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Roberts, N4RVE Facebook Twitter Youtube Menu * Home * Blog * Articles + OpenSPOT Notes + Building the Microship Trimaran + Make it Anywhere with a Mobile Lab + Kayak Stands + Keeping Rodents out of your Pole Building + Building a Heavy-Duty Piano Drawer + Elevated Music Stand for Casio PX-5S and other Digital Pianos + Packaging a Home Piano Studio Desk + Articles by Bob Stuart * Store * Speaking-Media + Speaking Engagements + Media Coverage 1983-2000 * Contact * Harbor Digitizing [ ] Winnebiko Computing Across America (1983-1985) [Move-House-bike-tent-1024x710]The original Winnebiko in January, 1984 - already 3,000 miles into an adventure that would total 17,000 miles. (photo by Katie Peden near Clearwater, Florida) The technomadic story begins at a time of primitive computer and communications technologies. Cellular phones did not yet exist, online services cost a few dollars an hour for cumbersome text-only services, and people were debating whether one could actually work at home instead of the office. I had just turned 30, and was on a quest for geek adventure fueled by publishing... a way to escape Ohio suburbia and combine all my passions into a nomadic lifestyle. After six months of obsessive preparation, I hit the road in September 1983 on a custom recumbent bicycle with solar-powered portable computer (the venerable Radio Shack Model 100 ), a CompuServe account, and a base office. The idea was to simply have a way to stay in touch with clients and publishers while traveling full time, and as the months passed I refined the toolset to render my physical location less and less relevant. "Work at home? Work anywhere!" I wrote, exuberantly, sensing that I was pedaling at the cusp of major cultural change. [winnebiko-palatka-1024x673]Steven K. Roberts riding the Winnebiko - photo by John Delzell in Palatka, Florida This started simply as a high-tech bicycle tour, but what I didn't expect was that the media would be enchanted by the idea of nomadic connectivity... combining new information tools into a mobile lifestyle that also happened to be visually distinctive with the recumbent bicycle, solar panels, antennas, and more. My bike trip was becoming a career. [austin-winnebiko-1024x807]From Austin American-Statesman, July 31, 1984 (photo by Taylor Johnson) As the adventure unfolded, I wrote a book called Computing Across America, produced columns and features for various magazines, did regular interviews, and watched my whole life change. Ohio suburbia faded to a speck in my rear-view mirror, and I fantasized about the next generation of technomadic tools. [skr-merlinn-model100-keywest-fixed-697x1024]Signing on to CompuServe from the Merlinn garden in Key West, January 1984 (photo by Barbara Bernstein) This first trip took place between 1983 and 1985, but the technological world was rapidly evolving and parts quickly came to feel obsolete. By late 1984, I had switched to a much more capable Hewlett Packard Portable, and was designing a system to let me write while riding as well as maintain a steady wireless link to readers. When the 10,000-mile mark rolled around (appropriately enough, in Silicon Valley), I decided to take a year off from the road to finish the book and build a whole new system onto the trusty frame that had carried me this far. [CAA-front-back-1024x809]My book about the first 10,000 miles. Cover photo by Jeffrey Aaronson at the Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado; back cover photo of the Winnebiko II by Thomas Forsyth in Eureka, California Here are a few favorite references to posts in the archives about the Winnebiko epoch. Each has links to previous/next articles at the bottom if you wish to explore further; there