Trinity Bike Tour

Joe's final reflections on the trip

2006-08-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

I want to thank all the host families, Anna Daly for her support for a couple of days, David Kozy for his couple days of riding and support, Eldon and Marilyn Eigsti for spending their week with us, Molly Kauffman for her week, Jesse Kauffman for his week, Amy Kauffman for her riding the bike, driving and navigating and for supporting her husband, to my wife, Karen, for riding, driving, navigating, doing the blog, and for helping me with everyday tasks and for Tom’s riding, planning, and friendship. His faith in me encouraged me to do all the miles I did, riding every day, and riding more miles than anyone except Tom who did them all. Tom did approximately 1200 miles on the trike and 200 on Eldon’s bike. Eldon did a fine job captaining the trike, also. I want to thank Tom for the great idea for a fundraiser, all of the planning that went into it, and all the revisions he had to do along the way. Most of all, I want to recognize Sunshine Children’s Home and the Mennonite Central Committee, which are two great organizations deserving all our efforts.

The best thing that happened to me was celebrating mine and Karen’s twenty-second anniversary on July 13. It far exceeded mine and Tom’s speed record of 44.5 mph! The worst thing that happened to me was losing my embroidered Toledo Fire Department t-shirt somewhere in Wisconsin. If you find it, please mail it to me. :)

Fourth (and final) Week's Summary:

2006-08-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

HOT would be the way to summarize this final week’s ride. As we cycled through and then left Chicago (lots of concrete, steel and asphalt make for an excellent heat sink!) the heat index was in triple digits. But soon we would have the prevailing SW winds at our back for most of the rides this week. Prudent riding kept us from overdoing it. Changing riders more frequently kept us fresher. And the rains were mostly at night this week.

Day Twenty-two – From Chicago to Valparaiso IN = 50.77 miles. We averaged 11.5 mph and spent 4:24:05 on the trike. While internet friends suggested we could cycle from bike trails to city streets designated for biking to bike trails, the route was actually fairly congested on the city streets in industrial areas during the time of day we were passing through. We “portaged” the trike in the van through some of the more congested city streets and then traveled the Erie-Lackawanna trail until we got to less congested county roads in NE Indiana.

Day Twenty-three – Exiting the welcomed air-conditioned hotel in Valpo to Rupert’s Campground in Bremen = 54.65 miles. We averaged 11.9 mph and traveled on the trike for 4:34:41. This ride was pretty good along county roads in the country with a nice tail wind. The heat continued to be with us.

Day Twenty-four – From Rupert’s to Gordon’s Resort in Wolcottville = 67.78 miles. We averaged 11.9 mph again and spent 5:40:46 on the trike. Joe observed that not all of northern Indiana was flat. But most of the hills were rollers. Besides, by this time in the trip we have our climbing legs well seasoned!

Day Twenty-five – From Gordon’s to Sauder Village Campground in Archbold = 59.48 miles. We averaged 13.8 mph (Yippee!) and spent 4:18:27 on the trike. The fast average allowed us to pull into camp with perhaps our earliest arrival time (~3:15pm).

Day Twenty-six – From Sauder Village to Sunshine = 35.40 miles. We averaged 12.9 mph and spent 2:45:20 on the trike. It was a reflective ride for each of us. We had less conversation as we spent time with our own thoughts about the trip and its pending conclusion. It was a wonderfully sunny day and not so hot---a great way to end a memorable trip.

Total miles for the week = 268.08, giving us a grand total for the trip of 1395.43 miles.

We didn’t have any mechanical problems during this last week. We seemed to be “in the groove” and working well with each other as we shared the riding/sagging responsibilities for this final week.

Day 26 - August 4 - Our Final Day on the Tour

2006-08-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

We awakened to a beautiful day--sunny, but not too hot. After breakfast, we circled to pray. We are all being nostalgic. It’s a bitter sweet moment. We are eager to get home and see our families, and yet we hate for this time together to come to an end.

Joe started riding, while Karen and I (Amy) did the ice water/caffeine run into Archbold's Burger King. At the 10 mile mark, Amy began riding, followed by Karen. The roads were smooth, lightly traveled, flat--very pleasant. It was hard to give up the seat to the next rider. Joe got back on the trike at Oak Openings and rode the rest of the trip to Sunshine where we were greeted by a nice collection of family and staffers. We gathered to pray a prayer of gratitude for safety and for the generosity of MCC and Sunshine supporters. Douglas Siebenaler gave Tom and Joe shirts with the Sunshine logo, but this time in men’s sizes. Karen and Amy get to keep the original ones given in women's sizes. Then we went separate ways with our families for lunch. Tom and I went home and unpacked our stuff from the van, then drove to Kruzel’s for them to unload their stuff. On our way out of their subdivision, we ran into our old riding partner, David Kozy, on his way home from work.

It’s good to be home. I feel a bit disoriented--so much to do and yet I'm not quite ready to be done with vacation and the daily association with Karen and Joe. It’s been a sweet adventure.

Thursday evening update

2006-08-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

We were all ensconced in our evening activities – Amy in her hammock reading, Karen on the computer, Joe resting in the tent and Tom working on maps when a car pulled up to our campsite. It was Glenn Nafziger who knew we were going to be there because of the blog schedule and he just came to check up on us. Soon after he arrived, Kelly Fritz Garrow pulled in to check up on us and we had fun visiting with everyone. The evening was capped off with Glenn taking us out for ice cream. What fun! --Amy

Amy and Karen in a lake near Bremen, IN - see how high that high diving board is??

2006-08-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

Sunrise at our campsite near Bremen, IN

2006-08-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Joe as captain with Karen as stoker

2006-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Karen in the captain position with Tom on as stoker

2006-08-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Day 25 - August 3

2006-08-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

I was going to say that our day started with a team meeting. However, before I tell of our morning gathering, I need to tell of our night. We experienced heavy winds and rain, thunder and lightening. Fortunately, Joe and I had only a little water in the tent. Even though the rain came hard, our tent stayed fairly water-resistant. When we needed to start tearing down camp and getting ready for the day, the rain was still falling. Thus, the team meeting.

We met in the dry van, Amy sitting shotgun, Joe and Tom taking the back bench and me (Karen) in the driver’s seat! We talked about our options for the day. We identified two: 1) we load up the bike, drive to Archbold today, ride into Maumee/Toledo Friday as planned, or 2) we reverse mileage, riding a half day today and a full day on Friday. Due to the weather reports calling for heavy rains, thunderstorms, possible hail, none of us thought that we would be able to ride the 60+ miles today. As stated on an earlier posting, we don’t mind riding in the rain; we just want to be safe about it. Tom identified a third option: staying put for the day, riding on Friday and ending the tour on Saturday. None liked that option. We really wanted to end on Friday as originally planned. We decided that we would start riding and go as far as we could today, loading the bike in the van if needed to make it to Archbold tonight.

That meant tearing down camp in the rain. Let me tell you that is not fun. The ground was so muddy and packing our tent wet and muddy did not sit well. Additionally, the mosquitoes were awful. Truly. They would attack in swarms and they were vicious. We were almost being driven mad. (Okay, maybe that’s just because some hadn’t had our coffee/Diet Coke yet.)

So, we loaded up and Tom and Joe set off for the first leg. The rain backed off! Amy and I were again glad that Joe was the one tackling some initial hills and grateful for his willingness to ride in the rain. I took over the second leg and the ride was virtually dry. Amy got the last leg before lunch and she, too, rode almost dry.

We had lunch in Edon, Ohio at Edon Steakhouse which really ended up being a little bar and grille. We enjoyed some interesting repartee with two servers about biking and then realized they were talking about motorcycles. We kind of knew they didn’t realize we were talking about bicycling so we pulled the tryke up to the restaurant and showed the group our “bike.” Boy were they surprised! They thought we were mad (and we had already had our caffeine fix!).

We continued to use the same format of cycling out the stoker every ten miles.
This has worked great. However, Joe wants to know why we always seem to hit the grinders and get the rain on his leg.

