No. But we’re getting there! We have one more destination tomorrow within Pennsylvania, and cross the border into Ohio the day after. The hills will become flats and the team is of course very aware. Some are excited for the lack of tough climbing and others are dreading the long flat stretches after so much interesting and challenging terrain (after living in Illinois, any sort of elevation change becomes interesting!) The end of today also marks our first full week of riding and what a week it has been already. We are very excited for what more awaits (and there’s plenty of it) on this vast and epic journey!
Edit: Sorry for late post, neither good wifi nor cell service at the stayover.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 38.4
Elevation: +2926’/-2921’
General Direction: Proceed southwest out of Du Bois, follow linked roads to Reynoldsville and climb Stewart Road to its north, ride on U.S. 322 to Brookville (c. mile 18), cross Redbank Creek and continue to follow U.S. 322 to Clarion. Navigate south to arrive at the stay over: Clarion County YMCA.
Points of Interest: Moonlite Drive-In Theatre, Meadows Frozen Custard (Clarion)
Tales of the Trail
The ride was a relatively quick one, and we made first contact with our stayover before noon! This route took us through a few forests, small Pennsylvania towns, by plenty of fields, and of course had plenty of rolling hills (I and many others would say over 90%). A fair bit of bike issues arose during our ride, but we managed to beat the worst of the heat and take our time all at once.
One wonderful announcement is that our first Portrait is complete! At our one and only rest stop, we met Kathy Dinger who was curious about our mission and was willing to help. Kathy’s husband passed away from multiple myeloma and gave her perspective in regard to the pain, the loss, and the strength accrued from it all. This Portrait, as well as all of the others, will be available in time as our Portraits Coordinator Emily Gonzalez edits them.
Our first YMCA stayover of the ride is here! We are staying at the Clarion County YMCA tonight and is it niceee. Outside of our regular evening routine and chores, everyone on the team has had at least one turn in one of two massage chairs near the entrance. During any free time, riders could be found shooting some hoops, playing some intense games of foosball, taking a dip in the pool, or napping. Tonight we offered our classic pasta dinner (with lentils!) and earlier for lunch we had tacos courtesy of Taco Inc. A group of us also drove to Meadows Frozen Custard for some tasty treats. Tomorrow’s ride nearly doubles today’s as we make our way into New Castle.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Nabeel Hussain
How are you today? I’m feeling good, I was feeling a bit under the weather earlier when we were riding but feel better now. Definitely exhausted too, but I know we are working to be more efficient in how we ride to avoid this.
What make and model of bicycle are you riding? A white 2020 Trek Domane AL2 that I’m renting from the gear program. A fun fact about the bike is that it has been on I4K twice, so it even beats Mike in terms of miles on the ride.
What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? Getting up every day with the hope of seeing new places. As someone from Pakistan, this is a lot of exposure on its own, and yet I’m seeing parts of the country not many people internationally or even locally get to see. Also, I love meeting new people every day on the ride.
How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? Not a lot. The first time I rode a road bike was two months ago when we started the training rides for I4K. Everyone on the team was very accommodative toward me as I began to get into cycling, and I want to emphasize that just because you haven’t cycled much or at all doesn’t mean that you can’t be a part of this club by any means.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? I lost my grandpa to lung cancer in 2013. He was a very integral part of our family. He was mainly lost due to late detection; in Pakistan the medical facilities and technology aren’t as good as those in the US. One of the main reasons I am doing this ride is to pay homage to him and to his life.
Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? The rest stop when we had our first portrait of the year. It was the first time I saw someone talking about their own cancer experience, where I am from people are not as open about their struggles with cancer or other diseases, sharing creates a conducive environment to promote more about this disease even though it has been around for so long and no total cure has been found.
Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? I thank everyone who has been supporting me on this journey, and as someone who has been in the US for one year, this is a very cool opportunity and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
Rest Stop: A predetermined stopping place during a ride day. The van there and available with nutrition, sunscreen, and anything else one may need. Typically 15-20 minutes. The second of these is usually a lunch stop and lasts closer to 30 minutes.
The Portraits Project: A video interview compilation of people who have experienced cancer in any way, shape, or form, directly or indirectly. A truly American profile of the ways in which cancer can impact the lives of so many. Anyone met on the ride itself or outside of it may be interviewed and their stories added to the ever-growing Project. It is one of, if not the primary task of the ride in regard to our mission. To read more about the Portraits Project, please visit its own dedicated tab on the website menu. The current Portraits Director for I4k is Jacob Minin, and the Portraits Coordinator for the ride itself is Emily Gonzalez.
