ROBBIE DANGER – PART 1

“I don’t feel particularly brave most of the time! If anything, the level of psychological violence and exclusion inflicted on trans people in our daily lives these days requires so much more bravery. Cycling around the world is easy.”

Robbie Danger from New Zealand is aiming to set a World Record as the first openly transgender person to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle. Starting as a commuter driven by climate activism, Robbie’s journey has grown into a bold mission to inspire and challenge perceptions.

Robbie recently visited us at our showroom, and we had the chance to learn more about their adventure, preparation, and what this record means to them. We were deeply inspired by Robbie’s determination, courage, and the message behind their mission, and we can’t wait to see how their incredible journey unfolds. Read more about Robbie’s inspiring journey and their quest to make history.

What’s your background in cycling?

I didn’t get into cycling until I was 22. I’m from Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, New Zealand), which is a pretty hilly place. I’d tried a few times before that and found it too hard - I actually thought I was past it! I didn’t grow up athletic at all. I was an art student and activist, and with persistence, I eventually got into commuting by bike for climate change reasons.

It wasn’t long before I’d been won over and heard that people also went on adventures with their bikes, and there was an event in New Zealand called the “Tour Aotearoa” - a 3,000km brevet that was growing in popularity.

I set my first ambitious cycling goal with the Tour Aotearoa in mind: to learn how to frame build, make my own bike, and ride it the length of New Zealand. Which I did!

So, I guess I’m one of the special few whose background in cycling is literally bikepacking. I like cyclocross and gravel. Road and mountain biking are too heteronormative for me, but I guess I use some of the relevant skills when it helps me go bikepacking.

How did you come up with the idea to attempt this record?

Once I finished cycling the length of New Zealand, some of the other riders were talking about how excited they were to go home, but I knew deep down that I would rather just keep riding. So, I knew that one day I’d cycle around the world. At the time, I followed Ed Pratt, a young English guy who was documenting his journey by unicycle around the world. That was originally intended to be a world record, which is how I learned about the various world circumnavigation records for cycling that exist.

It was another few years (and lots more bikepacking - both in and outside of events) before I was physically, mentally, and financially ready to go on the world trip. It seemed like the writing was on the wall: a lot of the people in my life were settling down and having less time for adventures. As a queer person, I don’t operate on that kind of timeline, so it felt like it was time for me to go.

On a whim, I decided to check the Guinness website and see if there was a record available for non-binary people like me to get for the world circumnavigation. And there it was! “First openly transgender person to circumnavigate the world by bicycle”. I found myself perfectly positioned to turn my big world adventure into a race that I could win.

How did you prepare and choose your setup?

All the cycling records for world circumnavigation adhere to the same rules. Your route must exceed the length of the equator, you cannot stop for more than two weeks, you must cross two antipodal points, and you can only proceed by bicycle unless you encounter an impassable barrier (such as: water, closed borders, war). You must design your route and propose it to Guinness for approval. Mine took three months to design, and I’ve still ended up deviating from a lot of it aside from my key entry and exit points.

My route is a west-east attempt, and I designed it so that I can follow the seasons. If I take too long, the cold will catch me, and it has caught me in the last couple of weeks after a few delays (I got hit by a car and sent to the hospital in the USA, then Air Canada lost my bike for a few days). Subzero weather makes everything harder, slower, and more expensive. But by the time I get to India next month, things will be right again.

My route was approved for a year before I started! It really takes that long to close down the rest of your life.

Since my ride is self-supported, I prioritise durability: A steel frame and fork, and a Rohloff hub to prevent derailleur mishaps. I wanted square geometry - my body’s a nightmare for bike fitting. I have the reach of an XXS-sized bike frame, but with the legs of a person who rides a Small. I didn’t want to risk making my own frame for this 29,000km+ ride, so I scraped through the entire internet looking for a bike that could be made to fit the way I wanted it to. That’s how I landed on the Standert Burgermeister.

The original fork died in the car crash, so it now has a Stridsland fork on the front of it, and a chopped Ritchey Corralitos bar so I can shift my Rohloff from drop bars. I have a 0mm stem from Analog Cycles to deal with my aforementioned short t-rex arms. The bags are from my friends at Road Runner Bags, and my friend Amy, who makes bags as Paper Roads Aotearoa. I had to buy Ortliebs recently because of the flooding in Europe.

As far as adventure gear goes, I have the full setup for camping, cooking, and self sufficiency, kept as minimalist as possible. It’s pretty heavy by ultra racer standards, but about half as much stuff as your average German cycle tourist! There are no extra comforts - it’s very utilitarian, but it’s carried with the New Zealand bush tramping mindset: take everything you need to survive comfortably in cold or stormy conditions.

My route gets easier on the “home stretch” as many do, and by the time I land in Perth it’s gonna feel like one big rolling party across Australia and New Zealand.

What has had the biggest impact on you during your journey so far?

I left New Zealand feeling a bit like I didn’t have a huge community anymore, but I have been overwhelmingly supported by new friends all around the world, especially the trans community and allies. I had hoped I’d find one place that resonates with me, but actually, most of the world resonates with me! Except when the world’s running me over with a car, ha.

I have stayed with so many different people, including people I met on the street, through the cycling community, or Instagram, or friends of friends of friends. I think I will be paying back good karma for the rest of my life.

What have you learned on your journey that you’d like to share with others?

People often tell me that I’m very brave, going alone to so many corners of the world. I don’t feel particularly brave most of the time! If anything, the level of psychological violence and exclusion inflicted on trans people in our daily lives these days requires so much more bravery. Cycling around the world is easy.

While I’m doing this record as a passion project, I also know part of it is to change people’s perceptions of who trans people are and what they can be. People act like gender identity will destroy all your ambitions. It’s not true! Take it from me, a little guy (hopefully) pedalling into the record books.

For folks who want to find out how to support the trans community, check out TIQ, the local trans advocacy organisation in Berlin.

Robbie’s adventure is far from over, and we’re excited to follow along as they pedal toward the finish line. Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we’ll celebrate this remarkable achievement and share their reflections once the record is in the books.

Footnotes

Follow Robbie Danger (@dirtdroprobbie) on Instagram and don’t miss any updates from their adventure.

Words by Meret Stabell.