That is so cool, I'm 59 and when I retire in a few years I plan on doing many bike trips like yours just not on a tall bike, you're an inspiration for many Bobby ;)
@@TC-yx1qt Sorry for the delay in my reply, unfortunately i do not know about other videos and the like, but i am sure if you were to google his name you will be able to find out more information about his journey around the world.
Great talk, Bobby! I'm so glad you're in Toronto now, spreading your love of bikes, unique views on cycling advocacy, community-building ideas, music and sense of humour. LA's loss is Toronto's gain.
This guy is one of the reasons I love LA. Their bike scene is incredible. Regardless of your background, social status, etc., LA's bike scene is united.
I enjoyed your video. Many years ago i rode from Lahore to Delhi to Bombay . . . . I did it because it was in expensive, actually I had no money what so ever. Never for a moment did I think such a trip had any story merit. Thank you for your efforts, it is and informative and interesting video.
You are an amazing person! A survivor, and lover of people. You have the stamina that God gives us all, BUT YOU USE YOURS! This is one of the greatest stories I have ever heard; and at my age, I've heard a few! Praise be to God for Tall Bike Bobby! Thank YOU for sharing such an amazing adventure that most will never experience! Be safe, journey on, I don't have to tell you to have fun , and carry on..... God bless, Tall Bike Bobby.😌
I use to long board over 20 miles a day and definitely sometimes 30 miles a day it's not as much as it sounds if it's spread out over the day. Now I ride my motorcycle over 500 miles a day sometimes.
Thank you -- I just watched Reggie Watts's talk and I found it very informative. I learned a lot about music and humor from a new point of view. I find that such cultural and artistic interactions are among the most important things I can learn.
Ralphie, it might be you lack the ability to listen and learn from all sources. Perspective and Framing can be constricting. :D I agree Watts is a few Levels above most others though, for sure. Not every TEDx talk needs to be done by a Genius... surely?
He would love central Europe. There are *separated cycling roads* for travel in central Europe :-) Some people use them for commuting to work, if it's less than 20km or so.
I built several upside-down bikes as a kid and now may do one in a later life :-) I never went more than to school and back through and branches were always an issue. Great talk, Thanks!
Five years later and I'm watching your talk and realized I passed you on my bike just south of Santa Cruz on my ride from SF to LA. I have the photo to prove it :•) Great talk, btw!
This is so awesome and inspiring. And the part of becoming a little crazy is true. But I like to think that its you becoming more natural and stop worrying about how you should act when you live in a society that judges you everyday.
Nope, it's fine, there is a triple chainring so the gears go plenty low. I had lots of ridiculous weight on this thing but I got used to it after a few days.
I would ride a bike 50 miles a day everyday when I was 13-14 just to hangout with my friends and date. I had a 21 speed road bike and never geared down from the highest gear anywhere for anything. Your legs can extremely accustomed to a bike to a point where they never hurt from anything.
Ha! This is really funny. I am not German, but I have discovered that socks and sandals are the most comfortable and practical footwear for bike touring. The socks wick away the sweat which can then dry, so your feet don't get all gross in the sandals. Also I hate putting sunscreen on my feet, thats a pain in the ass.
I can't focus on what he is talking about (something about bicycles?) due to that Tom Selleck-esque fur patch under his nose. I would guess from looking at his clothes and bicycle that his mustache is meant to be ironic.
I'm jumping in to say that Bobby has been living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the past few years, after meeting his now-wife, a Torontonian, on that trip. She was also doing a solo tour. They rode down the west coast, returned to their respective cities, and year later, they married and continued their trip from CA to Mexico. We're lucky to have him here, as this super-nice and fun pair are involved in bike culture, advocacy and community-building.
+Christopher Finn Dude I'm from Australia but my brother moved to Medford, Oregon a few years back! Been to Lithia park and all that in Ashland. :) ahah.
