While many students are searching cities for their internships this summer, Erik Vosburgh is checking out the bike lanes.
Vosburgh is planning a cross country cycling trip spanning cities throughout the United States, to film a documentary on the urbanization of American cities.
Over the course of 90 days, Vosburgh, a junior studying environmental engineering, will capture cities and interviews on the road, while carrying all of the equipment for survival and film on his bike.
“I saw the potential to combine two things I enjoy, film and cycling,” Vosburgh said.
The film, “Shifting Gears,” will portray how the structure and means of transportation in a city affect the culture and daily lives of its inhabitants. Vosburgh said he hopes to highlight the social differences between traveling in cars, bicycles and public transportation.
“How does being alone in a car during rush hour compare to being on a bus?” Vosburgh asked. “Maybe there’s a difference there.”
Inspired partially by his travels abroad in Europe, Vosburgh noticed in Sweden, a well-supported and efficient public transportation, brought those from all backgrounds to the bus stops for their commute to work.
“At the end of a day, everyone shares a routine,” Vosburgh said. “Having some common denominator can be a great equalizer.”
Vosburgh is not alone in his desire to spend a summer biking across the country, though. Bike & Build is a non-profit organization bringing together 18-25 year old volunteers to build affordable housing while biking coast to coast. The majority of volunteers are college students, one being NC State student Gregory Powell, a senior studying biological engineering.
“I realized I had a free summer, so I applied to lead a route,” Powell said. “I like traveling, cycling and meeting people, and Bike & Build was a perfect combination of adventure and service.”
Powell biked coast to coast last summer after he had been cycling for a few years. What seems like the feat of an endurance superstar is actually more popular than most may think. According to its website, Bike & Build reports that since 2002, over 2,000 young adults have been involved in a ride.
“It’s more mental than physical,” Powell said. “If you have the mental fortitude to keep pushing your legs on a hard day, you’ll be surprised what you are capable of.”
With the advent of online crowd funding, it is easier than ever to raise money and awareness to support an endeavor like a cross-country cycling trip.
“A lot of people are impressed and surprised,” Powell said. “I was surprised by the generosity of people and willingness to give money.”
With the exposure on the internet, a trip can be funded by the inspiration of family, friends and, if one is lucky, a viral audience. Updates can be posted along the journey, giving donors the reward of living the trip vicariously through blogs and Twitter.
On his kickstarter for “Shifting Gears,” Vosburgh has met more than $1000 of his $3000 goal for the trip to cover food and sleeping arrangements.
Vosburgh has decided not to join a group trip so he could fully focus on filming the documentary. So far he has biked two long trips from Raleigh: one to Charlotte and the other to Wilmington, but his trip this summer will be his longest by far.
Vosburgh plans to stop and capture the individual ways that people use transportation in Nashville, Chicago, North Dakota, Missouri and Portland. You can support and follow the project “Shifting Gears” on Kickstarter.
