Ridin' In The Basement!

Margaret, since her hip replacement, has become some kind of Bionic Woman going to the gym three or four times a week, walking with a pedometer and a goal of 10,000 steps a day, doing pilates in the mornings at church, and eating according to her Weight Watchers Pocket Guide. By the way, the meals at home are not only incredible but incredibly good for both of us.

I'm fairly active and I do ride my bike but Margaret informed me that she heard on Doctor Radio, "If you go work out at the gym and come home and sit on the couch you're nothing more than a couch potato who goes to the gym." Well I don't come home and sit on the couch but she said I need to be a little more active. Okay! So I took her up on it and I've decided I would do my best to ride at least thirty miles a day for fifty-one consecutive days. (Fifty one days is what it took me to pedal across America in 2009.) So for my first four or five days, guess what . . . it rained! But! I rode anyway.

Parked, notice I used the word parked, my basement is an almost new Giant stationary training bike. I haven't been using it much. In fact, I had just considered putting it on craigslist to sell for a fraction of what it cost. But . . . while it's still here I've decided to use it.

I've been at it now for a weekend a day and so far I'm right on target with eight days down and forty-three to go! Check this out:

Friday - thirty miles.

Saturday - thirty miles.

Sunday - thirty miles.

Monday - thirty miles.

Tuesday - 57.26 miles.

Wednesday - thirty-two miles.

Thursday - thirty-one miles.

Friday - 33.5 miles.

Do the math! That's 273.76 miles in eight days. (Not all of that total is basement riding but most of it is.) Now I'm certainly not bragging but do hope Margaret reads this and backs off on her Couch Potato Advisory Board stuff. After all, I am trying and 273 miles in eight days isn't too bad.

I have been able to use the cross country ride of 2009 as encouragement as I continue doing the thirty mile days. When I get up early in the morning to ride, usually five-ish, the first obstacle is getting out of bed. I really do like mornings, I only wish my bed wasn't so doggone warm and snuggly when my eyes open each day! I'll be wide awake and ready to go. Sleep doesn't tempt me to stay covered, warmth does. Then the thought hits me, "When I rode across America I had to get up, get over it, get dressed, and get on the bike and go." So that's what I do.

If I get hungry or thirsty, I think, "When I rode across America and got hungry I stopped somewhere that had food and I ate." So that's what I do.

When I get close to the thirty mile target and I'm tired and dripping sweat and starting to stink, I just think, "When I pedaled across America and got to within four or five miles of our motel for the night, I kept pedaling until I reached the motel." So that's what I do.

As Yogi Berra, winner of ten World Series rings and member of The Baseball Hall of Fame, once said, "It's deja-vu all over again." He also said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" I'm not sure about the fork advice but I am doing the cross country ride all over again but right now I'm doing it in my basement!

To make time fly a bit faster I've decided to watch a movie while I pedal each day. I thought I'd read a book but by the end of ten minutes of pedaling I'd be only two pages into the book and it would be soaking wet! Sweat does that to a book, you know? So I stuck with the movies. I've watched The Help, The Great Raid, Invincible, Ocean's Eleven, Schindler's List, Miracle, and October Sky so far. I've even watched Lance Armstrong win his 5th Tour deFrance. (He beat me by only a few seconds!)

When it comes right down to it, riding in the basement isn't even close to the real thing. And riding in the basement is, in my opinion, harder than riding on the road. For one thing, riding in the basement gives you no time for downhill recovery. It's pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. Without pedaling there will be no miles, zero, added on the cycle computer. There's also no rain, wind, traffic, scenery, dogs, or hills. Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal! That's it! Pedal!

