of strangeness about him, which you will discover all the way through. It’s good, it’s engaging, but he will take the conversation into areas that possibly I wouldn’t dream to go. Let me do to him. He is super really to have today’s guest on the show. And I use that word for a reason as he’s quite simply the nearest to a real life Superman that I’ve ever spoken to. He is a man on a mission, and it is a mission that will take him around the world and inspire the world at the same time. Now starting in April 2015, and finishing in January 2020. He’s going to try to complete a record breaking seven continents around the world cycle ride whilst wearing a superman costume. Yes, you laugh really. You can only imagine how sore parts of his body are going to be honest, epic adventure. He’s cycling adventures actually started back in about 2011 when he cycled 4000 kilometres from his home in tooting Turkey, raising over 5000 for a charity. But this was literally just a Hey, honey, I’m just going to go for a ride on the bike for a while kind of trip in comparison. Now he’s working his way up to the kind of fitness to tackle head on this amazing trip, and on the way aim to raise 100 thousand pounds towards the world Cancer Research Fund, and Parkinson’s UK. But like so many inspiring tales of achievement and extreme effort that we hear on Join Up Dots. More often than not, it’s the smaller ripples that make a lasting change in the world. Now our guest teaches year one children at BRANDELL how Primary School in Putney. And he’s also Healthy Schools coordinator, but he’s score. And he said, I’ve got my own super cycling club that I run after school. And it’s great to see the kids get excited about cycling. One girl actually said that she wants to cycle to Egypt when she’s older. So I’m hoping to inspire them to go on their own adventure. And I’m sure he’s going to do just back to so what is it about cycling that so appeals as it is renowned as being one of the hardest form of long distance in Germans. And how is he managed to get so much time away from school? Because he can’t go with the it’s teacher training day after all? Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up. Does the super cycling man himself. Mr. Will Hudson? How are you will?
Super Cycling Man [3:00]
I’m very well. Thank you, David. Good morning to you. I should have more more of a heroic voice. Good night. Good. Good morning, David. How are you?
David Ralph [3:07]
Well, that that kind of the he was slightly camp actually. Well, I’ll be honest with you go with your normal voice.
Super Cycling Man [3:15]
Okay, normal voice the normal voice? Yes, I am to two people in one, I’ll be in normal teacher mode of Wilson, or Mr. Hodson?
David Ralph [3:24]
Do you? Are you a teacher as I was reading that sort of biography, and I was leading up to the bit about Teacher Training Day, which is a bugbear for me. I can’t understand it. And whenever I get any teachers near me, I go, Why the hell do you have Teachers Training Day when I was a kid in the 70s, you did your teacher training, and then you became a teacher and you just teach. But now, and especially when you have the six week school holiday, and then on the day that you should be going back? You have teacher training? Can you Sorry, I’m getting a bit ranting there. house
Super Cycling Man [3:56]
This isn’t what I signed up for.
David Ralph [3:57]
This isn’t what you signed up for. But I’ve got you’ve got your when I want you to. So how have you sort of managed to get so much free time away from your your teaching responsibilities I suppose?
Super Cycling Man [4:09]
Well, that is one of the greatest things about being a teacher is you do get those massive holidays. In the summer, you get six and a half weeks. And I thought what can I do with this huge chunk of time, I’m lucky to get and as you say, in 2011, I started chanting around the world bike rides. Going to from toot into Turkey one year and then a couple years later going from Turkey, Turkmenistan, and then I dare to rest at home and then straight back into the classroom. Um, so I was I just really wants to make the most of that amazing chunk of time that you get as a teacher because it’s it’s a very fortunate
David Ralph [4:49]
position to be in because not many jobs give you that, that huge chunk of time. So that that wasn’t quite enough for the greedy me and those around the world chunks in my holiday. So I’ve now decided to just go for the whole shebang and go for almost a five year around the world bike ride. So that will keep me honest and keep me out of trouble. Because he is true with those school holidays. And the only companies that give you that type of holidays called it unemployment. And basically that is it, it’s gone. And you’ve got all the free time in the world. So the fact that you are making the most of that free time is credit to you. because quite honestly, in life, we allow things to drift and we go Oh, I’ll do it next week. And I’ll do it next week. So you really go right, I’ve got this week coming up. I’ve got these two weeks coming up. I’m going to Planet planet planet. And as soon as it hits bang, you’re off. I’m off.
Super Cycling Man [5:44]
Yes. Yeah. And it’s some sometimes it’s like that. On a daily basis. Well, as soon as not as soon as the school bell goes at 315 I’m out the door. Because my boss might have something to say about that. Yeah, if I, I, I will, I finished my work tends to be about how five actually for people who think that teachers are, you know, just having a cushy day of nine till 350? I think.
David Ralph [6:09]
I think that will. I think a lot of parents think that by 320, and it’s for the teachers.
Super Cycling Man [6:18]
I don’t have any teachers lie that they are the hardest working the most stressed out sometimes most dysfunctional people because they kind of try to spin so many plates at the same time. And then I know it’s there. If anyone if I go to schools, I will loud and proud say to all the children lyst who are hopefully listening, that these teachers in this room are real superheroes, they are juggling thousands of things, every single day doing presentations managing a children’s behaviour and morale and then parents to their their teachers, their teachers, their heroes.
David Ralph [6:58]
The Did you have passion running for you generally, just the fact that you were giving that little speech thing? Which is absolutely right, you know, because we can’t do without teachers who are going to look after our kids for, you know, six hours a day to give us freedom free time. No one. So do you have passion generally for life? Do you look at things and go? Yeah, that’s a good thing. Are you a happy guy all the time? Well, I suppose is what I’m trying to say.
Super Cycling Man [7:22]
Um, I think it’d be a bit weird to be happy all the time. I think I’m, I’m definitely a glass half full kind of guy, I will seek the positive in anything. Because I think life is too short to be down the dumps and, and being negative. That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun at all. But I I’m I do like to challenge myself. Absolutely. And, and once I’ve set my my heart and doing something, I’m very driven and pretty stubborn, as my mom might say, to get it done. And I get a real sense of three a sense of achievement of doing things that that test me and you know, I I’ve recently got it into my head that they don’t have to be big things like cycling 4000 kilometres in your summer holidays in a superman costume that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
David Ralph [8:18]
But I can’t think he’s anyone’s got to be honest, I think you’re the only person on earth that could pull this off.
Super Cycling Man [8:25]
Hopefully, hopefully,
apart from two relatively big things like that, it can be something quite small that everyone can do like, I’m a big fan of people giving up a seat on on the tube, or trying some new food like, you know, last night, I really wanted to try some pumpkin pie. So Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, my local little supermarket didn’t stop pumpkin pie, but I was really up for just testing myself. And even even that’s a challenge, just trying a new food each day or just something different each day, I’m a big fan of that.
