Bruno Toutain

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Western Europe is my playground. Many cycling itineraries in France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland have no secret for me and my bike."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I don't remember much of my childhood…. Or so it seems. I have no recollection at all! Nothing, nothing, nothing! But when it comes to bicycling, everything becomes very clear. As far back as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by bicycles.

Forty years later, that feeling hasn't changed one bit. On a bike, I am still the happiest kid. Although I love all cycling-oriented activities: commuting, road racing, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, nothing brings me more pleasure than discovering new regions: whether it's the Alps, or the Rockies, or Vietnam!

Biking has allowed me to immerse myself in countries and areas in a very privileged way; I have captured and brought back images, odors, feelings, and impressions that cannot be captured behind a car’s window. Besides, a bike is a piece of conversation, a cultural bridge, a social equalizer in many countries where bicycles are people's only means of transportation.

On a bike, you are no longer an observer you are a peaceful and friendly actor. You become part of what you visit in the most respectful way of people's life and their environment--pollution-free.

Cyclomundo is the offspring of this vision of travel. Although I don't expect to the turn the world into biking, I hope I will inspire some to take their bikes and explore…

On a professional side, I spent 12 years working for the Monaco Government Tourist Office (MGTO) in New York, prior to setting up my company in France."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I brought my bike to Vietnam almost 20 years ago (which was not as common as it is today) and was one of the most unique experience ever.

When I landed in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), I thought I’d go to the hotel and rest a while; but the smells, the noise, the heat and the energy of the place were overwhelming… Everything was new and exciting, and the fatigue was gone. So, I checked into my hotel quickly and spent the afternoon cruising the streets of Saigon. I sat behind my guide, as we steered and veered in the middle of a constant flow of mopeds, bicycles and motorbikes carrying two, three, sometimes four people. Traffic carries more people than I ever saw in any Western city. It was chaotic but efficient and I was about to start biking into this chaos…

After leaving the city I biked northward along the coastal road. Restaurants and open-air markets are plentiful, and the fruit was the best I’ve ever tasted. The scenery is grandiose and varied, with rice paddies, sugar cane fields, mountains, and forest.

What made the trip so interesting, however, were the people I met daily on the road: school kids, architects, teachers, local TV celebrities, airline employees, war veterans... The road is the social place, a meeting spot. I did meet a lot of people!

My new Vietnamese friends invited me to their home, acted as guides and forgave my cultural faux-pas. I’ll never forget the time I spent with each of them."