The Project

 

My name is Quentin van Marle. I am primarily a travel writer with a fascination for out of-the-way places, and with a growing interest in electric-assisted transport. This ride along the length of the Mississippi River will, I trust, allow a good deep delve into both aspects.

There is something about rivers. They engage the imagination every bit as much as high mountains and the high seas: with all its history and southern folklore, the Mississippi especially so.

Following three previous cycling marathons (across the USA, Australia, and South Africa), this latest undertaking by electric bike will follow the river from its source at Lake Itasca, Minnesota all the way down to its delta beyond New Orleans, Louisiana.

During the course of this 2000 mile-plus journey, I shall broadcast once-weekly on Radio 5 Live Up All Night programme with a round-up of the stories collected en-route. They will be as eco-related as possible, but with human-interest pieces thrown in - the bizarre, funny, sad, sentimental, historic, whacky, and downright outrageous.

A further theme will assess the real viability of eco-electric bikes - this being the longest journey ever made on such a machine. Early indications suggest that they are becoming more and more popular as an alternative form of daily transport.

In all, the ride will last 75 days and include 58 stopovers. So let your imagination pedal along beside me as we explore what is arguably the world's most vital waterway.