Fahrradfahrer

Nah, Salon did not interview him. Any quote I saw there was taken from other sources (and his FB page).
And yeah, Salon kinda went overboard on that one (which they also are rather wont to do anyway). This isn't an issue of weight or whatever, it's just another weekly feel-good story. "Man with hardship overcomes it in dramatic way". Or, to reword it in classic click-bait fashion: "This man is morbidly obese. You won't believe your eyes what he's doing next"

Little Darwin

I tried Google Maps for bike routing, but it kept showing a route from Woods Hole that put him on a ferry, and since the only ferry he mentioned was from Martha's Vineyard to Woods Hole, I thought I should try something else... When I tried altering the route by dragging, it just did an out & back to get to the ferry again... Plus, when I expanded Google Maps to include the country, it included some highlights from my personal locations that I didn't care to share with the world, so I fell back to Mapquest. Google Maps is my primary mapping site, but I don't limit myself to a single tool.

RollingBlubber

The other person they mentioned in that "article" is also a total clown (Ragen Chastain). This quote in that article by Bevin Branlandingham is so ridiculous I don't even know what to say:

“Lots of fat people do amazing physical things with their bodies, like Ragen Chastain, who is training for the 2016 IRONMAN Championship. The other truth is, everywhere you go, there you are. If he is just bicycling without working on the underlying issues at home that lead to his hoarding and keeping secrets, he’s going to go right back there. My real question here is how is this man going to work on the underlying issues that lead to the lying and secret keeping, which are bigger dangers to a marriage than weight gain.”

Ragen Chastain can't ride a bike more than five miles according to her own blog and is riding a bike with a stem that would snap if she put a quarter of her weight on it getting out of the saddle to climb. This whole "LET'S CELEBRATE THESE FAT 'ATHLETES' WITHOUT EVER QUESTIONING THEIR ACTUAL EFFORTS" is getting out of control.

bassjones

Not to get into politics, but I subscribe to the Salon newsfeed on Facebook for a good chuckle most days, followed by tears as I realize a good portion of American voters thinks the same way they do... Anyway, it was a typical Salon article because nothing is ever anybody's fault because it's always the fault of the collective pale-skinned, rich, Christians with penises.

Fahrradfahrer

I'm pretty liberal, but yeah, I don't usually read Salon articles. They're just so one-sided, you learn nothing when reading the article.

bassjones

I'm basically Libertarian/disillusioned with both "sides"...

Mithrandir

Too late.

Your persecution complex is showing.

indyfabz

+1. Or should that be +2?

fmt_biker

He's now saying his 'plan' is to leave Thrs.

billyymc

Fahrradfahrer

I think he's waiting for the new Tool album first.

Beachgrad05

Or maybe the next book of Game of Thrones be finished

trailangel

When you don't move very many miles in a couple of months, and have your belongings on a bike...
we have people here in So. Ca. like that.
They are referred to as "homeless"
Must be nice, $10k and nothing to do but eat and sleep....and invite wifey along to eat and sleep too.
WHITE TRASH AT ITS FINEST

Yendor72

I'm still beside myself as to how people are supporting him and saying he is inspirational. What has he done to inspire anyone?

His meals make it look like he is ready to carbo load at all possible times.

JohnX

I'm eager to see what kind of bicycle his wife gets. Whats your guess?

DrIsotope

Every atom of my being would crackle with joy if it turned out to be a trike.

Fahrradfahrer

So yeah, start day is now pushed back to Thursday. About to hit the two week mark in Newport.

Yendor72

If it was a tadpole then maybe that's okay, but I don't think that is what you are thinking.

Moriarty

I would like to see him succeed, if only because I'm a sucker for an underdog story. Sadly, right now it looks like he'd half to double his effort just to make a half-assed attempt. I'm all for doing great things with crap equipment. When I think of all the miles I used to ride as a kid and teenager on department store bikes, I cringe a little now but it never held me back. I'd just take off and ride. But I never ever took off so completely unprepared that I wound up with multiple breakdowns and getting stranded in churchyards pretty much right out of the gate.

This is the internet age. There are an almost infinite amount of resources at his disposal that could have helped him leave at least somewhat prepared. Instead, he seems to be embarking on the sort of quest that only sounds reasonable if you've been hanging out in certain Colorado establishments inhaling the, uh, fine mountain air. "So I really like that old Proclamers song, the moped scenes in Dumb and Dumber and the idea of wintering in California. What would happen if I combined all three?!"

I do honestly hope he gets his act together but I don't have much hope. I think his grandiose visions probably won't sustain him through the daily drudgery of all those miles. Maybe he'll learn something from all this. I don't know. Regardless, I hope he keeps biking. I just hope he picks a more realistic goal next time.

PhotoJoe 

I think we ALL want him to prove us wrong...but aren't holding our breath.

Beachgrad05

This

TrojanHorse

So what are the odds on actually departing Thursday. He's pushed his start date out repeatedly and each delay has seemed reasonable on the face of things.

bike broke
waiting for new bike
doctor ordered rest
waiting for wife
waiting for wife's bike
waiting for somebody to drive me across bridge

??

I've got a buck says no way he leaves on Thursday. Anybody want to take it from me?

indyfabz

The end of the final season of Downton Abby. He seems like a Downton Abby fan to me.

trailangel

His wife has to taco her wheels too...both front and rear like hubby did. You know darn well he bent both those wheels so he didn't have to actually ride the bike.

TrojanHorse

He seems more like a Bering Sea Gold kind of guy. Steve Reidel in particular.