Editor’s note: Our latest author is Josh, here to keep us updated as he bikes 2,000 kilometres across Canada’s Prairies – nary food or a dime to his name, and keeping it 100% sustainable. Check out his bio and keep up to date with his progress. We welcome him to the ecoki team!

With only a couple days left before the beginning of my new journey, I find myself with almost no time, running and riding all over town trying to tighten all my loose ends. Saying an appropriate goodbye to everyone is an impossible task when they all need at least a day of complete attention. I’ve discovered I have to compress it all, compiling a few goodbye potlucks and just go.

If I turn around to give my farewells again I probably won’t ever get out of here, and this is something I truly want/need to do.

I’m Josh Suppan and I will be spending the entire summer on my bicycle.

The birth of this idea took place a couple years ago when something just sparked in my mind; I had to get a bike and learn everything possible about it! This same attitude rings true still today as I type this with fingers covered in bicycle grease, in a basement littered with bikes and bicycle parts.

My fascination with bikes is not really something I can describe; I just see a bike and want to get to know it intimately. This all probably sounds crazy and, well, maybe it is, but I’ve found what makes the most sense to me in the world and now I’m going to share it with everyone.

To kick off my bike adventure this summer I have teamed up with The Otesha Project (www.otesha.ca), an organization out of Ottawa that designs bike tours through Canada. The tours take the riders to different towns and cities and into their schools/community events to educate people on sustainable living practices (i.e. water conservation, organic food, bicycles, clothing).

The tour I am apart of (Prairie Sky Tour) runs from Calgary to Edmonton, over to Saskatoon, and down into Regina, stopping in towns in between. Myself and 10 others will be doing this ride starting May 7th into the last week of June, roughly 2 months of living in tents and eating delicious, delicious vegetables!

To be apart of Otesha we are expected to fundraise $1900.00 which goes towards our food/lodging, et cetera, as well as different administrative costs. With our fundraising contributions Otesha is much less dependent on government and corporate sponsorship, which is definitely noteworthy!

I raised money in different ways, ranging from bake sales to opening a bike shop in my basement. I spent about 6 weeks raising the money and it went very successful. I am very grateful at the amount of support my community has given me.

Following this Otesha tour I am planning a ride from Regina to Vancouver, and then probably ride along the coast. I’m not too sure, really, a lot of this stuff is still in the air; all I really know is that I will be riding my bike. To keep in touch with what I’m doing check out my periodical updates here at ecoki.

Image courtesy of The Otesha Project

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