The Story about Bike Mike
The story is simple: Cycling is meditation and exploring to me. When riding my bike I love to explore the passing surroundings with my mind and senses. Life circumstances were knocking on Mike's door some years back, change of tack and here I am: living out my childhood dream as a "professional" bike rider on my team: Bike Mike - Bike Copenhagen - Auckland - Singapore with Mike.
About your guide:
I love the journey through life. The ups and downs, life is a rollercoaster ride. The older I get, the more I love life. My awareness of what's important and what's not is slowly growing as time goes by. I appreciate now how life is a gift, a daily fantastic gift which can't be taken for granted. I am fortunate to wake up to a new day, one day at a time. This realization of mine came to me the hard way; but today the sun shines inside me even on a rainy day.
My bike has been a big part of my life. It is the very first thing - my first bike - I recall were mine and today I am needing a bike wherever I go. "With every pedal stroke cancer loses - one day at a time." My bike helps me to live well as a cancer survivor.
Copenhagen, Denmark is my hometown as I was born and grew up here. I share my hometown status though between Copenhagen and Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland is the city where I have spend the most time of my adult life. Despite a part of me is only 18 years old, my birth certificate reads 1955.
I like my bike touring CV, more fun than my normal one, here are some highlights:
# I have bicycled every street in Copenhagen, most of Denmark - including right across the country with my 2 1/2 year old son on the crossbar - back in 1989,
# I have biked the streets of Auckland, New Zealand and her neighbouring spectacular countryside with awesome beauty spots like Karekare, Piha and Pakiri. I have seen lots of New Zealand from my bike all the way down to the Tairoa Head on the tip of Otago Peninsula.
# Across Canada, from Toronto to Stanley Park, Vancouver,
# From Edmonton, Alberta through the Canadian Rockies to Los Angeles,
# Along the Pacific from Seattle to Los Angeles in the US,
# Across Australia, from Perth to Sydney,
# Copenhagen - Paris - Galway Bay - London - Copenhagen,
# Munich to Rome, across 17 mountain passes in the Alps including
the 2.320 m. high Bernina Pass in snowstorm,
# Bordeaux to Barcelona across the Pyrenees,
# The French Alps including l`Alpe d`Huez & le Croix de Fer,
# The Indian Ocean coastal road in South Africa,
# The Argus Tour - around the Cape peninsula in Cape Town.
# Plus exploring by bike cities like Copenhagen, Auckland, London, Paris, Bordeaux, Munich, Amsterdam, Rome, Verona, Perugia, Barcelona, Dublin, Galway, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Vancouver, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Singapore, Cape Town plus many more.
My home is the world. I reside though in the Copenhagen inner-city suburb of Christianshavn together with my two women; Selenge, my fiancé for eleven years who originates from Ulan Bator, Mongolia and Biggles, my diva - a native New Zealand born sulphur crested cockatoo.
Travelling the world extensively throughout my adult life is my passion. This includes living thirteen years in Auckland, New Zealand and two years in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Also short term stays in Sydney, Buenos Aires and San Francisco. Curiosity has taken me to 100 countries and some of them I have seen a fair bit of. I.e. United States where I have been to 43 of the 50 states.
Until a few years ago I had a normal job, white collar boy all right, but normality and me didn't suit each other, I reckon. Time for a change and today I make a living from cycling. During spring 2010 I went through a cancer journey to hell and back, I was lucky and in good hands of great medical staff in Copenhagen. I learnt to appreciate that in the battle with cancer every second counts.
I enjoy the few moments of serenity on daily basis there might come my way, the spiritual world is fascinating, hanging out on my bike, following world affairs, reading travel literature (armchair traveller) and history, food - Asian style is favourite, I am a movie freak, love to listen to music, football (soccer), the classic pro-cycling races and saunas. Not to forget my life long following and addiction of the Tour de France. I am a long time supporter of the Italian football club Inter, the Danish side Brøndby and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby side. I am also engaged in voluntary social activities.
The season - 2011 - I biked for the rebuilding of Christchurch, New Zealand and help raise awareness for cancer worldwide through the Livestrong Cancer Foundation. I arrived to New Zealand the first time on March 3rd 1978 by flying into Christchurch on a Friday afternoon. I still remember how I spend a wonderful weekend in the beautiful city and I have been back many times since - also on my bike. One of my great rides was through the Southern Alps and across the Canterbury plains from Arthurs Pass to Christchurch on a rainy day back in 1982. Livestrong empowered me when I needed it the most and in my humble view I believe in the ideas of their work for cancer survival. Their mantra is my one too: "Attitude is everything."
The world is my home and I action as I say when calling myself a citizen of the world: I am Danish, I bike the streets of Copenhagen and Auckland for a living, my kilometres done here in Copenhagen help rebuilding a city on the other side of the world, my main principle of living life today is coming from an American health organisation and my day is filled with being at service for people of all walks of life representing every corner of this wonderful world.
Thank you.
Michael "Bike Mike" Sommerville
Bike Tour Guide &
Cancer Survivor
