TransAmerican Bicycle Posse

2 months later..

2006-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Since our trip, we've gotten a bit of recognition from AdventureCycling magazine. Hopefully some of our stories will be printed in the next edition of the periodical. We've also been featured in newspapers in West Yellowstone, MT and Woodinville, WA: http://www.nwnews.com/editions/2006/060731/features4.htm

Where we are now:

Matt is now working on a ranch in Colorado, but plans to move to Salt Lake City in time for ski season. He will make snowboards for a living.
Daniel and Stuart are performing regularly in the Durham, NC-based band Bombadil (www.bombadilmusic.com).
Farokh is attending medical school in Florida, and is the only one of us who dissects human beings.
Chris is a carpenter's apprentice and living in the mountains of Asheville, NC
Jeff is a stock trader and lives in NYC, where he also drives a bikecab around Manhattan.
Toshio is living with his girlfriend in Japan, teaching English with the JET program.

The Last Hurrah

2006-07-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

The West Coast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Thank you friends, family, and everyone who supported us along the way

Chris and the Cascades
An underhanded postcard transaction complete with paper cup

Lost in Seattle

The Mayor of Mt. Vernon made us pancakes (Toshio's sister made us team shirts - How do you like them?)

The biker's espresso

Diablo Lake in Western Washington

Old log shoot

Thank you Scot and Maja for Washington hospitality

Having a good laugh before our last mountain pass

Weightlifting in Crystal Falls

A Washington maple leaf obscures an unsuspecting tourist

Buffalo roam the Idaho range

Typical general store in Montana

4th of July crew outside D15. Many thanks to Jason for hosting us in Missoula !

Matt stands poised, ready to pounce on the standing wave in Missoula.

Farokh, the smoke jumper, on the verge of extinguishing a raging cake-fire on HIS birthday

4th of July Pancake Breakfast with scooter chicks Amy and Carol

Washington Route

2006-07-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is our route for the home stretch! Missoula to Mt. Vernon/Anacortes on the coast of the Puget Sound. We expect to arrive there onm the 12th, then make a short jaunt down to Seattle where we will take our separate ways from to visit family/take airplanes/continue biking/return home. Expect more pictures when we're at the coast! ps. right now we are in Kettle Falls, WA

Montana: Spanish for mountain

2006-07-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

We've arrived safely in Missoula, Montana in time to celebrate Farokh's 22nd birthday as well as Independence Day. The riding has gone well thus far excepting the plethora of flat tires. Farokh and Jeff are tied at 11, with Chris following closely with 9. The mountains have really opened up, providing for easy riding along rivers. We'll spend the fourth here before heading up to Sandpoint, Idaho. There, we'll catch Hwy. 20 all the way to Puget sound. We'll then ferry across the sound and ride to the coast in Olympic NP on July 13th. Have fun looking at all our new posts. There are pictures added as far back as Colorado as well. Have a happy Fourth! -BCBC
Laundry time in Missoula. Daniel is in the impromptu "changing room"
Changing a flat outside Butte on I-15
" Free" camping under a bridge near Fairmont...
Austin, Garret (sp?), and Robin offered us some delicious lemonade. Thank you!
Jeff shows some class outside WalMart, where chicken was on sale.
Jeff rocks into Ennis, home to 660 people and 11,000,000 trout. We never ride at night, mom. I prooooooooooomise. ps, look at Chris' face.

Les Grandes Tetons and (not so bright and yellow) Yellowstone

2006-07-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

We're happy we stayed an extra day in the Tetons!
Phelp's lake and Death Canyon in the background.
Daniel takes Time picture of the year as he captures the elusive and rarely seen Zoroastrian reptile bathing in a hot geyser near Firehole River.

In the foreground, young bikers, in the background, young mountains.

Continental Division

2006-07-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain National Park (1)

By Walden, CO (2)

Entering the Great Divide Basin (3)

Exiting the Great Divide Basin (4)

Togwotee Pass, WY (5)

Yellowstone (6)

Seriously, again (7)

No really?!?! (8)

The freakin' sign fell down!!! (9)

Wyoming (WY-oh-ming): n. The act of gusting windily from the northwest, right into your face.

2006-07-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Daniel assimilates into the general fat American tourist population nicely with the shortest shorts we have ever seen.

Thank you Resor Family for hosting the BCBC

Cowboys on the Oregon Trail

Having a good time with good Mormons

A Mormon church group from Utah we ran into in Wyoming. They were doing a reenactment of the pioneers' journey through the area. Thanks for the mountain man breakfast!!

