Written by: Mike Weiser
After riding two consecutive days of 90+ miles, it was refreshing to have a short day of only 38 miles riding into Indianapolis.
For a moment, I would like to regress and go back to July 15th. We were riding from Ottawa, KS to Kansas City, MO. Around 9 AM a severe thunderstorm was moving into the area. The sky was packing heavy rain, hail, and 60-70 mph wind gusts. Dody, Eldon, and myself were only minutes from being overtaken by the storm. Suddenly there appeared a house on this rural road with a light on. Lisa Huppe came out of the house and motioned us to come in and take shelter. As we waited out the storm, we got to briefly know Lisa, her husband Gary, and son Jake. We were able to explain the mission of the Fuller Center and our individual reasons for joining. The generosity and hospitality showed by this family was incredible. Lisa even prepared breakfast for us. They were truly our Guardian Angels that day.
Also, last week the ride on the Katy Trail from Sedalia, MO to Columbia, MO took a toll on our bikes. We must have had at least twenty flat tires; I had four myself. I would like to thank Tom Weber for purchasing some 30 inner tubes and donating them to the FCBA.
This is my third ride (and not my last) with the FCBA. I was an all-the-way rider last year on the summer adventure and did the spring ride this year. I knew last year after riding for just a week that I would be back again. If you look at the profiles of our group on the “Meet the Rider” tab, you will see how many are returning riders. There must be a reason! If you have thought about a cross-country bike ride, then I can not think of a better organization to ride with than the Fuller Center Bike Adventure…what better way to see this beautiful country of ours, meet new friends, and give back to the community.
Although we reached our overall fundraising goal the 1st week in July, some riders are still short of their required individual goal. They must meet that goal or they will be asked to leave the ride. So, if you have been thinking about making a contribution and haven’t, now is the time to make that donation.
