Rider takes off to rediscover America

SANDPOINT — The Irish, who have numerous poetic descriptions for rainy weather, might have called it a “fine, soft day.”

A light but steady drizzle fell Sunday morning as more than 30 bicyclists gathered in front of the Bonner County Courthouse to celebrate a cross-country solo bike ride by Mel Dick, who plans to cover about 10,000 miles during a trip that will take him from the farthest edge of the Northwest U.S. to the southern tip of Florida.

That route requires Dick to ride west before heading east, and the supporters who joined him for the June 1 send-off were there to ride along as far as Newport, Wash. Those who signed up for the 34-mile first leg pledged various amounts of money for the privilege.

According to Rob Herrera, one of the organizers of Sandpoint Bike Week and the point man for Sunday’s event, the inaugural group ride raised about $800. An anonymous donor, who plans to provide matching funds for each of the riders who took part, has pledged additional support.

All of the money raised during the trip will go to the Panhandle Alliance for Education drive to implement an early childhood literacy program in local schools.

Dick has been training for this cross-country ride since 2006, beginning with distance rides and culminating in daily training sessions lasting up to four hours. Last year, while researching his route, he found information about solo riders who had used similar trips to raise money for national organizations.

“I wanted to do the same thing, but I wanted it to be local and I wanted it to be something related to education,” he said. “PAFE has had a big impact on the community as a whole through helping kids and supporting education.”

The youngest rider on Sunday was 8-year-old Aidan Feurer, who made the 34-mile run in about four-and-a-half hours.

“He made it under his own power — we were proud of him,” Herrera said. “It rained the whole way, so he was tired and cold when he finally got there, but he did it.”

Aidan reported that he never seriously thought about giving up during his long ride, but there was one point — at about mile 29 — when he was sorely tempted.

Fortunately, he and his father, Mike, who rode with him to Newport, encountered an “unexpected hill” at that point, which gave them a long stretch of downhill terrain that made riding easier and put them closer to their goal.

Asked if he would ever consider attempting a cross-country ride of his own, Aidan thought for several seconds before answering.

“Maybe,” he said. “But I would want to graduate from high school first.”

Over the course of his bicycle journey, Dick plans to travel from the San Juan Islands to Key West, Fla., riding through part or all of at least 20 states along the way. He hopes to raise $100,000 to support the PAFE early childhood literacy curriculum, most of which will come from donors who have so far promised anything from a penny to 50 cents per mile.

As of Saturday night, he had amassed pledges for close to $10,000 toward the eventual goal.

Along with raising money for a good cause, Dick said his original intent was to rediscover America by riding its back roads and experiencing daily life in its small towns.

“I’ve always dreamed about riding across the U.S. and enjoying what I call the ‘sights, sounds and smells of America,’ ” he explained. “I’m saying that my ‘approximate’ arrival date will be in February 2009, but I really don’t know if it’ll take six months or 15 months. It all depends on how many detours I take.”

Sunday’s bon voyage ride ended with a barbecue in the park and a short speech from the man who would ride off alone into the drizzle as the rest of the bicyclists turned back toward Sandpoint. Most of them had arranged for someone to pick them up in Newport, Herrera said.

“Only a few — the real hard cores — rode their bikes back,” he added. “They basically spent a day of riding, but when we watched Mel climb back on his bike and leave Newport, we were thinking, ‘He might have another 364 days of riding ahead of him.’ ”

Tucked in with his tools, spare tires and road rations consisting mostly of yogurt, oatmeal and brown rice, Dick is packing along a digital camera and a two-pound laptop computer — equipment he will use to blog the adventure as he goes. To keep track of the rider’s progress or to make a donation to PAFE, visit www.ride4education.org

For more information on this week’s local bike-related activities, visit www.sandpointbikeweek.com