We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Four Bike and Build riders have parked their bicycles and are ready for breakfast at Wallner Hall in Chinook. The group of 30 was headed for Chester and will arrive in Bellingham, Washington on September 1. Bike and Build combines a cross-country ride with stops to help on affordable housing projects along their route.
Robert, a California cyclist with Bike and Build, stands beside a sign on the door to the trailer that hauls the camping and personal gear for the 30 riders in the group. The sign asks and answers the question, "Where are we?" The group had come from Malta, spent the night in Chinook and was headed to Chester. They will be in Bellingham, Washington on September 1, having left New Hampshire in mid-June, to complete the 3200-mile bike ride.
Bike and Build is a national group that raises money and awareness in support of affordable housing. Organized in 2002, the group promotes cross country bicycle rides where participants each raise $4500 to make the ride, with most of the money going to various affordable housing projects. Nationwide about 250 cyclists ride one of several routes across the country, stopping along the way to work on a 'house build' or help with some other housing related project.
The group of 30 riders that stopped in Chinook is on the "Northern Tour." They started at Portsmouth, New Hampshire on June 18 and arrived at Bellingham, Washington on September 1. By their arrival in Chinook they had logged about 2400 miles since leaving the east coast and had another 850+ miles to reach the Pacific coast. Each day they rode about 70 miles and from Chinook cycled to Chester on the next leg of the trip.
The riders
Each cyclist has already built a lot of memories from the trip-from encounters on the highways to people they've helped on their build days. About the Hi-Line portion of their trip, one rider said, "We were told in Malta that we would be riding through the worst mosquito infestation we'd ever seen on our way to Chinook. Actually, the mosquitoes were worse in Minnesota." The most poignant memory seemed to be the tornado that hit while they were near Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Since its inception Bike and Build has raised more than $5 million to support affordable housing projects. Part of the pre-trip orientation is for riders to learn about housing issues in the states they will be visiting. Of Montana one rider said, "Montana is doing pretty well but like any place, there's always room for improvement."
Not only are the cyclists helping with affordable housing projects, they are making lifetime friendships. During the evening meal they talked about how they had bonded, as a group, during the ride. One said, "It's a bit like a 'fox hole' experience people in the military talk about. You are sharing a unique experience that only people who have done it can really appreciate. We will soon be a part of a group that has accomplished an unusual challenge, riding a bicycle across the country."
And the hosts vicariously participate in the trip. It's fun to sit at the table with a group of twenty-somethings and share the enthusiasm they bring to the trip and its goals. The riders are always appreciative of the hosts, expressing their thanks both as individuals at the table and as a group during their presentation about Bike and Build and its programs. Having a visit with Bike and Build cyclists is definitely a win-win situation.
