Cracks in the Concrete: A Motorcycle Odyssey Through Modern America

I took one final long prep ride earlier this week. On Easter Sunday, I rode back home to Pittsburgh and on Tuesday morning I rode back to Cleveland (115-140 miles each way, depending on the route you take). On the way to Pittsburgh, I was reminded of how dull and tiring highway riding can be, so on the ride back to Cleveland, I decided to avoid highways. It took about 45 extra minutes to get home without highways, but I got to see a lot of small towns I'd never been to - like Columbiana, OH, the birthplace of Harvey Firestone - and smell plenty of cow manure. The downside was that I spent a lot of time on single lane roads where I got caught behind some lethargic vehicles, including a truck hauling hay, a truck hauling gravel, and more 18 wheelers than I ever imagined traveled back country roads. On the whole though, taking backroads and seeing small towns felt more in the spirit of the upcoming odyssey, so I think I'll aim to avoid major highways as much as possible when the t...

  I went on my first real warm up ride yesterday. Harriet (my trusty steed) had been on the fritz since last fall, working some days but stalling in neutral and idling unevenly on others. After trying about 12 different things and replacing 3-4 parts over the past 8 months, I finally decided to throw in the towel and take her into the shop last week. When I called the shop though, they recommended one more thing I could try on my own and now she's suddenly back up and running like nothing ever happened. As Harriet had been more or less out of commission since September, I hadn't taken a ride longer than 15-20 miles since then.  With yesterday afternoon being one of few days of true spring weather we've gotten this year in north east Ohio, I decided to go out for a solid ride to get my sea legs back... and within the first 5 miles, I realized just how tight my hips have gotten without doing yoga the past few months. Note to self, I'm going to need to stick to a daily str...

In one sense I’m starting this blog too early; in another I’m far too late. When I first decided to take this trip (about 4 years ago), I figured the blog would start when the trip did, serving as a chronicle of the places I see and the people I meet. But about 8 months ago, I was opening up to a friend about the hang ups and roadblocks that had delayed this trip, and he convinced me that those challenges might be more impactful to share than the trip itself – the journey to get to the journey if you will. Photos and stories of someone doing something epic are cool but tend to feel disconnected and distant from our daily lives. Seeing an average person make an intentional choice for adventure over comfort might just give someone else the nudge they need to take a leap and make a big life change.  Following that conversation, I went home and typed up half a draft blog post then proceeded to sit on the idea for the next 8 months because “life got busy”. But today I’m finally coming g...