Written by: Michael Wieser
The last four years I have been an all-the-way rider and the bike mechanic on the FCBA. So, this year, being a segment rider is a bit different for me. I didn’t start out with
this group in Astoria because I was on a different bike adventure when this ride started and besides I’ve ridden the sections from Billings, Montana to Astoria, Oregon and from
Waukegan, Illinois to Portland, Maine in previous years; so this year I simply decided to ride those portions that would be new to me and free up the remainder of the summer for other
things.
Going back to the other bike adventure I was on, I enjoyed the ride but it did not have the same feel as a FCBA ride. There was no underlying purpose to the ride, no
camaraderie, and no teamwork. When you ride within the FCBA you really do feel like part of a family.
Reading the mission statement of the Fuller Center for Housing and seeing a large number of returning riders were two key factors that drew me to the FCBA back in 2014. Sure
there have been some tough days along the way, but I don’t regret the experience. I encourage anyone who is thinking about doing a FCBA ride in the future to sign up!