Gratitude: Cross Country 2024

Technically, my 3,100-mile 99-day journey from July 6th through October 12th, 2024, was an unsupported ride in that I was not accompanied by a motor vehicle carrying gear and supplies. What a misnomer that is! I have been supported by numerous people, both before and during the ride. On this page I thank them all.

Waiting for the ferry across the Hudson on the final day of my trip

I am grateful to the people who took actions that without which my ride would not have happened:

  • Greg Link for asking "Do you want it?", after I rode his Centurion Ironman (now my Centurion Ironman) in July of 2009
  • Lori Belilove for encouraging me to buy the Centurion Ironman from Greg when I wondered where I would store it in our home, and for supporting me in my biking because she knows how important it is to me
  • Jan Albert for giving me, in 2016, Juliana Buhring's book This Road I Ride
  • Juliana Buhring, whose ride around the world, the story of which she told in her book This Road I Ride, inspired me in 2016 to resume multi-day bike trips after a hiatus of more than 40 years
  • Mike Dion for producing the movie Inspired to Ride about the first Trans Am Bike Race

I am grateful to the people who made contributions to my trip before it began:

  • Jim Belilove for suggesting I take powdered electrolyte rather than liquid electrolyte, and powdered contact-lens cleaner rather than liquid cleaner
  • Beth McDonald, my nutritionist, for recommending I get electrolyte powder from LMNT
  • The people at LMNT for telling me the formula to make my own electrolyte powder
  • Velo Mina for suggesting I take daily contact lenses rather than monthly lenses and liquid cleaner
  • Stephanie Clemens for suggesting I take liquid chlorophyll
  • Ginger Belilove for asking what I was going to put in the space under my saddle (answer: a small bag to hold my cleat covers)
  • David Brorein, expert machinist, for repairs and fabrication
  • Uriel Gurgov for adding pockets and Velcro straps to my Ortlieb trunk bag
  • Stan Redmond for advice regarding the route of the Trans Am Bike Race
  • RideWithGPS for its routing, navigation, and recording app
  • Eduardo of Bicycle Habitat for saving a bike box for me
  • André of Lezyne for repairing my Digital Road Drive pump and sending me a new chuck for my floor pump
  • Jared of Simply Light Designs for making me a custom bag to hold my spare tire
  • Barak Zitron of MODL for making Infinity Tool straps which I used to create stabilizers for my handlebar bag and to secure the stuff sacks for my water bladder and cold-weather clothing to each other
  • Lynn Martin for Breathing Coordination lessons
  • Anastasi Siotas for Feldenkrais lessons
  • Cynthia Hewett for acupuncture
  • Tom Reingold for advising me to not use my wheels that had flat spots, for suggesting I install a wheel stabilizer, for finding a replacement rack when mine broke, and after I returned home, for truing the wheels in order to remove the flat spots
  • Elysia Belilove for decorating the cake for my send-off party
  • Jennifer Hoult for suggesting I use Ibuprofen to prevent altitude sickness
  • Christopher North for suggesting I get a SIM card for my second phone

I am grateful to the people who hosted me in their homes:

  • Stephanie and Sean Tichenor, who picked me up at the Portland airport and hosted me for six days before I started to ride
  • Alex and Carrie Greenshields
  • Jim and Susan Brown
  • Scott Forrester
  • Jim and Lyn Gray
  • John Noelle
  • Mike and Molly Hesser
  • Chris and Lynn Brooks

I am grateful to the people who made contributions during my trip other than hosting me in their homes:

