Country bike tour raises funds for charity
By Carissa Moffat
Staff Reporter
Bicyclists, both experienced and
novice, will beat a path down
Highway 41 for the Nebraska
Oaysseybike tour on June 1 and 2.
Mary Dircks, the development
assistant for the Midlands Chap
ter of the National Multiple Scle
rosis Society, said that unlike other
biking events that take place in the
summer, this event is not a race.
"It is a bike tour. The riders are
not competing against other cy
clists," sne said. 'We encourage
people to go at their own pace.
Participants will ride 75 miles
each day, Dircks said. On May 31,
the riders will meet at the Papio
Missouri River Natural Resources
District in the Chaleo Hills area of
Omaha. The riders and their bikes
will then be transported to Crete,
where they will stay at Doane
College for the evening, she said.
She said most of the riders will
depart from Crete by 7:30 a.m.
Saturday and everyone will travel
together.
Water stops are located every
10 to 12 miles along the tour to
monitor the riders' well-being, she
said.
clists generally get pledges from
family and triends, and some
companies even offer matching
funas for employees who partici
pate in pledge events.
Od • ys • sey \ad-e-se\
- a journey of discovery.
'The water stops are there to
provide water and other bever
ages, along with apples, oranges
and bananas, to keep energy lev
els up," Dircks said.
She said ham radio operators
will be traveling with the medical
vehicles that follow the riders.
"If someone needs assistance
we can get it to them right away,"
Dircks said.
Dircks, whoisalsothebike tour
coordinator, said similar tours are
run nationally. Last year, 92 of the
multiple sclerosis chapters in the
United States raised $21 million
and had 75,(XX) cyclists participate,
she said.
Each rider must get pledges for
$1 per mile. Dircks said tne cy
Donated prizes will be awarded
asincentives for raising more than
the mini mum $150 per person, she
said. "This is to encourage people
to raise that much more," Dircks
said.
Another program promotion
awards a six-month membership
to Prairie Life Center, a multi-rec
reational club, to the rider who
recruits the most friends.
Last year's event attracted 215
participants, and 400 riders are
anticipated this year.
"We've done a lot more adver
tising this year," she said.
Challenge teams were added to
the tour this year along with hid
den t rea su re n u n ts th roughou t the
ride and the Amazing Discoveries
Great Give A-Way drawing.
Each challenge team must have
a minimum of four members and
pay a $15 registration fee in addi
tion to the $150 per rider. Teams
receive special prizes for the three
largest teams and the teams with
the most family members, the
craziest name and the most team
spirit.
The treasure hunts will include
clues at each water stop, Dircks
said. Clues might be about some
thing of a historical nature for the
bikers to look for along the trail.
The Amazing Discoveries Great
Give A-Way will be held at the
first overnight stop in Auburn.
Several bike shops nave donated
various types of bicycle equipment
to be usea in this drawing, Dircks
said.
She stressed that people should
train before going on tour, even
though the event is not a race.
"It you can ride 20 miles com
fortably, then you should be OK,"
Dircks said.
People ride on all kinds of bikes,
she said, and it isn t necessary to
have any special type of bike.
"In fact, last year a man and his
son rode on a tandem," she said.
Bikes should be in good condi
tion. Free safety checks will be
given two to three weeks before
tne race at bike shop locations in
Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha.
Bill Loftis has participated in
the Odyssey tour for the last six
years.
Loftis said he rides because "I
like the people more than any
thing else."
"1 also believe in the particular
cause," he said.
"It's a great place to meet
people," Lotus said "And a chal
lenge to see if you can make it."
Loftis said this training goes
along with his training for the
Lincoln Marathon in May but
added that he considers himself a
recreational rider.
The only drawback to the tour
is Nebraska weather, Loftis said.
"No matter which way you're
going, you're going into the wind,"
ne said.
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Spring trips fit all budgets
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter
Outdoor Adventure student
staff member Scot Davis has led
more than 30 trips to places rang
ing from Nebraska to the Grand
Canyon to Mexico.
He has taken students biking,
canoeing, rock climbing and back
packing and has seen everything
from a case of amoebic dysentery
to a Native American ritual dance.
He has even been neck deep in the
cold water of a Missouri cave.
Davis, who worked for 2 1/2
years at Cycle Works, has led 10
cycling trips and one longer cy
cling '^expedition" — a two-week
trip down the coast of Oregon.
This semester, Davis will be
leading Outdoor Adventure bicy
cling trips in Nebraska, one for a
weekend and one for a day.
Davis said cyclists may nde
cither mountain or touring bikes,
although mountain bikes might be
preferred for the longer trip.
The April 12-14 trip will take
participants from Lincoln to
Wilbur, on to York and then back
to Lincoln.
Camping gear will be provided
by Outdoor Adventure and the
cyclists will carry all supplies with
tficm, including such items as the
camp stove, Davis said.
While each participant must
provide his or ner own bicycle,
paniers, or side bags that mount
on racks, will be provided by
Outdoor Adventure.
Helmets, extra tubes and spokes,
patch kits and pumps also snould
do provided by each rider, although
anyone lacking such supplies might
be able to borrow them from staff
members, Davis said.
The trip is open to 15 students,
which is higher than the usual 12
person limit on Outdoor Adven
ture trips.
Davis said this trip has a higher
limit since it is self-contained and
requires no van support. The seat
ing capacity of the vans leased by
Outdoor Adventure generally
determines the number of partici
pants for each trip.
However, a limit still was placed
on this trip to help maintain a
■■-■■■■■ ■■ ■— i ■■■ I
sense of order and group cohe
siveness, according to Davis.
Since all Outdoor Adventure
trips are sel f-supporting, the trip's
$30 cost includes the price of meals,
equipment, permits, insurance and
logistical planning.
The only portion of Outdoor
Adventure trips not covered by
the published price is that of the
wages of staff members. That
amount is covered by student fees
through the Campus Recreation
budget,of whichOutdoor Adven
ture is a program.
For those with less time or a
smaller budget, Outdoor Adven
ture is offering a day bicycling trip
on Saturday, April 27, which also
will be led oy Davis.
Participants will cycle to Arbor
Lodge in Nebraska City for the
National Arbor Day Foundation
Fair and Festival. The $12 cost
includes the provision of a return
trip by van and trailer.
Last fall, Outdoor Adventure
sponsored another day trip to the
Arbor Lodge and a weekend
"Apple Cider Tour" of apple or
chard country in southern Ne
braska and Iowa.
This summer will see a bicycle
tour in the western United States,
although details will not be avail
able until March 15, according to
the Outdoor Adventure schedule.
A self-contained trip through
Colorado's San Juan Mountains,
in which the riders and their bi
cycles aredriven to a "put-in" site,
is one possibility, Davis said.
Davis said the program phi
losophy of Outdoor Adventure
includes "encouraging people to
look at the environment and to
become environmentally aware by
practicing recycling and low-im
pact camping."
Other aspects of the philoso
phy include traveling to remote
locales and viewing each trip as an
Please lock your bike!
FI J January to UNL Police report that j|
Tf S">ten,Zim “T*"*
47 bikes stolen on campus because
^ 15 bikes recovered their owners use
> j improper locks, 2
donl lock th© bikes to 2
January to anything, or fail to lock I *
September 1990 their bikes at all. %
UNL Police suggest 3
15 bikes stolen using a U-bar lock, §
4 bikes recovered secured to a bike rack
/ as an excellent method. %
..I ■■■■■III. . ..II.Mil I °
Source: UNL Crime Prevention Office |