David Ralph [9:00]
That is gold, that is absolute nuggets of gold for all the listeners out there. If you’re thinking of trying to break the routine that you’re in, just do something different. Now I’ve got a lady that’s coming up probably next five or six episodes somewhere along the line. And she was in a corporate gig and she was really bored. And she just couldn’t see where a life was going to go in any positive way at all. So she decided that every day of the year, she would have a mini adventure. And the very first adventure was she simply signed up for a yoga class that she had been planning to do. And she went on a Monday night. And then she wrote about it. And then the next day she decided why I’m going to go and get a book from the library that I’ve always said I was going to read and I’m going to start reading it. So it was only these tiny little things. But overly 365 days of the year, she built up a body of work and change that had inspired her to do bigger and bigger things because she was focused on finding things to challenge Oh, that’s what you’re saying there, isn’t it? It is so vitally important.
Super Cycling Man [10:05]
Yeah, I’m nodding my my bike helmets. And throughout all that, David? Yeah, it’s some, there’s actually a little movement that seems to be gaining momentum called micro adventures. And there’s a there’s a hash, there’s even a hashtag. And to show that it’s a real movement called hashtag micro adventure set up by an amazing guy called Alistair Humphreys. And it is it’s all about, say, wherever you are in the world of, you can just get in taking yourself out of the comfort zone and going for a little camp in a forest. Or I just someone’s going to go and check out all these new Paddington Bear statues that have just been put up all around London, and this amazing girl called animal enough, is going to go and run and take a selfie at all these 50 Paddington Bear. They’re all right, London. And there’s this there’s all kinds of amazing challenge that you can set yourself and anyone’s capable of doing them. It’s just, it’s saying yes to that and doing it.
David Ralph [11:11]
I like the fact that the action takers in the world are album quite often to do their thing because other people are inspired by their action taking and will help them and support them. You know that there’s a lady who’s coming on the show, I think you actually might be tomorrow, I get confused. I record sort of pre recorded them. And she has now created a body of work where she goes around the world. And she’s got a certain amount of followers. And she says, Why? Where would you like me to go to next you can vote for Bora Bora, Borneo, New Zealand, and one where she raises the most money by donations She goes, and she basically wakes up each morning, check her emails, and people tell her to do stuff. And she goes and does it. And some it’s a bit weird. And some of it is straight down the line. And some of it is just interesting stuff that she stumbles across. But she’s actually living her life and being paid to do it by the passions of other people that haven’t quite taken that step is it’s astonishing to me that you can do these kind of things.
Super Cycling Man [12:16]
Yeah, it’s amazing. Like I’m all all you know, thanks to we were talking before the show started
David Ralph [12:22]
about telling Don’t tell him what we were talking about, well, not the P word. Now, the callback guy,
Super Cycling Man [12:27]
okay, Skype, and the internet enabling people to live their dreams. And you know, that there’s obviously Kickstarter, which allows people to crowdfund whatever their dreams are. There’s even
like a travel based crowdfunding sites,
which, you know, people can put out to the world, whatever adventure they want to do, and, and like minded people will help people to fund their dreams. So yeah, there’s, there’s, there’s all kinds of supports, and that you can get, and once you, you’ve put it out there, you’re doing something. And it’s going to be a really great challenge. And that will hope, hopefully, find a spark some kind of on a passion in someone else’s head, your your, my experience is that you will get people to help you in incredible ways. Just this morning, some, some, some woman in Austria, was contacting me saying, you know, have you got any sponsors yet for your seven continents world cycle? And I said no, not yet. And she said, I’ll ask my boss and see if they’ll you know, they’ll help you out with a camping stove or a tent? And if if 10 or 20 people can do that, then I reckon I can get off the ground in April next year. You have 1010s.
David Ralph [13:41]
That’d be good.
Super Cycling Man [13:46]
Yes, grades,
David Ralph [13:48]
just one of the maybe I was thinking in the wrong way, I should think in a different direction. But he do you do you think the world is good?
Super Cycling Man [13:56]
At its core? Absolutely. I’m smiling my face off, as you say those words, because just last weekend, on my mom’s birthday, I was having to fight my corner about this round, the world cycle is not dangerous. The world is, by and large, a very friendly, helpful place, which is full of incredibly generous, big hearted people. But unfortunately, because of the media, and probably they probably they do have to report some quite grim and sad events. Most of the time, and a lot of us get the idea that, you know, it is dangerous. And it’s a great big scary world out there. But I’m always having to really find my corner with my mom that that, you know, cycling across Iran last year, I felt safer there than I do probably where I am now in tooting. Sorry, tooting, but
Unknown Speaker [14:55]
I just like
David Ralph [14:57]
laughing but I’m not gonna say anything to that.
Super Cycling Man [15:01]
For example, I was cycling through Iran. I’ve been second orders, absolutely exhausted. And I had no money at all, because the sanctions on Iran that were being imposed the time I couldn’t get any, I physically couldn’t get any money out from the cash machines. So I didn’t have a penny to my name. halfway across the country, I couldn’t buy food, couldn’t buy accommodation, couldn’t buy drink, but I rocked up at one hotel. And despite wearing a ridiculous costume of a Superman, Superman suit, and, and this hotel had a wedding on so it’s absolutely around. And it didn’t seem to have much space. And I didn’t have any money to pay for my room. But the hotel owner still said, Come come come in, I find space and I had to work for my my supper and I had to work for my accommodation he put me to put me to work in the kitchen serving up rice to all the wedding guests. Like can’t imagine getting that kind of warm greeting from sadly a local local hotel here. And I think we can learn a lot from especially from Iranian people in terms of hospitality, but the world is full of, of generous people like that. And it’s not as scary as, as my mom, sorry, mom, or some people like to think it is.
David Ralph [16:25]
So So let’s take you back in time we which is what we do on Join Up Dots because it is fascinating, but you are a mature man. You’re doing adventures, you’ve got your life together. And you talk about your mom a lot. So she’s obviously a big presence in your life. When your mom and dad sort of creative thinkers when you were younger did a sort of challenge the status quo? Or were you a kid who just basically like to do fun things and was always in the scouts and the Cubs and running up trees and rock climbing up trees running up trees would be quite hard. And doing all those come up have to wear a spider man costume if you were doing that
Super Cycling Man [17:02]
on your superpower that Yeah,
David Ralph [17:03]
yeah, absolutely. So So what was the kind of Young World like,
Super Cycling Man [17:08]
um, I remember just spending a lot of time riding my bike around my local estates in Bewdley. I mean worse this year where I grew up. And that kind of sense of freedom of just going out my house and going for walks in local forest. And just having fun exploring around there, that that that sense of fun and adventure hasn’t gone away at all. You know, throughout throughout my whole life, I still get the same buzz from from cycling from A to B. Now, I think my mom and dad then they’re not hugely adventurous people, they, they, they, they went on their first holiday to Italy. They went, they went the first holiday abroad in 20 years, is just just a couple of weeks ago. So they’re they’re real sort of home home dwellers. So I don’t know, my dad despairs sometimes. And so in a way you got this like one the last from will? I bet he wishes it will go away. Do
David Ralph [18:15]
you think you think that he does despair? Because I look at you. And I think if you were my son, obviously, we’re similar ages, I imagine. So that’d be a bit strange. But if you were I would be I’d be inspired by your productivity.
Unknown Speaker [18:30]
And
Super Cycling Man [18:32]
yes, they they are I don’t think they want to get me all big headed and say say as much by know that they’ve really supportive, amazing best parents on the planet. Like when I was 15. They they allowed me they supported my idea to cycle across England, we found me and mean teammates, found the thinnest bit of of England and recycled from White Haven to Sunderland, age 15 miles away from home. And I just love my parents for supporting me in doing that. So imagine, and they’ll be plenty of families who would just say, No, no, it’s too dangerous. You know, you’re already 15 You can’t do that. But that’s the that’s my background of parents just saying, you know, what you want to do that will support you all the way mobile, you know, will show will be concerned, you know, if they’re dangerous, if they’re dangerous and practicalities to get around. But
they are they are 100% behind me. And yeah, I love them to bits.
David Ralph [19:35]
Well, so you should because they’ve given you a gift. And you’ve got a gift because the tagline to this show is connecting our past to build our futures. And you are basically linking up to the passions you had as a child and the things that you do naturally love doing. And that’s what we’re trying to get across on this show. But if you’re in a corporate gig, and you don’t like it, and you want to do something more, think about the things that you used to do free, but you just love doing. And if you are whizzing around on your bike on a daily basis, having little adventures, maybe that is something you can take forward. Now the hard thing, as you will probably say, as well, is taking that passion that you love for nothing, and earning a living of it. But yeah, you can do it, you can do it. And our mutual friend Sophie Radcliffe was saying that was the biggest challenge that she had was to take something that she was passionate about, and actually build income around it based on developing other people’s passion for the task as well. So how, how have you done that? How have you taken this idea of, I love doing this, I really want to do it, I want to give back to the world. But ultimately, I’ve got bills and responsibilities to pay. How.
Super Cycling Man [20:49]
And what as you mentioned, I’m a I’m a primary school teacher in, in in Putney, and that pays my bills that pays my ridiculous expensive London rent,
which I can’t wait to stop paying when I had it from my bike.
But it’s, it’s just down to
really simple things like cutting, cutting my outcomes as much as I can. So you’re trying to say no to, you know, all those sort of little treats of, you know, daily coffees out and about and buying and savour versions of products at supermarkets. And just I haven’t been on holiday for for a year or two now. So I’ve just been saving up saving up to let me live out my dreams of cycling around the world. And it’s nothing more complicated than that. It’s just purely committing myself to saving up hard and and asking for help whether it was on a from corporate sponsors, any corporate sponsor there, please, please get in touch to my wild ride shameless plug. And we’re doing a
David Ralph [22:03]
show as well.
Super Cycling Man [22:06]
Or I’m doing or getting paid to do motivational talks at different schools outside the one I work at you can you can earn a living quite, you know, quite decent living from from doing from doing talks like that, or I think Sophie regular for you mentioned, earns money from maybe advertising on her on her website that’s very popular. And that that, you know, I think you have to have lots of separate income streams if you’re going to want to make a living from from living out your dreams, because yet it’s you’re not going to be a millionaire from from writing books. So I’ve been told or cycling around the world in your pants for a few years, but you certainly will be incredibly happy. And I don’t think you’d better price on that.
David Ralph [22:53]
You can and the question that jumped out to me when he was talking about this was that you haven’t had a holiday for a year or so well is a holiday to you because this sounds like the ultimate holiday. I know it’s sort of arduous, and it’s effort and all that kind of stuff. But this plays to your core essence, this is what you want. And I imagine that if you went on holiday and your partner said Come on, let’s lay by the beach, get get a towel. That’s the thing, isn’t it early in the morning before anybody gets going, you’re battling to get the towels out. I can’t see you doing now I imagine that you because you’re more likely doing what you’re doing now exploding and stuff.
Super Cycling Man [23:27]
Lying on a beach for a couple of weeks is my idea of how I should be stiff. And I’ve had holidays like that in the past. But I’m now I now get my kicks out of new and meeting new people who inspire me seeing new places, and just experiencing new things because, you know, life is short.
And as far as we know, we only get one life. Is that right?
David Ralph [23:56]
No, I get three of them.
Super Cycling Man [23:57]
You get three okay. Yeah, well, I saw some. So it’s just last week saying you only get one life. I’m gonna go with that.
David Ralph [24:03]
Now. It’s wrong. It’s wrong. Believe me. I think I’ve already had three lives. And when I say that, yes, I suppose in the physical sense you do. But in the sort of the wasting of your life, which we all do. I think I’ve had three parts. And I think this is this is the last part I can’t afford. What I’m doing now, to not be my thing. And I think I’ve had three areas in my life that I can look back and go, that was my first life. That was my second one. That was my third life.
Super Cycling Man [24:31]
Yes. But now it sounds like you’re in an extremely happy place. And this is this is you for the rest of your life. If I’m signing up for that Alliance being you know,
David Ralph [24:44]
you see me you interview me and I’m gonna put my special costume on while you’re talking to me. This is what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna zip it. I’m gonna go with Catwoman. I think that’d be cool.
Super Cycling Man [24:52]
Okay, today we are interviewing Super Join Up Dots. Man, David, though we’re not doing this. And did you
David Ralph [24:58]
bet you could do back? You be an interviewer or, you know, where Where’s your talent? Because as a teacher, you stand up and you talk. And most of the time, it’s subjects that you know, but there’s an awful lot that is off the cuff. Isn’t it being a teacher? So do you think that sort of the public speaking stuff will grow and grow and grow? Because once you do, yeah, you’ve got a body of work to talk about, haven’t you? And you’ve got something that we can really sort of take you anywhere you want?
