Seniors bicycle 500 miles to reach class reunion

Sun November 06 2005
Posted Nov 6, 2005
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TOPEKA KANSAS - Dick Wood laughed when he explained how he got roped into saying a prayer at his 55-year high school class reunion. The master of ceremonies, one of Wood's good friends from Sterling High School in Colorado, introduced Wood to the crowd and said: "He rode his bike here. He's too tired to say no." Wood, 73, and friend Russell Gray, 62, left Topeka Sept. 17 and rode 530 miles to Sterling, Colo., with almost 50 pounds of food, clothing and camping gear on their bicycles. They pedaled for 10 days and pitched tents at night in areas as diverse as a churchyard, a farmer's yard and a city park. During the trip, Wood and Gray said they frequently replenished their food supplies at local grocery stores. The men arrived in Sterling on Sept. 27 and attended the reunion three days later. "I bonked out on the first day because I didn't eat right," Wood said. "You run out of fuel, and you know it. All you want to do is lay down in the ditch and take a nap." After he ate - good food and a lot of it - Wood said he was fine for the rest of the trip. "I usually try to eat healthy, but on a long ride anything is up for grabs," said Gray, of Topeka. "Hamburgers, milkshakes, you name it. You get a runaway appetite, and you can't eat enough." Both are familiar with long-distance rides and have bicycles designed for the treks. Wood rides a canary-yellow Cannondale M-800 mountain bicycle that he converted into a touring bicycle. Gray said he has several bicycles to choose from, but he rode a gray Raleigh C-500 to Colorado. The average daily speed and distance traveled on long rides can vary greatly, depending on the winds, the terrain and the rider's mood, Gray said. Generally speaking, though, the men don't get in a hurry. "We aren't breaking any speed limit records," Gray said. "You gotta get comfortable with eight miles per hour." Although they were comfortable on the road, the situation for Wood and Gray changed somewhat when they got to Sterling. "So many of them were enfeebled," Wood said, referring to his former classmates. "A very good friend of mine was in a walker. Another was in a wheelchair." Although both men are retired, neither thinks of himself as old. They lift weights regularly, ride bicycles with friends who are between the ages of 35 and 55, and try to go on a minimum of one long ride - meaning at least 500 miles - every year. "We don't think about it until we get around people our age," Wood said. "Most other people see (our health and age) better than we do." Wood, who was a long-distance runner for 25 years, switched to a bicycle about 15 years ago. "Riding offers the same benefits," he said. "It takes a little longer, but there is no impact." Gray got involved in serious bicycle riding in 1986. "To me, it's addictive," he said. "What I like about it is the unknown. When you get up in the morning, you never know where you're going to end up." Wood said his wife drove to Colorado to give the men a ride home. ROAD TRIP * Traveled: 530 miles, from Topeka to Sterling, Colo. * Daily: The men averaged 52 miles and six to eight hours riding. * Packing: Each bicycle, which weighs about 30 pounds, was loaded with 45 to 50 pounds of gear. * Calories: Each man ate about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day. By Kasha Stoll Morris News Service