In 1903, an unknown bicycle racer named George A. Wyman rode a 1.25 horsepower California motorcycle from San Francisco to New York City. He was the first person to cross the country with a motor vehicle - car or motorcycle. After a brief period of fame, he faded from history.
In the summer of 2016, I followed Wyman's route on a Zero electric motorcycle. I visited many of the towns that Wyman visited and looked for traces of his journey. I was the third person to ride an electric motorcycle self-supported across the country.
In 2017 and 2018, a five part story about my trip appeared in the pages of RoadRUNNER Magazine, the largest motorcycle touring magazine in the country and I have presented Wyman's story at Americade, the BMW Riders Association Rally, Ireland Bikefest, and RoadRUNNER's Touring Weekend.
I am currently working on a book. Wyman's story has been lost to history and my hope is to give him the credit that he deserves as the father of the cross country road trip.
Blog Posts
“In the Tire Tracks of a Pioneer, Part 3: Lonesome Wyoming” is in the January 2018 issue of RoadRUNNER Magazine. In this, the middle child of five installments, George A. Wyman and I travel across the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Check it out.
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“In the Tire Tracks of a Pioneer: Across the Great Basin Desert” is in the December 2017 issue of RoadRUNNER Magazine. This is the second of a five-part series on George A Wyman, who in 1903 became the first person to cross the country on a motorcycle (or any type of motor vehicle, actually). Part… Continue reading My Second George A Wyman Story is Published in RoadRUNNER Magazine
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I’ll be at RoadRUNNER’s Touring Weekend August 10-13, 2017 in Kingsport, TN, leading rides and presenting George A Wyman’s story on Friday night. Hope to see you there!
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I’ll be at Americade this year telling the story of George A Wyman and my journey last summer following his tire tracks. Click here for more information. Stop by if you around this year!
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I receiving a lot of interest in this trip as I was planning it and as I am on the road, so I thought that I’d do a Reddit AMA. Check it out: AMA I am riding from SF to NYC on a Zero DSR electric motorcycle. Ask Me Anything. from motorcycles
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It’s about a week into the trip and I have ridden from Lotta’s Fountain in San Francisco (the only source of water for the city after the 1906 earthquake), across California’s fertile Central Valley, up and over the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, and across the broad expanse of northern Nevada. Nevada has surprised me most… Continue reading Following Wyman’s Tire Tracks. Update: Ogden Utah
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Right after I picked up the Zero DSR from Zero Motorcycles in Scotts Valley, California, I visited the good folks at the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast to talk about my trip. It was a hoot – they have a community garage where they wrench but once a week they turn it into a little podcast… Continue reading Talking about George A Wyman with Motorcycles & Misfits
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A: George A. Wyman, who in 1903 became the first person to cross the USA on a motorcycle. The motorcycle was a 200cc California, and it’s little more than a bicycle with a small motor attached. Look closely and you can see the pedals and chain! Good thing – Wyman needed to pedal more than… Continue reading Q: Who is this man?
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Time for a new adventure! But first, a little history…Do you know this man? If you ride motorcycles, watched Long Way Round and like pointing your bike towards the horizon, you should. This guy is our Ferdinand Magellan, our Charles Lindbergh, our Lewis and our Clarke. This guy is our Homer…and I don’t mean Simpson.… Continue reading Do you know this man?
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