by Tom McCray
It was June 1st 2019 and a beautiful early summer day. I was on my favorite ride heading south and rolling into Morrow. I always stop at the picnic shelter to take a break and eat a few snacks and as I coasted in, I saw the bike leaning up against a picnic table in the shelter. It was obvious that it was the bike of a long-distance traveler. It had all the telltale signs: the panniers on the rear, multiple water bottles, and a few other mounted bags and racks.
I said hello and asked him where he was headed. He said he was headed east, back to Harpers Ferry. I ask where he’s been and he said he’s been “crisscrossing the United States.” The next logical question was how far have you gone? He stepped back to his bike and pressed a few buttons on his cycle computer and said “15,400 miles.” My eyebrows raised and my jaw dropped. He said he had been out for about a year at that point and was finishing his trip and heading home.
His name was John and as we talked more and I examined his bike I saw that this was not the normal tourist bike you see on the trail every now and then. This one was different, a lot different. First off, he had two half-gallon water coolers strapped to his front forks, far more than what the typical tourist carries in these parts. He was using 2-inch-wide tires and told me that at one point while crossing the Rockies, he had 3-inch-wide tires mounted due to the rough conditions. The point here is that he was not restricting himself to paved roads. He had been off road onto trails with and without pavement quite a bit as he travelled the country.
His bike was a Surly Troll, described on the Surly website as a “highly-versatile, dirt road expedition touring bike.” He had opted for a Rohloff hub in lieu of the typical derailleur and freewheel system. The Rohloff is a rear hub having an all-internal gearing system with 14 evenly spaced gears. It is much more durable and reliable than a derailleur, especially in long-distance off-road conditions. This bike was built to go the distance in places I could only imagine.
Regardless of the bike, it’s the person who makes the adventure. John was doing what I am sure most of us will only dream about. He had an incredible case of wanderlust and I was glad to have crossed paths with him as he was passing through.
June 2020