There was rain in the forecast for this evening and so we were hoping for a nice dry hotel room at the Heritage Inn in Archbold. Tom went in to register and he took a long time since registration for both the campground and the inn are at the same desk. We entertained ourselves by all cycling through the “captain” seat in his absence. Our dismay at his decision to camp was overcome by the beautiful campground and the spotless, well-appointed shower rooms. The campers are very friendly and the mosquitoes are gone. Could it be the Mennonite influence in the area?? While our tent was drying out from this morning’s packing, Amy and I went to Sauder’s Village to see Mark Nafziger’s pottery shop. We both came out with our one and only souvenir for this trip. We completed the evening with a delicious meal at the Barn.

Joe says he rides a lot of miles and it is hard but not as hard as climbing in and out of a tent or taking a shower by himself. He is thankful he can bike. This trip has been very good. I am so proud of Joe and his accomplishments. And great kudos to Tom and his amazing biking.

By the numbers:
…best team average for the day: 13.8 mph
…almost final game results: Backgammon: Joe 1-0, Karen 0-1; Crazy Eights: Joe 3-1, Karen 1-3; Euchre: Joe and Tom 2-1, Karen and Molly 1-2, Joe and Karen beat Jim and Lois (formidable opponents); Cribbage: Joe 18-5, Tom and Joe 2-0, Jesse 1-0 (is Joe a great teacher, or what?), Molly and Karen 0-2, Karen 4-18.
…campsites with appropriate hammock trees: three. It’s fun to watch Amy hang the hammock. She works at getting it high enough so her butt doesn’t drag on the ground.
…number of times the van leaked fluid today: none, thankfully.
…what time we will arrive at Sunshine tomorrow (Friday): noonish. Yeehaw!

Day 24 - August 2

2006-08-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

It was sooo hot last night. We all tossed and turned. Because we knew it would be a long day (approximately 70 miles) and a hot day (over 100 with the heat index), we wanted to get an early start. We didn’t get much sleep and then we found out the milk had curdled. With the morning a bit low, the day could only get better and it did. Even though it was hot, we had a nice wind at our backs and saw some beautiful Indiana back roads.

On these hot days, we change stoker position every ten miles in order for the stoker to have “fresh legs” and so we changed positions six times today. Amy and Karen were grateful that Joe tackled some grinders for the team after lunch. Karen and Joe were grateful that Amy drove the gravel roads. Poor Tom had to do both.

We got to Goshen at 11:00 and we had lunch with Deb, Ross, Emma, and Molly (Tom and Amy’s children and granddaughter). Afterwards, we got to see Molly’s new house she and Jane will be renting with friends – beautiful. And then Karen had some ice cream at the famous Chief which Molly talked about during her week with the tour.

We are at a campground near Kendallville, IN where we are being swarmed by mosquitoes, young and hungry!

By the numbers:
- number of Amish buggies the tryke passed: two. Many passed us going the opposite direction but we were able to pass two.
- Number of times the van leaked fluid – twice. The second overflow tank is pretty much being held with duct tape. We have extra fluid on hand in case the engine starts overheating.

Day 23 - August 1

2006-08-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

We walked out of our hotel into another scorcher of a day. It was hot and hazy. Joe started out in the stoker position, while Karen and Amy went to Burger King to stock up on ice water and a little caffeine fix. We also fueled up the Vanagon before going in search of the trikers. We saw they were doing well as we passed and found ourselves a little lane in the shade to wait. Soon enough, they arrived and our pit crew changed seat positions, pedals, water bottles, and Amy popped into the stoker position. It was a day in corn and bean country winding through the country with mostly flat with some nice shade trees scattered along the road. An alert support crew redirected the trikers from some routes that were gravel and dirt roads onto a bit longer and paved routes. Ten miles later, when it was Karen’s turn to be stoker and the pit crew was in action, we realized we were missing the designated Kruzel water bottle. We realized that Amy left it perched on top of a fence post in her eagerness to get on the trike. What should we do? Since Karen and Tom were just starting on a 10-mile stretch, and Tom looked particularly sad to lose a good water bottle given him by daughter Kelli, Joe and Amy headed back to the previous change spot. It looks a lot different backward and from the van driver position. “Does this look familiar?” was the common question. After many turns and several turn-arounds, we found the bottle still perched where we left it. By the time we retraced our path to where we left them, they were calling from a nice air conditioned restaurant in Walkerton. It was a neat coffee/sandwich shop with a wonderful menu and excellent service. We were the only patrons and they locked the doors behind us.

After lunch, Joe resumed the stoker position and again, Amy and Karen drove ahead, found a nice shaded spot and engaged in some good conversation. After a long time, the SAG received an SOS from Tom needing some Gatorade. He was feeling the heat and water just wouldn’t do it anymore. Amy and Karen drove back, provided support and got the guys going again. Amy was able to take over the stoker position for the last leg of approximately five to six miles. We got to our campground early and took a dip in the surrounding lake. It was fun watching Joe go down a large slide and into the lake. Karen wimped out of jumping off the high board even though she went up twice. She just didn’t have what it takes.

By the numbers:
…stoker seat changes: four times
…Joe and Amy turned around looking for a water bottle: at least four times
…bottles of Gatorade made today: a ton

Joe (seated),Karen, Amy and Tom (seated) for our photo op in downtown Chicago

2006-08-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

A photo of a tour of Chicago on Segways

2006-08-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Day 22 - July 31

2006-08-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

We awakened (Joe did sleep well after walking yesterday), packed up the van with all our clean clothes, ate a hearty breakfast of baked oatmeal and bade farewell to Suzanne and dog Jazmine. Tom and Joe left, riding a trail towards downtown. Joe says this was the easiest 11 ½ miles he’s ridden this trip. It was flat, shaded, and their trike was coveted by several women along the route. Karen and I met them at Mannheim and we portaged the bike to downtown. We walked to Richard’s office at Christian Century with a great view of the lakefront and Millenium Park. He walked with us back to Buckingham Fountain for the photo op. I was privileged to get to ride the 10 plus mile stretch along the lakefront while Richard rode the van with Karen and Joe to help navigate. I had great views of downtown and the lake, but by now the temps were nearing 100 with HIGH humidity. The sweat was pouring off me and my pulse was racing. I kept pushing fluids, but felt like I was really dogging it. I started getting leg cramps. We stopped in the shade once and refilled our water bottles. The second time we stopped, Tom bought me peanuts and Gatorade. This stopped the cramps and I was able to finish my segment. Given the extreme heat and that the next part of the trail was riding the streets of Chicago, East Chicago, and Calumet, we elected to portage the trike again. We ate lunch at the Gyro King, then found the Erie Lackawanna trail. Joe got on the trike with Tom while I drove with Karen navigating to find the end of the trail. We found a nice spot in the shade to wait. When the men arrived after about 15 miles of biking, they were out of water and Joe was having leg cramps. At that point we realized that we had both ridden with the seat at Karen’s special seat setting. Our cramps were more than just heat. Tom and Karen rode off on the last leg of the trip toward our evening’s campground. Their segment was entirely country roads with evening rush hour traffic and lots of hills. Joe refilled the drained water thermoses with ice water and we set off to find the campground. We were unsuccessful. Tom learned from a local man, that the campground had closed, as had all the campgrounds at that lake. Karen tried to talk her way into getting a campsite at the Porter County Fairgrounds—unsuccessfully. We once again portaged the trike into Valparaiso where we secured a delightful air conditioned room. We were all exhausted from the heat and our efforts of the day. (Anything with air conditioning at this point is delightful!) Is this the time to remind you all that our Vanagon is NOT air conditioned? The desk clerk put our refrigerator items in their refrigerator. We ate dinner at Applebees and fell into bed.

Richard and Suzanne Kauffman

2006-08-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Our apologies to Suzanne about the closed eyes. This was our only photo. We love you!

