Bike-packing across America on Silvios: Keith’s Story

December 9, 2016/ Guest

Here is Keith Kling’s story about the amazing ride across the US he and his wife Joy did in the summer of 2014 on Cruzbike Silvios. We met Joy and Keith at the Cruzbike Ride Retreat in Portland, OR and couldn’t wait to share their stories. What a cool bike ride!

I have thought of riding across the U.S. for a long time. The first time I can remember thinking about it was when I invited my uncle Alvin from New Hampshire to come out Utah to visit us. He said, “Maybe I’ll ride my bike out thayuh.” (He had a strong Maine accent!). He never did ride his bike out to Utah, but that comment planted a seed of thought in my mind. I kept thinking about it and planning and reading other people’s accounts of doing it. When I shared my dream with my wife, she said she wanted to do it, too [Read her story here]. So, it became a plan for when I’d retire. Finally, in 2014 I retired in April and in mid-May we started on our trip from Seaside, Oregon to Bar Harbor (Bah Hahbah), Maine. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. The scenery was spectacular, the people we met were so friendly and helpful, the whole experience was literally a dream come true. I can’t imagine doing it on an upright bike. I felt sorry for the other people I met who were on those bikes; they had to use creams, chamois in their shorts, baby powder, etc. to deal with the chafing. We had none of that because we were riding Cruzbikes.



I started riding recumbents in about 1998 when I started getting a pain in my neck, literally. I later saw a website of Cruzbikes, but they had a kit to build a recumbent from a mountain bike, I thought that was nice, but I already had a recumbent. Later they came out with the Silvio and I immediately could see the potential. It was obvious to me that it was faster than other recumbents and it looked like it could climb better. My sweet wife got me one for Christmas. Once I learned how to ride it I was hooked. When they came out with the Silvio 2.0 I got one of them. They just keep improving the already greatest bikes out there.

Dipping the front tire into the Atlantic!

Describe your Cruzbike lifestyle:
I ride most everyday. I get up and think, “Where should I go today?” Then I go from 2 to 4 hours most days.

What does a genuine Cruzbike moment look like to you?
Cruzing’ along 20 miles an hour with very little effort watching the scenery unfold.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a beginning Cruzbike rider?
Have patience. Keep trying until you can ride it well. It may take a while, but it will be worth it. It took me several weeks. Now I ride with confidence.

Complete this thought: My ideal ride begins with ____________ and ends with ____________.Begins with wondering where I’ll go and what I’ll see, and ends with “Wow! That was a wonderful ride.

Thank you Keith and Joy!