Welcome to MANNA FOR THE JOURNEY

PLEDGE TOTALS

2010-11-16T19:09:00.002-06:00

I received word from Bibles For The World of the contributions and pledge totals that were made during my bicycle tour for the ministries of BFTW. There was $925 given for the distribution of Bibles and $1850 towards the hospital in Sielmat, Manipur India. The hospital money was matched from a $25,000 grant and was actually doubled for first time contributors so it totaled $3700 for a grand total given of $4625! Praise God!

Thank you all so much for giving towards the ministries of Bibles For The World. They greatly appreciate it and I do so much as well. May God richly bless you.

Mark

BIBLES FOR THE WORLD / MANNA FOR THE JOURNEY – THE VIDEO

2010-10-09T20:54:00.002-05:00

At the top of the page, but below the picture, you'll find a You Tube link to a video that Solomon Pudaite, with BFTW, put together of my trip and reception when I arrived at their headquarters in Colorado Springs. He put a lot of time, thought and prayer into its making. I think he did a fantastic job. I told him how amazed I was that he had included the song “Majesty” by Grace, Jerry and Christina, former India Children Choir members. I fell in love with their version of it when I first watched them perform it on You Tube.

I also told him that the last picture of the five girls actually had Daisy, the girl we sponsor, in it. She’s the second girl from the left. He said he had no idea and had not planned that. What a joy it was to include her in the video.

I believe God’s hand was in the making of the video and He used Solomon to bless me and others with it. But, the most important thing is the message within the video. Bibles For The World is doing so much to reach the lost and hurting people of this world in spreading the Gospel but they need your help and mine to do it. Please pray for them and also support them in whatever way you can. Thank you for your support and for watching the video.

FINAL THOUGHTS - THE NEXT HORIZON

2010-09-30T12:16:00.005-05:00

Now that I’m back home and the trip is over, I’ve looked back at the bike trip in a couple different ways. My first thoughts, after I decided to call off the return trip, was that I had failed. So often it seems I can start a project but have a hard time actually finishing it and this appeared to be another one of those deals. Kind of like remodeling a room but not getting the trim put up til years later (been there, done that).

On the other hand, I had very little to prove by biking back, other than that I was capable of doing it. I did want to visit the churches I had lined up along the way and also to complete the Katy Trail in Missouri from one end to the other, all 225 miles of it. I knew Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas would be lonely and probably very hot. The route would be on the Trans-Am Trail so I pretty much knew what the scenery, or the lack there of, would be like already since I’d seen it in other bikers journals.

So, the dilemma in my mind was, was it a success or a failure and how to be at peace about my decision. If I had to put a percentage to it I’d say of all the things I wanted to accomplish and of the personal goals I wanted to achieve, it was about 80% successful and 20% a failure. But, again, this is from my minds viewpoint.

I’ve had a lot of people tell me that it was a total success and that they were proud of me. I thank them for their kind words. Most people had no idea that I had wanted to also return home via the same form of transportation that I had gone out to Colorado on. So, they were shocked when they found out about the return. And 925 miles was a pretty good distance even though it was not the 2040 miles I had planned.

One problem I had was that I had not planned on going back home by any other way. So, it made it tough trying to find an inexpensive way to return. The U-Haul truck was far cheaper than a car yet not near as comfortable. Plus, most cars were not rented for a one way trip. But, it did the job well enough and the check in station was only about 15 miles from my home. Of the allotted time and miles allowed by U-Haul I was only over by 13 miles.

I’ve been asked a couple popular questions by people since I’ve been back. The most common question is, “Would you do it again?” I’d have to say not right away. Training for this trip took a full six months prior to leaving and I got little else done. I’d also have to make some changes if I did and that, pretty much, sums up the second question asked; “What would you do different next time?”

I am used to riding alone during training so I didn’t think it would be a big deal being alone on the trip. Looking back, there were times I wish I had someone to talk to, especially when I could not get a cell signal. I had my mp3 player but found little interest in listening to it. But, in training, I wasn’t normally riding 80+ miles back to back days either.

Also, having someone to help make route changes would have been nice. A second opinion may have proved helpful even though the locals gave me pretty good advice. Along with that, having someone to help carry the common things, like a stove or anything else you only need one of, would have helped. I think I pretty much was loaded to the max with what I thought I needed. There were a few things I knew I could have done without going out there but I felt I might need on the return leg.

The horizons, plains and hills went on and on. There always seemed to be one more hill on the horizon. Sometimes that was disheartening and other times a blessing. I’d often crest a hill and be able to see the next hill on the horizon about 4-5 miles away. I know what was required to reach the next hill because I had just did it 4-5 miles ago. It was a good and bad feeling all wrapped up in one, if that makes any sense.

But, I do believe that the trip as a whole was great. I got to meet a lot of interesting people, I passed out a lot of tracts, I saw some very beautiful country, I stayed in some secluded places, I made new friends, I helped raise money for a good cause and I got to see family I had not visited with in years.

I also got to see how much my 50 year old body could take. And there were times I think I over did it. I was constantly comparing my trip with the times that Dr. Ro had to walk to school 96 miles from his home in the jungle. He started doing that at age 10. I had no tigers, bears or pythons to deal with. I don’t recall even seeing one skunk along the way. The worse I had it was one live snake and a bunch of dogs. I had it pretty easy compared to his journey so when I was feeling down and physically drained, I thought about his walk. What did I have to complain about? God was good to both of us and He promised never to leave or forsake us. I could draw strength in that truth.

The vistas and mountains were spectacular. I had never been to Colorado and I know that I will definitely be going back. I want to go to Pike’s Peak. I want to go up to the very top of Mt. Evans. I want to visit the summits of some of the other Fourteener’s. I want to go trout fishing (I may have to just watch) with Pamela Tucker. I want to revisit the offices of BFTW when I have more time. There is a LOT more stuff that I now realize that I should have seen or been doing prior to turning 50.

I do believe I will be attempting to do some more bike tours in the future. They probably will not be as long distance or time wise and I will try and recruit people to go with me. It’s nice to be able to share the beauty of God’s creation with others of like mind.

This trip has also helped motivate me to try and do more for Christ locally where I live. Relationships mean everything and our relationship with Christ is the most important one we can have. It effects our eternity. Others need to know how they can know Christ and how they need Him. But, believing in God or knowing of Christ is not what will get us to Heaven. We have to TRUST in Him, repent and turn from our evil ways and make Christ Lord of our lives. There is a big difference. We must walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

Thank you for reading my blog throughout the year as I prepared and experienced my bicycle missions trip. I appreciate your support and prayers. Please email me with any questions or comments. I would enjoy talking with you.

In one of my next posts I’ll mention how my blog is going to take on a little different look and focus. I will be starting to prepare for the next horizon in my life. For now, I’ll leave you with a quote from one of Dr. Ro’s books back when he was a small boy preparing for his journey to school thru the jungle. Ro’s father, Chawnga, while preaching used the verse found in John 13:1 which Ro questioned him about. The later part of the verse says. “…having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the horizon (end).” Ro asked his father how far the horizon was. This was Chawnga’s reply.

“If you were to journey many weeks and come to the top of that mountain and look beyond, you would see another valley, and another mountain range in the distance. If you then journeyed on for many more days and weeks to the second mountain, you would be able to see a third. If you traveled to that you could still see further, for the horizon is never ending, my son. Like the horizon, there is no place in this world where the love of God has not touched or cannot reach.

When you go to school, whether you are on a mountaintop or in a deep valley, God will still be with you. It is impossible to travel beyond the scope of God’s love.”

THANK YOU'S ALL AROUND

2010-09-29T12:19:00.002-05:00

This post is to so “thank you” to a bunch of people concerning my recent bicycle vacation/Missions trip. These are in no particular order.

Thank you to all my church family at Westfair Baptist Church. There are so many people there that encouraged me, kidded me, supported me, helped me financially, made pledges and, most importantly, prayed for me. Some even offered to come get me in Colorado when I was ready to return! My church family truly are family and I love them dearly. Thanks Gracie for collecting all the pledges.

Thank you to my co-workers that filled in for me while I was off and prior to my departure. Thank you to Tim Thomas, Sharon Evans, Rick Conrad and Greg Dickerson. Without them I would not have been able to take this adventure.

Thank you to all the churches that extended hospitality to me along the route. Some offered a place to sleep, food to eat, a shower and protection from the elements. Some were not even on my schedule to visit but still offered me help, such as the Pastor and his family at Liberty Baptist Church in Joes, CO. and the Pastor and his family at the Lutheran Church in Deshler, NE. Some allowed me to sit in on their Bible studies and one, the First Christian Church of Canon City, also let me speak during their morning worship service. Thank you Pastor Carson for that opportunity and for the friendliness of your congregation. God’s hand was in many of these meetings and I know He will bless those who blessed me.

Thank you also to those, other than churches, who opened their homes and treated me so well. One of them was my brother Tom’s family in Quincy IL. I helped make Tom and Harley well known in Colorado Springs. Also, to Tony Stonebarger at King City, MO. for opening up the hunting lodge he manages. He was a great host. To the Diedrich family in Byers, CO., the first place I saw the Rocky Mountains and the last night’s accommodations before I hit Denver. Hope your hand heals soon Dave. And to Randy and Esta Bringman who I love dearly. They will always hold a special place in my heart. I felt so “at home” in their home. And I will never forget the morning church service. It was so special to me.

Thank you to the churches that were ready to host me on my return trip even though I called it off. I regret not being able to meet the pastors and members. But, I am so grateful for their willingness to help. This also includes the Baptist Church in Wray, CO. My schedule was originally going to have me visit them on a Sunday, but later, the schedule changed and it fell on Monday. They were the first church I contacted when I started planning my route. They also have been without a pastor for a couple years and my church and I are praying God will lead His man to them soon.
Also, thank you to the Baptist Church in Ness City, KS. that offered a photo shoot, meal and donation to Bibles For The World. I wish I could have met their pastor Russell King. They would have been an oasis in the middle of a long day.

Thank you also to the churches that were not on my route but knew of my trip and offered up prayers on my behalf anyway. I may never know who you all are but thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you to those of you that I only met in passing, maybe at a Subway restaurant or someone on the street that I visited with. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving me a note of encouragement and for your prayers.

Thank you to all you dog owners along the route that let your dogs run free. It helped with my conversations with the Lord the days I passed your houses and, definitely, never allowed the day to be boring.

Thank you to Living Waters in California. Danny Goodall sent books out to the pastors on my route that Ray Comfort donated for my trip. Trish Ramos also sent me some Million Dollar tracts that I handed out. Thank you Danny, Ray, Trish and all the staff at Living Waters for partnering with me on my journey. Your donation, prayers and time was most appreciated.

Thank you to my Aunt Sue and Uncle Charles for putting Sam and I up for a couple days. They spoiled us in every way they could. They picked me and my bike up at Watkins and also Sam at the airport. They hauled me to the Palmer Lake Trailhead and took Sam back to the airport. They showed us as many sites as we could possibly work in while there. And thanks Brad for allowing me to use your vehicle to haul the bike. I especially thank them for going to BFTW with us. I’m so glad they could be a part of my journey. We love them dearly and have already decided that we will be vacationing with them again in the future.

Thank you to Bibles For The World. The Pudaite’s and staff were all wonderful. They put out the red carpet for us (me, Sam, Sue & Charles) and invited many of their vendors and friends to share in our visit. I am so thankful for those who came to the celebration that had no idea who I even was! They made us feel most welcome. We are happy to be a part of the ministry work that BFTW does around the world. I want to thank them for the great reception, the gifts, the video welcome, the signs, the building tour, the meal, the birthday cake, the motel room, the evening meal, the phone call to the Pudaite’s in India, the emails, the encouraging messages, the prayers and especially for their love and friendship. Thank you Dr. Ro, Mawii, Pamela, Fred, Julie, Doreen, Darlene, Tiffany, Marlyn, Shiloh, Bethany, Solomon & Gloria. You made this trip such a blessing and I look forward to working with you all in the future for the furtherance of God’s kingdom and His Word.

Thank you to those that Dr. Ro and Mawii encouraged in India to pray for me as I traveled on the road. It was such a blessing to know that, not even here in the U.S., but also, on the other side of the planet prayers were being lifted up for my strength and safety. There was a peace in knowing this that is hard to explain and I am so thankful.

A big thank you to the donors and sponsors of BFTW. I will never know who you are or where you’re from but thank you for your prayers and contributions made on behalf of me and my missions trip.

Thank you to my friends at work and abroad. I received many emails, phone calls and comments (and also concerns) that helped keep me encouraged before, during and after the trip. They meant a lot to me. I just wish some of you could have come along on the road with me.

Thanks to my mom, dad, brother, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother and sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews. Your prayers, thoughts and support were most appreciated. I’m thankful for all of you.

Thank you to Daisy, the young lady we sponsor in India, and her wonderful family; for their prayers, letters, pictures and being a part of our family and focus for so many years. We love you.

And my biggest thanks go to my immediate family here at home. My wife says she never actually gave me permission to go when I asked her about it two years ago and I still didn’t have it when I left. They sacrificed a lot of time and money to make my dream come true. They did all I asked and were very patient with me. Especially when I said I just needed “one more thing” for the ride. There were a few days when I was unable to talk with any of them due to bad cell signals but I cherished every conversation or email that I could. They took care of my daily chores while away. Their prayers and thoughts kept me going. I could have never attempted or done this trip without them. Thanks again Pat, Samantha, Erin, Justin, Julia, Landon, Heather & Caleb. I love you all.

And thank you to anyone else that I missed. Thanks for viewing my blog and offering up prayers for me. Thanks for supporting Bibles For The World and their work in winning the world for Christ. Please continue to give to this organization on a regular basis. You will be richly blessed.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY EIGHTEEN

2010-09-28T20:55:00.011-05:00

Sunrise Monday morning.

Almost home.

My welcoming commitee. Boy, was I glad to see them.

My transportation home.

Things kind of explode when I unload the bike.

Plenty of room to play.

"What is that grandma?"

I could have used a co-driver on the way home.

The Pilgrim docked at home.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAYS SIXTEEN & SEVENTEEN

2010-09-28T20:47:00.008-05:00

My loving friends, Randy, Esta and Riley Bringman. They live in Canon City, CO.

Randy and Esta's home.

I slept well.

Children's church.

Randy leading the song service.

