State tripper

What does it take to ride a bicycle through all 50 states in 50 days? An extremely fit body? Mental determination and tenacity? Guts? Or, maybe just the crazy idea that it could even be done? Local cyclist Max McManus, owner of MRI athletic training complex, had all of these things. Those of us not quite as fit, determined and crazy can live vicariously through Freedom 50/50, a film documenting his epic journey, set to premiere Feb. 11 at Cargo inside of CommRow.

McManus conceived the idea of connecting all 50 states by riding his bike through them as a tribute to the victims of 9/11. The idea was that he would do this in 50 days and end at Ground Zero in New York City on Sept. 11, 2011. As part of his tribute, McManus also raised money for The 9/11 HelpAmerica Foundation, collecting donations along his route.

“When I came up with this idea I didn’t even know if it was possible,” says McManus, who calculated that he’d have to ride 150 miles a day to complete the approximate 7,400 mile journey. “I was thinking, ‘Can I reunite the United States?’ basically. It was a way to show my appreciation for all the people that have sacrificed their lives for our country.”

As McManus began planning his ride—he came up with the idea only a few months before he would have to leave on July 24—50 days prior to September 11—he decided he would like to have someone document his trip. McManus approached Bourns Productions, a local production company started by Tyler Bourns, about doing a film. Due to budget constrictions, Bourns was only going to shoot pre- and post-interviews and the end of the ride in New York City. The rest of the filming was going to be done by the support crew—a single vehicle with one or two people following McManus and carrying extra water and supplies, helping to navigate and monitor his general well-being.

As luck would have it, the support crew for the trip fell apart days before McManus’s departure date. Bourns ended up going for the first week of the ride—starting in California—doubling as support car and film crew.

“It was really unusual being on both sides—filming and doing support,” says Bourns, who also went back out for the last two weeks of the ride in the same capacity. “It was kind of a blessing in disguise that I got to go out there. I got a lot more footage. In the end, though, it was more important that Max get there and finish the ride than that we get the shots we wanted.”

The documentary, a feature-length film finished in early January, was shot using minimal crew and equipment. It’s compiled from footage of McManus shot from the support car, interviews with McManus and people from the community and crew, and footage from cameras attached to McManus’s cycling helmet.

There were many unpredictable elements, such as weather and road conditions, and, because of the route McManus had created in order to connect all 50 states, he was often riding on dangerous terrain, sharing narrow roads with truck traffic. There was even a stretch of two days where McManus was riding alone with no support crew and only a small backpack.

“You’re just one solo dude by yourself, it’s not the Tour de France,” McManus says. “There’s a lot that goes on inside your head. I don’t know how you express that. This documentary is pretty intense.”

“Down at its roots, it’s a really great story about a guy who has more willpower and strength than I’ve ever seen before,” Bourns says. “I felt more connected to this project because I got to live it. I saw how hard it was for him. My biggest problem with putting together this documentary was that Max made it look easy, and I know it wasn’t.”