Day#2 (4.1.10)

I slept great last night. I set up camp in an abandoned lot in the middle of a grouping of farm fields. It had a couple of buildings that were partially destroyed, what looked like to be the doing of a vicious storm some time ago. There was also a completely stripped car and old truck rusted to a color that just radiated in the morning sun. I plotted my tent behind one of the collapsed structures where I couldn’t be easily seen from the adjacent roadway. For my first night stealth camping, I was very happy with the experience.

I quickly stowed away my tent and other belongings back to their rightful place on the bike and left around eight. When I set out I realized I was low on water and I should refill my three water bottles as soon as possible. About a half hour into riding I went through the small town of Stryker where I was unable to find a drinking fountain. Fifteen minutes later after I had left the area, I realized that I could have just gone to a public restroom and used the sink, but I decided I had already travelled too far and that another source would turn up soon.

When I stopped to take one of my routine breaks, a man approached me from his driveway. He asked me where I was going and I told him about my trip. After a minute of chatting, the man introduced himself as Steve and did the most remarkable thing I’ve witnessed thus far. He handed me a bottle of water. I didn’t say I was low on water, but perhaps he knew. It was the most random piece of generosity I’ve been given in a long time.

Late that morning I stopped at a local park and caught up on some computer work. Of course as soon as I opened my laptop, the grounds crew showed up and started mowing so I got out of there pretty quickly.

Then the unbelievable happened. At around noon, I was just a couple miles outside the next town when I felt this intense vibration coming up through my feet. Before I knew what happened, my pedals froze up and I had to pull over. My first instinct was to look back at the rear cog set. To explain in simple terms what happened, the gear set broke off the axle. I attempted for the next hour trying to fix the problem. I was able to make a temporary repair that I would hope get me to the nearest bike shop 30 miles away, but the makeshift fix gave way not a mile ahead.

In what seemed like the middle of nowhere, I had few options. My first time bicycle touring, I faced what is the most dreaded problem of any cyclist. In the six months I took preparing for this trip, through all the effort of finding a bicycle, getting it tuned up, ordering the accessories and supplies I needed…going through every possible scenario in my head, not once did this come up. In fact, during all my research I never read anybody suffering this particular kind of breakdown. Not one. I had prepared for everything else: flat tires, broken spokes, warped rims, loose brakes, sticky shifting, broken chain…but the gear mechanism failing? I’ve never heard of that.

Well either way, I have to take my bike into a bike shop first thing tomorrow morning and see what the problem is. I promise that as soon as everything is fixed, I’ll be back on the road and writing interesting content before you know it.

Day#1 (3.31.10)

My first day on the road was nothing to complain about. I left home at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in the city around 12:30 after 30 miles of biking. At one point before I left, I thought I should be afraid of traveling alone for the next six months. This is the first time I will be away from my close family like my parents and siblings for more than a couple weeks.

A lot of people close to me thought I was giving up the friendships I had formed, as well as any hope of forming future, stable ones. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that I’ve never held any long-term relationships. Though I’ve had a lot of the same people circulating in my list of acquaintances, the importance of each individual has varied on a nearly year-to-year basis. I think the reason behind this pattern is due to the fact that I bore easily. I’m in no way commenting on the personalities of those close to me, but once I know a person well my interest drops off.

I hope that by completing my travels in a more bare and simple manner that I will be able to connect with people on a more intimate level. I aspire for those friendships that last a lifetime after only knowing the person for a couple of days. I want to cut through all the superficial garbage that people go through when trying to form a relationship.

Tonight will be my first time camping on what probably is someone else’s property. I plan on leaving the dense, crowded area for the farmed suburbs where I may ask a home owner if I could set up my tent on their lawn for the night. I’m close to exhaustion, but the day ends in high spirits. I’ve got almost a full week of sunny days ahead and a lot more pedaling to knock out.

A Month to Go!!!

Abraham Lincoln

We all look to our leaders for guidance. When we are children it is often our parents, and when you’re a working adult you ask help from your boss or supervisor. Without some of history’s greatest leaders our country would be a lot different than it is today. We need these strong characters to be the voices of those who can’t be heard, the channeling force behind the change that needs to materialize.

George Washington

For Americans, that person is the president of the United States. The father of American democracy himself, George Washington, created this country on the belief that the common man should be able to govern himself. My favorite quote of his was said after Washington had served two terms in office and when asked if he would like to run once more, he said no. When a friend persisted he stay on, insisting he was adored by all of his people, Washington nobly declared, “What do you think we came from Britain for?” What George meant was that after all the fighting to declare our independence, we did not sacrifice so much to fall into the same monarchy system the pilgrims were trying to escape from.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Another man of great importance was Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only president to serve four consecutive terms in office. At power during some of the worst times in American history, the Great Depression and World War II, he demonstrated the strength of human spirit. He initiated the New Deal, an economic stimulus package that created hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and helped to rally the country after what he famously called, “A day that will live in infamy.”

