The story first published in Single Track World Magazine issue 160
Stepping into the Hype …… the reality of a failure
Beautiful pictures and videos on social media fill our brains every single day….
They make us dream and desire to be there, to experience what we see and often, there is so much excitement, appeal and attraction, which is so easily viewed at home, that they can make us believe that our own duplication of such challenges or contesting events is going to be easy.
Through social media, by the touch of one finger, our instant likes, comments and shares compound the apparent ease in which talented, physically able, generally young athletes carry out and chronicle these amazing achievements, giving further belief in our own self-ability, an inspiration which can drive us well beyond our limits.
We celebrate the victories, the achievements and the goals being reached, but there are many, many more stories of failure, defeat and inability, and unfortunately for me I fell into the latter.
Without documentation of such disappointments, the amazing successes could become diluted as over exposure to mastery becomes the norm.
As a 63 year old, mediocre cyclist who has lacked a physical athletic history and only been riding a bike for 12 years and who struggles to bend to put on my socks in the morning, a ‘good’ week for me should realistically be 2 or 3 rides a week, with a big one being about 60 miles ( 96km), but the desires within in driven by social media and achievements of friends drove me to bigger things.
I had already attempted (and failed) the Atlas Mountain Race from hearing the amazing tales from two friends (and great Riders) Mick Collins and Mitch Jones but my story of determination as well as my enthusiasm (as well as a freak contact via a rectified complaint to Customer Services) led me to a support relationship from WTB (Wilderness Trail Bikes).
Again the Atlas Mountain Race finish eluded me, but this time due to illness over the first few days and failure seemed to be featuring high on my ‘Palmares’.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, I wanted to vindicate myself and more importantly show a worthy gratitude to my supporters WTB and TAILFIN (who had supported me since 2022), and an idea sprung to mind …. Why don’t I ride over to WTB Head Quarters and thank them personally ?
I opened up my laptop, searched their location and was shocked to see their HQ nestled in Mill Valley, CA .. just above San Francisco !! ….. my initial consternation soon turned to a ‘why not?’ ….. but even worse, my Social Media infected brain then started making decisions for me …. Why not Off Road? Why not Solo? … Why go straight (about 3600 miles – 5800km) when I can ‘round it up to 5000 miles (8000km) ? Why not Camp as well as Motels ?
The planning started, with no real experience or understanding of the terrain, elevation, weather or routes I assumed everything would reflect the Social Media posts of the talented, experienced athletes that I follow. I used Strava as my main route planner with the two main metrics set to Off Road and Minimise Elevation. Starting in New York and heading to Mill Valley my selection of each main interim destination was initially chosen by recognising Towns or Cities that featured in famous songs !! …. Its amazing how many songs are written about American towns.
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At first I tried to almost micro manage the route, but realising that not only did I have no idea about the terrain or conditions I would be experiencing, but also finding out just how big a task detailing a 5000 mile route across the USA was, my route planning became a simple job of selecting a 200 mile section of a start point and a finish point and accepting and trusting what Strava would come up with.
For the journey itself I forsake physical training for equipment planning and was lucky to add GOREWEAR as a major supporter alongside WTB and TAILFIN.
I had brilliant clothing for ultimate protection from whatever nature would throw at me, Tyres chosen for endurance, durability and speed – WTB 700 x 45 VULPINE S SG2 120tpi and the most amazing Bike Packing bags from TAILFIN to carry my equipment, clothing and supplies including their brilliant Bar Bag and front and rear panniers, frame bag and top tube bag.
I invested in a very lightweight DURSTON GEAR X-MID PRO TENT (700g inc poles), and I had a Dynamo with a charger built into a Sinewave front light to charge on the go, but I was also running the brilliant Exposure Front and Rear lights for vision and safety when needed. To capture the adventure, I went over the top taking a small DJI Pro 4 Drone and Insta 360 Go3 with a small tablet to make communication / editing easier than just a phone. A comprehensive tool kit and some spares including one spare tyre and my camping gear and small cooking facility, 5 x water bottles and clothing completed the kit and it was all stashed on my SCOTT SCALE RC Team Issue Carbon AXS 32 – 10-52 12 speed MTB fitted with a suspension seat post, Lithic Rigid Front Forks, a Suspension stem and mudguards … I was ready to roll with an all up weight of just over 38kg.
I arrived in New York City as confident as I could be and setting off early on a Saturday morning everything was fine.
As the day wore on the heat was becoming apparent, but it was the humidity that was draining me. I knew that day one would always be ‘hard’ because it was the realisation of the task ahead and the unfamiliarity of the country, but equally the excitement and adrenalin would carry me and I decided that I needed to get a good day under my belt.
I had planned 83 days total with 70 days of riding and 13 rest days built in to arrive in Mill Valley with a few days spare to visit WTB and pack my bike for the flight home.
The first day really hit me hard … over 40 degrees and high humidity and torrential rain. 83 miles and when I got to Andover … the Hotel was closed and nowhere for food !
Camping the first night in pouring rain was not a good start, with a troubled night sleep I awoke to find a Bear just outside my tent not 20m away which ran past me and up a tree !
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Although people are quick to point out that Black Bears generally will not attack you unless a mother with a Cub, this really scared me especially as I was not expecting any Bear threat for another 3500 miles !!!
The next morning I found a brilliant café and also received my first real taste of the interest, hospitality and warmth of the American people, where I suddenly found that my hearty breakfast and much needed warming coffee had been paid for by someone just listening to my conversation with the server. Very kind.
