Newly retired Houma native completes bike ride across the USA in 58 days

Congratulations to Houma’s very own George Robichaux, who kicked off his recent retirement from South Louisiana Bank by biking across the USA in 58 days!

Robichaux’s journey began in San Diego, California on September 24, 2023, with 3,107 miles and 86,594 feet of biking ahead of him. His trip took him from California, to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, before finally finishing in St. Augustine, Florida on Monday, November 20, 2023.

“I’m 66 years old and have been retired for 18 months now, and riding my bike across the country has been something I have always wanted to do,” said Robichaux. “Ever since junior high I had heard about people doing it and thought it would be really cool. I have always done a lot of exercise, including 14 marathons and 3 Iron Man competitions– so I wanted to challenge myself.”

Robichaux said what always held him back from achieving his dream of cycling across the states was the difficulty of taking off 60 days at a time while working. “As I got closer to retirement, I began to search the internet for companies who put together rides,” said Robichaux. “That’s when I started to really plan my trip.” Robichaux chose to complete his ride with the Adventure Cycling Association based in Missoula, Montana–which hosts van-supported trips with a detailed itineraries across the United States–alongside 12 other adventure-seekers and two leaders.

“I think the biggest challenge of this ride was the heat in the desert and the uphill days,” said Robichaux. “One day we reached an 8,100 foot elevation which was really difficult. We also had several days where we 4,000-6,000 feet of climbing– in total over the trip, we climbed 86,594. We were biking through rain, heat, cold, wind, and more– it was not easy.”

Despite the challenges faced on the 58 day bike trip, Robichaux detailed the unique experience of being able to ride through his home state of Louisiana, and show off the local culture to the other members of the cycling group–especially as the only member originating from Louisiana. “When we crossed the state line into Merryville, Louisiana, the Merryville Historical Society let us tent camp on their property and cooked for us,” said Robichaux. “It was incredible– they must have fixed 8-12 options for us to eat. They had fried fish, gumbo, boudin, and other Louisiana staples for us to enjoy. The other people on this trip were from all over the United States, so I was really excited to watch others experience our culture and food for the first time.” Robichaux and the rest of the group got to stop and enjoy other locations and more warm, home cooked meals during their time in Louisiana.

Robichaux currently has no solidified plans for what’s next as he embraces retired life, but hinted that he would love to take on more adventures of this caliber when he’s ready. To follow a day-by-day account of the trip and see more photos, please visit Robichaux’s personal Facebook page. Congratulations to George for this amazing achievement!