Esta and her father.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY FIFTEEN AT BFTW!

2010-09-28T20:02:00.019-05:00

My dream finally becomes a reality.

I am extremely humbled by Pamela's kind words.

Marlyn and her daughter Shiloh.

Pretty ladies.

Solomon presenting me with a Hmar Puon.

Getting an updated picture of our darly Daisy.

The Pilgrim needs a serious bath.

The chow line.

What a cake!

Pamela, the Master Trout Fisherlady & yours truly.

Mark, Sam, Marlyn, Pamela, Bethany, Julie, Doreen, Solomon, Fred, Tiffany, Charles and Sue.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY FIFTEEN

2010-09-28T19:42:00.012-05:00

My cousin Blake and his boys, Seth & Christian.

My cousin Brad.

Solomon interviewing me before we head towards Bibles For The World at the Palmer Lake Trailhead.

My riding partners, Sarah and Stan.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY FOURTEEN

2010-09-27T20:20:00.011-05:00

We did some sight seeing today. We took a tour of Coors Stadium, where the Colorado Rockies play. This was the first day in about two straight weeks I didn't have to be on the bike.

Sam at the press desk.

The coach calling in a reliever.

Space ship shaped house. Woody Allen used it in a movie once.

We went up Mt. Evans. It was closed above 12,000 ft. but breath taking none-the-less.

It's hard to know when to stop taking pictures like this. The mountains are just so beautiful.

Echo Lake.

Found this pretty stream while coming down from Mt. Evans.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY THIRTEEN

2010-09-27T19:33:00.021-05:00

My campsite last night.

If you're ever about six miles East of Byers, CO. on Rt. 36, stop by the Diedrich Dairy Farm. I'm sure Dave would love to give you a tour of all his unique tractors and farm equipment.

Shirley and Jolene doing the early morning milking. They make it look easy.

My hosts last night, Dave and Jeanne Diedrich. They are a wonderful family.

Cute little gift shop.

Ah....are you sure you want to get this close Sue?

The Pilgrim gets a break.

Picking up Sam at the Denver Airport.

Red Rocks was pretty neat.

My Aunt Sue and Uncle Charles Wankel. They spoiled us.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY TWELVE

2010-09-26T14:23:00.017-05:00

The vastness of Colorado

I could have used a case of this.

Interesting.

The loneliness of the Colorado plains.

No over grazing here.

A race track out in the middle of nowhere.

A buffalo herd a short distance before I arrived at the Diedrich Dairy Farm.

The evening milking at the Diedrich Dairy Farm, Byers, CO.

This is where I first saw the Rockies, from the Diedrich Dairy Farm.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY ELEVEN

2010-09-25T19:16:00.015-05:00

The third campsite in Benkelman, NE. It was very memorable.

The Benkelman, NE. city park where the sprinklers were very active.

State number four.

I met Steve just outside Bird City, KS. walking to Florida for a cause.

Wide open spaces.

I finally made it.

Harvest was in full swing in Colorado.

The Liberty Baptist Church at Joes CO. I got to spend the night in the basement.

The Grassroots Senior Center in Joes CO. Their air conditioner was out but it was still a great place for me to clean up, rest, eat and update the blog. I really enjoyed the people there.

The Joes CO. rest area where I had intended to camp.

Lori Mitchell. My hostess at the Grassroots Senior Center.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY TEN

2010-09-25T12:04:00.027-05:00

Look close...

closer....

There it is.

Very nice barn.

i saw a lot of these.

This was a miniture Brahma bull I guess, all by himself.

This was actually the only attraction I stopped to look at on the way out to Colorado. I polished off the other half of my Subway sandwich here too.

Pretty lonely out here.

I'll never forget this town!

I visited a lot of Sinclair stations but this was the only one in Benkelman that had the dinosaur. For Julia.

I was hoping this would be open. I'd heard other bikers talk about it but it was closed.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY NINE

2010-09-25T11:50:00.012-05:00

Oh, no! What's that on the ridge?

INJUNS!!

Find the lone Indian.

Here he is.

For Kim.

Some where in Nebraska.

Corny but neat.

I took this for mom. I think I saw another one just like it later.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY EIGHT

2010-09-25T08:29:00.017-05:00

The Lutheran teacher's house where I stayed. As it was at other places, I had my pick of the couches.

The worst roads of the whole trip, bar none. Plus, it was raining this morning.

No kiddin!

It was thirteen miles before I came to this blessing.

I saw a lot of these signs in Nebraska. I think the road workers should spend a little more time on improving the roads though.

Yes!

My second camp site at Franklin, NE. City Park

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY SEVEN

2010-09-25T08:01:00.016-05:00

This was the morning I left Odell, NE. It was the first place I tent camped.

I saw a lot of trains. This one had over 100 coal cars.

Nice sign.

An old train depot.

I pulled over and the white line was painted right at my feet.

My self portrait right before I lost balance and about ran off the road over the freshly painted white line. I saved it though at the last second.

For Betty Sue.

Good stuff, good stuff.

I couldn't have paid for better entertainment.

Pastor Phil & DeAnn Nielsen, my wonderful hosts.

These two were something else. "Hey Keisha, I made it to Colorado....on my bike!"

Keisha and Sheila

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY SIX

2010-09-25T07:44:00.013-05:00

The First Baptist Church I stayed at in Falls City, NE. I also got to sit in on their Bible Study time.

Where I was sitting when I got a very encouraging phone message from Dr. Ro.

What I looked at all day.

Had a fun conversation with Taylor and Madison at the Odell City Park.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY FIVE

2010-09-23T20:17:00.008-05:00

My host church. First Baptist Church of King City, MO.

Wow! I've come further than I thought!

Finally, a straight and smooth road. It didn't last long though.

Exactly how does this work?

Crossing the bridge at Rulo, NE.

Yes! State number three!

This became pretty common place.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY FOUR

2010-09-23T20:05:00.008-05:00

First Baptist Church of Trenton, MO.

Had supper and breakfast with Ron in Trenton, MO.

Gettin' paid to sniff the air....eight hours a day.....all summer!

Unique church design.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY THREE

2010-09-23T19:41:00.008-05:00

La Plata MO. First Baptist Church

Rolling hills.

Nice country side.

I'll try and constrain myself.

This 2 mile short cut went from bad...

to worse.

PICS FROM THE ROAD - DAY TWO

2010-09-22T22:11:00.010-05:00

Me and Tom's dog Harley. I think he finally decided he could tolerate me.

The West bound Quincy bridge. (the one I went over)

The East bound Quincy bridge.

Welcome to Missouri!

These were tame compared to what I would soon encounter.

I think this has got plenty of press. It's so sad though.

For Airmail I guess.

Going from a poor surface to a good surface is always a blessing.

Olivia and Hanna

PICTURES FROM THE ROAD - DAY ONE

2010-09-21T18:36:00.006-05:00

Saying good-bye.

This is where the leaving route and the return route would intersect just about four miles outside of my home town.

The HILL at Florence.

This was a pretty common site.

At Barry Illinois I turned off my normal route to try one that was suggested by a friend. It was pretty rough and hilly but no doubt helped prepare me for worse to come.

My brother Tom was made famous in the Colorado Springs Gazette when they printed this picture of him and his dog Harley in place of me when they wrote an article about the ride. They made numerous other mistakes as well but it was really funny none-the-less.

THE ICE CREAM TALLY

2010-09-21T15:42:00.005-05:00

Day One – Vanilla in a Wendy’s Root beer float.

Day Two – Homemade Vanilla with strawbaby syrup.

Day Seven – Vanilla with homemade Apple Crisp.

Day Eight – Butter Pecan

Day Nine – Raspberry Chocolate Chunk and Cookies and Cream

Day Ten – Blueberry and Cream

Day Thirteen – A Chocolate Shake, Carmel Cashew & Blueberry Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk

Day Fourteen – Peaches and Cream

Day Fifteen – Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae

Day Seventeen – Chocolate Shake and Carmel Coyote

I can’t believe I went seven days without ice cream! Special thanks to my Sunday School class for providing the funds to keep me in ice cream. It was money well spent.

My worst nightmare!!

Vanilla with homemade Apple Crisp

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae

DAY SEVENTEEN - A VERY SPECIAL DAY

2010-09-21T14:53:00.002-05:00

I woke with a great amount of anticipation as I would get to visit Randy and Esta’s church today. This was only the second time for me to be in church since I started the trip and I was missing the fellowship and worship terribly. We picked up Esta’s father and headed for the church.

I really enjoyed the song service and meeting many of the congregation before church even began. They were very welcoming to me. Randy did a great job of leading the choir and music. After the song service was a special time that Randy told everyone about the accident that he had while working at the company that I still work for. I’ll not go into detail but he also sang a song dedicated to me and I was extremely touched by it. It was a very emotional and overwhelming time for me and I believe everyone there. Randy is a very dear friend and I would not have wanted to miss our time together for anything. I will never forget my time with him and Esta (and Riley). They also had me get up and explain a little about my trip and Bibles For the World. They hosted the India Children’s Choir in 2005 and seemed anxious to get involved with BFTW once again.

After we left church we went out to a little Mexican restaurant for lunch and after our goodbyes I headed for home in the U-Haul about 2:00. I drove all thru the night but had to stop twice to take a couple short naps. I arrived back home at 10:30 a.m.central time on Monday. Pat, Julia and Landon were home to greet me. I was very happy to see them. I missed all my family very much.

I took Tuesday off to wrap some things up, relax and to work on the blogs. I’ll be returning to work Wednesday to resume my normal routine. It was a great bike/vacation/missions trip that I will always remember. Thanks for everyone’s prayers while I was away. It’s good to be home.

My close friends Randy and Esta Bringman with Riley

DAY SIXTEEN - MISSION (ALMOST) ACCOMPLISHED

2010-09-19T10:08:00.003-05:00

For those of you who don’t know it by now, I have decided to cut my bike trip short. The first half of the trip really took its toll on me physically. Missouri had some hills that just seemed to never end and my legs really got a work out. They did get stronger after a few days but it was still a very rough ride. Nebraska, I can now say from experience, had the worst roads. I’ve never seen road work done the way they attempted to do it. The western part of the state was very beautiful but there were very few areas where the roads were favorable for biking. I know a lot of this is because of the remote route that I picked to ride on. I preferred to stay away from the traffic, but in doing so, I was more susceptible to rough roads, and of course, dogs. Nebraska just about jarred me to pieces.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in Kansas so can’t give too much criticism. I passed thru it very quickly getting to Colorado but what memories I do have of it were bitter (water). Eastern Colorado just about did me in. There were very long stretches that were hot, hilly and windy. The day before I hit the Denver area was probably the most grueling. I had about a 60 mile stretch with nowhere to get any cool water. I did have plenty of water on the bike but it was all hot and I had to walk up many, many long hills.

The weather seemed to be much hotter than what I had expected for this time of year. It did dip down in the upper 40’s at night a few times but it was also in the 90’s during the day. I did have some minor physical problems along the way that I am still trying to recover from.

The bike performed pretty well but I did have a few minor problems with it as well. It’s hard to explain really unless you ride a bike and get to know it by feel; through your legs, feet, hands or, huh, rear end. The Pilgrim’s drive train is very dirty and starting to make some noises that I’m concerned about.

So, for physical reasons, not wanting to chance a bicycle breakdown (there would be almost no bike shops available on the way back), and because I miss my family so much, I’ve decided to cut the trip short. The last riding day I had was the 23 miles I rode into the Bibles For the World headquarters. I was not able to procure a rental car without it costing an arm and a leg so it was cheaper to get a small U-Haul van. I got it in Colorado Springs and loaded all my gear and drove down to Canon City to my good friend Randy Bringman’s home on Saturday.

After arriving at Randy’s, I met his wonderful wife Esta, their cute dog Riley and we took time to sit down and just catch up on old times. Randy and I used to work together back when I started with Freesen Inc. thirty-three years ago. We’ve always been good friends and it was great to get to reminisce.

Later, we went out to dinner (I think they may call it lunch out here) and, low and behold, who should we run into at the restaurant but Pam Tucker! She had been out fly fishing again. I could not believe it. I got to meet her husband and her casting instructor. That was an unexpected surprise.

After lunch we took a drive around the area and looked at some of the sites. I forgot to bring my camera but it is such a beautiful area to see, as is all the mountain ranges that I’ve seen thus far. I think I could actually live out here.

After returning home Randy’s pastor, Bill Carson, and his wife Cindy, stopped by to meet me and we talked about the ministries of BFTW. I really enjoyed meeting them and was given an invitation to speak at their church tomorrow morning about BFTW and my relationship with Randy. I look forward to that.

After they left we had a wonderful meal of steak, corn on the cob, potato and salad. I forgot to take a picture, of course, but it was great. There was way too much food and I’m afraid that I have not lost any weight on this trip so far. Randy and Esta have been great hosts and I look forward to visiting them again when they have their new log home built up in the mountains.

I will be contacting the churches that I had lined up to visit on my return trip and thanking them for the opportunity to stay with them even though it now will not be necessary. I really which I could visit them and regret not being able to do so.

But, I think it’s important to listen to my body at times. And right now mine says it’s time to take a break. I’ve accomplished many of the goals I set out to do on this tour, the main one being, to make it to BFTW. Some of the one’s I did not achieve I may get the opportunity to try again at a later date. One in particular is to ride the whole 225 miles of the Katy Trail in Missouri. I may try and get a couple friends to go with me in a few years in doing that.

I’ll be updating the blog once I return home with many pictures, comments and evaluations of the trip so please continue to check the blog off and on in the future. I’ll also be giving you the final count and list of the many ice creams I enjoyed along the way, in case you’re interested.

Destination tomorrow – Winchester IL.
Total miles ridden on tour - 925

DAY FIFTEEN - I MADE IT! BIBLES FOR THE WORLD!

2010-09-18T08:03:00.010-05:00

I was very excited about this day. I was finally going to arrive at the BFTW corporate headquarters. I would be able meet the people that I so often talked to on the phone or emailed there. But first, Aunt Sue made me her version of a “Mess” for breakfast. It was very good. My aunt and uncle have spoiled Sam and me and we both want them to know how very much we appreciate it. They were such a blessing to us while in Denver.