For the safety-seekers, there are no risks. Even though it is harder, it is also safer to pedal in the basement. Nobody has ever been hit by a truck or chased by a dog while riding in a basement. So if you're the kind of person who worries about riding in the real world, welcome to the basement. One of the big problems for basement riders is this, it's not real. When I ride in the basement I'm pedaling but I'm not going anywhere. Even when I pedal my thirty miles for a day I'm still in the basement and end up right at the very same spot where I started thirty miles ago. Lots of miles but all in one spot! Sure I can watch movies and feel like I'm somewhere else but even the movies are not real, except for Lance doing the Tours. Therefore, according to my experiences, basement riders work hard, stay safe, but miss out on the very real experiences of doing what bikes are designed to do.

Too many people are satisfied just riding in the basement. They don't care if they're just spinning their wheels! They don't care that it's not real. After all, it's safe in the basement. You won't get killed by lightning, a huge dog won't clamp down on one of your legs and send you crashing to the asphalt, you won't crash going down a mountain slope, and you won't end up on the front bumper of an eighteen-wheeler. Yep, it's safe!

I have a feeling lots of people live life like that. They're in their basements, pedaling like crazy, and going nowhere fast. But they're safe. Down there they can't find boats to rock, lines to cross, or boxes in which to color. They are imprisoned in their own basement safety! Do you really think God's plan for man is safety? Why are we commanded to put on armor in Ephesians 6:11? Why do you suppose Jesus warned his disciples as he sent them into the world? "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves" (Matthew 10:16). Does that sound like a safe mission to you?

In verse 17, Jesus also says, "But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues." Maybe those guys should have headed for the basement where it was safe after all. But they didn't, they chose to take the risks and change the world instead.

World changers won't stay in basements! That would drive them crazy and they'd be bored stiff. No, world changers would be digging tunnels, breaking basement windows, or cutting holes in the walls and floors to get to the real world. Along with all the dangers, hazards, dogs, and eighteen-wheelers, there is a kaleidoscope of God's incredible craftsmanship everywhere one can see. His craftsmanship is out there whether it's the snow on Washington Pass or the mist coming off of Lake Erie, the kazillions of ducks in North Dakota or the big sky blanketing Montana, the sunrise over the Green Mountains of Vermont or the people of America who say to bikers pedaling through, "You must be crazy."

I'll most likely make no significant changes in the world but I'm certainly not staying in the basement. Whenever possible I'd like to color outside the lines with brilliant colors and bold strokes, rock some boats and maybe even sink one or two, push it to the limits, and step over the line sticking my tongue out at the devil every chance I get. The world needs followers of Jesus who will get out of their safe basements into the daylight where they can experience the wonder of God's creation and the mystery, suspense, and dangers of living a life committed to Him. That's where I want to live. How about you?

Erwin Raphael McManus, in his book The Barbarian Way said,

"The civilized build shelters and invite God to stay with them; barbarians move with God wherever He chooses to go. The civilized Christian has a routine; the barbarian disciple has a mission. The civilized believer knows the letter of the law, the barbarian disciple lives the spirit of the law. The religiously civilized love tradition; the barbarian loves challenges. The civilized are satisfied with ritual; barbarians live and thrive in the mystical. For the civilized disciple, religion provides stability and certainty; for the barbarian, a life in God is one of risk and mystery.

"And maybe even a little insanity."

Are you crazy?

A Bicycle Love Story

Bikes and I go a long way back. I don't know where dad got my bikes but I know I had my share and good ones too. They were always used but they were always good! My favorite was a Raleigh 3-speed. I called it my English Bike because it was not made in America, had changeable gears, skinny tires, a lighter frame, and there were not too many around, at least not in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania in the forties!

My bike was my key to freedom. As a kid I could go anywhere and everywhere. I pedaled all over Shrewsbury, Glen Rock, Hungerford, New Freedom, Railroad, and every other little town nearby. One of my most adventurous rides was a ride to Hanover just to get an ice cream cone. Hanover is about twenty miles from Shrewsbury. A forty mile ride for a quickly devoured ice cream cone. But it sure was worth it!

