HeatherGetting out of the saddle is often the hardest part. That first moment when you release your sit bones from the hard structure of the seat. If only there was somewhere soft to sit…like a random couch on the side of the road!
These are the thoughts of every bicycle tourist especially in the early days of a bike trip.
The thing is there are actual random couches on the side of the road – in every state and province we have ever pedaled long distances in. Don’t believe me? Read on…
The first couch we came across was just outside our home town of Calgary in Alberta. We were breaking in our butts by going on a longer ride to a neighbouring community of Chestermere. About an hour and a half into the ride I noticed something strange on the side of the path up ahead. Matt saw it as well and stopped his bike to wait for me. It was a lovely couch right beside the no dumping sign in a random gravel pit.
Matt had that mischievous look on his face and I knew right away he was going to plant himself on it. “It will be so comfortable,” he said. “Just think of how good it will feel.”
I couldn’t get over my unreasonable fear of fleas to join Matt on the couch, but I did dig out my phone to snap this picture. Looking back on it, I wonder why I passed up this opportunity?! I know that pushing myself out of my comfort zone usually results in amazing things, but I am not sure that sitting on a random couch in a no dump zone was in the cards. Besides, I didn’t want to tamper with any active murder investigation!
Fast forward to the start of our bike trip on the Underground Railroad from Mobile Alabama to Owen Sound Ontario. Despite my mid winter training I knew my butt was going to be hamburger. The first few days weren’t so bad, but the ongoing pressure started to take its toll on our backsides. And then we saw it. Our first couch of the trip.
Matt enthusiastically leaped on it, while I hesitantly joined him. I wasn’t very happy about sitting on this couch and for good reason. Can you even imagine what might have been growing in this thing?! It was the last couch I would sit on, but not the last couch we would find.
On that day, we made a pact (to be recited with a ridiculous, Monty Python accent):
No roadside couch shall be passed without a momentary sit and photo op.
And oh boy did we ever live that motto! In. Every. Single. State/Province.
Mississippi
Our next couch was probably the best couch of the trip. I liked the way the hubcap pulls this whole look together, and Matt tells me it was one of the most comfortable he sat on.
Tennessee
The next couch was not as inviting. If I remember correctly it was down a bit of a hill and as you can see there were nasty thorns we had to navigate just to get to the couch. Even Matt was a little nervous of sitting on it!
Kentucky
By the time we hit Kentucky we were no longer surprised when we saw a couch on the side of the road. Matt had also stopped trying to convince me to join him in the sitting.
Ohio
It was this couch that leads me to the belief you find more couches on garbage day. Why would anyone throw out this thing of beauty?!
Pennsylvania
At this point in the trip we were looking for any excuse to slow things down. Fortunately Pennsylvania had a few wineries and this thing of beauty. We were a little saddened that we didn’t find both wine and this couch on the same day… I may have changed my non sitting ways!
New York
We only had a few hundred miles/kms to pedal through New York and most of it was in Buffalo. We figured there was no chance of finding a couch here, and then this couch happened. That colour has not been enhanced – I wonder what the rest of the house decorations looked like?!
Ontario
Our last province and our last couch. Matt stayed a LOOONG time on this one. He says it was just that comfortable… I think it was because he didn’t want the trip to end..maybe it was a combination of both?
Little did we know at that first couch that it wouldn’t be our last. Each time I caught up to Matt to find him off his bike staring at a couch I knew it would result in some laughter and a much needed butt break out of the saddle! I will admit, the idea of sitting on these couches was absurd to me, but I am happy that Matt took up the adventure and began sitting. If we had just cycled by each couch we certainly wouldn’t have had all these great photo ops, roadside laughter and butt breaks!
Do you have any odd rituals or pacts you have made as a result of adventures you created on your travels? Tell us about them in the comment section below.
Practical Tips for enjoying Random Couch Sits
As you can see from the photos, I did not choose to sit on most of these couches, so I asked Matt to provide some tips in case you are interested in a roadside sit:
- Random couches are most obvious on garbage day. Do a google search before you go somewhere to find out when people will put their garbage on the street so you know when to pedal by.
- Before getting comfortable check for dogs in the yard. No need to have your enjoyable relaxation moment ruined by a nasty snarling biting beasts.
- Make sure you have all your vaccinations. You never know when a random couch comes with some random biting things.
- If you aren’t one for sitting on a couch of your own, why not put one out on the street for a bike tourist to enjoy? You can shop for a new couch here.
- Don’t let the naysayers like Heather hold you back. If you find a couch that you want to sit on, then by golly sit on it! (This same rule holds true for any odd or strange opportunity that you are presented with when you travel – sometimes these are the best parts about a trip)
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