400-mile Bike Ultra

August 10 - 15th, Montreal to New York. Contributed by cycle participants. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Sri Chinmoy's participation in the 24 hour bike relay in Central Park, New York City, an international team of riders cycled from Montreal to New York.

Over a period of five days, each member of the team rode the entire distance of 400 miles. Each day we would start at 8:00 am and finish approximately at 5:30 pm. All cyclists rode team formation and we would spend the night in hotels along the way. We relied greatly on Daniel, a young dynamic German disciple, who drove our support vehicle. This allowed us as riders to focus on the riding aspect and not have to worry about the necessary support logistics. We were all in awe of the natural beauty of Canada and upstate New York. The Adirondak mountains were stunning and provided an appreciated challenge for the riders, with a plenty of long hills and high speed descents. The riders also took time to discuss the inspiration behind the event with people who were interested in what we were doing and wished to share in the excitment of the trip. We had a leaflet which we would share as we explained our inspiration with fellow cyclists on the way, locals residents, and hotel staff were we stayed. The team was composed of four participants and one helper, namely: Gabriel (Canada), Purna-Samarapan (Germany), Sarveshvara (Macedonia), Petar (Bulgaria), Daniel (Germany). The riders will always treasure this rich experience. Each day ended with an abiding sense of well being, simplicity and inner stillness. The daily physical effort required over these few days brought about a feeling of transformation that operated on the body as well as the spirit. More than just a bike ride, it has been an inner journey.

Overall results

Total distance: 400.647 Miles  
Cycling time: 27.5 hours
Overall average speed 14.5 Miles per hour average
Max. speed: 41.1 Miles per hour