Third week summary

2006-08-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

Rain continued to play a significant role in this week’s riding. We didn’t have the hills of the second week to contend with so much, but wetness was prevalent!
Day Fifteen – From Gladstone we traveled through Escanaba to the EconoLodge in Menominee = 59.89 miles. We averaged 11.0 mph and were on the trike for 5:26:22.
Day Sixteen – From Menominee to Apple Creek Campground in De Pere, WI = 78.74 miles. We averaged 11.0 mph again today and were on the trike for 7:08:44.
Day Seventeen – From Apple Creek to Kettle Moraine State Campground (Mauthe Lake Recreational Area [Mauthe is pronounced “mouth-ee”]) = 70.61 miles. We averaged 10.5 mph and were on the trike for 6:30:35. This gave us two big days in a row of riding. It was good to have Eldon along. He brought his own bike along and we shared captain responsibilities, with one of us riding the tandem in the morning and the other in the afternoon on these days. When not riding the tandem, we rode his bicycle so as to get all the miles in for both of us.
Day Eighteen – From Mauthe Lake Recreational Area to Ottawa Lake Recreational Area = 50.14 miles. We averaged 13.3 mph and spent 3:46:48 on the trike. As you might guess with our average, this was a lighter day (may be our shortest riding day of the trip) and we had a bit more “downs” than “ups” on the road. But we got a really late start because of the mechanical repairs that needed to be made.
Day Nineteen – From Ottawa Lake to Chain o’ Lakes State Park in IL = 57.86 miles. We averaged 13.1 mph and were on the trike 4:24:53. Near the end of the day we crossed over from Wisconsin into Illinois. We spent virtually two weeks cycling in Michigan and less than one week in Wisconsin.
Day Twenty – From Chain o’ Lakes to Glen Ellyn = 59.93 miles. Most of this route was on bicycle paths, but that doesn’t mean it was easy! Joe and I had some STEEP hills on the path that taxed our bodies. We were able to cruise (with David Kozy’s help) to bring our average up to 11.6 mph for the day. We spent 5:09:33 on the trike. It was fun to ride part way with Richard and Suzanne Kauffman.
Day Twenty One – Rest day at Kauffman’s. We attended Lombard Mennonite Church with them and ate well at their home. More trike repairs as Tom replaced the front chain and bought an “insurance” tire since all three new tires have been used on the trike. Hopefully we have sufficient parts to carry us through to the finish.

Total miles for the week = 377.17. Total miles for the three weeks to date = 1127.35.

I adjusted the brakes since they have had significant usage. Now they are as good as new again. We hopefully have the chain management problems solved with two new chains. The alignment problems have gone away, as well as the rear wheel’s squeak (loose spokes). Now if we could just get the weather “fixed”!

Day 21--July 30

2006-07-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

What a nice day of rest. There’s something about good food for the body and good conversation for the soul that does wonders for the spirit.

David Kozy headed back to Toledo as we were leaving to worship at Richard and Suzanne Kauffman’s church, Lombard Mennonite. We were warmly welcomed and it was good for Tom and Amy to connect with long-distance friends. Amy ran into some folks from her growing up years in Orrville, OH. We had a delicious dinner together, courtesy of Suzanne. Tom and Richard left to find a replacement phone for Tom and to find chains and another spare tire and tube. I(Amy) left the group for Schaumburg to visit my brother and sister- in law Dan and Jan Gerber. It was the first time for me to be in their new home. Son Mark and daughter Sarah were there, 2 grandkids, and a friend from their first days in Uganda, Judy. I enjoyed the visit a lot. By the time I got home (via Lands End), supper was on the table and the trike fixed and test ridden by Tom and Karen. Joe had taken 3 walks during the afternoon to burn some energy so he’d be able to sleep. An evening of conversation relaxed us into a good nights sleep.

Day 20 - July 29

2006-07-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday’s morning’s riding plan was set: Amy would ride out of camp with Tom and then Joe and David would alternate stoker position on the bike paths going into Chicago. Chicago and the surrounding communities have strung together a web of bike paths that connect a lot of the western suburbs and accommodate another form of transportation in this area.

So, in the warmth of the just-glowing sun, Amy and Tom set off. We ended this leg of the day’s riding with a funeral service for Tom’s cell phone which was laid to rest on a very busy road and could not be saved. Joe hopped on the trike next and he and Tom began riding the bike path in a now broiling heat. 93 was observed at one bank sign and it was still fairly early in the day. Unfortunately, Tom and Joe experienced a difficult ride. One grinder, in fact, forced them to get out and walk the bike up. The attempt to ride this grinder stretched the front chain to the point that we continued to have problems with the chain throughout the day. When David took over, the ride was relatively flat before lunch. Unfortunately, so was our rear tire.

Meanwhile, the van was having a challenging time finding the trail heads to the bike paths in order to provide support and alternate riders. We knew the community we would meet the bikers in and the bikers knew the route they were taking (the bike path itself) but the van needed to get directions to get to that community and then find out where the bike path was accessed. The job was done but we didn’t always meet in the community as originally planned.

The day was very hot. The temperatures reached 102 in the sun and went “down” to the high nineties in the shade. Richard and Suzanne Kauffman met the bike riders on the path and then led us to their home in Glen Ellyn. Richard used to be the pastor at Toledo Mennonite Church. We all showered, and then enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation. Gratefully, for everyone’s olfactory glands, the laundry was done for the week. This is where we will be staying for our rest day. Sadly, David Kozy will be leaving us in the morning. We wish him godspeed.

A beautiful barn

2006-07-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

This will be the last look of country for awhile.

A look at us sitting around and putting together a blog posting

2006-07-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Day 19 - July 28

2006-07-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

We found David Kozy in a sleeping bag on our gravel drive at the campsite. Since he arrived so late, he simply got his sleeping bag out and called it a night. He had a rather moist and damp pillow by morning.

Today’s weather was hot. No rain, thankfully, but a lot of humidity. David’s fresh legs were utilized at key altitudes. Joe put a lot of miles in today, despite the heat. He seems to continue to gain strength on the trike and his desire to ride surpasses everything, including eating licorice. (Private note to Jesse from Joe: I didn’t open the licorice until Monday and it was gone by Thursday.) We find Joe’s passion to be on the trike refreshing since he didn’t think he could do it. We watch it, though, because sometimes he wants to go longer than he should. It should be fun to see the interest in the trike with the residents at Sunshine and see if their strength and desire to exercise increases with the stability and ease the trike offers.

A little bit of information to make the following story funny. Each time a new stoker gets on the trike, the seat needs to be adjusted. Joe and Tom have mastered this adjustment like a Nascar pit stop. A large piece of cardboard is placed under the trike to catch the falling parts, Joe lays on the ground and Tom kneels over and together nuts and bolts are loosened, the seat is adjusted and all hardware is tightened up. Today, Joe “assumed the position” laying on the edge of a street. The seat adjustment was quickly made and Tom and David started off on the trike. A sheriff “pulled them over” to see if a biker was down. He had received a call from a driver that there might be an injured biker in the road. It was only Joe helping adjust the seat! By the way, Tom is now receiving whistles due to David’s good looks.

Cycling (yuk, yuk) David and Joe through the stoker position today allowed us to reach our destination relatively early – 3:30 p.m. Amy was able to put up her hammock and we have been talking and relaxing throughout the evening.

David Kozy relaxing in the hammock

2006-07-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

Karen and Amy writing directions for the day

2006-07-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

Amy and Eldon on the Trike

2006-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Day 18 - July 27

2006-07-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday ended with Tom saying, “I will not ride another mile on this bike without changing the chain.” So, early this morning, Tom and Eldon left to get a chain for the bike and get Eldon’s brakes fixed. They returned to camp late morning and it took them until 1:00pm to replace the chain. We ate lunch, said good-bye to Eldon and Marilyn, who are headed back to Illinois and began our biking a little after 2:00.

(Editorial comment from Tom: We had chain management problems on both the front and rear chains for much of yesterday. Both exhibited a lot of wear. The rear one kept overshifting on the front derailleur, which led to jammed chains, greasy hands, and lost momentum. It also began to drain my patience reservoir. The final straw was when it broke enroute and we had to put it together one link shorter. That meant we lost our top gear. Not that we needed it too much!

Earlier phone conversations with Randall at WizWheelz informed me of how much chain would be needed to replace the offending pieces. The bike shop in Fond du Lac only had enough chain (3) to replace the rear. Working at a campsite with only travel tools is not as easy as in a shop with all the appropriate equipment. But with Eldon’s hands and wisdom we got the job done. Chain management was much easier and we got a ½ century completed in a ½ day! So a bad starting day ended up to be a good one.)

The skies were ominous with heavy, gray clouds and we all happened to notice that as soon as Marilyn left, we felt our first raindrops. Again, Marilyn’s timing proved to be uncanny. Besides missing their warm friendship, we missed the way Marilyn alone could keep the rain at bay.

After Amy and Joe got their mileage in, they went off to pursue the perfect campsite. I (Karen) popped on as stoker and our theme song, “Riders in the Storm” was again appropriate. We biked in the rain, seeking refuge in a garage and school as needed.

