Fueled by burritos and solar power.
A head pops out of a passing vehicle and screams, “Tax fucking all scum, doob!” in my general direction. A cannabis policy recommendation? Am I being insulted? My cold-addled neurons finish rearranging the phonemes and I get “That’s fucking awesome, dude!” The head is commenting on the bike. I flash a smile and a wave. …
I’m so tired of everything being smothered with cheese. I’ve been eating at roadside establishments more often lately just to get indoors to warm up. The touch of local color is great but every menu for the past week goes, “beef, chicken, beef, pork, beef, Greasy Grilled Cheese Sandwich.” Imagine my relief to find this …
I cross the St. Croix River into Prescott, Wisconsin. The ACA route has me following the east bank of the Mississippi for the next three days and it looks like I won’t be crossing back into Minnesota. I seize the opportunity to collect my selfie with the Welcome to Minnesota sign that I didn’t get …
It’s sunny again and looking to stay that way for the next three days. I definitely like cold and sunny better than cold and rainy. I get to talking with another recumbent rider on the bike trail and he comes around to asking me where I’ve been sleeping at night. It turns out he is …
It looks like the guy who took a hammer to Michelangelo’s Pietà has been to Bemidji. I spend another day in the tent waiting out the rain and gusty winds. The next morning, I ride out to the Headwaters of the Mississippi. There is a marker and you are invited to “wade across the Mississippi” …
People keep asking me about the little black keg strapped to my trailer. Stumped, they try to guess it’s purpose. Is that your water? Is that your battery? I must be out of bear country now. In Dickinson, North Dakota, I locate a chainsaw/bicycle shop conveniently located next to a grocery store. One stop shopping. …
Or is it a new salad dressing? Oh, wait. I see. Never mind. My bad. I wake an hour before dawn and use the remaining charge in my battery to make coffee because my stove is out of fuel. There is only enough charge left to heat the water to 185°F (85°C). It’s not quite …
On my way out of town, a youth in a rusty pick up truck offers the perfect send off, “Nice helmet, asshole!” “Thank you, asshole!” I reply cheerfully. Stay classy, Great Falls. I start the day with a full battery and wall-to-wall sunshine. The first two hours are WOT (wide-open throttle) all the way, averaging …
I wake up in Wauconda to cloudy skies, 1% battery and not enough stove fuel to make coffee. The next town with services is 16 miles and 1000’ climbing away. Also, it looks like it may rain. Also, there’s no internet. I don’t much care for these rumble strips in the middle of the road …
SOLAR ebike 