Bibles For the World had arranged for me to be escorted to their office by a couple experienced bike riders, Stan and his daughter Sarah. It was great getting to know them and I appreciated not having to negotiate my way to the office by myself. We met at the Palmer Lake Trailhead and took the New Santa Fe Trail. We were to eventually ride about 23 miles of it, part being thru the Air Force Academy.

It was a beautiful day and I stopped to take a few pictures. I wanted to take more but we needed to be at BFTW by about 12:15 for a luncheon.

When we arrived at BFTW I was overwhelmed. There were quite a few people outside and they were cheering and clapping and had me ride thru a ribbon finish line. I couldn’t hold back the tears. I had no idea I’d be greeted this way. There were balloons and banners and a tent to serve an Indian meal. It was very good.

Dr. Pudaite and his wife Mawii could not be there but they taped a video to greet me that we all watched. I was so touched. I had never had anything like this happen to me and I can’t put into words how it made me feel. I so appreciate all those who came out to greet me.

The staff presented me, Sam, Sue and Charles with gifts and many kind words. They even made a large cake for me to celebrate my 50th birthday this year. And it was such a unique cake! (I’ll post pictures of the cake and the event later since they are on Sam’s camera).

After most everyone had left I got a special opportunity to talk to Dr. Pudaite and Mawii on the telephone in India. It was about 2:00 a.m. in the morning there but they took time to speak to me and welcome me to BFTW. I’ll never forget that phone call.

My daughter, aunt and uncle soon left and I was given a detailed tour of the entire office. It is such a wonderful building God has blessed them with. After that I was thankful to be taken out for supper with some of the staff. We had a great time, and yes, we had ice cream.

This has been such a wonderful day and I am so thankful to our Lord for all the people who are at BFTW and for their donors and friends. They made me feel very special today and I know I will never, ever forget it.

Destination tomorrow – Randy Bringman’s home in Canon City, CO.
Miles today – about 23.
Ice Cream today – Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae

DAY FOURTEEN - A RESTFUL DAY

2010-09-18T07:35:00.005-05:00

We did some sightseeing today and I was finally able to lay off the bike for a whole day. Every part of my body thanked me. We went to take a tour of the Coors Stadium where the Colorado Rockies baseball team plays. This was more Sam’s thing but it was a pretty interesting tour and we all enjoyed it.

Next we stopped by and viewed Buffalo Bill’s gravesite. That was more my thing and I think we enjoyed it as well.

Then we took a drive up Mt. Evans. We all really enjoyed that. Some of the trees were turning golden and it was very beautiful. We were not able to go to the very top of the mountain because the upper portion was closed.

We did get up to about 12160 feet according to my watch. I saw a lot of bike riders ascending up the mountain and I thought, “Huh, try it carrying 70 lbs. of cargo!”

After that we just kind of looked around at some shops and eventually made it back to Sue and Charles home for a great supper. Their son Blake came over with his sons Seth and Christian. They are a couple great guys. Later their son Brad arrived and we got to reminisce with him. I think it’s been about 28 years since I last saw him. Thanks again Brad for letting me use your SUV to haul my bike.

Tomorrow I mount up and head for Bibles For the World!

Destination tomorrow – Colorado Springs
Miles today – 0
Ice Cream of the day – Peaches and Cream

DAY THIRTEEN - SHORT AND SWEET IN DENVER!

2010-09-16T08:18:00.005-05:00

I woke up early to a heavy fog. I got everything packed up and waited for it to clear. I wanted to leave by about 7:00. Before I left I walked around the Diedrich farm and took pictures of Dave’s vast collection of tractors. It was pretty neat to see all the different kinds he had. I thanked the family for their hospitality and headed down the road.

It was going to be a short trip today because I was only going to the town of Watkins, about 30 miles away. I had talked with my aunt about them picking me up there before they went to the airport to pick up my daughter Sam at the airport. Sam did not know that I would be with them so it would be a surprise.

After about only 5 miles down the road I was feeling very weak again. My legs felt heavy and weighted. The bike seemed extra heavy and slow. Maybe it was the elevation or maybe thirteen days without a rest day had caught up with me. I put my head down and continued on. I, again, had to walk up a number of hills that weren’t really all that steep.

About an eight mile from Watkins a black SUV passed me and honked…it was my aunt Sue and uncle Charles….I was saved! We loaded the bike on the roof rack and stopped at a McDonald’s for a drink and to wait for Sam’s flight to arrive, about an hour later. Sam was surprised to see me show up with Sue at the baggage claim. (Sorry I forgot to get a picture).

We all went out to eat dinner and then went to Sue and Charles’s house so I could take a shower….it felt soooo good! We later went and did a little sightseeing and we stopped on the way back for some ice cream. My Sunday School Class had sent a card and some cash with Sam for me to use for some ice cream. Thanks guys, that was very thoughtful of you, so we did.

My Aunt Sue and Uncle Charles to the rescue!

The Denver Airport where we picked up Sam.

Destination tomorrow – None, rest day.
Ice Cream today – Chocolate shake, Carmel Cashew, Blueberry Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk.
Miles today – 25
Total miles to date - 900

DAY TWELVE - THE HARDEST DAY

2010-09-16T08:04:00.003-05:00

I left Joes and headed West towards Byers today. I knew it was going to be a very hard day because of the remoteness of the road with very few services along the way…I was right. I traveled 32 miles before I came to the town of Anton which had a grocery store. I stopped and got a cold ice tea. After I left Anton I had 50 straight miles of nothing until I got to the Diedrich Dairy Farm.

I don’t recall exactly what the temperature got to but it felt to be around 90 degrees. The Weather Channel said the wind show blow from the ESE at about 8 mph. I think they were wrong. It started from the SE about 10-15, which did help keep me cool a little but it eventually came directly out of the South that made me fight to keep the bike stable at times.

When I had about 25 miles to go I thought I would die. There seemed to be a lot more hills than I anticipated and I had to walk up quite a few. They aren’t short, steep hills like Missouri, they are long and gradual. I usually can pedal right on up most gradual grades by just putting my head down, gearing down and being patient. That wasn’t working too well this time.

One really bad thing was that, even though I had plenty of water, it was all warm. I needed something cold once in a while but didn’t see that happening. I called Jeanne Diedrich to let her know that I may be late getting there because I was about spent and was doing almost more walking now instead of riding. It seemed my legs were like lead. She said she’d come after me in a truck when she got home from work if needed. I checked my watch to see what the elevation was. It showed I was over 4300 feet at some places. I didn’t think the altitude would be affecting me yet but maybe it was.

The miles seemed to go by so slowly but eventually I got out of the hills and started a fast decent that lasted about two miles. That seemed to help, all though, any time that I was not using my legs, as in not pedaling, when I started pedaling again, I’d have upper leg pain for about 20 seconds until they got loosened up. It got rather painful, but I had to keep going.

I could finally see the Diedrich farm and pulled in about 5 minutes before Jeanne did. I was sure glad she did not have to try and come rescue me. The Diedrich’s were wonderful hosts. I got to watch them milk their 22 milk cows and Jeanne asked if I’d like to join them for supper. So, I sat down with Jeanne’s husband Dave, their daughter’s Jolene, Michelle, their brother-in-law Dan, and Dave’s mother Shirley. It was a great meal and I especially liked the watermelon and plum mixed fruit. They were soothing to my dry lips.

I set my tent up and got to see a beautiful sunset over the Rocky Mountains. Their farm was the first place that I had got to view them. It was a very hard day but I was so thankful that there were people willing to take me in at the end of it.

This is the Rocky Mountains where I first saw them, from the Diedrich Dairy Farm.

Tomorrow’s destination – Littleton CO. My aunt and uncle’s house.
Miles traveled today - 82

LET ALL GOD'S CREATION PRAISE HIM

2010-09-14T07:26:00.003-05:00

Before I loaded the bike this morning I was reading from Psalm 115. Verse one says, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto your name give glory, for your mercy, and for your truth's sake." My bike trip is not about me, it's not about Bibles For the World, it's not about a vacation or going to see family and friends or to see how much money can be raised to support a good cause. It's about God and His glory. I see the vastness of His creation out in these wide open spaces and it makes me seem so small, as I am, and should be. He is what's important in our lives. God's praise and glory should be what we all live for because He is God.

Verse 18 goes on to say, "But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord." It's wonderful to think that, if you're a Christian, someday you'll be praising the Lord in Heaven forever and forever, without any restrictions or distractions as we have here on earth. I look forward to the ride today even though it's another long on with some hills. I can praise God for those hills and that He has given me the ability to get up them with His help.

Continue to pray for me and also for Steve Knowltes whom I ran into just outside of Bird City Kansas. I saw him on the web once but never thought I'd meet him. He's running across American raising money for the cure of Crohn's. Please visit his website.

To God be the glory this day.

DAY ELEVEN - THREE STATES, ONE DAY

2010-09-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

Today was a very trying day. It did not start off right for sure. Let’s see, where to begin. I stayed at the Ward Bond Memorial City Park last night. It is conveniently located next to a very often used train track. And a couple very loud dogs just up the street. Once I tuned them out I went to sleep in my tent under one of the pavilions. It’s a nice park next to a pool that was closed. There was restrooms but no shower house. So, I took another spicket bath.

About midnite I heard the awfullest sound…the sprinkler system was going off! Actually, only half of it on one end of the pavilion. I hurriedly grabbed everything I had laying outside the tent and brought them in, except, my riding clothes which I had washed out and were trying to dry.

Once, back in the tent I got to thinking about when the other sprinklers would be coming on. My tent was on the far side so I figured it would get hit when they did. So, I up and moved it….not once, but about four times. The first half sprinklers rain for about an hour, then the second set came on and could still throw a little be of water on the tent. But I figured it would be dry by morning.

I was in the Mountain Time Zone now and was having a hard time figuring out how to set my alarm for an early start. I eventually set two alarms but didn’t know it. The first one went off a little bit too early then the second one went off too late. I remember seeing the sun shine in thru my tent window and thinking I had really blown it. So, I hurriedly got up and started throwing things on the bike. I was upset I had overslept.

When I was packing away the tent I noticed the foot print had a small hole in it. Then I saw a cocklebur under it. I was told Nebraska and Kansas was notorious for them. I had also noticed that my air mattress had seemed a little flatter last night and I suspect that it poked thru and got it as well.

I got everything loaded on the bike and slipped it off the stand and noticed something wrong. That’s just great…a flat front tire! The cockleburs had struck again. I pulled the wheel and check the tube at the hydrant with water and found the leak. Then I checked the tire and, sure enough, there was the thorn. Last night I had thought I had a rock under my shoe and tried to flick it out with my finger and got a big cockle thorn in my finger for my efforts.

I got the thorn mostly out but slipped a dollar bill in the tire to use as a boot just in case. I put a new tube in. I mounted the tire but could only get about 50 lbs of air in. These tires need 85 lbs. to carry the load. I saw an elevator next do so rode down and two guys helped me air them up with their compressor. Finally, down the road I went.

In about three miles I was out of Nebraska for good and into Kansas. I took a route that would hit Route 36 and that should take me almost all the way to Denver. Boy, there are some hills in Kansas! And, I got to walk up some of them too. I intersected Route 36 at Bird City. The next big town West was St. Francis and I stopped at a Sinclair to get some ice and water from their fountain machine. I filled three bottles plus drank a couple cups of sweet tea. After, I got down the road a ways I stopped and took a swig. Man! It was terribly bitter! Two out of the three bottles were so bad I couldn’t hardly drink them. But, they were the only ones with ice too.

After, I got out of Kansas I finally was in Colorado! It was vast, large and lonely out there. I stopped to talk with Pat on the phone and a couple on a three-wheeled motorcycle pulling a trailer stopped to see if I was ok. I said yes but could use some cold water if they had any. They gave me two bottles and wanted to make sure I was fine. I thanked them and they left.

By cutting out going to Wray CO. I saved about 5-6 miles off my original route plan. Plus, it was a little flatter, plus I had a tailwind when I headed West.

When I was almost at Joes Rest Area I saw the Liberty Baptist Church. I stopped to see about getting some water when the Pastor’s wife drove up. She showed me the water but was in a hurry to leave again. I thanked her and headed on down to the rest area about a mile away. When I turned in to the drive there was the Grassroots Senior Center. I stopped to check it out. A lady named Lori showed me around. I asked about Wifi and she said she didn’t know if it would work or not but I tried, and it did!

I did a quick clean up sink wash in the bathroom and started working on the blog. They close at 6:00 but have a staff meeting and others that would be coming in to play poker later. The pastor, Jack Stout, from the Liberty Baptist Church was in the staff meeting and Lori asked him about me staying at his church. He said yes I could stay in the basement and take a shower at the parsonage!! Lori even brought me a plate of food while I’m working on the blog. The church has Wifi too so maybe I can add some pics later unless I get too tired.

So, things did eventually get better today though the start was rough. Thanks for all your prayers.

Tomorrows destination – the Diedrich Dairy Farm outside of Byers.
Miles today - 86

DAY TEN - ALMOST

2010-09-13T19:11:00.001-05:00

I’m almost out of Nebraska. I originally was going to Wray CO. after leaving Benkelman then on to Joes CO. I was not able to make it to a church I had wanted to visit in Wray today so actually there is no need to go that way.

I made it to Benkelman and the Ward Bond Memorial City Park. I was talking to a couple who walked by about an alternate route tomorrow to try and save some miles. I will be going to Bird City Kansas where I’ll connect with Route 36 and then head west. I think this will save me about 7 miles. Doesn’t sound like much but when you’re talking 92 vs. 85 miles it is.

I’ll be getting into the desolate part of Eastern Colorado so I need to make sure I have enough supplies. I’ll stock up at St. Francis Kansas, the last bigger city before I cross into Colorado.

Today was an ok type day. The weather was hot and I had a 10-15 mph headwind out of the SW. I had a few hills but nothing too major even though I walked up a few. The western part of the Nebraska is really beautiful thru the canyon areas.

Tomorrow’s destination – Joes rest area.
Ice Cream of the day – Blueberry and cream.
Miles today - 80

DAY NINE - WINDS OF CHANGE

2010-09-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Last night about midnight the winds really whipped up and they continued until about 4:30 a.m. Then about 6:00 it started sprinkling. I was packed up by about 6:30 but was waiting to see what the rain would do and for it to get lighter.

