Most people who quit their jobs don’t want many reminders of their old lives. But when New Yorker Jeffrey Tanenhaus left his job last summer, he took his favorite part of work with him: his commuter bike—which technically belongs to New York City’s Citi Bike program. Tanenhaus packed lightly and set off on a quest to see the US by Citi Bike, stopping in cities along the way with the intention of finding a new home.

Now that he’s made it to California, we caught up with him to see what he got out of his epic trek, and what the next step for a bike share rebel might be.

RELATED: Read Our First Conversation with Citi Bike Cyclist Jeffrey Tanenhaus

Bicycling: What prompted you to borrow city property for a very, very long time?

Jeffrey Tanenhaus: I loved my commute on my Citi Bike and I hated my job… I felt trapped in a windowless office, and this job wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t want to be doing it anymore. I didn’t know where to go from there—it was an early midlife crisis, I guess. But I felt happy and empowered in choosing my own bike route and getting around NYC by bicycle. It was the best part of the day. The Citi Bike was convenient, sturdy, and hassle-free. I became a big supporter of the program, and a big user. I’d only agree to meet friends within half a mile of a Citi Bike station! So, I thought, what if I quit the job and keep the bike?

How did that turn into a cross-country trek?

My lease was expiring around when my job was clearly ending, so I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to get another job in my field to pay for another lease. But the story isn’t super Hollywood, I didn’t grab a bike and ride into the sunset one day. I planned it over a couple months, and did more travel before I left. Then, last April, I was doing some freelance work in NYC and living like a nomad—dog-sitting, cat-sitting, crashing with family friends—and I ultimately decided that what I like to do is travel, write, and bike commute. So, I put all three passions together, and took the great American road trip, but on a bike.

Do you think of yourself as a cyclist?

I don’t consider myself a cyclist—I don’t have a lot of fancy gear, I’d never done a tour before. I just consider myself a bike commuter. So I wanted to commute full-time. And, in the process, I wanted to see my own country.

How did you pick your route?

I just tried to travel the flattest route that I could without going completely out of my way. But I weaved my way through and I don’t think anyone has done the exact route that I’ve done. I didn’t see any cross-country cyclists until I got to Oklahoma and onto Route 66.

How was it? Did you run into any mechanical difficulties?

Just one flat tire. That was right outside of Tulsa, and happened in a great place. I left with no tools to fix this thing. I took some clothes and some basic camping gear, and a determination to leave New York. But the tire was fixed easily in Tulsa. In Amarillo, Texas, I got new tires, because the threads on the front tire were beginning to separate, and I wouldn’t see another bike shop between there and Santa Fe. I’ve taken it to some bike sharing mechanics along the way who gave it a tune-up, so it was a bit of a group effort. But it didn’t take a lot of effort or money to maintain it, which I think speaks to the durability of these bikes.

Jeffrey Tanenhaus' Citi Bike for his transcontinental journey. Jeffrey Tanenhaus

Do you think riding a Citi Bike changed the way people perceived you on the ride?

I think it made me easier to approach. People could come up to me and ask about it, ask if I was from New York—I have a New York license plate on [the bike]—and that was a unique way to break the ice and have more of a conversation. And in another way, some detractors about the ride kept saying it was a publicity stunt and that I stole the bike, but no: I was doing this for personal fulfillment, to find a new path in life, to meet new people, to see new places, and to hopefully inspire others to try bike sharing. I was always using it in NYC and friends were hesitant, but I always tried to get them to go on rides so they could see how easy and fun it could be. And maybe if I could get to West Virginia, they could get to the West Village.

RELATED: Citi Bike Changed My Life

Do you know your mileage since you left?

I do! I’ve been keeping really meticulous track of the mileage. I’ve clocked 2,900 miles so far. I’ll make 3,000. But I don’t have a Garmin, I don’t care about KOMs or miles per hour. I’m going slow. And I don’t want to go uphill. I just care about the mileage and doing a comfortable range per day. There have been times where I haven’t been able to ride and needed to get in cars with people but I don’t count those. And I don’t count when I’m riding around a city or town I stop in.

What did the bike end up costing?

I was correctly charged the maximum overtime fee for the bike, which is $1,200. They’ve never contacted me to try to get it back or anything. But now that I’m almost done, I was wondering what to do with this thing. Do I throw it into the ocean? I think in the spirit of bike sharing, I want to get it back into its original ecosystem, so I’m going to try to transport it back. That may be harder than riding to the West Coast!

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