Friday, April 29, 2011

Adventure Cycling Association now offical Cycling W3R Expedition partner

Exciting  news! The Adventure Cycling Association is now an official partner of the Cycling W3R Expedition.

"Adventure Cycling Association’s nonprofit mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun, and self-discovery. Established in 1973 as Bikecentennial, Adventure Cycling is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with 44,700 members nationwide.
We research and produce cycling maps for our Adventure Cycling Route Network, one of the largest route networks in the world at 40,699 miles (and growing). We publish Adventure Cyclist magazine for our membership, lead bike tours, work on bicycle advocacy projects such as the U.S. Bicycle Route System, sell bike travel gear, and provide trip planning resources for bicycle travelers.
As a nonprofit organization, all proceeds from tours, sales, and membership go directly back into supporting our mission and programs. Adventure Cycling is headquartered in Missoula, Montana."

When I got back into cycling ten years ago, I needed a place to go for practical advice about cycling for transportation and travel. I did an online search and found these folks! The cycling advice was real, no fluff, and I found it relevant in my becoming a safe commuter and traveler. They even sent me a free copy of their magazine, 2011_USBRS_Ad_180x150.jpgAdventure Cyclist.

So whether you are cycling around the Earth, or just going from your home to the grocery store, the Adventure Cycling Association can help you make your bicycling transportation dreams a reality.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Expedition update-unexpected kindness

We are very happy to announce a new gear sponsor: Taddihogg Cycling Hats

Taddihogg is a brand new company.
"We are a small, two person, hand-made cycling hat company based in the Kansas City area. Our hats are designed to have a little more room for your noggin, unlike the one-size-fits-all corporate styles. We also use small batches of fabric, as well as used clothing and other garments to make many one of a kind hats. We also have in-house embroidery so we can throw on pretty much any logo you like."

Thad Carson, entrepreneur, artist, all weather bike commuter, mountain bike racer, and Postman, will be creating one of a kind hats for the expedition, which will be available in the new few weeks. We are glad to have them on board as an official gear sponsor. These has are very comfortable and stylish.

New supporters!

An expedition like this cost money, I wish it could be done for free, or personally had the wallet to pay for it all myself, but I do not. I am so grateful to those friends and strangers(now new friends) who understand the importance of supporting us. Some of these folks donated without me even asking-I told them about it and they just said, "How can I help?" What kindness.

New individuals:
Gary Mallen of Leawood, KS
John Goodwin of Mission Hills, KS


Elizabeth Bejan, Bill Poindexter, Theresa Van Ackeren
 Thank you Family Bicycles and Revolve, Inc!
 Mary Kimble of Blues Springs, MO Lisa Trager of Prairie Village, KS

New organizations and businesses:
Kelley Haas, BKV Marketing,
Overland Park, KS
Joy Homestead, W3R Historic Site, Cranston, RI
Theresa Van Ackeren, Family Bicycles, Kansas City, MO
Elizabeth Bejan, Executive Director, Revolve, Inc, KCMO.

Thank you to all the supporters of the expedition-for a full list of the supporters and behind the scenes team members go to the Team Member and Support Us pages.

Offer of lemonade & acts of kindness:

When I first started to conceive and plan the expedition I was told, "people along the W3R will offer all sorts of things: support, food, a place to sleep, money, parties, help, drink, and whatever else you need." The same generosity's the Revolutionary Soldiers received in 1781.

Still two months away from the July 1st start date I am finding this to be very true!

The most recent act of kindness is from Lydia Rapoza, the Director of Cranston Historical Society, Cranston, RI. They oversee the Joy Homestead and are kind sponsors of the expedition.

I received an email from Lydia the other day and she said to me, "I am looking forward to greeting you folks. Would you like some lemonade or something? You can use our facilities..."

I love that! We will not be able to stop at every historic site, but we will stop there for sure! Actually they will be our first major rest stop on the first day.

 Thoughts on why we are doing the Cycling W3R Expedition:
I believe it is important to share with you my reasons for creating this, sojourn for good:

1. People all over the Earth are trying to gain individual liberty and freedom as our forefathers had to. Remembering the sacrifices made by the people of 1781, men, women, black, white, French, and American is important as we watch others now struggle to gain the same basic Liberty in 2011. Also, we should not take the Liberty we so enjoy for granted-it came at a high cost.

