A new start after 60: I rented out my flat and bought a bike. Now home is a tent and the open road

Sarah Cook has pedalled more than 24,000 miles in the seven years since she left England for the US and beyond. She has no plans to stop

When the urge became impossible to ignore, Sarah Cook bought a touring bike and an “all-singing, all-dancing four-season tent”, and packed her belongings into 68-litre bike bags.

She was 60, and, having rented out her flat in Cumbria, England, set off alone to pedal the Pacific west coast of the US. As she cycled away from Vancouver airport, “I was like ‘See you in six months!’,” Cook says. “Not having the weight of bricks and mortar and possessions was so liberating.” By the time she arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, 111 days later, she knew, “this is how I want to live my life.” Now 67, she has been itinerant ever since, and has cycled 24,000 miles.

Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?