Bicycle touring through South America is an extraordinary adventure combining discovery, endurance, and cultural connection. Over 365 days, Thiago Fantinatti cycled across the continent, passing through diverse landscapes, high-altitude Andean passes, and remote deserts. This is the story that gave birth to the book Trilhando Sonhos (Long Ride South).
Cycling allows you to experience the world at human speed. Without the barriers of a car window or the rush of commercial flights, touring on a bicycle lets you feel every gradual climate transition, connect deeply with local people, and absorb the vast scale of South America.
South of Brazil
🇧🇷 Brazil (Curitiba / SC / RS)The emotional start leaving Curitiba down the coastal mountain ranges through Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul to the border. The first 1,000 km adapting to 40kg of expedition gear.
1. How the Journey Began: From Youth Dream to Project Southern Cone
The idea of a major bicycle expedition across South America did not start on a sudden whim or as a corporate challenge. It began ten years earlier: at 18 years old, Thiago Fantinatti was already sketching maps by hand and planning a continental crossing titled "Projeto Cone Sul" (Project Southern Cone). Due to lack of funds, the project lay dormant for nearly a decade.
In mid-2007, the calling resurfaced with unstoppable momentum. Thiago shared the dream with his friend Martinho Herkrath, an entrepreneur and baker in Ourinhos, São Paulo. Martinho immediately joined in — he had shared a similar dream since youth. From that moment on, they committed fully, beginning rigorous training along regional dirt roads and highways.
The vision went beyond a personal athletic feat: it was designed as a cultural, environmental, and multimedia project. The mission focused on engaging with local communities, using clean solar energy to power portable electronic equipment, sending audio dispatches to radio stations, updating an online daily log, and producing material for a future book and photography exhibitions.
The original 2007 project blueprint: community cultural exchange, HD multimedia capture, web & radio transmissions, solar battery recharging, and an open daily expedition log. 🔍 Click to enlarge
2. The Training: Over 7,000 km in 12 Months & The Shakedown Tour
Between August 2007 and August 2008, the preparation involved twelve months of disciplined riding and over 7,000 km logged. Based in Ourinhos/SP, weekend training rides averaged 100 km through dozens of municipalities across São Paulo and northern Paraná state.
To test loaded pannier handling, physical endurance, and autonomous camping gear, a crucial shakedown expedition was conducted in February 2008: a 7-day, 506 km tour from Curitiba to Florianópolis, crossing mountain passes, driving rain, and busy coastal highway traffic with fully loaded bikes.
The 506 km 7-day preparation tour route (Curitiba ➔ Floripa) in February 2008. 🔍 Click to enlarge
Local newspaper feature covering the training rides and the continental expedition project. 🔍 Click to enlarge
3. Real Expedition Gear: "Forget Complicated Things"
The guiding philosophy from day one was clear and unwavering: "Choosing simple and durable equipment is paramount. Forget complicated things." When cycle touring self-supported in remote corners of South America, proprietary or over-engineered gear becomes a liability if broken hundreds of kilometers from a major city.
The touring bikes on departure day, equipped with heavy-duty rear racks and waterproof panniers ready for continental terrain. 🔍 Click to enlarge
Before rolling out, every gram was weighed and re-evaluated. Equipment that seemed appealing on paper was deliberately eliminated — such as front lowrider panniers (to lighten front steering), heavy work boots, and bulky studio flashes — prioritizing bulletproof durability and agility.
100% waterproof roll-top rear panniers paired with an Arara Una handlebar bag. Safeguarded cameras, clothing, and papers from torrential Patagonian rains and choking gravel dust.
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Legendary Brazilian geodesic 4-season mountaineering tent. Flawlessly withstood punishing 100+ km/h Patagonian gales, snow squalls, and sub-zero Altiplano frosts.
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Digital SLR camera fitted with a fast Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens for landscapes/portraits, and a Canon 70-200mm f/4L telephoto for wildlife and distant Andean summits.
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Solo X-Termo thermal base layers, Polartec fleece jacket, Conquista waterproof trousers, a lamb wool sweater bought in Punta Arenas, Chile, and classic Brazilian Havaianas.
🔍 Click to enlarge| Category | Actual Equipment Carried on the Expedition |
|---|---|
| Bicycle & Load | Mountain Bike with double-wall rims and 36 reinforced stainless steel spokes; heavy-duty rear rack; Ortlieb waterproof rear panniers; Arara Una handlebar bag with rain cover. |
| Shelter & Sleep | Manaslu Discovery Light geodesic 4-season tent; Deuter sleeping bag (-5°C rating); Conquista 9mm closed-cell foam sleeping pad; aluminized emergency hypothermia blanket. |
| Camp Kitchen | Handmade alcohol stove used across the first months, later replaced in Santiago with a compact canister gas stove; lightweight aluminum cook pot, plastic cup, and spoon. |
| Electronics & Power | Digital SLR with 17-50mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/4L lenses; Canon HG10 compact HD camcorder; Outex waterproof camera housing; Palm Treo 680 smartphone; Brunton solar charging panel; Garmin GPS with barometric altimeter; Cateye cyclocomputer. |
| Tools & Spares | Chain breaker, multi-pliers, spoke wrench, Allen hex key set, Swiss Army knife, hand pump, patch kit, 2 spare inner tubes, and 1 foldable Kevlar spare tire. |
Discover the Full Story
Read the complete memoir Trilhando Sonhos / Long Ride South featuring full chronicles, photos, maps, and encounters across South America.
