P2P — Portland to Portland
Hello, my name is Koenraad, and I’m planning to ride — bikepacked — from Portland to Portland. No loop, just one long line: a coast-to-coast ride across the USA.
I’m a bike enthusiast, and while riding trails in Bend, Oregon, the idea took its first breath. The thought of crossing an entire continent by bike… it seemed possible. But more than that, it felt right. I simply love riding. I love being in motion, meeting the land on its own terms.
The route will take me across the Rocky Mountains, through the vast Great Plains, with distant views of mountain ranges on the horizon… Then east, past the Great Lakes, all the way to the Atlantic coast. One personal highlight: Minneapolis — home to Paisley Park, the legendary studio where Prince made his magic.
Just as I was on the verge of committing to this ride, life threw a curveball. My dear friend Tracey was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. And so, she rides with me — on my handlebars in spirit, and following in her VW bus with her film crew in real life. She’s making a documentary. About the road, about the journey, and about the importance of early recognition of Alzheimer’s. Also making new memories.
Back home, my wonderful wife and son are cheering me on. Maybe one day, I’ll talk them into joining me on two wheels too.
K