Who would imagine that a bicycle would be able to break barriers between cultures and bring a lot of happiness to anyone who joins the back seat for a ride?

That is exactly what Jamie Bianchini was able to do all around the world.

On Oct. 29, San Diego City College’s World Cultures Program presented Bianchini and his new book, “A Bicycle Built for Two Billion: One Man’s Around the World Adventure in Search of Love, Compassion and Connection,” where he shares his adventures around the world and everything behind the book.

As a form of appreciation for all the people who took the time to assist to the conference, Bianchini did a raffle where three students won a signed copy of his book, a coupon for 50 percent off a Rocky Mountain Bicycle Company and a set of a bicycle touring waterproof bag.

Bianchini’s adventure around the world involved inviting strangers to join the back seat of his bike for a ride. The journey lasted eight years and covered 81 countries with 1,000 passengers.

“When I was a kid I used to spin the globe and stop my finger and wondered what was over there, so that curiosity I had when I was a kid carried on until I got older,” Bianchini said.

Bianchini had to go through difficult times in his life in order to pursue his dream of traveling around the world on his bicycle, but he said “passion is what has always driven me going forward, even in the hardest times of mi life.”

After graduating from the University of Southern California and earning a Best Business Plan Award from an entrepreneur program in 1995, Bianchini was feeling incomplete. His passion for traveling and cycling was still on his mind so he tried to make money as fast as possible.

“I just wanted to ride my bike around the world and travel. I didn’t care for nothing else,” Bianchini said.

Bianchini’s idea of making fast money was to use credit cards, loans and anything he could in order to pursue his dream at any cost, unfortunately that ended up in bankruptcy at the age of 28. But that was not it, he also ended up losing money, friendships, health and love.

Bianchini’s passion for traveling was so big that nothing could stop him and even his best friend Gerard joined his adventure. They started to look for sponsors, even when everyone thought they were crazy and were shutting doors in their faces, they never stopped.

It wasn’t until they found someone at the biggest bike convention show in Las Vegas, who agreed to act as their sponsor because they shared the passion of biking. Almost three years later and content with saving money and getting everything together, the journey began.

Japan was the first country they traveled through. There was no stopping their adventure, even though neither knew the Japanese language or much about the country. So Bianchini and his friend started to use “thumbs up, smiling and pointing to the back of the seat.”

That’s how they journey began; from Japan to Africa, South Africa to Morocco, Italy to Portugal and Brazil to the U.S.

During the course of their travels, Bianchini not only met new people and made valuable friendships, he also met the love of his life and started a family.

Bianchini is now doing a family book tour around 30 states in the U.S. with a final ride with his family promoting the book.

“A Bicycle Built for Two Billion” is a story that will touch you. This book talks about human kind, lost, love and how one man tried to changed the world with just a bicycle.

To learn more about Bianchini’s journey around the world and order his book visit http://abicyclebuiltfortwobillion.com.