Dippin’ wheels in NYC. Not technically the Atlantic Ocean but within a couple miles of it, ill make it out to Long Island soon enough.
On January 3rd, I pedaled out of my garage in Redding, California with 50 pounds of gear distributed between a bike and trailer, into bitterly cold weather. 5 months and a couple seasons later, I have made it to New York City... after riding thousands of miles and meeting hundreds of people in 16 states and 1 Federal District. I have been chased by hundreds of dogs, some more vicious than others, but not once bitten. I have been honked at, swerved at, and yelled at by motorists, in almost every state. I have climbed peaks in Texas, canoed and kayaked in places like Alabama and Virginia, hitchhiked in New Mexico, I have swam in creeks, rivers, lakes and oceans. I have made friends across the country, many of whom I have stayed in contact with along the way. I have camped in almost every situation imaginable, in so many different landscapes and scenarios. I have been to a crawfish boil in New Orleans and heard real brass band music. I have seen lingering devastation from hurricanes and tornadoes. I have hiked a 107 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I have gone through tires, tubes and bike parts. To be painfully specific I have had 17 flats, gone through 7 tires, broken 2 spokes, and “blown up” one derailleur. I’ve gone through a chain, lost a helmet, exhausted a bottom bracket, and have thoroughly broken in my BOB trailer. As of about a week ago, my Canon 40D, that I have had since high school, stopped working because apparently 5 months on the road was to much for it. I could go on about the trip, but it would be much more than anyone would want to read in one sitting.
Doing the rough math, I spent almost 3 months pedaling on the bike... the rest of the time I was hiking, camping, sight-seeing(I hate to use this term) or spending time with people I met on the road. I rode 4827 miles from Redding, CA to New York City in a sort of awkward u-shape; riding down the Pacific Coast, across the southern states, and up the east coast. Along the way, I saw some of what I felt were America’s most noteworthy cities and was fortunate enough to spend some meaningful time in almost all of them. San Fransisco, CA; Austin, TX; New Orleans, LA; Asheville, NC; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and lastly New York City are just a few of the big ones that stick out in my head. I camped on or near the side of the road, and stayed with people I met along the way for the majority of the trip, only paying for 1 motel room along the Blue Ridge Parkway and staying two nights in an Arizona motel, courtesy of my family. Over the 5 months on the road I spent less than $2,000 dollars. For those interested in the break-down here it is:
Food: $1023.62
Bike-parts/repair: $294.05
Lodging(campgrounds+1motel): $148.00
Miscellaneous(stove fuel, laundry, park entrance fees, etc.): $134.75
Cell phone bill(5months): $200.00
A rough overview of the route I took through the states. Click the image to view large.
The expectations I left with at the start of the year were met within the first couple days of my ride, and far exceeded within the first couple weeks. The experience as a whole only got better as the days and months went on and I can not describe in words the people I met along the way, at least not in a way that will do them justice. Thank you to everyone that followed the trip here or gave me support along the way. Big thank you to Glen and Christa Copus for letting me blog the trip on the Elephant site. Also, thanks to the friends and family who encouraged me to keep updating, if it was not for them I would probably not have put in the effort I did to update my progress online, actually none of this would have been online, and the words written here would still be in my head, so thanks guys!
-Carter
Great views from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building of my home for the next month or so.
View of the Upper Manhattan skyline from the Empire State Building, photo taken with my new point-n-shoot.
A new look for the Kona. Sent the trailer back to Redding last week. But have added this nice addition to the rear rack, for carrying things around the city.
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