Events & Programs

In summer 2010, I managed to fulfill a dream of thirty years: to ride my bike coast to coast across the US, to discover places where no one goes, far from the interstates and tourist spots. I joined a group of 45 riders, mostly Americans, supported by 3 vans and 12 staff members. Together we rode 64 days from Seattle to Boston through 13 states and a Canadian province, 4200 miles all in all. I had three goals:

• experiencing the outdoor life, feeling like a cowboy on his horse, sleeping outdoors, seeing stunning places and landscapes,
• discovering small town America and its inhabitants,
• and sharing miles and stories with American riders from all over the country and from all walks of life, the fisherman from New Orleans, the Vietnam Vet from Wisconsin, the doctor from Iowa, the teacher from Austin...

Dipping our rear wheel in the Pacific on June 20th, we dunked the front wheel in the Atlantic on Aug 20th having ridden an average of 85 miles a day, having made friends and gathered memories for the rest of our lives. Come hear about the best and the worst moments of this exceptional human adventure!

About Philippe Melot

Philippe Melot, 62, married and father of three children, is a semi retired corporate lawyer living in Paris. Since his childhood vacations in Normandy in the 50s, playing in the abandoned jeeps and tanks of the American army behind Omaha Beach, he has been in love with America. As a student at Science Po, he discovered Tocqueville and since then his passion for the American society and its history has not dwindled. He travels to America as often as possible and is writing a book about the history of Franco-American relationships.