Welcome to The Big Dummy Project. My name is Jim.

The Big Dummy Project is about a bicycle ride across the United States, scheduled to begin on September 15, 2008. The project has multiple goals and aspects, but the most important part is the effort to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which directs a great deal of research in the fight against diabetes.

The Big Dummy (capitalized) in the project name refers to the bike I will be riding, a Surly Big Dummy. This is a bike that is designed to carry just about anything you could possibly move by pedaling. It represents an idea that I think is important. Bicycles are good transportation. Most of the world seems to know this already, but here in America we tend to regard bicycles as toys, or at best pure recreation. I’m lucky to live in a part of the country that views bikes and bicycle commuting a little more seriously, but in the face of the energy situation, I believe that we could go a lot farther to use bicycles for real transportation.

The other big dummy (lowercase) is me, but you probably already figured that out. My brother and I have been talking about a cross-country ride for years, but only recently (and quite suddenly) did the full fledged plan pop into my head. I think most of my friends regard it as a crazy idea, but I see it as a good way to pull together a great number of influences and experiences from my life, and hopefully do some good for others along the way. I’m sure that if you stick around, you’ll discover exactly how much of a big dummy I really am.

My traveling partner in this adventure is my dog Elke. She is a rescue mutt, half Border Collie and half Jack Russell. She went through several shelters before I found her, and she has a large doggie case of the separation anxiety, so there is no way that I could leave her behind for this length of time. Plus, she’s a great dog and I like having her around. Let’s just hope she likes bike travel as much as she likes riding in my pickup truck. She’ll be traveling in style in a Burley Tail Wagon bike trailer designed especially for dogs. I have a feeling she’ll be a lot more comfortable than the guy cranking the pedals.

My real work for the last two decades has been as a media producer of various kinds, so as much as anything, I’m looking forward to recording this trip in words, photos, and video. Most of that will appear here at various points along the way, so I hope you’ll check in from time to time to see how it’s going. Please feel free to register and add your own comments to the mix. I look forward to hearing from you.

In addition, the JDRF is setting up a fund raising page specific to this effort. Follow the links to see what they are doing to help those who are born with diabetes, and those who have to live with it, and if you feel inclined, please make a donation on behalf of The Big Dummy Project.

Thanks,

Jim Perkins