By Sarah Robbins
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

Hello blog readers! This is Sarah Robbins bringing you the day’s happenings during our trek from Reseda, CA to Huntington Beach, CA. The first thing that should be said is that God is incredible and he showed His great love for us today.

The ride began with a nice climb up a small mountain; we were traveling back towards the coast and had to pass over this to get back to the beach. It was a nice climb to wake us up this morning and we were quite excited to start descending. It just so happens that I was riding with Luke and Jason and watched as these seasoned riders began zooming down curves of the mountain, as I clenched my brakes to avoid the curves and the cars behind me (I just got into bike riding in April!). It sure was busy on that road for the early morning and I didn’t trust myself to go fast around the sharp turns.

By Chris Bernard
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

My name is Chris Bernard and I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently I live in Lynchburg, Virginia where I attend Liberty University. I have been an avid long-distance ultra marathon runner for the past three years. I also enjoy mountain biking in my free time. Prior to this trip, I had ridden my road bike less than 100 miles. I felt the Lord calling me to try something new and to partner with The Fuller Center. Although cycling is still foreign to me I am having a blast and couldn’t be happier that I am on this trip!

By Andrew Manglos
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

Andrew Manglos is my name and I hail from Anaheim, California. I am more affectionately known as “chops” by many members on the bike ride due to the muttin’ chops I have grown while on this trip. I am 22 years old and currently go to Cal Poly Pomona. Six years ago I had to have corrective surgery for Scoliosis. This surgery fused two metal rods to my spine and prohibited me from achieving my life goal of joining the Marine Corps. Since this surgery, I have decided that I will not let this handicap hold me back but will in fact help to drive me forward through life. Originally, I had signed up for this bike trip to prove to myself that my body was just as capable as the next persons. Little did I know that it would become so much more.

When signing up for this ride I thought it was just going to be an endurance race of the body. I soon found out that it was much more. While riding is what we do, it is simply the medium through which we are trying to share our message. Our goal is to raise funds and awareness for the Fuller Housing Center and to end poverty housing. Everyday on this ride brings new and amazing things. What I have personally found inspiring is the closeness of our group and the love that people have shown us. Every member of this group is not just another rider but is a family member. Earlier last week I had hurt my ankle while riding. Not a day has gone by when almost every rider has asked how I am doing and if I need anything. The people we have met along the way have also been simply amazing. Every day a new church or group opens their doors to us and treat us as family. Many times offering their prayers and even cooking meals for us.

By Carmen Price
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

The ride was from Ukiah, CA. to Redlands, CA., which is my stomping ground! I was more than ready to start the day and had every intention on riding with Sarah Doren at a medium (for her) and my average pace of 14 mph. As we took off from the church we rode strong behind Geezerman Tom for the first 25 miles at 16 mph, which for myself is rocking it out! I had never kept a pace that strong before today. The beautiful scenery of which we passed amazed me: vineyards and the rolling hills of Mendocino and Sonoma California. Absolutely my favorite places to be. The roads were smooth and basically flat which was a helper on my speed.

Once we made it to the rest stop I wasn’t ready to slow down, Turbo Tom was ready to take off from the trailer for another strong 25 miles I decided I’d give it a shot to ride with Turbo. Never in my days on The Fuller Center Bike Adventure did I think I’d ride with the front of the pack. Geezerman Tom and Sarah Doren were short to follow and kept a steady pace as Turbo Tom and myself sped off in the distance. Of course my minutes with Turbo himself shortened as he sped on the hills of Sonoma. After losing Turbo Tom I remember entering a race! I wasn’t competing, but rode amongst speedy Triathlon riders going the distance in the Ironman race. It was a thrill to be riding behind the intimidating riders. I was for sure a sore thumb in the sight of all these talented and graceful cyclist, swimmers, and runners, but it was so exhilarating to ride in a pack! I wanted to turn and continue the race, but I watched Dan go straight past flaggers and cheerleaders for the race and I had to follow.

Burgess Brown
2012 Media Guy

My name is Burgess Brown and I am the media intern for the west coast bicycle adventure. I work along side the amazing Nathan Slabaugh to produce the videos and photos that (hopefully) you have been keeping up with on the facebook page or otherwise. I have had a blast thus far on this journey and I have met some incredible cyclists who happen to also be incredible people. I love the job I am here to do but for the past 3 weeks (I roadtripped across the country in the van from Georgia) I have been eating like a cyclist and living in a van all day. This lifestyle began taking its toll on me mentally and physically and I have become very antsy during the long days on the road watching all these cyclists pushing themselves to their limits everyday. Needless to say when a bicycle opened up and I was given the opportunity to ride I jumped at the chance to escape the van for the day.

By Sarah Doren
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

Today was a ride like no other I have experienced in my rides with the Fuller Center Bike Adventure. This is my third year participating in the adventures so I am making my comparison to many wonderful and challenging days over the years and today had something for everyone. We climbed, we cruised. There were gravel paths and silky streets. We saw tall trees and the deep waters of the ocean. Today was the kind of ride that was consistently changing and its variety provided a taste of many things a bike adventure day could include.

By Dan Zassick
2012 Bicycle Adventurer

Hello, Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure followers! I will be blogging for you today on this Monday, the 23rd of July from tropical Crescent City, California. But first a little about myself. My name is Dan Zassick, and I join the trip from beautiful Louisville, KY. It is my first time riding with the FCBA and I cannot express how excited I am to be here. After being here over a week, I can gladly say that the trip, the people, and the beauty of the west coast are some of the greatest experiences I have ever had. Riding down the coast it is easy to take in the tremendous heights of the mountains, the sandy coastline, and majestic forests as we climb and descend the hills of the Oregon coast.

We began this morning in Port Orford, Oregon, the location of our first day off. And what a needed day off it was. I know I was certainly sore all over. My shoulders ached and my legs were tired from days of long riding. Stepping outside this morning it was clearly the coldest day of the ride so far, I donned my arm and leg warmers and threw on my dayglow orange (for safety of course) wind jacket to keep in all the body heat I could manage. Eight or so miles in I was dragging. I felt tired and heavy. It seemed there was nothing I could do to pick up and really get rolling. But soon the hills came. Quickly I was sweating beneath my jacket and so I stopped to store that in a pocket. Continuing on up the hills, the climbs got my muscles warmed up and I was finally really ready to ride. After cresting the peak of the biggest climb of the day I saw a welcome and exciting road sign: DOWN HILL GRADE 6%. I took off down the hill like greased lightning, trying to watch the road ahead for any stick or rock that might trip me up and quickly glancing down at my bike computer to check my speed. It was going up, and fast. 25.. 28.. 32.. 40.. 48…. 49…… This was now officially the fastest I had traveled outside of a powered vehicle, and I was acutely aware of every bump, shimmy, and rattle of my bike as I nearly flew down the hill at break-neck speed. I decided that the desire to get that last 1 MPH just couldn’t overcome my desire to not crash and so I laid on the brakes and eased my way down the rest of the hill. It was a thrilling experience to say the least!