Discover the heartwarming true story of a life-changing friendship between a man and his rescue cat, Nala, as they adventure together on a bike journey around the world — from the Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world. When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn’t bargained on the … hadn’t bargained on the lessons he’d learn from his unlikely companion.
Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn’t leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.
Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond — both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers — and still counting!
Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala’s inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
lion views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers — and still counting!
Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala’s inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
lion views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers — and still counting!
Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala’s inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
lion views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers — and still counting!
Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala’s inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.
more
I have been a follower of Dean and Nala’s instagram account (@1bike1world) and his Youtube channel since early 2019 and it has been such a joy to see their posts. I am an avid animal lover and traveler so their account was especially a great one to follow. When we all learned that Dean had written a book retelling his journey since he rescued Nala, I was ecstatic to read it. Reading this book made me respect Dean so much more. The way he admitted how much he has grown since meeting Nala was really admirable. The love he has for Nala and our planet is showcased throughout his Instagram posts, Youtube videos and now his book.
I absolutely loved this book so much! I laughed, I smiled and I did get teary eyed especially when Ghost’s chapter came up. By following Dean and Nala, I found a few more great Instagram accounts to follow, @kellyulrichartist who has been illustrating Dean, Nala and Vinny’s journey and @bikecanine who took care of Ghost. I had a wonderful time recounting all that Dean and Nala had experienced so far and looking forward to what is in store for their future. A definite 5-star read!
When Dean Nicholson set out from Scotland to bike around the world, he wasn’t sure how his trip would go, but he certainly wasn’t counting on one rescued kitten changing his life. Dean rescued Nala from a frightful fate when he found the abandoned kitten in the mountains. This is the story of their time together on the road and the bond between animal and human.
I, like many people, initially saw the video on Facebook about Nala’s rescue then I decided to go a step further and read the book. I’m so glad that I did. The book’s well-written and it pulled me in from the beginning keeping me hooked throughout. Of course, any animal lover is going to love the story of someone rescuing a helpless kitten, but this book goes beyond that. And anyone who’s ever loved a cat, knows that when we bring them home it’s their world and we just live in it with them. LOL I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it, not just to cat lovers in particular but animal lovers in general.
I let my cat review this one! See if you agree with her take!
Wow! Mum read an awesome book about a cat who’s on a ‘round the world trip with a guy on a bicycle. I’m not sure I want to travel on a bicycle—or at all—but it’s a grand adventure story. And it’s not fiction. It’s true.
Nala was a tiny kitten, when Dean, a cyclist from Scotland, found her on the side of a mountain road in Bosnia, at least ten miles from the nearest town. He couldn’t believe it when what he thought might be a squeak in his rear wheel turned out to be a kitten meowing. How could she have turned up on a mountain road in the middle of nowhere?
Well, I can answer that question. Someone in a pickup truck threw me into a bush in midtown Atlanta when I was a “wee thing” as Dean would say. I bet that’s what happened to Nala, whom Dean named for the lioness in “The Lion King.”
What a lucky kitty. Not only did Dean hear her, but he also decided to take her along on his journey. He left Scotland, determined to cycle around the world with a friend. When his friend bailed on him, he went his merry way alone. Finding Nala meant he had a new companion. Maybe you’ve seen the video of their adventure on the youtube video posted by Dodo. If you haven’t, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Yes, Nala, is lucky, but so is Dean. He says she’s given him a new outlook on life, and their relationship has changed him. I think all cats can have a positive influence on their peeps, given a chance, but this tale is an exceptional example of the power of one tiny kitty.
Dean and Nala sleep most nights in a tent, and Nala loves it. Again, I might like spending a bit of time playing in a tent, but every night? No way. I like my beds. The more Mum read, the more I learned about all the accouterments Nala has. She has toys and a harness and a pet carrier for the back of the bike, though she prefers riding up front on the handlebars where she can keep an eye on Dean and take in the scenery. The first day, she left the bike bag, climbed up his arm to his shoulders, and wrapped herself around his neck. How cute is that?
When she developed a chest cold after the two were caught in a downpour, they spent three weeks in a hostel instead of a tent so she could recover, and she enjoyed that too. She’s quite a hit, not only with people the two encounter on the journey but also on Instagram and YouTube. Dean has GoPro camera plus a drone with a camera and is forever posting photos of their adventures.
Mum says she was skeptical about how good the book would be, but it turned out she couldn’t put it down. Well, I could have told her that would be the case. What’s not to love about a book with a cat in it? She enjoyed it so much, she now follows Nala and Dean on FaceBook at 1bike1world. Yup, she’s hooked.
You know my Mum writes the Dickens & Christie cozy mystery series, and Christie, the sassy black cat in her books, rides in a backpack when her owner goes on walks. Thankfully, Mum hasn’t tried that with me. I’ve made it clear I’m happy observing the world from the screened porch and Dad’s lap. I’m a little worried, though, because Mum has a bicycle with a pouch on the front. Goodness knows what I’ll do if she gets the idea I need a bicycle ride. Repeat after me, “No bike, no way.”
I’ve been following Dean & Nala’s journey, on Instagram, as they bike around the globe. This book is a fun read where one gets more info about Dean finding an abandoned kitten, Nala, and their journey so far. But it is also about one man’s journey to better understand himself and the positive impact he can make on the world.