Diane Raver
Lucinda Fromer’s life dream has always been to ride her bicycle across the United States, and this summer, from June 15 through Aug. 4, it became a reality.
After resigning her job of 20 years, the Batesville resident signed up for a 50-day, long-distance trip with America by Bicycle. She wonders, “Why wait until you retire to ride your bicycle?”
Astoria, Ore., was the starting point for the troop, who ranged in age from 20 to 73. “We had such a varied group .... but everyone was there for a reason and a purpose.”
“On day zero, you did this introduction of why you’re there.” She discovered that a fellow rider, Ray, had also just resigned his job after 20 years.
“I always thought the ride would be about the scenery, the miles .... but it was about the people.” There was “Larry, a retired cop .... who could ride the bike better than he could walk” because he was hit by a vehicle earlier in his career.
Nate and Kelli “only started bicycling five months before this trip,” and had been long-distance runners before that. Nate had served two terms in Iraq and was retired from the Marines.
Bill from Texas was a cancer survivor who only had one kidney, and Maio, the 20-year-old, “had a tough childhood in the fact she was in drug rehab at age 14.”
Throughout the adventure that covered 10 states and Canada, about 47 people signed up for the entire length, but there were others who only completed a section of the route. She recalls that citizens from over 26 states, Denmark, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and South Africa participated.
The certified public accountant explains that at the beginning of the trip, “you dip the back wheel of your bike in the (Pacific) ocean at Astoria.” When the trip was completed, “we dipped our front wheel in the (Atlantic) ocean in New Hampshire.”
Five rest days were built into the 3,629-mile course, but the daughter of Don and Shirley Dunbar, Osgood, admits, “I rode on the rest days (circling back to the hotels) .... I couldn’t get enough.” Therefore, she rode 3,860 miles.
On average, the group rode 80 miles a day. “We were like our own little colony moving from town to town, city to city.
“The most beautiful state scenery-wise was Oregon. Mount Hood was absolutely amazing.” At the base of the mountain “we started out at (a temperature of) 47 degrees .... When we got to the top, I could have picked up snow and made a snowball.
“One of the very neat days was coming into Canada .... coming down this hill and right there in front of us was Niagara Falls.”
She also recalls going through South Dakota’s Wind Cave National Park. “This bison got right in the middle of the road, and I stopped .... I’m staring at him, and he’s staring at me.” After a while, “I went and moved my bike ... and he went on across.”
The 46-year-old was surprised that many of the participants had never been on a century ride, a hundred miles in a day. “I found it amazing that they signed up for a bike trip of this magnitude.”
The 20-year bicyclist remarks, “I never had a bad day on the bike .... Even when it rained, I enjoyed splashing through the puddles.”
Fromer reveals how she became interested in this sport: “As a child, both my parents worked so if I wanted to go somewhere, I hopped on my bike.
“In college, I decided to be a runner, but messed up my knee .... and started riding again.
“To be out on the bicycle .... I like the quiet and the think time .... wherever my mind goes, it goes.”
She discovered “people are more willing to help you and are a lot more willing to go out of their way for you when you’re on a bike.”
The CPA treasures her time on the road and the new friends she made. “We had amazing conversations with each other .... Every night at dinner, I sat with somebody different .... It was my opportunity to get to know people.”
Looking toward the future, she is “trying to be hired on by a firm for tax season .... and hopes to lead bike trips across the U.S.
“I feel this is the right thing for me to do .... (and) I believe you always have to keep dreaming.”
Diane Raver can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 114; or diane.raver@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.
