Naresh standing behind the red tandem Kindness at the reflecting pool in front of the US Capitol
Astoria, Oregon to Washington, DC

Pedaling 4 Freedom, Astoria to Washington

Biking · Adventures
Distance
3,500+ mi3,265 of them recorded on my Garmin
Days
3619 May to 23 June 2024
States
13And Washington, DC
Climb
103,000+ ftRecorded on Strava
Bike
KindnessA red Co-Motion tandem
Riders
About 40On the back seat
Route
Astoria to WashingtonOregon to DC
When
May 19, 2024Sunday

Coast to coast on a red tandem called Kindness, with an empty seat for anyone who wanted to ride against human trafficking.

Read the whole ride on the map, day by day →

In May 2024 I rode a red tandem called Kindness from Astoria, Oregon to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC: 36 days, solo and unsupported, with the back seat empty for anyone who wanted to ride a few miles with me against human trafficking. About 40 people did. It was Freedom Seat USA, for my foundation, Freedom Seat. The money went to the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery and 3Strands Global Foundation.

It came to more than 3,500 miles. My Garmin recorded 3,265 of them; the rest are the days the GPS wasn’t working and the miles I rode off route.

Freedom Seat isn’t just about the miles; it’s about the people we meet and the stories they share. Each encounter adds a new chapter to our adventure and makes it an exciting journey.

As I pedal across the USA, I’m excited to meet folks from all walks of life, hear their tales, and share in their journeys. It’s these connections that make the open road feel like home, where kindness and camaraderie reign supreme.

The finish at the Lincoln Memorial, 23 June 2024.

What follows is the ride as I posted it from the road, a page for every day, with the numbers from my Garmin.

In the press: KPTV Portland, WUSA9 Washington, News Channel Nebraska, The Chronicle, Expedition Portal, Bikepacking.com and Trailnet.

The journal

3,265 recorded miles and 103,479 feet of climbing over 36 days, May 19 to June 23, 2024.Pick a day, or start at the beginning and read it like a book.

Before the ride

  1. ·Before the startPre-expedition nerves, a goodbye at the airport, and picking up Kindness.

Oregon

  1. 1Astoria to Portland, OregonA fall in the rain on the first morning, and 106 miles anyway.105.8 mi
  2. 2Portland to Maupin, OregonOver Mount Hood: a brutal climb, a flat at the pass, and snow.107.8 mi
  3. 3Maupin to Mitchell, OregonMost climbingRain all day, gravel like peanut butter, and tears at the first asphalt.90.9 mi
  4. 4Mitchell to John Day, OregonSleet and snow on the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway.69.9 mi
  5. 5John Day to Ontario, OregonThree passes, a new time zone, and dinner left on a patio.136.1 mi

Idaho

  1. 6Boise, IdahoThe crank fell off. MCU Sports put it back on.Rest
  2. 7Boise to Burley, IdahoLongest dayThe longest day: Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, and racing a train.165.8 mi
  3. 8Burley to Idaho Falls, IdahoThree flats, a thrown drink, and Hailey’s kindness.128.7 mi
  4. 9Idaho Falls to Driggs, IdahoA flat in the morning, a camper for the night, and Thai food.81.7 mi

Idaho and Wyoming

  1. 10Driggs, Idaho to Hatchet campsite, WyomingOver Teton Pass into Wyoming.76.4 mi

Wyoming

  1. 11Moran to Riverton, WyomingOver the Continental Divide, and dinner with John and Aki.127.2 mi
  2. 12Riverton to Casper, WyomingThe winds of Wyoming, and a free sandwich from Shaggy.121.4 mi
  3. 13Casper to Lusk, WyomingHeadwinds, and two cyclists riding Argentina to Alaska.106.4 mi

Wyoming and Nebraska

  1. 14Lusk, Wyoming to Rushville, NebraskaInto Nebraska, just behind a hailstorm.115.6 mi

Nebraska

  1. 15Rushville to Valentine, NebraskaA crank that wouldn’t stay put, and Bill’s café.108.2 mi
  2. 16Valentine to O'Neill, NebraskaRelentless headwinds, and construction workers who spared me a 40-mile detour.107.3 mi
  3. 17O'Neill to Norfolk, NebraskaShawna on the shoulder, and Scott, the real MacGyver.80.1 mi
  4. 18Norfolk to Omaha, NebraskaCompany on the back seat.102.1 mi

Nebraska and Missouri

  1. 19Omaha, Nebraska to Rock Port, Missouri90.8 mi

Missouri

  1. 20Rock Port to Amazonia, MissouriBreakfast paid for by a farmer, a broken crank, and road angels late into the night.64.4 mi

Kansas and Missouri

  1. 21Shawnee, Kansas to Sedalia, MissouriBack on the road after the repairs.96.4 mi

Missouri

  1. 22Sedalia to Portland, MissouriMaggie, best friends, and cicadas on the Katy Trail.88.8 mi
  2. 23Portland to St. Louis, MissouriThe Katy Trail into St. Louis.72.1 mi
  3. 24St. Louis, MissouriA day at home in St. Louis, and the Arch.Rest

Missouri and Illinois

  1. 25St. Louis, Missouri to Olney, IllinoisFamily and friends who drove for hours to ride a few miles.123.2 mi

Illinois and Indiana

  1. 26Olney, Illinois to Brownstown, IndianaHeat, humidity, hills, and a new time zone.128.9 mi

Indiana and Ohio

  1. 27Brownstown, Indiana to Cincinnati, OhioInto Ohio, my 10th state.100.2 mi

Ohio

  1. 28Cincinnati to Columbus, OhioCrystal, Randy, Meg, Tim and a professor of molecular genetics.102.4 mi
  2. 29Columbus to Bolivar, OhioRail trails and a family who made room for me.124.5 mi

Ohio and Pennsylvania

  1. 30Bolivar, Ohio to Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWest Virginia’s hills, 3,000 miles, and daal chaawal with Geetika’s family.90 mi

Pennsylvania

  1. 31Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaA day off the bike in Pittsburgh.Rest
  2. 32Pittsburgh to Confluence, Pennsylvania300 miles to go.71.7 mi

Pennsylvania and Maryland

  1. 33Confluence, Pennsylvania to Sorrel Ridge campsite, MarylandOver the Eastern Continental Divide and into Maryland, my 13th state.96.1 mi

Maryland

  1. 34Sorrel Ridge to Bald Eagle campsite, MarylandThe hottest day: a dive in the Potomac to cool down.108.4 mi
  2. 35Bald Eagle campsite to Riley's Lock, MarylandFriends on the back seat for the last miles of the C&O.32.1 mi

Washington, DC

  1. 36Riley's Lock, Maryland to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DCIt is done.43.8 mi

After the ride

  1. ·After the rideLunch with Laz, and coming down from a big expedition.
Start reading →

The route

PortlandJohn DayBoiseIdaho FallsCasperValentineNorfolkOmahaShawneeSt. LouisColumbusCumberlandAstoriaWashington, D.C.
Drawn from my Strava recordings. The dashed lines are stretches with no recording, like Day 6 into Boise and the drive to the bike shop in Shawnee.
AstoriaElevation from 0 m to 2,919 mWashington, D.C.

Further reading

Adventures · 2026The first sunrise of the yearBiking · Adventures · 2019Silk Road Mountain RaceBiking · Adventures · 2019Freedom Seat, Chennai to HamburgBiking · Adventures · 2018Indian Pacific Wheel Race

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