It finally cleared enough for me to leave at 7:00 and it was a beautiful day. The bad thing was the roads I was on. They really are taking a toll on my body. The wind picked up about 11:00 out of the West at about 10 mph. Then a little later it came from the Northwest about 15 mph and then about 20 miles from my destination they came full force at 20+ mph out of the Southwest. I hit a good road on Route 6 so I had a wide smooth shoulder to work with. It was a big improvement even with the wind. Tomorrow’s winds are supposed to be out of the Southwest.

I made it to Cambridge and Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Brian Perry put me up in the Youth Activity house. I’ve got five couches to pick from to sleep on. I’ll have another big mile day tomorrow of about 79 miles Lord willing.

Destination tomorrow – Benkelman, NE.
Ice cream today – Raspberry Chocolate Chunk AND Cookies and Cream
Miles rode today - 74

DAY EIGHT - WHAT A MESS

2010-09-13T18:55:00.002-05:00

The day started out rainy so I was prepared with my rain gear on but it was also very, very foggy. I had my front lights and rear blinky going until about 11:00. About eight miles up the road I approached Riskin and they had a thirteen mile work zone going. I got thru the first three ok but when I got to the last flagger I couldn’t believe what the road looked like. I asked him how far it went and he hung his head and said sorry, but I had about 10 miles of it. Until I show you the picture you’ll have to take my word for it but it looked like a rumble strip road….and not even a good one. Kind of like it had been cluster bombed.

So, I just started down it. Actually, I rode a ways in the wrong lane because it was not tore up. That lasted about one mile before they both were that way. I could only run about 6 miles per hour because any faster and the panniers where trying to come off and it was about to shake my teeth out.

I finally made it to smoother pavement and had a cross wind for a few miles before I turned back west and had a slight tail wind. Other than that it was just a peddle for peddle day. I took a picture of a dead snake the a little further up the road I saw a bigger one. It was strung out about half way across my lane. I stopped to take a picture but this one was alive and headed for the grass, too fast for a pic. Within about a few hundred feet a Whitetail doe came flying out from my side and crossed the road at full speed. Glad I wasn’t a tad bit faster or we would have collided.

I made it to Red Cloud, found the Subway and had my usual. I wanted to do some blog updates but they did not have Wifi. I got to Franklin and found the nice park and set my tent up under the pavilion. The library is right behind me but I could not get a Wifi unless I sat in front of it. I had just enough time to post a few days updates without pictures before the mosquitoes attacked. I’m now typing this up in the security of my tent.

Tomorrows destination – Cambridge, NE.
Ice Cream flavor today – Butter Pecan
Miles today - 70

FLASHBACK TO DAY 2...

2010-09-10T20:47:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of my brother Tom

DAY SEVEN – AN INTERESTING DAY

2010-09-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

I left Odell later than I wanted but it was the first time I’d camp and everything went ok I think. I knew it was going to be a short day so I didn’t get up until 6:00, then left by about 7:30. I had a slight tail wind that I’d guess might have gotten up to about 10 mph. Why are head winds always stronger than tail winds?

So, I’m tooling along just enjoying having what tailwind I have when I hear this air type noise. It really didn’t sound like a tire going down but I look at the rear one while I was still riding, it seemed ok. But, I kept hearing it and occasionally in interrupted intervals. Then I looked back….here came the NDOT paint stripe truck approaching fast. I knew I could not out run it so I was forced to pull over. After he got by and left a nice white line at my feet about three feet away, and all the following traffic passed, I had to hoist the 120 lb. bike over the white line one tire at a time without stepping on it. Well I succeeded thankfully and I went on down the road.

Next problem was that I usually rode on the white line. So I had to force myself to stay away when traffic passed….no need to add white tires to my already colorful bike.

Then, I decided to do something really dumb. I hadn’t had a picture of myself yet while trying to ride down the road. You know, the kind you hold the camera up at arms length and point it back at ya. So, like an idiot I tried it. Now, it’s hard enough balancing the Pilgrim the way it is without trying to point and shot a picture at the same time. As it happened, as soon as I pulled the shutter, I lost balance and swerved towards the freshly painted white line! I recovered just in time and put the camera away a little more wiser. The picture was good though.

When I was arriving close to my destination of Hebron I came to an intersection. For some reason the Hebron campground I had wanted to stay at was two miles off the route. My directions told me that but I just had forgotten. I wasn’t in the mood to ride and extra four miles to be right back where I was in the morning. I looked at the map for options but didn’t see any. As I was ready to give in and pointed the bike towards Hebron, I took one look back at cross traffic and there it was….a sign advertising free camping at an RV park in Deshler 8 miles on down the route. Alright!

It was going to be a short day anyway, (oh, did I say that it had been raining on me since I left Subway in Fairbury about noon?) so I had no problem going a little further. When I got to the nice park I was reading the sign that gave the rules and a lady pulled up and asked if I needed help. I said I’d like to find a place to shower. She said go back a few blocks to the City Building and they could help. As I pulled up at the City Building out walked DeAnn Nielsen and some of her children. She is the Lutheran pastors wife and after we chatted she offered me a vacant house to sleep at and a meal with her family. Double alright!

We had a wonderful meal and they are a great family. Theirs Pastor Phil, DeAnn, Jess, Eric, Isaac, Reece, Sheila and Keisha. I really enjoyed myself and they even served apple crisp with ice cream! God sure has had His hand on me today and I’ve been seeing His goodness and love for me all along the way.

Here’s a little humor that happened to me when I was done at Subway today. I went outside and it was raining with no cover so the bank next door had a little lean to. I got my rain gear out to put on. I have a plastic bag that I keep my plastic Croc want-to-be sandals in so I took them out and slipped the first one on. Just then a gust of wind came along and started blowing the bag across the parking lot. I needed that bag to put my riding shoes in. So, here I am running after bag holding on plastic shoe, one on and only my sock on the other foot. I soaked my sock of course. Wish I had a picture but you get the picture. Wasn’t funny at the time but was later.

Tomorrow’s destination Franklin, NE. RV Park (unless God has some other plan.

Ice cream today – Vanilla with apple crisp.

DAY SIX – GOING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER

2010-09-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

I actually made it about 12 miles further than I planned last night. I skipped Barneston and, with the advice of a NDOT worker, went on the Odell which had a nicer City Park and a grocery right across the street. I had been having a fairly decent SE tailwind and wanted to take advantage of it.

It was the first time I was going to need to set my tent up, so since there was a slight chance of rain at night, I set it up under one of the shelters. An older gentleman on a three wheeler stopped by to see what I was doing. He just turned 80 yesterday he said. Later a couple sixth grade girls, Taylor and Madison, came to play at the playground then came over to chat. I gave them each a Curve Illusion tract which they thought was cool. They told me about the town and its surroundings. They then went to play with a couple high school future Football Hall of fame guys that had arrived. They had a friendly scrimmage game. The girls left when it started getting dark and the guys came over for a minute to chat the left. Nice kids and I was glad to meet them.

I had just got the computer out to try and type of a post and the mosquitoes came out in force. I put everything away and went to bed. There was a big grain elevator next to the park so I had to put in my ear plugs to try and sleep but I slept fairly well.

Tomorrows destination Hebron, NE.

DAY FIVE – GOOD BYE MISSOURI, HELLO NEBRASKA!

2010-09-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

I don’t remember a whole lot about the weather conditions today (I’m typing this on 9/10/10) but I know I was still doing a lot of hill surfing. I do know that when I was trying to get thru Savannah my directions routed me on a County Road. When I could not find it I stopped and asked a couple guys at a Co-op. They said it was right in front of their store. So, I rode a hundred yards or so around a corner and what I saw was gravel! Oh, no! I went down it to another corner a short distance and looked around the bend….more gravel. So, I turned around and went back to the same guys. They said every County Road was gravel but told me a better route.

Back into the hills I went until I got to Oregon (the town) and stopped for a break. The lady in the grocery store said after Oregon it would be mostly flat. That was true because I was dropping into the Missouri River bottoms near Rulo, NE. They had had a lot of bad flooding there and the bridge was still being worked on. But, before I got to the bridge and after things finally did level out, I had a pack of three blood hounds try to take me down. I blasted my horn and peddled as fast as possible. Thankfully, a car was coming from the other way and they gave up the chase when confronted by the car.

After crossing the Missouri River I still had to climb some substantial hills to get up on level ground again. But, things got better and I arrived at the First Baptist Church in Falls City about an hour before their Bible Study. I met their intern pastor, Gary Williams and his wife, plus some of the congregation and Elder Jim Hersh. They let me spend the night in the church which I was most grateful.

Tomorrows destination is Barneston, NE.

ROAD UPDATE - 9/9/10

2010-09-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing fine and am sitting at a Subway in Fairbury NE watching it rain. I made it 12 miles further than I expected yesterday so I got a little bit of time today to sit down and try and catch up the blogging. Unfortuniately I only had a couple days wrote up so will have to try and do DAY 5 later.

I have a hard time getting a cell signal or a place to stop close enough to the route to WIFI. I'm thankful for Subways. I also have a lot of pictures and comments I'd like to make but it may have to wait. Most my time is concentrating on the riding and staying on schedule.

Please keep me in your prayers. The roads a better,flatter I mean, and I'm getting my average up and leg strenght is getting better as well.

Well, I'll be back with you as I can but right now it's raining and I've still got about 25 miles to go. I've not had a shower for a few days so this might be a good thing. Tonights destination Hebron, NE.

DAY FOUR - SAME AS BEFORE

2010-09-09T11:15:00.001-05:00

I think there might have been a few less dogs today but I may need to get a new air horn soon. I think there might have only been about 7-8 of them. But, there was no reduction in the hill category. It was a shorter day but the hills clean my clock. About 7-8 miles from King City I just gave up trying to ride up them. I’d coast down then at the base start walking up. I’ve got way too much weight on the Pilgrim.

And the wind smiled on me only for a short time out of the Southeast. About 11:00 it shifted to the South then came full force at me in the afternoon at about 25-30 mph out of the Southwest. There’s a reason that King City is sitting right in the middle of a wind farm.

I met with the Pastor briefly at the First Baptist Church then he drove me out of town about 9 miles to a private hunting lodge where I met Tony. He’s the care taker here. He made me a great stir fry supper, we had a good conversation then I had the lodge to myself for the evening. He’ll be back in the morning early to pick me up for breakfast.

I ran into three pairs of these guys. They were sniffing the air and checking it's quality. I asked them how I smelled.

Nice.

No ice cream today.
Tomorrow’s destination Falls City, NE.

DAY THREE - MORE OF THE SAME

2010-09-09T10:58:00.006-05:00

I got a good send off from Pastor Mac and his family. He made me his version of a “Mess”. It was excellent.

Unfortunately, I had another round of dogs, hills and wind. The wind was coming hard out of the South and actually helped me a little for all of about 5-6 miles maybe later in the day. I stayed at the First Baptist Church in Trenton in their Family Activity Center. It rained last night and early this morning. Thankfully they had a nice shower and couch so I didn’t have to deal with a wet tent this morning.

I stopped at the Trenton McDonald’s sending this post before I head out to do battle with the Missouri mountains. Pray for me please.

NO INTERNET CONNECTION

2010-09-06T19:44:00.003-05:00

Dad wanted me to inform all readers that he has not had an internet connection where he has been recently. Posts will be coming as soon as he can get online.

Heather

DAY TWO:THE MAIN COURSE-DOGS, HILLS AND A SIDE OF WIND

2010-09-04T20:45:00.010-05:00

Today was a beautiful day with and a lot less windy. It was only about 5 mph out of the NNW when I start. It gradually picked up speed and by about 11:00 it was back up to 15+ mph. But, I lost count of how many dogs chased me and how many hills I had to walk up. I was so thankful that there was no dogs at the houses that always seemed to be at the top of the hills I was pushing the 110 pound Pilgrim up. I would have had to let them maul me. I was just too tired to run. I could have really used my brothers dog Harley the boxer to chase them away. I instead used my air horn to run them off. I have mace I could you but with the wind blowing the way it was…..I know I would not have wanted it in my face.

I made it the 72 miles to La Plata and the home of Pastor Elmer “Mac” McCully, pastor of the First Baptist Church here. I had supper with him and his wife Nancy, their son Jarod, his wife Heather, and their two adorable daughters Olivia and Hanna, and their grandson Zach. We had homemade pizza and homemade ice cream. It was excellent. I appreciate all their help and making me feel right at home.

Tom and Harley.

This is what I saw most the day.

Oh no!

I thank the Lord for little things.

My new friends.

Today’s ice cream flavor: HOMEMADE Vanilla with strawbaby (that’s what Julia calls it) syrup.
Tomorrow’s destination: Trenton, Mo.
Mileage today 72.6

DAY ONE - WHAT AN INITIATION!

2010-09-03T20:55:00.005-05:00

Can you say windy?! I could make a long post and tell you all the negative things that happened today but the only thing I’d be talking about would be the wind. It was horrible! It was gusting at 30 mph in some places along the way. It was WNW which was where I was headed and I don’t believe ever got under 20 mph while riding.
I think instead of going on about how bad it was I’ll just focus on the positive.

One of our church family and friend Bud Cole came to see me off this morning. That was nice of him to do that. Thanks Bud! I also waited for my grandkids to show up before I left. Our three girls were there as well. After all the picture taking I hit the road. Also, it was a beautiful day temperature wise and only partly cloudy.

I has in the saddle a little long than I had wanted to be today and was pretty sore in the legs (for some reason which I’ve said I won’t mention) when I arrived at my brothers home. His wife Leslie made a great supper and after a nice shower I’m feeling much more refreshed now, yet tired. I’ve got a longer day tomorrow but hopefully the weather (wind) will be a little kinder to me than today.

Yeah, that’s what it was like all day.

Today’s ice cream flavor: Vanilla in a Wendy’s Frosty Root beer float.
Tomorrow’s destination: La Plata, Mo.
Mileage today: 65.9

Oh, Happy Birthday to my friend Danny Goodall at Living Waters. Hope you had a great day ol' man!

THE ROUTE & ITINERARY

2010-08-31T12:07:00.006-05:00

A number of people have asked me about my route lately. I only vaguely had it posted back in an April post called “The Route”. So, I’ll go ahead and give you some semi-details of where I’ll be and when I’ll be there. I’ll not take time to list every route number but try and give you a few towns along the way.

Friday, Sept. 3rd – Departure day. I’ll be leaving home (Winchester, IL.) and going thru Pittsfield and finishing in Quincy, IL.

