109. Leoni Kolberg the Cyclonaut: Lessons from World Travel on a Bicycle, Resilience, Self-Reliance, Presence, and Letting Go
10 February 2026

109. Leoni Kolberg the Cyclonaut: Lessons from World Travel on a Bicycle, Resilience, Self-Reliance, Presence, and Letting Go

Beyond The Lens with Richard Bernabe

About

What happens when you walk away from the life you’re supposed to live and follow your curiosity and sense of adventure instead?

In this episode, I sit down with Leoni Kolberg, better known as LaserLeo the Cyclonaut, who has spent the past several years living on a bicycle, cycling across continents, sleeping in a tent, and navigating the world, and her inner landscape, one mile at a time.

This isn’t just a story about adventure. It’s about choosing uncertainty over comfort, learning resilience through hardship, and discovering what really matters when you strip life down to the essentials.

We talk about cycling solo across continents, the mental and physical challenges of life on the road, moments of fear and triumph, and why freedom is often harder than the safe, predictable path that society demands.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Leoni walked away from a conventional future to live on the road
• The mental toughness built through solitude and uncertainty
• Fear, resilience, and learning to trust yourself
• The people and moments that changed her along the way
• Why adventure is often an inner journey as much as an outer one

This is a conversation about curiosity, courage, and what happens when you stop living by default and start living by design.

Notable Links:

Leoni's Instagram
Leoni's Polarsteps
Leoni's bike: Tout Terrain

*****

If you’re looking for that next-level boost to your creativity and photography skills, you’ve got to check out my Beyond The Lens Newsletter on Substack.

 It’s like having a backstage pass to everything I explore with my guests here on the podcast - delivered straight to your email inbox.

Think practical photography tips, mind-expanding ideas for personal vision, and real-world tactics to level up your craft. Plus I’m sharing my thoughts on travel, conservation, creativity and more.

It’s straight to the point, super actionable, and it shows you how to see the world in an entirely new way. 

So if that sounds like your vibe, head on over to beyondthelens.fm/go and prepare to take your creative game to new heights. 


Follow Richard Bernabe:

Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto