Riding cross-country on an electric bicycle sounds like quite an adventure, and it would be if you weren’t Jack Smith. After all, he’s done that trip numerous times. His first crossing was in 1976, on a skateboard and accompanied by two friends. “Wow”, you might say, until you hear that he did that three more times by different routes. One of those crossings was to raise research money for a rare disease, Lowe Syndrome, that took his son at an early age. Other trips supported research for Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis.
From left: Jeff, Mike, Jack
Then along a temptation he couldn’t resist—electric skateboards—so he rode one of those across the States in 2018. After that ride, Smith took a break from cross-country travel for a few years. His next crossing, in 2022, was also electric powered—a converted 1964 VW van dubbed the Rust Bus. Heading east from San Francisco to New York City he and Mike Adamski followed the route driven in the first transcontinental automobile crossing. On the return trip, Smith and his new co-driver, Larry Newland, aimed the van along the path of the Lincoln Highway as it was charted in 1913. After a short rest, he and his wife Cathy drove the Rust Bus from Chicago to Santa Monica on Route 66.
The 2024 Cross-Country Plan
That brings us to the present day, when, on June 4th, Jack Smith will throw a leg across a 72-volt Vintage Electric Bikes Scrambler model, and set off from Lotta’s fountain in San Francisco. After clearing the Bay Area his first big challenge will be crossing the Sierra Nevada over Donner Pass, where that high voltage motor will be welcome.
For this crossing, Smith will be following in the wheel tracks of George A. Wyman’s 1903 transcontinental motorcycle ride. Wyman’s machine was more bicycle than motorcycle, including the pedals, but it did run a 1.25-horsepower gas engine. As such, it was the first crossing using an internal combustion engine.
George A. Wyman Led the Way
Once across the Sierra, Wyman set a direct route across the states. After conquering Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, much of it riding on railroad tracks, he must have been relieved to ride the relatively level Great Plains to Chicago. From there it was a matter of hugging the Great Lakes and dropping into New York City.
Wyman’s competition was the team of Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall Crocker, driving an automobile. Wyman beat them across America by 20 days. Unfortunately, his achievement faded to a footnote after the auto arrived and overshadowed his glory. That’s no surprise to motorcyclists, who recognize that automobiles interest more people than motorcycles.
Going Solo
This cross-country ride will be the first time Smith will do it alone. In his words, “I’ve always wanted to do a solo transcontinental ride and at 67 years old, I figured might as well do it now. I’m very confident the Scrambler e-bike manufactured by Vintage Electric Bikes is up to the journey. One thing I won’t be doing is riding on train tracks like George did. He spent about fifty percent of his ride bouncing along railroad ties.” Smith plans to complete the approximately 3800-mile adventure in 30 to 35 days, with a much smoother ride. Old Bones Therapy, Showers Pass, Bern Helmets, and Beyond Riders are all supporting his ride.
At first, Smith had planned to begin his ride on May 16th, the same day George Wyman set out in 1903. Meanwhile, his reputation got in his way. The Skateboarding Hall of Fame will induct Jack Smith into the fold on May 30th, postponing his departure until June 4th.
A final note: The Wyman Memorial Project has free GPX tracks and a guide available for riders wanting to attempt the George A. Wyman Memorial Grand Tour. In addition, the Iron Butt Association offers several rides based on the Grand Tour.
Read more: https://expeditionportal.com/e-bike-buyers-guide/
Images: Jack Smith, Wyman Memorial Project, Vintage Electric Bikes
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