Category: Freedom Tour

Sometimes I get it partly right. Friday during my ride I got caught cranking up a pretty steep hill. I’m much better than I used to be, but I’ll never be able to climb hills well due to some combination of a 35-lb bike and partially-functioning back/shoulder/arm muscles. I’m not alone–all but very elite handcyclists struggle with […]

Yesterday I wrote about my friend Josh. I asked us to walk in the other guy’s shoes, and you may wonder how that relates to a bike ride. After all, we’re rolling, not walking, and what does Josh’s story of addiction rehab have to do with human trafficking? Earlier this week I spoke with a guy […]

I wish I could make music. Specifically, I’ve always kind of wanted to be a drummer. There’s a place in my heart that feels a tiny bit unfulfilled because I never gave that notion a real shot. But that place is fairly small, and at this point it’s certainly not a dream worth following. Drumming is […]

Yesterday a few of us from the FREEDOM TOUR team were invited to share the story. In a Sunday school class the questions started easy, routes and where we sleep and how far we ride each day. As we settled in a bit, they wanted to know about our focus on human trafficking. So we […]

In 60 days, the 500-mile journey begins. We’ll raise our helmets, climb on our bikes, and crank south out of Cheyenne on highway 85. A casual observer might think FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’15 begins with the first pedal crank. The observer will see bright green jerseys, smiles, and high-fives. He’ll wave and perhaps offer […]

Becky and I visit a lot of new places in our travels. As an introvert I’m sensitive to insider-outsider feelings. Regardless of words or size, I often get a sense about whether the circle is open or closed. I work at being aware and moving past that initial tingle, but it frequently proves to be pretty accurate. […]

I think about odd stuff while I crank my bike. The other day I took off on a workout with a specific intensity goal in mind. This wasn’t a pleasure ride. But as I topped a small rise old habits kicked in and I coasted for perhaps 100-200 yards without even being aware. I resumed pedaling and […]

Do you remember Charlie Brown? Every year when baseball season began he gathered the Peanuts gang, grabbed his cap and glove, and headed for the diamond, convinced that this year would be different. The cap was essential because it was the team uniform. In Charlie Brown’s words, “If you’re part of a team, you gotta […]

Do you have a favorite iconic movie character? I suppose we all remember different roles for different reasons. One of my favorites is Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid. In one memorable scene, Miyagi asks his student, Daniel, if he’s ready to begin his karate training. Daniel replies, “Yeah, I guess so.” Miyagi sighs. “Daniel-san, […]

From the start it’s been clear what this is about. I’m a slow learner so it took a while for it to sink in. This crazy adventure wasn’t a bike ride and it wasn’t a fund raiser. # # # Toward the conclusion of the 2011 Mississippi River ride that started this craziness, a nice lady […]

Simon didn’t plan on being part of the story. He was part of the crowd in town for the holiday. Maybe he knew about Jesus, maybe not. But he was going about his business and I’m sure he didn’t want to get involved with the horrible scene in the street. The Romans had beaten the man […]