Craig Babst - peaceonabike

April 5, 2014August 5, 2021

Key West Friends

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

I went to Baltimore to see a couple of friends who were riding (mostly in a car) from Baltimore to Key West. I did this ride last year, and while I couldn’t ride this year, I wanted to see this year’s group.

I invited two cancer warriors to join me on the trip and then I didn’t go. Cindi Hart, from Indianapolis, and Dave Wagner, from Orange, California were there and ready to go. I hadn’t met Dave in person although we have been cyber friends for four years and it was great to finally meet him in person.

The riders formed a dedication circle where each rider could offer a dedication for the day. Dave surprised me by dedicating his day to Jake the Hero Grecco. And I already knew that Cindi would dedicate the day to Jake since she showed me the flag she is carrying to Florida. She did surprise me by also dedicating the day to me. I only wish I was in the circle so there would have been three dedications for Jake.

Cindi Hart (third to right, with sunglasses)

It was strange, almost surreal, seeing riders only in a dedication circle. Any cancer ride I have participated in everyone present was invited to join in but this group chose to be exclusionary. Well, I’m sure the group didn’t make that decision.

The group left Race Pace Bicycles and we rolled down to the Inner Harbor. By “we” I mean, yes, I rode with them.

I had thought about what kit, what cancer kit, to wear and decided against my kit from last year’s ride. One reason was if I showed up wearing what everyone else was wearing I did not want to be confused with being a rider for this year. So I chose my Spokes of Hope kit to honor Cindi and because, well, it’s awesome.

As we rode to the Inner Harbor, Cindi and I slowly made our way to the front of the group to pick up the pace because it was cold and we weren’t producing body heat. At the Inner Harbor Groups #2-5 loaded their bikes to drive to their starting points. Since I was parked in Baltimore, I jumped in and rode out with Group #1.

The group I rode out with included Paul Lemle, Leslie Nissemberg, Dean Halberg, Marti Howard plus one other rider, and was supported by Dave and Alex Wright. Leaving Baltimore we went over one cobblestone street plus an open grate bridge. Paul flatted before Mile 5. What a start!

Once finally rolling, Craig Babst, another alum from last year’s ride (and my 5th cousin), drove by us as we were on the BWI Trail, honking his horn and yelling support.

We rode on trails I had never been on and time was rolling by. You could see the flags whipping but felt no wind. I knew we were being pushed by a tailwind and I would fight it going back. I looked for a spot where I could say goodbye but they kept pushing on. We approached Dave and Alex at an intersection on the trail and I don’t think our group slowed down. I announced loudly I was leaving and turned around.

Then it was the adventure of finding my way back because I knew I could not trace back the way we came. Nor did I want to ride across that rough bridge. I figured the BWI Trail would take me to a spot I knew and it did, but not before getting run into by a girl on a longboard who fell and took a nasty spill right in front of me. She didn’t hit me but her longboard did.

But I was at a spot I could find my way. It was chilly, and the winds were strong going back but it was a day supporting cancer fighters. Any day like that is a good day on the bike.

August 3, 2013August 31, 2020

Punxsutawney Bound

PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA

It has been two years since I was able to ride to a family reunion. Yesterday’s forecast looked promising but just as soon as I left my parents’ place in Friedens, just north of Somerset, Pa., it started to rain.

What used to be a barn is now and auto sales lot in Davidsville

Riding with a broken collarbone I was a bit skittish as I rode. I was very afraid of having a spill on the road and landing on the collarbone. So I took it easy.

I stopped once an hour to take on food. While it was a just a gel that I normally take while I’m riding, I didn’t want to ride with one hand on the bars and one hand on the gel. It also allowed me to stop and take a one-hour photo to document where I was.

On the climb coming out of Johnstown on Rte 271

I have ridden the route enough to know the turns and climbs and find it quite enjoyable. The climb out of Conemaugh/Johnstown was quite enjoyable. I found myself with a comfortable pace albeit in the rain.

Horse poop. Amish Country. Three Hour Photo on PA 271 near Duman Lake Park

When I reached Northern Cambria, I stopped at the home of my 4th cousins, Don and Nancy Lowmaster. I had never stopped here before but warned them that one day I may stop for water. This was the day. Unfortunately, I was pretty squishy. When I moved you could hear water squishing. Nancy was great about cleaning the one bottle and refilling it with ice and water.

West Branch Susquehanna River near Cherry Tree. The river is so small here one can literally throw a stone from bank to bank.

As I left the skies really opened up. I was in a real downpour for the next 10 minutes but then the faucet was turned off for the day. By the time I reached Cherry Tree the sun was out, and other than my wet clothes, you wouldn’t have known it had rained.

Normally no one has every heard of Gipsy. But four months ago in Homestead, Fla., Craig Babst was talking about Gipsy like it was his hometown.

This was my first long effort since breaking my collarbone and I felt good. I feel as though I am starting to regain my form.

April 12, 2013September 11, 2020

The Throwdown

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA

As our journey makes its way down the east coast, pedaling and driving, but mostly driving, today was my only day to ride in Group 4. Group 4 gets to drive first and then ride — all the way to our destination. Our destination was Homestead, Florida, south of Miami and the gateway to the Everglades and to the Keys. My teammates were Andy Veliuona and Meg Shipman. Our driver was Laura S.

At the dedication circle, I was met by Chris Keisel, my cousin, Mary Kay Sherry’s boyfriend. I appreciated that he came over but was disappointed that Mary Kay didn’t make an effort. We were just a few miles from her home in Vero Beach.

Today I rode for Jack Morton. It was a random act of kindness that almost went viral among his followers on Facebook. Just knowing someone is thinking of you and dedicating their day means so much. And every day our riders and drivers dedicated their days to one, two, or many people battling cancer.

As we drove Laura said we could stop anywhere for lunch before riding. I saw a Chick-fil-A and offered that. She got angry and said she would take us anywhere but there. Seriously? I understand some people make political statements with their shopping choices but they don’t make them for me. Especially when I am a client for your silly organization. I raised more than $5000, in part so you can have a job, and this is how the organization treats its people once they have your money? Ok, understood. I should have ended my trip and association with this group right then and there.

Before we put wheels down at Hollywood North Beach Park, Andy laid down the gauntlet. “I hear you have quite a reputation at giving out the cards. Well, today, you’re going down.” (His words may have been embellished slightly to the enjoyment of the reader.)

And that was all it took. Andy handed out the first card to a person walking by but I would give a lesson today.

The cards were simply business cards with the name of the organization. And we were proselytizing missionaries, raising money for this organization.

But to get underway I took out a pump from the car and checked the pressure in my tires. The pump sucked. It let air out of both tires. So we do this trip down the coast and the organization didn’t even have a working floor pump in every vehicle. I almost abandoned today’s ride right there but decided to ride on on low tires and try to find a bike shop.

Lesson learned: Check air at the hotel before all groups roll out so if the one pump in your car is defective you can find one that works. It was also indicative of the lack of attention to detail this trip had. All their air pumps did not work.

The cue sheet today was hand written without mile markers. We would simply follow US 1. The farther south we went the more obvious it became that planning was, again, very disorganized. In fact, the only good day with cues was Day 1 in which I had volunteered to do all the cue sheets, and we didn’t use any on Leg 2 (Group 2) since I knew all the turns. By now they were making things up as we went. There was no real planning ahead of this trip.

Most of our riding was urban riding. Lots of traffic lights. And lots of opportunities to show Andy how it’s done. Cards, that is. I stopped and talked to people on sidewalks. I caught a couple at a light in their convertible and talked to them. As a man on a motorbike prepared to pass I matched his speed and handed him a card. Each time I looked at Andy. He gave up. I handed out 40 cards today. It netted the organization $0.

As soon as I could find one, we stopped at a local bike shop. For air. The bike shop was great to let me get some air in my tires. It was hard to believe we didn’t have a working pump in the car.

Nearing lunchtime, I decided to ask a local for directions. As we rode by, the guy yelled out “I’m not homeless!” I asked “local?” and asked where to eat. He recommended a place so we went in the opposite direction. But I still gave him a card to show him what the ride was about. And Andy deducted points from me for giving a card to a homeless guy.

After lunch we iPhoned our way out of Miami. I deferred to Meg and Andy on this. I just wanted to ride so I didn’t care where we went. On South Miami Avenue we were stopped for a drawbridge opening on the Intercoastal Waterway. I handed a card to Juan Londono, a local originally from Colombia. He was gracious enough to lead us on our way through Miami.

I appreciated Juan riding with us. I have been in similar situations many times where I have met cyclists and have ridden with them as well. Today I received.

Meg and Andy checking out some new bikes while I was getting free air

Our route today was supposed to be 48 miles. Once we reached that, Laura said she was ready to transport our group to the hotel even though we did not ride to the destination. Meg and Andy agreed to stop and get in the SAG but we were only eight miles from the hotel. I told them I was going to ride the rest of the way.

As Meg and Andy loaded their bikes, I rode on to the hotel. I arrived at the hotel at the same time they had arrived.

Dinner was at the hotel. John JJ Beck had found a local BBQ joint and brought dinner in. We sat around the pool and talked about riding in Altoona. It was real strange having Craig Babst mention the small town of Gipsy, Pa.

April 10, 2013April 29, 2016

Noseeums

SAINT MARYS, GEORGIA

Today I rode with Craig Babst and Paul Lemle. Alex Wright was our driver so I was hoping for good things from him.

L-R: Craig, Barry, Paul, Alex

In our dedication circle I dedicated the day to Abigail “Happy Abby” Bolenbaugh, a soon to be six year old who recently celebrated her five year Cancerversary.

Meg Shipman inking my legs

Too early to get ready to ride, we jumped in the Suburban and headed to Richmond Hill, Georgia, to ride our portion of today’s route. Forgetfulness would plague me today. We were in a parking lot with a CVS and just ready to roll out. Then I remembered I didn’t have on my heart rate monitor. Except that I was wearing it.

Barry, somewhere in Georgia

No longer using cue sheets we simply followed our instructions to ride on US 17. I don’t like 17 in Virginia, I didn’t like it in South Carolina, and I didn’t like it in Georgia.

Alex Wright

The morning was quite pleasant with temperatures near 70. Expected to reach the low 80s I was an hour into the ride when I remembered that I had forgotten to apply Chamois Butt’r.

US 17 is a four lane road but in this section it wasn’t heavily traveled. Craig, Paul, and I had been riding in a pace lane, loosely, and Alex was following blocking one lane of traffic for us. With no traffic behind I told the guys to keep pedaling and I’d catch up. I dropped back to the “team car” and told Alex I had forgotten to use Chamois Butt’r.

Rolling on US 17, he reached for the tube. I extended my hand. He squeezed. Nothing came out. “Uh, Alex” I said, “You need to first remove the foil from under the cap.”

Alex removed the cap, then the foil, and replaced the cap. Reaching out the window he squeezed a sliver of Butt’r on my finger. I looked at him. “Dude, I need a dollop. A dollop” Alex then squeezed out a blob of the stuff on my fingers. I thanked him and rode ahead.

Now what? I was rolling down the highway about 50 meters behind Craig and Paul with a dollop of Chamois Butt’r in my hand. This would be harder than I expected. But I got out of the saddle and was able to apply it to the chamois and keep rolling.

Catching Craig and Paul they asked where I went. “Chamois Butt’r,” I said.

Barry, Paul, Craig

Alex had looked at the route and found a longer but safer alternative. Thankfully. Our first turn was at Mile 25 near South Newport. We first passed The World’s Smallest Church* and then I asked the group to stop. We did and offered up The World’s Biggest Prayer for Meg Shipman’s friend, Kristen.

Once we were off US 17 we could ride more freely. Out in the country I was shocked to see a runner approaching us. It was that remote. But I reached for a Key to Keys card and rode over to his side of the road. I held the card for him to reach and made a perfect hand off. This was that start of something big.

We had business cards about the ride and we were challenged to hand them out. And I took it to a new level. It was easy for me because I believed in the mission. On this day I saw a woman on the side of the road and I stopped and handed her a card and told her what we were doing. And so I would all the way to Key West.

We had a nice ride in to Darien, Georgia, riding on moss covered streets, passing beautiful houses and mileage signs including one to Key West.

Almost Equidistant between Key West and Upyours WV
(There is no Upyours, WV)

Hoping aboard our magic transporter we were taken to Saint Marys, Georgia, which was my first day arriving well before dinner. Saint Marys is a quaint town located on the Cumberland Island National Seashore. It begged of exploration by bike, of which I had time, but I found the one washing machine next door in a small store. I opted to wash clothes instead. I’m sure my teammates were thankful.

The evening dinner was Brunswick Stew presented by a local cycling club. One of the riders warned us to eat towards the picnic area or else the “noseeums” would eat us up. Tiny gnats, biting midges, impossible to see but you could sure feel them. The evening was beautiful but one didn’t want to spend time outside.

Vince presenting a new Gnome to Patti Jackson

I was very pleased that my cousins, whom I had only met online before, Brad and Mindy Lawmaster, drove in from Jacksonville to meet me. I was touched and honored.

L-R with the Lawmaster Family
Hannah, Sam, Mindy, Emma, Brad, Jack, Barry

Next door in a bar the owner made it Karaoke night. It was a throw down of talent between Vince Schiano and Rob Keleher. Everyone else sang for fun but these two sang for keeps. I was explaining to one of the patrons and pointing out each person and why they had no reason to smile or laugh. Everyone’s lives had been changed by cancer but here we were, one group, laughing like we may not have laughed in years.

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*There are a number of small churches in the U.S. that claim the title of Smallest Church in the World,