A Little (Longer) Charity Ride
(text for article in the October issue of the Austin Cycling Association's "Cycling News")

The October Ride for the Roses is certainly on everyone’s mind at this time of year, but some charity rides are on a much different scale. Rather than being organized by a foundation with hundreds of volunteers and lasting days, some are initiated by an individual and last for weeks. I’m embarking on one of these solo events this month to help raise money for an Austin family facing huge medical bills. Their 14 year old daughter underwent heart transplant surgery in June.

Megan was born with a defective heart – her ventricles were reversed and even after prior open-heart surgery to correct the leaking valves, Megan was getting weaker. Doctors decided to put her on the transplant list last May, and within a week Megan was blessed with a new heart. Megan is now recovering (see her story at http://www.miracle4megan.com/). She’s staying in Houston until it’s clear that her body has accepted the new heart; she hopes to be back in Austin this fall and return to classes at Westwood High School.

I got to know Megan and her family through lacrosse – her brother, Ryan, and my son, Brendan, played together and were captains of the Westwood High School team. Last year both were seniors, and Megan was their biggest fan.

It is reasonable to wonder why the fundraising campaign is necessary. Why doesn't the Horton family's medical insurance cover the cost of the heart transplant? The reality is that their medical insurance will not cover all expenses. With Megan’s previous surgeries, the transplant, rejection drugs, biopsy, follow-up visits, and future testing, the cost of a heart transplant will quickly continue to approach their medical insurance cap. Friends in Austin have sponsored a number of charity events, but this is the first representing the bicycling community.

I’m a member of ACA and the Velocity Cycling club; I try to fit in a mountain or road ride daily (usually over lunch). I’ve completed a couple of LAF “Ride for the Roses” centuries, and more recently joined club members in local team trials. But nothing on the scale of a multi-state tour.

Starting on October 19, I’m going to begin a solo ride from Virginia to Texas (a distance of about 1600+ miles), gathering pledges for Megan. Taking a long bike tour is something that I’ve dreamt about for a long time, however, the opportunity never seemed to present itself. This fall, the availability of a sabbatical from my employer SEMATECH coincided with a son starting college at William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. In addition, the Appalachian fall colors are legendary and family friends needed financial help; the whole package just seemed to come together.

A couple of years ago I sprung for a Skip Hujsak (http://www.hujsak.com/) custom road bike and fitted it with Campagnolo Record and Chorus components. The frame is made from Columbus steel so it's light, but strong, so I’m planning to use it un-modified for this trip (other than adding 700x25c tires and a wide cassette for the campy triple chainring).

I enjoyed backpacking in my youth, so I’m planning to camp along the way. However, an occasional evening taking advantage of a bed with family or friends, or a night in a hostel, is not out of the question. I’ve decided to tow my camping gear, food and clothes in a cargo trailer, rather than converting my bike into a “pack horse” with panniers. I’ve taken a few trial rides with the trailer loaded with free weights, and except for the extra burden on hills, it’s not that noticeable.

Donors and other interested parties will be able to follow my trip through this blog. I’ll be carrying a laptop, and where wireless is available (public libraries, etc.) I'll update the entries.

The trip will start in historic Yorktown, Virginia where the York River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. After passing through Colonial Williamsburg, I’ll head north towards Washington DC before cycling west until I reach Front Royal. From there, I will ride south, first along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and then the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm anticipating beautiful fall foliage in mid- to late-October, and plan to take lots of pictures. The route then goes west, following the Adventure Cycling Association’s trans-America route through Kentucky. Before hitting the Mississippi River, I will turn south and travel down the Natchez Trace Parkway which traverses Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and ends in Louisiana. From this point I'll head west into Texas. The whole trip will exceed 1600 miles.

In addition to daily observations, supporters will be able to follow daily bicycle performance metrics, as well as the exact route and altitude as recorded by a Garmin GPS cycle computer. This should be interesting to some readers, particularly in the Shenandoah, where the grades can be steeper than in the Rockies. Finally, having studied geology in college, I’m looking forward to following and recording some of the geologic highlights along the route.

I’m hoping that the generous Austin bicycling community will be especially supportive of this health and heart focused charity. Many dream of embarking on this type of trip, few have the opportunity to realize it. Pledges can be registered and donations can be made at: http://www.miracle4megan.com.