by Joseph Back

Tobias Egan on road for 11 years, now involved in new project titled ‘the making of ’

Cross country cyclist Tobias Egan is a man who knows how to ‘rough it’ when it comes to traveling. Over 11 years of what he calls ‘The Trek Series’, Egan crisscrossed the country on bike and foot, along with sleeping outside in 20-degree temperatures when it got cold.

The Trek is over now, but before it was, he came through the Stanley-Boyd area, having passed to the south along Highway 10 last year. Taking some time off for a rest from travel following the recent end of the last Trek installment at Sauk County. Along the 11-year journey to the present Egan has been through many of the continental 48 States—some multiple times, as he seeks to bring attention to those not always seen or taken seriously by society. He prefers bikes to cars, and he’s single too. Coming through Stanley-Boyd last month after spending the night at Medford en route from Wausau, Egan took time out to talk about his cross country travels, changes over time, and what it’s all about.

“Obviously things have changed,” he said of this year com pared to last year. “Some good, some bad.”

Among the bad things from a travel standpoint, is inflation. Partial to Kwik Trips in the north but also visiting Holidays depending on the state and availability Egan has noticed price increases, including coffee.

“You’re raising prices on everything that was on sale,” he said of the realities of life on the road and striking deals, being that he refuses to beg for anything. Another thing that’s changed is his desire or expectation of sponsors for the cross-country travels, something he once hoped for but has given up on.

“I guess the question is, how much longer?” he asked recently. “Are we going to come back with Trek 13?” Calling Highway X “a rough road” as he passed through during construction earlier last month, Egan has since been to Minnesota and Iowa, crossing back into Wisconsin south of La Crosse just recently, then on to Indiana—in a word, always traveling.

Along the way, Egan has done regular recording with a camera phone he has at major rest points called pit stops, and ranked in part on their bike trail network (not always present) as well as general receptivity to travelers.

As to the later, he tries to keep a low profile at times. Failure to do so, might get the police called on you.

“People shadow call the police on you,” Egan said of police responding to anonymous phone calls from the public. The end result of such calls is that he has to produce ID and/or leave town, being an outsider.

Nonetheless, he hopes for a family one day. Raised in the northeast but currently choosing to forgo home after a return visit in 2019 didn’t go well, Egan remains hopeful.

“Out of the ashes of the old family will come a new family,” he says. In the meantime, there’s a new creative endeavor he’s taken on, entitled ‘The Making Of.’ Readers can follow his trav – els on Facebook at “Tobias Egan,” with past adventures of the now shuttered Trek uploaded to YouTube.

…and passing along Highway X through Boyd.