Cycling the TransAmerica Trail
The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, or “Bikecentennial” first emerged in 1973, by June 1976 maps and guidebooks were published and the trail was ready for the public, now it was time to gather cyclists willing to take on such a challenge. Organisers publicised the event and thanks to strong word-of-mouth and its prodigious publicity, 4,000 cyclists showed up for the first ride.
In May 2023, Sarah Osborne is solo cycling across the US with the aim to raise money for Rape Crisis, camping along the way. She’s passionate about working with smaller companies, and after teaming up with other UK brands for my bike and cycling gear, all that was left was to source her nutrition. Sarah explained “Firepot’s focus on quality nutrition, local ingredients, and sustainable production is beautiful - plus you have vegan options! As a young girl I went camping often, but we’d bring a whole kitchen with us with fresh ingredients and cook up smokey three-course meals over the fire. This isn’t feasible when cycling unsupported, but Firepot looks like a way to get closer to such luxury after a day of riding.”
Starting in Yorktown, Virginia on the east coast, Sarah followed the TransAmerica Trail through Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho to finally finish at the west coast in Oregon. The trail avoids major cities, with a mix of backroads and gravel track making a more scenic, but longer and hillier, route. The Rockies and The Appalachians are the two main mountain ranges to tackle, with risk of snow at high altitude, even in the summer. 2400 miles of national parks, mountain ranges, and farmland to Portland, Oregan. Sarah will carry her food, a range of plant based Firepot meals, clothes, and shelter. The trip will be filled with vistas, star-filled night skies, and memories. On the other hand, America is big, more than 7x the length of the UK, it’s going to be wet, cold, and long.
On June 25th, 2023, Sarah completed the route 11 days quicker than her original target of 60 days, and raised an incredible £10,062 for her chosen charity.