We were anticipating the arrival of David Kozy but went to bed before he arrived. We stayed at a really nice campsite, right next to the showers. Amy and Joe did their campsite seeking well.

Day Seventeen - July 26

2006-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was kind of funny. Remember the severe weather reports we were hearing? The evening started very, very hot. Not many of the women in our group could sleep, which means that the men weren’t sleeping as well. J The tents were stuffy, the van was miserable. It was so hot in our tent that even though we knew it was going to rain (the lightning kept lighting the sky), I (Karen) needed fresh air. In my hot, frustrated state, I took our rain fly off to help air circulation. (Unfortunately, it didn’t help.)

So, of course the rain starts plopping down. I run out of our tent with the rain fly and it’s all twisted up and I can’t find the front from the back and I’m still frustrated because I’m hot and now I’m frustrated because the rain is plopping into our tent and Joe is offering help and I’m saying, “No, no, I can get it,” but of course I can’t get it. So, Joe crawls out of the tent to help me. Since he’s had the stroke his balance, of course, is effected and we are trying to pull this rain fly over our high tent in the rain. Tom, meanwhile, is out in the rain covering the bike seats. I forgot to mention that both vehicles, two tents and two bikes (one tandem) is squeezed onto one site (the Mennonite, frugal way, of course) which may explain the lack of air circulation but definitely sets the picture for not a lot of walk-around-the-tent in the middle of a hot night in the middle of a rain storm scene. Unfortunately Joe lost his balance and falls onto Eldon and Marilyn’s tent. Marilyn wakes up and says, “Is there a tornado?” Joe falling was not funny but Marilyn’s sleepy reaction was.

It rained ALL night. The tents got a LOT of water in them. At one point, when the rain started dripping from above, I just grabbed a towel, covered my face and fell asleep. It was a nice campground to get wet in because we were able to throw the wet stuff into dryers.

Amy continues the narrative: Joe started off the morning with Eldon as captain and Tom rode Eldon’s bike. The morning contained rollers. Karen took over after the first major hill. She had a series of hills, then Marilyn got on. With her good fortune, she rode 16 miles, mostly flat with just 1 or 2 hills. I was driving Eigsti’s car and while we knew the brakes were bad and I avoided braking (lots of downshifting and drifting through intersections) I began to hear a new formidable sound. When I pulled into Chilton, I said I wasn’t driving anymore until Eldon listened to it. Karen located a little restaurant/ice cream shop where we had lunch. We had good service from an older woman who didn’t seem happy to be there. Karen’s goal was to get a smile from her. She was very helpful in locating local repair shops. When Karen made her last visit into the shop to ask for directions, she was able to elicit 2 smiles. Joe started riding after lunch, going 9.8 miles—9.5 of them uphill. Meanwhile, Eldon found a shady spot to pull off his car wheel and look for trouble. When I told him the guys were into grinders, he thought it might be a good time to find a repair shop in the next city. I replaced Joe and rode 29 miles with lots of hill work and many grinders. The most frustrating part of it was continuing chain problems both with it popping off and a break, just short of the peak of a hill. Tom does a great job as repair guy sitting in the gravel in the sun with sweat dripping. I rode 29 miles and it felt like 59miles. We rode over 70 miles and arrived at our destination in spite of all our problems. People were very helpful all along the way.

We did not feel like going out to eat, so I cooked a spaghetti dinner with green beans and fruit for the group at our lovely campsite at Mauthe Lake State Park. Everyone else seemed pleased with the results. It’s amazing how good food tastes when you’re exhausted and hungry! We look forward to a good night’s sleep with no rain in the forecast.

Amy and Gary LaMarche beginning to jetski

2006-07-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

Day Sixteen - July 25

2006-07-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

Today’s ride was long, hot, flat, windy (headwinds) and dry. At least one of the thermometers we passed read 94. In fact, it was so hot that our milk in the refrigerator curdled! (Don’t say it, Adelle!) Even though the bikers ignored two detours (drove right through) we still put in 78.75 miles. Lunch was on the road (peanut butter and jelly) and we staggered our lunch times in order to keep the tandem moving. This is the first day that everybody rode. Tom and Eldon did all the miles and Joe did 35 of them!

Marilyn did good sleuthing and discovered a campsite right on our biking route! We didn’t know where we would be staying and she agreed to go ahead and find us a place. As we are typing this post, we keep hearing severe weather warnings over the radio, so tune in tomorrow to find out if we had a dry night or a wet one.

We are eating in a diner that reminds us of Dudley’s back in Toledo. (Editorial note by Joe: This would be up Jim Hall’s alley as one of the many restaurants he stops at while he is supposed to be working.) --Karen

Day Fifteen - July 24

2006-07-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

Monday’s ride included a lot of sun and trees and views of Lake Michigan. We had an early bathroom stop at Jim and Lois Boydston’s and those interested received a tour of their lovely beachfront home.

Marilyn got her first ride on the trike. Her timing getting off was uncanny. Moments after getting off and Joe getting on, we were greeted with raindrops. After seeing three dead deer and many views of water on the horizon, we encountered water up close and in person of the vertical dimension! We experienced a LOT of rain! We are used to riding in the rain. In fact, Tom came up with our theme song: “Riders in the Storm!” We do end up pulling off the road, not so much because we don’t like riding in the rain (Joe, I think actually prefers it!), but because the drivers on the road have a difficult time seeing us and it was a busy road with a lot of semis. The riders were pretty well drenched. Joe tried to “protect” the towel he was using as a seat cushion by staying on the bike during the “pull over” times. He was unsuccessful.

We were helped on the road by a woman who owned a mini-storage unit. She said we could find an unlocked bay and find refuge in it. A tornado watch was in effect along with a prediction of hail. Marilyn, who had driven ahead looking for a campsite got inside a campground activity center just as the hail arrived. Again, her timing was uncanny. From now on, the rest of us plan to stay really close to Marilyn (especially Eldon!). Fortunately, we were able to find a hotel for our evening accommodations and good thing, too, it stormed twice through the night.

At our hotel, we met a couple of teachers from Indianapolis also circling Lake Michigan (the wrong way, though) on a tandem. They were a lot of fun to talk to and we each exchanged information about the routes ahead. --Karen

Our host family in Gladstone: Laura, Chris, Cassandra and Gary LaMarche

2006-07-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Second Week's Summary

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Second Week Summary:
We have had wonderful weather this second week. We didn’t get drenched like we did twice during the first week. While it was warm at times, for those of us from more “southern” climes, the temperature was bearable. It was in the 80’s most days and dropped into the 50’s at night. Those nighttime temperatures made for good sleeping conditions. But after cycling all day, we didn’t really need much encouragement to sleep well.
Day Eight – Peterson Creek Camp to Timber Ridge Resort (Williamsburg) = 65.146 miles. We spent 5:47:14 on the trike and averaged 11.3 mph. The maximum was a new record that Karen and I set at 39.5 mph.
Day Nine – Timber Ridge to Young State Park (Boyne City) = 75.605 miles. We spent 7:18:38 on the trike and averaged 10.3 mph. The maximum was again a new record, this time with Joe and I traveling at 44.5 mph.
Day Ten – Young State Park to Wilderness State Park (Mackinaw City) = 53.286 miles. We spent 5:23:26 on the trike, averaging 9.9 mph. Our maximum today was 34.8 mph. We spent Monday and Tuesday climbing most of the day. Since we did so also on Wednesday, and needed to repair a sticky link in the bike chain, we decided to ride until 6:00pm and then van the trike to the campground. A major storm (with lightning and high winds) was pending, so we all felt we made the right decision. This day of riding had fewer miles than anticipated, but we still expended a day’s worth of energy!
Day Eleven -- Wilderness State Park across the bridge to Naubinway = 55.149 miles. We spent 5:30:17 on the trike, averaging 10.0 mph. The maximum speed was 35.4 mph. We very much appreciated the primarily flat route along Rt 2 in the U.P. after spending 3 days in the hills. While the shoulder of the highway was usually ample, the amount of traffic and it’s average speed was daunting. Our campsite was on the shore of Lake Michigan. Pictures will be posted.
Day Twelve – Naubinway to Manistique = 46.36 miles. We spent 3:35:35 on the trike. We expected this to be our shortest day and it was a welcome rest for all of us. We averaged 12.9 mph (not surprising since we didn’t get as tired) with a maximum of 24.9 mph.
Day Thirteen – Manistique to Gladstone = 56.936 miles. We spent 4:51:41 on the trike, averaging 11.7 mph. Our maximum for this day was 32.6 mph.
Day Fourteen – Complete rest day in Gladstone. We stayed with Gary & Laura LaMarche. Laura is Kelly Fritz Garrow’s first cousin. Kelly made the arrangements for us to stay with them and we attended their congregation (Memorial United Methodist Church) this morning. Their home overlooks Little Bay De Noc with a wonderful view.

