To Rothbury!

I’ve heard that the week before leaving on a bike tour, you should stop training and let your body catch its breath until the final plunge. Regardless of whether this is true, five of our Michigan riders will be spending their final breaths at Rothbury Music Festival dancing, singing, and of course, telling everyone about the Trek to Re-Energize America.

Rothbury Music Festival isn’t just about the music. They’ve made incredible strides towards sustainability, helping jumpstart Michigan’s “Green Economy.” These efforts include easy-access compost and recycling bins all over the festival site (a psychedelically-themed forest and campground), bio-diesel generators, wind power carbon offsets, and daily “Think Tanks,” a concert-like venue of environmental experts and activists. This is where I come in. I was invited to be a speaker on a Think Tank panel called “Voting for Change with Your Everyday Actions: How YOU Can Join the New Green Economy and Why It’s the Right Thing to Do.” I think this is a perfect title because going on a tour like the Trek to Re-Energize America isn’t something I do every day (it will be for the next three weeks, of course), but riding my bike is. Cycling to D.C. from all over the country, we’re showing people that riding your bike is a sustainable, efficient, and fun form of transportation. If we can help inspire people to fix up that old bike and give commuting another shot, all of the work will be worth it.

Once the five of us finish celebrating our kick-off at Rothbury, we’ll meet up with four more Michigan riders and start our 900-mile journey to D.C. Even after reading blogs from those of you who have already been riding since May, we still don’t know exactly what to expect once we hit the road. Our crew of nine had drastically differing levels of cycling and advocacy experience, but what better time to start than now? I am so incredibly excited to see everyone bring their own positive personality and individual talents to our group! Until we meet in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, or D.C., ride on!

P.S. Here's our route for the first week:
July 6: Rothbury to Greenville
July 7: Greenville to Ovid
July 8: Ovid to Stockbridge
July 9: Stockbridge to Metamora, Ohio
July 10: Metamora to Findlay
July 11: Findlay to Richwood
July 12: Richwood to Columbus