My Interview With Alice Held: Bike Touring Phenom, TikTok Star, and Outdoor Extraordinaire
For those of you don’t know, I once tried to ride my bicycle across the United States of America. I had never camped before, hadn’t thoroughly planned out my route, and had never ridden my bike more than 45 miles. After 600 miles of interminable rain followed by long stretches of hot desert, I quit my tour and flew from Boise, Idaho, back home to New York.
These days I tend to live a more sedentary lifestyle, but I still seek out adventures in various forms, including this Newsletter! I am always experimenting with new topics, styles, and writing formats. Additionally, as many of you know, I have really wanted to conduct an interview for this Substack for quite some time.
I didn’t want to interview just anybody, though; I only wanted to interview someone whom I admire. Alice Held is someone whom I admire. Alice completed a 1,800 mile bike tour from Canada to Mexico last year, summited 30 mountain peaks in Glacier National Park over the course of that same summer, and picked up over 200,000 followers on TikTok along the way.
Alice is one of my favorite TikTok creators because they are so genuine in the content that they post online. Alice does not shy away from talking about controversial topics and showing what outdoor adventures are really like, rather than exclusively showing the highlights of them.
Alice is also incredibly kind and great at giving wise advice. Last year, while I was struggling with my bike tour, I reached out to Alice and they helped me to feel proud of my accomplishments and for pushing myself out of my comfort zone. “You’re living the true human experience right now… This is what life is all about.”
Alice was kind enough to take time out of their busy schedule in order to provide some incredibly thoughtful answers to a few of my silly little questions.
AG: Hi Alice! Tell us a bit about yourself! Where are you in the world, what are you currently up to, what got you interested in the outdoors (and biking, in particular)?
AH: Hi Andrew! Oh man, this question is always the toughest for some reason. I am in Missoula, MT, studying Sports Medicine at the University of Montana. I just finished finals week! I am 24, but moved to Montana when I was 21. I grew up in Ann Arbor, MI, moved to Seattle for a year after high school for an AmeriCorps service year, then returned home to start community college. Being that my community college was right next door to the University of Michigan, I found that there was some overlap in professors, and I got an excellent education there (and for far cheaper!). However, I had no clue what I wanted to do for several years. I considered going into teaching, then social work/addiction & recovery advocacy, then settled with the vague Communications degree. Not to give any spoilers but I got sober when I was a teenager and for a long time felt that I kind of “wasted” my childhood/teenage years when it seemed like everyone else was figuring out their hobbies and interests. I was just doing drugs. So I had a bit of catching up to do as a young adult, in figuring out my genuine interests and talents. It felt like everyone had their “thing”, and I didn’t know what mine was.
That search for my identity is essentially what led me to move to Montana, for what was supposed to be a summer of seasonal work. I had never been around mountains in my entire life and just to see them on a regular basis while driving, looking out my window, etc. completely flipped me upside down. Then, to summit them, that sealed the deal that I was staying out West, and I really found myself as a hiker, climber, mountaineer, runner, cyclist… whatever, just love being outside!
Then I took a couple more gap years living in my car to explore my new surroundings all up and down the Mountain West– with Whitefish, MT being home base– and last fall I finally settled down a bit, renting a home with a couple other folks here in Missoula and taking classes. It has been an adjustment (definitely failed chemistry the first semester) but as the spring semester rolled around I can say I am finally starting to rock this academic side quest in life.
Oh, how did I get into biking! Well, obviously I really suck at brevity so to make a long story short, I tried my hand at skiing (one outdoor sport that I feel very neutral about) and concussed myself pretty quickly. The doctor cleared me for one activity for a month: stationary biking. It was February in Montana, a dreary time, and only being outside can really cure those seasonal blues for me, so I was super bummed to hear that from the doctor. I found a spin studio in town, and going to a spin class fresh off a concussion (well, after a week of bedrest) was quite the experience. It was 6 AM, the room was dark, the music was loud, I was so confused. But, I learned that there are ways to make riding fun, and kept going for the month (and then actually ended up working there for quite some time).