Bicycles solve a lot of problems. Tired of high gas prices? Ride a bike. Want to lose weight? Ride a bike. Want to avoid traffic jams? Ride a bike. Want to save the environment? Ride a bike. Want something fun to do? Ride a bike. Want to save money? Ride a bike. Get the message??
When I was a kid I was never taught how to ride a bike and that's because I taught myself. I just pulled a bike from the garage one day when I was about 3 or 4 and got on it and started riding with my brothers like I had been doing it all along. When I bought my first motorcycle I got one of the world's fastest bikes and haven't looked back and I've had it for over two years. If your planning on buying a motorcycle and your a natural on a bike go big or go home;)
So weird he showed both my home town (Redding, CA in Shasta County) and my current town ( Lompoc, CA - Valley Drive In movie theater is here, but is now used as a dump/trading post)
I'm always amazed that people need to be told how to fix their own bicycle. Everything is exposed. You can see and get to everything. There's no mystery.
After owning two cars I learned to fix most parts of my bikes through youtube. Some things like casettes need special tools though and my favorite bike - a recumbent - cannot be turned upside down for maintenance, so that sucks, but yeah - not so hard and rather liberating when you realize that you can do it on your own.
I'd imagine along the Vancouver to LA route, there's more people around to put you up. If you were to do a tour out here in the inner mountain west, the population is much more centered in the urban areas and there would be more camping to be done.
This bike is actually very safe. If he is hit by a car, it will just hit the bike, but will drive under him. Add a gyroscope to this bike and it could stay upright while stopped.
One of the better TEDx talks, usually TEDx is absolutely awful to watch, but this guy oozes personality with his socks and sandals and rich moustache...
About to embark on a two month European bike/busking tour and I'm a complete biking amateur. Wish me luck. Loved your video. Reminds me of my buddy's in the psyclown circus
Okay, gonna have to work on my people skills, get dry erase board, I've been planning my bike trip for the last four months, job, I'll be quitting that next month(yea!). My goal of my bike trip is more to find a new place to live than just to travel and SEE everything on the way. Then once I get that new place to live, adopt a furbaby(dog), then get back out there on a bike. I hope to see Bob out there.
I see. The tall bikes are usually easier to keep balance and feel like floating since the tall thing take longer time to fall. The most important thing is need to know how to get on and off from it.
Silly analogy with the broom and longer stick. The broom's center of gravity is at the top, whilst the stick is at the middle. Of course it's going to be more stable. Lots of his luggage is at the bottom of the bike, so he's more stable.
At first his point seems counter-intuitive. It then reminded me of the fact that the tallest sky scrapers often are the ones that remain standing during a strong earth quake which causes the shorter ones to topple over. So some of the stability is due to the extra height. But as I think of it, it seems to me that it is the height of [ center of gravity ] that is the [ reference height ] and not the actual height of the bike. With that said, the positioning of all of that gear plays a factor it all of this. There are several variables that come into play here. I'm probably gonna lose some sleep over this 2nite.
This person is very well trained in bike repair. Please do not think that you can grab any old bike and ride across the country. Do your homework. You will not make it out of your own state. Plenty of people have tried getting a department store bike and going for long rides and become seriously injured and stranded.
I don't know if I was "well trained"... I hacked this bike together from old parts lying around in bike co-ops. I agree that a department store bike isn't the best choice, but it is possible to tour long distances on cheap bikes! Once you know how to fix a flat and do basic adjustments you are good to go! And unless you are riding on trails in the wilderness it is pretty difficult to get truly "stranded" while bike touring...
Stopping in a hurry wouldn't be a problem as you're going slow. You'd stop a lot more quickly than a light racing bike travelling at 30 mph. As for crosswinds, I think you have somewhat of a point. I'm sure it would be more of an issue than an ordinary bike, although the heavy weight may offset the wind a little. However not entirely. I think in strong crosswinds you might have to stop and wait for it to pass. But you wouldn't get those kind of winds very often, just sometimes.