I found out last week about another bike ride that was an important part of my family as well. I don't know what kind of bike it was. I'm not sure if it had skinny tires or fat tires, gears or single-speed, English or American. All I know was it was a very important bike and a very interesting story.

The story begins near East Berlin, Pennsylvania, more than 60 years ago, with a young man whose buddy had a girlfriend over in West York. And wouldn't you know she's got a cute friend--Nancy. There's a summer romance separated by 15 miles and a county line that was crossed again and again and again . . . on a bicycle. Richard, 20 years old at the time, was pedaling faithfully all the way, both ways, every day, and many times.

There were dates to the bowling alley, then a ring, six kids, bunches of grandkids, ups and downs, and life together for 61 years!

Missy, the youngest of the couple's six children, said her parents met and fell in love as teenagers. Her dad often joked about his regular bicycle trips from his home to York, where Nancy lived. "I'm not even sure exactly how they met," Missy said. "But he would ride his bicycle down to see mom, I think, every night."

"They married young, started a family and made a home in Hanover. All of their children--three girls and three boys still live in the area," Missy said.

"Getting by for years on just dad's truck-driver's salary, the family was hardly wealthy." But they did all they could for their children. I couldn't ask for a better set of parents," Missy said.

With a lifetime of cherished memories, soon a black-and-white picture of the couple, holding one another and smiling at Richard's 80th birthday party last year, became another memory. That picture was used in the York Daily Record's obituary column last week. Twice.

Nancy, 77, died at home on a cold Sunday morning in Hanover. She died in her sleep, peacefully. The family met, cried, remembered. The clock on the wall said 12:25. They would now head to the York Hospital to deliver the bad news. Richard was not thinking as clearly as he was just days before. The family who feared that their dad would have to be put in a home--a place he'd often made them promise he'd never be taken--was listening as Richard was saying things no one could understand and was asking for a drink of water. The clock in his room was stuck on 12:25.

Family members tried to comfort him with words and water as he said over and over, "Pull me up." It continued that way for some time and finally there was a long, deep breath, a pause, and then theses words from a man who served his country in wartime, and then saw it from a truck's cab with his wife by his side.

"Hold me tighter now."

A minute later he was gone.

Off to be with the woman he fell in love with 60-plus years ago. Two people unable to be apart.

I suppose I'm a little off the subject here except for the bike ride from East Berlin to York and back, but the story is on my heart and I'll surely not forget it. Nancy is my sister and Richard, we called him Dick, is my brother-in-law.

I didn't get to see them very often but family is always family. At the funeral and afterwards I spoke with family members as we laughed, cried, and caught up. Mostly we laughed because of the memories we shared. One of my favorite quotes is, "Memory is a wonderful treasure chest for those who know how to pack it." Well, Nancy and Dick had their treasure chest packed to the limit. Their kids and grandkids shared and remembered the many years together.

And . . . they still tell about the bike rides from East Berlin to York.

Nancy A. Trimmer

July 3, 1934 - January 8, 2012

Richard C. Trimmer Sr.

December 19, 1930 - January 8, 2012

WHEEL POWER

Years ago, before 2003, I pedaled from Cartersville to Athens. The event was the Ride For The Family sponsored by Focus On The Family. It was a three day event with somewhere around 200+ miles of the ups and downs of North Georgia. While on the ride I met Judy Bowman and spoke with her as we pedaled. She is a Missionary to USA, a world record holder in cycling, had already pedaled across America fourteen times (at that point), and founder of WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists, headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists is an evangelistic ministry spreading the Gospel in America and around the world on bicycles. It stands for: Witnessing, Helping, Evangelizing, Encouraging, and Loving as we Press OnWard to Eternal Rewards.

Judy is a winner in life as well as cycling. She hasn't always been that way but she is now. You can read about her life journey in her evangelistic tract entitled, "Can We Pedal Our Way To Heaven." You probably don't have a copy of her tract with you right now so for this blog I have copied her story. I believe it will be a challenge as we begin this new year.

