Cycling

Mile 9

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5 days along and still smiling! (Thanks to Pete and his family at Valley of the Rogue Campground for the photo) The first segment of the School Food Tour has been eventful, enlightening, challenging & inspiring. From short days (30 miles) to long days (68 miles), thunderstorms to intense heat, raspberry sorbet to instant oatmeal; I have already ran a gamut of experiences. Each day makes me even more excited for the next.

The actual commencement of the SFT was oddly anticlimactic. After big hugs goodbye and promises of visits on the road, I turned my back on all things loved and familiar and set off on a mission to change the world (or at least a few small parts of it). I turned out of the gravel alley onto the open road with my emotions torn between smiles of elation and tears of anticipated homesickness. Thoughts of who I would meet and the lives I might affect raced through my head alongside more pressing concerns of when I could stop for my first snack break and where I was going to camp for the night. My mind was instantly quieted and all of my aspirations for the School Food Tour were affirmed by a chance encounter on mile 9.

As I pedaled out of Bend, I slowly gained ground on a cyclist in front of me. Eventually our paths intersected and I came upon a friendly older gentleman out for a Friday morning jaunt. He informed me that he was trying to be more health conscious and also rehab his knee so he now rides up to the top of the same hill every day. I told him about my project and that he had just happened to catch me on day 1 of a 10 month undertaking. After a few minutes of chatting I rode away from this man and  thanked him for sharing mile 9 with me. I also encouraged him to look beyond himself and perhaps aim towards a more distant hill on his next ride. He assured me he would try.

That’s all I needed to remind myself that I am doing this for all the right reasons. The School Food Tour is ON. Let’s ride.

Riding for a cause

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I would like to present you with a challenge: The next time you hop on two wheels, consider why you ride. What are the merits of pedaling a bicycle? Freedom, happiness, fitness, transportation, speed, fresh air, strength; those are a few words that pop into my mind. But what about YOU? What words do your brain conjure when you roll your shiny pedal-powered steed down your driveway?

The beauty of bikes is that everyone is rides  for a different reason. In one month I will start pedaling for healthy kids. I see my 6,000 mile route as an opportunity to share this message with the countless communities that I will visit along the way. But you don’t have to travel all the way across the country to positively impact the lives of yourself and others.

I encourage you to simply make cycling a conscious act. Smile. Be courteous. Take a moment to appreciate the wind in your hair or the goosebumps on your arm as you speed down that first, chilly hill. Invite a friend to join you. If you allow your love of riding to shine through others will sense your enthusiasm. You may even inspire a stranger to air up their tires and try their hand at riding once again.

Ride for a cause. Ride for health. Ride for joy. Ride towards the future. 

Awesome bike people.

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Last week I had the fantastic opportunity to meet up with a few folks doing great bike-centric projects. The Path Less Pedaled is a duo who have been touring since 2009, searching for interesting bike stories as they travel. Russ & Laura ride 20″ folding bikes made by the company Brompton. We met up in Bend for a fun conversation about our love of two-wheeled travel. I also shared a bit about the School Food Tour with them. Here’s our interview and the video recap of their time in Bend.

My other exciting meeting was with the producer of the bike documentary With My Own Two Wheels. This film is a fascinating look at how bikes change lives all around the globe. Although I missed the local showing I cannot wait to view this acclaimed production. Their team is producing a middle school curriculum to accompany the film and I am very excited about the many collaboration possibilities that we discussed.

Check out the trailer here: