Recalibration tour: Former Salem bar owner completes solo cross-country bike trip

Monty Miller was looking for a way to remind him of the things he really loved in life.

He did this by taking a 4,000 mile cycling trip across the United States.

He wanted a way to restart his brain, remind him of things he gets excited about, separate himself from his phone, and see the country from a new perspective.

The former owner of The Half Penny Public House in Salem used a "go big or go home" attitude to guide him in his first retirement adventure. Miller called it his recalibration tour.

Starting in Yorktown, Virginia, and ending 50 days later in Astoria, Oregon, Miller accomplished just what he set out to do.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream

Miller followed the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, a route that runs from coast to coast through some of the country's most fascinating scenery and rural areas.

“I wanted to see America for what it is right now. I wanted to take a snapshot of what is really going on in America,” Miller said. “Not with what Twitter is telling me. Not what social media is telling me. I wanted to see in real life what is happening.”

The route crosses multiple mountain ranges, national parks, rivers and a variety of different climates. Scenery ranges from snowcapped volcanic peaks in Oregon, flat horizons in the Great Plains and rolling hills through plantations in Virginia.

Cycling across the country has been in the back of Miller’s mind since he was 15 years old and a student at Sprague High School. He had just gotten into cycling with his friend Andrew when a few of his teachers had just returned from a trip. The young cyclists were hooked.

“We just thought that was the coolest thing we’d ever heard,” Miller said. “That was always kind of on our punch list as the years went by. But it’s one of those things you’ve got to have time.”

The 55-year-old entered the next phase of his life this spring, leaving behind a lifetime in the restaurant industry. Retirement meant he finally had what he needs to take this trip: time.

He recalls his time in the restaurant industry as 24/7 with no time to do anything for himself. After selling The Half Penny Public House in February, Miller stayed on to transition the new owners for a few months.

"While I was doing all that, I was like 'I need to do something big to kick off my retirement, my break from this restaurant business' and that's when this came to head," Miller said. "I've always wanted to do it and I ain't getting any younger so let's do it."

After receiving support from his friends and family, Miller set off on his solo cycling adventure.

“I just decided I finally have time and packed up my bags and went. I did it for a lifelong keep my dreams alive and in memorial of my friend (Andrew, who passed a few years ago),” Miller said.

Riding with a mileage mindset

During his 40 year tenure in the Salem restaurant industry, physical fitness kept him busy as a stress management tool. He ran marathons and ultra-marathons, while cycling took the back burner aside from cross-training during running injuries.

Last year, Miller completed the Ironman 70.3 in Salem. While training for a triathlon he was reminded of his love for cycling. Completing the TransAmerica was a way for Miller to pair his love for cycling and travel.

“What I really found was I just like to be on the bike and I like to do some mileage. Some tourists do a little bit of mileage and then go hang out at a place for the rest of the day. Everyone has their different style, and no one is right, and no one is wrong," Miller said. "For me, I like to do mileage.”

On most days, Miller woke up at 4 a.m. and would be packed up and on the road by 5 a.m. This gave him an early start and would typically get him about 10 hours on the bike a day. He averaged 89 miles a day and recorded several days over 130 miles.

“During this ride, I was at complete and utter peace with my mind, my body, everything,” Miller said. “I felt very content and satisfied every single day.”

Miller completed this trip completely self-supported. That means he carried all of his own gear and completed the trip by himself. At times this presented challenges, such as riding at a slower pace and not knowing where to stop and sleep.

Because this is an established route, he was able to meet people along the way and learn from others. One of the things he learned was that churches offer hostel type accommodations specifically for cyclists doing this trip.

"I stayed at so many churches and they were awesome. You knew you were safe, covered and had restrooms," Miller said. "That's comfort."

Standout times in the West

Miller was born in Colorado, raised in Nebraska and is very familiar with the West Coast after living in Salem. He has done his fair share of outdoor endeavors such as climbing and mountaineering. This trip brought him back to some of his favorite places he used to enjoy as a river guide.

"When I got into Montana and Idaho a lot of the course was along some of my all-time favorite rivers and to get to ride through all of that was just amazing,” Miller said. “And the wildlife, seeing the grizzlies, seeing the moose, being 5 feet away from a bison herd in Yellowstone.”

His favorite places to ride were the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, along the Lochsa River on Highway 12 in Idaho and the Continental Divide. He was overwhelmed by the natural beauty he experienced up-close.

"It was really surrealistic the amount of information the brain had to process with what you saw," Miller said.

Miller was also amazed at the vastness of some of the areas he traveled.

"Heading out of Rawlins, Wyoming, into the Continental Basin was mind-expanding. You are out in the middle of nowhere and no one is around, you have to go 100 miles before you hit something else," Miller said.

Help along the way

Miller faced heavy storms and rainy weather in Virginia at the beginning of his trip. Nothing close to ideal when out on a bike in the middle of nowhere. On the third day, he had a pivotal experience.

“One particular day I got caught in a squall, heavy heavy winds. Everything was beating me down and a guy drives by me in a pickup truck and he pulls over and I’m like ‘Oh god, here we go’ and he says ‘hey man do you need a place to stay tonight?'” Miller shared.

Despite apprehensive initial thoughts and feelings, Miller was getting desperate for what to do. He embraced the help he was offered and that became the first time he stayed at someone’s house who he didn’t know.

The guy who picked him up ended up having a past which included touring as well. He and his wife opened up their home to Miller for the night and made him cinnamon rolls for breakfast before he left the next morning.

“That really was the beginning of my trip and that really shaped it,” Miller said. “Like maybe I just need to give people more of a chance.”

It was not the only time he was offered help from strangers. He recalls people taking him out for pizza, making him dinner, handing out candy bars and more. He also received help from other cyclists offering shared experiences on where to stop to eat and sleep.

“It gave me hope for humanity," Miller said. "I think that when people talk face to face, it changes everything."

Emma Logan is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at elogan@salem.gannett.com or on X @emmmalogan

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Recalibration tour: Former Salem bar owner completes solo cross-country bike trip