My aunt Dorothy noticed that I was enjoying my spin classes, so she sent me her old road racing bike, a Seven (AKA a really nice lightweight custom bike that fit her body and luckily we have similar builds). I had ridden a bike probably three times in the last ten years, so I was basically getting familiar with riding again on the Seven, which to me is like learning how to drive in a luxury sports car. About two weeks after I received the bike in the mail I decided that the best way to learn how to ride it would be to go on a bike tour with my friend Garrett, so I spent a month biking out to the coast of Washington, down to Portland, and then on the Columbia River back to Missoula (I had to stop about 2-3 days short, in Kooskia, ID, because of derailleur issues, but that 2-3 day stretch home is something I’d like to “officially” complete at some point).
That sounds like such an amazing journey of self discovery after moving to Montana! And don’t even get me started about chemistry; I also found it to be one of the most painful classes that I’ve ever taken. Also, shoutout to your Aunt Dorothy for hooking you up with your bike!
I have a few questions about your bike tour from Canada to Mexico. First off, congratulations on completing it! Having attempted a bike tour myself, I can attest to how physically and emotionally taxing it can be. What was your favorite part of the trip? What was the best food that you had during the tour? And what is your bike’s name, if it has one?
Thank you! Well, first of all, if I remember correctly, you kind of drew the short straw as far as weather goes. You were biking in the hottest temps of the year. So I wouldn’t be surprised if your tour felt a lot more physically and emotionally harder than mine.
Some notable moments in the Pacific route were seeing the ocean for the first time in Astoria, OR. In Washington, you see it for like a little bit, but mostly you are biking next to the Sound, and then the route takes you inland for some time, so to finally hit the ocean and see a bunch of sea lions screaming at each other was such an epic moment despite being so far from the finish line. Another notable moment were all of the bunnies that live at the town campground in Cannon Beach, OR. There are literally hundreds of them. I really enjoyed biking through Cape Perpetua in Yachats, OR.
My favorite food of the tour was probably the Green Salmon Cafe in Yachats. I was doing the second tour entirely vegan, and they had a bunch of vegan goodies. I saw the redwoods for the first time, and of course, I loved biking down Big Sur. Oh, also, the funniest moment on my tour worth mentioning was in a coastal town in Oregon, I watched a fish truck unknowingly dump hundreds (if not thousands) of fish out of the back of the truck while driving. Someone had to run out of one of the roadside businesses and flag him down to let him know that all the fish were on the road. Not everything needs to be on video but all the time I wish I would’ve gotten that situation on video so that whenever I’m having a bad day I can remind myself that at least it’s not as bad as that driver’s day.
My bike’s name is Sherman, named after Sherman Pass in Washington. I biked it on my first tour. To this day, that pass is maybe one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I mean, technically I have done exponentially harder and crazier things, but for some reason nothing has nearly broken me like that mountain pass did that day. There is something so psychological about riding up a hill just to discover there is another one beyond it - and to have that happen to me ten times in a row just had me laughing maniacally and desperately while riding. I think I was also just really hungry. The payoff riding down the other side was way worth it though.
As if the bike tour wasn’t impressive enough, it’s such a cool accomplishment to have done it entirely vegan. The first snack that I had during my tour was a Slim Jim (this interview is NOT sponsored by Slim Jim) and I had Slim Jim burps the remainder of the ride, so maybe the plant-based strategy would’ve come in handy for me. I totally resonate with the story of going crazy on Sherman Pass, also. While doing the 26 mile climb over the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, every single time I turned a corner I would pray for downhill, and every single corner I’d be greeted by more climbing.
If you could go on a two month long bike tour with any celebrity, who would you choose and what route would you take?
Oooooooooooof. This is such a good question and could go so many different ways. I would do the ACA Southern Tier with John Wilson. Recently I had to watch an episode of “How To with John Wilson” for class, it was the first time I’d ever seen it, and I definitely think going on a bike tour with him would be memorable. I think I would really love doing the Continental Divide Route with the climber Beth Rodden. I have this idea to do a super long bike tour connecting the Southern Tier, the Atlantic Route, and the Northern Tier from Maine back to Whitefish, like one big loop, and I think it’d be fun to do that with ultrarunner Harvey Lewis if I could convince him to get on a bike (and spend six months with a stranger).
That loop would be insane! I’ll join you for a day or two (preferably a downhill day and preferably when it’s 73-76 degrees out).
What’s a guilty pleasure song, movie, or TV show of yours?