Saturday, Sept. 4th – Leaving Quincy and going thru Ewing and finishing in LaPlata, MO.

Sunday, Sept. 5th – Leaving LaPlata, going thru New Boston, Laredo and finishing in Trenton, MO.

Monday, Sept. 6th (Labor Day) – Leaving Trenton to Coffey then finishing in King City, MO.

Tuesday, Sept. 7th – Leaving King City to Savannah, Oregon, crossing into Nebraska at Rulo, NE. then finishing in Falls City, NE.

Wednesday, Sept. 8th – Leaving Falls City going thru Pawnee City and possibly finishing in Barneston, NE. I say possibly because there is very little in Barneston. If the weather is good and my legs are good I may proceed on to my next stop in Hebron, Ne. If I do this I’ll take a rest day in Franklin.

Thursday, Sept. 9th – If I’m not in Hebron, I’ll leave Barneston to Fairbury and finish in Hebron, NE. If I am in Hebron I’ll be finishing this day in Franklin and taking a rest day on Friday.

Friday, Sept. 10th – Leaving Hebron going to Franklin, NE. If I actually get here a day early I’ll be taking a rest day here today.

Saturday, Sept. 11th – Leaving Franklin going to Alma, Orleans, Oxford, Edison and ending in Cambridge, NE.

Sunday, Sept. 12th – Leaving Cambridge, going thru McCook and finishing in Benkelman, NE.

Monday, Sept. 13th – Leaving Benkelman, going to Wray, CO. and turning South then back West to Joes, CO.

Tuesday, Sept. 14th – Leaving Joes and finishing about 6 miles before Byers, CO.

Wednesday, Sept. 15th – Leaving Byers area and finishing in Lone Tree (Littleton), CO.

Thursday, Sept. 16th – Rest Day.

Friday, Sept. 17th – Leaving Lone Tree and making my way to Bibles For the World in Colorado Springs, CO.

Saturday, Sept. 18th – Leaving Colorado Springs and finishing in Canon City, CO.

Sunday, Sept. 19th – Rest Day.

Monday, Sept. 20th – Leaving Canon City to Florence Pueblo then finishing in Fowler, CO.

Tuesday, Sept. 21st – Leaving Fowler and finishing in Eeds, CO.

Wednesday, Sept. 22nd – Leaving Eeds and finishing in Tribune, KS.

Thursday, Sept. 23rd – Leaving Tribune and finishing in Dighton, KS.

Friday, Sept. 24th – Leaving Dighton and finishing in Rush Center, KS.

Saturday, Sept. 25th – Leaving Rush Center, going thru Great Bend to Lyons, KS.

Sunday, Sept. 26th – Leaving Lyons and going to the East edge of Hillsboro, KS.

Monday, Sept. 27th – Leaving Hillsboro to Emporia and turn South to finishing in Madison, KS.

Tuesday, Sept. 28th – Leaving Madison to Lone Elm then finishing in Mound City, KS.

Wednesday, Sept. 29th – Leaving Mound City to Pleasanton then Butler, MO. then finishing in Clinton, MO.

Thursday, Sept. 30th – Leaving Clinton on the Katy Trail finishing at Cooper’s Landing in Easley, MO.

Friday, Oct. 1st – Leaving Cooper’s Landing to Klondike Camp Ground in Augusta, MO.

Saturday, Oct. 2nd – Leaving Augusta to St. Charles then crossing the river into Illinois at Grafton then to Pier Marquette State Park.

Sunday, Oct. 3rd – Leaving PM State Park to Eldred then to home!

Feel free to email me about any part of my route and if you would like to ride along at any point along the way. Be glad to have ya. Bring some food!

Oh, by the way, this could be the last post before I depart, but I can’t promise anything.

Here's a rough map of the route:

View Untitled in a larger map

IN SEARCH OF GOLDEN NUGGETS (and Ice Cream)

2010-08-30T20:10:00.006-05:00

One thing I’d like to do as I travel each day is to find some type of “gold nugget”. This is not a literal gold nugget, of course, but something unusual or interesting that I can put in my daily posts. It might be a good story someone relates to me of their life or maybe their testimony of faith in Christ. It might be a, not so common, food I’ll eat. It actually might be common depending on where I’m at, but, not common to where I live….like grits are in the South. Yuck!

It could be just a beautiful landscape or mountain range that I’ve never seen before. Possibly a generous act of kindness a stranger does for me. It might be where I can find the best scoop of ice cream during the day. I know there have been some touring cyclists who have made a goal to find the best piece of pie during their travels. Maybe I’ll see how many different flavors of ice cream I can eat before I get back home. I got in the habit of rewarding myself with a bowl of ice cream after my training rides. I started sampling all the different pint size Ben & Jerry flavors. I’m not sure this was a good habit but it sure tasted good at the time.

I’ve found that the Bible is full of golden nuggets of information and blessings if you take time to search and look for them. The wonder of God’s Word is hard to explain at times. It’s just so good! A lot of times you can read and reread, then go back and rereread the same passage over and over and you’ll find something you never thought about before or God will reveal a truth you’d overlooked.

One of my favorite passages is found in Psalm 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” That should really motivate us into serving God and searching His Word.

Back to the ice cream…..yeah, I may just have to have a fun goal of sampling as many flavors as I can find between home and Colorado….and back again. That should help slow my pace down thru the day as well. The hard part may be breaking that habit once I get back home.

Well maybe THIS will be the last post before I leave.

ON YOUR MARK.....

2010-08-28T20:46:00.002-05:00

I had better be set….cause it’s almost time to go! Time has really flown by since I first thought up this bike tour a couple of years ago. I’m down to the final few days before departure. I’ve still got a lot to do. Today though, we are having a parade in our home town. It’s the perfect opportunity to pass out gospel tracts. And if you’ve never visited the Living Waters website you’re missing out on some of the best tracts and literature made. I’ve been giving out their Million Dollar tracts and witnessing coins for years. I highly recommend them. Visit their site at www.livingwaters.com.

I’ve been asked to give a radio interview about the trip this coming Thursday with Mission Network News out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It will be aired on Labor Day and you can go to their website to listen by clicking on the interview button. Visit them at www.mnnonline.org.

One thing I am very thankful for, and I know I’ll be repeating this as the next month unfolds, is everyone offering to keep me in their prayers as I travel. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate this. People I don’t even know have emailed me and offered encouragement, sometimes a bed to sleep in, and their prayers on my behalf. So, thank you very much to all of you. You have greatly blessed and encouraged me. Please keep my family in your prayers while I am away as well.

My next post may be the day I depart, so until then, remember, our Lord, first served.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

2010-08-23T12:14:00.010-05:00

This past Saturday I rode my last fully loaded training ride before my departure Sept. 3rd. I wanted to test the cargo one more time. Next Saturday is going to be pretty busy so it was now or never. I had everything balanced pretty good I think. The bike performed well. I weighed all the bags, the bike and the water the night before. The bike itself weighs in at about 45 pds. The cargo weighed 59 pds. and the five bottles of water around 11 pds. So, the Pilgrim will be laden with 70 pds. of stuff most the time. That weight will fluctuate a little as I go. Some food will be eaten but then replenished. Some media items handed out but then restocked at the half way point of the trip again.

I rode my normal training ride from my house to Woodson, then to Franklin, back to Woodson, then home, 46 miles total. I was surprised that it really didn’t take me much longer than I normally do it unloaded with the same bike. But, I was a little more tired of course.

My final hill coming into my hometown is pretty steep and I normally go right up it (usually panting) but I had a line of cars behind me and was just too tired this time. Half way up the hill there is a road to the left that goes into the town cemetery. It’s my way of escape in these situations. It has just a slight incline but mostly level and dumps me back out on the main highway just past the top of the hill. I took it.

Here are a few pictures from the route. I know…..some of them might make you squeamish, I’m sorry.

I normally see more dead frogs, turtles and birds, and a lot of possums, but I decided to spare you their photos. You might think the looks of them smashed on the road is bad, but you ought to try riding by them at 12 miles per hour and having to smell them! Yuck! But, there’s no getting around it (or them) when you’re traveling by bike. Plus, any picture of a dead snake is a good picture as far as I’m concerned.

Anytime I’m riding down a road I constantly have to be on the defensive and be looking for avenues of escape in case I get in a bad situation. That happened Saturday. I was getting ready to drop down over a steep hill and there was a car following me that wanted to pass (even though he was in a no passing zone). I could see, even though he could not, that there was another vehicle coming up the hill and that we all three were going to meet. To my right I approached a gravel entrance to a stock barn. Here was my way of escape. As the oncoming vehicle topped the hill I pointed to it, so the rear car could see it coming, then, I bailed off to the right and into the adjoining entrance. Everything turned out fine because I kept my cool and didn’t try and remain on the road in harm’s way.

As a Christian, it’s nice to have the assurance that God gives us, in that He will always offer us a way of escape when temptations come our way. We don’t always take the escape route because we think we know best or we want our will to be done instead of God’s will. Satan knows our weaknesses and will capitalize on them if we let him. But, God promises a way out and we need to keep our cool and turn to Him for help in those times. I’ve been hard headed and not taken the escape route before. We all live and learn but in many instances it is far better to learn and live.

I Cor. 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

LITTLE BOATS MUST KEEP THE SHORE, LARGER SHIPS MAY VENTURE MORE - THE CARGO LIST

2010-08-20T12:11:00.006-05:00

Usually, in the biking journals that I have read, they make a long list of all the paraphernalia that they carry on the trip. I’ll spare you all the minor details. I’ll just highlight a few of the major items and let the pictures do the talking. I’m sure that what I think I need and what I really need are two different lists. I may have to mail some stuff back home but time will tell.

As I was trying to pack all the gear in my panniers my youngest daughter walked by and asked if all that stuff was going with me. I said yes, I hoped so. She couldn’t believe it would all fit on the bike. Well, I’ve had it all packed and traveled with it before so it should all fit again. I’ve altered a few items since my maiden voyage but not a lot.

My front left pannier will be my kitchen, filled with food stuffs and my stove. I actually should have enough food to last me for about three days if needed. Of course, the weight of that pannier will increase and decrease depending on how often I resupply and how much I eat out of it.

The front right pannier will be my office, carrying my netbook, full fingered gloves (to help pad the netbook), collapsible dishes and possibly anything else that may overflow from the other panniers.

The right rear pannier will be my closet which will have all my clothes in it. Probably, too many clothes actually. Also, some zip ties, camp soap and a couple tire tubes.

The left rear pannier is the junk room. It will have everything else that won’t go into the other three bags. I’ll have some lights, toiletries, bike repair kit, shaver, spare water bottle, flip flops, pain killer (ah, that would be ibuprofen), first aid kit (that would contain band-aids, stretcher, wheelchair, lots of chocolate, Daisy my Basset) and other misc. stuff.

On top the rear rack I’ll lash down my tent, air mattress, pillow, bike fly, rain poncho, camp chair & mattress seat. Each of the rear panniers will have a water bottle in their rear pockets and rain covers in their attic. One of the rear panniers will have my rubber sandals hanging from it (kind of a rear bumper in case anyone gets too close).

The handlebar bag will house my tracts, BFTW brochures, digital camera, Bible, maps, Propel pouches, snack bars, sunglasses, pens, notebook and rain cover.
I have a small top tube pannier that will carry my rear tail light, knife, HALT spray, lip balm, phone & mp3 player.

On my person I’ll have a small, belly bag I guess you’d call it, that I’ll keep my wallet, journal, loose change and some tracts in. (I might not carry this depending on how my next test ride goes.)

Lastly, the Pilgrim, along with all the luggage plus myself, will be laden with a tire pump, one 24 oz. water bottle, a one and a half liter water bottle, rear mirror, a small seat bag for a multi-tool and tire gauge, two spare spokes, a computer, bell, two headlights, one taillight, a cable lock, an air horn and…..my sleeping bag on the front rack.

I’m sure I’ll be sorry I have some of this stuff, especially while climbing a tall hill, but hopefully I can put it all to good use. I pray I won’t run into any ill winds named Euroclydon during my trip as Paul did before he was shipped wrecked on his way to Rome. I’d hate to have to start throwing the freight overboard or casting off my tackle just to make headway.

I believe, as a Christian, that the closer I am to God and the more I meditate on His Word and study to grow more complete and mature in my walk with Him, that He will give me more responsibility and more opportunities to fulfill His purposes. If I am content with my relationship with Him and never do much to try and get to know Him more and His ways then I’ll be like that little boat and never venture out any further than I have to on the seas of life.

But, the more I get to know God and understand His ways and His hatred for sin; the more I understand the importance of obeying, following and submitting to His will and not my own. I can venture out further on life’s seas, even when the storms come, with the assurance that He is with me and leading me thru His righteousness. I have nothing to fear.

See, it all fit. I’m ready to go!

Colossians 1:10-17, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him. and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

30th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

2010-08-09T12:06:00.002-05:00

Today is my lovely wife Pat’s and my 30th Wedding Anniversary. God has blessed me with such a wonderful wife and I love her so much. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord.” The Lord has indeed shown me favor and I have found a good thing in her. Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you! - Mark

TIME IS SHORT

2010-08-08T07:57:00.004-05:00

Concerning my departure on the Million Dollar Tour, I’m down to the short rows. I’ve got a lot to do and a short time to do it before I leave. I feel like physically I’m pretty much ready and I know I’ll get stronger once I get underway. But, as far as having a number of projects and tasks completed at home and at work, I’m really pressed. So, I’ll do as much as I can and hope the rest will be waiting for me upon my return.

I took the bike in to the Village Cycle Shop in Jacksonville for a tune up and general look over. Jordie did a great job getting it adjusted. It shifts better and he said the rear axle was worn out so I got it replaced. Good thing I took it in. I won’t have been able to fix that on my own on the road. There isn't any bike shops between Quincy, Illinois and Denver, Colorado that I can find. I can’t say enough about the service that John, Judell and Jordie give at the Cycle Shop. If you’re ever in South Jacksonville stop in and see them.

Time is short on another front as well. Christ’s return is soon. Are you ready? Whether you want to believe it or not, God’s Word says that His Son, Jesus Christ, will be coming back to earth some day, and that could happened at any moment. If you’re a Christian you’re supposed to be about doing God’s business; telling others about God’s wrath, His grace, the Good News of the Gospel and living a life that is pleasing to God.

