cross-country cycling

Coast-to-Coast: Two Boomers, One Bike

Published September 23, 2021 | By Clark Norton

In Part I of Two Boomers, One Bike, Ken and Francie Gass — married 43 years and both celebrating 70-something birthdays in 2021 — detailed the training, equipment, and teamwork required to complete a six-week cross-country trip on a tandem bicycle.

The trip tested their fitness, stamina, and trust in each other.

While their bike (which they dubbed the Momentous Green Goddess) was well equipped to survive an arduous road trip across the Southern Tier of the U.S., the intrepid couple still faced an obstacle course of steep hills, bumpy roads, strong crosswinds and headwinds, and saddle sores as they pedaled from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida.

Here’s Part II of their epic journey:

By Ken and Francie Gass

While we had trained exhaustively for a year before setting out and enjoyed a fully supported six-week trip organized by Cycle of Life Adventures — which provided food and… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Bicycling, Bucket Lists, cycling, Outdoor travel, U.S. travel | Tagged bicycle travel, bike travel, biking across the U.S., cross-country cycling, Cycle of Life Adventures, Southern Tier bicycle route, tandem bikes | 1 Comment

Two Boomers, One Bike: 44 Days Across America

Published September 21, 2021 | By Clark Norton

When my wife and I completed a 40-mile bike ride down the Jersey Shore from Ocean City to Cape May, NJ, one morning some years ago, we were quite pleased with our accomplishment.

Then we met up with my old boyhood chum, Ken Gass, and his wife, Francie, who stopped in Tucson earlier this year while biking their way across the United States, and found that 40-mile morning workouts were easy days for them — they would average almost twice that, day after day for six weeks, pedaling from San Diego to St. Augustine.

And they were doing it on one bike, which presented its own share of challenges and rewards. Here is Part I of their entertaining and instructive tale of adventure, grit, and how to keep a marriage together on a bicycle built for two:

By Ken and Francie Gass

For 44 days — from the end of… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Bicycling, cycling, Outdoor travel | Tagged bicycling tours, cross-country cycling, Cycle of Life Adventures, cycling, cycling across the U.S., cycling tours, tandem bikes | 3 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.