CWU in the news
WTJU Live Radio Interview with Jus' Joe Oddo
November 8, 2019
Joe Oddo
WTJU
Charlottesville, VA
Cyclist returns to talk about 16,000-mile journey
June 14, 2019
Eric Freehling
Butler Eagle
Butler, PA
Four years ago, Chris Register rolled into Butler as a stop in his six-week bicycle journey from Minnesota.
He returned Thursday with a book describing the people he met along the way including a chapter on West Sunbury.
Register, a former litigator who calls himself a cycling journalist, said he put 16,000 miles on his bicycle as he made a series of six-week tours of regions of the United States, meeting and talking with people.
Cyclist publishes first book after epic bicycle journey
June 16, 2019
Connor Hoffman
Niagara Gazette
Niagara Fals, NY
After traveling 16,000 miles and 49 states, a cycling journalist has published the first of many books on his journey.
"Conversations with US-Great Lakes States" by Chris Register is the first book in a series of nine books he will be publishing from his journey and his conversations with people across the way. He took separate trips of about 2,000 miles, and this first book has his interview with-then Royalton Town Supervisor Jennifer Bieber.
He visited Lockport again this week to talk with people about his book outside of Lake Effect Ice Cream.
Chattin' with Sal: Chris Register, riding all 50 states by bike
August 20, 2017
Sally Ann Shurmur
Casper Star Tribune
Casper, WY
Chris Register has a law degree from Georgetown University. He also has a bicycle, loaded with more than 100 pounds of gear.
By Monday’s total solar eclipse, if all went well over the weekend, he’ll be on the side of the road east of Dubois, watching totality.
Live Interview with Bike Houston NOW
June 16, 2017
Ivan Fuentes
Facebook Live w/ Bike Houston NOW
Houston, TX
Ivan Fuentes of cycling advocacy group Bike Houston interviews cycling author Chris Register for the organization's live interview series.
Cyclist travels through Portland on journey to meet Americans from all walks of life
May 11, 2017
Jackie Labrecque
KATU News
Portland, OR
A cyclist is on a mission to learn more about who we are as Americans. He's talking to people who come from all walks of life, including folks in Oregon.
Chris calls himself a recovering lawyer who is rediscovering himself through his travels.
“You go slow, and it’s kind of a sensory-rich way to see the country," said Register. "You get to meet folks. People will say, 'Hey where are you going? Where have you been?' And it’s really a conversation piece on wheels.”
Chris Register treks to heart of America
August 16, 2016
Aberdeen American News
Aberdeen, SD
What better way to get to know the fabric of the country than to ride as many of its threads as possible. In a time of rampant polarizing issues inflamed by the media, Chris Register, 37, is stitching together a different story.
Cyclist Visits Yankton As Part Of 50-State Tour
August 14, 2016
Jeremy Hoeck
Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan
Yankton, SD
Finally able to climb off his bike, Chris Register took full advantage of the opportunity to sit down and relax at Yankton’s Meridian Bridge Plaza on Saturday afternoon.
It’s a rare chance for some down time for the 37-year-old Texan. After all, he has been on the road for exactly one month — with still hundreds of miles to go before his final destination.
Register, an attorney from Houston, arrived in Yankton Saturday as part of his “Conversations with US” bike tour across the country.
Man cycling across America stops in Tulsa at 918 coffee on Sunday
July 31, 2016
Corley Peel
KJRH NBC Channel 2
Tulsa, OK
Register said he's already learned so much from talking to people throughout his journey. He said he hopes he can help bring more people together.
I hoping what we find is that we're not really as divided as some would have us believe and we can find things around which we can kind of unite," said Register.
37 Yr. Old Rides Through La Russell, MO on American Unity Story Gathering Journey
July 24, 2016
Joe Thorington
KOAM TV ABC Channel 7
Joplin, MO
Chris Register rides into La Russell, Missouri. He's on a mission to find out if Americans are truly as divided as some have suggested. Once a lawyer, now a cyclist, Register is on a 17,000 mile story gathering journey. He asks questions of individuals in all walks of life, pertaining to national unity and solidarity and says he gets many different answers. He believes that we as Americans need something to unite around now more than ever. Register is getting to know people nationwide. He plans on interviewing more than 300 Americans before his journey is over.
Cyclist on tour of all 50 states visits KC
July 20, 2016
Emily Welsh
KMBC-TV News 9
Kansas City, MO
At a visit to a coffee shop in Kansas City’s Crossroads district, Chris Register said it may sound a little crazy to leave a law career to bicycle across the country, but he’s on a search for America.
Cross-country cyclist stops in Marion County
July 19, 2016
Steve Woodhouse
The Pella Chronicle
Pella, IA
...Interviewed in Pella, shortly after arriving in town, Register was more focused on finding something to eat and a place to set up camp for the night. He'd planned to meet with Tom Schmeh, Curator of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, on Saturday, in Knoxville. After his interview with Schmeh, he was invited to stay for the races. There, he said he had the opportunity to meet more nice people, including sprint car drivers. One of them let him sit in his race car before the night's entertainment began.
