“I Like Your Duck”

Happy Biketober! I’m not officially participating in the Atlanta Love to Ride Challenge this year (but you can — sign up here). (Not in Metro Atlanta? Love to Ride operates challenges around the world, although they are not easy to find — looks like Love to Ride USA/Global could use some communications help!)

Team Trust the Journey (which landed on the leader board, usually 2nd place — in all of Metro Atlanta every year for the past five years) has moved on. Last year was the best. Our team spanned ages 11 to 85 (meet most of my amazing team members at the links below). We rocked that challenge. There would be no way to top that. But I’ll be out there every day, as usual, Traveling at the Speed of Bike, now typically with my little bike friend.

Named Disco, he was brought back for me from Amsterdam by my friend Caryn. I gorilla-glued him onto a bike light strap and he’s been just the most fun little companion ever since, easily switching from bike to bike (I’m up to six now). Especially in my suburb-city, I can go 15 miles without seeing another human being outside a motor vehicle. Disco helps lighten my spirits about that. I also like to take a ridiculous number of photos of him and make TikToks with him. C’mon, you gotta admit. He’s fun:

@speedofbike
#TravelsWithDisco #DiscoDuck #OneDucksJourney #TrustTheJourney #BikePossible #biketiktok #foryoupage #fyp
♬ Disco Duck – Pt. 1 Vocal – Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots

When I am places with other people on bikes, there’s often this kind of awkward moment when you get to a light and another person is there already or comes up from behind. Some say hello. Most just sit silently. Many check their phones.

More often than not lately, the other person comments, “I like your duck.” And then we get to chatting. It’s nice. Disco is an ice-breaker. A nice-maker.

He’s accompanying me cross-country on my upcoming research trip traveling via bikes, buses and trains and working on organic farms for my next book, ‘Round America with a Duck. We’re pilot-testing soon for ten days in either a micro tiny home or a teardrop camper at a little farm in a part of Metro Atlanta where I had never been (I pilot-tested the pilot test here, if interested — includes a TikTok, of course). So that’s my Biketober plan (after this job ends mid-month). Hope to see you out there.