Riding the Greenway in tandem

John and Sue Fritz of Roswell, Georgia, celebrated a two-month through-ride of the entire East Coast Greenway route - on a tandem bicycle - when they reached Key West, Florida, on Halloween. 

After riding north from the rental car return at Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, Maine, they officially began their journey in Calais, Maine, on Aug. 31. John and Sue covered 3,317 miles over 56 riding days, taking a rest day appropriately every 10 days before finishing on Oct. 31.

With the exception of the driving rain experienced while riding through Hurricanes Lee and Ophelia in the Northeast, John and Sue were blessed with great weather throughout the trip with temperatures ranging from the low 50s to high 80s. They “credit card camped,” staying in hotels and Airbnbs, throughout the ride. 

Prior to their departure, John and Sue diligently prepared for the Maine-to-Florida ride and familiarized themselves with what they described as the “nerve-wracking, high-stress sections” of the in-development East Coast Greenway interim route.

“The upside of having high-stress sections is populated areas that provide lots of options for hotels, lunch stops, restroom facilities, convenience stores for hydration needs and interesting things to see,” they added.

Along the journey, John and Sue encountered other members of the growing community of East Coast Greenway long-distance travelers - fellow through-rider Stephen King and walkers Matt and Grace Grooms of The Golden Road.

“In addition to all the great scenery we experienced riding, we especially enjoyed meeting lots of friendly and helpful people at almost every place we stopped,” John and Sue recalled. “They were genuinely interested in hearing about our experiences riding the East Coast Greenway.”

Please note: Extremely high-stress segments of the interim Greenway route should be avoided by inexperienced long-distance travelers, especially those traveling with children. There are a number of protected, off-road segments that are safe and appropriate for travelers of all ages.

Visit greenway.org for more information on long-distance travel on the East Coast Greenway.