They said it couldn't be done. And maybe it can't.
We're biking from Salina, CO to Alaska starting Sunday May 31, covid-willing! Then sailing down the coastback to the lower 48 via the inside passage.
If you happen to know any nice folks that wouldn't mind us pitching a tent in their backyard along theroute, we're open to referrals...
Pictured above was our very first tandem, "Puff the Magic Tandem" (well, technically it was our 2nd, but that's a whole other story...) Turns out, the third time really is a charm.
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff, and so do we! Jackie was orphaned on craigslist and we adopted him in December of 2019. With only a few hundred miles under his wheels, we're going to give him a real workout this summer.
Specs:
Little Jackie Paper the Tandem:
Make: Co-Motion
Model: 2015(ish) Periscope Torpedo
Favorite Captain: Mikey
Favorite Stoker: Becca
Favorite Tandem Doctor: Kevin
Puff the Magic Tandem:
Make: Cannondale
Model: 2002(?) RT1000
Favorite Guest Captain: Becca
Favorite Guest Stoker: Grant
Special thanks to our super-unauthorized and not-really-sponsored tandem repair kit sponsorship from Tandem Cycle Works
As the name implies, a significant amount of thought and planning went into the acquisition of this fine, ambiguosly-measured 25-26-foot craft. The boat was measured in metric back in 1982, in hopes that the US would soon switch to metric. We really appreciate that sense optimism, which we carry with us on our own voyage.
Remotely preparing a ship to sail is no easy task, but we've had some amazing support from her previous owners and could not do this trip without them!
A few upgrades that are in progress:
- winches
- motor
- radar
- head holding tank
- skipper
Specs:
Impulse the Boat:
Make: Clark
Model: 1982 San Juan 7.7
Favorite Skipper: TBD (lol)
Favorite Sailboat Doctor: Chad
We haven't actually made this recipe yet, so we can't actually vouch for it, but the photos made them look pretty tasty. Maybe you can cook them yourself and tell us how it went..
Florida to Chicago 2014
Becca did a road tour from Florida to Chicago (1200 miles!) in July 2014 with a group from Auburn (mostly) with "biking for babies". Lots of records were set - we'll see if we can break any of them on this trip. The 154-miles-in-1-day record stands out in particular. Seeing as how this summer's tour is unsupported, it's unlikely, but hey, there's more daylight in Canada in July than there is in Alabama so maybe we'll get ambitious one day and make the attempt.
Portland to Portland 2013
Mikey crossed the country with Chris Lech in summer of 2013 from Maine to Oregon, even though they cheated and basically skipped North Dakota by taking the amtrak from Fargo. The most notable records was 14 flat tires in 1 day - we're not shooting to break that one this time around.
Neither do we. So we'll just leave this blank for now.
UPDATE: 3 ideas in the running so far: