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Writer's pictureNick Sanders

Blog 190 Knoxville to Bristol

16th April

The law of diminishing returns The law of diminishing marginal returns states that there has to be a point when an additional factor of your task results in a lessening of output or impact. It's counterintuitive to think more help can make this ride harder. Simple question is, in terms of emotional and spiritual return, am I getting out of this journey more than the investment in my time and my sponsors money. Benefits gained will represent a proportionally smaller increase as more money or energy is invested in it. All of my other journeys have been 5 months or less, most were less than 3 months. This ride is nearing 8 months and my frustration is twofold:

  1. Other an walking and using any vehicle instead of a bicycle what takes me 10 hours to reach can be done in tens of minutes.

  2. Some routes are devoid of deep interest and character but an a bicycle your transition through these areas are slow and fruitless.

  3. Debating the question; why am I here?


The human race can be a monotonous affair. Most people spend the greatest part of their time working in order to live. The lack of novelty, the constant slow reminder passing houses devoid of life because the inhabitants are working to pay to be there. Even for a passionate life there is the ceaseless traffic, the slam of tyres on wet tarmac, and separated by a common language where what I do is utterly misunderstood. Same today as yesterday and the same it will be tomorrow. The drive in my head, the riding, the loneliness or at least the hours and weeks I spend alone. Turbo charged engines drown out any sound of nature. I want to rush off into the forest, find the hills, begin to assess exactly what it is I’m doing, but as soon as I stop I want to sleep, anywhere. I close my eyes standing up at lights and I’m asleep.


I'm losing track of where I am. Kingsport? Where is this place? What happens there?

Big but with plenty of parks, baseball. Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, which spans a portion of southwest Virginia and the mountainous counties in northeastern Tennessee.


I take right at the biggest T-junction beside Taco Bell and the Waffle House holding commanding. views down a rather urbane street when a car drives across me from my right at speed to knock me out but I saw it coming. It was inches. Down the road she waited for me and apologised, "I just didn't see you...." But I did.


Map of the Day


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May 03

Will of Iron, brave as a lion, lived the highs lived lows, lived your life of memories and freedom what a life you lived!

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Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

There you are. Wondered what had happened to you. Are you well?

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Yes you're right Nick

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Guest
May 02

Yes time out makes you reflect on life. The madness of it all chasing possessions with the monotony of daily life with all the others stuck in some kind of robotic existence. When the end comes what will we think, were we free or did we let most of life pass us by.

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