Meet Nala! You might recognise her from social media, where she’s something of a celebrity, with over one million followers on Instagram and well over 200,000 on YouTube.
She’s half of the 1Bike1World team, along with Dean, who recently bought them a VW T2 Bay campervan. When we saw that Dean had bought a camper, we got in touch and asked if they needed help with anything, and even got to virtually meet Nala on a video call!
It wasn’t long after our call that Dean decided to remove the passenger seat on his Bay and put in a cat tower instead, so Nala could join him in the camper all safe and secure.
Image credit to 1bike1world
So who are 1Bike1World?
The dynamic duo behind 1Bike1World are Nala the cat, and Dean, who found her while he was cycling near the border between Bosnia and Montenegro back in 2018. Nala was chasing after Dean’s bike, meowing her heart out and desperate to be fed and fussed.
At the time, Dean was busy attempting to cycle around the world, having set off from Dunbar, Scotland. He scooped the kitten up and took her with him. They were miles from the nearest town, and it was clear that Nala had been deliberately abandoned.
She now goes everywhere with Dean, having gotten used to sitting with him on long bike expeditions as she and Dean cycled around the world together. With their new campervan, they’ll be able to carry everything they need – including their bike – as they continue their adventures.
Image credit to 1bike1world
Fitting the cat tower
Dean has been busy making sure everything is in order with his new van, so they can hit the road and explore Scotland and the rest of the world.
We’ve been giving him some pointers on bits which will need fixing or replacing, and pointing him towards people in his local area which may be able to help. They’ve had a few deliveries of parts from JK HQ, and have made a start repairing things like wonky wipers, leaking windows and iffy wiring.
Another high priority on Dean’s list was making sure Nala was comfortable and safe in the camper.
To get Nala settled into the camper, Dean went all out and removed the passenger seat from the camper. In its place, he secured Nala’s cat tower and fixed it with bolts which they then trimmed down.
Dean wrote on Instagram:
“It was like Nalas tower was designed to fit in the van and now she has the perfect platform to sit and watch the world go by.
“The tower has been bolted to the floor so it is totally secure and i got in touch with my friend who is in the police and he said as long as she is secure (which she will be by a seatbelt) and I can still see out the window it will all be good”.
It's certainly one of the more inventive conversions we’ve seen, and we’re looking forward to seeing how Nala gets on driving around with Dean, watching the world go by.
Image credit to 1bike1world
What’s next for Nala and Dean?
We’re keeping in touch with the 1Bike1World team, since this is Dean’s first campervan and he’s got plenty of questions.
He’d already bought some parts from us before we reached out to see if he needed any tips or advice with the new camper, and we’ll be there to help get them on the road in no time, so their pair can get back to doing what they love the most: Exploring the world together.
Where can I get more Nala content?
You can find out more about Nala, Dean and 1Bike1World on their website, as well as their YouTube channel and Instagram page.
They’ve also got Twitter, Facebook and TikTok, if those are more your speed.
We'll also be posting updates as we stay in touch with the 1Bike1World team as they progress with their new campervan.
