Rune Monstad
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Rune Monstad (born April 14, 1973), also known as The Viking Biker, is a Norwegian cyclist who cycled around the world on a 27-speed Gekko mountain bike from 2005 to 2010. 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 (from west to east) in the winter, the first known person to do so. He was fully equipped with winter camping gear for sub-freezing temperatures.
In May 2007, he left for Africa, cycling through Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, South Africa, Indonesia, Australia. He completed his trip in 2010, returning to live in Norway. In Africa, Rune was called "Paco", as it was too difficult for the locals to pronounce his name.
Rune never paid for accommodation, and lived off $5–$10 per day USD. He carried a tent with him, but hardly had to use it, as many people 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 operated mostly on donations as cycling every day did not 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.