Who is Jeff Bell? Since 1991 I have been living in the San Francisco Bay Area, working as a Project Manager and Product Marketing Manager in "hi tech" small to medium sized companies. I started cycling in 1991 as a hobby which gave me a way to enjoy my new home, Northern California. In 1993, I participated in what is still my favorite, most emotionally charged athletic challenge, the Furnace Creek 508 ultra-distance bicycle race. At that time I was given the totem "Brown Bear" by the race director, Chris Kostman. I attempted to better my 1993 performance twice (and failed both times!) in 1994 and 1995. In 1996 I served as a Race Official at the 508 and in 1998 I was crew chief for the 2nd place finisher. In 1994, I participated in the Race Across America team race (also headed and produced by Chris Kostman) and then in 1996 completed the Race Across America solo race at the age of 36. In October of 1999, I decided to take a year off work to see those parts of the world which I had always had an interest to see, but never seemed to make the time to see. Now that I am nearly halfway into my travels, I can say that I am certain that the decision was the right one. For the rest of my life I know that I will be enriched and feel proud that I have done this, just as I feel about ultra distance cycling. A year is a short amount of time in a lifetime, and I feel there is a lifetime's worth to be seen in just one year of travel.
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