Monthly Archive for June, 2008

Seattle

Published
by
Barb Mellema
on June 29, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

Flights were on time and I always saw my bike get loaded on the plane…relief.

Many people told me to look up friends or relatives they knew on the tour. Within the first hour of arriving on the campus of the University of Washington—I think I met them all. This is a beautiful place to start a ride. Well, any place is a great place to start a ride.

Putting my bike together went fine. As I was gathering my case & tools together, Rick Gritters , from Pella, pumped my tires. Others are so willing to lend a hand.

Sunday morning I was awake at 6:00 central time—that’s 4:00 pacific time—and couldn’t get back to sleep. I’m used to waking early to go ride but this was a bit earlier than I wanted to get up. It was 6:00 here & I couldn’t believe how many people were up and about.

8:00 worship with the biking group and busy since then—they are not wasting our time here. Meals at this time, trailer open between these hours, bike safety classes here & now. They have done a great job planning this ride.

This evening we had a “Celebration” service hosted by some of the local CRC & RCA churches. The service tonight was on love–we’ll be following the fruits of the Spirit as we journey on. I’m not much of a crier but I did tear up a few times.

I ran into the Klungel family here. (I used to cut hair for some of their daughters while they were at Dordt.) I love making these connections.

Problems…Some people were on their flight from Toronto & as they were taxiing down the runway they saw their bike boxes on the tarmac in the drizzle—had to be a sick feeling. Ten other bikes didn’t make it on time from Vancouver—four are still trying to be recovered. It sounds like Air Canada’s planes that fly into Seattle aren’t large enough to handle the bikes so they first went to San Fransisco.

Word came in that all the bikes are in & put together…sleep easy.

It’s time to go!

Published
by
Barb Mellema
on June 29, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

I rode every street and avenue of Sioux Center this past week—more miles than I thought it would be too.

Often, we think nothing changes in small communities, but in the nine weeks that I’ll be away on my bike, many changes are happening.

Campus for example– When I come through Sioux Center the parking area between the De Wit gym & East Hall should be really close to being completed –it may not be usable yet , but the cement should be in. And the green space between the Rec Center & BJ Hann Auditorium will give campus a new look too.

But around our community…the new Library will be open, new roads to the west of Sioux Center should be rideable (by bike ;), the Regency will be shingled, some of the homes around the golf course will be finished and more streets on the south side of town will be completed.

The locker room addition to the All Season Center will be ready for use. The half-mile road from Brothers Bike Shop to the county sand pile will be open. And the bike trail will be finished.

These are just some of the changes you notice from the seat of the bike.

Out west of Sioux Center a new water tower is in progress, (we’ll be going right past there as we come to town In August—then it will be a straight 7 mile shot to my own bed!

And a new school year will be started…but I’m not jumping that far ahead yet…I first need to get on the bike.

As we start this ride on Monday, I want to thank you again for the financial support, prayers, and well wishes. Friday morning on my last training ride I had many shouts from people saying they were praying for me. The hugs from the Walkie Talkies and the prayer time from our Advancement Office were also great sendoffs. Now it’s time to take my bike apart, pack it in the case, and pack my clothes.

Be Aware!

Published
by
Barb Mellema
on June 25, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

1 out of 10

All it takes is breaking one out of ten toes to have me hobbling. While walking through the house and connecting with a shoe in a different kind of way, my left foot now sports a rainbow of colors. Good news…it didn’t matter with the biking. The cleat of my biking sandals hits on the balls of the feet allowing the toes to wave a happy hello. Well, it will be a happy hello when more of the swelling recedes.

1 out of 3

That’s the number of people, an unscientific stat, talking on cell phones in their vehicles as they pass me from either direction. Scary out there some times. Divided attention, and too busy to wave, I wonder how many of them really see bikers on the road.

How aware of bikers are you?Take the awareness test…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

60 Pounds!

Published
by
Barb Mellema
on June 16, 2008
in Sea to Sea
. 0 Comments

That’s the weight limit, besides our bike and daily biking gear, for everything we need to live during the two months of the Se-to-Sea bike ride.

As you can imagine, this isthe main topic on our bikers e-mail list, causing a bit of panic and forcing someto Plan B–what can I live without for 9 weeks?

Spare tire/tube,camping chair, air mattress?Many items don’t appear heavy until you add them up…

  • Laptop–no carry case, storeon the truck in your clothes basket for protection.
  • Bible–goodbye to my NIV Study Bible, hello to the new NIV Slimline.
  • Sweatshirt out, Thinsulate in.
  • Soap, who needs soap?
  • Plastic! Yep, in theform of credit/debit cards that is.

So, I headed to the Rec Center, on Dordt’s campus, with heavy baggage to check outjust how close I was to the limit. Too close–without clothes yet. Out came the 5lb camp chair. I now have 15 lbs for clothes and shoes.

This gear bag, filled with tent, mess kit, sleeping bag/pillow etc., is finding its way today with Pastor Mark Verbruggen to Grand Rapids. It will be loaded on the truck heading to Seattle for the start of the ride.

In two weeks all I’ll have to do is take my bike apart and load it in my bike case, pack clothes & get on the plane. Sounds so simple….

Until then, I’ve been in touch with a few of the Sea to Sea riders who are Dordt alums. Those going the whole 3,881 miles are Alida van Dijk (’92), one of our riders/chaplains; Randy De Wolde ex (’82); Larry Meyer (’71); Greg Dyk (’85); and LaVonne Koedam (’74), our head cook. Joining us three weeks later in Denver will be Sheryl Taylor, Director of Library Services here at Dordt. Sheryl will finish in Grand Rapids, and we’ll be adding Galen Ledeboer (’73) and Stan DeVries (’66) for the last two week stretch of the ride into New Jersey.

I remind myself daily that it’s a ride, not a race. We’ve been having storms zipping all through the area with rain and lightning so I train when possible. I just flipped the computer numbers this morning to over 1,200 training miles. I’ll have to try hard to get the other 800 recommended in before we start…it’s a ride, not a race!Keep praying for those stuck in poverty, for safety for the riders, and for tailwinds.