R5K member uses redundancy for American adventure

One of the great things about the #ride5000miles community is everybody has a different story to tell about their riding exploits.

Tim Cooper is no exception. Early last year he took redundancy and invested his pay-out in the adventure of a lifetime. The time was right to set out on an 11,000-mile ride across the USA.

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Tim wanted to avoid the endless tarmac and big cities that make up the famous Route 66 so chose a combination of dirt-tracks, trails and back-roads that the Trans-America Trail offers and set about finding the right machine for the job.

“I’d been looking around for a bike that was both big enough for long highway distances, but also light enough to be able to pick up when riding alone on the trails,” he told MCN.

“The Honda CB500X is perfect, it’s an affordable adventure bike! I had originally planned to buy the CB in the US but registering was problematic so instead I bought mine in the UK and air-freighted it, via Air Canada, to Montreal.”

Looking back on a trip packed with memories, Tim said: “As I rode into downtown New York I was giggling like a fool. I was actually there, riding my bike around the USA and it just hit me how amazing the whole thing was going to be.

“I remember one particular morning I was taking photos of the sunrise over the fields when I saw a crop-spraying plane getting an early start, too. As I got closer the plane broke off and headed away. I thought it was going to reload but instead it turned and flew straight back up the road towards me to give me a better shot!

“When you finally get home, tired, dusty and sad that it’s over you remember such moments which are yours and yours alone.

“I’d do the trip again but I’d plan it differently with a mixture of Trans-America Trail and Tarmac and explore areas beside the trail.

“I’d say to anyone planning a similar trip: take your time, don’t rush the route as you might end up missing out on a lot of things if it becomes a blur as you speed through it.”