After spending a few nights in Hot Springs to recharge his batteries, Harry Fryer, aka the Electric Cowboy, has hit the road once again.
After making the four-day trip to Texarkana, Fryer will continue on to Dallas and through Texas on his way to Los Angeles as part of what he calls The Outlaw Tour. His journey from New York City to Los Angeles on a fat tire e-bike will be the first of its kind.
Fryer visited Alliance Rubber Company on Tuesday, which he had visited on a previous cross-country trip, and Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company on Wednesday. He shared the purpose of his trip -- to bring awareness to e-mobility -- and the stories he's gathered along the way.
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Before leaving, he took a ride up to Hot Springs Mountain Tower with Coleman Gocio, owner of a shop that sells e-bikes, and a fan who stopped in to meet the Electric Cowboy.
"Arkansas has the best roads I've been to so far, by far," Fryer said to the crowd at Alliance. "I don't know if it's the weather, or the infrastructure, the road paths, the bicycle byways, but I don't want to leave."
Covering an average of 75 miles per day on his Super 73 e-bike, Fryer goes a little over 20 mph most of the time. His longest day was around 110 miles. While it's a slow pace to cover roughly 3,869 miles, he said it gives him a chance to take in the landscapes and sights along the way.
He said one of the best parts is seeing how people -- and cows -- react to seeing his uncommon mode of transportation.
"You're gonna miss all the different scenery," he said. "All these amazing things you won't normally see. If you're just going at 20 mph, you're taking so many more different things in. And you notice those reactions of people."
A fan of whiskey and all things country, Fryer planned his trip through Kentucky and Tennessee to enjoy the distilleries along the way. Knowing this, Bonnie Swayze, president of Alliance, gifted Fryer with a bottle of Rock Town bourbon made in Little Rock. Only two bottles of the 8-year-old spirit exist with the other bottle belonging to Bill Clinton. They also gave him a rubber coaster they stamped out that morning and bracelets.
"We're proud of you," Swayze said, leading her company in a round of applause.
On his way to Hot Springs, Fryer also stopped at the original Alliance Rubber Company headquarters in Alliance, Ohio. His connection to the company has grown deeper since his sister married into Swayze's family, making him an in-law.
After his trip is through, he said he plans to set up his media company, Electric Cowboy Media, in Nashville where his brother and sister-in-law live. Currently operating businesses in London and Los Angeles, Fryer truly has a passion for the American Southwest and the pioneer mythos that inspired his trip.
"I guess I'll be a little bit closer to Alliance that way," he said.
On top of spreading the message of e-mobility, Fryer is also using the campaign to raise money for UNICEF and the Movember Foundation, a leading men's health organization.
To follow Fryer on his tour, visit https://www.electriccowboymedia.com/ or follow him on Instagram @electriccowboyofficial.
Stopping in Hot Springs on his way from New York City to LA, Harry Fryer aka The Electric Cowboy, visits Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company for a meet and greet Wednesday. - Photo by Lance Brownfield of The Sentinel-Record.
Coleman Gocio, owner of Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company (left), and Harry Fryer, the Electric Cowboy, get ready for an e-bike ride up to the Hot Springs Tower with a fan Wednesday. - Photo by Lance Brownfield of The Sentinel-Record.
Harry Fryer takes a group photo with the employees of Alliance Rubber Company after speaking to them about The Outlaw Tour Tuesday. - Photo by Lance Brownfield of The Sentinel-Record.