Abstract
The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail is a long distance cycle touring route established in 1976 on which thousands of cyclists have pedaled into and through predominately rural landscapes of the United States. This chapter theorizes this cross-country bicycle journey as a secular form of pilgrimage drawing on key concepts such as sacred and profane space, liminality, communitas, and contestation. Quantitative survey data describe the characteristics of cyclist-pilgrims and their long distance journeys. Discursive interpretation of narrative accounts of journey experiences reveals the Trail experience as a secular pilgrimage to a center termed the “Real America.” The cyclist-pilgrims find that “Real America” lives on in their memories and is a collage of images consisting of a collection of idealized American icons such as small towns, Main Street, working farms, nature’s beauty, encounters with local residents and fellow cyclists. Many narratives indicated awareness that the reality of contemporary American places and societies differ greatly from the “Real America” found on the Trail. The passion and richness with which cyclist-pilgrims describe their experiences show them to cling fondly to memories and images that collectively form the “Real America” which is an idealized sense of place that many seek and find through various themes of meaning during their cross-country bicycle pilgrimages.
Having traveled across this country many times, I was not able to feel, taste, and experience it in a deep way until I got on my bike and rode across it. (TransAmerica bicyclist 1986)
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to Wil Gesler, Derek Alderman and students of the Spring 2011 ECU Honors College Seminar “The Power of Place.” Greg Siple of the Adventure Cycling Association provided important assistance. A GIS layer of the Trail’s route was graciously provided by Nathan Taylor and Carla Majernik of the Adventure Cycling Association. GIS support was provided by ECU’s Center for Geographic Information Science. Tire dipping photos by Peter McLaren and a contributor wishing to remain anonymous were used with permission.
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Crawford, T.W. (2015). Finding the Real America on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail: Landscapes and Meanings of a Contemporary Secular Pilgrimage. In: Brunn, S. (eds) The Changing World Religion Map. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_43
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_43
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