The Trip Mission Statement

A vehicular swap meet? No. The name of a Seussian cleaning machine? Nope. A cross country bicycle ride for charity?

Yes.

I have exhausted many ideas in naming this event, finally ending up on Wheel Deal 2005. I don't like it so much right now, but have already ordered 300 rubber wristbands to sell in order to support the cause.

How about a little detail, no?

THE HISTORY

What could be more fun than riding a bike? How about riding a bike 750 miles in ten days or less? In late September/early October 2005, I will be riding my bicycle from Colorado Springs, Colo. to Dallas, Texas in an effort to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

For seventeen years, my father, Robert Allan Watts, lived with Parkinson's disease. It was a challenge he did not ask for; one he faced with great courage. I will always remember him as a father, as a fast-pitch softball pitcher, as a recreational bicycle rider, and as a man with the strongest faith I have ever seen.

Not once over the years did I hear him complain about his affliction or how it affected him. He was always happy and constantly finding ways to take the situation and turn it around for the benefit of others. His strength and determination were unmatched by anyone I had ever met, and his humility was unequalled. I am proud to be his son.

Robert Allan Watts passed away on February 19, 2002 of complications stemming from Parkinson's disease and Myotonic Dystrophy. He was 65.

For three years I have not known what to do with the passing of my father. I'm not sure losing a parent is something one can ever be prepared for, so since the time of his passing, a void has existed in my life. I have not known how to fill that void, if it is even fillable.

THE EPIPHANY

A year ago I was made to face the results of some excesses in my lifestyle. Suffice it to say the diagnosis of high blood pressure coupled with a lengthy panic attack woke me right up. The problem was most certainly my body chemistry, but I choose not to be treated with pills. I knew what the problem was - it was lifestyle-related. Todd likes his beer, his smokes and his ribaldry.

I purchased a bicycle (I had always been a keen cyclist), quit drinking, smoking, caffeine and dairy (I have since moderated all of these - it was a long winter) and began anew. The change in my emotional and physical health has been mind-boggling, and inspired me to take my newfound confidence and ability to the next level.

My children live in Texas and I thought what better adventure than to ride my bike from my door to theirs. I drive to visit them often, so I know the terrain like the back of my hand and have always been very comfortable with extreme physical exertion. My next thought was to incorporate a charitable event into the ride. I recently asked my father's family to donate money to a charitable cause instead of sending me Christmas gifts. They chose The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

THE TRIP 2005

The tour is 750 miles from door to door, and I will be riding alone with the aid of my Mom, who will be my shadow, meeting me each evening after a full-day's ride. My goal is to raise as much money as I can for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. 100% of all pledges will go to the foundation, and the operating cost of the trip will be covered by me alone as my donation.

Please pledge what you can, be it in a lump sum or by the mile. Some examples of pledges by the mile are:

750 miles x $.05/mile = $ 37.50
750 miles x $.10/mile = $ 75.00
750 miles x $.15/mile = $112.50
750 miles x $.20/mile = $150.00
750 miles x $.25/mile = $187.50
...and so on.

All pledges are 100% tax-deductible and should be by check or money order made out directly to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. No cash, please. Upon receipt of the donation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research will mail you a tax letter for tax purposes.

To lend your support to this worthwhile cause please provide the following information in an e-mail to thetrip05@gmail.com:

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
ZIP:
Phone:
E-mail:
Amount of pledge:
Lump sum ________
Per Mile ________

All information is strictly confidential and will not be shared (in any form) with any other parties except for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. During the ride I will post my daily progress on this blog, dedicated to The Trip '05. When my ride is complete I will contact all pledgers to share the results. At that time you can mail your check or money order - made out to The Michael J. Fox Foundation - directly to my P.O. Box (to be determined) and I will forward 100% of the donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Pledges are being handled in this manner to ensure that all money donated goes to the intended recipient.

If you have any questions about the trip itself, please feel free to e-mail me or if questions about The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, you can e-mail Amanda McDorman or call her at 212-509-0995 x204.

The Rig (or what is taking me to Dallas)

THE RIG

Some have wondered why anyone in their right mind who is riding on relatively flat roads would choose to ride a mountain bike instead of a road/racing bike.

Several reasons.

1. Road bikes and their thin tires acquire holes, which means flats. I loathe flat tires.
2. Road bikes do not have disc brakes, which I now swear by for stopping in poor weather conditions.
3. Road bikes typically have drop-bars, like the Tour De France bikes (those are top of the line road bikes), which I am not comfortable riding with.
4. They do not make knobby enough tires for road bikes.

So, what I have done is taken the best of both worlds and combined them. What I have now is called Frankenbike.

• Replaced suspension forks with Surly 1x1 rigid forks. This ensures that energy from leg to pedal to road is maximized.
• Installed 2.0" knobby tires with a center bead to maximize road contact and minimize vibration (which is nil). Between the tire and the tube is a layer of puncture-resistant tape, made by Slime.
• She is a 2003 Giant Rainier which came with the best mechanical disc brakes available at the time (and still pretty cool), made by Avid. Discs are good for stopping in rain and mud.
• Swapped out the stock 170 mm cranks and 42-32-22 chainrings for beefier 48-38-28 (measuerd in teeth), 175 mm cranks. More gears. Faster. Funner :-)
• Replaced the standard mountain bar, which has a dip in the middle, rising at the ends, with an integrated straight bar/bar end setup. I then wrapped the bar twice with foam tape as long rides tend to make hands tired.
• To the new handlebar, an aero bar was added. These are the bars that protrude forward, providing an extra position for the hands or to maximize aerodynamic...ness in speed situations. Like triatheletes use.
• Finish it off with reflective tape (by Identi-Tape) every three inches around the rims, and this beast can go anywhere.

Sure, she weighs in at 30+ pounds compared to a decent road bike at 16-18 pounds, but the stability and go-anywheredness are preferred to the speed of a road bike.

And that's all she wrote.