Cycling The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail Solo – An Interview With Cynthia Ord

In the summer of 2019, Cynthia Ord cycled alone across the United States of America. Following the 4,228 miles long TransAmerica Trail, she crossed 10 states and 3 national parks over 75 days.

In this interview, I catch up with Cynthia to find out what inspired her to take on this extraordinary journey, and learn about the highs and lows of cycling solo.

1) Hi Cynthia, it’s great to have you on my blog. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Glad you found me, Lauren. When not traveling, I’m based in my hometown of Denver, Colorado. Over the past 12 years, I’ve built my career in the travel and tourism industry — focused mostly on marketing tours and destinations. I’ve lived and worked internationally in far-flung places like Xela, Guatemala; Cochabamba, Boliva; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before my bike tour, I had spent several years home in Denver working for a local tour operator here.

2) You spent the summer cycling the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. What inspired you to take on this extraordinary journey?

While living and working in Denver, I started yearning for a new kind of adventure. I’d done a lot of international travel and living, but I wanted to do something more physical, with more discovery of my own country.

Some friends of mine organize a weeklong Colorado bike tour every summer called BABRAC. In 2018, after four days of riding, I felt so good that I wanted to keep going. So the idea was born. I started imagining an entire season on my bicycle, crossing a huge distance. A few Google searches led me to the TransAmerica Bicycle Route, which is possibly the most popular route for cyclists who want to cross the USA. I spent the next 10 months saving, planning, and preparing to do the ride in this past summer of 2019.

3) You completed the journey solo! What made you choose to cycle solo, and what did you learn from the experience?

A lot of my other travels have been solo, so traveling alone is not new to me. I did a lot of soul-searching about doing this alone, and I also researched different online forums about the pros and cons of a solo bike tour.

Yes, it did get lonely at times, but I learned that a group size of one person is the most popular group size for bike touring. Maybe this is because it takes a lot of commitment to match your pace and style with others. I learned that you’ll meet a lot of people on a journey like this — both locals and other travelers. Perhaps most importantly, I learned to really inhabit my solitude and even cherish it. That’s a skill that transfers over into day-to-day life off the bike as well.

4) What were the highlights?

Oh, so many! There are tons of little details that still stand out in a big way, like riding through the early morning mist of the Ozarks, sharing a campfire with fellow TransAm cyclists in Yellowstone National Park, going to a county fair in Kansas, and taking a side trip on the scenic Virginia Creeper Trail from Damascus, VA.

Then there were the people who really made the trip what it was — all the different Warmshowers hosts who welcomed me into their homes, and the three other TransAm cyclists I joined up with for anywhere from two days to almost three weeks. Also, my dad joined me for three different days of the ride, so that made it really special as well.

5) What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

I was incredibly lucky in that I avoided any problems with traffic accidents or mechanics. In fact, I only had two flat tires the entire way! I get this question a lot, though, so I posted a list of all the things that went wrong during the ride.

Of the seven things I listed, I’d say the theft in Eugene, Oregon was probably the biggest challenge. There were a few days where rain and wind conditions chipped away at my morale, but overall I had great luck with the weather and usually felt safe.

6) How did you feel when you arrived at your finish point of Yorktown, Virginia?

Superhuman! There’s a victory monument from the Revolutionary War to mark the endpoint of the route in Yorktown, so when I saw that tall white pillar I just shouted with joy. I rode some victory laps around it, and did the customary tire dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

It took a little time for the scope and the magnitude of the trip to really sink in. I had a few days of train travel to get back home from the endpoint, so that was a good chance to reflect and really process everything that had happened. The sense of achievement was like a weeklong high.

7) What advice do you have for others thinking about trying long-distance bicycle touring?

Go for it. It’s more doable than it sounds. If you ignite the dream and pick out a route, then the logistics and the details will follow.

Also, bicycles are such amazing machines in the sense that they’re friendly to a wide range of ages and ability levels. With low enough gears and enough time, even older retirees and people with health problems are able to bike tour. Don’t doubt yourself — if I can do it, then you probably can too!

Watch Cynthia’s latest video about her TransAmerica journey

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Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren.

Hotels – Booking.com
Hostels – Hostelworld
Cheap flights – Skyscanner
Travel insurance – World Nomads
Outdoor gear – Decathlon / GO Outdoors
Cycling gear – Chain Reaction Cycles

Alternatively, you could buy me a coffee to say thanks!