What's Next?

*Taken from my most recent post at www.RibbonofRoad.com*

It's been 5 months since touching down on US soil in June.

I've posted this to answer some of the most common question that I've been asked since reaching the end of my Ribbon Of Road journey

1) What's Next for you Gregg?

About 9 months into the trip, I realized that my journey was no longer a temporary departure from my life back in the "real world" but that the journey itself had actually become my new "real world".

The momentum from this "understanding" has led me to become a full-time photographer with a focus on bicycle and human powered adventuring. In the 5-months since I've been home, my new career has continued to transport me and my bicycle around the globe. From another cycling trip down the Pacific Coast, to France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and most recently to some of our great National Parks, it has really been an amazing path for me.

You can see my latest work at:

www.GreggBleakney.com

and follow my ongoing adventures through my blog at:

http://gbleakney.blogspot.com/

2) How can I get prints of some of the photos from your trip?

I've partnered with Imagekind here in Seattle to provide professionally framed photos from my trip. I'm adding new prints on a regular basis. Don't see something you like? Email me with your request at gregg@ribbonofroad.com. Of course, a percentage of the profits from these prints will be donated to the Ribbon Of Road 501c3 Foundation to help find a cure for diabetes.

To order prints go to:

http://GreggBleakney.imagekind.com/

3) Rumor has it that you are writing a book, when is it coming out?

In the past few weeks I've been incredibly fortunate and have met some people in the publishing industry who have offered to help me put my book together. It will be a book of short photo-essays and will include many of the stories presented in the blog from this web site and new stories in a clean, well-edited but fairly raw format. I expect the book to be finished in 2008. To follow my book progress check out my new blog at:

http://gbleakney.blogspot.com/

4) How are you adjusting to life back in the States?

Actually, my adjustment period has been smoother than expected. I have a great network of friends and family who have helped get me up to speed on life on US soil. The truth is that I really haven't stopped traveling since finishing Ribbon Of Road. Last week, I rented an apartment in Seattle and have a home for the first time since June of 2005. However, with my new photography career, I think of it more as a high-priced storage unit with a bed rather than an apartment. There isn't a waking hour of my day when I don't stop to daydream about my travels during the past two years.

Ok - That's all for now. Thank everyone again for supporting and following this adventure!

P.S. - I've had a server crash and lost several email addresses from friends I met along the way. If you have made it to this point in the post and have not heard from me for a while then please email me with your contact info. so that I can stay in touch!

Gregg

Wyoming Sessions

I've just wrapped up a week of taking pictures in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The fall has hit full-on and the colors and weather have been perfect. I've been hanging with some amazing people this past week. Cory Rich, who is arguably the top adventure photographer in the world right now (and a super-cool guy to have a few beers with), James Balog, a National Geographic photographer who is literally attempting to help save our planet via his EIS Survey, National Geographic Photo Editor Sabine Meyer, and the guru who brought everything together, Rich Clarkson. I never imagined that I could learn so much about photography in such a short time.

To get here, I flew into Idaho Falls and biked for two days through the snow to Jackson. Fortunately, the weather cleared for our photo-sessions and we had a great week of shooting models in various locations around Grand Teton National Park.

Next up...meetings in Missoula, Montana and then back to Seattle to work on my book project.

I've uploaded my portfolio web-site with new images from this trip and my time in Europe.

Back In Seattle

With Over 10,000 photos to sort, organize and distribute in the next week, I'm going to have my hands full.

Coffee and cycling are good for you!!!

This could be the coolest new scientific factoid I've come across in years. Now I don't feel so guilty about my coffee adventuring on a bicycle through Europe during the past 5 weeks.

The next adventure--Jackson, Wyoming for a Fall outdoor sports shoot in the Tetons starts in 10 days!

Sweet Swiss Passes Finished

Link to the Sweet Passes route on GoogleMaps

Over the past two weeks I have cycled a loop around Switzerland and over 14 of its most amazing and historic passes for a total of 55,000 vertical feet of climbing. Along the way, Horst, my Swiss/German cycling guide, and a few others sampled over 30 different desserts (sweets), slept in a bomb shelter, weathered a snow storm, followed in the footsteps of Hannibal and his war elephants, and enjoyed an amazing 10 consecutive days of perfectly sunny weather in the Alps.

Every bike tour needs a "King Climb". The Stelvio, heading east to west from Italy into Switzerland was ours. For the first 14.9 miles we climbed for 6,100 uninterrupted feet via a series of 48 numbered hairpin turns--from a sun-filled apple
valley, to a below freezing, snowy pass it is one of the great climbs of Europe and the Giro de Italia bicycle race.

Here are a few photos of the Stelvio and me chowing down on some Swiss desserts!

Arrival In Bubikon, Switzerland

I'm hangin' with Horst in Bubikon Switzerland. I first met Ruth and Horst in a bar in Zacatecas, Mexico and then spent several months cycling though Central America with them in 2006. Horst has cycled nearly every road in Switzerland and is the grand master of all that is cycling here. He is leading me on a 10-day photo-shoot through the Alps starting tomorrow!

We decided to start our Sweet passes tour with a little test drive yesterday that included the sweets but not the passes!

Side trips en route to Switzerland

On the way to Switzerland I took a few side trips to let the really bad weather that's been looming over the Alps clear up before setting out on my Swiss pass trip.

It's amazing how many doors open when a few nice cameras are hanging around your neck and you have a weathered card that says "Presse" on it.

First, I shot a private vintage car show with Stephan in Rambouillet, just outside of Paris. It was in a garden of some huge palace.





Next I headed up to Germany to attend Eurobike, the largest bicycle trade show in the world. It was pretty neat to check out all of the latest and greatest bike swag. Check out the trick bike frame made of wood.






Finally. I shot the Junior Championship stage race just outside of Zurich. I had a chance to catch up with our USA Junior team at the event. I got lucky with a car #3 placement and got to shoot out of the passenger side window from a great position in the trailing pack.

Some Fun Pics from the PBP

1250 kilometers in the rain produces some excellent bicycle carnage. Here's a few for you to enjoy...