My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln, continuously placed as one of the top three American presidents in history alongside the previous two. But unlike F.D.R. and Washington, I admire Abe not because of his many accomplishments in the Whitehouse, but because of how he got there.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. At age nine, his mother died of milk sickness, an illness spread through the dairy products of animals who have fed on the white snakeroot, a poisonous herb. His father would later remarry to a Sarah Buch Johnston whom Abe would become closer with than the original. Upon growing into adolescence, Lincoln grew distant from his father. He felt that his father was not a success and was determined to amount to more than him.

When he reached 22, Abe left home in Illinois by canoeing down the Sangamon River to the village of New Salem in Sangamon County. He would be given a job by local businessman Denton Offutt, an American general store owner, requiring him to take goods to New Orleans by use of a flatboat on the Sangamon and Mississippi Rivers. After completing the three month task, Offutt gave him a clerical position in his store. One day Abe had accidentally overcharged a customer and ran many miles to return the money. This act is believed to be the incident which earned him the nickname "Honest Abe." Yet it is less known that Denton Offutt made him return that money.

Did you know?- Lincoln was a talented wrestler which experts say gave him the confidence synonymous with his image.

Abe began his political career in 1832, at age 23, when he announced his candidacy for the Illinois General Assembly. He finished eighth out of thirteen, not acquiring one of the top four spots. In 1834, he won an election to state legislature where he spent eight years riding the circuit of courts. After losing interest in politics, he would become a self-taught lawyer. When it came to Lincoln’s work ethic, a law partner said of him, "His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest."

Mary Todd

In his romantic life, Abe would fall for countless women. Although he never seemed to be able to hold down a solid marriage until he met Mary Todd, daughter of a wealthy slaveholding family based in Lexington, Kentucky. They would soon bear four children, Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas. Unfortunately, Robert would be the only one to survive to adulthood with Edward and Thomas dying of tuberculosis, and Willie from a high fever at the age of nine. The sons’ deaths had profound impacts on both Abraham and Mary. After Lincoln died, Mary could no longer cope with all family deaths and was committed to a mental hospital. Lincoln is now believed to have suffered from depression most of his adult life.

Abe reentered into the political arena when the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by Congress in 1854. This piece of legislation opened lands previously closed to slavery to the possibility of its spread by local option. While Abe never publicly criticized slavery being from Kentucky, he still saw the act as immoral. He thought that slavery would ultimately die off not being able to spread to new territories.

1856, Lincoln joined the newly formed Republican Party. Two years later he campaigned for the Senate against the creator of the act, Stephen Douglas. Though he lost the election, by participating in the popular debates he gained national reputation that won him the Republican nomination in 1860. And we all remember the rest.

In closing, I would like to share with you two things that when I first read I knew would have a profound impact on my life. The first is Abraham’s Gettysburg Address, one of the most well known speeches in American history. The second is a piece of paper I received from my sophomore history teacher, Mr. Zemanski, upon finishing his course. A picture of it can be found at the bottom of this post and yes, I did laminate it and it remains on my bedroom wall to this day. And if you’re reading this Mr. Z, thanks for believing in us students and I wish you a long and fulfilling teaching career.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate...we cannot consecrate...we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Darren Alff

We are all influenced by others whether we come to realize it or not. We all acquire multiple villains and heroes through our lives. Today I want to talk about one of my heroes. While I was waiting to publish this article later, my impatience got the better of me. The man whose story I am about to tell is the main inspiration for my life’s path as well as countless others’ waiting to surface.

Darren Alff is an entrepreneur and traveler. Like me, he has chosen the bicycle as his way of seeing the world. In high school, Darren was an avid athlete, running daily as well as playing soccer for the school. During this time, a movie was released that would lead him to the idea of traveling around the world someday, as well as myself. The movie was Tom Hank’s best role yet in the hit motion picture, Forrest Gump. In fact, after its release, Darren was often referred to as ‘Forrest’ or ‘Gump’ due to his infatuation with running. Now Darren persists that he was never addicted to athleticism, just that running served a purpose for him.

It seems that after finishing grade school, both Darren and I showed reluctance to enter college. So, at age seventeen, he decided to act out his movie fantasy. Knowing he couldn’t really run across the United States, Darren decided that he would run from his home in Oregon down to Mexico along the Pacific Coast. However, his plan didn’t work out as he hoped; deciding that he should make a practice trip, Darren ran a marathon worth for three consecutive days to see what the experience would be like. After only three days, he couldn’t even walk.

