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Chapter 3

The Plan, the Pain!

Being a mild winter in Connecticut that year, I rode almost on a daily basis to train. I logged somewhere in the neighborhood of three thousand miles on the area hills near my home. I was developing trouble with my hands and wondered if all the riding was the cause. I was forced to see a hand surgeon after I was unable to hold a fork to eat any longer, and my fingers had curled under on both hands. The surgeon did what most people would call carpal tunnel syndrome surgery on one hand and ligament relocation on the elbow. After three weeks’ recovery, he did the same on my other side. This required my not riding during a period of healing time which I hoped would not be detrimental to my early spring plans for a departure. During this period of downtime I studied and accounted for every mile that I would ride on the Google Maps application. I studied and logged into a handwritten logbook all the available motels, campgrounds, and hostels along the route I would be riding. I studied the prices of each as well as the reviews listed online. I searched for every available food stop as well as places where I could buy fluids along the way and logged them down, including the distances from one to the next. I planned on carrying this logbook with me as a quick reference guide, enabling me to make daily plans for lodging, as well as the distances that I would need to ride. I studied the map systems that I purchased to get a good understanding of things I might encounter such as elevation changes and distances from one location to the next. These were some of the various things that I needed to consider, as I made my plans each evening for my attempted ride the next day.

I slowly studied each item of gear that I needed to carry and purchased them as I could afford it. I studied ways to eliminate the weight I would need to carry before I made a decision to purchase anything. Up to this point in time, I had not ridden with more than twenty or so extra pounds of weight. I had not carried things like extra water, a sleeping bag, tent, and so forth which could considerably add weight. My climate research indicated that I would have to ride clockwise around the country in order to stay in a favorable climate. This meant leaving from my home in Connecticut and heading south toward Florida no later than April 1. After reaching Florida, I would head west toward California knowing that I would have to cross through the hottest desert areas prior to June 1 in order to beat the majority of the heat. From there I could head north up the Pacific Coast to Washington State, and then back east toward the coast of Maine, then down to Connecticut. If I averaged seventy miles per day, I could get home in six months, avoiding the colder approaching winter months that the northeast experiences. This sounded good on paper!

My son had a 3.5-pound 1-person tent, which I borrowed, and although a bit heavier than I wanted, it cut down on my expenses. I opted to use a bivy bag rather than carry the extra weight of a sleeping bag, as my research showed a good amount of lodging choices down the first part of the trip when I might experience the coldest of temperatures. This meant ounces rather than pounds. I cut the handle off my razor to eliminate the extra weight. I would bring the smallest toothbrush I could find as well as a travel-size toothpaste tube. I already had a miniature My Pillow-type pillow which I could knead down into a small pouch. I have always used this type of pillow since my neck surgery with wonderful results.

My cycle came standard with rear racks, so I mounted a front rack so that I could carry four panniers with my gear. I purchased a handlebar-mounted bag to carry things like my cell phone, reading glasses, gloves, snack bars, dog mace, and other lightweight items. It had a weather shield sleeve where my maps would stay dry and handy to look at as I went along as needed. The rear of my bike had an over-fender rack to which I mounted a rear pack. This pack held heavier items such as my cycle tools, chain lubricant, rag, air morph lightweight pump, tube and tire patching kit, temporary spoke repair kit, sunscreen, insect repellant, cold-weather balaclava, winter gloves, and a locking cable to use for locking the cycle at stops. I mounted a high-intensity headlight over the front fender and a high-intensity red strobe light to the rear. Both of these items were rechargeable by a USB plug-in port which used the same cable, again to carry less weight. I purchased the lightest pannier bags I could find that were still weather resistant. I mounted a canister of bear mace by Velcro just to the rear of my seat for quick access. Two dog/people mace canisters were carried under the front map reader for quicker access.

Mounted on my handlebars (one on each side) were two odometers that told me many things, including temperature, speed, average speed, total distance, time, and so on. The one mounted on my left side acted as a reset odometer which I would constantly reset as my maps told me how far it would be to the next turn. As I would arrive at a turn, I would reset the odometer so I knew how far it would be until my next change of direction or road turn. This would hopefully help keep me from making any wrong turns. The odometer on my right acted as a total mileage counter as well as a clock. I would carry my journal in the front handlebar bag to have as a reference to food and lodging stops. My plan was to tear off and dispose of each page after they were no longer of use, again to lighten the load. I kept this in a ziplock plastic bag to ensure it would stay dry. I carried two spare tires along with two spare tubes in addition to a tube/tire repair kit. I opted for a bit of extra weight by using double thickness tires and tubes to try and avert any flat tires from the thorns I had read about in some of the southern states. I would use a Click Stand rather than a kickstand to save weight. This is a great lightweight item for keeping the cycle and all its gear upright on just about any type of angle or surface, something a kickstand cannot do. I had two Velcro-type loops that were standard on my rear pack where I could easily access and securely store the Click Stand.

