David Brandenberger

Many of you will remember David Brandenberger and his epic Solatrike, an AZUB T-tris 20 dual motor recumbent trike with custom solar panel trailer. Both built for serious adventure. Back in 2020, we interviewed David (read that HERE). After a multi-year pandemic pause, David is back in motion riding coast to coast across Canada, continuing the Solatrike Journey around the globe.

When and where did you start cycling the Solatrike in Canada?
I started at the beginning of July 2024 in Vancouver and then cycled through B.C. and Alberta. First, I rode through Hell’s Gate to Prince George and via Chetwynd to Dawson Creek. Then I had to make a big detour because Jasper had burned down. That’s why I cycled to Rocky Mountain House and from there to the northern part of Banff National Park. From Banff, I continued on to Calgary, Drumheller and north to Leduc near Edmonton. I was allowed to leave the Solatrike at RENU Cycles in Leduc over the winter and continue the journey in May 2025.

How did you ship the Solatrike to Canada? Now that you have done it several times, do you find the shipping process easy?
I always have to ship the Solatrike in a 20-foot container by cargo ship. It’s not an easy process. I usually have to inquire around to find the appropriate company that is willing to undertake the task. Some don’t want to ship lithium batteries. That’s why I started looking for a company several months in advance, so I wouldn’t be stuck in one place with no solution.

I had organised everything in good time for shipping the Solatrike to Canada and had already agreed on a shipping date, but then lockdown was imposed two days before the shipping date. I cancelled the shipment, returned to Switzerland and informed the company each year whether or not I would wait another year. After four years, I finally returned to Christchurch and shipped the Solatrike to Vancouver.

After a long break, have you upgraded or replaced any solar or battery systems?
No, everything is still working perfectly. I just made sure that the battery is stored in a warm place during the winter. Since I’m not a techie, I just hope everything works and don’t constantly measure amps and watts.

Which provinces of Canada did you travel through?
I started in British Columbia last year and then continued on to Alberta. This year, I started in Alberta, crossed Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and am now on my way through Ontario.

Are there any unforgettable encounters with animals in Canada?
Heaps of mosquitoes, flies, horseflies, blackflies and spiders that want something from me. But I guess you mean bears. One was very close to the road, but I didn’t see it and it was too late to brake. The bear saw me first and fled into the bushes, frightened by my vehicle. Luckily for me, my Solatrike rattles loudly on bumpy roads and the tall flags make it look bigger. I had another amazing encounter when a bald eagle suddenly flew past about 5 metres away from my head at the same height as I had to retreat behind some bushes.

Almost everyone loves national parks. How was your experience in Banff National Park? Were there many hills and tourists in the Banff area?
Since Jasper burned down last year, Banff was the only place I could still visit on my route. For this reason, it was quite touristy and crowded. I definitely like the mountains and the landscape is beautiful, but the steep roads really exhausted me. On the other hand, as a Swiss guy who lives among mountains over 4,000 metres high, it’s pretty hard to impress me. Nevertheless, no two mountains are alike and I really enjoyed my time there.

You have plenty of space to transport things. What do you take with you to pass the time when you’re not riding?
The photos need to be edited, my website needs to be updated, the blog needs to be written, and the films also take up a lot of time. I always have a laptop with me to do all this work. Sometimes it’s more work than a normal job – and yet I don’t earn a penny from it. When I’m in the right mood and find a good subject, I take my sketchbook and make sketches of views that I like. They’re not perfect, and that’s not the goal. I’m more interested in my impression of them. I use my camera to capture the perfect picture.

What I like about the sketches is that I can leave out what I don’t like (e.g. power cables) or add what I do like (a few pretty ladies) to improve the sketch. Even though I hardly ever find the time, I always carry a small travel guitar with me to practice. The first guitar I bought especially for this trip was too big, so after a few months I sent it back home. But when I saw this travel guitar in a guitar shop in Hong Kong a few years later, I was smitten. I measured the space under the solar panels and the guitar just about fit. It was a no-brainer.

   

 

How do you find accommodation? Do you bring a tent with you or do you try to find somewhere indoors to stay?
I always carry a tent with me because affordable accommodation is not available everywhere. Sometimes, a campsite is the only option for finding a place to sleep. I usually camp. In addition to camping, I use the Warmshowers community, where you can stay with locals and gain a deeper insight into the life and culture of the country.

In one of your YouTube videos, you mention that you chased some people with a machete. What happened?
There are some young people who don’t know what to do on the weekend and have boring ideas. It was drizzling outside, and I was reading in my tent. Then I heard voices and a car engine. On the footpath and cycle path, I wondered. But then there was a loud bang against my tent. Those teenagers were kicking my tent, and there was a hole in the rain fly. I shouted at them, and they hurried back to the car. The driver pressed the accelerator pedal all the way down and they sped off at breakneck speed.

By the time I had put on my shoes and dug the machete out of my luggage, I assumed they were already long gone. However, when I reached the other part of the campsite in the drizzling rain, a car drove towards me. It was only when it turned around hastily that I realised it was the boys. I immediately ran after them, but they were too far away for me to read the number plate. Wielding the machete, I tried to cut them off, but they fled to the road and were gone. I think I scared the hell out of them when they saw me with the machete. From now on, I’m not letting that thing out of my sight.

You took some time to explore places like Hell’s Gate by cable car and go hiking in Banff and Drumheller. How do you secure the Solatrike and its contents when you are out and about on foot?
It’s not that easy to steal the Solatrike if you don’t know how to ride it, and certainly not if it’s locked up. I use several locks to secure my belongings, and I also have to have a certain amount of trust in people. So far, I haven’t had to hand my machete over to any guardian angels.