From this point on the fear of camping was already getting to me especially as I was now in the Appalachian hills and forests of Pennsylvania and I found myself worrying about where I would be staying each night, often having to add another 10% of the days riding to find an affordable motel.
The hills along with the weight of my bike and the heat and humidity were slowly starting to drain me, but I was seeing some amazing sights, I was riding through villages and settlements off the beaten track, I was in forests, on MTB tracks and even got lost totally at one point when Strava had sent me down a track that was simply not there … I had to revert to hike-a-bike though long grass, rocks and fallen tree stumps …. Just ideal terrain for Timber Rattle Snakes and Copper Heads … this was a potential unthought of, life threatening situation and was a real scary eye opener to someone whose normal threat in the wild comes from Ticks or Wasps !
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My journey was beautiful, I honestly cannot fault the amazing scenery the route and the miles and miles of amazing gravel I found and further I was able to experience American hospitality and warmth being invited to stay, sleep and eat free of charge at Bill and Kat Torretti’s charming house and met their friends. Simply lovely.
Without going into day to day detail, my days now saw things and sights I would never have seen if I had stuck to the ‘Highway’, I saw politics, I saw amazing wealth and devastating poverty, I saw the effects of drugs on people, I saw agriculture, I saw a billion Sweet Corn, I saw forests and fantastic roads, I saw trains 100 trucks long, I saw beautiful Rivers, I saw many, many wooden buildings collapsed from lack of maintenance in poor areas, I met new friends, people I had contacted on the internet / social media, I saw flora and fauna including Eagles, Vultures, Buzzards, Deer (literally hundreds), Bears, Squirrels, Dogs, Snakes (dead), Chipmunks, GroundHogs, Raccoon (dead) and even helped a wild Tortoise across a road … I saw so many birds and heard them and an abundance of the beautiful bright red Northern Cardinal.
I felt as if I was in the fabric of the country, the heart of the area that I was in, but equally, when looking for budget Motels I saw the worst side – the expanse of concrete and tarmac, the lack of pavements (sidewalks) as everyone drives. I also saw industry, I had some rubbish food to be honest, and I saw the way everything is disposable with the majority of eat in restaurants only offering disposable plastic plates and cutlery.
I saw and waved to people sitting on their porches – almost stereotypical, I spoke with a Petrol Station attendant who openly carries a side arm. I saw Trump and Biden posters displayed with such open pride, and often insulting to the other side.
I saw history and could really feel the plight of the journeys of the settlers all those years ago and imagined the amazing journeys they undertook.
I followed old train lines, river paths and trails, I even was offered and tried a beautiful sweet Moonshine made from Sweet Corn at a campsite on the Elk River, I benefited from kindness from a couple of Bike Shops helping me.
I rode slowly and it was hard, 2 of the days were 95 miles (153 km) on a fully laden MTB so it was not as if I was gently touring.
Eventually, after changing my route as I suffered 3 broken rear spokes and decided to stick to the main road with the worry of failure, things started to get on top of me.
I was 5 hours behind so any Social Media posts I put up did not get any response, each night I finished, I sat alone in cheap fast food joints and it was too late at home to speak to anyone. I was constantly being chased by Dogs which was frightening and the number of dead end / impassable turn-arounds was increasing.
I had used my drone twice and my GoPro twice …. The footage was not the same as the Instagram Posts that had inspired me. The feeling I had was of loneliness rather than of freedom and exploration, and amazingly I felt more alone in the civilised USA than in the remote and barren mountain regions of Morocco. My charity fundraising was not getting a response which was depressing, to the degree that I had to donate myself to see if the website was working.
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I considered what was coming next. I needed to fix my spokes, but soon I would be on the flat hot plains, then the high mountains if I could get that far.
I stopped at a friends house in Louisville (Jo Anne Shipley) who I had never met but was a real help on my previous D-Day – Stalag IVB journey in 2022 and I realised, that I was sore, not open sores but I hurt, I tried to talk myself into continuing ….. but realised that the last 3 days I had started not enjoying it – I was riding head down just trying to cover the miles.
Louisville (and Cincinnati Airport) was my last real chance foe a direct flight home and after 2 days rest I finally succumbed … I scratched from my own adventure.
I had only covered about 1075 miles (1730km) over 15 days of riding with 2 days off but with the detour got 1200 miles along my planned route. I had ridden in 6 states – New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky and transversed the Eastern divide of the Appalachian Mountains .
I should be proud, I know that this was a huge feat and I achieved a lot and also the original plan was much to ambitious for my ability and personal mindset, but the self inflicted pressures of Social Media have beaten me and I cannot help but feeling a failure.
Will I go back, better prepared ? … I do not know, but I have learnt so much about myself …. I know I need company, I know I need support and validation from others and I know that next time I would plan each given day to give a closed target for that day rather than either camp or hope for a hotel and realistically, in that terrain I would limit myself to 65 miles (105 km) a day max.
Regardless though, I hope my journey will inspire others to TRY. I would change future trips but not one mile of that USA experience – I loved it.
Those who achieve those epic trips you see on Social media really deserve kudos and recognition for what they do – they truly are amazing Riders … but if you get inspired … my advice is to plan much better than I did and don’t bite off more than you can chew.
This Article was first kindly Published by SINGLETRACK MAGAZINE ISSUE 160
And if you can get a hard copy, it really is a beautiful magazine and well worth a subscription.
CLICK HERE: SINGLETRACKWORLD.COM
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