Can We Pedal Our Way to Heaven?

Cycling is one of those things I like to do when I need a break from my daily responsibilities. It provides me with freedom from survival obligations: I can forget everything and enjoy the peacefulness that riding gives, plus it allows me the opportunity to think, dream, and be me.

There is a real joy in being out in the open, seeing God's creation up close, breathing the fresh air, and absorbing the beauty all around.

I find when I'm riding that I usually encounter many different types of terrain. Sometimes there is that flat, almost monotonous road that goes for miles without changing. At other times there are rolling hills that speed up the heart rate and make me work harder to reach my destination. And then there are those "impossible" grades that seem to go only UP and UP and UP!

HILLS AND MOUNTAINS IN LIFE

You know, I can't help but compare life to bike riding experiences. Many times in life we find ourselves gliding along at an easy, even pace with little changes and few challenges. We hope it will never end. But sure enough, a hill comes along and we have to climb it. Sometimes it's one we can get over without much difficulty. At other times, however, the hills become mountains that stretch up to the sky. We give it all we've got, but it's like we're barely making any progress.

Several years ago I was in the middle of such an "impossible"climb. I had recently been divorced and was trying to raise my small son by myself. Times were hard, there was little money, I was scared, and the demands seemed too great for me to handle alone.

TOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE . . . SCARED ON THE INSIDE

On the outside, everyone saw a tough human being, getting everything together, smiling, and happily living life. Deep inside, however, I was empty. I couldn't figure out the real purpose for living. I tried to fill my time with sports, people, and activities, but inside I was lonely.

I had grown up in a good home where I heard that there was a God, who supposedly cared about everything in my life. Yet, during those rough days it was hard for me to realize that there really was a God.

Then, one day, during a particularly difficult mountain I was facing, I called out to God and asked Him to help me and show me what to do. It wasn't long after that prayer that I became acquainted with several people who started sharing with me about a God who loves me, cares about every detail of my life, and had been waiting with open arms to receive me into His family.

NEW LIFE . . . NEW OUTLOOK

I realized that my emptiness could only be satisfied as I asked God to forgive me of my sins and fill my life with His love. I became a child of God that day and found the peace I had longed for. My life still has mountains, valleys, and hills, but the climb is easier because I don't have to go it alone. God is always with me.

God loves you, too, and has a wonderful plan for your life! His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in your place, took the consequences your sins deserve, and came back to life three days later. By simply accepting those facts and believing that God will credit Christ's death to your account, you can be forgiven like I was and receive eternal life, too! The Bible says, "Christ died for [your] sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

All the pedaling you do, all the mountains you conquer in this life will not help you reach eternity with God in heaven. But by believing in Jesus Christ and trusting Him as your Savior from sin's eternal punishment, you can have eternal life with Him in heaven. "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

I know without a shadow of a doubt, on the authority of the Bible, that my eternity is going to be spent with God. I also know that my life has purpose and meaning because it is now guided and directed by the One who created me, loves me, and lives within me every day of my life.

It all started when I expressed my new belief to God in words like this: "Dear God, I admit I've sinned against you many times. But now I realize that Jesus died in my place and took the judgment I deserved. I accept your offer of forgiveness. From now on I'm trusting only in your Son, Jesus Christ, for eternal life. Thank you for making me one of your children."

My friend, I want you to know God too. Jesus Christ changed my life and has given me the peace, joy, and contentment I longed for. Please contact me if I can answer any questions, pray with you, or help you make the same discovery I did.

-Judy Bowman

Judy is still pedaling and organizing rides today. You can check out her ministry, WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists, at www.WHEELPOWER.org. Take a look.

Pedal smarter not harder!

Ready?

