Exhilarating Pre-Ride Day

What an exhilarating day! 

After breakfast this morning each rider had to do a short, bike-safety, obstacle course.  Since Rudy and I are riding recumbent bikes, we were excused from the part of the course that had us weave through the orange cones.  We did the stone-dodge maneuver (a quick swerve motion around a stone or other debris on the road), a left-turn soldier check and hand signal, and finally a hard stop complete with unclipping from our pedals without our bodies flying over the handle bars.  This feat was easily done on our recumbents because of our backward-lying seat position.  The breaking doesn’t propel our bodies forward like it does on an upright bike.  We’ve been pleasantly surprised at other riders’ interest in our “funny-looking” bikes! 

Following the kick-off worship service this afternoon, all the riders (100+) formed one big peloton (riding group).  We rode the six miles from Vanguard University, where we stayed this weekend, to Newport Beach where we dipped our back tires in the Pacific Ocean.  We were instructed to stay together no matter what--red lights or green.  The cross traffic stopped in order to let the whole group make it through the intersections.  Cars honked their horns.  People stood by the trail and watched as we road by.  Others waved and cheered us on.

 

I was ¾ of the way back in the pack.  At times, we road three abreast and filled the entire lane of the four and six-lane streets.  As we took our first left turn, the pack of bikes gracefully made its way around the corner like water makes its way through a coiled garden hose.  The cars stood at attention until we passed.  A small lump formed in my throat as the enormity of this undertaking hit me.  I recognized this lump.  It surfaced for the first time nearly 30 years ago when we lived in Visalia, California and we watched a bike race in downtown Visalia on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a serious race covered by network television, and when the bikers whizzed by in that peloton, I remember a lump forming unexpectedly in my throat.  I had no idea what that was about as I’m typically not a very emotional person.  But I remember that moment clearly.  Maybe a seed was planted that day. 

A short while later, the lump returned, but this time for a different reason.  I found myself thinking of my dad.  He died in a farm accident over 23 years ago.  I have no idea why riding in this pack of bikes triggered my thoughts of him and subsequent emotions, but it did.  I think, for a moment, I missed him; what would he have thought of me doing this ride?  I gave these unexpected thoughts a bit of my attention while riding, but soon enough the lump in my throat was replaced with a huge smile on my face and a sense of freedom in my heart.  I think I smiled the whole ride.

After our tire dipping, prayer, doxology-singing and pictures on the beach, ten of us found a pizza place for our evening meal.  Another rider and I started up a conversation with a woman on the sidewalk.  At some point, Something within nudged me, “This is the time you ask if she wants to make a donation.  Ask for a donation.”  So I did.  This was very uncharacteristic of me.  I handed her one of the Sea to Sea business cards.  She reached in her purse and handed me five dollars!  She had trouble reading the card without her reading glasses, but we said our thank-yous and found an outdoor table at the pizza place.  A few minutes later, I noticed she was still standing there with her arm fully extended, holding the card to the light, willing her eyes to focus.  She walked over to our table.  “You’re with a church group?  What church?”  We answered her questions and she said she had just come from attending Saddle Back Church earlier today.  In baton-like fashion, another member of our group picked up the conversation from there on out. 

In various ways we told our story about riding across the country to end poverty.  To some bystanders I called out, “New York City, here we come!”  Another time I called out, “Fight poverty!” It was fun watching people's reactions.  Other times there were longer conversations.  People's responses were open, uplifting and inspiring.

These lyrics run through my head as I write this blog entry tonight:  “Lord, you are good and your mercy endures forever.”  We haven’t even started the ride yet (we do that tomorrow morning) and already I sense God working on things far beyond my awareness.

I must sleep now.  We’re getting up at 5:30 a.m. to ride to Redlands.  Thank you for joining us on this journey!