I created a first aid kit and enclosed it in a lightweight bag, which held items such as a small amount of duct tape, needle and thread, ibuprofen, allergy pills, and other “might need” items that did not weigh much. I had been riding with a Brooks 17C composite-type seat and thought it to be good, so I stuck with that choice. I would carry a high-number sunscreen in a tube as well as a good-quality lip balm, as well as insect repellant. I had a good-quality pair of sunglasses that wrapped around my eyes to keep the wind out. My sleeping pad for camping was a Therm-a-rest Evolite pad which easily blew up by mouth and weighed a mere 1.1 pounds. My cooking utensils comprised of one lightweight titanium small pot and a combination spoon/fork, also of titanium, and an ultralight fold-up single-burner stove that could be used with a small butane canister. The stove as well as a lightweight lighter stored inside the pot/bowl combo. My helmet was a highly visible fluorescent yellow, to which I added another highly visible red strobe light to the rear. To the front side of the helmet I mounted a rearview mirror which could swing out of the way and adjusted easily, giving me a complete, clear rear view. Padded gloves were a must especially now that I had the hand and elbow surgeries.

Because my balance was not that good after my spinal surgeries, I decided to not have my feet strapped to or clipped into the pedals while carrying all the weight. I knew I wouldn’t be standing and trying to balance the load as one might do on a road bike, so I experimented prior to my trial rides with an open-toe stop that I had rigged up on my pedals. They seemed to work quite well as I could quickly and easily remove my foot from the pedal, yet, I could still maintain a constant distance for my foot on the pedal. To some, it may have looked strange, but for me it worked very well as I could instantly remove my foot. This also allowed me to wear a lightweight type of street loafer shoe, once again not having to carry an extra pair of riding shoes, which meant less weight to carry. A partially free foot also meant I could shift my foot a bit if I started to cramp.

I would wear a Protect hat, which I purchased from Adventure Cycling Association. Although it looked like a baseball cap, it had a sun protector which hung down around the sides and rear of my neck, protecting me from the rear and side sunrays. This hat fit nicely under my helmet and also acted to keep my head warm during cooler riding, as well as cooler during hotter days. It also would help keep the sweat out of my eyes and act as a coolant when wet. I carried a skullcap to wear under my helmet on cool mornings, as well as a balaclava for below-freezing temperatures. My rain gear consisted of a lightweight rain jacket and matching pants with ankle closure straps. I had already learned the hard way on my test rides that keeping the butt dry is crucial in avoiding sores. I would carry one pair of heavy gauge smart wool socks, as well as several pair of low-cut fluorescent sport socks. Two pairs of quality padded biking shorts, and two sets of long pants. I would also carry two long-sleeved fluorescent wicking shirts and three short-sleeved shirts.

I took all my shirts to a local screen printer and had them imprinted in large bold black lettering which reads, “I’m Biking 12,000 Miles to Feed Hungry Veterans.” I would carry one non-riding short-sleeved shirt, one lightweight hiking shorts, and two pairs of undershorts. I would also carry one lightweight jacket that would keep me warm on cooler riding days or very light rain or mist situations. Everything I would take was in the brightest florescent yellow color I could purchase, in order to help with my visibility while on the road.

Purchasing a book on endurance athlete nutrition would prove to be an asset, as I studied what to eat and when. This might prove to be crucial in my survival if I was to ride seventy miles day after day nonstop. I learned how much protein I would need and when to consume it, as well as my carbohydrates and fluids. I kept this book in the bathroom, and every time I used the facilities I would read, trying to use every moment I had to prepare for this journey. I spent hours each day studying the climates and my routes over and over again. I used each day to the fullest while recouping from surgery.

Suzanne was never happy about my idea, but then again, she fully supported my efforts as she realized how important this mission was to me. I was a lucky man to have the support she gave me. She would act as my support system back home, handling any personal affairs that might arise, as well as staying in constant daily contact with me in order to assure I would make it to my planned destination.

She would act like a personal secretary, which was great, as I created a letter-writing campaign to send letters to all the politicians both locally and nationally in order to tell them of my journey, as well as to remind them of the struggle that some of our veterans face on a day-to-day basis. It seemd to be a wasted effort as only one helpful response was received by a local state senator. Her name was May Flexer, and it seems her father lost a leg in the Vietnam War, so she was truly interested in my attempts to help feed the hungry. She met with Suzanne and offered her help at the state level, which was great as it seems no one else was interested. I could be wrong when I say this, but it’s how I feel. Oh yes, I received many “good luck” return letters, but no other offers to help me raise the awareness of the problem.

I purchased five hundred spare change donation boxes, which we started placing in various businesses that would display them on their counters. This turned out to be much more difficult than I expected, as many businesses refused them. I had printed material with a photo of me on my bike, which explained my ride to feed hungry veterans with the numbers that struggle with food. They explained that every cent donated would go directly to purchase food. I pledged to pay for every dollar of my trip and all the expenses out of my own pocket. All proceeds would be donated to feed hungry veterans and their families. Sue and I drove all over the state trying to place the containers, keeping a list of who received them. A self-addressed envelope with postage was included so that when the business cashed out the box, they could mail a check directly to us. I used social media in order to find people who would help distribute boxes for me. After all, I spent over three thousand dollars to purchase the boxes and pay for the advertising on them. It was a great disappointment when we were only able to place approximately three hundred of the containers. Each box had to be assembled, and the printing material had to be glued on each box, which in itself was a time-consuming project which we worked on each day. I guess the disappointment to me was that no one seemed to care enough about our veterans to place a box on their counters. This seemed like a reality that if it doesn’t affect them, then maybe it’s not really a problem.