With running out of the picture, Darren received help from an uncle in Ireland who had recently completed a bicycle tour. He suggested that his nephew do the same since it was less demanding of the body. Darren took his uncle’s advice. Again mapping out a route down the California coast, the seventeen year old took his father’s twenty-year-old Schwinn mountain bike out of the garage, strapped the used panniers his uncle lent him, and headed south on his 1,000 mile journey with only $500 in the bank.

As he expected, his savings didn’t last long. By the trip’s three month mark, he had already spent $300 of his budget. If you equate that out, this means Darren lived on only $3 a day. Yet, it was enough for him to complete the trip. Darren would later complete his next four bike tours within the U.S. living on the same budget.

Since his first tour Darren has completed one trip the past ten years. During that time he has gone to college and recently made the transition to internet marketing running a consulting website named Silver Mountain Marketing. On the side he runs two recreational websites, 21bikes.com and bicycletouringpro.com. The first is a collection of user-submitted pictures involving both bikes and their owners where visitors rank their appearance in one of the twenty-one categories.

The second is a Darren’s attempt in sharing all he knows about bicycle touring. Launched in 2007, bicycletouringpro.com is a blog oriented website describing how to get started in bicycle touring, how he manages to finance his trips, as well as many other articles containing all the little tips to make your trip one to remember.

Darren has been reported saying that created bicycletouringpro.com to target a younger demographic. He feels that bike touring is an activity very few people know about, even less among adolescents. As many twenty-year-olds are going through the transition from childhood to adulthood, these journeys can be a method in which to have fun and reorganize your priorities in life.

Although we haven’t met in person yet, Darren’s life is a great model for my own. To close this article, I would like to point out two things that Darren has said about touring. First, for you travelers out there, remember that the “moments don’t happen on the bike”. And second, when asked what his favorite destinations were Darren wisely said, “My favorite places are those little, random spots that I couldn’t explain how to get back to. They’re those places when you’re in the moment and it makes you stop and think, ‘Wow…this is really cool.’”

Alastair Humphreys

The person I am about to introduce is one of the top people I admire and wish to emulate.

Alastair Humphreys is an Englishman whose resume boasts the titles cyclist, adventurer, author, and motivational speaker. An adventurer straight out of the womb, Al took on extraordinary challenges at an early age. At 8, he completed the 26 mile Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge; a 37.5-42 Km (23-26 mile) race of three mountain peaks with almost a mile of elevation change in only 12 hours. At 13, he finished the National Three Peaks; a 765 Km (475 miles) race with 26 miles of elevation change that must be completed within 24 hours. At 14, he cycled off-road across England during summer vacation.

After high school, Alastair attended Edinburgh and Oxford Universities occasionally taking breaks to fundraise for charities.

Did you know?- Alastair Humphreys ran the London marathon dressed as a rhino.

Al trying to figure out where he is in the middle of the desert.

Yet Mr. Humphreys didn’t gain world recognition as an adventurer until his famous ‘Round the World by Bike’ expedition. The trip would take 4 years to complete, with him passing through 5 continents, 60 countries, and biking more than 46,000 miles! While a more detailed map of Alastair’s travel route can be seen below, it’s worthwhile pointing out that he got to see places like Turkey, Pakistan, Italy, Panama, the west coast of North America to Alaska, Russia, Japan, China, and much of central Asia.

But again Al showed that he still had a desire to give back to the world. After visiting Africa for a year when he was eighteen to teach children, he felt inspired to officially dedicate his journey to raising funds and awareness for a charity called Hope and Homes for Children (click on the link to see ways in which you can help). Their mission statement from their website is stated below:

To give hope to the poorest children in the world – those who are orphaned, abandoned or vulnerable – by enabling them to grow up within the love of a family and the security of a home, so that they can fulfill their potential.

While he managed to assimilate back into normal life for a few years, Humphreys’ urge to escape the mundane grind was biting at his heels. In 2008, he competed in the Marathon des Sables, a 150 mile race through the Sahara Desert. Even though breaking his foot during the race, Al managed to finish as one of the top ten Brits.

In 2009, Mr. Humphreys along with Major Phil Packer (A paralyzed veteran of the Iraq war.) rowed across the English Channel to raise £1 million for Help for Heroes (click on the link to see ways in which you can help); an organization formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain's current conflicts.

You may be asking yourself, “Well…what’s he going to do next? He’s done it all already!” Yet if you were to ask Mr. Humphreys himself that question, he would only smile and shove it aside. For the last seven years, he along with old childhood friend, Ben Saunders, have been training to repeat one of history’s most grueling challenges. The two men are preparing to set out on the ‘first unsupported return journey to the South Pole on foot’. Named SOUTH, its mission is not only to show what is truly possible but to raise awareness of environmental issues. If completed, the expedition will also rank as the longest unsupported journey in history at 1,800 miles.

The red line outlines the proposed expedition route that will take the two

adventurers from the coast of Antartica, to the South Pole, and back.