Spoke & Word
July 2016 Issue
Saddling up on your touring bike and riding off into the sunset sounds like a Bike Houston member’s version of the cowboy life. Chris Register is doing just that, pushing his 100-lb rig through all 50 states in 6-week, 2,000-mile sections.
The tours make up the Conversations with US project, which Chris describes as “a slow and sensory-rich exploration of America.” Each day he pedals 50 miles and profiles a different person, seeking to learn about a broad cross-section of the country for a book he hopes to eventually publish. He’s cycled over 7,000 miles through 25 states (and Canada) so far.
“I take my time so that I can meet people and hear about their everyday problems, joys, fears, and victories. I’m doing this because I want to learn who America is from America itself, rather than relying on what corporate media and cable news decide I should hear.”
Live Radio Interview with Open Journal on Houston's KPFT Radio
June 16, 2016
Duane Bradley & Marlo Blue
Houston, TX
I stopped by Houston's community radio station KPFT to talk about quahogs, confederate flags, and barbed-wire fences --just a few of the things I've encountered while touring over 7,000 miles through the U.S.
“The touring bike is basically a conversation starter,” he says. “It’s clear to folks that I’m on a long journey, so they’re curious and often willing to chat with me. It’s amazing what awesome experiences you can have riding through the countryside. ”
Cyclotouring isn’t all downhill cruising and smiling faces, though.
Chris sticks mainly to backroads, but even those can be dangerous. On his recent tour through Appalachia, he says he rode many nerve-racking miles along Western Virginia’s curvy, high-speed country highways, most of which have no shoulder. His rearview mirror is his most important piece of equipment.
“It’s definitely saved my tail a few times.”
Chris’ fifth tour begins on July 13th and will take him through what he calls America’s “Prairie Heartland.” To see maps, photos, and video from Chris’ adventures, and to hear clips from the 100+ people he has profiled so far, visit www.ConversationsWithUS.com and follow his tours via Facebook and Instagram.
Looking for America
Cyclist seeks answers for who we are
May 25, 2016
Bob Bamberg
The Alleghany News
Sparta, NC
...Not everyone has the opportunity I have to travel the county and hear what people are
saying, but I think it is incumbent on those of us living in a democracy to really educate
ourselves and be skeptical of the powers that be and what they say. Find out for yourself if what they are saying is true.
Cyclist makes Appomattox a stop on his nationwide tour
May 18, 2016
Daniel Puckette
Times-Virginian
Appomattox, VA
...Register had never been to Appomattox before, and wanted to come this way because of the historical significance of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.
He learned about facts from the War, such as Lee’s surrender, but he also took away the stories of the average soldier, and how to apply that to modern times.
“I learned how so many of the Confederate soldiers, and Union soldiers for that matter, were just normal young men, swept up in something that they had little to do with initiating. I think it's important for us to really sit down and meditate on how war fervor and other reactionary waves can pass through us, leading to horrible and tragic results like the Civil War. We really need to do everything we can to approach problems from a deliberate and educated and patient place,” Register said.
Documenting through bicycling
April 27, 2016
Doug Ponder
The LaRue County Herald News
Hodgenville, KY
A lot of bicyclists have traveled across the country and kept journals, but one man is taking on another initiative as he is seeking to document the ideals of the people he meets during his journey.
“This is my fourth tour and I have traveled almost 6,000 miles on a bicycle as each tour takes around 2,000 miles. I have been hailed on, sleeted on and rained on. If it’s only drizzling I will go, but if I wake up in the morning and it’s storming. I will wait it out.” Register said. “During the night I either camp out, stay at campgrounds, stay at hotels or I have also stayed under bridges. I use websites like ‘Couch Surfing’ and ‘Warm Showers’ to find people to stay with too.”
Man pedals across the country collecting info
April 23, 2016
Will Perkins
Glasgow Daily Times
Cave City, KY
CAVE CITY – To a random driver, bicyclist Chris Register might just be another obstacle in the road, an inconvenience who is keeping them from getting to work on time.
If only they knew where he has been and where he is going.
Register, 36, pedaled his way to Cave City on Tuesday, traveling along the Dixie Highway. Six days earlier, he was in Memphis, Tennessee, where he began his tour of Appalachia and Bluegrass Country. He spoke with the Glasgow Daily Times on the front porch of the Cracker Barrel, resting his body in the comfort of a rocking chair.
“There’s something uniquely American about the fact that we love forward movement,” he said. “We love travel. We love missions, journeys."
Pedaling for purpose
April 28, 2016
Stacey Morgan
The Westmoreland News
Westmoreland, TN
..."I didn't talk to Native Americans or white ranchers or black jazz musicians or whatever," he said. "I realized my own limited social sphere when it comes to meeting folks."...
"I interviewed Gerald McCormick yesterday of the McCormick Brothers. We talked about bluegrass and a little bit about history. We also talked about Gerald's views on what's going right and what's going wrong with the country."
