"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving forward."
-Albert Einstein
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+The Challenge: To get around solely by bicycle for 1 year. This means no planes, trains, or automobiles. Just two wheels and whole lot of fun... I hope.
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+The Reason: I talk a lot. Just ask my wife Katie. I often say that the bicycle is the best way to get around. Time to show up.
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+Ground Rules: Two wheels... one year. No snagging rides, jumping planes to exotic places, or getting around by combustible engine. I will try my best to be self-sufficient and haul most of the things I need on my bicycle. To do my best in the spirit of experimentation.
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+Record Keeping: I will update this on a regular weekly basis with snippets from the road. Hopefully some fun pictures. I will also install an odometer on my bicycle so we can see how far I go.
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+Goals: To see what life is like without the convenience of the automobile. To encourage others to get out there on their bikes and see what it is like... if only for a day or two.
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+Timeline: In the spirit of being patriotic (because I am doing this for America *wink*), I will start on May 31, 2010. Memorial Day. I will then live life for one year (until May 31, 2011) getting around by bicycle.
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+A Bit more about me:
My name is Ben Masters, and if you haven't already guessed, I love to ride bicycles.
It sort of started when I was seven and I learned to do a wheelie in my drive way... but I guess it didn't really blossom until I was twenty two.
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That was when I joined the Peace Corps.
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For three years I cycled all over Zambia on my Peace Corps issued bottom of the line Raleigh Mountain Bike. It was named Amatontoli (chicken poop in Bemba) and I loved it for all that it was. Together we went about 15,000km. Sadly we had to part when I finished my service, but I will always have a special place for that bike in my heart.
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After Peace Corps I have floated around trying to find where I fit in, and finding I don't fit in like I used to. I have bounced around continents a bit including Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. Through all that I ended up back home building a cabin in the woods where I now live.
The bicycle has been a common thread through most of it, and even though I might not have fit in, I can always ride. Last year I made the choice that I want to help others discover the bike. It is an economical, healthy, social, sustainable, fun way to get around. It is perfect, at least in my eyes.
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+Other Bike Projects:
In the spirit of helping others get out on bicycles I started to work at the local bike shop. Also I started up a little community bike project. http://meadvilletribune.com/local/x671405314/Community-push-on-to-take-up-riding
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I began collecting old bikes from friends and family. I then put the word out on the streets that I want old bikes, and so far have had about sixty donated. These bikes I fix up and get back out there. Some go to kids and adults who may not be able to afford a quality used bike, in which case they use volunteer hours. Other bikes go to folks that can afford a bike, but choose to go the re-cycled route and donate a little money to keep new parts coming in.
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The other side of the project is education. The kids at the low income housing unit know me as "the Bike Guy" and they come to "bike-it" each week. We learn about bicycle maintenance, and the kids bring in their bikes to work on. We received a grant from a local organization and purchased eight sets of tools, a bunch of spare parts, and some helmets. The kids that don't have bikes can volunteer five hours helping out others, then they "Earn-a-bike". So far six kids have earned used bicycles that the community donated and I fixed up. It's a start.
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I have pounded the pavement and met with over thirty community leaders, most seem positive but little happens. It is the bicycle that keeps me going. Even if it was an unproductive meeting, it was a great ride.
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+The Main Bike:
On May 1st and 2nd I built my very own bamboo bicycle. The experience ranked right up there with being born, my first day as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and getting married. Sean, Justin, Josh, and Marty at the Bamboo bike Studio helped me to build a dream bike. I rode out of New York City on a huge high.
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Which lasted until New Jersey. That's where I had a flat within the first mile, got lost for next 5 hours, and ended up sleeping in the weeds behind an all night diner.
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The next four days were a lot better. I cycled up to High-point National forest, crossed the Delaware, lumbered over the Appalachian Mountain Range, and took Highway 6 across PA. I cycled about 500 miles in 5 days. I typically would wake up at about 6 am and jump on the bike. I usually cycled till about 8pm, then found a nice wooded spot and camped.
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The bike was perfect. I packed about 50 pounds of weight on the back and pushed as hard as I could. No worries. The only real issues I had were sun burn and road debris. It was a blast.
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Now that I am back I want to build a bamboo trailer for my bike and hopefully this winter I will take it cross country (the southern route of course).
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+Final thoughts: This will be the only entry before I officially start the experiment. I plan to get some serious car rides in before my big date. Might just binge on vehicles for the next two weeks. You never know. I am pretty excited... at least for the time being.
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One Revolution at a Time.
Ben