Super Cycling Man [25:24]
I really hope so. Yeah, I hope in it’s gonna sound weird. If I as I say this out loud now, but I really hope I can make hanging out in a in a super man costume, my career. Because Yeah, if you go back to my core values of enjoying sports, of enjoying fundraising, and enjoying educate, educating, and then it those are the three things that I’m really passionate about what I get up in the morning, you know, start really getting excited about wanting to get jobs done on and I would love to make it career out of wearing a suit. For the rest of my life. It might be a bit weird when I’m a wrinkly, 70 year old man going into schools in a lycra costume. But I’ll deal with that when I when I come to it.
David Ralph [26:13]
Yeah, I think there’s rules against that, especially now nowadays. Yeah. So let’s play some words that really sort of emphasise what we’re talking about at the moment. And this was mentioned recently by Jim Carrey. And I think it’s so powerful. And it really emphasises what you’re talking about Jim Carrey.
Jim Carrey [26:30]
My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [26:56]
While you’re doing that, aren’t you you’re taking a chance on doing what you love, and you haven’t got all the answers. It’s imperfect action, but you’re still willing to do that is is that the message? Being a teacher in schools is sort of the core message that we should really get out to the kids.
Super Cycling Man [27:14]
Absolutely, yeah, I’m, I, I try and say on a daily basis that go on, you know, make some mistakes. And I really actively encouraged mistake making not in a kind of crazy, just, you know, scribble over a bit of paper, and I’m done with my work, but just kind of give it your best shot. And if you do make some mistakes along the way, then it’s great, as long as you learn from them, and try not to make them again. Because if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not really challenging yourself and just playing it safe and just going through the motions really. But if you if you if you dare to, I know try something uncomfortable, you will find yourself capable of doing incredible things. And he that I might say stumble at the first hurdle with this world. So let’s not talk about that. Let’s not talk about potential problems that might happen because I don’t want to think negative thoughts. And ba I might not succeed with this. seven continents world cycle. Antarctica is massively out of my comfort zone. I’m used to cycling around Richmond Park you know in shorts and T shirts.
David Ralph [28:26]
Do you know it didn’t dawn on me when you said yeah, of course you’re you’re going to be riding across there as well. How are you going to do across the snow?
Super Cycling Man [28:35]
Good question, David. It is possible anything hashtag anything is possible. And that’s another alternative that hashtag micro venture. And it is possible now that there was even a south pole bike race, which will whopping three people entered last Christmas What a way to spend your Christmas and an amazing girl who women sorry, who was fortunate to me at the tour to Yorkshire in summer called Mariah lasers drum she wanted and on a thing called a nice bike on it’s like a recumbent bike and it’s it’s you can cycle anywhere now sand ice snow, custard you name it you could you can cycle anywhere and I that’s another key message I try and get across to anyone especially kids is that you know if you want to you can cycle it you can cycle anywhere. And I don’t know if you mentioned it so far but one girl in my super cycling club told me she wants to cycle to Egypt was a great do it you know, you can you can get there if you want maybe not aged seven. But um, you know, make when you’re older. Make it happen. It sounds great. So So what
David Ralph [29:54]
has changed for you then because I I was reading your blog, and I’ve read a lot about what you’ve doing. Because I’m just fascinated about this. I’d like to do it in a car really To be honest, we will we may be radio to on, and the air conditioning, working and all that kind of stuff. I like a certain amount of comfort to my adventure. But you were saying in one of your pages that when you first set off on these these adventures, you weren’t really set out for it, you’d have bad accent without sweaty and rubbing you and all that kind of stuff. Is that? Do you look back on it? And you think What? How naive was I at that time compared to where you are now?
Super Cycling Man [30:30]
Absolutely, yeah. But I was very poorly set up for the first 4000 kilometre bike ride from tooting to Turkey. Like I didn’t have those bike bags, panniers, I was just on the conventional road bike, which wasn’t made for long distance stuff at all. But looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing because the most important thing was that I just started in I actually took action and and started doing what I wanted to do of cycling around the world. And I could still be talking about just talking about cycling around the world now. But sites to starting that very poorly organised, first step has put me in a position and give me the confidence to take on this dream of around the world bike ride. And just the fact that you said I’d love to drive around the world listening to radio to you know, I’m going to give you a virtual kick at the bottom over the internet and say, You know when when you’re going to make that happen, David, because you want the if you if you really want to do something. I’m a real passionate advocate for saying, you know, change that I want to do. I’d love to do that. I will do it by x date. So
David Ralph [31:54]
I think you’ve if you have basically been spanked, sir, yes. Do not do that anymore. Do not bend kids over and spank them. Your silence says everything, sir.
Unknown Speaker [32:12]
Oh, gosh, I’m crying here.
Super Cycling Man [32:17]
You said you didn’t want Yes, no one says but No,
David Ralph [32:19]
you don’t. You don’t because I remember when I was a kid, Mr. Daley. I’m sure he’s not around anymore, but I remember him. I was I’m gonna confess to something I’ve never confessed. But nobody listens to the show. Anyway,
Super Cycling Man [32:31]
we’re gonna go places that
David Ralph [32:32]
Yeah, well, when I was about seven or eight, I realised that I could make mud into like a little kind of little, little ball and lobby at the window really hard from a distance and it would stick and then sort of like about 20 minutes later I do another one and I was building up this kind of collage on the window. And I got away with it. The days nobody realised and I thought it was like a swallow making its nest or something. And and being with this guy and Callen cockroach remember her name God if she’s listening your you grassed me up lady Your Grace. You’re probably a woman now with about five kids. And I hope they’re badly behaved as well because she she told me and the teacher bending over on the table took he slipped off and whacked me and I can’t believe that happens in my car. You know, in my lifetime that’s kind of like Harry Potter.
Super Cycling Man [33:26]
We had the slipper at my primary school as well as can’t believe that, you know, happens it’s you don’t go to school. You didn’t leave your home in the morning. Hand your kids over to someone else you could be no stop beating them up. Yes, it’s ridiculous. I’m
David Ralph [33:43]
and the worst thing was Will my mom was linked to the school. So by the time I got home, she knew about it already. And she eat me as well.
Super Cycling Man [33:55]
Thank God, thank God, that doesn’t happen anymore.
David Ralph [33:58]
Well, I thought no, I didn’t know it shouldn’t happen. No, absolutely. It shouldn’t happen. But it’s a time and idolised.
Super Cycling Man [34:05]
Yeah, yeah. If we disagree about something we wouldn’t know. beat each other. We would talk about it and discuss why and you reason with reason with each other. I didn’t see why should treat, you know, children any difference there. They’re there. They inspire and amaze me every day. They’re just little, little, little adults.