  • Alan Lindstrom for treating me to dinner
  • Pete and Gael Link for treating me to dinner
  • Derek Link for having me for lunch
  • Brian Legate for treating me to ice cream
  • Brian Crook of Burch's Shoes for repairing my off-bike shoes
  • Joshua of Hutch's Bicycles for freeing the adjuster on my rear brake
  • Colin Pip Dixon for a Feldenkrais lesson
  • Jalét of Spoke'n Hostel for creating such a great place for cyclists to stay
  • Stanley and Teresa for giving me a ride from Prairie City to Baker City
  • Brian Vegter of Old School Bike & Ski Hostel for creating a wonderful hostel
  • Linda of Woodhead Park Camping Ground for going above and beyond the duties of a camp host (see bottom of this page)
  • Kevin Deshon and Sonya Jennings for giving me food at Woodhead Park Camping Ground
  • Julia and Ron for giving me food at Woodhead Park Camping Ground
  • Logan of Logan's Shoe Repair for repairing one of my off-bike shoes
  • Alexsandra Burt for a Feldenkrais lesson
  • Alex of Missoula Bicycle Works for re-tensioning my rear wheel
  • American Eye Care Missoula for tightening the screws in my reading glasses
  • Jennipha Laurén Nielsen for having a great airbnb
  • Mary Dell of Lost Trail Hot Springs for letting me have a cabin with three beds for the price of a cabin with one bed
  • Sarah Sidrow, a cyclist traveling in the opposite direction, for giving me some waterproof tape to repair my leaking water bottle
  • Joe and Val McCown, for inviting me into their home during a rain storm and for driving me to my next destination
  • Larry Volkening of Bikewalk Southwest Montana for being both a great host and a knowledgeable guide
  • Brad Terrell of Dream Drift Flies for telling me I would need a reservation at the Grizzly Bar & Grill
  • Marianne Fitzgerald for a massage
  • Bethany Cobb for a Feldenkrais lesson
  • York Chan, Mike Court, Mike Guadagno, Roxanne Guadagno, Mike Macewich, Phil Igyarto, and Roxanne Laux, for joining me for pizza at Gino's East-South Loop
  • Mike Guadagno for receiving and delivering supplies
  • Larry and Carole Krucoff for having me for dinner that included Rachel Krucoff and Ira Abrams
  • Veronika Szabo of Grand Rivers Inn for giving me a great deal
  • Stephen Shaw of Trek Bikes for having a bike mechanic install a cable while I waited, and for advice regarding my pump and rear tire
  • Gene Miller for getting his friend Bill to give me a ride to avoid a dangerous road
  • Bill for giving me a ride to avoid a dangerous road
  • Bob and Anita Pittman for treating me to dinner and for receiving a package and delivering it to me
  • Craig Suggs for giving me a ride from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Best Western in Waynesville
  • Frank and Gerri Perry for including me in their four-generation family dinner
  • Joe Blackmon for offering to let me stay in his home until I could rent a car to leave Waynesville
  • David Nebhut for treating me to lunch and letting me use his computer to revise my remaining routes
  • Hal Ruzal for moral support

I am grateful to the cyclists I met, most of whom were riding some variation of the Trans Am Bike Route, for their company and in some cases for advice about my route:

  • John Wood
  • Zack Berger
  • Derick Thomas
  • Mike Comforti
  • Cormac Conners
  • Ed Craft
  • Jochem de Ward
  • Matt Dwyer
  • Evy Turner
  • Jim Frank
  • Paula Greenberg
  • Andrew Arisso
  • Ken Edwards
  • Sam Yarmis
  • Lucas Hickok
  • Jay Potier
  • Sarah Sidrow
  • Iris Edge
  • Aaron Miller
  • Harry Schukei
  • Clare
  • Brad Transam
  • Mark Thorsheim

I am grateful to the people who contributed a total of $3588 to my GoFundMe campaign:

  • Jan Albert
  • David Nebhut
  • Jackie Margolis
  • Elsa Viera
  • Peggy Lucas
  • John Hale
  • Victor Dvoskin
  • Natasha Davis
  • Chantal d'Aulnis
  • Cynthia Hewett
  • Isis Masoud
  • John Winer
  • Lanny Arvan
  • Sally Samano
  • Carole Krucoff
  • Rebecca Krucoff
  • Charles Uslander
  • William Schaffner
  • Berri Michel
  • Jonathan Corum
  • Janet Herzenberg
  • Gary Moonan
  • Brian Legate
  • Edward Eloian
  • Ali Lesch
  • Miriam Ryvicker
  • Ayelet Rose Gottlieb-Levavi
  • Marion Appel
  • Kimberly Allan
  • Andre Brown
  • Teresa and Stanley
  • Herschel Brown
  • Harriet Reed
  • Philip Hodgetts
  • Phil Igyarto
  • Larry and Connie
  • Robert Pittman
  • David Mieszala
  • Cathy Link
  • Jim Belilove
  • Jeremy Martin
  • Four anonymous donors

I am grateful to the following businesses:

  • All the companies who made or sold my gear, especially Ortlieb for replacing my top-tube bag when its zipper failed and for sending me a tube of Tizip zipper lube without charge
  • All the gas stations and convenience stores that supplied me with beverages and snacks throughout my riding days
  • All the motels and hotels in which I stayed
  • All the campgrounds in which I camped
  • All the restaurants that served my dinner

For anyone who made a contribution to my trip and is not listed above, please accept my apology and my gratitude. If you'll tell me who you are I will include you on this page.

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