Introduction

THE COVID CROSS

My name is Crusty Crank, and I like to ride my bicycle. It's finally summertime. My job is done and my work is all finished. It's time to go for a long bicycle ride. I had planned to pedal the Great Divide, but COVID-19 changed things. The plan now is to ride cross-country from Brooklyn to Portland Oregon.

There are those who think that I should stay at home, quarantined inside my house. Bicycle touring is social distancing by default, unless you're sharing a tent with someone or a tandem. I'm going alone, and will be outdoors soaking up UV rays. I take rural routes through small towns. I can keep track of every human encounter, and will wear a mask whenever I meet someone or go indoors. The number one touring rule is to be respectful. I admit that I sneak into the occasional campground. But out there I don't leave a trace. I support small businesses and I'm a generous tipper. This year to show my respect I'm pledging a penny a mile plus $10 a state to the Montana COVID-19 Fund. That's about $200. I hope readers will join me to support rural and tribal communities adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Let me know if you contribute, and I'll mention you in the blog and mail you a post card.

I need an adventure, and this will be an interesting one. I'll be able to survey a swath of the nation during this challenging historic period, first-hand outside of my bubble. I've charted a route that includes sections from my past two coast-to-coast tours. It adds new territory that I'm excited to explore, in both the east and the west. I'll be starting on my street in Brooklyn and will cross the East River and then the Hudson. I'll traverse steep Appalachian grades and make my way to Pittsburgh. I'll wander through my boyhood Ohio turf and then continue west towards the Mississippi. I'll traverse the Northern Plains and then pick up Lewis & Clark's route across the Rockies to the Columbia River. I'll end in Portland at my good friend Uncle Taco's. I'll be camping, staying at hostels, cheap hotels, and couch surfing. COVID-19 creates many questions and challenges, so who really knows. I'll be existing entirely from my bicycle and living in the moment. I expect the trip to take two months. 

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