2. This sojourn is a chance for us to be the first expedition to map a safe bike route for future users of the W3R and it will show how bicycling for travel is a fun and responsible way to see our National Park System.

3. With the high cost of gas, high obesity rates, and demise of "mom and pop" businesses this expedition will showing how bicycling for transportation is a great way to save money, get healthier, and support local communities as people bicycle close to home and buy local.

We are just trying to make the world a better place two wheels at a time :).

Your thoughts, ideas, and help are welcome!

Peace, Bill

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Expedition update April 24th

Hi everyone!

Wow, just 2 months and 7 days left before the start of the Cycling W3R Expedition. 
So much to do! Glad I thrive on pressure.

There are two potential gear sponsors I will be finalizing next week-if we come to terms.

The Adventure Cycling Association is will be meeting next week to consider if they will be official partners of the expedition-the original meeting was delayed for two weeks as one of their senior people was unavailable. Once this is completed I will then be contacting all bike shops, cycling associations, bike clubs, coalitions, and cyclists along the 9 state route letting them know about the expedition.

Fundraising: I am still raising funds for the expedition, so far I have raised $400, and we are still looking to raise $7,100 to fully fund it (see the Support Us page). If you have not donated yet, please do, it is very costly, and if you read our mission statement you will see it is going toward a good cause, no profit is made here.

Social media: You will be able to follow expedition on the blog, Facebook, and twitter. Not only will I be writing a daily journal, but also posting pictures and videos. Should be very exciting as I will bring you inside the expedition on a daily basis-I will tell you exactly what is going. Also, those you who donate to the expedition will be contacted by me during the expedition so I can personally thank you and give you a personal update.

Wish list: I am still in need of tent, stove, quality digital camera, flip camera, and helmet cam, and a quality GPS.

Addition thoughts:


Newport, Rhode Island 1780
Uniqueness of expedition: One of the things that make this expedition so unique is the changes in terrain of the past campared to the present. We are retracing the footsteps of Revolutionary Soldiers through some of the most densely populated areas of the United States. We will slip in and out of the past while rolling though hilly, tree lined, country roads, then transecting through suburban areas, and next into urban environments as we follow the 230 year old route. The biggest obstacle is traffic in the four major cities we go through to follow the original route of Washington and Rochambeau; Providence RI, Philadelphia PA, Baltimore MD, and Washington, DC. We will be imagining the terrain of the past as we roll over changes of the present.

Lastly, some folks have been asking me what kind of bike I ride while training for the expedition.


My bike being inspected by a 1781 soldier

Actually it is the same bicycle I ride all year; a 21 speed, steel frame mountain bike with a rigid front fork (means no shocks). The bike itself retails for $329. To make it more durable I added stronger 26 inch wheels and tires, but otherwise the components (parts) are the same as a new bike. I also added fenders, platform pedals, seat, carbon fiber bar ends, tire liners to prevent punctures, and a rear rack.

This bike suits me well for my lifestyle- I bike all year for transportation. It is heavy, about 35lbs, and over 40 with my Arkel Trail Rider rear trunk bag and full water bottles. If I take it on the expedition the total weight, with loaded front and rear panniers, will be 60-70lbs. This has been the most reliable bike for me over the last 10 years. But what works well for me may not be a good choice for you as it is a very personal choice and up to each individual to find what type of bike works best for them.


Thank you for following this expedition.

Please let me know your thoughts!

Bill Poindexter, Expedition Leader
Cycling W3R


Monday, April 11, 2011

Expedition planning update


From photo shoot
Hi all! Thanks to many of you who have been kind enough to help us up to this point.

There are many good things happening and in the works.

Phase 1 is completed-Blog and Facebook fans page creation. Announcing the expedition. First photo shoot. Information gathering and strategic relationships with people who know the W3R-NHT.



Phase 2, now, we will be focused on gear sponsors, fundraising, marketing, and promoting the expedition via email, social media, face to face, videos, articles, news organizations, interviews, strategic partnerships, social networking, and anything else we can do to promote it. And then there is looking over possible routes on maps and google earth, as well as reading more on the history and about the people whose footsteps we will be rolling over on two wheels. :)

Logo:
We created a logo with the help of Bonnie Boyles and Kevin Ryland. This is the initial logo.