That is so cool, I'm 59 and when I retire in a few years I plan on doing many bike trips like yours just not on a tall bike, you're an inspiration for many Bobby ;)
You should do it! I met a guy who did his first bike tour when he was 65! He rode across the USA!
I have seen this video about 15 times now, and every time i watch it, it is just like the first time, never get bored watching it.
Does he have other videos or has he been on any podcasts that you know of?
@@TC-yx1qt Sorry for the delay in my reply, unfortunately i do not know about other videos and the like, but i am sure if you were to google his name you will be able to find out more information about his journey around the world.
Great talk, Bobby! I'm so glad you're in Toronto now, spreading your love of bikes, unique views on cycling advocacy, community-building ideas, music and sense of humour. LA's loss is Toronto's gain.
Best TEDx talk I've seen for quite some while.
The world also needs more delightful eccentrics. There doesn't seem to be as many as there once were.
i agree...the "I must Conform" bug has spread too far..
The world should be nothing but delightfully, morally grounded eccentrics.
This guy is one of the reasons I love LA. Their bike scene is incredible. Regardless of your background, social status, etc., LA's bike scene is united.
I know right? LA bike scene is amazing and I am grateful to all of the nice folks that showed me the bike ways!
legends are less in number and you are one of them......!!!!!!
Still one of my favorite TED talks!
Phil Vandelay nice
I bet he learned to fall like that by every crosswind he encountered LOL
I enjoyed your video. Many years ago i rode from Lahore to Delhi to Bombay . . . . I did it because it was in expensive, actually I had no money what so ever. Never for a moment did I think such a trip had any story merit. Thank you for your efforts, it is and informative and interesting video.
That sounds like an interesting story to me! What happened?
Happy to see a man living the adventure.
Tall Bike Bobby! T.B.B> Thank you for being a creative being! Love it!
Thanks TEDdy!
A TEDxTalk?! How much cooler could Bobby Gadda get? I am a fan.
You are an amazing person! A survivor, and lover of people. You have the stamina that God gives us all, BUT YOU USE YOURS! This is one of the greatest stories I have ever heard; and at my age, I've heard a few! Praise be to God for Tall Bike Bobby! Thank YOU for sharing such an amazing adventure that most will never experience! Be safe, journey on, I don't have to tell you to have fun , and carry on..... God bless, Tall Bike Bobby.😌
i had like 2000 miles travelling on a Tallbike in Spain. Best Time of my Life. Greetings Form Germany.
How were people's reactions in Spain? Did they give you more room when driving by?
I use to long board over 20 miles a day and definitely sometimes 30 miles a day it's not as much as it sounds if it's spread out over the day. Now I ride my motorcycle over 500 miles a day sometimes.
Skip to 16:21 to see how he gets off the bike
Thank you! With no disrespect to the nice man telling his nice story, there is precious little information to be found in it.
Ralph Dratman Not every ted talk needs to be informative. For a good example, go watch Reggie Watts's.
Thank you -- I just watched Reggie Watts's talk and I found it very informative. I learned a lot about music and humor from a new point of view. I find that such cultural and artistic interactions are among the most important things I can learn.
Where do I skip to if I want to see how he jacks off the bike?
Ralphie, it might be you lack the ability to listen and learn from all sources. Perspective and Framing can be constricting. :D I agree Watts is a few Levels above most others though, for sure. Not every TEDx talk needs to be done by a Genius... surely?
He would love central Europe. There are *separated cycling roads* for travel in central Europe :-)
Some people use them for commuting to work, if it's less than 20km or so.
I will be there soon. Wish me luck!
Good luck :)
This is sooooooo coooooool kudos to TBB
Been unemployed for a few months and I just now see this inspirational Tedx talk. Doing a bike tour seems so interesting to me now.
do it!!!!
