Meaghan Marie Hackinen's follow-up to her award-nominated debut South Away charts her unforgettable, twenty-five-day journey on the Trans Am Bike Race: a coast-to-coast ride across the entire North American continent from Oregon to Virginia. Without the aid of a support crew, Hackinen must rely entirely on her wits, ingenuity and sheer determination to finish this extremely challenging feat. A sports story with a unique theme, Hackinen writes about the Trans Am Bike Race as a cultural whole, as she encounters consequences and unforeseen repercussions of an underground, unregulated athletic endeavour. Shifting Gears is another expertly-delivered travelogue and a thrilling glimpse into a world of athletes driven to impossible lengths. Table of ContentsPrologue: Frankfurt, Germany 9Pre-Race: Astoria, Oregon 13Day Zero: Astoria to Peoria, Oregon 23Day One: Peoria to Mitchell, Oregon 39Day Two: Mitchell to Richland, Oregon 46Day Three: Richland, Oregon to White Bird, Idaho 53Day Four: White Bird, Idaho to Lolo, Montana 66Day Five: Lolo to Dillon, Montana 78Day Six: Dillon to Ennis, Montana 86Day Seven: Ennis, Montana to Moran, Wyoming 93Day Eight: Moran to Jeffrey City, Wyoming 102Day Nine: Jeffrey City to Saratoga, Wyoming 114Day Ten: Saratoga, Wyoming to Kremmling, Colorado 119Day Eleven: Kremmling to Pueblo, Colorado 129Day Twelve: Pueblo, Colorado to Leoti, Kansas 135Day Thirteen: Leoti to Nickerson, Kansas 149Day Fourteen: Nickerson to Cassoday, Kansas 156Day Fifteen: Cassoday, Kansas to Golden City, Missouri 165Day Sixteen: Golden City to Houston, Missouri 170Day Seventeen: Houston, Missouri to Chester, Illinois 173Day Eighteen: Chester, Illinois to Marion, Kentucky 182Day Nineteen: Marion to Sonora, Kentucky 192Day Twenty: Sonora to Harrodsburg, Kentucky 200Day Twenty-One: Harrodsburg to Lookout, Kentucky 205Day Twenty-Two: Lookout, Kentucky to Max Meadows, Virginia 211Day Twenty-Three: Max Meadows to Love, Virginia 224Day Twenty-Four: Love to Ashland, Virginia 232Final Hours: Ashland to Yorktown, Virginia 239EpilogueAcknowledgementsGlossary of Terms Meaghan Marie Hackinen is a writer and cyclist from Vancouver, BC. Her two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico's high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and, most recently, from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe's highest paved roads. Her writing explores relationships, experiences on the road, and encounters with wild places. Her creative non-fiction, poetry, and prose can be found in literary journals and cycling magazines. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Saskatchewan and currently resides in Kelowna, BC. Prologue JUNE 7, 2018FRANKFURT AIRPORT, GERMANY Condor Flight 2455 touches the tarmac at 12:45 p.m., Central European Summer Time. The abrupt deceleration causes the aircraft to shutter violently, mimicking the turbulence of my own anticipatory state. Though vibrations smooth as we taxi across the landing strip, my heart thrums faster. After ten hours in the air-and several months of planning-I've finally arrived in Frankfurt, Germany.A canned message issued in both German and English reminds passengers to remain seated; cellular devices may now be used. I flex my legs, eager to move. To get started in this new chapter of my life. A much anticipated ding indicates we can unfasten our seatbelts and collect overhead bags. On the tarmac, a shuttle waits to transport us to the main terminal. I twist my head back toward the plane as we file onto the bus, keen to spot my baggage-in particular, my bicycle box. For a second, my thoughts whirl in panic as I imagine scenarios preventing my precious cargo from following me across the Atlantic. Luckily, I spy it-a rectangular cardboard box scrawled with the word Fragile in Sharpie marker-my anxiety instantly replaced by glee. "In 2017 Meaghan Marie Hackinen joins the 4264-mil

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