A salute to the Sofrider

April 14, 2010/ Jim Parker

Sure, I’m part of Cruzbike, Inc., but first and foremost I’m in this for the joy of the bike ride. The Silvio and Quest are flashy and have some impressive qualities, and I have to admit that most of miles are logged on my Silvio, but the lower cost, “old faithful” Sofrider still beckons to me from my garage. While I’ve ridden the Sofrider as far as 116 miles in one day, I usually use it for short trips across town, and I will pick a route that cuts through some woods with a bumpy trail. If you really want to see what is possible with a Sofrider and a lot of determination, read what David Byrne has accomplished this past year. He’s traveled 13,776 miles from Minnesota to the southern tip of South America on his Sofrider, averaging 56 miles per day in 244 days of travel. That includes climbing 160,000 meters with the bike heavily loaded (that’s a mind-boggling elevation gain of 99 miles, or “20 Everests” as David puts it). I recommend a visit to his blog. Some of the pictures he has posted are truly amazing, worthy of National Geographic. He has begun the next phase of his journey beginning at the southern tip of Africa, and his Sofrider is still holding up. I can’t wait to hear more about his journey.


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