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The Way Out of a Disaster Is with Each Other—and Bikes

In search of the perfect emergency prep plan for her family, one writer charts a path toward something much bigger.

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It’s one thing to observe your own fight or flight response in the face of an emergency. But in Adrienne So’s captivating feature in WIRED, readers get to follow the author as she trains for and rehearses a bold and strenuous challenge in preparation for disaster: specifically competing in the Disaster Relief Trials, a 30-mile bike race meant to simulate the chaotic post-“Big One” conditions in Portland, Oregon.

It may sound like a stressful read—there’s clearing rubble, hauling shipping pallets through pouring rain, and hoisting 40-pound buckets of water onto Popsicle, the author’s bright yellow electric cargo bike. But don’t let that concern keep you from relishing So’s narration, bursting with humor and contagious enthusiasm—and only a gentle nudge to confront whatever impending doom you may be avoiding.

We were such fans we asked So to share some of the inspiration and research that went into the feature.

“Like most people on the West Coast, earthquake prep has been at the back of my mind for years. But the more gear I collected, the more I realized that the best emergency gear was each other,” she explains.

Read on for more on the stories that helped power her piece, inspiring a reading list on mutual aid, bike culture, and the upside of Facebook groups.

Photograph by Gritchelle Fallesgon

Rebecca Solnit

Adrienne So

Adrienne So is an editor and writer in WIRED’s Gadget Lab. She writes mainly about fitness, parenting, and the smart home.