🌿🌿🌿very nice
I built several upside-down bikes as a kid and now may do one in a later life :-) I never went more than to school and back through and branches were always an issue. Great talk, Thanks!
How do you build them? Anyone in Northern California?
Five years later and I'm watching your talk and realized I passed you on my bike just south of Santa Cruz on my ride from SF to LA. I have the photo to prove it :•) Great talk, btw!
Rad, would love to see the photo!
Just sent it in a Facebook message
my favorite ted talk
I'm having the same experience..I have yet to use my tent and camping gear..I have had host families everywhere I have gone....love this..
What type of bike are you riding and what areas?
@@TC-yx1qt I was riding a hybrid. I now ride a Brompton when I travel from place to place. It's easy to transport.
This is so awesome and inspiring. And the part of becoming a little crazy is true. But I like to think that its you becoming more natural and stop worrying about how you should act when you live in a society that judges you everyday.
Begging for money and being unable to support yourself isn't awesome and it isn't inspiring, trust me.
yeah alot of people are too worried how they look to others
@@MonstaMunch101 Did he say he was begging for money?
half of the bike is stuff for him to take care of the mustache
HAHAHA! brilliant ! it does age him so !!!lol
I loved every second!!!!
that looks like a nightmare for climbing hills.
lol
+Mark Troup well you could always walk it up them
Nope, it's fine, there is a triple chainring so the gears go plenty low. I had lots of ridiculous weight on this thing but I got used to it after a few days.
I would ride a bike 50 miles a day everyday when I was 13-14 just to hangout with my friends and date. I had a 21 speed road bike and never geared down from the highest gear anywhere for anything. Your legs can extremely accustomed to a bike to a point where they never hurt from anything.
very cool! i enjoyed it. thank you
What a legend!
Ted has featured everyone from Stephen hawking to a random dude getting off a bike
Nit the Liar This guy would never make it to a true Ted Talk. Anyone can be on Tedx. They are not the same thing.
Yep, quality keeps going down...
Simply Fantastic
Way to go Bobby !!!
Socks and Sandals.
Federation 42 he is most likely German
Ha! This is really funny. I am not German, but I have discovered that socks and sandals are the most comfortable and practical footwear for bike touring. The socks wick away the sweat which can then dry, so your feet don't get all gross in the sandals. Also I hate putting sunscreen on my feet, thats a pain in the ass.
Federation 42 and there's nothing nicer that kicking off your shoes and laying out on a towel in the sun for a while
And a pornstar mustache
I can't focus on what he is talking about (something about bicycles?) due to that Tom Selleck-esque fur patch under his nose.
I would guess from looking at his clothes and bicycle that his mustache is meant to be ironic.
he looks like a little kid that got in to a disguise kit.
thanks!
coolest talkshow 😂 bobby you are enough legend to us😂😊
this guy knows survival tactics for the urban wilderness
Im dutch so im stuck with a bike for life :)
You're Dutch and only own one bike? You poor *** ;)
@@jiriwichern nope between 10 and 15 and one electric ☺️
Effortlessly funniest thing I've seen in a while.
wow, thanks!
He looks like that cop in narcos lol
Well done. Looks like this video is four years old.... Where are you now?
I'm jumping in to say that Bobby has been living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the past few years, after meeting his now-wife, a Torontonian, on that trip. She was also doing a solo tour. They rode down the west coast, returned to their respective cities, and year later, they married and continued their trip from CA to Mexico. We're lucky to have him here, as this super-nice and fun pair are involved in bike culture, advocacy and community-building.
That's nice to hear. Thanks for the update. Toronto's a nice area in which to live. =) Does he still ride his tall bike?
+madiantin Yes, he does, and he also has a regular bike that sometimes has an interactive art display on back.
Keefe Borden Got hit by a car😢
Great video. Thank you, thank you, thank you Tall Bike Bobby!
This was one of the more fun ted talks I've seen, great stuff bobby 👏
thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Super superb video!!! Super thanks for sharing!!!!
you're welcome!!!
