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82-Year-Old completes Bike Ride Across Country
crazyguyonabike.com ^
| 6-15-09
| Ken Payton
Posted on 06/15/2009 6:57:08 PM PDT by WackySam
Starke to St. Augustine, Fl.: The end of the tour, a lift across a bridge, a TV interview
Monday June 15, 2009, 60 miles (97 km) - Total so far: 3,301 miles (5,313 km)
I did it, folks. Citrus Heights, Ca., to St. Augustine, Fl., clear across the cotton-picking United States of America by bicycle at age 82, more than 3,000 miles in less than three months.
I was on the road at 7:15am., wanting to beat the heat and get this job done. The ride itself was routine, considering the miles I've ridden. But at mid-morning things changed. A plumber named Sonny Firth had seen me riding on Fl.16 east and knew I was headed for the bridge over the St. John's River that had two traffic lanes and dirty shoulders barely two feet wide. He had cleared out space in his plumber's truck for the bike and offered me a 3-mile lift over the bridge. When I saw the situation, I accepted, and Sonny did all the lifting to get 70-pound Dolores into the back of the truck. I'm telling you, friends, people are great everywhere.
Then at noon, five miles from St. Augustine, I stopped for a foot-long Subway, and as I was eating, Josh of NBC Channel 12 in Jacksonville said he wanted to do a story on me, an 82-year-old guy with a bike named Dolores riding a bicycle across the country. He'd been alerted about my arrival and made a good guess when he saw my bike leaning outside the Subway shop. After lunch, it took about half an hour for Josh to get his interview and pictures of me riding the bike. I appreciate the attention.
I got to St. Augustine about 1:30pm and wet my front tire in the Atlantic Ocean about an hour later after I called a bike shop about helping to pack and ship the bike and panniers back home. I'm going there tomorrow at 10am.
Happy trails. Here are some pictures.
TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Hobbies; Miscellaneous; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: bicycle; cycling
1
posted on
06/15/2009 6:57:08 PM PDT
by
WackySam
To: WackySam
2
posted on
06/15/2009 7:00:36 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
I live in st Augustine and this is the first I had heard of this
3
posted on
06/15/2009 7:01:39 PM PDT
by
manc
(Marriage is between a man and a woman no sick queer sham--- end racism end affirmative action)
To: manc
A close friend of mine who I ride with contacted every possible media outlet he could, and in the end just one local channel covered Ken upon his arrival.
I guess there’s just not much interest in stories like this these days.
4
posted on
06/15/2009 7:06:12 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
Wow! He looks 30 years younger than his 82! I like that the American flag is attached to his bike and waving proudly.
5
posted on
06/15/2009 7:08:02 PM PDT
by
fullchroma
(I want my country back.)
To: fullchroma
Wow! He looks 30 years younger than his 82! I like that the American flag is attached to his bike and waving proudly.
And he still "smokes cigars, drinks beer, and eats meat".
6
posted on
06/15/2009 7:12:12 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
hope obama dont find out about this...he wnat to save socialist health care blood money by killing old people.....its 1984 all over again
7
posted on
06/15/2009 7:15:53 PM PDT
by
j0hng4lt69
(we must save America)
To: WackySam
8
posted on
06/15/2009 7:17:08 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
Love him! Do you know him? Please send him my admiration and respect. (I haven’t stopped pedaling since I learned to ride without training wheels almost 50 years ago.)
9
posted on
06/15/2009 7:18:20 PM PDT
by
fullchroma
(I want my country back.)
To: fullchroma
10
posted on
06/15/2009 7:24:20 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
Don’t know why, but I followed the link to the story and then the link to the diary this touring biker made of his travels...going to go back and read a bit now and then, it just feels so good to read his words, simple and well written about his journey and the nice, good WONDERFUL Americans he met along the way.
11
posted on
06/15/2009 7:27:46 PM PDT
by
Republic
(Jedem das Seine)
To: WackySam
sad that our local media never really covered this in great detail as he is an inspiration.
Still there are far more pressing issues in this town like , er, let me think now, er,
12
posted on
06/15/2009 7:28:54 PM PDT
by
manc
(Marriage is between a man and a woman no sick queer sham--- end racism end affirmative action)
To: WackySam
Fantastic. That guy is an inspiration. 82 Years young, he is.
To: Republic
going to go back and read a bit now and then, it just feels so good to read his words, simple and well written about his journey and the nice, good WONDERFUL Americans he met along the way.
You're so right. This man crossed the country by bicycle, without a single problem alone the way, found people willing to help him, made friends, and was treated with respect from beginning to end.
14
posted on
06/15/2009 7:36:37 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: manc
sad that our local media never really covered this in great detail as he is an inspiration.
Like I said- I have a riding buddy that spent many hours making phone calls and sending emails to every media outlet he could. In the end only the one local TV station showed up. He's the oldest person to ever complete this journey and most of the media could care less.
15
posted on
06/15/2009 7:40:07 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
well thank you for at least trying to get the media involved
16
posted on
06/15/2009 8:08:49 PM PDT
by
manc
(Marriage is between a man and a woman no sick queer sham--- end racism end affirmative action)
To: Diana in Wisconsin; Tennessee Nana; aquila48; Red in Blue PA; SonOfDarkSkies; softengine; TChad
Ping to those who replied to previous threads on this subject-
17
posted on
06/15/2009 9:05:29 PM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
What a great blog. I should read the whole thing. Looks like he found America.
I really have to get out of my eight-miles-per-day rut.
18
posted on
06/16/2009 1:19:31 AM PDT
by
TChad
To: TChad
I really have to get out of my eight-miles-per-day rut.
At 8 miles a day you're riding more than 99% of the population.
19
posted on
06/16/2009 9:28:07 AM PDT
by
WackySam
(The fact that there are 24 hours in a day, and 24 beers in a case, is not a coincidence.)
To: WackySam
Congratulations to Ken!! He’s an inspiration!
20
posted on
06/16/2009 10:30:59 AM PDT
by
aquila48
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