Did you know?- In order to carry all the supplies needed for the proposed 4 month trip, both Ben and Al will be dragging 440 pound (200 Kg) sleds in addition to their already heavy backpacks!

Alastair makes a living with his motivational speaking as well as income from his book sales. Thus far, Al has written three books entitled Moods of Future Joys, Thunder and Sunshine, and Ten Lessons from the Road. You can click on each one above to read reviews plot descriptions of each piece as well as learn about a special incentive if you order the books through his site.

And of course if you want to know anything else about the man, see some of his pictures and videos from his latest expeditions, read his inspirational blog, and more, visit Humphreys’ official website at alastairhumphreys.com.

Bike Nears Completion

Well there she is. As you can see, I have not finished reconstructing the bicycle quite yet. I am waiting on the final part I need to complete assembly; a 30th inner chainring because the bike didn’t come with one. When the part arrives I’ll be able to install the chainrings and pedals, then the chain, and finally the front and rear derailleur. After the main reassembly, there are just a couple of adjustments that need to be made like the derailleur and double-checking everything is fastened securely.

rear rack

In the past two weeks I’ve managed to obtain the following items for my trip:

• Inflatable sleeping pad
• Tent accessories (tarp and special stakes)
• Rain gear
• Handlebar bag
• Laptop

Just to set the record straight now, so I don’t get a lot of questions later, I sort of attempted to paint over some of the exposed areas on my bike to prevent further rusting and to enhance its appearance a little. I used a metallic paint applied with a small paintbrush, but it didn’t match the original red when dry.

I want to know…Are there any good ways to repaint scratches on your bike? Leave a comment below.

When I started this blog I made the promise that I would show you how to live my lifestyle for yourself. Still, I understand that the majority of my readers aren’t bicycle tourists and are just average Joes trying to make a name for themselves. So, I decided to give you something that everyone needs; inspiration. Not everyone will find each of my posts the answer to life’s problems, but all will find at least a snippet of motivation in what can seem like a very gray world at times.

Since I find a lot of inspiration through movies, it’s likely I’ll be recommending many at this site. Today’s movie is called Solo. Released in 2009 by directors David Michod and Jen Peedom, this Australian documentary captures the tale of a man set on adventure. Below is a synopsis of the film from sheffdocfest.com.

Most of us can't begin to conceive what drives certain people to risk their lives doing extreme adventure sports. Luckily for Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley, his wife understands very well. It was she who introduced the mountaineer to the sport of kayaking. Now he is determined to set a new, unbelievable first – a solo kayak crossing from Tasmania to New Zealand via some of the most ruthless waters in the world. He's not only leaving behind his wife, but also a young son, and a host of friends who can only marvel at the task he has set himself. As we learn from the opening scene of this nail-biting voyage, he runs into some serious trouble: the New Zealand coast guard receives a garbled message that his boat is sinking and he needs a rescue. Thanks to remarkable video diaries, both on board and back at home, we can sit back in safety and watch one man knowingly risk everything.

If you’ve liked what you’ve seen so far and have an hour to spare, click here to watch the full movie.

Past the 3 month mark...

Hello seekers. I apologize for not posting anything new the past month for I was quite busy. There were family conflicts over my discontinuation of college and leaving my relatives behind, as well as getting everything together before I leave. Though I said I would publish a full list of items that accompany me on my first leg after its completion, I’ll give those non-bicycle tourists a glimpse into my new limited number of possessions.

Trip List

• Bicycle (1984 Schwinn Mesa Runner, *picture below is another bike*)

• Panniers (bike bags to carry the majority of my items in) and handlebar bag
• Sleeping bag
• Front and rear bicycle racks
• Splash-guard fenders

• Toiletry kit
• Binoculars
• Roughly more than 5 pairs of clothing including miscellaneous weather/protective gear.
• Tent

Within the next couple of weeks I’ll be getting a laptop and a small, HD video camera that will allow me to work on the road.

When I last left you, I stated that my main focus until departure would be preparing physically and mentally. And while I feel I am mentally ready, my training is not picking up as I would have liked. I am only cycling an hour a day now, which is less than I hoped for at this point. Yet, I’m not too worried because the essence of my trip will force me to travel anyways. Besides…what else would I do?

During this process of bringing all these new pieces in, I’m also taking a lot of stuff out. What I mean is that because I’m leaving Toledo, OH for at least five years, there are a lot of things that I need to get rid of. In a couple of weeks I’ll be donating the majority of my clothes, apparel, and books to Goodwill, while larger items such as my Bowflex and iPod stereo are being sold to help fund my trip.

In a couple of weeks I hope to show you my completed bicycle and maybe even post a video or two updating you on my status. Thanks for reading and always ask yourself, “Do I dare disturb the universe?”