We should be witnessing as Christ did to the rich, young ruler. We can’t water down the Gospel message and only proclaim God as wanting us to live our “best life now”. God is a god of wrath and judgment and every person has broken His Laws. He will hold us accountable and we will stand before Him in judgment. But, He is merciful and doesn’t want anyone to perish, but, for all to come to repentance. He shows us His grace thru the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ, that was spelt for every man, woman and child on the Cross at Mt. Calvary. It’s a free gift that he offers. There’s no way you can purchase or earn it thru any good works or penitence.

We are to be about doing good works, though they won’t merit our salvation, just as Christ did while on earth. Though, it was an inconvenience to others, the good Samaritan showed compassion and love to the man he found beaten and broken along the way. We are to follow the example that Christ explained in that parable and, of which, Christ exemplified while walking among us.

So, time is indeed very short. Are you witnessing as often as you can thru word and deed? Do you have a Christ-like attitude and doing good whenever the opportunity comes? How’s your spiritual growth? Are you closer to God today than you were a yesterday, a week ago, a month ago or a year ago? Are you studying your Bible daily? You wouldn’t miss a meal each day so why would you not read God’s Word each day? The Apostle Paul says we should “examine ourselves daily”. How often do you do that? I know I need to more.

Take advantage of what time God has left you with. Never think there is always tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. Salvation is needed today. It will not do you any good to think that you’ll just ask God’s forgiveness or that you’ll turn to Him after you die. Scripture says that it will be too late then and you’ll spend eternity in Hell. So, turn to God today in true repentance and faith thru Jesus Christ. What are you waiting for?

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

2010-08-05T12:13:00.009-05:00

When I’m riding my bike, I usually like to listen to music. I’m totally the opposite when I’m in a vehicle, I prefer no music. But, the music seems to make the miles go by quicker and sometimes can motivate me up a steep hill when the right song comes on.

My first mp3 player was a Sansa. It worked great for a while but then it wouldn’t allow me to add any more songs to it. This happened, of course, after the warranty went out. I called the factory and they had me do some things with it but still it didn’t work. So, I decided I’d need a different one for my tour.

I was able to find a newer Sansa, the Sansa Fuze, that someone was selling on ebay. A real plus to winning it was that it already had about 750 songs loaded on it. Whoever had it liked about every genre of music you can think of. I deleted most of what I didn’t like and installed my own songs. I think it has about 850 on it so far. Which should be enough to last me for a 31 day trip, I think.

One feature that I like on mp3 players is the ability to shuffle the songs. I will start my practice ride with a particular song and then I never know what song will play next, it’s always unexpected.

Life seems to be the same way. We never know for sure what’s going to happen from one day to the next. Yeah, you can go into the same job, day after day, and do the same routine, but there is always the chance of something different happening each day, or a different opportunity that may arise. The unexpected could happen at any moment.

Sudden death is usually unexpected. People don’t normally like to talk about death, but, ten out of ten people die and we need to be as prepared for it as we possibly can. I heard news lately of three boys, aged 15-20, that were working at a grain elevator and one fell in a large corn bin. The other two jumped in to try and save him. Two of the boys died. That was an unexpected accident.

I have a number of friends that have developed cancer or other illnesses and none of them ever expected it. I work in an industry that accidents happen, no matter how many safety precautions you make, that are never expected. One of our employees was riding his motorcycle to work the other day and a deer ran out in front of him. He hit and killed the deer, destroyed the bike and barely escaped, what could have been, a fatal accident. He didn’t expect that to happen that day.

We don’t often know why things happen when they do. If we did, we’d probably try and be a little more prepared, or we should anyway. There’s nothing wrong with asking God “why” this or that happened but we should never doubt Him. We can’t see the big picture, just a small bit of it.

There’s a song by one of my favorite Christian groups, Go Fish, that is called Parade. Here’s how the lyrics go:

“Life rolls down the street right in front of me / Marchin’ to a rhythm of its own / Up, down, I feel like I’m livin’ on a slide trombone / Watchin’ it all with my heart parked in a tow-away zone / You never really know what’s comin’ up next / If you blink it’ll pass you by / Right when you think you’ve seen it all – Surprise! // You see the whole parade / From the beginning to the end / You know the route my life will take / You know exactly where I’ve been / ‘Cuz while I only see what’s goin’ by in front of me / You see the whole parade.”

Are you prepared for death? God’s Word says in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Everyone who has lived will someday stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Are you ready for that day?

Even though so many things in this life happen unexpected, I have an expectation that someday when I die I’ll be in the presence of my Lord Jesus and find rest in Him and my Heavenly home. I have gladness and joy in that hope. Proverbs 10:28 says, “The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.” I pray you might have my same expectation.

I’m thankful for what my God has in store for me and that there is nothing unexpected that happens that He does not know about. He always knows what’s best and His ways are just and right. I just need to make sure that I always allow Him to lead my parade.

FIELD TEST: PRIMUS ETAPACKLITE COOK STOVE

2010-07-24T16:05:00.006-05:00

I needed to fix myself some supper one night when Pat was away so I decided to see how my little camping stove would work. I had not field tested it yet so thought I’d give it a shot.

I had a bag of chicken flavored pasta that I was going to sample and see if it would be worth taking on the trip. I put two cups of water in the pot and kicked on the burner. This stove was highly recommended on-line and was given very high marks for fuel efficiency (80%) and ease of use. I took about 1-2 minutes to boil the water (faster than our indoor cook stove) and I put in the pasta which only took 7 minutes to cook. I let it sit for a couple minutes, placed the pasta in the larger of the two bowls that come with the stove, grabbed a slice of bread and had a feast sitting on my back porch. Very nice. It was a little more than I would normally eat but it would be the perfect amount during the bike tour. I was impressed with how the stove performed and clean up was a snap. Plus, the pasta was hot even to the last bite. I’ll really enjoy using this stove in the future.

THE TRAINING CONTINUES

2010-07-24T08:50:00.002-05:00

Though I’ve planned my bike tour during, what I believe to be, a prime time to ride weather wise, training in the Illinois heat and humidity in the summer stinks. It is so hot! It’s always good to try and get out on the road very early in the morning to beat the heat. There have been a couple 70+ mile rides that I really suffered on because I didn’t do just that. I’m going to actually be trying to cut my training miles back a little unless we experience an unseasonably cool day. I’ve only got six weekends left before I set sail so I have to take advantage of it.

Though cutting back my road miles I’ll try and increase my miles on the rollers indoors. I’ve learned that I’m not real fond of spinning. I don’t have the bike set up with a TV to watch and reading a book is too tricky. The best I can do is just listening to some tunes. That helps a little but I can’t put in near the time spinning as I can on the road of course. Plus there are no cows, clouds or road kill to look at (or smell). I’ll just have to make the best of it and console myself in the thought that before long I’ll be shoving off on the real thing.

THE SUPPORT CREW

2010-07-19T19:12:00.003-05:00

L to R: Grandson Landon, daughter Erin, son-in-law Justin, granddaughter Julia, wife Pat, daughter Samantha, dad Mark, daughter Heather, son-in-law Caleb.

Before I ever started planning my bike tour/missions trip/adventure I had to be confident that I would have a great support team back home. I think the longest that I’d ever been away from my family thus far has been about five days maybe, and that’s been a long time ago. Just because I take a leave of absence from home and my normal daily routine doesn’t mean the bills stop coming or the grass stops growing. There’s always plenty to do and life goes on.

My son-in-law Justin will be pretty much watching over four houses while I’m away; his own, my oldest daughter Sam’s, my youngest daughter Heather’s and mine. Thankfully, they are only spread out over a few blocks in the same town and within easy walking distance of each other. I’m confident he can handle whatever might come up with them. And speaking of grass, Pat is no stranger to yard mowing and Samantha’s started mowing her lawn as well. By September, I would hope, the grass growth would start to subside a little.

At work, I have about four people that will help carry my load while away. Hopefully, they won’t do it too well.  They are busy enough with their own work and I truly appreciate them taking on the extra inconvenience my job might cause them.

But, the best support I could ever get is given thru prayers that are lifted up on my behalf to our Heavenly Father. I know that my church family, my immediate family, my extended family in India, my friends and many others have been, and will continue to be, praying for me as I undertake this trip. I don’t take that lightly. Prayers accomplish much when spoken in faith and I’m counting on a strong support group in this area.

Some specific prayer requests would be:
• For my health between now and my return home.
• For protection while traveling on the highways.
• For my finances. Though not buying gas I will need to eat more than normal to keep my engine running.
• For opportunities to witness and pass out tracts. And that the Holy Spirit might convict and speak to individuals thru the message therein.
• That my bike will perform well and that I not have any major mechanic problems.
• For my family while I’m away.
• That only small, slow dogs will chase me and not big, fast ones (I’m serious).
• For the churches that I plan to visit and the ministries that God has blessed them with.
• For the churches that I visit that are without Pastors right now (there’s a couple).
• For Bibles For the World and the ministries that God has blessed them with.
• For Living Waters and the ministries that God has blessed them with.

There are other needs and requests that I’m sure will arise and I will mention those as things progress. But for now my thanks and heartfelt appreciation goes out to all who help support me in so many ways while my journey continues. May God bless all of you!

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE

2010-06-18T12:24:00.005-05:00

I took off on my first overnight camp Friday June 4th. I arranged with my brother to stay in the fire house where he works in Quincy, Illinois; then return home the next day. Two riding days back to back should tell me a lot about equipment set up, my physical shape and some other things to expect during the upcoming tour. I wasn’t disappointed. I learned a lot.

I made it up the hill at Florence, this time spraying myself down with gnat spray, and then stopped in Pittsfield to visit at a business that I deal with at work. It started off as an overcast day but soon turned bright and sunny. I had sun block on my legs but didn’t bother with my arms. This was a big mistake.

I made it to the half way point of Barry and stopped at a Wendy’s parking lot to have a couple PB&H(oney)’s and also to refill a couple water bottles. Then I took a lower road that paralleled some bluffs that led into Quincy on the West side of town by the Mississippi River. Even though I had four water bottles I almost ran out of fluids before I arrived at the Fire Station. I had underestimated how hot it was and how burned my arms would get once the sun popped out. My totals for the day were 66 miles with 6 hours road time and a 11 mph average. I didn’t think that was too bad considering I was carrying about 65 pounds of gear.

Once at the Fire House I took a good shower and my brother gave me the tour. I met the guys on his shift and then Tom and I just relaxed and talked until supper time. We had a good meal of pork steaks, rice, green beans and sweet tea. Very nice!

I’d always heard that cross country cyclists liked staying at Fire Houses because of the hospitality, food and showers. I think I can now say that they are right, except, for the fact that it was hard to get a good nights rest. With the radio and alarms and TV sounding, and, oh, did I say that it came a thunderstorm too with lightening and tornado warnings going off? Plus, the highlight of the evening (I mean morning) was that I went with them on a run at about 1:30 a.m. to get some poor guy off a church roof that had been in a dispute at a bar! Yeah.

Once back at the station I was finally able to drift off to sleep only to be reawakened at 6:30. The next shift would be taking over at 7:00 and I needed to get packed up and out of there. I have to say that it was a neat experience and I thank my brother and his fellow firemen for allowing me the experience of seeing what life was like in their world. Even though Tom told me it was a slow night compared to normal, it made me more thankful for my normal life and I appreciate how they put their lives on the line for others every day.

Once I rode to the East side of town, Tom and I had breakfast at a restaurant. Oh, did I say it was still raining pretty hard? After we ate I headed back home. I went about 10 miles and it finally stopped raining. That’s when I encountered the first of two steep hills Tom said I’d have taking a different route back. I would be up on the top of the bluffs this time instead of along the bottom like yesterday. I would ride on top for about 15 miles before I rejoined yesterday’s route back down in the bottoms.

The first hill I made up without too much struggle even though I had to gear down to my second gear. I coasted down to the bottom of where the second hill started and stopped for a drink (and to get psyched). This hill was not as long as the first but a steeper grade. One thing I told my brother that I did not want to do was to go into my lowest granny gear. I was saving it for the mountains in Colorado. Well, I made it up the second hill but granny had to help. Boy, I hated it that I had to drop into first, but it couldn’t be helped.

After that I just rode along and enjoyed the ride. I shed my rain jacket and decided I’d wait until I met up with the lower route to peel off the rain pants and my convertible pant legs. Then the unexpected happened. As I rounded a slight downhill turn there it was…..a third monster hill! My brother didn’t tell me about this one. He told me later that he….just forgot. Yeah, right. How convenient. This hill was longer and steeper than either of the first two. So, I stopped, took a long draw on my water bottle and got to it.

About half way up this, what looked like a mile long hill, I decide to stop. It had a good shoulder and I felt I could walk faster than I was peddling. It actually felt pretty good to walk for a while. So, I made it to the top and then had a nice downhill cruise to valley floor.

After that excitement it was just peddle steadily home. I stopped again at Wendy’s in Barry for a sandwich and to refill one bottle. It was all overcast the rest of the way home so I didn’t use up as much water as yesterday. One bad thing about both days’ rides was the awful, nasty, stinking road kill. The weeds along the roads had not been mowed and I came across a number of dead deer bloated and laying close to the edge just out of sight. I could smell them long before I saw them, of course.

I made it home about 4:00 pm with totals of 6.5 hours saddle time, 68 miles ridden and a 10 mph average. I learned a lot this first trip. One thing I learned is that I need to lighten the load a little more, plus, to never ride without sunscreen. I’ll make my adjustments and try and prepare for at least one more overnight camp before I head for Colorado.

A Million Details

2010-06-14T12:07:00.004-05:00

Little did I know when I dreamed up my upcoming bicycle tour that there would be so many details to work out. Everything from what and how much food to carry, to when and where I’d clean my clothes. I’ve actually got the food and clothes cleaning part down, I think, but now I’m trying to work out all the details concerning where I’ll be pitching my tent each night. Will it be a City Park, a church, a fire house, a motel (last resort), some one’s back yard, a cemetery (right before the last resort), a ball field or maybe even a bush camp? I have locations somewhat in mind for all the nights on the road except for getting permission from someone. That’s something that will take even more time.