Melting away at Saratoga Hot Spring.

Farokh's superpower: the ability to blast boiling-hot water from his face.
(Lone Star Geyser, Yellowstone)

Old Faithful: The Fenway of Wiffle-Ball

The Telephone Post

2006-07-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Call yo' mama FOO!

Calling girlfriends and parents back home from a Maccer's in Wyoming

COLORADO 3

2006-06-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Matt flies the American flag past a ranch

Sunset at Walden, CO
Figuring out an old vending machine.

Long underwear!

Rocky mountain national park ascending Trail Ridge Road

Elk . This is real.

Toshio can shoot spider webs out of his wrists.

Matt and Daniel scrambling away...

until they perch above Boulder.

The Burney brothers belay by the boulder
Going to the flatirons in Boulder to rock climb makes Chris very merry.

A special thanks to Ben ''Llamar" for driving us mutiple times back and forth to the bike shop in Denver.

Words !

2006-06-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Making this update from Teton Village on the edge of the Great Tetons. We're unable to upload pictures here but will as soon as we can.
The main update is that Toshio stopped in Colorado after turning back from Estes Park. He will spend the next few weeks preparing for the JET program teaching English in Japan. From Estes we went over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is the highest paved road in the US. Over elevation 12,000 feet with snow and 50 mph wind gusts. From there we went through most of Wyoming and are now finally at the part with trees and the color green. Yellowstone for a couple days - we've stocked up over 60 pounds of food to avoid paying tourist prices. Our next pit stop will probably be Missoula for a bit of bike love

COLORADO 2

2006-06-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Next leg of our trip: 1000+ miles heading through some of the great National Parks up to Missoula, MT
Route planning

We went to Water World in Denver. Some guy from the radio station took this.
Blueberry Chocolate Chip Mango pancakes are worth the wait
Neopolitan ice cream style tan line.
Duets with Toshio's aunt Susie
Homecooked meals courtesy of Toshio's mom! Delicious! Thanks!!!

Farokh

2006-06-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Farokh returns amid much fanfare - Amazing!

COLORADO 1

2006-06-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

We've made it to Denver! We arrived at Toshio's house a few days ago and have been enjoying awesome homecooked meals and some rest& relaxation. Another day of tuning up bikes and we'll be back on the road. We're excited to be out of the monotonous Great Plains and heading into the Rockies and great parks ahead of us. The past 10 days of riding the MidWest Wrecking Crew logged these days since Carbondale, Illinois:

to Farmington MO: 86 miles
to Summersville MO: 110 miles
to Marshfield MO: 89 miles
to Pittsburg, KS: 120 miles
to Toronto Lake KS: 94 miles
to Eureka KS: 33 miles
to Nickerson KS: 129 miles
to Leoti KS: 202 miles
to Eads CO: 90 miles
to Denver CO: 171 milesThis was our last day's ride heading into Denver. 171 miles to Toshio's house, made easy by a 25 mph southeast wind.

Daniel and Chris and the sunset over the Rockies.
Chris, Toshio, and Matt backed by a tailwind heading out of the Great plains and into Denver.
7 broken spokes .. fixed with some creativity and some string!
Early morning riding in a pace line heading north from Eads.
Daniel's bouquet of Colorado wildflowers. Sage brush in the background.
Matt climbed a grain elevator and took this picture. Jeff is changing a flat tire by the road.
Goodbye Kansas!

KANSAS

2006-06-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Chris and Toshio scavenge for insulators.
This is what happens the day after a 200+ mile haul.
Matt takes a rest during our 202 mile day into western Kansas.
Jeff rides by headlight under Kansas moonlight.

Corn.
Jammin' with Yodeling Katy Lopeman in Chanute, KS. Katy has been hosting bikers for over a decade and treats them to eukelele songs.
Toshio fixes a broken spoke by roadside with kevlar thread.
Matt and Daniel on traffic-free Kansas road
Unfortunately we didn't get any shots of the pool-wide chicken fight we incited.
Jeff and Matt play at the Eureka pool with kids.
Toshio likes riding on flat roads.
Mad Cow attacks biker
The Flannel Boys eat Frontera Fried Flannel Ice Cream
Sliding into Kansas!
Excited to be in Kansas.

