Virtual ride from eastern coast of CT to coast of northern California

[Brockrock]

It's 3500 miles from where I am in CT to Eureka, CA. So far, I have 1000 miles on my Aventon Level eBike doing 25-30 mile rides whenever I have been able to since mid-April 2021. My goal this summer (and probably throughout early fall until the first road salt goes down) is to see if I can virtually meet and hopefully exceed this distance to Eureka, CA taking multiple, local rides. It looks like tonight, I am virtually staying somewhere in the area of Martinsville, Illinois. I probably met some friendly local(s) in town who spotted my bike all laden with travel bags, and I'm probably staying in their back yard in my tent looking forward to the smell of their cooking breakfast for us as I wake up.

Anyone else set for themselves, and think about little riding goals like this. Not gonna lie though, I am virtually, not looking forward to some of those hill climbs in Colorado and to the west beyond......

 

[Merle Nelson]

My wife and I live 99 miles south of Eureka, CA. We are a few blocks from the main west most coastal road HWY 1.

Whenever we see people set up on their bikes for travel we talk with them when at stores, restaurants, stops etc. Mexico to Canada, Washington down to Mexico, length of CA, two brothers going from Mexico up to Canada and stopping at famous and best mountain biking spots to ride them.

Then my wife read a great book about someone starting down in Venezuela and coming up into the states.

All very interesting. Have a great virtual trip.

 

[Brockrock]

My wife and I live 99 miles south of Eureka, CA. We are a few blocks from the main west most coastal road HWY 1.

Whenever we see people set up on their bikes for travel we talk with them when at stores, restaurants, stops etc. Mexico to Canada, Washington down to Mexico, length of CA, two brothers going from Mexico up to Canada and stopping at famous and best mountain biking spots to ride them.

Then my wife read a great book about someone starting down in Venezuela and coming up into the states.

All very interesting. Have a great virtual trip.

Thanks Merle. I would think for long haul riders, meeting and being extended hospitality by kind and trusting strangers would be one of the high points of their rides. Not long ago, I was stopped along the edge of a very rural length of roadway making a fine adjustment to a new stem riser that I had installed on my Level. A car suddenly appeared coming toward me, and as it reached where I was, it stopped, and a very kindly woman asked me if I was OK. I told her I was and proceeded to thank her very much for checking. I am sure that if I was not OK (some sort of system failure, flat tire, broken chain...), she would have dropped everything to provide me with whatever assistance she was able to provided, and this is in socially conservative CT, as well as it being a time when people are generally suspicious of unmasked strangers. If I lived in an area where frequent long haul bikers passed through, I would go out of my way to provided them with a safe spot to setup camp in my quiet back forty, have shower facilities available, and they would not leave with empty stomachs. In return, I would thoroughly enjoy their stories (both of their lives and their riding) while sitting around the camp fire enjoying an IPA or two. I can only virtually imagine all of the many kind strangers that I have met so far on my virtual ride, and knowing that there are many of them out there - like you good folks - instills a very real sense of positivity to the whole thing.

 

[Merle Nelson]

You're very kind, I love your attitude. If you ever cast around for stories and sentiments like what you refer to but not specific to biking you might enjoy looking up (google) 3mules.com. He traveles from place to place staying overnight etc "to preserve puplic land as rightfully used by the public" - by camping there.

Also, a great read, In The Company Of Mules by Jody Foss. She did a Tri state ride on the west coast after college and tells stories of meeting people along the way and great experiences.

I agree with you, people are generous, caring, and great. Sometimes they just need a nudge to remember that about themselves.