Brilio.net/en - If you love to cycle the name Bambang Hertadi (Paimo) surely rings a bell. The 57-year old has traveled five continents on his bicycle and is a legend amongst riders after his spectacular achievements.
Born in Malang, Paimo, an Art and Design graduate of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), earned his Javanese nickname from his friends in university, as he preferred speaking Javanese to Bahasa.
"On my graduation day, I rode my bicycle to the top of the ITB building to celebrate, revealed Paimo to brilio.net/en.
Paimos cycling adventures began in Junior High School, when he explored Malang-Kediri and Malang-Tulungagung. After his graduation, he challenged himself by expanding his journey to several islands in Indonesia. Amongst those he visited are Bandung-Sumbawa besar, Mount Rinjani in Lombok, and Mount Tambora in Sumbawa. He named his 1,656 kilometer journey Cintaku Negeriku, which means, My Love, My Country.
And that was just the beginning. Since then, Paimo has crossed borders and has traveled through unimaginable routes. He has even cycled to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, which stands 5.896 metres tall. Thats right, the peak! He also explored South America, covering a lengthy distance from Bolivia to Chile.
And thats how Paimos cycling adventures just went on and on. Apart from his journey to Africa and the Americas, he has cycled through the Great Wall of China, Nepal-India plateaus, and even the Himalayas. In Europe, he cycled all the way from Portugal to France. Safe to say, Paimo has covered tens of thousands of kilometers in his travels.
"There were no bicycles tailored for long-distance journeys, so I just used a Federal-made bike from Indonesia because I did not have money to buy one. said Paimo, smiling.
Traveling on a bicycle across continents is no easy feat. Whats more, he had to bring along a tent and sleeping bag to rest in during his travels.
It was in 1997 that Paimo started to design his very own bicycle. When pioneering long distance cycling or "bikepacking," he made use of a cast iron material to connect the front and back racks for storing his bags. The iron is secured to the bicycle frame through the use of a bolt. Nine years later, when Paimo rode from Bolivia to Chile, the bicycle frame broke. He then invested in repairing and replacing components, from the chain to its inner tubes.
With the limited options he had, Paimo has slept in places you wouldnt even imagine: near graveyards, in football fields, and even in the ruins of former stations. During his journey to Lake Salary de Chiguana in Bolivia, he managed to set up a tent amongst the ruins of a neglected building.
But it was his Bolivia-Chile route that he revealed was most challenging spanning an incredible 6000 kilometer journey at an altitude of 3.600 meters, the climb getting there was almost as high as Mount Semeru in East Java! Paimo admits that controlling his energy was essential in overcoming the thinning oxygen levels. Because he made many rest stops to help his body adapt to the situation, it eventually took Paimo two weeks to cover the journey from La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, to Punta Arenas, Chile.
"Yeah, it was tiring, but I am really happy that I got to meet new people, and that I learnt a lot of new cultures from foreign countries" he said proudly.
Paimo has published his cycling experiences in a book titled Bersepeda Membelah Pegunungan Andes (Cycling Divides the Andes). He hopes that the book can educate bikepackers who intend to explore multiple destinations.
Paimo has successfully made his mark on the world stage. An inspiration indeed!