The FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR is forever linked to the story of RICH’S RIDE. Four years ago, Becky, Monte, and I were in New Orleans celebrating the end of our original 1500-mile journey. We thought that ride was a one-time deal. We had no idea what God had in mind, but the “trip-of-a-lifetime” turned out […]
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Why Is Community So Important?
At the FREEDOM TOUR we’re real clear about what we want to accomplish. Create a community in which people are empowered to trust God, work together as servant leaders, and offer hope to others. Sure, we ride bikes. We raise funds for the kids at the HOME OF HOPE. We promote awareness about human trafficking. We do […]
Continue readingMore TagGod And Greasy Bike Parts
Can you talk about human trafficking among piles of greasy bike parts? Picture an enormous convention hall filled with vendors selling any cycling-related product you can imagine. Brand new, expensive, high-end bikes and used garage-sale wrecks. Endless varieties of clothing and accessories. Year-end clearance specials. Rows of specialized wheels, components, and other associated gear. If it had anything to […]
Continue readingMore TagWho’s Allowed To Enter?
“Who’s your target audience?” It’s a common question as we talk to people about plans for FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR 2016. Of course we have some folks in mind, but as I think about this question a related issue comes to mind. Vision: Create a community in which people are empowered to trust God, work together as […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy Should We Prime The Pump?
My friend Jim likes to sing on long bike rides. Jim knows one verse of about a million songs. We’ll be cranking along and he’ll just start singing in his rich, baritone voice, the sort of voice that imprints a chorus on your brain so it pops up weeks later when you’re riding alone and […]
Continue readingMore TagGreat Advice From The Cheshire Cat
I’m a bit of a Lewis Carroll fan. He’s best remembered as the author of Alice In Wonderland, but he was also a mathematician who incorporated a good deal of logical argument into his writing. I used a lot of his writing in math lessons; Humpty Dumpty, The Mad Hatter, and The Queen Of Hearts always inspired curiosity. […]
Continue readingMore TagMoving Or Organizing?
I’m not a fan of rules. During the last decade or so of my career as a classroom teacher I discovered that the reasons behind a lot of rules were “it’s just common sense,” “that’s how I like to do it,” “we’ve always done it that way,” or “because I said so.” Those didn’t seem like they […]
Continue readingMore TagDon’t Stare At The Score
How much money did we raise? When you get involved with something like the FREEDOM TOUR you need a scoreboard. Dollars collected. Miles covered. People involved. Those numbers matter. You keep score so you can track progress and write reports. But it’s important not to stare at the scoreboard. Focusing on results is a great way to […]
Continue readingMore TagWho’s Watching?
On the recent FREEDOM TOUR, our team basically commandeered the patio at the Sonic restaurant in Trinidad–twice. Friday we celebrated our century ride with cold drinks and ice cream. Saturday we returned for lunch following our summit of Raton Pass. Sixteen individual orders shouted over all sorts of laughter and stories of conquest, on a busy day […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Joy Of Massage (And Other Stories)
The FREEDOM TOUR is all about stories. Well, it’s really about people, but the people all have cool stories. This thing that isn’t a bike ride attracts all sorts of interesting people who contribute in their own special manner. Greg was one of those folks. I “met” Greg online several years ago in the process […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Did This Happen?
You can’t do something like this without a bit of looking back. When Becky and I proposed the FREEDOM TOUR three years ago we were absolutely sure it was a great idea. We thought someone else would grab the vision and run with it. Truthfully, we desperately wanted somebody to tell us what to do. Lesson: […]
Continue readingMore TagYou’re Crazy. Tell Me More!
One of our FREEDOM TOUR team members commented on an interesting perspective. Before the ride: “Are you crazy?? 500 miles in 8 days? You have to be out of your mind!!? After the ride: “You all really are crazy!! But, by the way, congratulations – and can you tell us more about the Home Of […]
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