It's getting closer and closer to the estimated time of departure for the 2012 ride across America. Every day I get more excited and ready to load some bikes on the Explorer for the trip to Maine then west to Washington and the Pacific! On Dashboard (for you MAC folks) I just started my Pedal America 2012 Days To Go widget and right now I have 119 days, 7 hours, 31minutes, and 32 seconds to go before Margaret and I head to the Northeast.

I am ready!

I'll have to admit I've been a little slack on my pedaling but that's not a problem. People ask me if I'm training for the next cross-country ride and I always tell them, "If someone really wants to ride across America, I believe he could take his bike to one coast or the other, unload it, and start pedaling. In a week or two, maybe three, he would be in good enough shape for the rest of the ride." It's not a matter of training, it's a matter of the mind. If training was required I would not have made it the first time! I looked in my journals and found that in the one month before the ride in 2009 I pedaled only ninety miles. If my math is correct, that's a whopping three miles a day! I don't believe that qualifies as training! But, after all, it's a ride not a race. It can be done by anyone who is willing to pedal only one mile . . . 4,295 times!

Now I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions but I do plan to get back to my somewhat regular riding schedule on Day One of 2012. That would give me about ninety-something days to ride . . . before I ride! Maybe I can do better than three miles a day!

Unless something unforeseen and unexpected happens, physically, I will be in shape to ride across America again. Going west or going east, when riding in the northern states, the second day is mountainous. Coming from the Pacific, the second day there's the climb up Washington Pass in the Cascade Mountains. Next hilly region is the Rockies.

From the Atlantic, the second day of the ride finds riders in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, then the Green Mountains of Vermont, and to top it off the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Either way, east or west, the first two weeks are like boot camp, preparing riders for the crossing of the good old U.S.A.

I'm really thinking about going back to the gym. I've not been a regular since 2005! That's embarrassing to say the least. (Maybe I should also make that one of those New Year's Resolutions I don't make!) I like the outdoor gym, called a bicycle, with the cool breeze on my face, the warm sun on my back, and the silence of wheels moving along on a smooth, hard surface. The smells on the road are, without a doubt, better than the gym. The smells on a bad day on the road are better than the smells on a good day in the gym. Refreshing . . . especially in the mornings. Another reason I should go to the gym, Margaret goes consistently. Looks bad for me to be a slacker, doesn't it? Anyway, if I go to the gym, I'll let you know.

Mentally, turn me loose! Right now I'm watching the video of the last ride. (Fourth time today.) Jonathan and I are in Minnesota, just out of Red Wing and about to cross the river into Prescott, Wisconsin. I am doing the whole trip in my mind now. I can feel it. I can see between the slides. I can hear the critters in the trees and the fields. I can feel the slight mist of the morning as we pedal out of Fountain City, Wisconsin right along the Mighty Mississippi River. It's a good feeling too.

I am ready!

Socially I'm ready! I love to meet and talk with the grassroots, hard-workin', flag-wavin', gun-tottin', church-goin', patriotic folks who are the backbone of these United States. They don't have time to occupy anything but their homes, jobs, farms, churches, and communities. On the last ride, I talked with restaurant owners, cooks, waitresses, police officers, mechanics, motel clerks, bikers on Harley Davidsons, bikers doing the same thing I was doing but in the other direction, pastors, store owners, a senator, kids, bike mechanics and shop owners, vacationers, truck drivers, cowboys, farmers, retirees, Jonathan, Margaret, myself . . . and the list could go on and on!

I am ready!

Spiritually I'm ready to launch into another revival ride through God's incredible creation! Jonathan's most-used, three-word phrase sums it up, "Oh my goodness!" I'll miss him and hearing "Oh my goodness" three or four time an hour. Oh my goodness is actually an excellent summary of the ride however. Every time I even come close to thinking about the first ride and the next, Psalm 19 comes to mind, "The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world" (vv. 1-4).

But how can I think of Psalm 19 without Romans 1:18-20 following on its heals, "But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put his knowledge in their hearts. From the time this world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God."

