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Our Story
In 2009, we sold everything we owned to travel the US on bicycle. We pedaled 10,000 miles over 15 months. It was an exploration of simple living, human connection and the amazing potential of the bicycle. We shared our adventures online, gave presentations about bicycle travel, organized overnight bike tours and met hundreds of incredible people. On May 15, 2011, we will head back on the road to re-imagine the All-American Road Trip and film the unique stories and places we discover.
Big Adventure. Small Wheels.
Our next project is about re-imagining the All-American Road Trip, with a journey across the United States that combines Brompton folding bikes and the train. Bromptons (English-made 16-inch-wheel folding bicycles) may be unlikely long-distance touring bicycles, but they are a perfect compliment to the train. We believe that the combination of bikes and trains is under-utilized as a means of contemporary travel. With gas prices threatening to climb ever higher, we want to show that multi-modal travel within the US is a viable and enjoyable way to travel.
Trains + bicycles = freedom.
You are free from invasive airport scanners, free of the expense of rental cars, and free from the logistical nightmare of buses and shuttles. You simply hop off the train and hop on your bike and ride! Trains are an ideal way for cyclists to leave large cities and get to small towns, quiet roads, state and national parks. Bikes are the ideal way for people to explore an area just beyond a rail stop. Imagine getting off the train at the gateway to Glacier National Park or in the heart of Chicago. If you have your bicycle with you, all you have to do is pedal away.
You really are free to "move about the country."
Our goals for the project are:
-Create original video content/webisodes that document bike/train travel in the US
-Interview and share the stories of bicycle, rail, complete-streets advocates across the US
-Produce an E-Book specifically about touring with trains and bikes
-Attract media attention about taking a road trip - without a car - in the US
We'll be documenting the joys and quirks of traveling the US on the train and our Brompton folding bicycles. We will tell the stories of people who are working hard to change the face of transportation across the US. Follow along as we produce a series of short documentary-style films from the road, all with the intention of showing the viability of multi-modal travel and the unique interactions you can only have when you're off the beaten path.
The Impact
We believe in advocacy through adventure.
Our goal is to inspire others to dust off that bicycle and feel the freedom for themselves. On our last journey, we spoke to bicycle communities across the country about bicycle travel. We gave presentations in Long Beach, CA; Tucson, AZ; Austin, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Shreveport, LA; Jackson, MS; Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; Bryson City, NC; Asheville, NC; Durham, NC; Brooklyn, NY and Boston, MA.
With this project, our goal is to not only inspire bicycle touring but to also begin the conversation about integrating bikes and trains. We feel strongly that, as gas prices rise and train use becomes more popular, mass transit will become the new frontier of bicycle advocacy.
Our big hairy audacious goal, is to end our trip in Washington, D.C and do a screening of our films with readers, bike and rail advocates, executives from Amtrak and US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood.
What We Need & What You Get
Our campaign goal is $10,000. Although this trip will happen with or without funding, your support will enable us to go further, film our interactions, and better present our experiences with you and the world. Meeting our goal will enable us to go beyond a simple bicycle tour across the country and have a larger impact as we bring together the stories of bike advocates across the US.
Funding will directly support our purchase of quality film equipment, our train travel around the US, the presentations we will give along the way, printed materials, bike gear, lodging, and our ability to connect with advocates around the country.
Become a part of our Big Adventure on Small Wheels.
