Road Trip: Connecting #IRL

18
Apr
2014
By

chicago-connecting-IRL-soozedIf you’re lucky, “social media” allows you to make connections beyond the computer. There’s an initial common bond – in my case, cycling – that becomes more. Over the years, I’ve been able to meet many people in person that I first met on Twitter.

I’ve met people from California, Seattle, Florida, Utah, and right here in my own city. I hung out with some fabulous Southern women while in Paris, rode bikes with guys from London, and spent time with an amazing couple from Australia.

In each instance, time spent with those I met has been thoroughly enjoyable and comfortable — like we’d been friends for a long time. Always easy conversation, interesting topics, and a genuine like for each another.

There’s been a road trip I’ve wanted to take for a long time, and this Fall I’ll be setting out. I’m going to throw my bike in the car and ride with people I’ve met on Twitter – on their turf.

But…in which direction should I go?

Who wants to show me their city or town by bike? Let’s ride to your favorite coffee shop and talk about bikes and life.

One caveat: these rides will be no-technology-coffee-shop-photo-taking rides. You up for it?

I’ll be documenting the trip, and sharing photos and stories from the road. Hopefully, this will be the first of several trips.

So, who wants to ride? I could be coming in your direction…

#ridewithsoozed

– Suzanne

 

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16 Responses to “ Road Trip: Connecting #IRL ”

  1. gswbike on April 26, 2014 at 9:53 am

    I would be honored to be added to your list if south central PA is on your itinerary. About 2 hours west of Philadelphia and/or and hour north of Baltimore. I would love to show you around the small rural town with plenty of horse farms that offer mile after mile of quiet riding and a relaxing coffee shop.

  2. Riaan Coetzee on April 20, 2014 at 2:26 am

    You know you want to come visit me … I’ll go one better than a coffee shop – fresh coffee in a game reserve in town on our bikes 🙂

    • suzanne deveney on April 22, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      Riaan, where are you? That sounds interesting : )

      • Riaan Coetzee on April 23, 2014 at 3:09 am

        Pretoria, South Africa. My commute to work (with a small detour) goes through a game reserve, which also includes the highest point in Pretoria. The reserve’s name is Klapperkop, named after the Kierrie Klapper trees that grow there. There’s Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Zebra and Impala at the moment, I’ve also spotted a gennet there. Right next door to it is the oldest proclaimed game reserve in Africa, the Gronekloof Nature reserve. There’s a ton of animals there, as well as awesome MTB singletrack 🙂

        • suzanne deveney on April 25, 2014 at 10:27 am

          Wow, that sounds amazing!! What a fantastic place to ride. You’re very lucky.

  3. Eric Hutchins on April 19, 2014 at 9:39 am

    Pamela and I have had the chance to Meet up with Darryl and his family a couple times this way and it was awesome. While I expect to only see each other rarely we feel like we have made lifelong friends.

    • Darryl is Loving the Bike on April 19, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Yep, thanks to social media we’ve made an awesome connection. Lifelong for sure.

    • suzanne deveney on April 22, 2014 at 5:35 pm

      Cool! Eric, where are you?

  4. Daniel Christianson on April 18, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    Would love to.
    Have no idea where I will be then. Of course the description of ‘fall’ is pretty wide open.
    While I am extremely versed in the art of road tripping and just adventuring in general, I have never even seen twitter. It all I can do to keep up with all my bike org’s on FB. Hopefully we can meet somewhere in the middle- ?

    • suzanne deveney on April 18, 2014 at 6:42 pm

      Where are you Daniel?

      • Daniel Christianson on April 18, 2014 at 9:51 pm

        Im in Tucson now, Alaska in June/July. Have a MTB race in Grand junction on labor day weekend, will probably be doing trail building in Moab around that time too. Then there is a trail project on the N Rim of the Grand Canyon I would like to be part of at some point this summer.
        This country does have a big middle divide that is easy to forget about when we are talking on the internet – I guess it would be easier to ask you; how far west did you plan on venturing?

        • suzanne deveney on April 25, 2014 at 10:27 am

          I’ll keep you posted. Not sure of the direction/distance yet.

  5. Darryl is Loving the Bike on April 18, 2014 at 10:26 am

    I do….I do. I know you can’t drive here, but I sure would love to take you cycling around Grenada, and drink lots of coffee with you at Mocha Spoke. Now that you’ve gone Pro, let the money come quickly and use it for a vacation in Grenada.
    I’ve been lucky to meet up with a lot of great Twitter friends as well, when I was living in Austin. All of them have been incredible. Hope to meet with you soon.

  6. Katie on April 18, 2014 at 9:14 am

    Are you coming to FL? Would love to ride with you. 🙂 Coffee shop/photo rides are the BEST, and there are some awful pretty things to see where I am. (St. Pete, FL)

    • Darryl is Loving the Bike on April 18, 2014 at 10:27 am

      You’ve been one of the people I’ve luckily been able to meet up and ride with in real life. I hope we get to meet up again soon.

    • suzanne deveney on April 18, 2014 at 6:41 pm

      Katie, I’ll keep that in mind. Would love to ride together.

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