Tim Pollock

Tim Pollock and his customized steed

"I freely admit I'm chasing a dream," said Tim."It's something I had thought about for a long time." Although he's only been biking for 15 years, the kind of biking he's been doing in British Columbia as a member of the B.C. Randonneurs is geared toward long-distance cycling on an even more extreme scale than the Big Ride. Randonneurs go on rides of 240 to 360 miles, even as far as 1,200 miles, on a set course, and need to finish within a certain time with no help from any unregistered rider, such as someone in a passing car. For example, a 240-mile "brevet" or ride needs to be completed within 27 hours. The first time Tim did it, he completed the course in 26 hours, 58 minutes and took one short nap." It prepared me to look at the chore for a given day," he said. But the Big Ride is quite different in at least one respect, he notes. "You've got to get up and ride the next day, so you've got to let your muscles repair and take it easy a bit if you've had a grueling day the day before."

A cheeky welcome to Ohio

Part of Tim's discipline may have come from his military service. In World War II, he served as an anti-aircraft gunner with the Canadian Navy escorting convoys across the North Atlantic. In the Korean War, he joined the Canadian Army, busting enemy bunkers with 155mm mortar shells for 14 months. His competitive drive has also helped him excel in other sports. He started skiing on his 50th birthday. Now, he's a ski instructor at British Columbia resorts like Hemlock and Whistler/Blackcomb. He has also taken the same competitive spirit and done extremely well in Masters competitions. He won a gold medal in downhill skiing in the 1984 national finals, as well as bronze medals in the slalom and grand slalom.

Tim said he's been impressed by the vastness of the territory on the Big Ride. He'd seen most of it before, many times in fact, as a long-distance truck driver doing 72-hour runs with double trailers from Vancouver to Toronto, much of it through the United States. In 12 years, Tim estimated, he drove perhaps 3.5 million miles, hauling manufactured goods west and agricultural commodities like beef, hogs, and seed to eastern markets.

Up close on a bicycle, the land may look the same, but the feel is very different, Tim said. For one thing, he's had opportunities to meet people along the route, both other riders and local people in areas or communities the Big Ride goes through. Just today, for example, he took a snooze under a big tree alongside the road and when he woke, the lady of the house invited him up to the front porch to get more comfortable. He fondly recalls the dinner he was invited to in Miller, South Dakota, where local game was served and where he got to sleep in a soft bed."Now how much better can you get than that?" he asked.

Buzz Feldman explains the oddly
interpreted recumbent bicycle

Just the day before yesterday, Tim had his first flat. But a tour of his bike demonstrates that he knows it well and is attuned to all its little quirks. The basic frame he picked up from a junk shop in 1992 for $2.50 ("And that's Canadian," he pointed out). Other parts such as the handlebar stem, derailleurs, brakes and crankset were salvaged from other bikes, some of them mountain bikes. Other parts were adapted to fit; only a few parts, such as the cantilevered SoftRide seat, were bought new. The goggles came from the Harley-Davidson shop in Missoula, Montana, replacing ski goggles he had been wearing. With a contact lens in his right eye, Tim found that the least bit of wind or dust"feels like a boulder."

With a twinkle in his eye and a kind word for all those who stop and talk, the grandfather of six is quietly proud of his accomplishment. "I haven't sagged since Wyoming," he said, "and I'm eating like a hog, just like everyone else."

The Life of Brian

Ohio Art Company President Larry Killgallen shows off his favorite toy

Learning that Bryan is also the home of Ohio Art Company — which makes Etch-a-Sketch — a number of riders asked for and got a tour of the factory and met CEO Larry Killgallen. While most manufacturing of the popular children's toy has moved to China, the Ohio factory still churns out more than 4,000 units a day; some employees have been there since the first Etch-a-Sketch was made in 1960. Other riders toured the Spangler Candy Company, maker of Dum-Dums suckers — more than 7 million a day.

As a final treat, riders were entertained at the Henry County Fairgrounds in Napoleon by the Low German Dancers. Dressed in traditional German garb, the dancers demonstrated maypole dances and square dances, then invited Big Riders to join in. To no one's surprise, there were plenty of takers and the hall resounded with whoops of laughter.

By Clem Work, riding reporter.

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