Jeffrey Tanenhaus was bored with his life in New York City. At 35, the rat race held such little allure that he ended his lease in Brooklyn, New York, and took to the open road -- on a CitiBike.
CitiBike is the bicycle sharing program in the city, providing commuters with access to bulky blue bikes for daily, weekly or annual fees. The program is really not designed for is what Tanenhaus used it for: a cross-country road trip from New York City to California.
Despite the potential for great publicity for the bike sharing company, Tanenhaus says he's had no contact with CitiBike -- except for a $1,200 charge for not returning the bike within 24 hours. He says he plans to return the bike when he's done.
“It’s not a publicity stunt," Tanenhaus told The Guardian. "There are far easier ways to get publicity that don’t involve five months on a giant blue bike.”
In those five months, he trekked through snow, rain, mud and more -- while also making new friends and narrowly avoiding at least one axe murderer.
He didn't bike the entire way, but he did log an impressive 2,930 miles on the CitiBike and document the whole trip on Instagram.
Many, many more miles indeed #foreshadowing A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Aug 5, 2015 at 3:17pm PDT
Feeling homesick already #seagirt #downtheshore #dts A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Aug 7, 2015 at 12:56pm PDT
Jeffrey & Jefferson #jeffersonmemorial #countribike #patriotic #bikedc #DCcool A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Aug 17, 2015 at 7:07pm PDT
Finished in 1849, this #suspensionbridge was the world's longest. Materials, including drawn iron cable wire were sourced locally. The father of American suspension bridges, and the first to cross the Ohio, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge is the most significant pre-Civil War bridge left standing. Such inspiration to stand on it! #Wheeling #Westvirginia #ohioriver #bike #bikeshare #bridge #countribike A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Sep 6, 2015 at 10:35am PDT
Now ent'ring #louisville #kentucky, my 10th state! #citibike #bikenyc #bikeshare #bigfourbridge #countribike A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Sep 20, 2015 at 9:14am PDT
ILLINOIS! A #citibike rolls into the Land of Lincoln. #Illinois #bikenyc #bikeshare #countribike #statelines #crosscountry #roadtrip #bikeadventures #bicyclelife A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Sep 28, 2015 at 7:13am PDT
Countri Bike in St. Louis, Gateway to the West. A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Oct 2, 2015 at 1:12pm PDT
The tortise and the shared bike. We both slow! A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Oct 7, 2015 at 2:44pm PDT
Sunday night ride downtown Tulsa. 1 bicycle, 0 cars. I slalom across the double yellow. Traffic lights are meaningless. The only sound is my spokes turning. Love this feeling, this city. #citibike #bikenyc #bikeshare #Tulsa #Oklahoma #downtown #nightride #bikeadventures #doubleyellowlines #cityscape #night #emptystreets #soloride A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Oct 18, 2015 at 8:06pm PDT
Oh, the places you'll go! Countri Bike gets Grand Canyon high. #citibike #grandcanyon #arizona #bikenyc #crosscountry #roadtrip #nps #nationalpark #stunning #nature #travel #nofilter A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Dec 10, 2015 at 6:02pm PST
Can you smell the minty fresh Ponderosa pines? The Flagstaff Urban Trail System makes biking in and around town a blast. #flagstaff #arizona #trailriding #FUTS #bikecommute #ponderosapine A video posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Dec 9, 2015 at 10:49am PST
New meaning to riding on rims. Thanks @brennazumbro for the sunrise photo shoot. Check out her great work at brennazumbro.com. #citibike #grandcanyon #arizona #sunrise #bikenyc #biking #crosscountry #roadtrip #stunning #nature #travelinspired A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Dec 11, 2015 at 12:40pm PST
So, like, am I really in the Southwest? On this bike? I don't quite believe it until I see this rock formation. #citibike #newmexico #bikenyc #burleytrailer #burleytravoy #determination #hardwork #crosscountry #bikeadventures #bike #pedalpower A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Nov 7, 2015 at 6:30pm PST
Water hazard!This is what happens when you follow Google Maps bike directions. 11 miles of rough road! Still, I rely on Google more than @adventurecycling maps. #noregrets #Amarillo #Texas #crosscountry #bikeadventures #burleytrailer #burleytravoy #citibike #bikenyc #bikeshare A photo posted by Jeffrey Tanenhaus (@countribike) on Nov 5, 2015 at 7:29am PST
Tanenhaus tells Mashable he's only got about 55 miles to go to his final stop, Santa Monica, California, but that he'll be taking his time to get there.
To follow Tanenhaus' continuing adventure, follow him on Instagram at countribike.