David Ralph [34:27]
What will What about that? Well, well, the ones that you don’t like
Super Cycling Man [34:33]
all Brando how children are brilliant. Yeah. I’m
David Ralph [34:37]
deliberately trying to push you into areas that make you uncomfortable. So talking about uncomfortable. And if that was a perfect segue, how do you sort of protect your bits and bobs on this journey? Because it’s it’s hard, isn’t it cycling I go out with the kids. And I get back and even if I’ve gone for an hour and I’m not very fit, I have trouble walking upstairs. And you’re doing it for days on end. How do you stop this always chatting and all the rubbing and parts and stuff?
Super Cycling Man [35:04]
Wow, we are going to places where all the listeners
don’t really want to go maybe
why? I I think I should come around to your house David and I should have a look at your bike and your your setup because we use it slippers.
David Ralph [35:27]
Easy, this is what you’re leading towards
Super Cycling Man [35:29]
cycling. Cycling should not be painful. It should be something enjoyable,
David Ralph [35:37]
and always painful by well, until you work out muscles and bits and bobs and tighten up bits of skin surely does. It hurts, doesn’t it? No, no. So if somebody hasn’t been on a bike for 20 years, and they jump on a bike, and I start pedalling, then surely they’re gonna hurt.
Super Cycling Man [35:56]
I think you need to look at some better quality padded shorts, David, I can recommend you some if you want to get a decent get a nice padded saddle, shop some foods into your little shirt pockets. And you should be cycling with a big smile on your face. If it hurts. Don’t do it.
David Ralph [36:18]
That’s that’s the title of the show. I think you’ve written the title of the show, sir. And that that that that covers all areas if it hurts, yeah.
Super Cycling Man [36:28]
I’m a bit of going into way too much detail at this time in the morning, then is probably required, but I’m a bit a bit you can get some creams as well. Which you really have to swallow your pride when you’re smearing that on your shorts on your shorts before you put those on. And that can help. But essentially, you know, it’s not, he said that Cycling is one of the toughest ways of travelling the world or you know, like, toughest long endurance sport. I I my experience is that it’s not it’s, you know, you’re sitting down on a nice soft gel filled saddle. You’ve got an absolute tonne of food in your in your pockets. You all think you want the bikes caring for you. And your whizzing past all this amazing scenery and meeting amazing people. And, you know, I can’t recommend it enough
David Ralph [37:25]
because I saw a programme late one night and I would love to remember who this guy was. But he was starting off in Alaska going up Mount escapes me at the moment the the highest point in Yes.
Super Cycling Man [37:40]
Mr. Mark Beaumont, isn’t
David Ralph [37:41]
it? Yeah. And then he cycle all the way down to South America and then went up the highest peak there. And it was a fascinating programme. And I remembered him him saying, I’ve got maybe 15 hours of uphill and pedalling and pedalling and pedalling, I thought, I don’t even come from how you can build up to that.
Super Cycling Man [38:04]
Okay, that that, that is a lot days, it’s going to take a lot of efforts, some physical, some mental, really, and the best advice I could, you know, try and offer is that if you got a 15 hour climb ahead of you, just you know, as with any challenge in life, just break it up into manageable chunks, like, you know, half an hour an hour at a time and, you know, reward yourself with, you know, some gummy bears, whatever floats your boat, after you’ve done it each little challenge. And you know, once you’ve broken into those little steps, after you’ve ticked off, you know, after you tick them off, you know you’re there. Because if you look at the whole thing, 15 hours, you’re never going to do it. But if you if you just chunk it up, you know, you know, super, super Chungking as I might call it, then you can achieve incredible things that at first look impossible. And I think Christopher Reeve actually has the quote of, you know, turn change, first things might seem it possible. And then they change into improbable and then they just become inevitable. And I, you know, I should have that post up on my wall. And
David Ralph [39:12]
what what what does inspire you them? Because what you’re saying is absolutely right. I think that the vision you’ve got and teachers
Unknown Speaker [39:20]
always right, David? Wow.
David Ralph [39:22]
Yeah, I’ll tell you a storey of what my son said the other day, and you will change your mind you’ll change your mind on it. But um, when you when you look at what you’re doing, I am absolutely to my core inspired. But I know that mentally and I couldn’t want it enough to be able to push through the physical challenges. And that is one of the sort of barriers that people have, they have a dream, but he would really like to do it. But they look at the big picture. And they look as I was going at a 15 hours of cycling up here thinking oh my god, that sounds not nightmare. But obviously you have cherry and you broke up into this little little segment. That’s kind of great way for anyone. I suppose it takes us back to the lady doing her many adventures 365 days a year. It’s just doing one thing and then building on it and building on it. And then looking over your shoulder and thinking, God I made a bit of progress here. And then carry on doing it carry on doing it Carrey and doing it once again, have a look. But for most of us, we we stop before we start because we look at the big picture. And it’s too frightening, don’t we?
Super Cycling Man [40:23]
Yeah, absolutely. And children don’t don’t have that that seven year old girl who I keep coming back to says I want to say go to Egypt, you know, she doesn’t have all those as an adult hang up. So looking into all the reasons why she shouldn’t do that, or the, you know, the potential dangers of, you know, auto terrorist organisations, you know, along the way, she’ll just go I you know, I’m going to cycle to Egypt. And I think adults could do with a little bit of, you know, childhood, you know, looking through the eyes of have children not literally, that’s a bit weird. Now, now and again, because we do get caught up in our, you know, growing up lives of worrying about mortgages, and, you know, online shopping deliveries and what have you. And, and that sadly stops a lot of people from living out their dreams. So yeah, I learned a lot from children on a daily basis. And I’m very privileged to, to have a job that lets me do that. And be I am a big, big advocate of you know, being a bit like the Dalai Lama of you know, be a bit more childlike, not in a kind of, you know, throwing mud balls or Windows kind of way, that’d be a bit old if you’re 40 year old man and still doing that. And you wouldn’t be here.
David Ralph [41:43]
If I if I could, if I could find the cockroaches house. I’m gonna aim for that one.
Super Cycling Man [41:47]
First of all, Okay, I’m gonna take that back, I think Yeah, even throwing bubble is it being a bit more childlike? And essentially, that’s what I’m doing a dressing up and dressing up in pub. Blick, I regularly see kids, you know, round round today and going to the shops in there, you know, Spider Man fairy princess costumes. And I just think, why why should the fun suddenly stop? You know, after you’ve left school and gone through university and why does it suddenly have to become all you know, serious and meetings and AGM? And, and stuff you can’t laugh about? I find that utterly depressing. And I mentioned this in the talk that I gave at a fundraising heroes nights that I organised just last week. And there’s a there’s a there’s a bit of research that says that children, okay, ultimate teacher role play and not not not with a slipper? How many David? How many times do you think a child laughs on average? Each day?
David Ralph [42:48]
Oh, I think I’ve heard this. I think it’s something like they laugh something like 62 times or something. And you adults laugh free or something stupid like that.
