Three Indian cyclists Jai Rawat, 57, Anuradha Palnitkar, 54, and Samir Palnitkar, 58—have completed a 3,168-mile ride across the United States in 52 days without a support vehicle. The trio set out from Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles on August 1 and reached the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, on September 21, averaging about 65 miles a day, crossing 14 states and tackling more than 100,000 feet of climbing. Part of the journey followed historic Route 66 before the cyclists continued east toward Washington. They crossed the Continental Divide in New Mexico at 7,881 feet and the Eastern Continental Divide in Pennsylvania at 2,392 feet.
Milestones, Challenges, and Community Experience:
The ride brought extreme heat, thunderstorms and cold weather, along with stretches of highway without shoulders and heavy truck traffic, requiring the cyclists to repair their bicycles, deal with dogs chasing them, and recover from accidents. Palnitkar became the first Indian woman to complete an unsupported, unpowered bicycle ride across the United States, while Rawat and Samir Palnitkar also became the first Indian Institute of Technology graduates to complete the feat. Despite these hurdles, the journey gave them a chance to experience small-town hospitality, where people chatted with them, offered free coffee, and shared stories about local historical artifacts.
Background of the Cyclists:
Rawat and Samir Palnitkar are graduates of IIT Kanpur and have been friends for 40 years. Palnitkar is a dietitian who now teaches at a special needs school, marking this as her first long cycle ride. The three have previously trekked together in Nepal, India, Patagonia, Ecuador, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Africa, and previously completed an 800-km bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2018.
