Editor's be aware: For countless Summit County residents, a bicycle is more than a computer — it's a way of life. per week all the way through the summer season, we'll ask our most adventurous residents, "where has your bike taken you?"
4,seven hundred miles, 10 states and one Canadian province.
That become the final tally for Silverthorne native Greg Seebart and his friend, Kevin Holfelner, who traveled as a duo through farm and prairie, ridge and valley of their saddles three a long time in the past. No, these saddles did not leisure on a horse, but on a human-powered bike.
Seebart rode his eco-friendly Moulton Motobecane Grand Jubilee for practically three months straight during the duo's 1984 event from the southern-most border of Alaska to the Florida Keys. Even in spite of everything these years Seebart remembers the experience well.
"the realm and existence is distinctive in the event you view it from the seat of a bicycle," Seebart referred to in a hardscrabble voice, like pebbles on cement. "Your world slows down. Your commonplace pace is 10 or 12 miles an hour. You suppose the temperature exchange when cresting the good of a hill and then descending right down to the valley floor."
experience begins
notion for the travel got here from a presentation Seebart attended about a bike trip from Alaska to the tip of South america. learning about that experience taught him that logistics could be a major a part of the exercise.
"for those who make a decision to take on this adventure it takes some mental planning, along with financial issues," Seebart pointed out. "there were no cellphones or computer computer systems to make motor vehicle, credit card (and) clinical payments, so these all needed to be carefully figured out in boost."
across the beginning of August, Seebart and his future brother-in-legislation pushed off from the British Colombian port city of Prince Rupert, some of the northernmost towns in Canada just earlier than the Alaskan border.
The pair become confident, but additionally sensible with their expectations.
"We have been rather excited concerning the entire experience," Seebart explained. "We knew it will be lots of physical exertion, however that changed into not anything that we had been worried with."
With an ergonomical seventy five pounds of bags and gear strapped to his trusty Jubilee, Seebart had a good experience.
"yes, we have been avid cyclists, however we didn't need to overdo time on the bike and be ailing of riding earlier than we even begun," Seebart noted, explaining his minimal working towards before the journey. "We put together a practising time table for when the trip itself begun: 50 miles the first day, on account that we knew the adrenaline could be working excessive; 40 miles the 2nd and third day; then back it method off to twenty miles the fourth day to enable for recuperation, and then repeat increasing mileage except we could effectively trip 100 miles day by day if we essential to."
Into the ice
through September, the two were traveling an ordinary of 75 miles per day and had reached Wyoming. There, they had been capable of get their first care kit of latest clothing for the hotter climates they were to be passing through — or so that they thought.
"There was icy snow through Wyoming," Seebart noted. "That changed into form of a setback, we weren't rather planning on that."
one more problem got here in Iowa — this time to their noses.
"The smells are different from one area to one more," Seebart talked about. "once we rode via Iowa it seemed like we smelled one pig farm after a different. no longer essentially the most exciting."
Seebart and Holfelner burned about 8,000 calories a day while on the saddle. To feed their big appetites, the bike explorers every now and then scarfed down total pies for lunch, then hopped back on their bikes for one other 5 hours of using.
"We'd get an apple pie or peach pie and french fries," Seebart pointed out with a gravelly snicker. "We had eight pies from across the country. The ultimate one we had changed into in Montana."
The tough instances
Pie or no longer, the grind of pedaling seven to eight hours a day for weeks straight takes a toll on the mind and physique. both slept in a tent together most nights and simplest once in a while slept indoors when invited by using a home-owner. Seebart believes he obtained via it all with the aid of protecting a degree head — in no way too excessive or ever too low.
"We had complicated days, dangerous days," Seebart stated. "however that's the whole story of the journeying issue. You don't have manage of the climate, you don't have control over what hills you're mountain climbing, or anything else."
This mentality was challenged when Holfelner took a tough crash shortly after getting into Montana. both took three days off — their longest break of the shuttle — and misplaced positive time as iciness approached.
it would had been convenient to pack it up and make contact with it quits so near their home of Colorado, however the pair did just the opposite: once returned on the road they biked eight straight days, which put them lower back on track, and, much more importantly, gave them self assurance for the the rest of the go back and forth.
Into the heartland
On highways and lengthy-forgotten roads they pedaled via mid-the usa. They typically moved alongside back roads for safeguard, however got here with surprises.
"We were going via this farmer's property (in Illinois) and the farmer pulls over to us and goes, 'What are you guys doing on my property?'" Seebart remembered. "We spoke back that, 'We're simply taking this excellent lower back street to Florida.' He was very positive in telling us how to get diverse places."
On Halloween, Oct. 31, Seebart and Holfelner coasted to the end of their journey on the Florida coast. Seebart loved meeting new and interesting americans, like the sole bicycle owner in a small Kentucky county who invited them over for dinner, reports and a bed.
"No count number where we had been at, individuals would come up and consult with us… .There's simply top notch people throughout the country no be counted the place you're at," Seebart laughed. "This happened commonly all throughout the county."
After their journey, Holfelner married Seebart's sister and moved to New Hampshire, whereas Seebart opened a bike shop in Denver. He offered the save in 2005 and retired to Silverthorne, the place he has been residing ever because.
despite the fact he's certainly not taken a trip quite as massive because the go-country experience, Seebart remains an avid road bicycle owner, doing century rides across Maine, Minnesota and Summit County this final yr by myself. He additionally caught the nautical computer virus and lately sailed from Puerto Rico to Grenada without stopping — a voyage over 500 miles lengthy.
Most frequently, notwithstanding, he can be found mountaineering Vail flow on a custom, blue-and-copper Nishiki, having fun with all of the highs and lows existence throws at him.
"You've just obtained to chill out and take what lifestyles offers you," Seebart pointed out. "equal as for those who're on the bike, with sailing you don't have any handle of the weather, so you simply make do."
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