2014 Was One in a Million

As the year comes to an end many of us find ourselves looking back and reflecting on where we’ve been, where we’ve come, and everything that has happened since our last yearly reflection. Well, the Fuller Center Bike Adventure is no different. We also like to take a moment to stop and look back on the year and everything that has occurred. And what a year 2014 has been! Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of this year of adventure:

-We had our third annual Spring ride. 33 cyclists came out to ride 380 miles on the Natchez Trace Parkway, and built stairs for 11 houses as part of a project to get families into unused Hurricane Katrina cottages!

-Our 7th annual Summer ride took us on a Northern route from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Astoria, Oregon. A total of 105 riders joined us for some portion of this journey with 18 riders going the whole way.

-Along the summer route we reached our ONE MILLION DOLLAR goal! The news was a cause for a celebration for everyone who has ever ridden with FCBA, reminding us that every little donation and every mile pushed through got us here.Continue reading

The Silver Comet

By: Lydia Huelskamp

When you try something new you never know what to expect. Things could go completely wrong, you could find out you’re allergic to shellfish, or your clay pot looks more like a clay blob, or your haircut makes you look like your little brother cut your hair with his play scissors. Trying new things can be very scary.

However, without trying new things you also never grow, you would never find your new favorite food, discover you have a knack for painting, or start a new fashion trend. Trying new things can be very good. “Where is she going with this?” you may be asking. Well, this past weekend FCBA took a step into the unknown and discovered just how good trying new things can be. Here are a few examples of how our new Silver Comet ride really was a great, new experience:
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The Bike Adventure Stickers

If you’ve watched our Facebook photos very closely, you may have noticed some interesting stickers on some of the riders’ bikes. Here’s what those are all about… and how you can get your very own!After years of giving riders trophies or medals for finishing a ride, we’ve decided to do something a little different. The idea is that unlike medals or trophies that collect dust on a shelf, these are something that we can put on our bike or helmet, and will be with us every time we ride. They’ll be more visible to others, giving us opportunities to share about the Fuller Center and our adventures and they’re a way to memorialize our years with the Bike Adventure — kind of like feathers in a cap or college football stickers on a football helmet. Also, they’re quality outdoor stickers like bumper stickers, so they should survive for years through rain, hail, and even massive headwinds (as some 2014 riders may be able to confirm!).Continue reading

It Is The Journey That Matters

by Lydia Huelskamp

Along this ride I was handed a quote. This quote said, “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”

Today as we came over the last hill and saw the Pacific Ocean I realized how true this quote is. Feeling the sand and seeing the mass of blue stretching for miles would have meant nothing if it hadn’t been for the miles ridden to get there, the strangers turned family around me, and the experiences had, and the memories made along the way. We have pushed ourselves through headwinds and pulled each other in pace lines. We have ridden through rain, construction, and days that couldn’t have been better. We have done archery, water skied, and floated down rivers. We have painted, built, and done yard work for others. We have teased each other, laughed with each other, and encouraged each other. We have turned these nine weeks from simply getting to an end into a journey worth remembering.Continue reading