An introduction to 'Velo Traverse'

'Vélo travers'... or translated, 'cycling through'. Until last month, I could only sit at my desk on Wall Street of all places, dreaming, and more aggravatingly reading, about the adventures others were having as they cycled and blogged their way across the country. Luckily, at the beginning of July, my general level of discontent(think Peter Gibbons in Office Space) registered significantly enough that my boss called me into the conference room for a little chat. With a knowing smile on his face, the first words he spoke were, "I know you don't want to be here anymore."

So I'm finally going to hit the road, but the 'tone' is something I've struggled with a bit. As a lifelong cyclist, and a former expert class mountain bike racer, it's somewhat challenging to ignore the speed reflex, and simply meander. Recently, Dani Wyss won the annual 3,021 mile Race Across America in a record setting, delirium inducing, 8 days, 5 hours, and 45 minutes (www.raceacrossamerica.org). Yes, you read that correctly. I certainly don't have the legs for that, but more importantly, the desire. In maintaining that agonizing pace, I can only imagine what Mr. Wyss missed along the way... the very things I hope to enjoy on my journey.

With that said, this won't be some flowery philosophical exercise either, so don't expect any chautauquas a la Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Who knows, maybe I will find some brand of zen out there on the open road, but if not, that's okay too. Beyond east to west, it's an open-ended trek - there's no goal, no finish line, and certainly no predetermined agenda. Our lives force us to be connected, always planning and watching the clock, and I need a break. Trust me, I'm not a hippie, or some bohemian freak, but I've also realized that I have no clue what it's like to have time - not just a long weekend, or a week's vacation - stretching out ahead that I can fill with anything. But enough of the profound - I'm just a dude with a mild adrenaline addiction who loves being on his bike, and is fortunate enough(depending on your point of view) to be lacking a mortgage, a girlfriend/spouse, and the other assorted trappings of 'responsibility' which would preclude me from having this experience.

Along the way I'll be writing about everything: the people, the places, my observations(and frustrations), and lest we not forget, since I'm still just a big bike nut, the gear(since a trip like this definitely requires the right toys). Whatever happens, wherever I go, I hope you'll enjoy the stories.

-Ben