MISSOURI

2006-06-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

A storm rolls in as we approach camp at Marshfield
Matt borrows hair conditioner from Chris.
Chris takes a bath in Jacks Fork River near Eminence, MO
We are handi-capable
No comment.
Daniel welcomes you to Missouri

ILLINOIS

2006-06-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last full group picture of all seven in front of our motel room #12
7 guys, 5 bikes, 1 really small motel room in Carbondale, IL for $40
Cave-In Rock, Illinois
Farokh imitates Jacko in Cave-In Rock
Jeff imitates Popeye in Chester IL, home of the sailor-man

Illinois to Colorado route

2006-06-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the sparse updates... towns are few and far between here in rural Missouri and computer access is hard to come by. We'll try to put up some photos soon, and if not there will be many updates once we get to our next resting point- Denver, CO. Stuart and Farokh are taking this section off and will rejoin us in the Rockies.
We crossed the Mississippi and are flying across the midwest as the terrain becomes flatter and flatter. The Ozarks were challenging but we are through them and spending tonight near Springfield which you can see on the map below.
Only about 800 miles to Denver, which will be past our halfway point of the whole trip! Give us a week...

KENTUCKY

2006-06-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our time in Kentucky!

This is Joe Bowen. It was a lucky coincedence meeting the man we had just read articles about and heard legends of in his hometown Red River Gorge. Joe has been pedalling for over 1 year on a 14,000 mile journey. His website has been added to our links and is www.ridejoeride.com
Joe's route in 1967 (BLACK) and April 2005-present (RED)

The Aviators cross the Ohio river via ferry from Kentucky to Illinois.
End of the road on 91 north in Kentucky. Next stop : Illinois.
Western Kentucky
Thank you Sebree Baptist Church!!!
More wildlife on the road.
Chris helps a long-nose turtle off the road.
Matt totes his swimming buddy he found to Rough River Lake.
Farokh gets a lift after busting a tire. He leads the pack with 5 poppers.
Stuart rests like a Lay-Z-Boy
Grillmaster Daniel enjoys some steak.
Toshio takes a break from 95 degree heat in western Kentucky
Daniel gets his roadrash stitches removed.

Route planning, or game of world domination at Todd's in Lexington?
Chris climbing above Red River
Jeff rock climbing at Red River Gorge
Questionable roads on the transamerican route in eastern KY

Working for Stay.

Toshio and Matt cook burgers at the work-for-stay in Hindman, KY

KENTUCKY 2

2006-05-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Next planned section of the trip getting us from Lexington KY to the Mississippi River. Ought to be there around June 9th by the latest, as Farokh needs to fly out of St. Louis and take a few days off for Fulbright related business in Washington. Possible detour to Mammoth caves in the western part of the state.
I <3 KY

From Durham to Lexington

2006-05-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Now that we're resting in Lexington, it's time to post more pics from throughout the trip thus far.

Matt, Jeff, Chris, and Farokh at Red River Gorge.

Weeeeeeeeeee

WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Horses don't like Farokh.

Stuart, The Caboose.

Stopping to admire the view in western Virginia.

Matt walking with his AT compadres in the Damascus Trail Days parade.

The Durham Crew, pre-departure.

This is how (KENTUCKY)

2006-05-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

A lot of people wonder how we do daily activities while living completely outdoors. This is how:

This is how we get a nutritious start to the day with a banana split.
This is how we practice first aid. Dr. Irani redresses Daniel's wound.
This is how we cook dinner. Corn, yams, eggs on woodfire.
This is how we sleep intimately with our bicycles.

This is how we check email and update the webpage on slow library computers. Helmets for protection, always.

This is how we set up when severe thunderstorms are expected.

Old VIRGINIA Pictures

2006-05-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Lexington KY and will rest here for Memorial Day. Here are some old pictures from Virginia. Chris and Toshio roll out of the mountains and into the hills.
Seriously, WTF? Which way is 803?

Daniel strikes the preferred pose at Baja Cafe.
Farokh mid-haircut. He pities the fool.
Backbone rock in Tennessee, a short day excursion from Damascus.
Matt ponders.
Toshio ponders in Tennessee.
Camping in the Webb's backyard in Damascus.

KENTUCKY 1

2006-05-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

We recently entered Kentucky and have followed the Transam 76 route to Booneville where we stayed last night. We have gone off route today to explore Daniel Boone National Forest and Red River Gorge on our way to Lexington. We should be in Lexington tomorrow to rest for a day or so at Chris's friend Todd's house. Thank you for the comments so far, please continue to comment on the posts to keep in touch. Many more pictures will be coming when we settle in Lexington and celebrate Memorial Day. Hope all are having a great holiday weekend!