4. Continental Superlatives Conquered by Bicycle
South America is a continent of geographic extremes. Over 365 days, the route connected some of the most dramatic geographic points on Earth, spanning ecosystems from lush tropical river basins to the driest desert known to science:
The vast scale of South America: from the southern Patagonian steppes to the high Andean Altiplano and the waterways of the Amazon basin. 🔍 Click to enlarge
5. Companions on the Road: Unforgettable Encounters
"During the 365 days on the road, I visited more than 200 places. Eleven extraordinary companions pedaled alongside me across hundreds of kilometers."
While solo bicycle touring often sounds isolated, the open road proves to be a vibrant crossroads of kindred spirits and remarkable travelers sharing the same slow cadence of life. Over the months, paths intertwined organically:
Entrepreneur and bakery owner in Ourinhos. Trained for a full year alongside Thiago, logging thousands of preparation kilometers, and rode the first 10 days of the expedition before family duties required his return home.
Vincent, a French-Chilean cyclist riding from Rio de Janeiro to Cuba, joined Thiago in Buenos Aires; they rode together across 2,000 km of pampas and Patagonian steppe. Max, from Cannes (who had crossed Europe, Russia, and Australia), joined them from Puerto Pirámides to Comodoro Rivadavia.
Met in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Pirámides. They spent six unforgettable days camping and touring together across the wild Valdés Peninsula, surrounded by southern right whales, guanacos, and sea lions.
Met in the village of Tolhuin, 105 km north of Ushuaia. They cycled together to the End of the World and explored the wilderness trails of Tierra del Fuego National Park over 5 memorable days.
An experienced bicycle nomad who previously spent 22 months cycling across the African continent. Met on the road near Punta Arenas and rode together for nearly two months north along the Carretera Austral to Puerto Montt.
Thomas and Zach started their expedition in Ushuaia. After crossing paths multiple times in El Chaltén and on remote gravel roads, they joined forces in Coyhaique and pedaled together for two weeks up to Puerto Montt.
Met randomly leaving Bariloche following a tip from a Spanish cyclist. They rode the spectacular Seven Lakes Route to San Martín de los Andes — and weeks later, bumped into each other by total coincidence on a busy street in Temuco, Chile.
A world cyclist met in an outdoor store in Santiago. Reunited in coastal Valparaíso, they rode 500 km together along the Chilean coast to La Serena before heading into the northern deserts.
6. The Expedition Log: Defining Moments & Hard Numbers
A comprehensive daily journal documented each of the 365 days on the road, logging daily mileages, weather conditions, mechanical issues, and unexpected hospitality:
Authentic Chronicles from the Daily Log
- Initial Trial (Fracture and Resilience): The expedition departed on September 7, 2008. In Paraná, a crash caused an arm fracture, forcing a temporary medical halt. On November 2, 2008, fully healed and more determined than ever, Thiago resumed cycling from Castro/PR in cold driving rain.
- Epic Endurance Stages: Massive 150 km days pedaled through intense headwinds and blistering heat, including stages to Joinville (Brazil), Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay), and General Conesa (Argentine Patagonia).
- Unique Campsites & Hospitality: Pitching the tent behind windbreak walls at remote Patagonian gas stations, sleeping in volunteer fire stations, spending a quiet Christmas Eve 2008 solo camping at Cerro de la Gloria, and being embraced by hospitable rural families.
- Historical Tribute in Xapuri: In the heart of the Acre rainforest, an emotional visit to the home and environmental legacy of Chico Mendes on Day 332.
- The End of the Pedals & River Descent: Riding officially concluded in Porto Velho/RO (Day 342). From there, the bicycle was loaded onto Amazonian riverboats, sleeping five days in hammocks down the Madeira and Amazon Rivers to Manaus and Belém do Pará, culminating on Day 365 (November 24, 2009).
7. Route, Andes & Atacama Desert
The 365-day route crossed Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Highlight experiences included crossing high Andean passes under snow, riding across the vast silence of the Atacama Desert, and sleeping in wild campsites along the way.
8. Keynote Talks & Media
This expedition inspired thousands of people in conferences across Brazil. Below you can watch the official TEDx Talk and the full 1-hour comprehensive keynote lecture delivered at the National Cycle Touring Congress (CNVNC):
Official TEDx Talk (18 min)
The essence of the expedition, the power of pursuing a dream, and personal transformation through 365 days of cycling.
Full Keynote Talk: Trilhando Sonhos (+1h)
Delivered at the National Cycle Touring Congress (CNVNC). Deep dive into expedition logistics, equipment, remote routes, and hardships. ★ Over 26,000 views and 175 comments (in Portuguese).