This incoming Swarthmore first-year is biking from Colorado to Delco for his first day of school
Finn Fremstad has spent nearly a month traversing the country by bike as he makes his way to college move-in.
Finn Fremstad has spent the last month biking past rolling hills and endless cornfields, through state capitols and sleepy Main Streets, and in heat waves and torrential storms. Fremstad isn’t competing in an ultra-cycling competition or checking off a 50-state bucket list — he’s commuting to school.
Fremstad, 18, is an incoming first-year at Swarthmore College. Since July 23, he’s been on the road, biking from his hometown of Fort Collins, Colo., to Swarthmore College to start his first year.
“To me, it just seems like kind of the perfect way to experience this country,” he said, calling in from Pennsylvania’s Franklin County on day 29 of his anticipated 31-day journey.
Why is Fremstad biking the roughly 2,000 miles it takes to get from northern Colorado to Delco, rather than, say, fly?
Fremstad grew up cycling around Fort Collins, taking his bike into town and riding it to school. He had his sights set on a big trip this summer, and when a few other possibilities fell through, he decided to plan a solo cycling journey. It’s by far the longest bike trip he’s ever taken.
He left home on July 23, armed with a playlist his parents made him and a healthy dose of pre-college excitement. As July turned to August, Fremstad passed from Nebraska into Missouri, Indiana into Ohio, and, finally, Pennsylvania. He strolled through state capitols and stopped into local museums. Sometimes he rode in silence, but most days he listened to podcasts or music (the soundtrack to the Broadway musical “Hadestown” has been a stalwart). He called his parents nightly.
What has stood out about his travels?
“A lot of corn and soybeans. I mean, just remarkable,” Fremstad said.
Each night, Fremstad rode into the nearest town and knocked on strangers’ doors asking if he could camp in their backyards. Most said yes, and some sent him on his way with food or some extra cash for his journey.
“All of the greatest things about this trip have been how I’ve been able to interact with people,” Fremstad said.
The trip, he said, has allowed him to “discover places and people in a much more intimate way than I would have been able to otherwise.”
Weather has been the hardest part of the trek. He passed through Nebraska during a record heat wave and Indiana and Ohio amid torrential rain.
Fremstad is set to hit Philly this weekend, where his mom will meet him with a checked bag (he will need a bit more than what he’s carrying on his back for college).
Of Swarthmore, where he’ll be studying math, Fremstad said, “I’m just really excited to finally get there.”
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