A Long, Strange Trip Indeed

How one cyclist turned a daily ride into an almost decade-long habit.

Todd Narrol is a streaker.  

No, no. Not anything like that. What I mean is that Narrol has taken a bicycle for an outdoor spin every single day since December 29, 2015. Through rain and shine, in sickness and in health, Narroll’s made a mission to get in at least a little mileage every twenty-four hours.  

Narrol, 54, has been an avid cyclist since he was 4. He remembers his father trying to teach his elder brother Matt, then 7, how to ride a bicycle.  

“I said, ‘Gimme dat ting,’” Narrol says. “I rode off with no problem. I knew how to do it naturally.”  

To reward young Todd’s cycling acumen, his father bought him his first bike: a sparkly blue Schwinn Stingray. Since those early years on the banana seat, Narrol’s built up an impressive fleet of bikes to get him through a range of terrains and weather conditions. These include his main roadie, a Trek Domane AL5; a Diamondback fat bike with studded tires for snow and ice; and “an old-man bike with suspension in the bike seat for when my back hurts,” Narrol says. “I have scoliosis. Many with my condition turn to cycling for exercise.”  

Narrol’s cycling streak started when a friend — a Wisconsin-based cyclist who was embarking on a streak of his own — challenged him to make every day of 2016 a bike day. The rules are fairly simple.  

“I have to ride at least one mile outside regardless of conditions for it to count,” Narrol says. “When it’s not safe due to ice or extremely low temps, I just get a few miles in my neighborhood. I have ridden in minus 40 wind chill and up to 117 heat index. Rain, ice, sleet, snow: You name it, I’ve been through it.”  

But it’s not just the weather that can pose an obstacle. Since starting his streak, he’s been struck by a car on two occasions. A dog attack led to a crash, which resulted in a broken rib. There also was a squirrel incident, in which Narrol swerved to avoid squishing a bushy-tailed critter only to hit a curb and crash.  

“It’s been a wild ride,” Narrol says. “A long, strange trip indeed.”  

But the long, strange trip isn’t over yet. Now a third of the way into his tenth year of streaking, Narrol starts each morning at 5:54. After taking the dog, Roxanne, out for a quick potty and returning her to his wife, Laura, Narrol logs between ten to fifteen miles before work. He also uses his workday breaks to get in some extra bike time.  

At times, streaking has been a family affair. Before he left to attend Dartmouth College, Narrol’s elder son, Jordan, achieved a 1,031-day streak of his own. Narrol’s younger son, Joel, also used to ride with him.  

“Then he got his driver’s license and lost interest,” Narrol says.  

But Narrol is in no danger of losing interest. When we spoke, he had just knocked out his 3,417th consecutive day. A committed statistician, Narrol has a spreadsheet he uses to record his mileage and other fun facts he’s learned about his sport, himself, and the world around him.  

He averages about 33.4 miles a day and so far has traveled the equivalent of 4.58 trips around Earth’s circumference. That’s a lot of time for thought. Narrol says he often reflects on gratitude — for his health, as well as for the support he’s received from his family. Sometimes he works through solutions to life’s little problems. Music is a must, and Narrol’s got an impressively eclectic playlist.  

In addition to regular rides through Columbia’s trail system — he says the new Perche Creek Trail, which runs from the MKT Trail to Gillespie Bridge Road, is a nice addition — he’s biked in thirty-two states. Notable destinations have included Moab, Utah; Yellowstone National Park; and Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. He’s also cycled the 137.1 miles from Columbia to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Eureka, Missouri.  

“Then I went to a concert,” Narrol exclaims. “Toddy’s got energy.”  

Perhaps he’s got more energy than most of us, but Narrol is quick to offer an encouraging word.  

“Whatever it is you love to do for exercise, do it as much as your heart desires,” he says. “‘Ride to the level of our smile’ is a phrase I like to coin.”