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Author, speaker, videographer and bicycle adventurette Lynette Chiang (The Galfromdownunder) cycled the world solo and self-supported on a folding bicycle for several years, living and working in Britain, Ireland, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and the USA. Lynette's 24/7 job is Customer Evangelist an online content writer for Bike Friday, maker of the world's leading performance travel bicycle. She delights in the opportunity to charge up cycling, travel and business audiences about creativity, adventure, and "the marketing you do when you're not doing marketing". Contact her via email: lynettec@bikefriday.com |
 The "Mother Road" of all highways, Route66, was once a 2,400-mile journey over national trails and farm roads linking Chicago to California.By the mid 1930s, completely paved, it became the classic American road trip .... until the I-40 freeway came along, bypassing many colorful towns and businesses, many of which languished and died. Thanks to efforts by 'never say die' of fans of the Old Road, Route66 was re-born. Author, world bicycle traveler and handlebar videographer Lynette Chiang (The Galfromdownunder) shot and created a 45-minute documentary of this journey on the road using a simple Panasonic Lumix digital camera tucked into her jersey pocket and a 12" Apple Mac laptop. This film is an upbeat journey along the 'forgotten highway', led by Race Across America bicycling legend and fan of Route66, Lon Haldeman. You'll ride along the original Route 66 alignments through 8 states over 29 days, experiencing the people, places and chocolate malt milkshakes that made this highway great. View clip and buy it |
 Author, world bicycle traveler and handlebar videographer Lynette Chiang (The Galfromdownunder) biked the world's highest highway with Race Across America Bicycling legend Lon Haldeman. This 500-mile, 12-day expedition followed the barren hills of Lima over the 16,000 foot Ticlo mountain pass, descending into terraced valleys to reach Satipo, a remote, inland jungle town. Local police proclaimed the group as the first 'gringos' to reach there by bicycle. Lynette shot and produced a 45-minute documentary of this journey on the road, using a Canon Elph digital camera tucked into her jersey pocket, and a 12" Apple Mac laptop. You'll 'ride' through peaks and chasms, visiting a remote Peruvian orphanage of 85 children whose parents were killed by guerillas 8 years ago, and who survive on the salary of the sole nun who cares for them. Lynette will be taking donations for these children and forwarding them to Lon Haldeman, who buys and personally delivers food and clothing to the Orphanage each year in October. The movie is set to music by acclaimed Eugene classical guitarist Craig Einhorn, electronic music composer Jon7 and Lynette Chiang. The movie won the Audience Award at the inaugural Boston Bicycle Film Festival in October 2005. View clip and buy it |
 June 3, 2007: Favorably reviewed in the New York Times Book Review, Summer Reading Edition The Handsomest Man in Cuba by Lynette Chiang, published 2003 (Random House Australia), 2004 (self-published, Small Wheel Press USA), 2007 (Globe-Pequot USA). WITH CUBA OFF LIMITS to Americans and large fines served to some defiant travelers, many have given up on seeing the 'buena vista' of this controversial Caribbean isle. World bicycle traveler Lynette Chiang (The Galfromdownunder) presents a slideshow and talk based on her book, 'The Handsomest Man in Cuba', an apolitical, no-bucket-baths spared tale of what it is like to eat, drink and be cautiously merry among ordinary Cubans. Hailed by Australian critics as 'one of the best on-the-road travel books of this generation', the USA edition won a Silver Award for Travel Essays in Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year 2004. It features a foreword by acclaimed USA author and bicycle adventurer The Metal Cowboy. Lynette is featured presented this book on Good Morning Australia and Forbes.com 'Rugged Individualists'. The slideshow presentation consists of 80 images of Cuba, Q&A, discussion/reading, book sale, demonstration of the Oregon-made Bike Friday travel bicycle. Read excerpts and buy it |
The Galfromdownunder spent 7 weeks riding a Bike Friday across hilly Chiapas and the flat-as-a-tortilla Yucatan in Mexico in 2004. Ancient Mayan ruins, cenotes (underground wells), fabulous doors and windows that would make Martha Stewart weep, and a bad case of dehydration make for 'bueno' slideshow of over 200 images. Venga mi amor! |