Photo shoot:
we had a successful photo shoot last week with Dave Fagerberg, a 18th century reenactor. Theme was past meeting the present-it was alot of fun and got some great pictures for marketing from it.

Strategic partnership:
Joe Dibello, with the National Park Service, the superintendent of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route has officially become a partner of the expedition. Joe will ride with us part way when we get to Philidelphia.

W3R Association is also working in partnership with the expedition, along with Robert Selig who is now the expedition historian.

This week the Adventure Cycling Association will be considering us for a partnership program...we hope to get the opportunity to work with them.


Gear Sponsor:
Yay! Arkel is now an official gear sponsor of the expedition. I have been working with Joe Kurmaskie with Arkel. We are excited to have Arkel with us!!!

Wish list:

Besides needing funding to pay for expenses; team member travel, food, gear not donated, emergency fund, occasional lodging, etc.

I have a wish list of things that are needed that you may have and are able to donate.
Tents
sleeping bags
stove
sleeping pads
bicycle tires

And things we need now to document trip:
Good digital camera-10+ pixels
Video camera
Helmet cam
bicycle GPS
back up laptop.

Well, I think that is it for now. Please help us if you can. This is a big deal and I want you to be a part of it. And we need your help.

If you love cycling, good health, adventure, American history-are thankful for the sacrifices made by the soldiers and citizens in the American Revolution,  traveling by bicycle, or just feel inspired by our passion to make the world a better place... please help out.

Every bit helps.

Peace, Bill

Any ideas and thoughts are alway welcomed!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Expedition promotional video

This is fun! The first promotional video/ slideshow. Showing the past, 1781, meeting the present. Feel free to pass this ony to your friends. And please support this expedition. Thank you!



How would a 1781 Continential Army Soldier react to a Cyclist from 2011?

Thanks to Dave Fagerberg of The Marchers. Dave and The Marchers are 18th century reenactors who will be marching the entire route I will be cycling this summer.

Thanks also to William Rose, Artist/Photographer for the photos!

Peace, Bill

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Arkel is an official sponsor of the Expedition

We are excited to announce that Arkel is now an official gear sponsor for the expedition. In my opinion Arkel makes the best panniers in the world, but they don't stop there, they also have racks, cycling wear, seat bags, rear trunks, and much more.

Arkel designs and builds the finest Bicycle Panniers for Bike Commuting, Mountain Biking, Bike Touring, or around-the-world Expeditions.

From Arkel:


I have used Arkels Tail Rider
for 6 years and 60,000 miles
and it still is my only rear trunk!

"Our designs integrate countless hours of experience from the road and in the saddle and from tons of customer feedback. There’s no place better to gather information than from the road so yes we listen and we continually try to improve our saddlebags in all aspects. We back our products with a no hassle warranty so you get peace of mind when you purchase your Arkel equipment. We also provide what we hope is the best possible customer service you can expect from a pannier company. We are dedicated to the complete riding experience from beginning to end and we know bikes and will assist you with whatever question you may have on outfitting your bike for your next ride, urban commute, tour or off road adventure."

So if you are looking for panniers or bags to keep your gear or groceries in, or rain gear to keep you warm and dry, Arkel is the right choice, and tell them Bill sent you!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Expedition photo shoot today


Dave is on right
 Today will be the first of many photo shoots, before, during and after the W3R Cycling Expedition. I chose an area, by a creek named, Tomahawk Creek.

The shoot will be of myself on my expedition bicycle, and of Dave Fagerberg, who is a 18th Century reenactor, who was recently seen on the PBS documentary "Dolley Madison." Dave is also one of "The Marchers" who will be walking the same route I am cycling this summer!

Today Dave will be dressed as an American Revolutionary Soldier. We will do some shots of Dave and I together, the theme, past meet the present.

Bill Rose



Our photographer today will be  the artist William Rose.


Never heard of him? You will.

Bill recently did the art for the new Clint Eastwood movie, Carmel By The Sea, and is one of America's up and coming artists.




Bill will also be painting the art  and some sketches in the follow up book after trip this summer.

I am excited to be having Bill help us out today.

Pictures will be posted in the next few days, and if you have not, make sure you go to the Expedition Facebook page for daily updates and photos. Make sure you click the Like on the Facebook page.

