Bike & Build 2010: Northern U.S.

Ever wonder what I'm going to do after graduation next May? Well, I'm still wondering that myself (job offers that start in September are very welcome) but I do know that from June to August, I'll be biking across the country.

Wait... 3800+ miles? On a bike? Am I out of mind?

Yes, yes, and probably yes. A classmate of mine at school particpated in a Bike & Build tour during the summer of 2008, and quickly sold me on it. Bike & Build organizes cross-country cycling trips for young adults to raise money for and support affordable housing efforts. So in addition to cycling 3800+ miles, I have to raise $4000 before May to support our building efforts. I'll have donation information up soon when I figure out how that all works. Along the way, we will stop to have "build days" where we actually help construct a house. I'm not exactly a master carpenter a la Norm Abram quite yet, or heck, even a house builder like Tom Silva, but I do know how to do basic stuff like hammer a nail, sand, drill and paint, and I learn quickly.

This is going to be a crazy experience. Never have I fundraised like that before. Never have I cycled more than 42 miles (dude, I was doing a sprint tri, endurance was not the goal). I will have to embrace novel things like clipless pedals, aluminum frame bikes, and brifters (I'm kinda old school, okay?). Regardless, I'm stoked for this opportunity. The nice thing about giving into the whole triathletes-must-have-blogs deal and then not giving up the blog is that I already have a great platform for a B&B blog.

Also, welcome to anyone who might have gotten here from the Bike & Build site, especially if you're a fellow NUS rider!