Search Brigade 2017

UPDATE (Words by Devin O’Brien of Search and State): This is the second ‘Search Brigade’ and our fourth trip across the United States.  This year we put the call out to riders who wanted to follow us on a tour of America’s backroads from NYC to LA and they came from as far as Norway and Australia to join us.  While dozens of brave souls participated, three young men (Chris Buonomo, Ben McNamara, and Alexander Kloster Jensen) made it all 4,000 miles to the finish line in Santa Monica over the course of 37 days.  We crossed New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and California.

Ride leaders carefully crafted each segment and led participants for their own ‘leg’ of the journey.  Leaders were Seach and State founders Devin O’Brien and Daniel Golden, Tanner Culbreath, Eric Brunt, Zachary Dolinaj, and Joe Cruz.

Some of the highlights this year were the rustic b roads climbing the mountains of West Virginia, the rolling hills of Kentucky, getting lost in eastern Colorado and the absolutely rugged Marshall Pass.  Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon were spectacular as expected and the last few days of the trip – from Parker AZ – crossing the 150 mile desolate stretch of Mojave to 29 Palms, CA was truly a challenge in the brutal 115 degree heat.

We had a truly spectacular experience with the people, and drivers, along the way…that was the true highlight of the trip.  The support and kindness of American’s from every part of the country was what will be the lasting memory.

We ate so much food, drank a ton of beer…and lapped up every bit of the experience as it happened.

Our goal was to chart a new course across the country – while it’s unlikely we were anywhere close to the first – there were times we felt like pioneers and we had one hell of a time along the way.
 
For the second year in a row, Search and State put together a route and group ride across the country. This year, right through its heart using backroads and gravel. You can register on the website to do one of six legs, a couple, or the whole thing. Here are the segments with key dates to follow:

New York to California June 1 to July 10

Week 1 (6/1): New York, Pennsylvania, WV
Week 2 (6/8): West Virginia, Kentucky, MI
Week 3 (6/15): Missouri, Kansas
Week 4 (6/22): Kansas, Colorado
Week 5 (6/29): Colorado, Utah, Nevada
Week 6 (7/7): Nevada, California

Ride Leaders: Jen Kyle Whalen, Tanner Culbreath, Devin O’Brien, Daniel Golden, Zach Dolinaj, Eric Brunt

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