The Romp Family 1999
Wind in the Face
Expedition
 

The Romp Family of Shoreham, Vermont, are bicycle enthusiasts to the core. Billy, 46, had a 20-year career in bicycle retail and touring. In his third decade of racing, touring and riding, his love of the sport continues to grow. Patti, 43, always the utilitarian bicyclist, has recently started racing on her tiny mountain bike and custom tandem. Ellie, 12, is the family's pride, a mountain bike racer who rarely settles for second. Henry, 8, favors the tricks and jumps, but will ride all day on tour and still want more. Timmy, 3, rides a wooden bike on the kitchen floor, and is perhaps the world's most experienced trailer jockey. This home-schooling family often takes their lessons on the road, riding year-round in the harsh New England climate.

On April 1, 1999 we left our home on a Santana Quad, a unique four-seater outfitted for self-supported touring. Our goal: the end of the road in Homer, Alaska, the westernmost point on the North American road system. On October 1, 1999 we dipped our front tire in the waters of the Pacific there, ending the tour that changed our lives. Our story, shared with the web-browsing public here at www.rompfamily.com, has captured the imagination of thousands.

The visually stunning bike, our unique home-schooling philosophy, and the sheer audacity of the expedition have attracted the attention of media heavyweights such as People Magazine, National Public Radio's All Things Considered, The New York Times, The Discovery Channel, and the three TV networks, not to mention Bicycling Magazine. In all, more than fifty newspapers and thirty television stations interviewed us as we pedaled from town to town.

This six month, 4500 mile odyssey has provided us with a new perspective on America and Americans, on parenting and family relationships, and on the potential in each one of us. We promise to share those perspectives in upcoming presentations and events, in a book (working title "Wind in the Face") in magazine articles and right here on the web. Please stop by often for updates, stories from the road, and just to visit!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Why did we ride this big Quad all the way across North America? We got that question a lot on our trip. “FUN and ADVENTURE” we would answer. We would add that the desire to share something very valuable really motivated us to plan and take this trip. Share what? Our family philosophy. Call them family values, the Romp Family Values. Our motto is “Anything is Possible!” Our call to action is “Wind in the Face!” These values have worked for us, and we want everyone to enjoy the health and vitality, the joy of family teamwork, and the satisfaction of living your dreams that we do. So here are the values we live by. Health and fitness, to us, are the values that provide the foundation for everything else. Without health and fitness, a family can scarcely work on improvement in other areas. Teamwork and togetherness, which enable us to do so much as a family, are values that are easily developed, yet seem to be neglected in this culture of individuality and independence. Dreaming big dreams and believing in them, so hard to do sometimes in the face of today’s realities, is something that we live by. Sharing our gifts is a value that expresses our basic “attitude of gratitude”.