Paul Doffing has been touring the U.S. by bicycle since 2012, and has pedaled just over halfway around the globe. He has covered more than 20,000 km through the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Paul has cycled to more than 150 shows to promote a mindset of sustainability and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
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Why tour by bicycle?
"I noticed on this tour that being in a car, or a house even, having shelter from the elements cuts you off from the fragility of humanity. You don't get to feel that feeling of being so cold that you're worried or being so hot that you're worried. You don't get to feel the air on your face. Being outside deepens a person's relationship with who they are. The interconnectivity of nature, of my life and the life of other people, and the life of the world itself -- this is what led me to do this tour on the bike. It's all been developing together, and it has influenced my music. I think it's influenced everything about me.
One of the most challenging questions that I have received is: “What is this about? Is this about climate change, and about environmental consciousness, or is this about your music?” I think that living sustainably, and being conscious of your environment, is important, regardless of your profession. I would have done this tour by car if I hadn’t had a change of heart. I was reading Gandhi’s biography, and I read this article on tar sands in Canada. They are cutting down the boreal forest—which is the biggest carbon dioxide sink in our hemisphere—to do the most greenhouse gas-rich process known to man. It’s an error in judgment to carry out such a destructive process, and it's caused by worldwide demand for oil.
We can’t really rely on governments to solve this—they don’t have the same interest that we do. The government isn’t necessarily thinking about grand- children, but I hope that we are. I know I do. We need to change the way we live.
The night I first became aware of the tar sands tragedy was the night I decided to tour the United States on a bicycle. I wanted to show that there are viable alternatives to fossil fuels, and that even the most travel-intensive business, where not one consecutive day’s work happens in the same city, could be undertaken via bicycle."
-Paul Doffing (From an interview with Thirty Two Magazine, December 2012)
One of the most challenging questions that I have received is: “What is this about? Is this about climate change, and about environmental consciousness, or is this about your music?” I think that living sustainably, and being conscious of your environment, is important, regardless of your profession. I would have done this tour by car if I hadn’t had a change of heart. I was reading Gandhi’s biography, and I read this article on tar sands in Canada. They are cutting down the boreal forest—which is the biggest carbon dioxide sink in our hemisphere—to do the most greenhouse gas-rich process known to man. It’s an error in judgment to carry out such a destructive process, and it's caused by worldwide demand for oil.
We can’t really rely on governments to solve this—they don’t have the same interest that we do. The government isn’t necessarily thinking about grand- children, but I hope that we are. I know I do. We need to change the way we live.
The night I first became aware of the tar sands tragedy was the night I decided to tour the United States on a bicycle. I wanted to show that there are viable alternatives to fossil fuels, and that even the most travel-intensive business, where not one consecutive day’s work happens in the same city, could be undertaken via bicycle."
-Paul Doffing (From an interview with Thirty Two Magazine, December 2012)
House shows are a huge part of our tour. We love connecting with people as we go, listening to their stories and conversing about the world we share.
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Sponsors
Ortlieb makes fantastic, durable, waterproof bicycle panneirs. We love 'em!
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Journey Instruments is passionate about bringing on-the-go musicians quality instruments durable enough to travel off the beaten path.
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