I have a cowboy friend in Monticello, Utah who told me, "Most of the cowboys I know out here believe in God. You just can't ride out here in his creation for days on end without believing."

Job speaking to his buddy Zophar in Job 12:7-9 said it like this, "Ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish of the sea speak to you. They all know that the Lord has done this."

The fish know it, the animals too. The birds know, and the sky, and the earth! Seems like we who are created in his image have the most difficulty believing in our Creator: we who have all the degrees and power and knowledge and that other stuff that sets us aside as smart!

Once again I'm reminded of yet another passage in Romans, "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead" ( vv. 21-22).

In the book of Job, God gives Job the ultimate final exam of Job's life. The written exam would have probably been a lot easier but Job had a problem of putting his foot in his mouth and chewing vigorously. The exam dialogue is found in chapters 38 through 42 and it's quite an extensive question and answer session. Finally in chapter 42, verses 2-3, Job responds, "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You ask, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me."

Way to go Job!

When I rode across America God gave me the answers to Job's exam. I cheated! I saw the answers in full color, wide screen creation, and with special effects, that were full of things far too wonderful for me. Like Job, I realized the truth of two major things for my life:

1. God is God and I am not.

2. God has all the answers and I do not.

That's it!

I'm ready! Margaret, can we leave tonight?

Some Stray Thoughts!

Some Stray Thoughts from others who also like to turn the crank as a means of transportation, recreation, and adventure:

"The world lies right beyond the handlebars of any bicycle." -Daniel Berhman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

"I delighted in the supreme sense of freedom that comes with the first mile of a bicycle journey." -Dan Buettner, on beginning his 12,000 mile, 277-day ride across Africa.

"The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew, and live through it." -Doug Bradbury

"Movement, on a cross-country ride, it's your lifeblood." -Frosty Woolridge

"Bicycles have no walls." -Paul Cornish

"A raggedy ride beats a dressed-up walk." -Simon Peat

"The only regret I have in my life is never learning to ride a bicycle." -Helen Hayes

"I like riding a bicycle built for two--by myself." -Harry S. Truman

"If the wind is not against you, it is not blowing." -James E. Starrs, The Noiseless Tenor

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so worthwhile as simply messing about on bicycles." -Tom Kunich

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." -John F. Kennedy

"Never use your face as a brake pad." -Jake Watson

"There are three ways to pedal a bike. With your legs, with your lungs, or with your heart." -Mandible Jones, Carpet Particles

"Dad, if you get to the top of a hill and there are no numbers, stop pedaling, you're dead." -Sarah, one of my daughters, after she gave me a heart monitor.

"You think a Christian is a sissy? meek and mild? less than a man? The young men who rode from ocean to ocean on bicycles--thirty-five hundred miles in seven weeks--will prove you wrong." -Jack Houston, Wandering Wheels, (the book that started it all for me)

"If we can do it, you can do it." -Richard and Barbara Siegert, Bicycle Across America

"Two boys on a bike trip are sure to find adventure. Send them off into the wilds of the American West, and it's a safe bet adventure will find them." -Evelyn McDaniel Gibb, Two Wheels North

"No car rides, no walking hills, and no hangers-on." -Brian Newhouse, A Crossing

"There were big cities, rural towns and great stretches of open land. Heroes and villains are out there too, but mostly it's fine people living day-to-day . . . The weather wasn't left out either. From the first winter storm in the mountains of Washington through the tailwinds in Idaho to the heat and storms of the South, weather kept things from getting boring. Seeing America at ten miles an hour without the protective shell of a car allows all the senses to get to know the country. It was an interesting ride with insights into culture and sore muscles." -T. E. Trimbath, Just Keep Pedaling

"Once you've made it through Kansas you've got it licked." -Phil Shrout, america at twelve miles an hour

"You know, we have had a good time. The weather, as I said, is very hot today, but it was pleasant yesterday. We had some strong wind in our faces and that made it miserable for a while, but cloud cover helped and we really have done pretty well. As the wind turns around and gets to your back, it makes the ride very, very comfortable. So we've had a good time so far." -Mike Trout, The Heart of America

"A man can live ten minutes without air, two days without water, and forty days without food--but not a single second without hope." -Norman Cousins

Some Stray Thoughts of my own:

"There's no such thing as a free downhill."

