George the Cyclist
I've met quite the array of remarkable people through volunteering in restoration. Among them, George Christensen holds a unique place, as a man who crafted and lived his life by filling it with the experiences he treasured most. He followed his passions to a degree most of us never achieve.
We lost him Monday, to a truck that struck his bike as he cycled on a road in South Carolina. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was riding from Orlando to Philadelphia on a spring trek, visiting Carnegie libraries along the way.
George loved libraries, and reading, and one of his quests was to visit all the Carnegie libraries he could reach. There were 2,509 such libraries, funded at least in part by Andrew Carnegie. As of last December, he had visited 1,163, and I believe he got to eight or nine more on this most recent trek. In 2020 he rode from Uruguay to Guiana, over 4,000 miles, to reach a single Carnegie library in the latter nation.
He also loved movies, was a true cinephile and volunteered for over three decades at the Telluride Film Festival. He went to the Cannes Film Festival multiple times, and attended others in Germany, Rotterdam, and Finland.
In addition to film festivals, George volunteered in the forest preserves - last year he passed the 100 hour mark - and at Working Bikes and other organizations. He was quick to step forward any time a friiend needed help.
The bike was his first love. He has ridden all over the world, the length of three continents, and around and through more countries than I can keep track of. His cyclo-touring life began with a ride across the USA in 1977, after becoming intrigued in 1976 by the "Bikecentennial" rides others were doing.
He also has ridden the better part of the Tour de France course at least 18 times, which I believe ties him with pro rider Sylvain Chavanel for the most appearances in this most prestigious of bicycle races. And unlike the pros, George does it with a tent, sleeping bag, and all his gear loaded on the bike. He doesn't even have a team car replenishing water and nourishment as needed. Amazing!
He firmly believed the world would be a better place if we all cycled more and was a quiet advocate of that lifestyle. "George convinced me to ride year 'round" or "George got me interested in bike touring" are heard often among people who know him, classic examples of leading by example.
George was a humble man, so much of what I know about his exploits comes from reading his blog posts. He was more interested, in my view, with hearing about others' lives than in talking about his own.
He also possessed the unbounded curiosity of a child; hearing of a topic that interested him, he'd pepper you with questions about it. And if you were unable to answer them, by the following day you could expect an email, outlining the information he had garnered himself, searching the internet.
George graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism in 1973 and wrote with a clean style that appeared effortless. His blog posts are a fantastic travelogue of the places he's been, and his keen eye for people and local custom makes the reader feel like they're right there with him.
When I first read his blog I was amazed both by the writing and the experiences it contained. I said "George, there's a book in there. More than one." I encouraged him to edit it, or find an editor.
He politely demurred, saying it would take a lot of time. "I like being on the bike", he said. I find those words as fitting an epitaph as can be.
In his own words:
"Being on the bike is where I most long to be and gives me the greatest happiness. That is my bliss." Thailand, 2020
"I can wake up feeling lucky that I get to begin my day with a bike ride and feel equally lucky that I get to end my day with a bike ride and luckier yet that I get to spend the rest of the day on the bike with a library or two thrown in. I have to ask, “Have I died and gone to heaven?” St. Joseph, Michigan October 16, 2020
George the Cyclist blog
Chicago Reader article November 23, 2006
I've met quite the array of remarkable people through volunteering in restoration. Among them, George Christensen holds a unique place, as a man who crafted and lived his life by filling it with the experiences he treasured most. He followed his passions to a degree most of us never achieve.
We lost him Monday, to a truck that struck his bike as he cycled on a road in South Carolina. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was riding from Orlando to Philadelphia on a spring trek, visiting Carnegie libraries along the way.
George loved libraries, and reading, and one of his quests was to visit all the Carnegie libraries he could reach. There were 2,509 such libraries, funded at least in part by Andrew Carnegie. As of last December, he had visited 1,163, and I believe he got to eight or nine more on this most recent trek. In 2020 he rode from Uruguay to Guiana, over 4,000 miles, to reach a single Carnegie library in the latter nation.
He also loved movies, was a true cinephile and volunteered for over three decades at the Telluride Film Festival. He went to the Cannes Film Festival multiple times, and attended others in Germany, Rotterdam, and Finland.
In addition to film festivals, George volunteered in the forest preserves - last year he passed the 100 hour mark - and at Working Bikes and other organizations. He was quick to step forward any time a friiend needed help.
The bike was his first love. He has ridden all over the world, the length of three continents, and around and through more countries than I can keep track of. His cyclo-touring life began with a ride across the USA in 1977, after becoming intrigued in 1976 by the "Bikecentennial" rides others were doing.
He also has ridden the better part of the Tour de France course at least 18 times, which I believe ties him with pro rider Sylvain Chavanel for the most appearances in this most prestigious of bicycle races. And unlike the pros, George does it with a tent, sleeping bag, and all his gear loaded on the bike. He doesn't even have a team car replenishing water and nourishment as needed. Amazing!
He firmly believed the world would be a better place if we all cycled more and was a quiet advocate of that lifestyle. "George convinced me to ride year 'round" or "George got me interested in bike touring" are heard often among people who know him, classic examples of leading by example.
George was a humble man, so much of what I know about his exploits comes from reading his blog posts. He was more interested, in my view, with hearing about others' lives than in talking about his own.
He also possessed the unbounded curiosity of a child; hearing of a topic that interested him, he'd pepper you with questions about it. And if you were unable to answer them, by the following day you could expect an email, outlining the information he had garnered himself, searching the internet.
George graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism in 1973 and wrote with a clean style that appeared effortless. His blog posts are a fantastic travelogue of the places he's been, and his keen eye for people and local custom makes the reader feel like they're right there with him.
When I first read his blog I was amazed both by the writing and the experiences it contained. I said "George, there's a book in there. More than one." I encouraged him to edit it, or find an editor.
He politely demurred, saying it would take a lot of time. "I like being on the bike", he said. I find those words as fitting an epitaph as can be.
In his own words:
"Being on the bike is where I most long to be and gives me the greatest happiness. That is my bliss." Thailand, 2020
"I can wake up feeling lucky that I get to begin my day with a bike ride and feel equally lucky that I get to end my day with a bike ride and luckier yet that I get to spend the rest of the day on the bike with a library or two thrown in. I have to ask, “Have I died and gone to heaven?” St. Joseph, Michigan October 16, 2020
George the Cyclist blog
Chicago Reader article November 23, 2006
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