Please share this with everyone you know!

Peace, Bill Poindexter

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Expedition Plan

Fact: Did you know the French soldiers ate two pounds of bread per day while on the March to Yorktown?


Our destination
 Here is the plan right now:

Expedtion start date: July1

We will get to Martha's Vineyard, MA, then take a ship from Martha's Vineyard to Newport, Rhode Island.

 We will start cycling in Newport,  and go through RI.

We will next go into and cross Connecticut.

Then go into New York, cross the Hudson River, then drop into New Jersey.

Pennsylvania is next, and we plan to meet up with Joe Dibello of the National Park Service, in Philadelphia, where he will ride with me for a time. Next on into Delaware.


Bill Poindexter
 Then will be heading into Maryland and Washington, DC, we will ride with some cyclists and law makers(hopefully) in DC. Virginia is next, and on to Williamsburg and then, to Yorktown.

This is a map of the route the French and American soldiers took in 1781. We will be following in their steps, 600+ miles atop of a bicycle!





This Cycling Expedition is a big deal.We are doing a number of things:

Promoting alternative transportation and helping with the health of : people(encouraging exercise), the environment (using bicycle instead of cars to see the Trail thereby reducing impact on environment, less traffic, noise and air pollution), and communities(cyclists will bring tourism to towns and cities along the route, plus people in communities may use the route for bicycle travel, and get to know one another a little better).

We are creating a bicycling route so generations to come can enjoy bicycling this National Historic Trail, this is a big help to the National Park Service who would like to see more people bicycling in their National Parks and Historic Trails.

We are educating people of all ages, all around the world, about the sacrifices made, by the French and American Soldiers in the in 1781, when they marched on this Epic Expedition. This is very relevant today as many people forget about the sacrifices that were made, and let us not forget, it was white and black soldiers fighting side by side, so we could have the Liberty/ Freedom we enjoy today. America is a GREAT country, we must not forget it!

We hope you join or support us!

Peace,
Bill

If you have a interest in following this trip form your chair or on the trail, let me know. If you would like to host a fundraiser, I would greatly appreciate the help. bill@poindexterrecruiting.com. To show your support of this trip, please donate what you can by using the yellow "Donate" button on the right of this page or email me and I can give you an address to mail a check to.

Please share this with your friends on facebook, and become a Friend of the Expedition at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bill-Poindexters-Cycling-Expedition-on-the-W3R-National-Historic-Trail/173027782746490

Friday, April 1, 2011

Expedition Planning update

I love this, but it is not easy! :)

At least one of my cats, Coyote is trying to help.

Planning a trip like this is different than a traditional cycling tour.

The mapping, marketing, public relations, fundraising, sponsorships, equipment, strategic partnerships, diplomacy, politics of organizations and everything else is time consuming, I love it!

The National Park Service is one of our official partners, some other groups are considering the same, and some equipment companies may sponsor the trip. Fingers crossed.

I am pouring over maps, and historical documents supplied by Joe Dibello, Superintendent of the Trail, Robert Selig-our expedition historian, a map of the Connecticut section, and journals of soldiers who marched the trail 230 years ago.

I appreciate the help of all the people at the W3R-US Association for there help and promotion-great partners!

And the help of Dave Fagerberg of The Marchers! Dave and I are having some cool pictures taken next week that I think you all will like!

The Adventure Cycling Association will be considering having a strategic partnership with the Expedition, they are meeting on the 4th, and will let me know. Their mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle, plus they are incredible map makers, so their help would be invaluable. They have over 44,000 active members. Wow.

I cannot wait the expedition begins. Traveling on a bicycle, is a experience all should try at least once in their life.

A trip like this, even though it is in fairly populated areas is not without dangers. Our main concern will not be rogue elephants or hungry grizzlies, no, it will be more like a Ford Mustang, or other vehicles we will have to watch out for. I have never been on this trail.

Also a trip like this is good for the soul, adventure. Good to pare the down the fat and do something that is not altogether comfortable. Where will we sleep? How many hours per day will we bike. How long will the exploration of alternate routes take? What will the weather be like?

Adventure awaits!

Thanks to all those kind folks who sent me encouraging words of support!

Peace, Bill