Rune Monstad

Who is Rune Monstad?

Rune Monstad, also known as The Viking Biker, is a Norwegian cyclist who is cycling the world on a 27-speed Gekko mountain bike. Born in Tønsberg, Norway, Rune went to Bolivia in 2004 to work with homeless children for a year. After returning to Norway, he decided he wanted to cycle all over the world, so he started in South America in December 2005, then cycled through Central America, Mexico and then across the United States. In November 2006, Rune started his trip to Canada and cycled across Canada in the winter. He is fully equipped with winter gear for sub-freezing temperatures.

In May 2007, he left for Africa and has been cycling across Africa for several months. As of April 13, 2009, he is now in Calabar, Nigeria staying at the Drill Monkey Rehabilitation Centre while he waits for his visa. Once he leaves Nigeria, his next stops include Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, East Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia, Japan, Russia, Europe and then finally, Norway.

Rune never pays for accommodations, and he lives off $5–$10 per day USD. He carries a tent with him, but he has hardly had to use it, as many people have offered him a place to stay in their homes. A few motels, lodges and hostels also offered him free accommodations as well as meals. Rune operates mostly on donations as cycling every day doesn't allow for time to work a regular job. He occasionally takes a few days off to see the local sights, attend special events and to meet with people in bicycle shops and cafes.