BiciClown
Who are you?
I am Alvaro Neil, although my nickname is Biciclown. I have lived ‘in’ my bike since 2001 and in 2004 I left my town of birth Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) and have never returned.
What have you set out to do?
I have no plans of going back, at least not before I have finished my project Miles of smiles around the world. Potentially, I may have finished by 2014, but plans are being delayed. I will be 50 by the time I go back home, a difficult age to enter the labour market. But I will not go back to my former job as assistant at a Notary's office in Madrid.
What do you want to achieve?
Biciclown comes from the fact that I travel by bike and I am a clown. I offer my clown shows to the most humble and for free. I have performed at refugee camps, prisons, hospitals... You can see some of my performances on YouTube or follow me on my website. I’ve played more than 50 shows for more than 20,000 people. I do it for free because that is my will. Sixty per cent of the money I need to live comes from my own savings, 20 per cent from my sponsors, and the other 20 per cent from people I come across and believe in my project. For example, a stranger stopped paying the membership fee to Canal Plus (a private television in Spain) to help me.
How many countries have you visited so fare?
Sixty-six countries.
How many kilometres have you travelled on your bike?
Up to today – 114,023 kilometres.
How many nights have you slept in a tent?
Almost every day for the last eight years. Let’s say about 250 nights a year.