by 
Rainer Jendryan
Traveling by bicycle across the vast empty spaces of the United States with no companions, Rainer Jendryan is on a journey of self-discovery and spirituality.
Rainer, last week, was found sitting on a porch in the Town of Superior taking in the scenic view of Apache Leap Mountain. The 49-year-old firefighter from Germany is on a three-month US bike tour. His plan is to travel from the west coast to the east coast on his bicycle.
Back home in Bayern, Munich, he likes to use his vacations to take 14-day bike tours and hike in the mountains. He has saved up three years of his vacation time to make this trip to the US.
Rainer arrived in the US on Sept. 3. He started in San Francisco and has made his way across California and into Arizona. He bikes 50 to 70 miles a day. His bike, which he brought with him from Germany, is loaded down with 44 pounds of gear. He carries a tent and cooking utensils—everything he needs to camp. So far he has only stayed in a motel once, preferring to settle into campsites when he stops for the night.
One of the biggest challenges Rainer faces on his journey is the language barrier. He is not fluent in English and relies on his phone to help translate. He also uses his phone to help navigate and stay in touch with friends back home. He charges up his phone battery in restaurants and at campsites.
From Arizona, Rainer is heading off to New Mexico. The end of his tour will find him in Florida on Nov. 28. From there, Rainer and his tour bike will head back to Germany.
Reporter Cat Brown does not speak German so the entire interview with Rainer was conducted using a translator website on a smartphone.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
by by