UnTapped athlete Bond Almand just completed his 10,000+ mile journey across the U.S., delivering a football to the NFL kickoff game in Seattle. We caught up with him just after the game as he was getting ready for some well-earned rest. We’re so proud of you!

Top three highlights?
The Oregon coast. Death Valley. Skyline Drive in Virginia.

Top three lowlights?
Industrial plants in Louisiana outside of New Orleans. Highways in Texas and Louisiana. Los Angeles drivers.

Favorite stadium?
The Falcons stadium in Atlanta. 

Best state for biking?
Oregon. The riding is gorgeous, there is usually a good shoulder, and the drivers are generally nice.

Most challenging state for biking?
Louisiana, because there is no cycling infrastructure, so it’s quite scary and dangerous to ride, especially since all the traffic is funneled down onto busy bridges.

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Hardest point of the trip?
Biking into Phoenix, I wasn’t fully prepared for the 115-degree heat. The wind made it feel even warmer so on a fast descent into the Phoenix valley, it felt like my skin was burning — like I was riding straight into a wall of 1,000 hair dryers. It was a pretty insane and unhealthy feeling. I got super tired and cracked pretty hard. The last 15 miles of the ride were really concerning and miserable.

Favorite UnTapped products?
I came full circle on the original Mapleaid. I had so much of it this spring that I was ready for a change by the time I started my ride in Florida. But by the end of my ride, the original Mapleaid was the product I craved the most. Salted Cinnamon Spice Gels were another staple.

Number of iPhones destroyed?
One

Number of cavities?
Unknown, for now. At least three, and one of them is really bad. About half the tooth is gone.

How many times did you brush your teeth?
Roughly four times per day, so ~250 times.

Biggest surprise?
After the heat shock in Phoenix, my girlfriend (who was supporting me through the desert) and I sat down and devised a better strategy for the heat and we did really well for the rest of the desert section! I was really surprised how well I managed the 124-degree heat in Death Valley!

Number of flat tires?
Seven, but they were all in the first ten days. I didn’t have a flat for the last 9,000 miles.

How did you feel at the end on the field in Seattle?
It was kind of a strange finish. I actually finished 24 hours before the football game, so when I got to the stadium there was no grand finish or anything. I just took a picture and went to my hotel. Then the next day, right before the game started, I had the opportunity to walk across the field while the Seahawks played a video about my journey on the jumbotron. But it felt very weird to be in a full bike kit on a football field in front of 68,000 people. I definitely felt like an imposter, like I was putting on a performance. It was a cool experience, but there’s something pure and beautiful about the way I usually finish up a big unsupported ride all by myself, somewhere random with no fanfare.

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