A marketing genius of the modern era with the ultimate product for the post-fossil fuel world.
You're the best kind of hipster. I like you.
You're the best kind of youtube commenter! I like you!
Bobby Gadda Did you stop in Ashland, Oregon?
+Christopher Finn Dude I'm from Australia but my brother moved to Medford, Oregon a few years back! Been to Lithia park and all that in Ashland. :) ahah.
Bobby Gadda ..you're the best kind of replier . I like you
Bobby Gadda dude you are an awesome human being.
this is very inspiring. that sounds like a lot of fun
this is awesome
Excellent talk! practical empowerment... get on a bike and go... get on with it and go..
yes yes yes
Begging isn't practical and it isn't empowering. Trust me.
Getting off of it doesn't seem nearly as hard as how the heck do you get ON it?
If it's anything like another video I saw of someone with a tall bike, it invovled a running start and quickly climbing up
Bicycles solve a lot of problems. Tired of high gas prices? Ride a bike. Want to lose weight? Ride a bike. Want to avoid traffic jams? Ride a bike. Want to save the environment? Ride a bike. Want something fun to do? Ride a bike. Want to save money? Ride a bike. Get the message??
When I was a kid I was never taught how to ride a bike and that's because I taught myself. I just pulled a bike from the garage one day when I was about 3 or 4 and got on it and started riding with my brothers like I had been doing it all along. When I bought my first motorcycle I got one of the world's fastest bikes and haven't looked back and I've had it for over two years. If your planning on buying a motorcycle and your a natural on a bike go big or go home;)
Great talk Bobby. I hope you're able to accomplish your goals
LOVE this !
Great video. Thumbs up!
Brilliant .... well presented
SO COOL!!! I've always wanted to do that.
A tall recumbent trike would be a revolutionary form of transportation.
So weird he showed both my home town (Redding, CA in Shasta County) and my current town ( Lompoc, CA - Valley Drive In movie theater is here, but is now used as a dump/trading post)
cool! yeah it was cool to explore the abandoned drive in movie theater - it's where i scavenged the big plastic TBB letters
I'm always amazed that people need to be told how to fix their own bicycle. Everything is exposed. You can see and get to everything. There's no mystery.
But mechanical literacy is still a thing that not everyone has...
After owning two cars I learned to fix most parts of my bikes through youtube. Some things like casettes need special tools though and my favorite bike - a recumbent - cannot be turned upside down for maintenance, so that sucks, but yeah - not so hard and rather liberating when you realize that you can do it on your own.
Never had repeated frustrating pinch flats then I guess?
There are many people who have never had to deal with mechanical work. Therefore, sometimes they do not know how to properly handle screws.
Essentially true, but hub gears and wheelbuilding are for the more serious cyclist.
I'd imagine along the Vancouver to LA route, there's more people around to put you up. If you were to do a tour out here in the inner mountain west, the population is much more centered in the urban areas and there would be more camping to be done.
This bike is actually very safe. If he is hit by a car, it will just hit the bike, but will drive under him. Add a gyroscope to this bike and it could stay upright while stopped.
One of the better TEDx talks, usually TEDx is absolutely awful to watch, but this guy oozes personality with his socks and sandals and rich moustache...
About to embark on a two month European bike/busking tour and I'm a complete biking amateur. Wish me luck. Loved your video. Reminds me of my buddy's in the psyclown circus
That is so cool I love it
Okay, gonna have to work on my people skills, get dry erase board, I've been planning my bike trip for the last four months, job, I'll be quitting that next month(yea!).
My goal of my bike trip is more to find a new place to live than just to travel and SEE everything on the way. Then once I get that new place to live, adopt a furbaby(dog), then get back out there on a bike.
I hope to see Bob out there.
Sounds like a plan! Keep us updated!