I’m also micro-adjusting and scrutinizing all my gear. Trying to get the weight distributed just right, front to back, left to right, and not taking anything that I don’t think I’ll need. I examine and reexamine everything to determine its value on the trip. Some of it I just won’t know until I get on the road or do some test camps. Sometimes you can over analyze the most minor details and other times under analyze the major ones. Trying to wrap my pea brain around a lot of this stuff is like trying to fend off gnats while climbing a long hill at 6 mph (been there, done that). I can’t imagine how multi-member families plan cross country trips. I’m having a hard enough time doing it just for myself.

I think this all seems to be part of the challenge and the adventure of the trip as a whole. Developing a plan and gearing up for it correctly is important. It’s not just getting to the destination that’s important, but the preparation and getting out there and getting in the game and doing it that’s important as well.

But, it will be great to finally get on the road and experience what exactly lies out there instead of just reading about it. Perhaps what I might be looking for out there, is actually here, but here is just someone else’s out there that they may not have experience yet. But, until that time, I’ve got a million things to do and a short time to do it.

PROVISIONS

2010-05-31T07:06:00.008-05:00

This 50 year old engine’s got to have fuel to make miles while touring. I’m occasionally asked what I’ll be eating along the way. I’d like to say I’ll be stopping at nice restaurants for every meal but that’s not reality….and I can’t afford it. So my staple foods will be peanut butter and jelly or honey sandwiches. I’ll probably be eating those at least once a day mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Pre-breakfast will be some type of granola bar as I’m breaking camp and then I’ll proceed to look for a real breakfast stop 10-15 miles on down the road where I hope for a large stack of pancakes or an omelet of some nature. One of our local restaurants has something called a Mess. Its scrambled eggs with hash browns, onions and your choice of meat all mixed together. They are good! It would be great to have that every day for breakfast….or second breakfast.

Supper will be right before I reach my campsite for the evening at a restaurant or I’ll cook something like Ramen noodles, soup or some other boil-in-a-bag meal after I set up camp. Probably supplemented with more P,B & J. I’ll try and also snack thru-out the day with trail mix, Fig Newtons, a Pay Day candy bar (they don’t melt when traveling) or some fruit.

I’m still experimenting at this point to make sure I eat the right foods that will give me enough fuel for each day and that my body will adjust to. Eating the wrong foods could be disastrous and turn a fun trip into one that will be a struggle every mile.

THE SHAKEDOWN CRUISE

2010-05-30T20:47:00.003-05:00

Saturday, May 29th, I took the Pilgrim (yes I’ve decide that name will work) on its shakedown cruise fully loaded. Actually, I’d say I had about 95% of all that I plan on taking loaded. I wanted to see how the bike would perform under stress. The day before, I started laying out all the cargo for inventory and weighing. I’ve read a lot of articles about what cycling tourists feel is the right amount of weight to carry and what ratio front to back it should be. Well, once weighed, it was WAY over what is usually recommended. All the loaded gear, with five full water bottles, tipped the scales at about 75 pounds!

The morning I was to depart I started throwing stuff overboard to lighten the load. I was able to get it down to between 58-60 pounds. I was pretty happy with that and didn’t see how I could cull out anything else. Besides, I can always mail back home anything that I don’t use or that will be dead weight.

I’m using four panniers and a handlebar bag. I also have a small saddle bag for a multi-tool and tire patch kit plus two small stem bags for my cell phone, mp3 player and other small items. The tent, air mattress and a bag that houses my mattress chair and a small folding seat will be tethered to the top of the rear panniers. My sleeping bag fits nicely under the handlebar bag on the front platform rack.

As I walked the bike out to the street for the first time under load I wonder if I could even maneuver the thing. Or if I’d fall over once I started trying to peddle….with all my neighbors laughing. It seemed strange, whimsical and challenging all at the same time. Would pieces of luggage or bike parts start to fall off within the first block? Would I be able to get this ship whoaed when I came to cross-traffic? Well, all went fine and I was soon sailing West out of town to the cheers of all those who lined the streets to see me off (that last part I was just dreaming in my mind).

I was worried, although, about how well the front racks would take the load being secured to a front shock. But, my worries, again, were all for not, they did fine. The new 1.50” tires rode very well at 80 psi also.

There didn’t seem to be much wind, which suited me fine till I stopped for a drink. No wind means gnats! In our part of West Central Illinois we have pesky Buffalo Gnats. And they show no mercy and little concern about when to leave the area.

As, I said, the bike rode great and it seemed to take little effort to get it up to speed and then maintain it. The ballast seemed to make it want to pick up momentum. I was quickly running 15-16 mph and was a happy camper.

The plan was to ride to my mom and dad’s house about 15 miles away and then back home. I’ve taken this route many times and it’s the way I always go to work, plus, though the highway is in dire need of repair it’s flat and a piece of cake. I had gotten a later start so didn’t want to do much more in case something went wrong. What’s more, like always seems to happen, the wind might change direction and I could go from cruising at 15 mph one minute to fighting a 20 mph headwind the next (Illinois is like that).

I made pretty good time getting to my parents house and, somewhere before I got there, I decided I wanted to challenge a certain hill, Florence Hill, on the way home since I’d have to ride up the first day of my tour anyway. It wasn’t all that steep, but it was just a very long, gradual climb that I knew would tax my legs once I tried it loaded. It wasn’t a big deal unloaded and I’d rode up it a number of times in the past.

After I left mom and dad’s I headed for the hill about eleven miles away. It wasn’t on the route going home and I’d have to detour to get to it by about two miles. And, sure enough, the wind had switched directions…it never fails. It was now blowing about 5-10 mph East by South East. That wouldn’t be an issue until I headed back down the hill, crossed the Illinois River draw bridge and rode the remaining nine miles on home, directly into the headwind.

About five miles from the hill, the wind decided to change again and started coming, what seemed to me like anyway, directly out of the South….the direction I was heading into. Bad form wind! Bike riding in Illinois is usually about 10% physical and 90% mental. You can never out guess the wind. It’s as annoying as the gnats.

So, after dropping my cruising speed down to about 9 mph and riding in my lower mid-range gears, I finally made it to the hill. I didn’t even stop for a breather or to get psyched coming off the draw-bridge located at the bottom of the hill. I down shifted into the higher gears of my lower chain ring and pulled into the slower traffic lane that runs up the hill. An up-beat song started on my mp3 player so I was ready for action!

After about the first 50 yards or so I thought, “Hey, this ain’t too bad. I can do this…even loaded!” I did have to go ahead and gear down till I resigned myself to the reality that 3rd gear was the best I could hope for to get the job done.

Then it happened….the gnats! I had no wind to keep them at bay, I had forgotten my bug spray and I was travelling just slightly faster than I could probably walk and ma and pop gnat decided to bring all the kids and their friends to dine on me for supper. I couldn’t conquer the hill without opening my mouth for air and the gnats enjoyed seeing how many of them could enter my mouth with each breath.

I couldn’t believe it! I could see the top of the hill (what seemed like miles away) and I was trying to decide just how bad I wanted this. I wasn’t even half way up and the temptation to do a downhill U-turn and get the wind in my face to rid myself of these devils was tremendously tempting.

But no! I wanted to conquer that hill. No amount of these stinkin’ buggers was going to keep me from my goal! So, all I could do was try and maintain my 6 mph spinning and spitting. Spin, inhale, spit a gnat…spin, inhale, spit a gnat…spin, inhale, spit a gnat. I actually kind of got a rhythm going doing this and had made it about 75% of the way up the hill. I could see the top getting closer. Then it happened….I let something distract my rhythm and I spit on my handlebars! Aargh! The only thing that might have made this worse was if I was a tobacco chewer (which I’m not).

Man, I was mad! I was determined more than ever to get this job done. Spin, spin, spin (no time for inhaling and spitting, I was mad). I finally got to where the hill was starting to level out, and I really wanted to go further, but, I saw a good place to turn around before the slow lane merged with the fast lane so I took it. I did a U-turn, up shifted into my middle chain ring and headed down.

The rest of the ride would be pretty well uneventful after I started downhill, or so I thought. No gnats and I wasn’t in the mood to set a speed record going down so I just relaxed, stopped peddling, coasted at 27 mph and relished in the victory….I’d wait and count the gnat bites when I got home. But, for now, I was happy and the bike seemed to sail well at this speed.

My happiness was short lived. I cleared the end of the bridge to run into the 10 mph headwind with gusts probably pushing about 15 mph. Normally, I won’t let this type of wind bother me too much but I wasn’t on a bare bike. I was tired, I was pushing a 60 pound heavier bike and I cast a bigger shadow. So, I now found myself back at about a 6-8 mph spin, but, at least there were no bugs.

I occupied myself for the next eight miles thinking about that one pint container of Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream I had bought to enjoy after a ride such as this. It turned out to be a pretty good, yet challenging, maiden voyage for the Pilgrim. In less than a week I’ll be screaming up the hill again on my way over to where my brother lives in Quincy, IL. One thing’s for sure…I will be bringing the bug spray.

ONLY 100 DAYS TO GO!!

2010-05-25T12:02:00.003-05:00

That might seem like plenty of time to some folks but that’s not much time for me before I depart on the Million Dollar Tour. I’ve still got a lot to do and training is at the top of the list. Last Saturday I did my longest ride of the year so far, 70 miles. I’ll need to keep upping the mileage if I plan on being able to keep a 78 mile day average by the end of the trip. Right now my training rides are only averaging 35 miles per ride.

I’ll be doing a fully loaded test ride next Saturday and then the first weekend in June I’ll be riding to Quincy and staying overnight in my brothers firehouse and then returning the next day. It will be a couple 65 mile days back to back. That should really help me see how the bike performs and how well the gear will handle the ride.

I’ve still got some equipment to be tried and tested and some phone calls to make to some towns where I’ll be staying. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go by the time these next 100 days are up.

My Vessel

2010-05-19T12:05:00.001-05:00

I thought I’d show you the bike that I’ll be taking on tour. It’s not a designated touring bike, but I’ve converted it, as best as I could, from a Mountain bike to a Touring bike. It’s a 2005 Trek 3900. I’ve installed touring handle bars, cushion grips, 26” x 1.5” Bontrager Comfort Hardcase tires, front and rear racks, a compass, mirror, a two legged kickstand and fenders. I upgraded to touring pedals and a better computer. Also, I added a Brooks B-17 Flyer leather saddle. I was going to install my Brooks B-17 Champion saddle but thought I’d give the sprung version a try. So far, it’s not too bad.

Though it’s got an aluminum frame, it should be strong enough along with the mountain bike spokes for the trip. Its 24 gears will be better suited for climbing the hills (mountains?) than any other bike I own.

I debated about leaving the front shock on. It just adds weight and can be a hindrance going up steep hills. But, I thought that it might be better to leave it to absorb some of the bumps. My body could use all the help it can get. Plus, I’ll be hauling a Netbook in one of the front panniers and maybe it would help cushion its ride. I’ll be on some unpaved roads in Colorado and it might prove beneficial then as well.

A lot of cycling tourists name their bikes, some don’t. I’ve never actually named any of my bikes (I own six at this time, I think) but thought that maybe this one might could use one. I’m not that crazy about giving it a name the way some people would name their pets. I’d prefer to give it a name like you would a tool or a piece of useful machinery, a locomotive or a Space Shuttle. Some of the largest pieces of construction equipment had personalized names.

I’ve heard it said that touring bikes are like sailing ships. They travel at their best with a good tail wind and that’s what us bike riders prefer. Ships also carry large amounts of cargo and often are overloaded. A lot of touring bikes would appear that way as well. So, for now, I’ll try and come up with a name from an old, tall masted, cargo ship from the past to tag it with. Any ideas? One idea I had was The Pilgrim since I love the works of the Reformed Baptist Preacher John Bunyan and especially his book Pilgrim’s Progress. There was a cargo Brig in the 1830’s by that name. I’ll have to give it some thought.

I’ll show pictures of the bike fully loaded soon.

The Joys of Training

2010-04-24T16:13:00.005-05:00

Training for anything can be fun, but, it can also be a pain….literally. My intent was to be riding the bike I had set up on rollers all thru the winter months. It didn’t happen. So, I actually didn’t get started until my birthday on Mar. 17th.

Because of my work schedule it’s hard to get out on the road except on the weekends. I usually try to do a long ride on Saturday and then a shorter ride between church services on Sunday afternoon. Thru the week I’ll try and be on the rollers at least three nights.

The roads I train on have a good supply of rolling hills and smooth roads. But, they are lacking shoulders. It’s pretty tough riding with traffic when you don’t have decent shoulders. There are a lot of oil-chipped roads around too. I don’t mind riding on them with my touring bike but I’m not too keen on using my road bike on them. The touring bike has a lot more absorption and comfort.

I think the bottom line is to get in shape. I need to get my legs strengthened to handle those 75-100 mile days plus the higher elevations in Colorado. I’m blessed to have a good variety of different types of roads within riding distance from my home. If I need steep hills, I got ‘em. If I need smooth flats with headwinds, I got ‘em. If I need a series of rolling hills, they’re there. If I need gravel roads…..wait, I never need those! Mountains? An old friend took me riding thru the hills south of Glasgow the other day. At the time they seemed like mountains! I even had to walk part way up one. Now I have a new objective!

At this point I’ve got a little over four months to prepare myself physically, so, I have to be disciplined in doing that. It’s the same way with growing in the Lord. A Christian has to be disciplined in studying their Bible everyday and to be in a prayerful attitude all day. A commitment to service and obedience is important to, not only to their growth, but to the growth, encouragement and well being of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Trusting in God takes discipline and determination. A healthy fear of God is equally important.

Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

To do this tour I need to be fit and in shape. I need to be healthy and strong internally as well as externally. The next four plus months are going to be very busy and hard on me and, if the training doesn’t kill me, I pray I’ll be ready.

FAQ'S

2010-04-22T19:38:00.003-05:00

Q: Why are you doing this trip?
A: Check my March post entitled “Commemorating the 50th”.

Q: What route will you be taking?
A: Check my April post entitled, “The Route – Winchester to Winchester…via Colorado”.

Q: How long will you be gone?
A: I’ve allotted myself 31 days but will be trying to cut it down to 30 days. Leaving Friday Sept. 3rd and back by Sun. Oct. 3rd.

Q: How many miles will you ride?
A: I don’t have the exact mileage figured yet but around 2000 miles.

Q: Is anyone going with you?
A: At this time, no…and no one’s volunteered yet either! It’s hard to find anyone that is willing to take off during the time I’m going but I’m open for volunteers.