"It's a ride not a race."

"Pedal smarter not harder!"

"Stop . . . I've gotta take a picture." -to Jonathan about every 15 miles pedaled on the 2009 cross-country ride.

"You don't stop riding because you get old, you get old because you stop riding." -Moab t-shirt

"We're going to Maine." -kind of the Battle Cry of the first ride.

"The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship." -Psalm 19:1

I love quotes. Quotes are like proverbs and proverbs are like billboards: short and to the point. Quotes are also easy to remember. Proverbs 17:27a reminds me, "A truly wise person uses few words . . . " Seven wise words reminding me that I don't have to say a lot to say a lot. In fact, sometimes saying nothing is better than even a few words. Proverbs 17:28 tells it like it is: "Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent."

Now that I'm older and maybe wiser I probably like quotes because something shorter is easier for me to remember. My motto for life has been for several years, "I can read but I can't remember so write it down." That's why I journal, that's why I blog and that's why I will blog for the next ride. Even good memories are worthless if they can't be remembered.

Which reminds me . . . lots of followers sent lots of quotes to 4295miles.blogspot.com. Maybe you've got a favorite quote or two about riding, or life in general, and you'd like to share words of wisdom with someone who can read but can't remember and others just like me. We'd love to hear from you. Billboards, quotes, proverbs, or bumper stickers . . . bring 'em on.

A truly wise person uses few words . . . truly wise people write them down too!

101 Reasons I'm Going Again!

101 REASONS

The real people of America. French fries with tartar sauce. Finishing at the end of each day. Smells. Hole-in-the-wall eateries. Small bike shops. Wide open spaces. Downhills. The anticipation and excitement of riding through places I've always heard about but never been. Showers. Feeling tight and healthy. Riding the back streets of cities and main streets of small towns. Going a little bit faster than the dog. Not understanding how a bike stays upright when I'm on it. My shadow moving next to me. An occasional but incredible tailwind. People saying, "Are you crazy?" I want to ride DOWN Washington Pass! Cleats and clip-in pedals. Songs in my head.

Quiet, nothing but the wind. Early morning fog. Figuring out how to carry one more license plate. The mountain climbs. Experiencing creation at much less than interstate speeds. Beef Jerky, gummy bears, and Carb Boom. Ducks in North Dakota. Riding in the rain. Seeing the brown Explorer parked up the road. Barns. Rest days. Because it was too good to do just one time. Riding Michigan's U.P. Leg warmers, wind breakers, and gloves. Centuries. The Great Lakes. "Where ya headed?" from riders pedaling the other way. Grain elevators from miles away. Wildlife. Smooth road surfaces.

Breakfast subs in Twisp, Washington. The Atlantic and the Pacific. Crossing the halfway mark. Junk stores. Noma in Tonasket. Breaking the speed limit. Bison burgers. Making new friends. Getting better routes from the locals. Stopping to catch great photo shots. Blogging the adventure. Praying with Margaret by the Explorer each morning. Route 2. Historical sites. The mysteries of abandoned farm houses. Surprises. Cold water that doesn't taste like a water bottle. Maps. Root beer. Burning up calories faster than I can put them in.

Encouraging notes on my blog. Snow in the mountains. Bald eagles, bison, moose, and antelope. Cannondale. The challenge of a good ride. The riders who will join me along the way. Riding, no matter what! Discovering more of America. The Coeur d'Alene Bike Trail across Idaho. Downtown Duluth, Minnesota. Ice cream. Ignoring detours. SRAM components. The mixed emotions of getting closer to the Pacific. Riding through an irrigation sprinkler on a hot day. The long talks even when I'm alone. The click of a cleat in a pedal. A perfectly adjusted saddle. A great opportunity to share my faith in Jesus. The unexpected.