Total miles = 352.48 for the week. Total miles for the trip so far = 750.18.

Because of the difficulty we had keeping the fenders on during bumpy descents, we took off all three fenders. We agreed that when it rains we get wet and it’s not from the spray of the wheels. We had to contend with a sticky link in the chain, but solved that problem. We had a flat on the rear that took our “spare” tire to replace. So we ordered two new tires from WizWheelz. In talking with Randall at WizWheelz, he determined that we were experiencing abnormal tire wear and the front end might need alignment. He sent us excellent instructions on how to measure and adjust it if necessary. We measured and indeed it was out of alignment. It tracks much better now. We replaced both of the front tires since one of them was already down to the cords. Now we will use one of the “old” tires as our spare.
On the first “flat” day in the U.P. Joe ride over 40 miles. This is an all-time high for one day’s riding for him. Jesse’s legs came in very handy in the hills of the early part of the week. And Eldon’s legs came in handy during the latter part of the week. Tom is grateful for a fresh set of legs at various times during this trip.

Days Thirteen and Fourteen - July 22 and 23

2006-07-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday's ride was fairly short - 57 miles and everyone thinks it was pretty uneventful. I have been picking brains this evening on Saturday's ride but most of us can't remember it. (I'm the youngest - 42 - and even I am having a difficult time with my memory!)

However, we all remember the warm welcome we received from our hosts Gary, Laura, Chris and Cassandra LaMarche. What a very nice family! Laura is the cousin of Kelly Garrow who works at Sunshine. Laura and her family fed us a wonderful meal, allowed us to shower, and invited family over for a euchre tournament. It was very nice. The LaMarche family has a lovely home where one can view the lake from the back deck. Deer abound in the neighborhood. After eating corn on the cob and watermelon, we just threw the remains from the deck for the deer to eat!

On Sunday morning at 5 AM, Jesse and Anna left for Grand Rapids to worship with the Mars Hill congregation. We worshipped with Laura's family at the Memorial United Methodist congregation in Gladstone. Pastor Jackie and congregational member Chris (another avid biker), along with Laura's parents Jim and Lois Boydston, joined us at Laura's for a grilled salmon lunch. Both food and fellowship were great.

After lunch, Amy, Marilyn and I (Karen) went into town to do laundry. Joe went along and found all the stores in downtown Gladstone closed. Coming back to Laura's, we dined on pizza and veggies and then some new activities began. Marilyn, Eldon and Cassandra went on a GEO cache hunt: that's a hunt using a GPS system. They found the cache in a wooded area and added a post in the log. Meanwhile, Amy and I joined Laura and Gary jet skiing! Yeehaw! This was a first for both of us and Laura and Gary made it fun! Chris, their son, went along as well, and swam in Lake Michigan. We skiied at Jim and Lois Boydston's house and they invited us in for some warm brownies and hot chocolate afterwards. It was a very nice day of rest!

Week Three Riders: Karen and Joe Kruzel, Tom and Amy Kauffman, Eldon and Marilyn Eigsti

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Joe taking a nap at Jim and Ann Troyer's farm

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Anna Daly playing euchre at Gary and Laura LaMarche's house

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Jim and Ann Troyer - our gracious hosts in Manistique

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Tim, Kathy and Kayla Miller in Naubinway, MI

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Our campsite at Larry and Bonnie Wyse's place

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Lake Michigan again

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Lake Michigan

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Can you see the bridge now?

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In front of Mackinac Bridge (really, it's there; move in closer)

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The bay at Petoskey

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"Heading" into Petoskey

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Stoker's view

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The work we do to bring you updates

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Karen is standing in the road trying to find a connection.

Week Two Riders - Tom, Jesse, Karen (Joe is taking the picture)

2006-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Day Twelve -- July 21

2006-07-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

The second good day of relatively flat riding in good sunny, reasonably cool summer weather was experienced today. We spent the second day in the UP on Rt 2. For virtually all of today the road had a wide shoulder, which helped us keep a respectful distance from all the "land yachts" that kept passing us. Joe rode strong today, but all the miles from yesterday took its toll on his body, so he paced himself.

Eldon and Marilyn Eigsti joined us last night. Eldon and I have established a tradition of cycling for a week during the summer somewhere in the midwest doing self-contained camping. This year he convinced his wife of the joys of cycling and both are joining us for 7 days of riding. They live in Buda, IL on a farm. This ride is special to them because they served in Bolivia with MCC for 5+ years.

Today Eldon took a turn as "captain" on the tandem, while I rode his recumbent. Joe did not complain about his captaining, but Karen had several comments to make as his style was somewhat different from mine (Tom's). But he is a quick learner and soon Karen was feeling more at ease riding behind him.

We continue to have a couple of minor mechanical challenges that we attempted to diagnose on the tandem. We solved a few problems, but still have a sound that we are not sure is important. Randall from WizWheelz is sending instructions on how to check the alignment on the front end, since it appears the tires are wearing abnormally fast.

Jesse continues to keep us on our toes with his verbal commentary. He will tell you that the "oldsters" on this trip were unduly concerned about the parking job he did in the sand.

Since we are in the U.P. those of us who had not experienced "pasties" had to do so. Before anyone gets alarmed, it is a food and is pronounced as if it were spelled "pass-tees".

We continue to be blessed with the hospitality of a second Mennonite congregation. For those of you who want to be certain of who we stayed with last night, it was Tim & Kathy Miller. He pastors two congregations in the UP---Naubinway Christian Fellowship and Rexton Mennonite Church. Tonight we are staying with Jim and Ann Troyer. He has pastored Cedar Grove Mennonite Church since the early 70's!

For those of you looking forward to more pictures, be patient. They have been downloaded to the laptop and will soon appear on this blog. Jesse felt it was important to give those of you not fortunate enough to be on the trip a view from the "stoker's" position. Stay tuned...

Tonight we await the arrival of Amy (Tom's wife) and Anna Daly (Jesse's girlfriend) who will join us for the weekend before Jesse and Anna return to Toledo. We are nearing the halfway point and Joe and Karen are fairly confident they will stay with us for the entire trip! Hoorah!

Days Ten and Eleven - July 19 and 20

2006-07-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all,

Greetings from the Upper Pennisula! Yesterday was both a grueling day, with many grinders, and also one of the most beautiful days. God is such a great God and God's creation is absolutely amazing. I (Karen) have really been appreciating the slow pace and all the details you see of God's creation from the back seat of the bike or the driver's seat of the van. This trip makes me want to slow down and take more back roads in the future.

Last night, after a very long day of biking, we camped at Young's State Park near the Mackinac Bridge. (Please excuse my spelling.) This morning, we loaded up the trike and crossed the bridge and entered the 51st state - the UP. The ride today was pretty flat with a hot sun and a constant wind. Joe rode the most today; I think he put in close to 40 miles but I'm not sure. He would know but right now I am sitting in an actual computer room posting this blog and Joe is not near me. We are staying at Kathy and Tim's house. Tim is the pastor of two congregations in this area. I'm sure Tom will update you on the details of Tim and Kathy (their last name and the names of their congregations). What I can tell you about them is that they are a very generous couple and very warm hosts. I have appreciated the female company, the warm shower with no bugs, the fast internet and the good conversation.

An interesting thing happened to me today during my ride - we blew a tire! That was a first.

More numbers...
...Okay. What are the odds? We are all sitting on the burm of a highway, fixing this flat tire and innertube and a couple pulls up in their car and get out to talk with us. They are the parents of Kelly Garrow of Sunshine Children's Home! Isn't that amazing? Small world.
...Another "what are the odds" story: At Tim and Kathy's churches, they have a jar that people put money into when it's their birthday. The money has gone to Sunshine Children's Home! It feels good to hear so many that are aware of Sunshine and the good work they are doing.

