Across the country in 50 days
Many students are creative in their attempts to relieve stress, but Director of Campus Recreation Kevin Kobe used a technique last spring that few students have ever employed, embarking on a seven week cycling trip spanning the width of the United States.
“I like to go and come back with the batteries recharged,” said Kobe.
Kobe made the 3,150 mile trip with his longtime friend Josh Archibald, who has accompanied Kobe on many cycling tours over the years. Kobe said they started planning the trip six months beforehand, in the middle of a heavy workload involving preparation for the vote on the Aggie Recreation Center and Legacy Field. They started their trip on March 3, 2012 by taking rental bus to San Diego, Calif., where they would begin cycling.
“We left the day after the vote passed on the Legacy Field project and Recreation Center, with our bikes in the water in the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach Park,” Kobe said.
Kobe said to make this trip he took his Specialized Expedition touring bike, which he purchased in the 80’s and cost him approximately $150.
“It’s the same bike I commute with every day,” he said. “It’s basically an old touring bike.”
Kobe said their whole goal was to not have the bikes loaded down – they wanted to bring just enough to be comfortable.
“If something didn’t have more than one use, we didn’t bring it,” Kobe said.
He said their clothing was not specific to cycling and they didn’t wear the typical cycling garb of spandex shorts and jerseys, but rather long sleeve button-up shirts – to protect them from the sun – and regular nylon shorts with pockets.
“We could walk into a diner and look like regular people,” he said. “People told us we looked like we were on a weekend bike tour.”
Kobe said they brought basic cooking utensils such as a pot and a stove, with a spoon and mug for each person. Other supplies he said they brought with them consisted of a tarp, sleeping pads and a small tent for nights of rain and bugs. Kobe said they experienced little of both.
Kobe said a typical day consisted of waking up, packing up, having a hot drink and then hitting the road and stopping for breakfast at a place like McDonald’s or a diner where they could get eggs for a high protein meal. Then they’d continue riding, trying to plan their day in a way where they’d be able to stop at a grocery store late in the day for dinner supplies.
Kobe said they cooked on many of the nights out on the road and his friend Archibald was primarily in charge of cooking, as he had a degree in that field from USU.
“We had everything from salmon sandwiches to steamed broccoli,” he said. “Josh is an expert culinary artist and spearheaded a lot of the daily dinners we would have.”
Kobe said they spent 90 percent of their nights sleeping on the ground with a tarp and their sleeping pads, with little need for their small tent due to a lack of rain and bugs.
Kobe said in spite of the duration and intensity of the trip, they experienced remarkably few problems.
“Here’s a dirty little secret: I had not one flat in 3,150 miles,” he said. “Josh only had two.”
He said some of the problems they experienced included strong headwinds that led to a broken chain, as well as dangerous crosswinds that threatened to blow them into traffic. Kobe said they had some “dicey moments” when encountering big logging trucks as they crested hills, “huge Harley rides” in Texas, as well as issues with dogs chasing them as they rode.
Kobe said he and Archibald experienced difficulties stemming from being together for such a long period of time.
“I don’t care who it is, if you’re with them for that long you’re going to have to spats,” Kobe said. “It’s not as peaceful and glorious and it sounds.”
He said in spite of those difficulties, their friendship was not affected negatively.
Kobe said smartphones were extremely helpful in his trip. From finding daily locations to eat or spend the night to finding local bike shops for repairs and booking their airline tickets home. He said he used his smartphone to listen to music while riding, and this helped him to get his mind off the anxieties that beset him as he was riding. He said it was also helpful in order to keep in touch with the staff back at USU.
“I just put my phone in my front pocket and turned on Pandora,” Kobe said. “I just had it playing in my pocket and didn’t use headphones so I could still be aware of what was going on around me. It felt like I was just going for a bike ride and listening to music down the road.”
Kobe said they completed their trip by arriving in St. Augustine, Fla., in the final days of April, 2012.
“I felt very fortunate to be able to do this,” Kobe said. “I am just amazed that we were able to ride our bikes across the country. It was on my bucket list and life isn’t getting any less busy. I wanted to see the Southeast and get a feel for that part of the country.”
Of all the highlights he experienced on his trip, Kobe said he was most appreciative of having been able to meet new people and hear their stories, as well as being able to share the experience with h
is friend Josh Archibald. He said he was grateful for the experience of seeing all the landscapes, forests, passes and swamp land.
“It is amazing we live in a place like this,” he said. “It’s hard to believe.”
As far as plans for the future, Kobe said he would love to do it again is considering another long distance tour, this time across the Pacific Coast. He said he plans on continuing to participate in shorter trips until that time ranging from two to five days in duration.
– cale.w.p@aggiemail.usu.edu