Cool and colorful jerseys. Hearing my heartbeat. People in cars looking at me like I'm crazy, especially on rainy or snowy days. No hands! The mist from the Pacific at Neah Bay, Washington. Eugene's Pizza in Glasgow, Montana. Bumper stickers. Lonely roads and little traffic. The mountains of the Northeast. Long trains going my way. A new bike. Sounds of the road under my two tires. Freedom. The wonder of it all. Refreshment, renewal, and revival. Creation bragging about the Creator. Cattle running away from me and horses running with me. Dipping my back tire in the Atlantic Ocean. Dipping that front tire in the Pacific. Packing a treasure chest of memories.

So I can say, "Because it was too good to do just two times."

New Route New Maps

Adventure Cycling Association, in Missoula, Montana is the place to go for maps. Because of our route changes for 2012, I ordered a three map set called North Lakes. These new maps will direct me through parts of Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They include services, emergency numbers, campgrounds, hostels, motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, law enforcement offices and phone numbers, libraries, local information, road conditions, weather, average temperatures, bike shops, post offices, mile by mile directions, topographical information, tourist hot spots, and more. The only thing I could not find were the locations of dogs that chase bikes! The directions are even provided for travel both ways: east to west and west to east.

The route we will take from Maine to Ohio and Indiana will be much the same as the last ride. In Monroeville, Indiana, I will pedal on a new route toward and through Michigan. Heading north, Margaret and I will go between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, through Saranac, Traverse City, Petoskey, and into Mackinaw City where we will cross the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). There we will ride west on Route 2 out of St. Ignace and across the U.P.

Another option for the State of Michigan is to pedal to Ludington where we could take the S. S. Badger and ferry our way to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. That would eliminate a hefty number of miles and would make the trip a little easier but I really am looking forward to riding the Upper Peninsula. Margaret and I have taken the Badger before, even spent a night on the ship in what seemed like a solitary confinement cell. Sure, we would like to do that again but I really want to go the U.P. route. I especially like the ride from Petoskey to Mackinaw City along Lake Michigan. According to the Adventure Cycling maps, the temperatures in April and May range from 40 to 60 degrees: perfect pedaling temperatures. I'm going for it.

More people have expressed interest in riding part of the cross-country ride with me on the next ride. Maybe someone will take the challenge to ride Michigan. In the future I will post a list of who is planning to ride what part of America. By the time this is finished, perhaps I'll have riders for the entire ride.

Maps are great. We'll even have a GPS or two. I would not want to make the trip without maps and directions. That would be crazy! A lot of people try to live their lives without maps and directions. That's okay if you don't know or don't care where you're going. One of my favorite quotes is, "If you don't know where you're going any road will get you there!" Personally, I want the best route possible from the Atlantic to the Pacific and I want directions from those who have gone before me. That's why I use my Adventure Cycling resources and state road maps. That's also why I use my Bible.

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path." God's Word is a lamp and a light. It's a lamp so I can see what's close and a light so I can see what's before me in the distance.

When I'm pedaling in the dark, which I don't often do, I want to know what kind of surface my tires and wheels are rolling on and I want to know what's in the road or trail ahead. It makes my ride safer, that's a fact. Last thing I want to do is finish a day with a crash. That's not good. Road rash hurts and and can be very uncomfortable for days ahead.

Same thing with life . . . I don't want to finish a ride with a crash. I want to know what's at my feet and I want to know what's on the roadway ahead. God's Word provides all the light necessary, even when the day is foggy or the night is darker than ever.

Of course, we don't pedal alone. We don't crash alone. And . . if we ride and live with lamps and lights, we won't finish alone either!