6 Weeks Untill...

I had hoped to get 200+ miles this week but ended up with only 140. I'll blame weather, work and lack of mojo. In addition to the tour itself I am preparing to ride the 3 State/3 Mountain Century ride in Chattanooga this May 2, the weekend before I head out for the tour. I hope to get several 30 mile days in during April with a once per week long ride getting up in the 80's by late April.

Here's the topo of the 3 ST/3 Mt ride:

Spring Break

Spring break offered a great week of training. As my wife and I traveled through AL and GA to visit family I would leave a couple hours early and ride toward our destination and she would pick me up about 40 miles down the road. Great way to ride, spend time with my wife, and visit family. I got about 200 miles of riding in.

Training, Sat Mar 7

Today I took 3 different groups of students for 15 miles each. Beautiful weather and great rides through Radnor Lake, Vanderbilt and down town Nashville.

Training

Kerwin Everson and I rode 15 miles after our weekly Friday AM Bible study this morning. We rode from Lipscomb through down town, across the Woodland Street Bridge and back. We did a quick tour of Fort Negley.

About the Route

The Underground Railroad Cycling route runs 2,028 miles from Mobile, Alabama, to Ontario, Canada. The path it follows is based partly on the old Negro spiritual “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The “Drinking Gourd” is a colloquial name for the “Big Dipper,” the constellation that points to Polaris, the North Star. Many slaves followed that star north to freedom.

The Adventure Cycling Association chose to honor the bravery of that period of history by developing this bicycle tour. The route passes through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. The ride is divided into five sections based on the Adventure Cycling Association mapping system. The ride is scheduled to last 37 days, and I plan to average 62.5 miles a day with 4 rest days built in to the schedule.

Ginny Sullivan, new routes coordinator for the Adventure Cycling Association, said: “This route is rich in history. Bikers on the route actually mimic the journey of those seeking freedom. The terrain is challenging at times, and many of the towns are small and haven’t changed much through the years. Riders travel past family homes and businesses. A family dog might run after you for a minute. People watch to see where you are going. After you cross the Ohio River, the journey changes quite a bit. It’s exciting to see the route used to highlight the need for minority scholarships.”

You can learn even more about the history of the route I will be riding at my Website, biketour.lipscomb.edu, where I have posted a video called “Biking Through Black History.”

If you are interested in giving, click here, or call Lipscomb University at 966-5720.

Equipment

I will be riding a Trek 520 which I purchased last year. Today I received my new Arkel handlebar bag in the mail. I am excited about this bag and believe it will be a great asset to the trip. I also purchased a new Seedhouse SL1 tent which is very light weight.

March 5

Today I rode my 25 mile through Percy Warner Park. Great place to train for the hills. 11 mile loop through the park has 1100 feet of elevation gain. My new Arkel handlebar bag and new Seedhouse SL1 tent came in the mail today. The Arkel bag is top of the line in bike touring and the tent is very light weight.

The Journey Begins

Welcome to my Underground Railroad Bike Tour Blog. As I begin this blog I am 67 days from the beginning of my 2000+ mile ride from Mobile, AL to Owen Sound, Canada.

This blog is devoted to my journey over the next four months to train for and ride the length of the nation along the Adventure Cycling Association’s Underground Railroad Route. I have been long-distance biking for many years, but this will be the first trip I have planned for a fundraising purpose. The purpose is to raise money for minority scholarships at Lipscomb University, where I have worked for nine years.

My goal for this ride is to raise $30,000. (To give online, click here.) I am very thankful to Lipscomb University for giving me the opportunity to use my gifts and sense of adventure to undertake this trip and attempt to raise money for minority scholarships.

Me and Lipscomb students from Madagascar riding around Nashville. I'm the one in the orange shirt.

These additional scholarship funds will provide hope for minority students who want to attend Lipscomb University but who are unable to cover the financial costs alone. I have lived in the dorm for over nine years with nearly 400 students each semester. I have seen too many students have to move out of the dorm or quit school for a semester or two for financial reasons. It also troubles me to see students graduate with a massive amount of debt. While I would love to help all students receive help toward their educational expenses, I am particularly excited about this trip and tying the Underground Railroad to an opportunity to help students of different ethnic backgrounds.

I’ve been biking for over 13 years now. I bike with family, friends and have introduced several students to the joys of biking. Being able to tie a sport I love together with a chance to provide hope for others and open doors for educational opportunities is very rewarding to me.

I welcome all to follow this blog through the next couple of months of training and then on in to the ride itself as I will be posting from the road during the trip from May 11 through June 17.

If you are interested in giving, click here, or call Lipscomb University at 966-5720.

You can check out the schedule and routes at http://biketour.lipscomb.edu.

If you would like to know more about cross-country biking, check out the Adventure Cycling Association.