Huntingdon becomes a stop on one man's journey
April 19, 2016
Lindsey Bell
Carroll Country News Leader
Huntingdon, TN
Register says the purpose of the project is to find out what common thread holds Americans together. Everyday of his tour he finds a few people to interview to find out what the average American thinks and how they feel about their country.
“I’ve always wanted to be a writer,” he said. “I thought I could travel around the country and write about those experiences. What do average Americans have in common, whether they are black, white, Republican, or Democrat. What do they want to see happen in this country?”
Man seeks American ideals on bike trek across nation
November 4, 2015
Randy Faehnrich
Boulder City Review
Boulder City, NV
A nationwide civility project, that will cover nine regions of America and roughly 17,000 miles, made its way through Boulder City on Monday when Conversations With US founder Chris Register rolled through town.
The self-proclaimed "cross-country bicycling journalist" — yes, Register is trekking through America on bicycle — is traveling the country in search of what Americans think of their country.
October 7, 2015
Erin Green
Llano County Jounal Newspaper
Llano, TX
"Bicyclist Chris Register chats with Al Kelln at the Llano County Public Library Saturday, Oct. 3. Register is conducting a cross-country bicycling and interview project called Conversations with US, to seek out the things that unite Americans and help them understand each other better. He hopes one day to publish the stories he finds. For more information, log onto www.conversationswithus.com. "
Cycling Houston attorney puts career on recess to collect American stories
October 09, 2015
Daniel Clifton
The Picayune
Highland Lakes, TX
LLANO — Chris Register knows he’s not going to make it to Llano by dark Oct. 2, so he’s hunting for a place to crash along Texas 71. He’s hoping for a quiet spot under some trees.
A little pulloff not far up the road from the RR 2147 intersection might be just that spot.
“Yeah, I think I’ve seen it before,” he said with an air of confidence mixed with a fair amount of exhaustion.
He started the day well east of Llano County, probably near Giddings. It’s only a couple of days in on his journey from Houston to Death Valley in California.
By bike.
5 people who passed through Erie tell long-distances stories
September 15, 2015
John Guerriero
Erie Times-News
Erie, PA
Chris Register, 36, of Houston, Texas, completed his 38-day "water, steel and grit" bicycle tour of the Great Lakes in early September. The 1,835-mile trip began in Duluth, Minn., included an overnight stop in North East, and ended in Rochester, N.Y.
Register, who practiced law before this project, has now completed riding in two of nine regions of the nation for what will be a series of books called "Conversations With Us." He interviewed a farmer at a vegetable stand in North East on Aug. 29 for his books.
His longest trip in a single day covered 77 miles, but speed isn't the goal.
Lawyer's trek brings him through Butler
August 31, 2015
Eric Freehling
Butler Eagle
Butler, PA
Chris Register of Houston rolled into Butler last week after riding his bike from Pittsburgh.
He hoped to push on to West Sunbury where he was scheduled to talk to a Little League coach and maybe spend the night sleeping in the dugout at the league's field.
Register is in the fifth week of his six-week journey from Duluth, Minn., to at least Niagara Falls.
Bridging the divide, by bicycle
August 20, 2015
Susan Bromley
The Ortonville Citizen
Ortonville, MI
...Register will have more time to ponder what he is learning from the people he is meeting when he is off road. For now, it's a whirlwind tour as he is up right after sunrise, setting up interviews, updating his website, pedaling his bike and looking out for potholes, figuring out the next stop for food, making sure he's not running out of water or getting sunburned, and dodging obstacles in the road, including blown-out tires from trucks.
He is thankful for kind people whom have offered him lodging and food, and even as he left The Citizen Monday evening, he found some Ortonville hospitality in the form of village resident Dave Van Dis, also a cycling enthusiast and chair of the Blackhawk Community Trail Committee.
Lawyer takes to a bike and a mission to interview interesting people
August 1, 2015
Dave Gathman
Elgin Courier-News
Elgin, IL
..."I love towns where they don't even have a hotel," Register said. "A lot of times, people will say, 'Just come over to my house and pitch your tent in the yard.' But sometimes I have to just go into the woods and set up my tent there."
As Register rode into Elgin, he stopped at the Elgin History Museum to ask about the town's past and see whether museum Director Liz Marston could direct him to any interesting interviewees. Marston put him in touch with Ernie Broadnax, the 80-year-old African-American leader who spent the next few hours recounting his memories of Elgin's black Settlement district.
Bicycling in search of answers
July 27, 2015
John Russett
Red Wing Republican Eagle
Red Wing, MN
By the time Chris Register graduated from law school in 2009, he had grown wary of politicians’ rhetoric and media’s focus on polarizing, divisive issues across the nation.
He bought a bike, loaded it with gear, left his home in Washington, D.C., and without much knowledge or experience with bicycle touring, began pedaling in search of commonalities across the country in October 2010.
“I really didn’t see much of a voice trying to explore what we had in common, what links us together, what are the values that we share,” he said.