Super Cycling Man [42:57]
It’s that kind of stupid ratio. Yeah. Yeah. I think all the research different differs. But I as I thought 300 times a day for children, and yeah, about 20 or 30. So is there’s a huge imbalance there. And that’s wrong. I you know, it’s, you know, I’m all for adults, you know, getting their own back on on the kids and catching up with, with children. And in terms of just having fun, because I’m very childlike. Actually, I, in my corporate land, I was always classed as
David Ralph [43:33]
a maverick. And I talked about this a lot. And it was it was, it was a bad thing. But I look at it now as a badge of honour. And I used to like creeping up behind people and tweaking their ears. And I used to, like just doing sort of weird stuff just because it amused me. And now I said to my kids the other day, you know, if you could describe Dad, what would you say? And I go File and stupid. And I thought, well, that’s pretty good. Yeah, I’m quite happy with it. But if you can go along, trying to put a Monem people’s face, and enjoy yourself at the same time, you know, it must be the world’s best job to be a stand up comedian to stand up there and had the whole place rocking and rolling and knowing that you’re making them happy for two hours.
Super Cycling Man [44:12]
Yeah, imagine Yeah. And essentially, if there was a soundtrack to my world cycle, it would be the forever Williams Happy to, because that’s essentially I’m going to have I’ve signed up for five years of doing what I love, and I’ll be meeting the most incredibly generous people I’ll be seeing amazing things and it’s, I it’s just going to be a it’s going to be tough in parts, but it is going to be like five years of real happiness and I can’t wait for it to start
David Ralph [44:46]
and the brilliant thing that you’ve done is and it’s inspired this is you’ve chosen a costume which is recognisable across the world, everyone knows Superman and the fact that you are wearing it as I imagine your cycle from India, it’s going to make the street smile you bring sunshine and people can look at you point and laugh which you wouldn’t get if you were just wearing as a cycling outfit would you
Super Cycling Man [45:11]
yeah if if there were there was a time when I did sort of think this through and decide it was a good idea it wasn’t just a aware that spontaneous thing I did think it through and what costume Should I go for and yeah the beauty of the deceiver man things it is as you say recognisable and it will just you know, shake people out of their comfort zone a bit and given us that gift you know, let those adults especially have one of those smiles to catch up on the 300 smiles of a child and I love I love the response I get you know often from white van men around town if I go on training rides around here are you you
David Ralph [45:50]
really want a time even on training?
Super Cycling Man [45:52]
Yeah, yeah, if you catch me in Richmond Park
Yeah, weekends and sometimes they’re not nighttime rides are a bit chilly at the moment I might have a sort of a more thermal version of the surface for nighttime rides but yeah, most most time of the mountain there are in the super suit. So keep your eyes peeled for for that in southwest London and and what did it do
David Ralph [46:15]
make of you because in Richmond park for people that don’t know Richard Richmond Park is a big park in London and it has fallow deer is it meant so run around?
Super Cycling Man [46:26]
I don’t know, to be honest, I just take photos with me. As close as I can get to them.
I’ve actually I’ve hit a deer once. Yeah, it didn’t. It didn’t go me totally. But sometimes they you know, they can just jump out of you out of nowhere. And, and
it can get a bit close for comfort. Sometimes. There’s a beautiful place to train and
David Ralph [46:48]
when it is and is one of those amazing places. I used to go there as a small child. And I remember it was it’s like central London, but it’s the country isn’t it? It’s really weird. But you’re right in the middle of everything. You have got an idea and running around. And some of them big ones. We’ve we’ve homes and there’s and god knows what.
Super Cycling Man [47:06]
Yeah, yeah, I would go mad if it wasn’t for Richmond Park. I think this is a nice little, no refuge of greenness and in the countryside. And that’s that’s what I grew up with as a kid just having forests, you know, within minutes of my house. And yeah, it’s nice to have that on your doorstep.
David Ralph [47:24]
So your journey that you’re going to do and I’ve got no doubt that it’s going to be a success, because you’ve just got your making me smile all the way through this episode. And so you’re going to make the world smile, which is fantastic. Job done, job done, indeed. Where you’re going to start give the give the listeners out there a flavour of your roots so that they can plot your journey because I’m sure you’re going to get a lot of people interested in your progress. So where do you start? And where do you finish?
Super Cycling Man [47:52]
Okay, so I chose the date of April the first 2015 to head off. For obvious reasons. Well, the first but also because it ties up with school holidays. So I’m hoping this
David Ralph [48:06]
is the big, it’s the school holidays, again,
Super Cycling Man [48:08]
those pesky teachers. And we’re going to head out with as many people as I can find from my school in Putney. We’re going to go from BRANDELL house school to bonds bridge all the BS, I love a bit of alliteration starting April 1 2015, and then I’m going to go across England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, back down to London, and a big kind of loot, I’m doing a little what I call it a promo tour. If that’s not too grandiose, a phrase for what it is, it’s just me cycling in a bit of a loop to get try and get as many schools to start following the adventures before I probably head off East across Europe and Asia, and the other continents. So there’ll be a little promo tour from April and next year, and then may 31. There’s going to be a record attempt for the most people in superhero Costumes by Tower Bridge on bikes. So that’ll be the proper departure date from London. And then from then on, once we’ve got that record of people on bikes and cpvc
David Ralph [49:20]
is the record at the moment you’ve got to be
Super Cycling Man [49:25]
you know what? I don’t think anyone’s done it before I’ve seen you
David Ralph [49:29]
turn up on your own and you’d win.
Super Cycling Man [49:31]
No, I’ve looked into it. And apparently, if they’re if there’s no record already established, then those people at the Guinness Book of Records that give you some kind of menial want to target so there’s gonna be some kind of challenge how they decide this. I don’t know. But they’ll they’ll look at other attempts, like most Santa Claus running or, you know, yeah, there’s no kind of weirdos are out there. And, you know, I think they’ll probably hopefully give us 50 or 100 that you know, we could do that easy. Oh, Misty, that I see recycling club at school. We’re getting the kids dressed up on their bikes. Absolutely. So after that, after, after you’ve broken that record, hopefully, I then just head east, essentially, all the way across Europe until I get to the lovely stumble and experience some incredible Turkish hospitality. And I’ve had a taste of before. And then across Asia, all the way to Tokyo.
David Ralph [50:29]
And are you camping on the way always the hotels and hospitals and places
Super Cycling Man [50:35]
and mix so I am taking attendance, a tiny tent and a sleeping bag for some wild camping or just some regular camping if, if I have to. There’s an amazing site, which is going to make me sound even weirder than you might think I already am called warm, warm showers.org. It’s it hasn’t got any teachers on with slippers. It’s just it’s just all about lovely people, we’re helping cycled tourists to stay for free with with them in different countries around the world. So you got all these amazing hosts just saying, you know, you’re coming near my house, you know, I’ll put you up for the nights and let you stink out my my sitting room my couch for free?
