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| Gabriel, Matt, Lorenzo, Jack, Ryland (left to right) at Lake Almanor |
Gabriel: I am a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz pursuing a PhD in computer engineering. I became a cycling enthusiast after I moved to Santa Cruz from Virginia in the fall of 2008 and I purchased a road bike to use for commuting to school every day. Gradually my riding expanded beyond my 3 mile commute uphill each day and I started doing 20 miles rides through the mountains and along the coast. One thing led to another and soon I was regularly riding 50 to 100 miles at a time on the weekends, plus I got another bike. I followed this up by doing a 550 mile tour down to San Diego in the summer of 2010 and a 900 mile tour up to Portland in the summer 2011. I'm extremely excited for the 5,000 mile trip we have planned for this summer.
Jack: I will be graduating from UC Santa Cruz June 2012 with a degree in environmental studies. As a soon to be graduate I have the opportunity to combine my love for nature and riding bikes this summer. In my opinion there is no better way to do this than to bike tour. It is slow enough to see details, and fast enough to be practical. Much of my time in Santa Cruz was spent on or around a bike. From commuting, racing on UCSC cycling team, being a mechanic for the weekly free bike maintenance, facilitating a class on the culture and community of the bicycle, and working on a project to install self-service bike maintenance stations around campus I have learned what a great tool a bike can be. Now it will be used on a 5,000 mile trip across the country.
Lorenzo: I've just graduated from San Francisco State University with a major in Cinema. I have been cycling seriously for the past five years, both on and off the road, and did a bit of racing. I've been looking forward to this trip for years, and finally I have the time as well as some great traveling companions. I will be chronicling our journey with both pictures and video, so look forward to the final product in a couple months! In the meantime, you can check out a bicycle-themed short film that I did in my last semester at university.
Matt: To be green. For exercise. To save money. To connect with nature. These are many motivations for riding, but sheer love and freedom of a bicycle propels me each and every day. From my start on a converted fixed gear years ago to racing, touring, and cargo-biking all over Santa Cruz- the pedal has become an extension of me. Four years studying environmental education and natural history at UCSC sends me onto the open road with a mind of full of insight, inspiration, and possibility. Traveling can take many forms, touring the country on two wheels, powered by sweat and spandex is the only way to go. The great open roads of the US await . . .
Ryland: I graduated from UCSC in 2009 with a degree in Sociology and an unofficial minor in bike riding. While a student I developed a strong passion for bicycles, bike riding, bike culture and cycling caps. A year after I graduated on went on my first bike tour from Eureka to Santa Cruz and it changed my entire perception of travel. Who needs an airplane to get somewhere far away? And why take all the beauty out of the travel? Life isn't about a destination. Life is about the journey. We all just happen to be nutty enough about bikes to pick riding clear across the country as our journey. Hopefully with this tour we can help motivate other people to enjoy their own journey and slow things down, smell the flowers.