The Greenest Way to Brown: Berkeley to Providence by Bike
My name is Theodore Lam, and this summer I'm setting out on the ride of a lifetime: 4,000+ miles from Berkeley, CA to Providence, RI, arriving at Brown University the only way that feels true to who I am: under my own power, and as gently on this planet as possible.
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The Dream
Getting to go to college is already more than I ever dared to hope for. But as I started thinking about how to get there, a bigger question took shape: what if the journey became part of the education?
Flying coast to coast generates nearly one tonne of CO2 per passenger. Cycling produces a fraction of that. For me, choosing the bike isn't just a personal challenge, rather, it's a statement about the kind of future I want to help build, starting with the choices I make today.
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The Ride
The route spans over 4,000 miles and will take roughly 40–50 days, winding through the varied landscapes, communities, and cultures that make up this country. From the California coast through the Sierra Nevada, across the Great Basin, the Rockies, the Great Plains, and into the historic towns of the Northeast. I want to see America as it was meant to be experienced: slowly, humbly, and up close.
I expect this journey to change me. I'll be relying on the kindness of strangers, learning to navigate the unexpected, and discovering what I'm made of long before I set foot in a lecture hall. That kind of growth can only be found on the ground.
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Riding Together — Join Me!
I don't want to do this alone. If you're a cyclist, a student, alumini, adventurer, or climate advocate, who wants to ride part or all of the route with me, I would love to hear from you. Whether you can join for a day, a week, or the full stretch to the East Coast, the more the merrier. There is something powerful about arriving at a new chapter of life as part of a community, and I'd love for this to become a shared story.
*Reach out if you want to ride.*
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The Climate Case
The numbers matter. A round-trip flight from San Francisco to Providence emits roughly 2 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to months of average household energy use. By choosing to bike, I'm not only eliminating that footprint for myself, but hopefully inspiring others to think creatively about how we move through the world.
Climate action doesn't always look like a protest or a policy — sometimes it looks like a 17-year-old with a loaded bike, a lot of sunscreen, and a deep belief that small choices, made with intention, add up.
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What Your Support Means
This trip requires real preparation: a reliable touring bike, safety gear, camping equipment, food, and water for two to three months on the road. Any contribution, whether large or small, helps make this possible and sends a message that sustainable, adventurous living is worth supporting.
Thank you for believing in this journey. I'll be documenting every mile, every mountain pass, and every unexpected conversation along the way. Follow along, share the story, and know that your support is quite literally propelling me forward.
— Theodore Niemeyer Lam
Berkeley → Providence, Summer 2026
