Bicyclists are taking to the cross-country highways this year to gain experiences at a slow pace and to promote and raise money for charities.
One awesome example is the Bike for BJ tour.
In high school 10 years ago, friends Nick Blankenburg and Sean Ryan made plans to ride their bicycles cross-country. Before they could accomplish that goal, however, Blankenburg was injured in a car accident at age 17 that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
That delayed them, but it didn't stop them. The pair are nearing completion of a 3,200-mile TransAmerica bike ride with Ryan pedaling a three-wheel recumbent — a Trimuter — and Blankenburg riding in a trailer behind.
The two grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and are attending the University of Arizona. Their trip is called Bike for BJ, named for another high school chum, BJ Carlson, a paraplegic who provided inspiration and motivation to Blankenburg after his accident. Carlson was attending college when he died last year.
The two set out from San Diego on May 14 to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; they hope to raise $15,000.
The biggest obstacles for that pair have been the hills, naturally, and the heat. Also, by reading through their blog, a van, driven by friends or family members, that is accompanying their trip has suffered its share of mechanical problems.
According to an article in the Gainesville Sun, the pair are expected to finish in St. Augustine on Sunday.
The GABA
While Blankenburg and Ryan are wrapping up their bike ride, Virginian Andy Robinson (at right in the picture at right) and British friend Dominic Smith are just starting out. They've embarked on a TransAmerica bike tour to raise money and awareness for the World Wildlife Fund.
Robinson told the Hampton Roads (Va.) Daily Press that he got the idea for a cross-country trip from a family friend. “He said that it was an excellent experience, a confidence-building event. And to see the country at less than 65 miles per hour is something everyone should be able to do.”
Both are recent graduates of the North Carolina School of the Arts; they plan to film their experiences.
Leaving from Yorktown, Va., on Aug. 4 accompanied by Marcyanna Johnson, the two met up with TransAmerica cyclists finishing up their west-to-east adventures who filled them in on the “complications” of crossing the Appalachians. (I can imagine the “complications” … lots of hills and lots of coal trucks.)
You can follow their adventures, and donate to the World Wildlife Fund, on their website — The Great American Bicycle Adventure.
Cycling for Haitian kids
Midway on his TransAmerica trip is Jesse Johnson. He began his cross-country trip on July 15 on the 200-mile Seattle-to-Portland ride with 8,000 other cyclists. They stopped in Portland, but Johnson kept riding, often covering more than 100 miles a day.
Johnson is raising money for the Haiti Kids Foundation, a Seattle-based foundation that he chairs. Planning to ride 4,000 miles to Miami in 40 days, Johnson last reported in a few days ago from St. Louis.
What was to be a solo ride, the Bike for Haiti Kids ride has turned into an entourage including his wife and daughter. His mother and a cameraman/sound grip/family friend named Ken are travelling along as well to provide the video diary (requires latest QuickTime) and film a documentary of the trip.
The Haiti Kids Foundation aims to support the work of orphanages in or near Port-au-Prince; its long-term goals are to develop new orphanages and strengthen living environments for all Haitian children. Johnson says too many children live on the streets in Haiti, where a child is more likely to die by age 5 than anywhere else in the world.
His website tells where and how to donate.
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