Meet Tommaso Weller, a Master in Management student whose passion for innovation and adventure goes far beyond the classroom. After designing and building his own Tallbike from scratch, he set out on a once-in-a-lifetime, 12,000-kilometer journey from Munich to Beijing. His mission: to combine his love for cycling with a greater purpose by raising over €15,000 for Deutsche Krebshilfe (the German Cancer Aid Foundation).
In this interview, Tommaso shares how the idea of riding a Tallbike came about, the challenges and lessons learned on the road, and how his ESCP experience helped him bring together creativity, resilience, and social impact in a unique way.
What inspired you to build a tall bike and take it onto such an extraordinary adventure?
Since my teenage years I’ve loved bikepacking, but I also knew that if you want people to notice your story, you have to stand out. Many people travel long distances by bicycle, but very few do it on a self-built tallbike.
At the same time, I always wanted to do something good and charitable, and combining that with my passion for cycling felt natural. In the end, the three elements – the Tallbike, the charitable purpose, and my love for bikepacking – came together perfectly to create a project that is unusual, a little rebellious, and at the same time meaningful, proving that even such a unique machine can carry you across half the world.
Why was it important for you to connect this journey with a cause like Deutsche Krebshilfe?
The personal connection was very strong: my uncle died of leukemia as a teenager, before I was born. Even though I never met him, I grew up with the awareness that cancer affects families deeply and unexpectedly. Supporting Deutsche Krebshilfe gave my project a purpose larger than myself. Instead of just crossing continents for adventure, every kilometer became a step in raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Reaching and even surpassing the goal of €13,000 – one euro per kilometer – gave the trip a truly meaningful dimension.
Looking back, what were the most powerful lessons you learned during your ride from Germany to China?
There were a few:
- Resilience matters most: Each day brought new challenges – weather, road conditions, or language barriers – and I had to learn to adapt quickly without losing sight of the bigger goal.
- The power of kindness: From strangers offering food to families opening their homes, the hospitality along the way reminded me that generosity exists everywhere.
- Simplicity brings clarity: Traveling by bike strips life down to basics: eat, ride, sleep, repeat. That rhythm helped me appreciate small victories and stay grounded.
In what ways did your experience at ESCP help you take this bold idea from vision to reality?
ESCP taught me that bold, international projects are possible if you combine structure with creativity. During my Master in Management and my exchange at Tsinghua University, I learned to work across cultures, manage logistics, and communicate ideas clearly. The fundraising campaign, sponsor partnerships, and outreach to media all reflected the project management and entrepreneurial mindset I developed at ESCP. In many ways, the school’s values of Excellence, Singularity, Creativity, and Plurality were mirrored in this project.
What advice would you give to other students who want to take on such an adventurous passion project?
Don’t wait for the “perfect moment”. Start small, build momentum, and let your project grow. Combine your personal passion with a cause that matters, because that gives you motivation on the hard days and creates real, genuine impact. Surround yourself with supporters and partners who believe in your vision. And finally: don’t be afraid to be different. Sometimes the craziest ideas – like riding a tallbike from Munich to Beijing – are the ones that inspire people most.
