Cyclist Fiedler updates blog at libraries

Derek Fiedler/Bike and Thrive Tour

One of the most intriguing columns in American Libraries magazine, published by the American Library Association, is How the World Sees Us. It features statements about libraries curated from a variety of sources.

These statements fascinate me for their insight into how people perceive libraries.

A recent feature by Record-Bee columnist Peyton Clarkson features such a public perception, as expressed by 23-year-old cyclist Derek Fiedler during his Bike and Thrive tour in August.

As related by Clarkson:

“Traveling from Portland, Ore. to Boulder, Colo. with nothing more than his steel-framed Bianchi bike and about 50 pounds of gear, Fiedler rode an average of 90 miles a day, sometimes as many as 120 miles, to complete his journey from Aug. 4 to 29.

“‘My ultimate goal was to find a way of traveling based on my own power with the perfect balance of enjoyment, suffering and exploring, also to find freedom. Unlike hitchhiking, you are not relying on other people or petroleum gas, just your own power. It felt completely liberating,’ Fiedler said.”

Fiedler documented his tour on his Tumblr account. “But maintaining an Internet presence in the middle of a national forest is not easy.”

The solution? Fiedler maintained his blog at libraries:

“‘I stopped at 20 to 25 libraries. They are really our society’s bastion of information. Like public transportation, public libraries are a great way to be self-sustaining,’ Fiedler said.”

This library volunteer thanks you, Fiedler and Clarkson, for highlighting the role of libraries in being able to communicate online.