I have an entire 150-song playlist of 2000-2010 rap hits including hit singles like “Ice Cream Paint Job”, “Right Thurr”, and “Knuck if you Buck”. You don’t know you need a playlist like that until the exact moment comes along when you do. It definitely got me through both of my bike tours.
Nothing can motivate you to keep pedaling more than the right song, so I respect that.
I see through social media that you recently were awarded a scholarship to attend a glacier clinic this summer, congratulations! Along with learning more about the technical skills of glaciering, are there any other outdoor oriented goals that you would like to accomplish in the next few years?
Thank you! There is a lot to be learned about glaciering and hopefully it’ll open up the door for me to safely link together peaks in my “home park” Glacier National Park. My number one goal will always be to explore Glacier and to learn about its cultural and historical roots. It is a place that means so much to me and keeps me grounded. Of course, in my life I would really love to summit all of its peaks (I think I’m between 50 or 60 of 200-ish at the moment). Other outdoor goals would be to finally thru-hike something. I was going to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail this summer, but with potential school/lab work the logistics didn’t work out. I plan to hike that at some point in the next couple years (I’m considering next summer but logistically it might be better if I wait until graduation the following summer).
I will be running my first ultra marathon this upcoming September, Run the Rut! I am really excited to see if there is anything there for me in running ultras.
ULTRA Marathon? As in a marathon but more difficult? As a half marathon runner myself (tooting my own horn), I am going to stay as far away from marathons, ultra or regular, as humanly possible.
To an outside viewer, it looks like you are fearless! Your followers have watched you bike, almost entirely alone, from Canada to Mexico, climb dozens of mountains, swim in freezing cold bodies of water, and speak your mind even if you know that your opinions might face some backlash. Are there any random things that scare you, like spiders or heights?
I get really weird about people poking my belly button. Don’t touch that shit. Also terrified of mushroom toxicity, so if you ever cook me a meal and say that you foraged the mushrooms yourself, I will awkwardly but politely decline it (unless they’re morel mushrooms- sometimes I cave for morels). Also, I’m fucking terrified of grizzly bears. Any of my climbing partners know that as soon as we see one while hiking a peak, I legitimately get nauseous. I climb to climb, not to defend myself from wildlife. Did not sign up for that part.
Those are super reasonable fears, honestly. I also am afraid of grizzly bears so I’m very thankful that they don’t frequent New York City.
If you could switch lives with any character from a book, movie, or TV show who would you choose?
Oh man! I just read this true story from a University of Montana graduate Pete Fromm. When he was a college student, he took a seven month job monitoring salmon in the Bitterroot River (I think that’s the river). He spent the winter alone in the wilderness (actually, yes, the title of the book is “A Winter Alone in the Wilderness”). Not sure if I’d switch lives entirely with him, but I would totally switch with him for that experience. Also, he’s published books since then, which I find pretty cool, too.
As someone who cried after one night camping in the rain, I can’t even imagine spending a winter alone in the wilderness.
Last question. If you could give one piece of advice to someone interested in taking on a large adventure, either outdoor or otherwise, what would it be?
Great specification on outdoor or otherwise. My biggest piece of advice is to remember that your undertaking has merit and value no matter how it measures up to someone else’s. Some people are setting FKTs [Fastest Known Times], other people are just trying to get sober. All of it is an adventure. Comparing is not the point. If you compare yourself to someone else’s capabilities, it most likely won’t motivate you the way you think, and it may even cause you to freeze up and prevent you from exploring something you really want to do. My best athletic performances have always, always, always been from when I am just competing against myself. If I know I can do something faster than I did it before, or more efficiently, that’s always a huge motivator for me to get out there and prove it to myself.
Re: bike tours, there isn’t really a baseline of fitness or knowledge that you need to bike a long distance. Sure, there is a level of fitness and knowledge that will make it exponentially easier, but if you have a positive attitude, curious mindset, and are headstrong, you can make it work. Like I said, I barely rode a bike for ten years before I embarked on my first tour. I also had no clue how to change a flat: I learned on the spot about 5 miles outside of Libby, MT. It was definitely the adventure I was looking for!
Of course, practice safety skills and know your shtuff - eat enough food and drink enough water, and also, you should have adequate weather gear and know how to get yourself warm in case of an emergency (FWIW, bike tubes are quite flammable if you need to start a fire).
alice>u
Alice sounds so cool! Loved this interview