Operation Burley First

Church of Big Ride

The operation succeeded brilliantly. Shortly before 8 a.m., as most Big Riders were still in the early stages of the day's ride, the cyclists pulled into camp — or what would become camp later in the day."We would have gotten in even earlier, but we had trouble finding the route because it wasn't yet marked with dan henrys [yellow-chalk route markers on the pavement]" said the group's shiny-helmeted leader, Robbie Holb of Phoenix, Arizona. Spelling him on Hellfire (see below) were Janet Hollingsworth of Washington, New Jersey, and Chris Ely of Havertown, Pennsylvania. Two other riders, Jeff Austin of Phoenix and Rob Harper of Denver, helped by cycling ahead to fetch water in the pre-dawn darkness.

Robbie and Hellfire

Anyone who knows Robbie could appreciate the irony and humor implicit in the early-morning feat. For one thing, Robbie's huge, stretched Dyno Roadster beach cruiser, named Hellfire, resembles a Harley more than a road bike, and weighs in at close to 90 pounds. Pedaling that enormous mass has put Robbie into camp every evening at or near the end of the pack. Adding the Chain of Hope slowed it down a bit more. So why leave camp at 2:15 a.m. just to get to the end of the day's route first? To make a subtle statement about the serious road bikers who daily ride hell-for-leather to make it to camp as soon as possible.

Robbie Holb and Hellfire

Robbie is clearly of a more reflective, smell-the-roses personality. Slight of build and with a mischievous grin, Robbie describes himself as an introvert, but has gathered an entourage of Big Riders who often travel with him as he pedals the route, supporting him and in turn receiving his support."It's an amazing group," he said of Big Riders. "I've made good friends with so many people." Motorcycle riders, however, look kind of funny at him as he rides his Harley wanna-be. "I know they're looking at me; they just don't want to show it," he said.

It Hasn't Been Easy

The long climbs early in the Big Ride, such as Pine Valley and Stevens Pass in Washington, were tough, Robbie acknowledged, and one day, to make up mileage in Montana missed during a thunderstorm, he exhausted himself and had to take the next day off. But he found the headwinds of the Great Plains even tougher, pushing as they have against the much larger surface area of his enormous bike.

"I've certainly had time to reflect on things," Robby said. While no one moment of epiphany has smacked him across the forehead, he knows that this trip has given him a different outlook on things. "It's been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I've had some of my best days ever and some of my hardest. Sometimes I wonder if I can ride 10 more minutes when I've got 10 hours left to ride."

Rita Christopher greets all with a smile

But Robbie pushes on, riding in memory of a girl who died from cystic fibrosis — a pulmonary disease — at the age of 15. Erica Hanken was the daughter of a woman whose hair he cuts in Phoenix; dedicating his long, tough ride to her memory has helped him focus on his goal and his purpose. Now he realizes that, bar misfortune, he and his new-found friends will cross the finish line in Washington, D.C. on August 5.

Team Big Daddy Love Guns

Robbie's group, also known as Team Big Daddy Love Guns, needed to leave well before dawn on Monday to accomplish its objective, because tailwinds (which, ironically, they did not enjoy) pushed riders to a very fast finish on a relatively short course, and the first regular rider arrived in camp shortly after 9:30 a.m.

Although there was still plenty of rural scenery — soybeans and corn — and smellery — hogs, cows and fertilizer — the route also became more congested with cars and tractor-trailers as it got closer to urban areas. Still, for those with time to kill, there were plenty of diversions-tours to a Hormel plant producing Spam, stopd in local bookstores and coffeeshops. Some riders splashed in several of Minnesota's myriad lakes either along the route or in Owatonna's Lake Kohlmeier, where lifeguards in red bathingsuits sternly enforced swimming rules and administered deep-water swimming tests for those who cared to venture out to a floating platform.

By Clem Work, riding reporter.

For more information about today's ride, check out the GORP Big Ride Log.