We followed the feat “2 Italians Across the US” in favor of the environment from the first day when Pietro Franzese and Emiliano Fava put their bicycle wheels in San Francisco: we have reached the end and we want to do the reckoning. Departing from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on January 19, 2023, they arrived in Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States on March 15pedaling for 6000 km con 25,000 meters in altitude.
Emiliano and Pietro and Key West
They have passed from the freezing temperatures of Californiaup to -8 degrees experienced in a tent in a valley parallel to the coast, in the humid heat of inland Florida traversing dust storms in the Sonoran Desert in New Mexico and the swamps of Louisiana. They cycled in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama e Florida: on average every day they brought home about 100 km but the final stage, from Miami to Key West, saw them in the saddle for 285 km thanks also to a favorable wind that supported them to reach the southernmost point of the island. They coped challenging climbs, such as the one to reach the city of El Paso in Texas which is located at an altitude of 1140 meters but also unforeseen events on the route, such as in the first days in California, where the presence of floods and landslides forced the two cycle travelers to change the planned route . They didn’t miss technical difficulties which led to a forced stop of a few days towards the middle of the journey for Emiliano Fava who then managed to resume the journey and reach Franzese for the last stages.
I was able to hear Peter Franzese; questions and answers below.
In less than 2 months you have brought home your 6000 km… a bit as if you had done the Giro d’Italia plus the Tour de France! How did you feel upon arriving in Key West?
The arrival in Key West for both was a mixture of happiness, tiredness and even a little disappointment. Since we really wanted to arrive and finish the trip after 2 months in the saddle, we decided to shorten the time and end with a bang: a 285 km stage from Miami to Key West. The favorable wind helped us but also our legs which by now were well trained. Upon arrival at sunset there was so much joy: we hugged and a few tears fell but then when we saw where we were I won’t deny that there was a bit of a disappointment. The arrival in Key West is a concrete panettone in a clearing with a view partly on the sea, partly on a military base attached there… nothing so poetic in short. There were some tourists intent on taking pictures and one of them made me change perspective by telling me that “it’s not so much what the point of arrival is but rather where it is”. This sentence of his made me change my mind a bit. But in the end despite the place not exactly instagrammable, we were happy and satisfied and that’s what counts.
The intent of the trip was to document the use of plastic in the USA with video images and photos… when we spoke halfway through the enterprise you told me that you thought you’d find much more. How did it go in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida? In general, what do you think now of plastic in America?
We were also very surprised by the southern states that had told us that they would be much more polluted and dirtier but in reality in general they seemed to us much cleaner than many Italian regions. In general our impression is that the States use a lot of single-use plastic, much more than we use for example… but you don’t see it around. In my opinion there is a huge cultural problem: besides using a lot of it they don’t even carry out separate collection for example. I’d like to know where all this garbage goes at this point. Who knows, it could be the theme for a next trip.
Practically during the trip you have not had rainy days but a strong temperature range. You started with temperatures down to -8 degrees at night in California and then reached 32 degrees in Florida. How many different climates did you encounter along the way… How did you do with clothing?
The choice of clothing was one of the most complicated things of the whole trip precisely because of the difference in temperatures between California and Florida. Before leaving we consulted several sites with temperature histories and it must be said that we did not expect the damp cold that there was in California. That was perhaps the part that we suffered the most in fact we slept fewer nights than we had budgeted in the tent. Bringing a 100 gram down jacket from -5 degrees and a down sleeping bag from zero degrees certainly helped. Of course, having them in your bags in Florida while it was 32 degrees outside was strange but to be able to cross an entire continent there are no other solutions!
You were particularly lucky with regard to the lack of rain, but this also makes us understand that the word drought is now part of our daily lives.
The rain issue surprised me a lot. We were prepared for anything but apart from 30 minutes of downpour in Florida, nothing happened… it must be said that unfortunately it is precisely the drought that, creating collapses and landslides in California, made us make numerous detours at the beginning of the journey. Sure we did 2000km in the desert and you expect it to not rain there so in general we stayed lucky yes, but I don’t know how much this is a positive thing!
2 Italians Across the US
Thanks to the fundraising linked to your company, Plastic Free will be able to remove 1700 kg of plastic and waste in the Mida Creek nature reserve in Kenya thanks to the collaboration with the Sasa Rafiki association. A very important goal I would say!
We are very satisfied because 1700 kg of plastic is really a lot! Every now and then I try to imagine them! I think that we have made an important journey with a great achievement that we hope can be replicated by others, which can kick off many projects of this type. The plastic problem in the world cannot be solved by a simple fundraiser but what we hope to do is involve more and more people to give their time as volunteers for Plastic Free.
Associazione Now Friend
Future plans?
Emiliano he started a university course in physiotherapy but he won’t stop pedaling and he already has other bicycle trips in mind. Io I’m about to start a period full of gravel events and fairs that will keep me busy until July. I would like to do other trips but at the moment I don’t have a particular place in mind even if I would love to go to Asia.
