Community of Trans-Continental Cyclists

 

Community of Trans-Continental Cyclists

     It came as a surprise to me to discover that there are thousands of people cycling across the U.S. over the course of the summer.  Many towns have set up green spaces for tired cyclist to spend the night.  Outside of Custer, South Dakota I was tickled to see the city park with a tent marked “Front Desk”  which served as a welcome center.

      This great movement of sojourners made me think of  Grapes of Wrath with the campgrounds which sprung up across the U.S. South West.  The cyclists, however, are by and large financially secure and are inspired by things other than terror.

 Sometimes clusters of people who have been travelling separately coalesce into cycling pod.  In Dubois I met a 50 year old man from Indiana who had met up with a 22 year old man from North Carolina and a 40 year old man from The Netherlands.  In cycling through Wyoming they encountered a 10 mile stretch of highway which was under construction.  The highway department offered to drive them and their bikes the length of the construction zone for their own safety.  The young man declined citing that would take away from his bragging rights for cycling across the country in its entirety.  Sometimes I am grateful that sometimes wisdom and humility come with age.