Hey there!

So, what's this project about?

Hello!

This is Jule writing :) To those of you who subscribed to our Substack, I have a little gift. I was going to share this article once Bernardo’s video was live, but since you’ve been patiently waiting (and I truly appreciate your early support), you get to read it now. And not just this first article, but the second one right away!

So, here we go.

You might have seen me pop up in Bernardo’s videos before. Well, here I am again—joining another adventure (a more detailed intro about me will come later). Every now and then, if I remember to clean my lens and don’t cover the speaker with my hand, I’ll try to vlog a little too. After all, I’m just as excited as Bernardo to share our adventure with you!

So, what’s our plan? As you might have already seen in Bernardo’s trailer, we flew to Singapore—with our bikes. That’s where this adventure kicks off. From there, we’re attempting to cycle all the way back home. The exact route? The timeframe? No clue. We’re taking it as it comes, one day at a time.

We’re calling this project Line on a map—a simple line that represents the route we’ll take. But as we go, that line will come to life, turning into real places, people, and experiences.

We were inspired by other travellers, who set off from home and cycled to the other side of the world. Initially, that was our plan too. But after giving it some thought, it felt better to flip it around. Starting in Asia—surrounded by different cultures, new aromas, flavours and the excitement of the unknown—would give us the energy boost we would need to start a trip like this. On top of that, the idea of cycling home just feels right. No matter how tough things get or how lost we’ll feel, we’ll always be heading towards home. And for our families, it’s a comforting thought too—we’re on our way back home. Well…eventually.

For those who have been following Bernardo for a while, you’ll know that back in 2022, he cycled from England to Portugal. That trip left such an impression on him that he’s been itching for another big adventure ever since.

I wasn’t there for that trip, but got to experience this way of traveling last year. Together, we took on the Baja Divide in Mexico—an off-road bike-packing route that stretches almost 2000 km. down the Baja California Peninsula. You might have seen a few short clips of that trip on Instagram, but a full documentary or video series, never came to life—simply because it was too tough.

We had clearly underestimated the Baja Divide—or rather, overestimated ourselves. Some trails were so steep and bumpy; they felt more suited for mountain goats than bikes. And when the ‘road’ was just a mess of loose rocks, we spent more time pushing than pedalling. Add to that the intense heat during the day, freezing temperatures at night and the fact that we had to carry days’ worth of food and water, and you get the full picture.

From our beautiful wild camp spots—and very strategic (desperate) detours onto the main road—Bernardo still captured some great shots. But in the end, the trip was too demanding to film. Pushing through would’ve been too much for him. After a few sleepless nights, he decided to put the camera down—a tough call, but the right one for his mental well-being. We’re just glad we made it to the end.

Despite the challenge, we loved the slow pace of traveling by bike. Compared to a campervan, where you speed past everything, cycling makes you feel more connected to your surroundings. You hear, smell and feel the environment, take in the landscapes at your own pace and easily stop to chat with the people you meet. This is how we like to travel.

With so much to share—more than we can capture on camera—I’ll be writing here on Substack. In these articles, I’ll share moments the camera missed, give more details about our experiences and reveal behind-the-scenes. Some stories will appear in both the videos and the articles, while others will be exclusive to Substack. And of course, if there’s anything you’d love to hear more about—let me know! I’d love to connect with you and happily respond to your questions or suggestions—so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Spoiler alert: we’ve already made it to Kuala Lumpur! The first leg of our journey—from Singapore to here—will be on YouTube in the coming days. But what about those first few days in Singapore? Why didn’t we film them? What were we up to? You’ll find all the answers in the second article—go check it out!

And I speak to you very soon :)

Jule Noah