Q: Are you worried about traffic?
A: Yes and no. I use my head and am always watchful and cautious. I have two mirrors and I listen for what’s coming up behind me. There are a lot of people who don’t follow the Rules of the Road and have no idea what to do around bikes, especially passing from behind. I always have to be on the defensive.

Q: Where will you be staying?
A: I’ll be tent camping most the time in City Parks, camp grounds, State Parks, or people’s yards. Occasionally, I may try staying in or at churches and possibly a firehouse, yet, it might be hard to run across manned firehouses since I’ll be steering clear of bigger cities. The weather could force me into a motel room but I prefer to tent camp. I will stay with a friend and relatives between Denver and Pueblo. I would like to stealth camp a couple times if I can find the right places.

Q: How much food and gear will you carry?
A: I’ll try to take enough food to get me by for about two days. I’ll be eating lots of peanut butter and jelly or honey sandwiches. Gear wise I want to carry only what I need and hopefully it will be around 40 total pounds. I’ll know more when I do my practice camps and rides this summer.

Q: Will you carry any weapons?
A: Yes, a sword, God’s Word. And, mace for the dogs.

Q: How many miles will you ride a day?
A: It will be as low as 65 miles and possibly as high as 137 miles. I hope to average between 75-80 miles per day.

Q: What time will you start riding each morning?
A: I hope to be on the road no later than 6:30 each morning and put most my miles in before noon.

Q: What about rest days?
A: I’ll take about three rest days at my family’s house in Denver, after riding for 11 days straight, and one rest day at my friends house three days after I leave my relatives house. Then, no rest days till I get home.

Q: How do you train for the tour?
A: I hit the road on the weekends, riding as many miles as I can. Three days a week, I ride the bike set up on my rollers at home.

Q: What kind of bike will you ride?
A: I have a 2005 Trek 3900 mountain bike that I converted into a touring bike. It has street tires, touring handle bars, racks, fenders, 24 speeds and misc. other items that help it be more suited for the highway and hills. It does have the original front shock that I have mixed feelings about. The shock just adds more weight that I have to deal with, but on the other hand, at my age I can use all the shock absorbing I can get.

Q: How much will it cost you a day to travel?
A: It will depend on a number of things…how much I want to eat at restaurants, camping fees, supplies, a rare motel room maybe. I hope to keep it as low as possible but I’ve heard some cyclist say that $15-$35 is the range. I hope to try and get by for around $20 a day, if possible. Instead of three meals a day, I’ll need four to keep up my strength. Dumpster diving and assorted road kill could help curb my costs greatly (just kidding Mom). One thing’s for sure, I won’t be buying any gas! Whoopie!!!

Gear - The Stuff I Think I'll Need

2010-04-12T11:59:00.005-05:00

Some people take a lot of gear on tour and some go ultra light. I’m shooting for the middle. I have about 95% of all my gear excluding food. I’ll try and carry about two days worth of food with me in case I’m in an area sparse on services. It’s possible that some of the least used stuff will be shipped back home once I get on the road.

When I started making a list of what I thought I might need to take, I was surprised at how much it actually was. I studied other cyclist’s blogs and journals, along with product reviews, to try and determine what would fit me best during the trip. Hopefully my research will pay off. I think the most important things are comfort while riding the bike and comfort while sleeping. Both of these areas will be tested and tweaked over the next few months.

Some of the items I bought have yet to be tested, by me anyway. I’ll try and occasionally post some product reviews as I start to actually use them. I won’t bore you with reviews and details on all the items but the major ones only, like the cook stove, net book, camera or the tent per se.

Later, I’ll post a picture of everything laid out before I attempt to stuff it all within my panniers. My wife doesn’t believe I can get all the items I think I need on the bike and ride it too. We’ll see.

You Gotta Have Goals

2010-04-10T18:13:00.002-05:00

I have a number of personal goals that I hope to achieve while doing this tour. I’ve listed them in no particular order and I’m sure I’ll add or subtract from the list as my plans develop. I would appreciate your prayers in trying to meet these goals.

1. Be in good physical condition before I start.
2. Be in better physical condition when I finish.
3. Have everything and everyone at work prepared to cover my job while gone.
4. Not have any sickness or migraines.
5. Meet my daily mileage distances.
6. Hand out at least 300 Million Dollar Bill Gospel Tracts.
7. Share my testimony for Christ to at least one person each day.
8. Ride on the Trans Am Trail.
9. Ride on the Santa Fe Trail.
10. Ride the complete length of the Katy Trail.
11. Update my blog each day (this depends on a Wi-Fi signal).
12. Raise money for Bibles For The World (no set amount yet).
13. Make it up the mountains without walking.
14. Out running any dogs.
15. NO flat tires!
16. No mechanical breakdowns.
17. A shower every other day (pray hard for this one).
18. A $20 daily allowance or less.
19. Take time to smell the roses.
20. Not getting too sunburned.
21. Start each day early.
22. End each day early.
23. Make it back home for my family reunion.
24. Make as many church services as possible.
25. Have fun.

The Route – Winchester to Winchester….via Colorado.

2010-04-09T12:31:00.002-05:00

Planning the route I’ll be taking is quite the undertaking. It’s actually just one big loop. There are many options and things to consider. Along with finding a somewhat direct course, it also has to be roads that are bike ride worthy…..good shoulders, smooth pavement, low traffic count, ample services and so on. Then I have to factor in where I’ll be laying my head for the night…..City Park, church, firehouse, hotel, grassy meadow, etc. Plus, I need to try and have a Plan B in case Plan A goes amuck.

So far, I’ve got about 75% of the route plotted I’d guess. Some of the areas you would think would be the easiest to map have ended up being the hardest. The closer to big cities I go the more difficult and time consuming it is to try and figure out how to get thru them. But, it’s all a part of the challenge of the trip.

Day one will take me from my home in Winchester, Il., elevation 546 ft., to my brother’s home in Quincy, Il., an easy 65 mile ride to get my legs warmed up. From there I’ll head into the northern part of Missouri and ride a fairly direct route due west until I cross over the Missouri River into Nebraska at Big Lake Mo. Total miles across the state will be about 265.

The Nebraska leg will be run parallel of the Kansas state line yet just a few miles north. It’s made up mostly of Routes 136 & 34. Total mileage for Nebraska will be around 387. My last night’s stay in Nebraska will, hopefully, be in the town of Benkelman. The next morning will be Sunday and I plan on crossing the state line and attending Morning Worship at a Baptist church in Wray, Co.

I’ll continue on south of Wray till I hit Route 36 then set my sights westward for Denver. I’ll stay overnight in the little town of Joes and then, the next day, attempt to ride the complete remaining miles to my Aunt and Uncles house at Lone Tree, elevation 5960 ft., in one 138 mile day. That will bring to a close eleven days on the road and a well deserved few days rest.

After some R & R with my relatives I’ll take a short ride to Bibles for the World’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, the midway point in my trip. The next morning I’ll continue south towards Canon City and the Royal Gorge area. I’ll have to cross the Wet Mountains to get to my friend Randy Bringmans new log home in Westcliffe, southwest of Canon City. I believe the highest elevation over the mountains will be at a place called McKenzie Junction at 8359 ft. After a weekend with Randy I’ll start back east towards Kansas. This is the section that I don’t have mapped out yet. I have a number of options and it may be a while until I’m clear as to what to do. I’ll run part of the Trans Am Trail and have thought about also hopping on the Santa Fe Trail. For now, let’s just say I’ll be crossing Kansas aiming for the west end trailhead of the Katy Trail in Clinton, Mo.

The Katy Trail is an old rail line that has been converted to a limestone bike path 225 miles long from Clinton to St. Charles, Mo. I’ve ridden different sections of the Katy before but have had a long time goal of riding the complete 225 miles someday. No better time than this trip. Once I’m off the Katy I’ll cross the Mississippi River back into Illinois at Grafton and proceed along the Illinois River back home to Winchester. Total elevation gain for the trip is about 7815 ft.

These route plans may change between now and the start of the trip and maybe even during the trip. I hope to average about 75-80 miles a day but I also hope to shave off at least one full day from my schedule so I have a rest day before returning to work. Once I get everything mapped out I’ll post the total miles.

The Million Dollar Tour

2010-03-26T12:00:00.001-05:00

Someone asked me why I was calling my bike tour the “Million Dollar Tour”. “Was it because that’s what it will cost to do it?” Well, no, but it would almost seem to be.

Actually, one thing that I love to do is handout Million Dollar Bill gospel tracts. People love to get them and they have the Gospel message on the back. They come from a company called Living Waters which is the store front for their Way of the Master ministry founded by Ray Comfort and run with the help of Kirk Cameron. I plan to try and hand out at least 300 of them as I travel on my trip. Please be in prayer that whoever receives the tracts, and doesn’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, will give their lives to Him before it’s too late. You can order your own Million Dollar Bill tracts at http://www.livingwaters.com/.

Bibles For The World

2010-03-25T19:34:00.001-05:00

Bibles For The World is an organization that is based in Colorado Springs. They send New Testament Bibles all over the world. They have many ministries and one that my family is involved in is sponsoring a child in India. We’ve sponsored a girl named Daisy since 2001. She’ll turn 19 this June. BFTW also brings a children’s choir to the U.S. every year made up of about 23 Indian kids from the ages of 9-12. Daisy was a part of the 2002 choir, her younger brother Kevin and a cousin were in the 2006 choir, and her younger sister Esther was in the 2008 choir. We got to meet all of them and have them stay in our home when our church hosted them. We were so excited and very blessed.

Bibles For The World helps countless people in Northeast India during time of famine and drought. Thru BFTW, you can sponsor a child, seminary student or missionary. They have a Stewardship and Estate Planning program. You can help to rebuild and expand a flood ravaged hospital. You can supply food for hungry families. And, you can help send Bibles all over the world to those who are in need of reading God’s Good News in their own language.

I have decided to partner with Bibles For The World by trying to raise funds for their many evangelistic ministries. I’ll be taking pledges towards how many miles I actually ride on the trip. I’ll be asking my home church, Westfair Baptist Church, to get involved and also any churches I visit along the way. If someone would pledge, say, a penny a mile, then that would only be about $20 since I figure it’s about a 2000 mile journey. They could pledge 1-1/2 cents or 2 cents or whatever they wish. Anything would help and be appreciated.

All donations will go directly to BFTW. They just have to be in form of a personal check and the words BIKE TRIP or BIKE RIDE put in the memo space. I will receive no compensation for my part. Also, all donations are tax deductable and you will receive a receipt from BFTW.

They are a great organization and I look forward to meeting their office staff when I visit Colorado Springs. Please email me for any further information on how you can be a part of their work around the world. You can visit their website at http://www.bftw.org/.

Commemorating the 50th.....

2010-03-25T13:36:00.001-05:00

This year I turned 50 years old and, since my memory will be worse than ever now, I felt I needed a way to commemorate this milestone. So….. I’m going for a 2000 mile bike ride. I started planning the tour a couple years ago, not actually knowing whether it was possible to do or not. I got the approval from my employer for my vacation time and, more importantly, I got the approval from my wife Pat.

The plan is to ride a large loop from my home in Illinois, into northern Missouri, veering up into southern Nebraska, then drop down into Colorado to the home of my Aunt and Uncle who live in Lone Tree, south side of Denver. I’ll then visit Colorado Springs and the office of Bibles For The World (more about them later). Then I’ll continue south to Canon City and visit a long time friend. After this I’ll head east towards home. I’ll head into Kansas and ride on the Trans Am bicycle route and maybe pick up the Santa Fe Trail. After a short ways on them I’ll cross into mid Missouri and get on the Katy Trail and ride its entire 225 mile length to Old St. Charles. Then it will be just a day’s ride on home. I’ll start the trip on Friday Sept. 3rd and plan to be back no later than Oct. 3rd (if possible).

I plan to tent camp the entire tour, unless severe weather would drive me indoors. When not staying overnight with friends or family I’ll be in city parks, firehouses, churches and campgrounds. Stealth camping may happen a few times as well.

At this time, I will be going solo, unless someone between now and start time volunteers to go along. You’re only as fast as your slowest rider and, since I’m on a tight time schedule, I’ll not have a lot of time to stop and sight see. I also won’t take time for rest days until I reach my relatives house and later my friends home. I also think it’s easier for me to plan this trip by myself and if I mess up some way, I’m the only one to blame.

I hope you’ll frequent my blog to follow along with my training and preparations and then the tour itself. Please feel free to leave comments, greetings and suggestions. Please forgive any typing errors. I would love to hear from you. I will also covet your prayers throughout the year as I embark on this adventure. I know it will fill me with many memories, some good and probably some….not so good. But, that’s part of the journey and adventure.

The Beginning...

2010-03-24T18:01:00.004-05:00

My first experience in bicycle touring was back in August of 2005 when my friend Steve Ford and I went on a 78 mile test ride of the Katy Trail from Old St. Charles, MO. on westward towards Sedalia. We were planning a multiday trip the next month but wanted to check out some places to spend the night and the services along the way. After turning around to head back, a bad storm headed our way. The temperature dropped, the rain and hail began, the winds became fierce, the lightning cracked, tree branches were falling and the trail became like cold oatmeal. We felt pretty helpless standing in the middle of the trail while the brunt of the storm passed. We couldn’t have jumped in the nearby Missouri River and been any wetter.

We were able to make it back even though a tornado had passed thru and left some trail damage in its wake. Parts of Old St. Charles were left without power. Some trees were down across the trail. It was a great adventure and one I’ll never forget.

A few weeks later, the anticipated trip day arrived. We only spent one night camped on the trail at a bike shop at Marthasville but it was a great experience and one that I have longed to do again. The weather was much better and we got to visit with many people along the trail. A good time was had by Steve and I both.

My love for bike riding goes back to when I was first able to ride a bike, around age 5. I didn't lose the training wheels until around age 7 though. I rode quite a bit from that age on thru high school. Once I was able to purchase my first car though, my bike riding days took a back seat. And once I got married those days moved from the back seat to the trunk. There never seemed to be time or much of an interest after I could drive. I think I rode my bike to work once in a while but that was not far, only about a block away.

That long lost love was renewed back in 2003 when my wife asked me if I’d be interested in going on a bike ride with some of our church friends down on the Katy Trail. She never knew the impact that question would have on me. If she did, she probably would never have asked.