When Eli Wicker made a passing comment about riding bicycles across America, he and his roommate Jonathan Viaud-Murat didn’t think it would become a reality. But one handmade wooden bike and nearly 1,000 miles later, this roommate pair will pedal themselves from Cedarville, Ohio to Will Imfeld's wedding--a college friend-- in New Hampshire.
Wicker, a 2022 molecular biology graduate from New Market, Tennessee/Knoxville), and Viaud-Murat, a 2023 mechanical engineering graduate from Bloomfield, Michigan, were roommates for most of their years at Cedarville University. The two have been friends since their freshman year, traveling to various spots around the U.S. on school breaks — and this trip is one for the books.
“We’ve toyed with the idea of a bike tour for a couple of years now, but with Will getting married and the 2 1/2-week break between graduation and the wedding, we had the perfect opportunity,” said Wicker. “We were inspired by the endurance required, and we thought it would be a great time to rest and reset before starting what’s next for us.”
Wicker and Viaud-Murat set out with two other riders, Imfeld, a 2023 allied health graduate from Danville, Kentucky, and Jay Kinsinger, associate professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at Cedarville University, who agreed to join for the first three days.
“It was less about the distance and more about the destination,” added Viaud-Murat. “Will’s wedding gave us just enough time to bike there, so we settled on 1,000 miles.”
Not only is this trip a test of grit and endurance but also a practical use of the skills Viaud-Murat learned during Kinsinger’s mechanical engineering classes at Cedarville. Kinsinger, also the founder and lead designer of Sojourn Cyclery, guided Viaud-Murat through the process of building a wooden, starting with planks of wood and ending in a beautiful, handcrafted instrument.
The bikers left Cedarville on May 11, biking 70 miles to Columbus, documenting their journey on an Instagram page named “roommates_to_nh.” From there, they rode up through Centerburg, headed for Cleveland, staying with family friends, and host families along the way. Day three brought heavy rain, Kinsinger’s dead e-bike, lots of hills, and 85 miles of exhaustion.
“We’ve been really surprised by the generosity and hospitality of others. We have been welcomed time and time again by people into their homes,” added Wicker. “We have gotten a good taste of the value, comfort, and joy that comes with hospitality, and we’re eager to put it into practice in our individual lives.”
Imfeld left the group on day nine to drive ahead to New Hampshire for his upcoming wedding, but the remaining two continued riding. Their last stop was Syracuse, New York. Currently, on day 13 of their adventure, Wicker and Viaud-Murat are scheduled to arrive in New Hampshire on May 26, just two days before standing next to Imfeld at his wedding.
“Definitely one of the biggest lessons learned is a lesson of thankfulness,” said Viaud-Murat. “The whole trip has been fueled by others’ generosity, so it’s also been a lesson in humility.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrolled high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.