I’m François, a 25-year-old adventurer from Normandy. My favourite pastime is getting out of my comfort zone.
When I was 3, I didn’t hesitate to get on my bike and try to join my father in the fields. Without knowing exactly where I was going, these were my first experiences of the unknown.
In 2018, after obtaining a Higher Technician’s Certificate in Photography, I embarked on a Tour de France of PDO cheeses. At the age of 19, this was my first major photographic project, but also my first major cycling trip.
No sooner had I completed this project than I was already setting my sights on the whole world.
At the age of 21, I decided to set off alone by bike to discover the world. Having never set foot abroad and speaking only two words of English, it was quite a challenge.
But today I’ve been travelling for 3 years and 9 months on 10 euros a day.
I’ve ventured from the icy mountains of the Balkans to the hot desert of Namibia, via the plains of Ukraine. I’ve slept in my tent, with local people or in abandoned and sometimes unusual places. After 41,000 km, here I am in China with my sights set on a new adventure, crossing Mongolia in the middle of winter.
I’ve already travelled through :
France, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Australia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China.
Travelling by bike is simple, slow, with no limits on space or time.
Cycling is a great way to meet new people and immerse myself in the local way of life.
On €10 a day, I’ve learnt to be satisfied with the simple things in life. Sleeping with local people is a great opportunity for me to talk about our lifestyles. Because I’m so young, I learn so much every day about myself and the people of this world. Every time I meet someone, I’m like an open book with a story: my adventure.
But why? Why? How? When did it start? With what money? On my own?
These are questions I get asked all over the world, and I enjoy answering them.
It’s a bit like the game of the inspiring inspired and the inspiring inspired.
I was 10, in 2010, and it was also my parent’s first cycling trip. As a family, we were discovering the joys of slow travel. A round trip from the house in Normandy to the banks of the Sarthe. The following year we reached Mont-Saint-Michel, and we’ve never stopped travelling by bike since.
Yes, a lot! I cycled competitively for 10 years and could do up to 30 hours a week. But! Yes a big “but”, you don’t need to be sporty to start travelling by bike. The first few days will be the training for the next few days and so on. You’ll no doubt experience the occasional cyclist’s aches and pains, such as muscle soreness, sore buttocks or perhaps aching joints. The main thing is to listen to your body.
Erm… I could say that cycling is a very important part of my life. My circle of friends is built around it and I don’t get through a day without thinking about cycling. I’m literally addicted to cycling. But I also have a great passion for images, whether it’s making videos or taking photos. I also love discovering new things and testing myself in unusual situations.
Yes, that would be a great achievement for me. Sharing my mad passion for slow travel and cycling. If, thanks to my experience, I can pass on a message that’s close to my heart, that would be the icing on the cake. And as a bonus, I’d like to do an exhibition.