David Ralph [51:18]
And are you happy with that? Because that’s one of the things that would frighten people, but they’re going into, quote unquote, strangers houses, you know, how how do you know, I’m being devil’s advocate here, because I’m sure that the listeners would ask these questions. But how do you know that they’re not sort of? Well, serial killers, for example?
Super Cycling Man [51:38]
Well, and they do have, it’s kind of like the eBay of
the sort of hosting an accommodation world you get kind of you get to see their track record. And there’s a star ratings of numbers of people who they put up before and if people have commented about their experiences there. So if someone says I spent
David Ralph [51:58]
five years in a box under the bed, it was amazing. me three times a day, and I was comfortable. If I could get my elbow in a position.
Super Cycling Man [52:10]
Yeah, don’t go there. Or do and then write a book about it. afterwards. Yeah, there’s, there’s, there’s that kind of security in place of recommendations and reviews. But also, come on, you know, let’s have a bit of faith in humankind. 99.99% of people are good, friendly, honest, helpful people.
So let’s, you know, let’s have a bit of faith in in mankind. And absolutely.
David Ralph [52:40]
So far, you’re right on you, you are is near that that the same city I’m talking about is miniscule.
Super Cycling Man [52:48]
Yeah, yeah. And there’s not a not a not a single person I’ve met in 1000 kilometres from tooting to Turkmenistan has been horrible, or has tried to monogamy is they know, 99.9% of people have just wanted to engage and help and be friendly and hospitable. And the world is full of people like that. And, you know, I, I want to, especially to my mom, and my dad convinced them that, yeah, the world is not a dangerous place is it’s full of
people like you and me, who are just, you know, good, honest, hard working helpful people.
David Ralph [53:32]
On any places out there, but you do have to be more where we have or is it as you say, you can pretty much go with competence.
Super Cycling Man [53:41]
And despite wearing a stupid costume, I’m not a total idiot, like, I’m not going to go to war zones. I’m not going to go anywhere where I have to have a, you know, a bunch of armed guards to escort me through that area. Because that’s not what I’m signing up for. I’m not going to danger addict, I’m, you know, I want to survive this adventure and tell children about it. And anyone else who listened to me, you know, about what an amazing time it hopefully was. And so I’ve planned my route carefully, going, finding a safe route, from Cape Town to Cairo. Pretty, pretty tricky. But, you know, having said that, some some guys, a couple of bikers recently cycle through that, you know, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is all in all sorts of trouble. And, you know, if you keep your head down, you know, even in, you know, you know, quotes in the Arabs are dangerous, there is no, you, you should be right, as long as you apply a bit of common sense. And, you know, don’t start taking videos of people with large weapons or
anything stupid, like,
David Ralph [54:58]
I was talking to a chap called Graham Hughes, and he was the first man to go around every single country on earth. And I said to him, you know, there was a time when you’d finished it, because the world is changing over time. And you sort of went home, you sat down, and you made yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit. And then somebody said, Oh, another country’s just popped up, you’ve got to get back out there. And he said, that was the adventure for him. That was the adventure, but his adventure was never going to stop somehow. Did you feel the same way? Do you feel that although this is an epic journey, once you’ve done it, and you’ve built your profile, which you obviously are, then is going to lead on to other things and other things? Did you ever see the time that but being a teacher will fall by the wayside, and this will be your life?
Unknown Speaker [55:44]
Yeah, I
Super Cycling Man [55:46]
like I said, I hopefully this will become my new weird career of going into different schools to do motivational talks about you know, getting kids to get on the bikes and discover what they’re good at and take those talents as far as they can. And, yeah, I think this is a big thing on my bucket list of wanting to cycle across every continent. But I think once that’s hopefully been done, I think I will then you know, grow up a little bit and you know, at some stage I want to, you know, have a family and then get a mortgage and all those other sensible things too. So yeah, I this is this is a big thing, my bucket list, but it certainly won’t be the end of my cycling adventures. And I wouldn’t want to put a girlfriend or a wife through you know, Honey, I’m off for five years. That’s why I’m doing this now. Well, I’ve got no commitments or anything but you know, I think I could you know, hopefully by a free pass for you know, a weekend away and maybe I’ll even find super cycling women who will come away with me on future cycling. adventures. That’s another show this plug isn’t it that would be good when
David Ralph [57:02]
you have super exciting babies. Wearing little costumes and stuff it’d be great you could you could brand out
Super Cycling Man [57:12]
of order I’ve already got my nice way to your two year old niece in a super Superman costumes anything Superman related is getting
David Ralph [57:22]
about eight wives you could you could get how super cycling village going. You would be the king super cycling King. We’ve all in 15 wives, your hundred and 32 kids all running around in Superman outfits, that would be amazing.
Super Cycling Man [57:39]
So I should get in touch with Graeme Hughes after this interview rights. I’ve set up a new country super cycling man land. Kevin visit me Graham Hughes.
David Ralph [57:50]
Yeah, I did exactly the same with him. And I every time I speak to somebody, I was like, I like the idea of you landing somewhere weird, and becoming the king of your new domain. It just excites me that I put that seed in your head and you’ll be sort of cycling through a Mickey stand or somewhere. And you will go, this looks a good place for my empire to start. And you just grab the nearest lady and you convince her that your Superman outfit isn’t a ruse to have affections. But you are actually here to to branch out and create this new population and she is part of it. Who would who wouldn’t go for that.
Super Cycling Man [58:32]
Thank you for helping me catch up on the 300 laughs
David Ralph [58:37]
There we go. That is part of your bucket list now. Well, what I want to do just before we sort of send you back in time, I do want to play the theme of the show. And it’s it’s the speech at Steve Jobs made back in 2005. And it’s brilliantly powerful, and it seems to have intrinsic motivation to so many people. So I’m going to play the words, we’re going to have a little chat about it. And then we are gonna say goodbye to you by sending you back in time. But this is Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs [59:04]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [59:39]
So you are really going off the well worn path. But as it’s always been a path that you’ve basically been on I generally ask the question is a big.in your life that has made you who you are now, but from what you’ve been saying to me is pretty much you are just who you are.
Super Cycling Man [59:57]
Yeah, I’m, there’s been a few dots. Yeah, for sure. Like
just that, that that time when my parents had faith in me that I wasn’t going to get, you know, killed or, you know, put under a car when I cycled across England when I was just 15 years old with a couple of friends. That was a key moment that that gave me the excitement and the thrill of an adventure of going for me to be under my own steam that stayed with me for the rest of my life.
