CWU's Random Video Collection
Every now and then I got the idea that a bouncy, ill-focused video plagued by wind noise and nerdy commentary would be a great way for CWU fans to experience parts of the tour.
Enjoy!
Elroy-Sparta Trail Tunnel 3 (Wisconsin)
Riding through this repurposed 3/4 mile-long railroad tunnel was one of the coolest things ever.
Appalachian Fog
They tell me the scenery along the Blue Ridge Parkway is spectacular. I wouldn't know. In May 2016 I spent the final three days of CWU's Appalachia & Bluegrass Country tour riding along and around North Carolina's section of the mountain road, enveloped in the thickest fog I have ever encountered anywhere. I didn't see a single mountaintop.
Grand Canyon Tarantula
I was a little surprised by how many of these beautiful creatures I saw alongside the road. I hope this one made it home safe.
Change of Scenery: Las Vegas
After hundreds of miles of desert I was almost paralyzed by sensory overload. Plus, I thought it was sort of funny to be pushing the dusty, overloaded Surly through a casino!
Hoover Dam
A classic engineering marvel.
Lost in the Desert
My naive trust in Google Maps led to a ten mile slog across the roadless, thorn-ridden desert while trying to get to Hillsboro, New Mexico.
Wisconsin Farmland
Seas of soy and huge, well-kept barns defined the Upper Midwest portion of CWU's Water, Steel & Grit summer 2015 tour. See the detour sign (that I ignored)? A mile up the road I had to cross a creek alongtop a 12" wide board because the bridge was out.
Hwy 82 Descent from Cloudcroft, NM
A solid 6 miles of steep (i.e., fast) downhill riding.
Happiest Dog in the World
I've found that, most of the time, a slow bike and a fast dog are a bad mix. That's why it made my day to be joined for three miles by this entirely happy and friendly pooch near Blue Rapids, KS. The rolling prairie hills just add to the delight.
Nebraska Crop Duster
Possibly the world's best job.
Desert Rattlesnakes
I was slightly terrified by how many of these beautiful creatures I saw alongside the road. This clip shows a small grumpy one in Northern Arizona.
Navajo Desert
I was awed by the geological phenomena along this stretch of lonely dirt road near Tuba City, AZ.
Appalachia Top-to-Bottom
Some perspectives on gravity-assisted cycling.
Pedaling Below the Ocean
Final day of the fall 2015 American Southwest tour--arrival at Death Valley National Park (~300 ft. below sea level).
The Mundane Side of Cyclotouring
Twenty-five miles or so east of Lexington, KY my helmet cam apparently began spontaneously recording video without my knowledge. While other videos here might give the impression that cyclotouring is exiting and adventurous, this one presents an unedited different view: crossing a dangerous road, stopping at Walmart to use the ATM, and eating lunch at Taco Bell. *Yawn*
Summer Sound Button
A little boyish fun with a cicada on a hot summer night at a campground in southwestern Missouri.
Power Plant Coal Furnace
A few feet away from a 2,000-degree, electricity-producing inferno at the Minnkota Power Co-Op near Center, ND.
Oklahoma Ranchland
A come-what-may ride through Oklahoma prairie/ranchland north of Tulsa.