In 1972, fifteen‑year‑old Cyndy Schlaepfer‑Youker had barely bicycled beyond her hometown of Ithaca, New York. In 2020, fifty‑six‑year‑old Teri M. Brown hadn’t bicycled in four decades. Neither woman fit the profile of someone poised to pedal across the United States. Yet both did, tracing remarkably similar routes nearly fifty years apart. Cyndy joined her father and three brothers on an adventure supported by a VW bus that carried the rest of their family of eight. Teri rode a tandem with her husband Bruce, towing a trailer packed with camping gear. Their experiences differed in era, equipment, and circumstance, but each discovered the same truth: crossing a continent by bicycle reshapes one’s sense of possibility. For Cyndy, the journey revealed a strength and capability she had never imagined. For Teri, it offered a way to rebuild confidence and launch a new career after a difficult period in her life. Along the way, both discovered the power of pushing beyond perceived limits, ultimately finding renewed clarity about the direction of their lives.

Cyndy's account of her journey can be found here.

Teri's blog of her journey can be found here.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite episodes from this past year and give feedback on The Accidental Bicycle Tourist Podcast 2026 Survey.

For links to podcast platforms, feedback via email, the podcast website, and Instagram:
https://linktr.ee/accidental_bicycle_tourist