Eldon and Marilyn (I'm not sure of their last names) have joined us on our tour. Eldon is Tom's biking buddy. They joined us here at Tim and Kathy's house. Tomorrow will be our first day with this new entourage.

Continue to pray for us. We'll post again tomorrow if we are able; accessibility is an issue here in the UP. --Karen Kruzel

Day Nine - July 18

2006-07-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was the most difficult day so far. I (Joe) rode 30+ miles including a couple of grinders, Karen rode a couple of grinders, and I don’t know how many miles Jesse rode – he may have ridden more grinders than miles. He really saved us. We couldn’t have survived the day without him. Of course, Tom rode ALL the miles and ALL the grinders. He is truly an outstanding biker. He’s the only person I know who could do this trip in a month.

Yesterday’s speed record was shattered today by Tom and I by 5 mph. We went 44.5 mph. These records are set by coasting downhill without pedaling. Since I outweigh Tom, the rear of the bike wants to pass the front at that speed. It took precision steering and BRAKING by Tom to achieve that speed. I think to beat that speed we might have to go end over end downhill; so we are laying that record to rest.

We ended the day with a good Subway meal at a good campground. Tomorrow morning Tom will begin the day by repairing our bike. We look forward to tomorrow’s challenge hoping it isn’t as tough as Tuesday’s.

More numbers:
…Did you know that it is 1000 miles from Toledo to the top of Florida? Our bike trip is 1400 miles long. Phew. It feels like we are going through the Applachian Mountains!

Day Eight - July 17

2006-07-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

We have a new partner this week. Molly went home and her brother (Tom’s son) Jesse Kauffman joined us on Sunday, our day of rest. Jesse was able to get a four-hour kayak trip in on Pine River. Thanks for the recommendation, Lynn Rupp. The photo is of the second week's riders, without Joe, who is taking the picture.

We may have found the maximum speed for the Tandem Trike. On the descent into Traverse City, Tom and Karen twice exceeded 38 mph. Molly and Tom had also done so earlier, setting the record at 39.2 mph. But this time the road was bumpy (just ask Karen how bumpy) with a narrow shoulder. Twice the vibrations loosened the fenders and we had to stop. The second time the one fender flew off completely, Tom catching it in mid-air while trying to steer and brake at the same time. It was an exciting ride (you may want to ask Karen what she was praying during this time) and ultimately a safe one. We set a new record of 39.5 mph (sorry Molly) and Tom believes that may be reaching the limits of the TT’s “stability quotient”, especially on bumpy asphalt.

We encountered our first significant frustration with the Adventure Cycling mapping. While it keeps the route in a nice compact format, it does not indicate route names outside the “official” route. When there is a detour (as there was from the bike path in downtown Traverse City) we did not know how to proceed. Joe and I (Tom) sat at an intersection while Karen powered up the laptop and opened the mapping software program that Tom has in order to get a better visualization of the entire town and where Joe and Tom were parked and how to get back on track. While talking on the cell phone and walking Karen through the software program (first time she had used it) we hear Jesse pulling into the Wendy’s drive-thru and ordering a Frosty. Somehow it didn’t seem that Jesse was appreciating the challenge the rest of us were having! (Jesse’s editorial comment: Just because some were in bad moods doesn’t mean I had to be.) Thank goodness for technology here, since with the laptop and cell phones we EVENTUALLY got back on track. (Believe me, this is a condensation of the actual situation!)

A storm was approaching, and when we called ahead to the designated campsite and discovered there were no showers, we chose an alternate site. We draw the line at only skipping one day without showers when riding. So we attempted to beat the rain to the campsite, missed a turnoff (that turned out to be gravel) and decided that with lightning bolts beginning to show up with increasing regularity we would put the trike in the van and motor to the campsite. Darkened skies made riding hazardous because we don’t have lighting either on the trike. The van was being buffeted by strong winds and the skies opened. We finally got to use the brand new umbrella that Joe and Karen brought along as Tom made his way from the camp parking lot into the office to reserve a site.

The manager said that the sheriff’s office had called with a tornado sighting (but no touch downs at that point) and we were glad to be relatively dry and safe. We showered, put up Joe & Karen’s tent and headed off to town for supper. The funnel may not have touched down, but we saw evidence of tree branches on the roadside and heard that parts of town were without electricity. We feel blessed to be safe.

Traverse City is a beautiful town with a wonderful beach and view of the Lake. Jesse and Karen took a dip in the water while Tom & Joe were riding the trail (and getting lost).

We are still on schedule and (for the most part) enjoying the opportunity. In Mesick we ran into a Michigan-sponsored ride of at least 100 cyclists who were on a 7-day ride. It was great to see all ages and sizes of people on bicycles. We saw a couple of recumbents and at least one other tandem, but no tandem recumbents. We have had occasions each day to share what we are doing and have received encouragement along the way for our efforts.

Update on numbers:
…Jesse reports that he won his first game of Cribbage, beating Joe. This is the first defeat that Joe has experienced on the ride.
…During one of the times when Jesse and Tom were riding Joe skunked Karen at the game.
…Don’t forget (Karen writing here) – Karen and Tom set a new speed record on the trike – 39.5 mph!
…Number of times Karen was almost killed today: three – once running into a car; twice going down very fast hills.

Tomorrow appears to offer sunny skies and slightly cooler temperatures. We look forward to a good ride. –Written by Tom with editorial comments by Karen and Jesse.

First week's summary

2006-07-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested in “the facts” of the route, here they are. As is usually the case with bicycle touring, actual implementation of the plan is not always identical to the forecasted route. In comparison to the website introduction, this is the actual route we took.

First week’s summary:
Day One – Sunshine to Lake Diane = 62.5 miles. We spent 5:59:24 on the trike. Our average speed was 10.4 mph. Molly rode ~31 miles, Karen rode ~8 miles, and Joe rode ~23 miles.
Day Two – Lake Diane to Nottowa Campgrounds = 79.6 miles. (Our original campsite was not an option and we did some extra riding as well as loading the trike in the van and backtracking to Nottowa.) We spent 6:59:16 on the trike. Our average speed was 11.4 mph. Molly rode ~ 30 miles, Karen rode ~24 miles, and Joe rode ~30 miles.
Day Three – We drove the trike to the beginning point of the day (we’d been there yesterday!) to Whispering Waters Campground (Irving) = 67.3 miles. We spent 5:49:52 on the trike. Our average speed was 11.6 mph. No breakdown of miles ridden, but this is the day Karen did not ride.
Day Four – Whispering Waters to Double RR Ranch Resort (Saranac) = 45.2 miles. We spent 4:12:41 on the trike. Our average speed was 10.7 mph. Again no breakdown of miles ridden, but this is the day Molly did not ride.
Day Five – Double RR to Sandy Beach Campground (Hardy Dam) = 58.9 miles. We spent 4:52:50 on the trike. Our average speed was 12.1 mph. Molly rode ~44 miles, and Joe rode ~14 miles. Karen didn’t ride at all.
Day Six – Sandy Beach to Kestelwoods Campground (Garlets Corners) = 80.6 miles. We spent 6:26:09 on the trike. Our average speed was 12.5 mph. Joe rode 3 miles, Karen rode ~37 miles, and Molly rode ~41 miles.
Day Seven -- Kestelwoods to Petersen Creek Camp = 3.6 miles. We spent 26:10 on the trike. Our average speed was 8.3 mph. Joe rode the entire day! We had a grinder for 1/3 of the daily mileage.

Total to date = 397.7

No flats, no broken spokes, only a front derailleur adjustment and a repair to one of the fender supports. --Tom Kauffman

Our campsite

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Randall, Bob, Tom and Joe on the road

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Custom Made Shirt

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Karen cooling down

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Molly bored.

2006-07-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

Day Six - July 15

2006-07-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Another good day for cycling. We traveled from Sandy Beach Campground at Hardy Dam to Kestelwoods Campground north of Luther Michigan. This was supposed to be a longer day, but Tom and Karen added another 5 miles when they took a 2.5 mile detour and had to retrace their path.

It was a hot one as well. How hot was it? A picture of Karen shedding her sleeves tells it all. While word from northern Indiana spoke of 95+ degree days, it “only” got up to 91 in our part of the country. For that we were thankful. We kept hydrated and took appropriate breaks.

