TEXAS – Anyone can walk a mile in another person's shoes – Aaron Chamberlain prefers to bike.
While that may sound easier, most folks wouldn't last long in Chamberlain's shoes. Even though he's on a bike, he normally goes much farther than just a mile.
That's been his thing since he moved to Austin 12 years ago. He tested his love for riding in 2019 working on a project to learn more about his city.
"I rode every single street in Austin," Chamberlain said. "Took a little over a year and 4,500 miles, I think."
Chamberlain used the app Strava to track his progress. He had his Austin map ready to show his work, each street colored red proving his presence there.
After finishing a project so big that took so long to complete, it'd be hard for the average person to imagine a way to top it. Chamberlain came up with his next feat before he even finished his first.
"I was thinking to myself, 'What am I gonna do next?'" Chamberlain said. "That's when I came up with the idea to ride around the entire state."
The project took Chamberlain some time to plan. He had to figure out how to convince his employer, Texas Monthly, and, more importantly, his wife to let him bike around the state for two months.
He struck a deal with the magazine that would let him ride as long as he wrote about it along the way. He also planned to start his trip in Brownsville at Mrs. Chamberlain's parents' home.
After a short COVID-19 postponement, Chamberlain hit the road in September with thousands of miles ahead of him that he planned to conquer one day at a time.
"I didn't let it get to me too much, but you can't not ignore it," Chamberlain said of the distance. "I just wanted to think about the day's ride. I try not to think too much about the entire thing because it's just too daunting.”
Biking the edge of Texas, Chamberlain wrote about what he saw. Every week of his journey ended with a write-up in Texas Monthly of each day's ride.
They'd feature stories of everything he encountered as he traveled through different parts of Texas – different people and experiences that changed with the region, and the observations he made about the state and himself during the trip.
More than 3,000 miles, 52 days of biking, and six days of rest later, Chamberlain returned to Brownsville to complete his trip. The pain from his “Tour de Texas” still wearing off, but Chamberlain is already thinking of new challenges, though none quite as massive as his last.
Riding around his neighborhood for 24 hours straight is one option to see how many miles he can log in his own backyard.
No matter what project he lands on next, he's doing it all for the same reason.
"It's cheesy, but the freedom of it. You can ride anywhere," Chamberlain said. "And it's a good workout, I think. I don't go that fast often so I don't know."
You can read Chamberlain's columns about his journey here at Texas Monthly.