are dozens of stories, newspaper articles, and tech pieces covering this phase of the journey: * Detailed article about the system in Popular Computing (August, 1984) * Beautiful CBS Morning News piece filmed in Texas (July 1984) * One of many newspaper articles - the Crested Butte Chronicle (Sept, 1984) * Online romance was a rarity back then... Love at First Byte (Jan, 1984) * The first article about the journey: Online Today (Sept, 1983) * My audiobook reading of Computing Across America, Chapter 1 (14.5 minutes) * Introduction to my column in USA Today (July, 1984) * A story about High-Tech Hosteling (June, 1984) * Reports in Solarex publications, one of my first corporate sponsors * Free sample of the book -- 3 chapters of Computing Across America (4.3 MB PDF) [TN003-wb-electronics-1024x697]Back in the primitive days... the Winnebiko electronics package and 5-watt solar panel in 1983. Photo by Katie Peden. Winnebiko specifications Fabricated over a 6-month period leading up to initial departure on September 28, 1983, this was the elemental form of my technomadic adventure substrate. The overall weight including packs varied during the 10,000-mile tour from 135 to 195 pounds, and gearing was a straightforward wide-range 18-speed system. There was no provision for writing while riding, although I did have a remote-controlled audio cassette deck for note-taking while underway--this, along with a large pile of spiral notebooks, helped tremendously when writing the Computing Across America book. [winnebiko-huntsville-side-1024x656]Steven Roberts on Winnebiko in Huntsville, Texas - May 24, 1984 (photo by Jimmie Morris) Basic Mechanical Features * 48-spoke, 27" undished rear wheel * 16" front wheel * Under-seat steering with stainless steel tie-rod to fork * Blackburn rack carrying initial standard touring load, gradually refined during trip * 4130 Chrome-Moly frame, lugless, filleted/brazed construction, triple stays, built by Franklin Frames (Jack Trumbull) * Small Zzipper fairing around handlebar pack for electronics, mounted in front of head tube * Crossover drive with 1:1 input chain and 18-speed derailleur, forward bottom bracket in tandem-style eccentric [TN011-towpath-674x1024]Cruising the C&O Canal Towpath in October 1983 (click photo for a must curious tale) Electronics * Simple electronics package mounted above front wheel; under-seat switch box * "Push" speed/distance sensor, later the Cat-Eye Solar * Paging security system with piezoelectric vibration sensor * CB radio for emergencies * 12V battery for lights and other loads, 5-watt solar panel and AC charger * Yellow barricade flasher behind seat, xenon strobe on pole, taillight, sealed-beam headlight * Radio Shack Model 100 laptop in pack; later the HP-110 portable [tent-skr-hp-wb-nm-northup-813x1024]Winnebiko in New Mexico, during a photo shoot by Steve Northup for Time Magazine (September, 1984). Click image for that story. [caa-map] [wb-paradox-valley-678x1024]Winnebiko heading west through the Paradox Valley in southwest Colorado (October, 1984) Next... the Winnebiko II and Miles with Maggie (1986-1988) Computing Across America book The following chapters in chronological order are the story of this adventure (Computing Across America, 1983-1985), and they open in new browser tabs... March 13, 1983 [CAA-front-back-1024x809] Computing Across America March 13, 1983 March 15, 1983 [TN001-columbus-livingroom-1024x691] The Idea is Born March 15, 1983 September 18, 1983 [Electronics-and-solar-pre-launch-1024x650] The First Steps September 18, 1983 September 27, 1983 [TN003-wb-electronics-1024x697] Poised for the Leap September 27, 1983 September 28, 1983 [TN004-steve-walt-1024x780] The Launch September 28, 1983 October 1, 1983 [TN005-drink-1024x678] The