The True Hardcores

As you bike, you hear stories of other rides and riders. Like any endeavor, people are eager to share stories, both first and secondhand, of similar enterprises. An acquaintance of mine, Graham, during a long distance cycle, would put some brown rice in a tin with some water on the back of his bike in the morning. It would “cook” during the day and this is essentially all he would eat. A bike shop employee told me of a rider he knew who cycled in Montana in the winter. He would ride during the night and sleep in the midday sun in order to stay warm. He sustained himself on sprouts that he grew during the ride by hydrating a backpack full of soil and seed in any stream or pond he passed. Compared to these burly men, my ride was incredibly posh and ninnified. And, of course, they probably built their own bikes from spare parts scavenged from the roadside. If I remember correctly, for his long cycles, my friend Peter built his bike out of spider webs and spit and would make any spoke or cable repairs with woven strands of his own hair. I only aspire to such self-sufficiency.

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