The purpose of this research was to examine the mobility that has become associated with the Trans-America Trail (TAT). I explored the ways this motorcycle route changes across space, how the characteristics of adventure motorcyclists have created the representation of the TAT, and how the mobility of this route can be described in terms of Cresswell's six politics of mobility––motivation, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction. Using a mixed methods approach, I measured quantitative characteristics of the route using maps and GIS; I used ethnographic methods collected from my own trip across the TAT to understand the landscape and the interaction of people on the route; and I used rider narratives and photographs to understand the motives, travel, and experiences of TAT travelers. My results show the TAT as a distinct cultural landform that has been given meaning by the adventure motorcycling community based on landscape characteristics, social relationships, and a distinctive movement pattern built on motivation and experience.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this research was to examine the mobility that has become associated with the Trans-America Trail (TAT). I explored the ways this motorcycle route changes across space, how the characteristics of adventure motorcyclists have created the representation of the TAT, and how the mobility of this route can be described in terms of Cresswell's six politics of mobility––motivation, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction. Using a mixed methods approach, I measured quantitative characteristics of the route using maps and GIS; I used ethnographic methods collected from my own trip across the TAT to understand the landscape and the interaction of people on the route; and I used rider narratives and photographs to understand the motives, travel, and experiences of TAT travelers. My results show the TAT as a distinct cultural landform that has been given meaning by the adventure motorcycling community based on landscape characteristics, social relationships, and a distinctive movement pattern built on motivation and experience.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miller, Joseph Samuel"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":"Geography and Geology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["David Cochran","Joby Bass","Jeffrey Kaufmann"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:34Z","subjects":["Mobility","route geography","Trans-America Trail","motorcycles","Human Geography","Tourism"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/124","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["David Cochran","Joby Bass","Jeffrey Kaufmann"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miller, Joseph Samuel"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-06-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Geography and Geology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mobility","route geography","Trans-America Trail","motorcycles","Human Geography","Tourism"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/124"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this research was to examine the mobility that has become associated with the Trans-America Trail (TAT). I explored the ways this motorcycle route changes across space, how the characteristics of adventure motorcyclists have created the representation of the TAT, and how the mobility of this route can be described in terms of Cresswell's six politics of mobility––motivation, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction. Using a mixed methods approach, I measured quantitative characteristics of the route using maps and GIS; I used ethnographic methods collected from my own trip across the TAT to understand the landscape and the interaction of people on the route; and I used rider narratives and photographs to understand the motives, travel, and experiences of TAT travelers. My results show the TAT as a distinct cultural landform that has been given meaning by the adventure motorcycling community based on landscape characteristics, social relationships, and a distinctive movement pattern built on motivation and experience.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Dirt Roads and Dual-Sports: Geography and Mobility of the Trans-America Trail"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["David Cochran","Joby Bass","Jeffrey Kaufmann"],"dc:creator":["Miller, Joseph Samuel"],"dc:date.available":["2015-06-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this research was to examine the mobility that has become associated with the Trans-America Trail (TAT). I explored the ways this motorcycle route changes across space, how the characteristics of adventure motorcyclists have created the representation of the TAT, and how the mobility of this route can be described in terms of Cresswell's six politics of mobility––motivation, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction. Using a mixed methods approach, I measured quantitative characteristics of the route using maps and GIS; I used ethnographic methods collected from my own trip across the TAT to understand the landscape and the interaction of people on the route; and I used rider narratives and photographs to understand the motives, travel, and experiences of TAT travelers. My results show the TAT as a distinct cultural landform that has been given meaning by the adventure motorcycling community based on landscape characteristics, social relationships, and a distinctive movement pattern built on motivation and experience.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/124"],"dc:subject":["Mobility","route geography","Trans-America Trail","motorcycles","Human Geography","Tourism"],"dc:title":["Dirt Roads and Dual-Sports: Geography and Mobility of the Trans-America Trail"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Geography and Geology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:34Z"}