Starting this October, as part of Project Tandem, two kids will ride about ten thousand miles on bikes, over about 365 days, in a "down and dirty operation" to document countless stories of small-town Americans. The focus: folks working to change the planet for the better. And probably, a good deal of whatever else people want to talk to them about.

After their studies in photography, co-founders and co-bikers Alan Winslow and Morrigan McCarthy took a crash course in documentary radio production at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies (a school that celebrates similarly awesome projects like StoryCorps), and are currently training (that means cycling a lot) to take their mics, cameras and two touring bikes on a giant year-long loop starting and ending in Virginia.

(Try to) keep up with them as they navigate America's cultural and literal topography, chatting up strangers and ambushing local diners, on Project Tandem's blog.

Via Salt

Photo: Morrigan McCarthy and Alan Winslow