Logan Mayberry and Natalie Suarez (01/12/2020)
Thortek Outdoors will be sponsoring these two as they cycle across through all 48 continuous US states. We’ve sent them some gear including Rhinowalk Panniers, some bicycle accessories, and dry bags. We’re really looking forward to seeing how the gear holds up in the rigors of their daily travel. Good luck Logan and Natalie!
How did you get started?
We got the idea to go on a cycling trip across all 48 states through YouTube. We watched videos of another couple on a similar adventure and thought it looked like a ton of fun! We did a bit of research and realized that many people cycle across the US, so we decided to kick it up a notch and cycle across all 48 continuous states! Our tour will cover about 20,000 miles!
What are your main adventure sports?
Our main adventure sport at this time is cycling! We do enjoy hiking as well and plan to get off our bikes and hike through some of the National Parks that we will be passing on our cycling tour.
Tell us about some of the greatest adventures that you’ve been on. What stands out for you? Where have you gone? What have you done? What are you proud of?
This will our first big adventure together! We have been on a few road trips, but nothing compares to touring the country while out in the elements. In 2017, Logan went on a solo walk across America! He walked 3,000 over the course of 9 months. Some of the highlights of his trip included: Getting caught in a tornado in the desert, being kidnapped, and meeting tons of kind people along the way.
Have you always enjoyed the outdoors? What brings you outside?
We have always enjoyed the outdoors! Here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our outdoor activities are quite limited due to the extreme temperatures in both the winter and summer months. Not to mention, the only hiking spot near us, called Turkey Mountain, is really more of a hill! But we still enjoy taking our dog with us to hike there and riding our bikes along the trails near the Arkansas river. The Oklahoma weather and landscape have been a big driving factor in us wanting to go explore the US!
Tell me about a challenge you’ve had while travelling and something you did to solve it.
During my walk across America in 2017 I hitched a ride with some sketchy guys that ultimately tried to kidnap me. Fortunately a lady was able to save me from the guys after she saw my Facebook live video asking for help.
What’s your favorite meal to have while on your adventures?
The good ‘ol MRE of course…… HA just kidding…. Depending on what part of the country you are in some foods are pretty difficult to come across. While walking across the desert in 2017 I found that eating gas station foods everyday will take a toll on you physically and mentally, so I would choose prepackaged salmon packs. Not the tastiest, but will get you where you need to go! Now if grocery stores are more accessible, I would choose anything high in carbs but light in pack weight.
What are your three favorite/most useful items to take with you on your journeys?
A game changer for me was getting a sleeping pad! Camping is 10x more comfortable when you have one and they are pretty light and easy to pack. Particularly when its cold outside, that little bit of space between you and the ground makes a big difference in your warmth and comfort! Another item that we love to bring along is bear spray! You never know what kinds of wildlife (or people) you will encounter, and having this on our adventures gives us peace of mind. Our final item of choice would be a knife. We have found that we use a knife practically every day while out exploring.
What are you doing now?
Currently we are preparing to cycle all 48 continuous US states. Our tour will cover nearly 20,000 miles, and pass through some of the most beautiful parts of the country! We chose the most exciting destinations in each state and basically connected the dots to make one long, epic adventure! We will begin and end our tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma and plan for the journey to take an entire year (and possibly a little longer)! Our start date is yet to be determined, as we are waiting for Guinness World Records to send the documentation forms that we need for our journey to be considered a valid World Record for “Longest Journey by Electric Bicycle.” We hope to begin our journey by the end of the month!
What are you planning next?
Our current adventure, cycling across all 48 states, is our main focus at the moment. We are planning to make YouTube videos along the way documenting our journey, as well as updates on social media. Once we finish our tour, we may just start right into another adventure! We are going to wait until we get out there to see where it takes us!
How can people reach you?
We can be reached on Facebook and Instagram here:
Natalie:
Logan:
Please share an inspirational quote which has been meaningful for you in life.
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
Henry David Thoreau