VIRGINIA

2006-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day in Virginia - we will cross into Kentucky at Breaks Interstate Park early afternoon. Our rest-of-week plan is to head into Lexington which is about 250 miles from here and stay with friends. Daniel's recovery is going well and the group's speed should allow us to do 50-75 miles per day. Here's a map from Damascus to Lexington of our approximate route:
The area is still quite hilly and although heat reaches 80 during the day, frost fell last night. Campsites are undetermined until late afternoon each day; last night we were grateful to have a spot of property and a hay house lent to us by a family near Honaker.

VIRGINIA

2006-05-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

We are still in Damascus and enjoying the excellent weather and now that Trail Days is over some more peaceful time to rest and recuperate before heading on westward further. Many thanks to the people of the Baptist church and the community who have invited us strangers in and helped us in so many ways. Back (L to R): Stuart, Toshio, Farokh, Chris, Daniel, Blanche
Front: Jeff, Coach Jeff, Linda, Matt, Coach Dennis
Matt and Farokh with partners at the contradance
"The Alamo" housed 6 men and one bicycle here on the side lawn of "The Place" - a Damascus hostel well known to AT through-hikers. Other tenters in the background taking advantage of free grass space and an from tent city during the Trail Days insanity.

Skeleton of the 1 man + bicycle tent. Brown tarp over, man goes inside, sleeps. Bike and man come out dry.

Typical country road on the 76 route. Near Blacksburg, VA

VIRGINIA

2006-05-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is first update, covering Jeff's solo 4-day trip from Waynesboro to Damascus. Will post more comprehensive photos of this section and our time in Damascus when better access to a computer is possible. Pictures are chronological going downwards down the page on this post; will reverse that for next time. The street sign says Blue Ridge Parkway. Thank you glare.
Jeff's solo trip on Blue Ridge Parkway. Stayed 1st night in Buena Vista seen in valley below.
76 road signs mark the established Transamerican route set in 1976.
The crew finally convenes in Damascus VA and enjoys BBQ at Damascus Eats
From left: Matt, Farokh, Stuart, Daniel, Toshio, Jeff, Chris

VIRGINIA

2006-05-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

Durham crew leaves in some hours, morning of May 16th. Expect arrival @ Trail Days in Damascus by the 19th or 20th. Route uncertain but totalling approximately 200 miles.

Jeff crew (compadre-less) departs May 17th along following expected routes:
DAY 1 Wednesday: Waynesboro to Otter Creek along blueridge parkway. 58 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=183936.
DAY 2 Thursday: Otter Creek to Troutville via Blue Ridge parkway to Mtn. Pass Rd. 47 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=183944.
DAY 3 Friday: Troutville to Claytor Lake State Park via Transamerican AKA 76 route. 67 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=183266.
Day 4 Saturday: Claytor Lake State Park to Damascus via 76 route and Virginia Creeper trail. 92 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=183450.

The weekend promises good weather and heaps of fun for the posse as they convene at Damascus this Memorial Day weekend.

Nota Bene: these pedometer maps will typically be posted in advance as they are now, but not to such fine detail. Expect pictures after each section is completed. Check back to follow the 7.

Virginia / North Carolina

2006-05-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

This map depicting the 2 different routes being taken to Damascus VA will be typical of the maps to be posted as the trip continues westward. (www.maps.google.com)

2006-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jeff Crew will start @ Waynesboro VA - Northernmost point of Blue Ridge Parkway (at the merge with Skyline Drive). Look to start May 17th. blueridgeparkway.org

2006-05-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Durham crew has completed first leg of the trip from the atlantic coast back to Durham.
Departure date for Durham crew is May 16th and Jeff crew is May 17th. Jeff crew is leaving from Waynesboro VA heading southbound along the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 1. Durham crew, well, from Durham NC.
The crews will convene at Damascus, VA by the TN/NC/VA border during the Appalachain Trail Days weekend (May 19th-21st).

2006-04-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is a generalized picture of the route, known as the bikecentennial or transamerican:

(www.adventurecycling.org)

This year is the 30th anniversary of the original bikecentennial, and this summer should see hordes of cyclists on the road to celebrate. The POSSE will chase the sun westward beginning from various locations on the east coast in mid-may.