"I've never owned one of those," Tony Adams said as he pointed to a passing car. Tony Adams is on his way back to Colorado, although he is not in a real rush to get there.You may see Adams pedaling his way across Carter County this morning. The cross-country cyclist stopped at the edge of Grayson Wednesday night, where he spent the night in the self-contained shelter he hauls with him.
"It is home built by me. Look at my trailer hitch!" Adams replied when urged to pull over for a brief conversation about his laid-back trike and trailer as he slowly made his way up Star Hill along U.S. 60. The trailer hitch, made from a component of a 1948 Willys power train, has been working perfectly since 2008 "and I've never greased it," he said.
This is not his first roadside interview. Adams keeps a running record of his media coverage on the inside of the door to the trailer he made using sheets of aluminum and thin insulation panels. The shiny tow-along compartment has all the essentials he needs, Adams said, including a small kitchen and a seven-foot bed.
He does not have a cause and is not raising money, although he does accept donations from those who want to help him travel. Adams said he basically travels in the way he does because he does not want the things a traditional lifestyle might bring him.
"I've never had a vehicle like you have, or had a married life or kids or anything like that," he said, pausing before citing a Bible verse as inspiration for his ways.
The foundation for Adams' travels is a Sun Tadpole, which he purchased new 14 years ago. The non-traditional trike design, which allows the rider a more comfortable position with pedals placed forward, has been subject to numerous roadside repairs, Adams said as he pointed out a few spokes he had to create on the spot using pieces of other broken spokes.
He picked up the smiley-face flag atop his ride from the side of the road in Wyoming; a red flag in Tennessee and an American flag in Missouri. He also carries a couple of rings, "mini truck balls" and a small collection of other things he spotted while crossing the country.
Adams shook his head, smiled and declined to say where in America he has found the most hospitable people. "But, the rudest are in Warren, Ohio," he said, citing examples of his bad experiences while passing through that city.
Adams is ultimately aiming his rig toward home in Fort Collins, Colorado where he hopes to arrive in November or December. "Just like in that movie, I've got miles to go before I sleep," Adams said, before he was seen again near the end of the day settling in at the corner of Main Street and Plantation Drive at the edge of Grayson.
For more information, "Google Tony Adams Cycling," he advised.