For those of you who are Major League Baseball fans, we followed American League rules in our cycling today. Because of Joe’s tender ankle (see earlier blog about how he got the sprain) he rode in the van most of the day. But we made him the Designated Cyclist on a flat stretch and he rode 3 miles without pain. So he kept intact his string of riding every day. Both Molly and Karen have had a rest day during this first week. He mused that the safest place for him seems to be on the bike!

Randall Bertrand suggested to us that Barry County (in which Hastings is located and through which we rode with him and his father) is one of the hilliest counties in the state. We would like to have further conversation with him about that supposition. It seems we continue to ride through some pretty hilly terrain. But both Karen and Molly are developing strong cycling legs and did great jobs today.

As is the case with many small towns in America, there are lots of villages continuing to grow smaller and smaller. Cycling the backloads of our country gives one opportunity to see many of them in various stages of thriving or struggle. However one of the towns we cycled through today was Big Jackson. One well-kept church on the northeast corner of the highway and one well-kept school building on the southeast corner of the highway is all that currently exists. There is little current evidence however, that Big Jackson ever was “big”. No cemetery, no abandoned buildings, nothing else to suggest that it got its name from a history of vitality. Was this named for future potential?

Again we are having trouble finding a connection, so this blog will be uploaded as soon as possible.

Updates on numbers:
Joe beat Karen at cribbage (again!)
Tom and Joe beat Karen and Molly at cribbage playing as teams.
Molly rode more than 50 miles today.

Day Five - July 14

2006-07-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Another day of riding, another day of hills and rain. But we reached our goal and set up camp in the dry. We washed our clothes and fed our stomachs and still have time to relax before settling in for another night’s sleep.

Karen and Joe stopped in the small town where we were planning to eat lunch and were able to talk to a resident about the two possibilities available. While the one advertised extensively along the route, it did not receive the resident’s culinary nod. Since it was about noon, it was also telling that the other eating spot had several vehicles parked in front of it while the well-advertised one had an empty parking lot. This was one of those times when the outside does not necessarily indicate what’s inside. We ate well and resumed our ride refreshed and contented.

This was the first day that Joe did not feel well, so Molly and I (Tom) started the ride and Joe rode a 7 mile leg in the morning. Joe resumed riding after lunch. The sun was shining and the temperature was warm but comfortable. As a cloud cover crept up on us, Joe got to the end of his second leg. We had several rollers and no grinders in his segment. We did have to adjust the front derailleur so it would shift into low gear, or we would have had a couple of excruciating grinders. Technology can be helpful!

After a break, Molly and I resumed the ride as thunder rolled across the sky. Not far up the road the skies opened and Molly and I were drenched, but no lightning or heavy wind or significant traffic. We did feel that Joe had a too-wide grin on his face as he and Karen passed us in the van. Further down the road the skies dried up and so did we. My glasses were dried of droplets by the 39.2 mph downhill ride that we had. This is the highest maximum to date. Fortunately it was smoother than yesterday’s speedy decent.

We got wetter (having started to dry out) as the skies opened again before we reached our destination. Showers once more felt good. And since tomorrow’s campsite is in a more remote location, we decided to use the local Laundromat and wash our clothes. Besides, some of them were beginning to overpower us with their odor.

As Joe and Karen were setting up their tent on the most level spot of the campsite, Joe stepped in a hole and turned his ankle. It has swollen up and he is keeping it elevated. We will see what tomorrow brings for it. For the full story, ask Joe when he gets home.

Since we don’t have an internet connection, this blog will likely not get placed on the site until tomorrow (Saturday). Keep Joe and his ankle in your prayers.

Day Four - July 13

2006-07-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to me! Today Joe and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. Marriage is often described as a “ride,” with periodic ups and downs. Though Joe and I have only experienced the “ups” ;) today’s ride was a marriage – lots of ups and downs!

Before we get to the hills, let me tell you how the day started. This morning we were joined by a wonderful father-son team, Bob and Randall Bertrand. Randall works at WhizWheelz, the shop from which we got our trike. It was a lot of fun riding double tandem recumbent tricycles!

Okay, now the hills. We heard the area we covered today is the hilliest in Michigan. We saw a lot of hills. (Have I said that enough?) Joe learned the difference between rollers and grinders, in cycling lingo: rollers being those nice rolling hills, low grade, that create a little line of sweat on your forehead when you cycle up and a slight breeze cooling you off coming down, and grinders being those hills that you can’t talk, pretty much can’t breathe, and you wonder how you got talked into this ride in the first place. Tom and Joe hit a lot of rollers and grinders today as well as hitting a particularly bad hill going down (they lost both fenders on the front of the trike) and a particularly bad hill going up (they thought they might have to walk it but in working together got the job done).

The hills are over. The sun is setting. We are sitting in our campground playing cards and enjoying each other’s fellowship. This ride has been very nice. So has the “ride” called my marriage. I have a wonderful partner. Happy anniversary to me.

More interesting numbers:
…Tom and Joe beat Molly and me two out of three games of euchre tonight.
… Number of ethnic restaurants in Belding, MI: one – a Chinese-Thai restaurant where we went to celebrate a great day.

One final note: we have really appreciated the comments we have received on this blog. Thank you from our hearts. We probably won't be able to respond to the comments because of the lack of consistent wireless reception but know that we are encouraged. –Karen Kruzel

Day Three, July 12

2006-07-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

Randall Bertrand and WizWheelz have come through again. Since we are camping so close to Hastings Michigan (where WizWheelz trikes are made and sold) we contacted him for some “insurance parts” and a small repair part. Making a trip of this distance with only a patch kit and a bicycle pump is probably not completely wise. So we wanted to purchase a spare tire and two tubes “just in case”. We also had a minor confrontation with a large rock that snapped off one of the plastic support pieces on the right front fender. So we ordered a couple of replacements, again “just in case” this might happen in the future.

We had already made arrangements to ride on Thursday with Randall and his dad (a retired businessman who had a closed head injury and also is able to ride through the benefits of tandem tricycles) for a few miles. Randall agreed to meet us at the campsite with the parts and his tandem Wednesday night so that we would be ready to go on Thursday morning. When I got ready to pull out my checkbook to pay for the parts, he said not to worry about it. It was already covered. Thanks a lot WizWheelz!

We got to a late start today but had a wholesome, nutritious breakfast at….McDonalds! We arrived at our campsite at 7:00 p.m. – another long day. Fortunately, the campground had great showers, which were greatly appreciated after not showering for two days. After 8:00 p.m. and feeling so fresh ‘n so clean, we headed off to Hastings, MI for dinner at Applebee’s. At dinner, we heard Tom reminisce with Joe about previous cars they’ve owned and the cars they “drool” over now.

Okay, some interesting (or not so) numbers:
...Joe rode the most miles as “stoker” yesterday.
...Molly rode the most miles as “stoker” today.
...Joe beat Karen at their first challenge of cribbage.
More to come…. ~Provided by Tom, Karen and Molly

Day Two - July 11

2006-07-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when you can safely bicycle in the summer without sunscreen? That’s right, it’s raining! Day two began with a call from a concerned spouse of one of the riders who saw the weather channel’s forecast for the day. Rain was a virtual certainty, probably beginning about noon. This was a 70 mile day that couldn’t be completed before then. What to do? Should we ride as far and as fast as we could before the rains came and call it a day? Or should we set out to do as much as we could even in the rain? We chose the latter path.

But first, Joe and Molly were in the van heading to Custar’s cottage when they turned into the road to Lake Diane and saw the hills ahead on Territorial Road. Both of them wondered if the second day would begin with those challenges. The answer was “yes”. So Joe generously gave up the first leg’s ride to whomever won the “rock, paper, scissors” exercise between Karen and Molly. We will let the readers decide who won and who lost. Karen was the rider of the first leg of today’s mileage.

We are here to report that Karen Kruzel can ride the hills! While it may not be her favorite aspect of cycling, she can do it.

The rains came before lunch did. Somehow Joe found himself on the trike with Tom when this happened. Is this what comes from being so generous about yielding the hills to some other rider? But as everyone knows one can get only so wet. After that it is simply a matter of replacing one older droplet of moisture with a newer one. There was no thunder or lightning, only a few inconvenient sprays from motorized traffic.

