Home
Part 0
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Bikecentennial - Summer 1976
Preparation
| March 13 Carleton |
It's interesting how this trip started out in my mind. About two years ago Gary [my best friend from high school] found an ad in Mother Earth News for the '76 Bikecentennial. Well, that was enough to make us start planning to go on it. That summer we left on our own trip across Iowa and down to Kansas City. As I look back on it it seems amazing...We were about as "into bikes" as anyone our age, but we still knew very little about it. We learned quite fast. It was a great success and I've been completely "bike" ever since.... |
| It turned out Gary could not join me. For a time I was considering a more modest east coast journey, but finally decided to attempt "the big one." | |
| April 2 Carleton |
...I'm going to go as an independent cyclist...I'll have the freedom I need to take off and go where I want... |
| April 8 Carleton |
...My tent will be a combination of a military mosquito net pup-tent and a plastic tarp, the netting for bugs and the tarp for weather. When neither are threatening I'll sleep in the open.... |
| We actually used our bikes to support a shelter once or twice. Most of the time there where better options close at hand. | |
| May 3 Carleton |
Yesterday I got a call from Byron Miller, a friend...from my first summer bike trip...He wants to get together to bike this summer. ...It snowed today, my goodness, the summer is only a month off! |
| May 9 Carleton |
Byron called back today...He's going along with me at least from Oregon to Lawrence Kansas. |
| May 10 Carleton |
Bikecentennial returned my registration today as accepted. I'm going! Now it really gets intense. |
| The Bikecentennial organization still exists and is now known as the Adventure Cycling Association. The 1976 event was the focus of a Bicycle Safety Report published in 1978. | |
Copyright 1976 & 2002 by Richard Rathe |
|
Part 0
Ready to Hit the Road
Winter 1976
Page from My Journal
My ID Card
Waverly, IA Early Spring 1977 on the Way Back to Northfield, MN