The Solatrike has a hub motor and a mid-drive motor. Are both motors operated simultaneously, or is one of them only used for riding up steep inclines?
I don’t switch both on at the same time. The hub motor is only sufficient for speeds of around 10 to 25 km/h and the mid-drive motor for 4 to 8 km/h. So, I can’t use both at the same time, and that wouldn’t make any sense anyway. I only need the mid-drive motor for really nasty steep climbs.

You are now riding the third version of the Solatrike trailer and the original recumbent trike. How are the trike and trailer performing on the roads of Canada?
So far, so good. But it’s a real challenge with all the bumps, potholes, cracks and patches. When I returned to Canada, I replaced the wheels on the trailer because they were worn out and the front wheels of the trike because the braking pads were worn out. Thanks to AZUB for sponsoring! I hope the axles will last a little longer now. My self-made suspension on the trailer is also working well. If I remember correctly, I haven’t had to replace any axles since installing the suspension, only broken spokes.

   

 

How long have you been growing your beard?
I haven’t cut it since I started touring with the first version 11 years ago. Since I had to find a job during the pandemic, I was lucky to find a boss who allowed me to keep my beard. I just had to braid it and tuck it away while I was working. Long beards are nothing special in the mountains, but I think if I had been looking for a job in the city, I wouldn’t have been allowed to have this beard.

You publish your own songs on your website and on YouTube. What inspires you to make music?
Well, there is a rhythm, there is a phrase, there is an idea, there is a melody, and somehow they merge into a whole. Sometimes it comes from everyday life, sometimes from a situation I find myself in or that others find themselves in, sometimes it’s a question I’m looking for an answer to, sometimes it comes from my faith, sometimes from my unfulfilled relationship with a woman… and there you have it, the blues.

How long have you been playing guitar, how many guitars do you have, and do you play any other instruments when you’re at home?
I started playing guitar relatively late, at the age of 18. After several years of self-study, I took lessons for a year, specializing in blues and jazz, and made great technical progress. After that, I taught myself everything and constantly refined my technique. In 2013, I took part in a short workshop with Phil Keaggy, one of the best guitarists in the world. From the very beginning, I started writing my own songs. I didn’t limit myself to a particular musical style, but mixed blues with all kinds of genres, from bossa nova to heavy metal.

Since I don’t have to sell my music, I take the liberty of creating what I like and hope that others will like it too. I own four guitars and an Ibanez bass. A classical guitar, an electric Fender Stratocaster, a semi-acoustic Godin 5th Avenue CW Kingpin II jazz guitar, and a small Yamaha APX T2 for travelling. In addition to the guitar, I also play several percussion instruments, such as the Irish bodhrán.

You have a keen eye for photography and many impressive photos on your website and YouTube channel. What camera do you currently use, and what do you most enjoy photographing?
The cameras I currently use are the old Nikon D700 (which still works well and fits perfectly in my bike bag) and the professional Nikon D6. Even though these are good cameras, to take good shots you need a good eye and a lot of luck to capture the right moment. My favorite subjects are landscapes and architectural photography because they don’t run away, but I also enjoy animal, night, graphic and macro photography. I also venture into other areas such as sports, events, portraits, weddings, journalism, street photography, beauty & fashion, and light painting.

When you are back home in Switzerland, what activities do you enjoy besides cycling?
As I always say, I was born with skis on my feet. Skiing is one of my favourite activities, which is why I moved from the flatlands to the mountains to live there. I’ve never been interested in speed and racing, but rather in style. I’m amazed that I can still do it at my age, even if not as long as I did in my youth. Speaking of mountains, I enjoy hiking, and the more remote, the better. Sometimes I take my tent with me to spend the night by a beautiful mountain lake. I use some of the beautiful views for oil paintings or charcoal drawings.

I have already been able to participate in various exhibitions. But now all the paintings are in storage until I settle down for a longer period of time. Creativity is a blessing and a curse, and when an idea pops into my head, I have to realise it, no matter what it is. In winter there are snow sculptures and otherwise digital art, cartoons and mixed media.

What is the story behind your nickname Dave the Beaver?
A long time ago, when I was a child, I was a member of the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). In Switzerland, the YMCA is organized similarly to the Scouts. The difference is that the children were divided into age groups and the stories we acted out were all from the Bible (Old and New Testaments). To distinguish the children from each other, we gave them names. For various reasons, I was given the name ‘Beaver’.

When I painted my first painting at the age of 18, I used my YMCA name ‘Beaver’ as a pseudonym. This name is still in use today. When I got my own email address in 2002, I looked for a name that could be used internationally and conveyed more ideas than my normal name. That’s how I came up with: dave.the.beaver. I used the same name for my website, but shortened it to the three letters d-t-b!

How many kilometres have you covered in total with the Solatrike?
By 27 June 2025, I had travelled 46,261 km / 28,744 mi on the Solatrike. The entire route led from the Czech Republic to White River in Canada. I never counted the approximately 500 km / 311 mi of my first test ride from Uherský Brod to Austria and back. Except for the title of my book, for which I was about 500 km / 311 mi short of 40,000 km / 24,855 mi. That number just looks nicer.

When you reach the east coast of Canada, where will you go next?
I will ship the Solatrike one last time and return to Europe. Then, I will pick it up in Spain and drive to Gibraltar to take the ferry to Morocco. I plan to spend the winter there and return to Europe next spring to continue my travels. But as my motto says: If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

Want to support David’s Adventures? Click here for a copy of his inspiring book about the first 40,000KM of the Solatrike.

David Brandenberger


Year of Birth: 1970
Residence: Switzerland
Education: Yes
Job: Optician
Bike(s): AZUB T-Tris 20
Motto: If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
Website – https://www.d-t-b.ch
Youtube – @dtbch
Facebook – @david.brandenberger.7
Instagram – @dave_the_beaver