Bike & Build: A Recap

Bike & Build Central US 2010 - A summer that can not be described through words, pictures, or video. Only by experience. But here is my best effort!


I'll start with the end.

(Click each picture for a larger version)


We ended in Cannon Beach on July 31st, and our group of 31 people (18-26 years old) biked in together for the last quarter mile till the beach. That's me in front, leading the pack with my co-leader, Aileen. It was only appropriate to sport the American flag that day. Lots of crazy emotions that afternoon - if you can imagine what its like to finally reach your end point and know that the end is near after 2.5 months. Especially when it is with people you've been around 24/7, that you have opened your heart to and accepted as your family. We were happy to have arrived, sad to see everyone go.

From May 21st to July 31st 2010, we had biked over 3800 miles from Virginia Beach, VA to Cannon Beach, OR, helped build and work with affordable housing groups in 9 different locations, and each raised over $4000 for affordable housing. We even lived on a budget so that we could donate more money to affordable housing groups; by the end of the summer, we had survived on a budget of $1.17 per person, per day, for ALL food because we had such generous people along the way provide us with food donations and plentiful, filling meals. For our efforts, this was our reward - Haystack Rock.

But before that beach, we started on the east coast, with barely battered bikes and a trailer still painted from the Central US trip in 2009. Everyone was still pretty nervous of the road ahead, unsure of what they had signed up for, but eager and ready to go.

And when you have 3800+ mile journey ahead of you, what other choice do you have but to GO?

So we went - inspired by others, inspired by our commitment, and inspired by all the people that supported us along the way. And the things and people we saw? Let's just say that America is pretty awesome.

Outside of Dillwyn, VA, a group of my riders stopped for a break at a country store. They got some food and drink, and once the owners of the store got talking to the spandex kids and figured out what they were doing, they were so thrilled to hear about our journey. So thrilled, that they gave the riders their purchases for free. And then the owners went a step further and offered the group a full CAKE to take with them. With no where to carry the cake, the riders had to sadly reject them. Fast forward a couple hours, when we arrived at the church that was hosting us for the night. The owners went out of their way to find the place we were staying, contact the pastor, and deliver the cake to us. The cake didn't last long (before we devoured it), but the good will did.

Early on in the trip, our trailer began to take shape as well. It was an emblem of our journey, a distinct sign that we were around - Bike & Build CUS was in town. And it was parked in campgrounds, church parking lots, high school parking lots, college parking lots, and even a sorority house parking lot. The trailer carried 31 people's stuff, food, and bike supplies. It literally got us across the country. And because it was so important, we tried to get as many people and hosts to sign the opposite side of our trailer along the way.

And then onto Cawker City, KS - we had a chance to something you'd probably only ever see in Kansas: The World's Largest Ball of Twine




(And I made some great wardrobe choices that day)





We slept in close quarters in every place we went, and our homes often looked like this - somewhat of a Bin Explosion




We also met a generous photographer in Denver, CO. We were staying at a church that shared community space, and a local photographer had a studio on the top floor. He was so impressed by what we were doing that he offered to take professional photos of our group for free. Little did he know that he would be seeing the most extreme tan lines in the west.

The trip to "Bike & Build" wouldn't be complete without building, and we had plenty of build time in several states. The list of things we did ran the gamut. It ranged from installing roof trusses and framing walls to painting and refurbishing older homes. Here are some build day pictures from St Louis, MO, Cincinnati, OH, Kansas City, MO, Boulder, CO, and Portland, OR.

St Louis

Portland

Cincinnati

Boulder


Kansas City

And a summer of biking across the country wouldn't be complete without a little bike advocacy and community building. Here we are in Oregon, after doing a bike clinic with some of the children in the community. We hung out with them and taught them some of the basics of biking and safety (always wear a helmet!)




Our days of biking an average of 70-80 miles would have been difficult if we never started the day right. Waking up every day as early as 5AM and then doing 20 seconds of silent 80's dancing (without music) was a ritual that got us going everyday.

And it led to great things, like...

The fountains of Bloomington, IN

The dinosaurs of Utah

The rustic bridges of Missouri along Rt 66

The epic and majestic views of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains

To the top of the highest continuous paved highway in the US - Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park

A bike tour of Portland, OR from a fellow Bike & Build Alumni





To some pleasant some surprises along the way

And to the top of Teton Pass in Wyoming - one of our steepest climbs.

(Luckily everyone had this to greet them at the top)

And as we approached our last state sign in OR, there was certainly a sense of astonishment at our achievement. That we had gotten this far, on our BIKES.

But we had formed many great memories along the way and solidified a team of inspired young adults that, united in our cause and together in our journey, got each other across the country:

Arriving in Cannon Beach was thrilling, exciting, shocking, and completely unbelievable. We rode in all together, dismounted our bikes, walked down to the beach, and then made a full sprint toward the ocean like maniacs.

Emotions were high and celebration was all around. Two and a half months of teamwork had culminated to this. We hugged, huddled, held our hands together to do a cheer for Paige (another Bike & Builder who passed away in a tragic accident this summer), and then did our version of the Haka to celebrate our ending.

We proudly held our hands and heads up high in front of Haystack Rock - our final destination.

And then, to signify the end of the trip and mark a true cross country cycling trip, we dipped our front wheels in the Pacific Ocean. Coast to coast. By bicycle.

Pictures give you an idea of how exciting this was, and a video gives you an even better look at how crazy things were. It's hard to hear and decipher a lot in this video - but you can probably gather how excited everyone was from it. Check it out here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/JCarboni05/CUS2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNS1_K2A1ZSW8AE#5501607560454708850


A truly amazing summer and a huge accomplishment for me, my leaders, and my team. I am still processing the summer and think about it all the time. Being a leader taught me more about myself, provided me with intense personal growth, and gave me tons of perspective on my life. And I know everyone else on my trip can attest to the same feelings. It has ended - I am no longer biking across the country and living out of a tiny bin - but this has only led to new beginnings. And to hear and see the things that everyone else on this trip will go on to do - after being inspired and experiencing something like this - keeps me going and makes me remember to make everyday worth it, everyday memorable, and, in the words of the playwright Tennessee Williams, to "Make Voyages! Attempt Them! There's nothing else!"

A final huzzah with bikes lifted above our head, of me and my co-leaders in front of Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.

This is Bike & Build Central US 2010. A summer long gone, but that I will always carry around with me. Thank you to all my supporters before, after, and during the trip! You have made something amazing possible.

And here is another video to get a glimpse into my world this summer. Bike & Build Central US 2010. Enjoy