Begging for money is not an easy task, and being a sort of stick-to-myself person, I found it hard to ask others for help. I wrote letters to a major portion of the business contacts whom I had worked with over the course of my forty-two years in business. I always had a constant flow of people asking for donations over the years that filtered through the doors of my small shop, and sometimes it bothered me to think that everyone had the belief that if you operated a business, you had plenty of money to make a donation to their cause. Nothing could have been further from the truth with my small operation. Although I tried my best to give at least something to each one, it was difficult financially at times. I didn’t know what to expect from my letter-writing campaign. My good friend Bruce John, who has been very active in feeding the hungry and housing the homeless in my hometown area, told me that I had to open myself up to the world by putting myself out there if I wanted anything to happen. I know he was right in that statement, but for me to open myself and my life up to others was going to be difficult.

I set up a 501C3 nonprofit corporation in order to deposit any money received into a separate checking account. Eventually all funds would be mailed in full to the Feed Our Vets pantry. This would basically be a holding point for all funds so that they could be properly accounted for. Sue was in charge of keeping the books straight, as she was well-versed in this area. I never wanted anyone to accuse me of withholding any funds. All expenses incurred from this journey would be paid from the money of my home sale. Lodging, equipment costs, food, postage for all the mailings of thank-you letters, and receipts for all donations received. I had business cards printed that I’d hand out to people as I make my way along. I guess they were more like begging cards. On the cards, I had printed that I was riding twelve thousand miles to feed hungry veterans. A return address was listed that indicated where to mail any checks, as well as the Feed Our Vets website where secure donations could be made. I indicated a PO box to mail funds which I had opened under the 501C3 Biking for Vets.

Money started to slowly come in the mail mostly from friends who had heard of my quest via local media of both radio and newspaper interviews that I did. It was very interesting to see who and how much each person donated. I was thankful for any funds that arrived in my PO box as I anxiously stopped each day to check. A sizable donation was made by my spinal surgeon, Dr. Krompinger, whom I also mailed a letter to. In that letter, I thanked him once again for giving me back the mobility to even attempt this journey. I still find it hard to believe how such finite major work can be accomplished through such small openings in my back. A great surgeon, indeed! After my surgery was completed, I was so happy that I purchased a gift certificate to one of my favorite restaurants for him and his wife to show my appreciation.

Things were starting to pull together, as I was kept busy with trying to solicit money and eventually starting practice rides again, along with distributing donation boxes. I dried vegetables and fruits which were placed into vacuum bags in order to be mailed to drop locations that Sue would mail to me along my route as requested. In those boxes were additional protein bars, as well as begging cards and food items which I decided to eat. Additional summer clothing as well as maps would be mailed as I got further south into warmer weather. I would then return mail the cold weather gear and used maps back home in the same boxes as needed. I made an appointment to visit the Feed Our Vets pantry in Utica, New York, to witness the operation as well as to examine their books. This was a period of time when the Wounded Warrior Project executives were being accused of needlessly spending donated money, as well as their taking high salaries. I wanted to make sure this was a legitimate charity. Sue and I traveled there by car and got a firsthand look at the operation, on a day when the pantry was open for food distribution. While there, a local TV station did a story of my ride to raise funds for the pantry. The officers were quick to share their books with me to examine. After meeting all the volunteers as well as the officers, Sue and I left with the feeling that this was a great group of volunteer veterans who worked hard to provide food for those in need. I also wanted to raise funds for the local food pantry and soup kitchen that provided food to both of my homeless brothers for so many years. This pantry also feeds hungry veterans, so I was extremely happy to try and help them.

The winter continued to be mild as I was able to ride my bike often. I gradually increased the weight I would carry in an attempt to simulate what it would be like to ride fully loaded on a daily basis. Although I never rode with the full weight I would be carrying, I was satisfied that I might adjust to the extra weight as I slowly got stronger each day. The total weight of my bike and all gear would vary from seventy-five to eighty pounds, depending on how much food and fluids I had to carry on any given day. I was getting anxious to get started as I knew I must leave by April 1 in order to get through the hottest areas before June 1. Constantly keeping an eye on the weather each day for a period of clear weather was a nervous task. Then two weeks prior to my approximate departure day, I came down with a bronchial infection that kept me from riding. Now I’m worried due to my long history of pneumonia!

My doctor put me on a dose of levofloxacin for my lungs, but after ten days, it wasn’t working, so he put me on a second dose, along with an inhaler. In the meantime, I’m not riding in the cold weather, and slowly getting out of shape. This was crunch time, and if I was going to make the trip happen, it needed to be soon.