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The original was posted on /r/bicycletouring by /u/dfarin153 on 2025-09-25 14:42:20+00:00.

Just back yesterday after 24 days spent on a carefully orchestrated solo camping based bike tour of Lake Michigan’s coast, and I am mostly retired so have time to reflect. I felt a change after the first two weeks. Comfort with the routines, confidence in making it to the next destination, and took the time to sit and watch the sunsets and go on hikes. It was pretty darn wonderful.

In the midst of all of that, I was sharing photos and experiences from each day with important people in my life. And I had far more conversations with people I met who approached me with curiosity and generosity than what I experienced last year. (Spandex does seem to impact approachability based on the year before. I was wearing generic outer clothing this year.) And people showed me that my political point of view didn’t matter to them. My religious beliefs didn’t matter. My ethnic background didn’t matter (but I am white so recognize it might if that were different.) And neither did any of that matter to me as we connected. I was on an adventure, and many people who recognized that shared stories of their own adventures. Or dreams of doing something similar. Or outright curiosity about the desire to do such a thing. And so, I feel grateful that I could do this now.

And I am pondering how I can hold onto this optimistic view of people: The 85 year old cyclist named Joe who flagged me down between Manitowoc and Two Rivers, and insisted that he should buy me dinner where he showed up in a Ride Across America shirt commemorating his two trips in the 1980’s and 90’s. The surprise of learning from the waitress that a 15 year old kid passed on a gift given to him by buying my breakfast. And my desire to continue that chain for the next patron of that special Peshtigo Cafe where she told me that this sort of thing happens fairly regularly. The pair of brothers Smucker and their wives who picked me up when I was 3 miles from my campground in Michigan, drove me 15 miles to a couple places looking for any possible source of a chain tool. Then drove another 20 miles out of their way to Ludington where Spindrift Cyclesports stayed open late to replace my chain. John refused my offer of money to reimburse for gas, donate to their church, or whatever they liked. I was truly humbled by each of these people. And all I had to do was leave home in my bike to experience all of that. And much, much more.