First 200 Miles October 1, 1983 October 4, 1983 [TN006-kycamp] Rolling into Dataspace October 4, 1983 October 10, 1983 [em-bike] Amy October 10, 1983 October 14, 1983 [TN008-model100-1024x763] Snippets of Electronic Romance October 14, 1983 October 28, 1983 [TN009-Alexandria-Ohio-922x1024] Departure from the Norm October 28, 1983 October 31, 1983 [TN010-Ohiopyle-1024x677] The 3-Mile Hill October 31, 1983 November 6, 1983 [TN011-towpath-674x1024] The Towpath November 6, 1983 November 14, 1983 [va-highway-1024x595] The Long, Lonesome Highway November 14, 1983 November 22, 1983 [nc-winnebiko-rainsuit-1024x1024] The Outer Banks November 22, 1983 November 26, 1983 [georgia-thanksgiving-1024x823] Thanksgiving November 26, 1983 December 1, 1983 [TN015-hostel-dome-1024x688] The Hostel in the Forest December 1, 1983 December 15, 1983 [skr-beach-binox-1024x975] North Florida Snapshots December 15, 1983 December 23, 1983 [maplet-north-florida-1024x683] Love Versus the Unknown December 23, 1983 January 3, 1984 [key-west-phoenix-credit-1024x588] Trouble in Paradise January 3, 1984 January 13, 1984 [skr-merlinn-model100-keywest-fixed-697x1024] The Ultimate Blind Date January 13, 1984 January 19, 1984 [key-west-bahamian-duval-1024x711] Life is a Beach January 19, 1984 January 22, 1984 [skr-helm-awesome-785x1024] An Awesome Voyage January 22, 1984 January 31, 1984 [skr-tent-winnebiko-m100-peden-1984-credit-1024x697] Traveling for the Moment January 31, 1984 February 14, 1984 [beach-heart-rock-credit-1024x743] The Other Woman February 14, 1984 March 6, 1984 [anastasia-camp-1024x735] The Campground Culture March 6, 1984 March 18, 1984 [TN025-dogwoods-1024x739] Another One of Those Fantasies March 18, 1984 March 22, 1984 [winnebiko-beach-burden-1024x699] Fears, Burdens, and Dreams March 22, 1984 April 2, 1984 [TN027-cafe-1024x694] A Grand Farewell April 2, 1984 April 8, 1984 [alabama-line-791x1024] Mississippi Revisited April 8, 1984 April 10, 1984 [south-beach-clouds-sm-1024x576] The Winds of Change April 10, 1984 April 26, 1984 [mccormick-trek-1984-1024x690] A Nomad on Sabbatical April 26, 1984 April 30, 1984 [san-juan-ferry-rays-1024x577] Snapshots of God April 30, 1984 May 16, 1984 [radzinski-mac-winnebiko-dwg-1024x838] Flirtations with Technology May 16, 1984 May 23, 1984 [TN033-CBS-1024x755] Going Pro May 23, 1984 June 27, 1984 [maplet-austin-1024x687] The Austin Phase Shift June 27, 1984 July 11, 1984 [texas-fry-selfie-1984-1024x631] West Texas in July? July 11, 1984 July 15, 1984 [texas-muleshoe-storm-1024x686] Plunging into New Mexico July 15, 1984 August 10, 1984 [santa-fe-power-station-art-1024x680] Instants of Recognition August 10, 1984 August 18, 1984 [creede-co-1984-1024x684] Into the Real Mountains August 18, 1984 August 25, 1984 [ice-cave-crystals-3-1024x707] A Tolkein of My Affection August 25, 1984 September 3, 1984 [butte-accident] Intimations of Mortality September 3, 1984 September 5, 1984 [skr-mt-avery-1024x683] Life and Death September 5, 1984 September 15, 1984 [aaronson-maroon-aspen-slide-1-679x1024] Aspen September 15, 1984 September 28, 1984 [telluride-3-1024x686] A Timeless Anniversary September 28, 1984 November 3, 1984 [flute-arches-678x1024] A Mycological Tone Poem November 3, 1984 November 10, 1984 [rock-i70-utah-1024x681] The Price of Adventure November 10, 1984 December 31, 1984 [comdex-hp-winnebiko-corrected-1024x714] Life in the Desert December 31, 1984 February 14, 1985 [san-clemente-desk-1024x725] Windows in the Ha-Ha February 14, 1985 January 17, 1987 [maggie-steve-wb2-posed-1024x799] Computing Across America - Epilogue January 17, 1987 Affiliate links Nomadic Research Labs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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