QuikrStuff customers Michael Johnson Chase and Jenny Hershey pedal thousands of miles, documenting their experiences with people, geography, and climate for their newsletter at CarbonStories.org. Their work is summed up perfectly by their tagline: “the good, the bad, and the beautiful as seen from the seat of a bicycle.”
Q: How do you choose and get to your destinations?
Currently, we are focused on exploring as much of the North American Continent as possible. When we can’t reach a destination by taking our bikes on Amtrak, we load them onto the back of our car using our reliable, durable QuikrStuff rack and drive. Since we use both hybrid road bikes and wide-tire gravel e-bikes, depending on the terrain and nature of the trip, we need a rack that’s flexible and sturdy but also easy to remove and store out of the way in our little Prius—and thankfully, we have just that! We’ll drive to a remote spot—maybe a small rural airport or a friendly farm—where we can leave the car for a small fee, and then set off on our bikes for three or four weeks at a time.
A map of their ride through Virginia
Q: How do you find your stories?
Along the way, we love meeting people—whether they’re by the side of the road, at a farm stand, or working in a local store. Even if we seem very different at first, we always approach these encounters with curiosity and kindness, steering clear of confrontation. That’s when real connection begins—just by listening.
Michael is great at sparking conversations. He’ll ask if people have noticed changes in the seasons or climate—whether it’s hotter, if there’s more snow, or how the rainfall has changed. He weaves together local stories and folklore with the data he’s gathered about the places we visit. Michael often says, “There’s always a climate story, we just need to find it.”
Jenny usually chats with folks about their families and work, all while quietly taking photos that capture their expressions and gestures—those little moments that reveal so much about the conversation. If the conversation goes deep, she’ll ask if they’d like her to draw their portrait, showing examples of her previous work. People are almost always delighted! Jenny then gets their contact information and later sends them the finished drawing. At night, as we rest, she looks through the photos to find the moments that capture the spirit of our meeting.
Mailing hard copies of the drawings is an excellent way to keep our connection alive, and many folks become regular readers and friends of our newsletter. Sometimes, we even have the chance to meet up again on future trips.
Q: What delights you the most on your many long bike tours?
That’s an easy one: it’s the chance to connect with people from all walks of life. Everyone has a story, and Jenny passionately believes that one of the greatest gifts we can offer is to listen—listen—without judgment. No matter our differences, we’re all human at heart. We might have opposing political views, but most of us care deeply about protecting our families and loved ones, and we all long to feel connected to a community.
Jenny rides ahead along a picturesque Virginia road
Michael and Jenny document their climate change observations by bicycle with blog posts that are both uplifting and sobering. Jenny’s charming illustrations and Michael’s insightful writing take these stories out of the ordinary and make for a journey well worth following. –comment by Hetty at CarbonStories.org, where you can find all their stories and subscribe to get future ones delivered to your inbox.