Lunchtime in Howe, IN gave us time to replenish our stomachs and experience wearing dry shirts in the restaurant. Then it was more swimming, err riding. To add insult to our wetness, we had to cycle through an errant irrigation system in a farmer’s field that was watering the road more than the field. And this was during a time of virtual dryness from God’s irrigation system!

In Scott, IN it was time for Molly to take over the “stoker” position. (This is the rear cyclist on a tandem, with the front cyclist called the “captain”.) The skies were almost smiling on us as we pedaled our way toward the Michigan border. Is Molly too much of a Buckeye fan? Or was it something else that caused the skies to open less than five minutes down the road? In very short order Molly had the experience of what it’s like to ride drenched. Joe and Tom didn’t have to tell her how it felt. She now knew.

For those of you who like to keep lists, here are a few facts we’ve accumulated so far. We have seen numerous horses in fields who have shown remarkable fascination with our journey. Karen and Molly tried to make friends with one particularly curious one as we took a roadside rest on day one. Cows have shown more distant curiosity. A few dogs have had animated discussions about our “invading” their territories. They have won every discussion as we have cycled away. We too feel we are winners because none have (yet!) come close for a “contact” conversation. At one rest stop two small kittens came out, begging to join the trip. They must have been Mennonites because they peacefully laid down under the trike when informed they could not come with us. And we have encountered two humans who suggested we should “slow down”.

When we finished the day, Joe was questioning Tom’s mileage estimates because, as he said, “They keep getting further apart!” Tom thought we would ride 72 miles and we ended up riding 79!” --Tom Kauffman

Day One - July 10

2006-07-11T06:09:00.001-07:00

Wow! Our first day is coming to an end and what a day it’s been. We had a great send-off at Sunshine with a number of Sunshine staff and family and friends in attendance, as well as two news channels. Since we would like to raise awareness as well as funds for Sunshine, it was nice to have the t.v. exposure.

This first week, Tom’s daughter, Molly, is joining Tom, Joe and I. Joe and Tom left Sunshine at around 8:30 a.m. and Molly and I left in the VW Westfalia about 15 minutes later. I learned an important lesson 14 miles up the road at our first meeting place – the emergency brake should be released before you begin driving. If not, I can tell you now from personal experience, an unusual smell will waft to your nostrils. I’m grateful it was “only” the emergency brake but I can tell you I was rather embarrassed about it. Tom and Joe say that if we have to park on a hill, I’ll have to sacrifice my foot to hold the van in place!

The ride (and drive) was beautiful. Joe and Tom were joined by our pastor, Mark Bartsch, for a long stretch of the morning ride. Both Molly and I took turns riding (I only rode for 8 miles, though) and tonight everyone is tired except Tom who rode the whole way.

Tonight we are staying in a beautiful cottage on Lake Diane near Hillsdale, MI. When we got to the cottage, I jumped into the lake for a refreshing swim. It was very nice. A big thank you to Dan and Dee Custar for allowing us the use of their cottage. We all appreciate it.

We are attempting to update this blog daily. If there is not a posting, it’s because the reception is bad and we will try again later. Thank you for your interest. – Karen Kruzel

The Toledo Blade article

2006-07-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tom and Joe are famous! Check out the great article on their trip at http://tinyurl.com/zl3ey.

A Solution and Gift from Alltel

2006-06-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those “deep breath out, smile on the face, ducks are lining up” kind of day.

We’ve been perplexing over how we will go about updating this blog everyday while we are on the trip, away from the comfort of personal computers and already established internet connections. A lot of ideas have been tossed out but Jamie was the answer man!

Jamie Weber, from Strictly Wireless, www.strictlywirelessonline.com, graciously set us up. He not only literally set us up on Tom’s laptop but he also informed us that Alltel will be picking up our connection expenses. Alltel rocks!

A big thank you to Jamie, Strictly Wireless, and Alltel.

About the Route and Daily Mileage

2006-06-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Day One, July 10 – Sunshine to Lake Diane = 66
Day Two, July 11 – Lake Diane to Centreville, MI = 65
Day Three, July 12 – Centreville to Hastings = 66
Day Four, July 13 – Hastings to Lincoln Pines Resort (Trufant) = 56
Day Five, July 14 – Trufant to Big Rapids (camping?) = 55
Day Six, July 15 – Big Rapids to Kestlewoods Campground or Coolwater Campgrounds (Pine River) = 63
First Week’s total mileage = 367

Day Seven, July 16 – Rest Day
Day Eight, July 17 – Pine River to Jerome Campground (Williamsburg) = 67
Day Nine, July 18 – Williamsburg to Young State Park (Boyne City) = 69
Day Ten, July 19 – Boyne City to Wilderness State Park (Mackinaw City) = 71
Day Eleven, July 20 – Mackinaw City to Naubinway Mennonite Church (?) = 57
Day Twelve, July 21 – Naubinway to Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Manistique) = 57
Day Thirteen, July 22 – Manistique to Escanaba =62
Second Week’s total mileage = 383
Total to date = 750

Day Fourteen, July 23 – Rest Day
Day Fifteen, July 24 – Escanaba to Copper Culture Mound State Park (Oconto WI) = 78
Day Sixteen, July 25 – Oconto to Oneida (camping?) = 65
Day Seventeen, July 26 – Oneida to Old Wade House State Park (Greenbush) = 71
Day Eighteen, July 27 – Greenbush to Pike Lake State Park (Singer) = 50
Day Nineteen, July 28 – Singer to Big Foot Beach State Park (Lake Geneva) = 64
Day Twenty, July 29 – Lake Geneva to Maywood IL (Richard & Suzanne Kauffman’s) = 74
Third week’s total mileage = 402
Total to date = 1152

Day Twenty One, July 30 – Rest Day
Day Twenty Two, July 31 – Maywood to Lansing = 40 (Drive to Candy Stripe Campground @ Lake Eliza IN)
Day Twenty Three, Aug. 1 – Lake Eliza to Rupert’s Resort Campground (Bremen) = 60
Day Twenty Four, Aug. 2 – Bremen to Gordon’s Campground (Woodruff) = 70
Day Twenty Five, Aug. 3 – Woodruff to Sauder Village Campground (Archbold OH) = 66
Day Twenty Six, Aug. 4 – Archbold to Sunshine (Maumee) = 35
Fourth week’s total mileage = 211
Total mileage for trip = 1363

About the Tour

2006-06-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tom Kauffman has been the Ohio Conference Minister of the Mennonite Church USA since 1998. In this assignment he supervises conference staff, gives oversight to the work of the regional pastors, represents the conference at the denominational level and works in tandem with the regional pastors in providing some direct services to congregations and pastors. Tom is married to Amy Gerber Kauffman and is the father of four adult children. He is an avid bicyclist who lives in south Toledo.

Joe Kruzel is a 25-year veteran of the Toledo Fire Department who retired in 1999. Shortly after his retirement, Joe suffered a debilitating stroke. He has spent the last several years re-learning to walk, talk and perform tasks of daily living. Joe and his wife, Karen, are active members of Toledo Mennonite Church, where they provide leadership to the church’s after school program. Karen will drive the support vehicle for Joe and Tom.

Because of Joe’s level of disability, he will not be able to ride all 1400 miles with Tom. Tom will be joined by a rotating series of cycling partners during the trip to give Joe opportunity to rest.

The Partners
The Trinity Bike Tour is a fundraiser for Sunshine Inc. of Northwest Ohio and Mennonite Central Committee. Sunshine provides residential and support services to people with disabilities and their families in Northwest Ohio. Mennonite Central Committee is the worldwide relief and development arm of the Mennonite Church, serving people in 57 countries.

The two charities have been fundraising partners in Northwestern Ohio for the last five years, co-sponsoring the annual Black Swamp Benefit Bazaar each June at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Wauseon, Ohio. All donations for the Trinity Bike Tour will go to Black Swamp Benefit, Inc., a 501(c)3 charity, and will be split evenly between Sunshine and MCC.

How You Can Help
We welcome pledges to the 2006 Trinity Bike Tour. Checks can be made out to "Black Swamp Benefit Inc." and mailed to Bob Aschliman, Treasurer, P.O. Box 183, Archbold, Ohio, 43502. All donations are tax deductible. Every dollar donated will go directly to the charities. Expenses for the bike tour are being covered by a grant Tom Kauffman received to fund his sabbatical experience. The recumbent bicycle was purchased by Sunshine and will be used by people with disabilities after the tour.