This summer, incoming actuarial science sophomore Stephen Boyd spent 37 days pedaling almost 2,300 miles from San Francisco to Indiana with his friend Mitch Green. After riding nearly 850 miles last year from Indiana to New York, Boyd immediately began to map out his next trek.
So, what drives a person to accomplish such a feat?
"A love of biking, a love of traveling," Boyd said, relaxing and watching TV at his parent's house in Fort Wayne. "And it's a cheap way to see the country." He returned from the trip just a week ago.
With the dream of a long-distance bike ride, much planning is in order. Boyd used several maps from the Adventure Cycling Association as well a map of the Katy Trail in Missouri, which follows Lewis and Clark's famous expedition. But the mapping part was easy compared to knowing what supplies were needed and what terrain was to be expected. For instance, Nevada proved to be the most difficult part of the trip.
"There was a time when it was 112 miles between towns," Boyd said. Factor this in with scorching heat, non-stop headwinds blowing against the riders and steep mountain ranges. Stephen continually talked about preparing for such conditions by bringing over 40 pounds of equipment, including a gas stove and tent. Though they seemed prepared, it wasn't always enough. Three days into the trip, Stephen's friend had a broken pedal. It was a bad way to start the journey. Again, in Nevada, flat tires and hot weather played a large part in breaking them down mentally.
"It's definitely hard, because it's something you should be having fun doing, but it's just like torture," Stephen said. The Nevada desert was certainly the lowest point of the trip. For a brief period they both felt like giving up, but upon realizing they had no way home other than their bikes, the two riders decided to muscle through. And the payoff was worth it.
Day eight of the trip was the beginning of Utah, meaning cooler weather and more mountain ranges. The change in scenery was a morale booster as well. Between Utah and Colorado, the two went through five state parks back to back. "It's insanely beautiful," he said. "In a car you just drive through it, but riding exposes you to the elements and makes it so much more worthwhile."
But sometimes finding a place to stay for the night was just as difficult of a task as the riding. Most of the towns in Kansas had free camping in the local park, but often they had to ask around for any free places to stay. They also used a Web site www.couchsurfing.com for some places to stay, meeting up with other bikers along the way to gave them directions on places to crash as well. On occasion they would be woken up to by sprinkler systems soaking their tent, but, for the most part, they could find shelter in hostels or with people they had gotten in touch with beforehand. Any place that offered showers was welcomed.
On Boyd's trip last year, he and a friend set off to ride to Maine from Indiana. Yet after a week his friend gave up, leaving Boyd to finish solo. "Mentally," he said, "I can't handle [riding alone] over long periods." Although he got to see Niagra Falls and travel up the Eerie Canal, Boyd ended up pulling a groin muscle 800 miles into the trip and had to call it quits. Though disappointed, it gave him a better understanding of how to prepare for long rides.
"The best thing you can do is to just ride your bike as much as possible." This advice, as well as fully understanding the terrain and landscape ahead, is how a person can be ready for cross-country or even cross-state bike rides.
By the time they got to Pueblo, Colo., the mountains were behind them and the plains of the Midwest was ahead. "Our legs were strong from all the climbing, so once we hit flat ground we just started tearing it up and doing 100 miles a day." They switched to a new route, the Katy Trail, once they headed into Missouri. The Katy Trail went through more small towns and country roads than the ones from the Adventure Cycling maps, but were a nice change of pace. But problems still persisted.
"I thought things were going well, but in the back of my mind I thought something else could go wrong anytime." This is exactly what happened. A string of flat tires led Boyd to discover his back wheel was cracked in eleven different spots. The nearest bike shop was 110 miles away, but the two hitched a ride and kept their minds clear for the tasks at hand. This and the broken pedal in Nevada were the worst mechanical problems, and they were enough to shake Boyd's focus off the trip. Being miles away from home and losing confidence lay heavy on their shoulders as they rode into town. However, luck spared them and the wheel was inexpensively replaced.
Riding for six hours and 80 miles a day was the best part for Boyd. "I just loved being on my bike," he said. Crossing the Mississippi River and passing through Illinois were the final big hurdles before getting back home. "When we left Upland and started riding toward Fort Wayne, that was the actual first time I felt like we were gonna make it." Twenty miles in, he got another flat tire. But it was a quick fix and the last thing they could care about as the two rolled into town and made it home.
Boyd's parents and grandparents were waiting for him on the front lawn with a big "Welcome Home" sign up on the garage for him. "Getting home was surreal; the whole trip felt like a dream."
Now that he's back home, what's next for Stephen Boyd? "If I had more time," he said, "I'd love to do coast to coast." Though this trip cost him around $1,500, including airfare to San Francisco, food and spare parts, he's already saving money for another try at riding to Maine. With five friends already preparing with him, and a near cross-country trek under his belt, he feels confident about next summer.
"You just have to get on your bike and ride," he said.
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