I think another key moment was
I’d say yet another another cycle trip of going from to tooting to Turkey and just experiencing how the world was not a big scary place. And that just that there was a book that was mentioned a lot. During the four weeks I was on the road called a time of gifts by Patrick Lee firmer. And for me, my cycle rides so far have been entirely that of just experiencing the warmth and the generosity of people all around the world. And that’s one of the great things about doing an adventure is you just get to see the best of people and I love I love what people have in common of you know, everyone seems to find pan wearing pants in public funding like a man in Iran, where you know, there’s a strict Muslim dress code. So lycra and pants are not not I you know not you wouldn’t think that would be a great combination in Iran but I stopped in it stopped into her in a chemist and I tried to get some some cream to deal with a ridiculous 40 degree temperatures they were there and it’s all man just you know what I was getting my son cream just shouted. Ah, you have two pounds on I just thought brilliant if this old Iranian man finds this funny then there is a there’s hope there’s hope for mankind that you know there’s there’s more things that bind us that we have in common you know that that separates us so despite all the you know, the bad news we get in the media there are you know, there are there are so many reasons to still be cheerful and still you know, you know love our if it’s not too cheesy love our fellow man in different countries because there’s there’s a lot more that we have in common than that separates us.
David Ralph [1:02:32]
I think I’ve been so inspired you You are
Super Cycling Man [1:02:35]
a man for presidents.
David Ralph [1:02:36]
Yeah, absolutely. You’d make people laugh when you
Super Cycling Man [1:02:40]
that’s the idea. That’s part of the the idea to laugh. Get inspired, get off their bums get on their bikes and, and challenge themselves and discover your own superhero talents. You know, whether it’s giving up your seat on a tube donating a bit of money to charity, trying new food, you know, just getting out of the comfort zone. I’m all about that.
David Ralph [1:03:05]
Find the hero within?
Super Cycling Man [1:03:08]
Yes, yeah, there’s
David Ralph [1:03:09]
a Mariah Carey song in there, somewhere in there. I’m not gonna sing it. I’m not gonna sing it. I’m just gonna leave it leave it unspoken. This is the end of the show. And this I really don’t want this show to finish. I’d like it to go off into really bizarre areas. I quite like the idea of branching out on you creating a village that that is really the nugget of gold on this show. But this is the part where I’m going to send you back in time like a young Marty McFly to have a one on one with yourself. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young will what age would you choose? And what advice would you give where we’re going to find out because I’m going to play the theme tune when it fades. You’re up. This is the Sermon on the mic.
Unknown Speaker [1:03:56]
With the best
Super Cycling Man [1:04:12]
Hello, well, this is the older will calling you. I’m just a piece of advice. Don’t worry about your ridiculous oversized thighs and your quite large nostrils as well. For they will one day help you to achieve your goal of cycling around the world.
Unknown Speaker [1:04:37]
And
Super Cycling Man [1:04:39]
people apart from will if anyone else is listening to this message from the future. We can all be heroes. Discover your own inner superhero you are more powerful than you think. Whether it is just holding a door open from a friend or buying someone a coffee. We can all be heroes. Hashtag we can all be heroes. That’s the end of the message to you, baby. Well. I was cracking
David Ralph [1:05:05]
up all the way through about how professional was I? I I never noticed your oversized nostrils. But I’m looking at the picture there. And I was thinking are they nostrils or somebody stereotyped an Oreo to his to be spice I couldn’t say just like a big black hole. So yeah, you
Super Cycling Man [1:05:22]
guys did genetic? My mom has right? No, that’s not.
David Ralph [1:05:28]
You can’t You can’t go to your mom again. The next time you do a cycle you’ll ride around in a Napa you would have gone back in time. Wow, that would be a good one.
Super Cycling Man [1:05:41]
Yeah, anyway, we haven’t before this finishes, we haven’t committed you to a date. So listening to radio to in your car around the world. Have we? Okay, so I did we do this afterwards? No, we’re doing it right now.
David Ralph [1:05:55]
- Yes. And I’m gonna use fat because you’re going to be somewhere in Estonia, and you won’t have any connexion with Wi Fi or anything. And you won’t know if I’ve even started.
Super Cycling Man [1:06:11]
But once it’s out there, David, we will I will be I will be pestering you to make it happen as the best way to make any adventure happen, say it to someone else. And then they will pester the hell out of you to make sure you do it. And I’m going to be that person.
David Ralph [1:06:26]
When it doesn’t work on my wife. I asked for lots of things and it never happens will. So I don’t know where you’ve suddenly got these superpowers, one because it doesn’t happen in my life.
Unknown Speaker [1:06:35]
I’ll be back to the slipper. Again,
David Ralph [1:06:36]
I don’t know where we are, I don’t know where we are of event. So how can our audience connect with you?
Super Cycling Man [1:06:43]
Please, please connect with super cycling man on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube. I go on to have the most fun five years cycling around the world in my pants superhero costume, posting ridiculous videos and photographs and telling you great storeys about the amazingly generous and inspiring people that I meet along the way. So it should be a rip roaring adventure for for us all. So get involved on those different social media thing a major keys. And there’s even a super cycling men.com websites where you can track every pedal stroke of the way with a very funky, interactive map. And there’s even two separate sites as a children’s one with appropriate child content. And an adult one with the appropriate content for adults, maybe maybe even some slippers training as
David Ralph [1:07:42]
well, I know is going to be a super success. And we’re going to have all the links on the show notes and I’m going to promote it as much as I humanly can. And it’s just inspiring to me and you’re such a lovely guy. And you’re just doing something that is it’s not extraordinary at the same time. So I just wish you all the best of luck
Super Cycling Man [1:08:04]
with that, sir. Thank you very much, David. Like I’m not I’m, I am very I’m achingly normal, and anyone
David Ralph [1:08:12]
anyone can believe me? Will you know this? You know, just just the fact that your nostrils about size, that’s not normal.
Super Cycling Man [1:08:22]
You’re taking away from my serious message that someone can do stuff like this is a serious message.
David Ralph [1:08:27]
Yeah, everyone can get off their backsides and do something. And if you’ve taken anything from this episode, or any of the episodes out there of Join Up Dots is the fact that none of these guys had the answers. None of these ladies knew it was going to work but they just tried to do something and most of the time, it didn’t quite work as they wanted, but he ended up somewhere and that somewhere is normally damn sight better than what you allowing yourself to have on a daily basis. Amen to that brother David. will thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots Please come back again when you have more dots to join up because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Super cycling man will Hudson Thank you so much.
Super Cycling Man [1:09:12]
Thank you, David.
Outro [1:09:15]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to Join Up Dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots.
