Have we got a special Readers’ Rides for you! An entire family touring the Northeast sent in their setup and a rough itinerary of their travels. Let’s check it out below!
At the time of writing this, Sunny, Ulysse, Em and Max have been on the road for nearly 4 months with 2 more months to go.
They started from NYC, traveled up the Empire State Trail & Vermont, made it to Montreal and onto Gaspésie then hit up the classic P’tit Train du Nord before heading towards Toronto.
3000 kms in and counting, they’ll soon be heading to Pittsburgh to ride the GAP trail and C&O canal to Washington DC
Planes, trains, and automobiles are the undisputed champions of fast travel in the modern age. We all zip around the globe, racing from historic attractions and fine eateries to the next scenic overlook and post-card worthy candid moment.
This frenetic pace is fantastic for those with limited vacation time or a very enthusiastic interest in a tightly packed itinerary. But for a rare few, seeing it all and doing so in a very specific time window is not the ideal way to site-see; ergo, bike packing.
We all know the friend who took a few weeks over summer holiday during the younger days of our lives to give the minimalist travel life a hearty attempt. The success rate was equal parts, “Never again” and “This is my life now” – and there is no way to predict which intrepid friend would land one side or the other of the conversation.
Never though has this author had friends who chose to undertake such an audacious trip as Max and Em: packing up only the essentials, as per usual, but also their two kids, one of whom was not even a year old at the start of the trip.
Utilizing community forums to find places to camp in addition to actual (or ad hoc) spot in parks or fields, they have braved the heat, rain, and challenging topography to slow down and soak in the quaint towns and fun characters along the way. Not for the faint of heart, this French family is setting a new high-water mark for slow-burn adventure and cultural immersion.
Tune into their travels via @sulemaonwheels and vicariously enjoy the ride!
Words and photos by Zach Faulkner
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here. The response has been incredible; we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait (vertical.) Thanks!
