elijah’s adventure

Click the map to view a larger, interactive version.

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Some Joe Blow is going to ride a bicycle across the country. Whoopty-do. TONS of people have done that before. What’s so special about this guy?” I’ll tell you. It’s extremely popular do something sporting to raise money and awareness for a cause, preferably a 501(c) tax exempt charity. For example: Habitat for Humanity, the National Rifle Association, or your local church. While these are all well and good causes, my personality lends itself to something a bit more self-centered. FUN. That’s right, I’m going to ride a bicycle across the country for FUN. The Foundation for Unwed Nymphomaniacs. For my efforts, FUN is going to provide comfort stops along the way. Who could think of a better cause?

All jokes aside, the real reason for said adventure is to spend time on the open road (dodging semi-trucks), camp under the stars (while maintaining my noble status in the food chain), photograph America’s beauties (both man and nature borne), and meet interesting people.

I must admit, that while I love nature and pushing the boundaries of comfort while traveling, I have a technological bent. I’ve built a battery/solar powered time-lapse camera rig that will compress 8 hours of cycling into five minutes of video. Every day that I find broadband I’ll upload videos to YouTube and geotagged photos to Flickr.

The day of departure is April 7th. For the first week, I’ll keep the mileage to about 50 miles a day. As my thighs grow to monstrous proportions, I’ll ride roughly 100 miles daily. However, the undulating mountains of Colorado and parts thereafter will reduce the daily mileage. If you would like to join me for part or all of the journey, send me an email.

When the trip starts, be on the lookout for daily videos and photos. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Until then, I’d like to share three of my favorite lyrics:

“The flowers bloom like madness in the spring.” –Jethro Tull, Aqualung
“The west is the best, get here and we’ll do the rest.” –The Doors, The End
“And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning.” -Pink Floyd, Echoes

And if you’re into kites (like I am!), checkout this video: