Bi-coastal cyclists make a stop in Paradise
<p>Bike & Build cyclists take a break on the steps of United Methodist Church, Paradise, Saturday afternoon after a long day of riding. The church hosted the group of 30 and provided to them food and shelter for the night.</p>
PARADISE - They launched from Providence in mid-June, and for a moment on Saturday, they rested in Paradise.
The group of 30 cyclists from all over the U.S. have cycled across the country as part of Bike & Build, an organization geared for young adults to ride while advocating the affordable housing cause. They also help build houses along the way, and the organization itself promotes the cause via the enthusiastic cyclists.
Saturday was a resting point for the 30 cyclists that rested at the United Methodist Church in Paradise. Food and shelter were provided by local church members, and the cyclists were eager to get out of the heat of the day and into the Clark Fork River for a swim.
“We’ve had amazing hospitality from people all over,” Avery Martinson of Pittsburg said. “It’s been mind-blowing how kind everyone has been.”
Martinson, accompanied by a few other cyclists, sat upon the steps of the church santuary to rest after swimming in the river. It had been a long day, in which the cyclists rode from Missoula to Paradise. Their final destination is Seattle, a mere 400-plus miles away. Through out the journey thus far, the group has had over 200 flat tires, and a few minor injuries. One such rider broke two fingers in her left hand, and at a biek shop in Iowa, had her bicycle re-geared for the brakes to function with a squeeze of her right hand.
“Luckily, I’m still able to ride with this,” Kera Murphy of Boston said as she held up her casted left hand. “Skunk River Cycles in Ames, Iowa did a great job.”
Murphy, who is a seasonal employee at a ski resort, saw the summer ride with Bike & Build the perfect opportunity to have a good summer. Others simply wanted to see the country while on a bike, and others are looking to make a few destinations a place to call home.
“You’ve got a lot of wanderlust in this group,” Martinson said. “A lot are interested in things like this [Habitat For Humanity-esque projects], and it was really awesome to be part of a cause. And we get to do service.”
Once the crew reaches Seattle, they will dip their front wheels into the Pacific Ocean. Before they left Rhode Island in June, they had dipped their back wheels in the Atlantic Ocean - a tradition they all look forward to as they continue to ride from coast to coast.