How did it go?
wow you somehow made sox and sandals work. nice job
finally! haha thanks
That's normal attire in NW Washington.
Cool story. I love it.
i Iove you
Love you, too :)
what a cool dude
Awesomeness ✌️
Awesome guy. Not so keen on the tall bike, but a fascinating story. Very inspiring! Thanks.
I HEART Sweet guys on bikes!!!!
Do you have a video on how you assembled your bike? It's my third time watching this.
inspiring!
Thank you! I love hearing that people are inspired by this, really makes my day!
2020 and inspired!
Serious Taika wahtiti vibes from this lad, love it!
Wow, thank you that means a lot because my girlfriend is in love with him
just an update, she's not so into Taika anymore
Also have a tallbike, ride it a lot in Antwerp, Belgium. It's true, you get a lot of attention and people ask how you get off.
great video
I ride a home built recumbent low racer, so I get the wierd looks you'd get. Very interesting stories about your adventures. Thanks for the video
This was quite moving!
Thank you for doing this ride,
and presenting this talk.
Someone borrowed him their sleeping bag..... FOR THE SUMMER????? That's fine and dandy but I would define that as "give" not "borrow" hahaha.
Mark Brand 😴
I've got a sleeping bag I won in highschool. That was 4 years ago and I've only used it a few times...
wow!
Great video thanks
you're welcome
Cool moe bro.
What a hero & funny one 😂👍
I see. The tall bikes are usually easier to keep balance and feel like floating since the tall thing take longer time to fall. The most important thing is need to know how to get on and off from it.
Silly analogy with the broom and longer stick. The broom's center of gravity is at the top, whilst the stick is at the middle. Of course it's going to be more stable. Lots of his luggage is at the bottom of the bike, so he's more stable.
At first his point seems counter-intuitive. It then reminded me of the fact that the tallest sky scrapers often are the ones that remain standing during a strong earth quake which causes the shorter ones to topple over. So some of the stability is due to the extra height. But as I think of it, it seems to me that it is the height of [ center of gravity ] that is the [ reference height ] and not the actual height of the bike. With that said, the positioning of all of that gear plays a factor it all of this. There are several variables that come into play here. I'm probably gonna lose some sleep over this 2nite.
BMX, all the way!!! ;)
the bike suv
Great inspiration for me at 62! 😳🤣👍
Fascinating... 🧐
I am going to the Burning Man this year! Thanks for this amazing talk. Being weird is the best thing.
Awesomeness :-)
You may "fall more slowly", but you hit the ground harder when you do.
This person is very well trained in bike repair. Please do not think that you can grab any old bike and ride across the country. Do your homework. You will not make it out of your own state. Plenty of people have tried getting a department store bike and going for long rides and become seriously injured and stranded.
I don't know if I was "well trained"... I hacked this bike together from old parts lying around in bike co-ops. I agree that a department store bike isn't the best choice, but it is possible to tour long distances on cheap bikes! Once you know how to fix a flat and do basic adjustments you are good to go! And unless you are riding on trails in the wilderness it is pretty difficult to get truly "stranded" while bike touring...
Inspirational!
This guy has biker status, no doubt about it
Nice Vid Good idea, Biggest problems i could see with it would be stopping in a hurry or how it would handle in a cross wind.
Stopping in a hurry wouldn't be a problem as you're going slow. You'd stop a lot more quickly than a light racing bike travelling at 30 mph. As for crosswinds, I think you have somewhat of a point. I'm sure it would be more of an issue than an ordinary bike, although the heavy weight may offset the wind a little. However not entirely. I think in strong crosswinds you might have to stop and wait for it to pass. But you wouldn't get those kind of winds very often, just sometimes.
Hey, Bobby!
Did I see you in Slovenia today? :D
He looks like blink 182 in the video first date
Yeah, I see the resemblance as well, good job.
so good
The difference between eccentricity and craziness it's not money or west coast/east coast it's a "tall bicycle"