Miles Ridden and Dollars Raised

We had a nearly perfect day for the Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race at McDowell Mountain Park. It was a chilly morning as the thermometer in my vehicle said it was 38 degrees at 530am.The race consists of riding laps of the 15.5 mile Pemberton trail. As this is a mountain bike event it was somewhat new to me. I had an absolute blast doing the race and ended up riding 7 laps (105 miles) in the solo singlespeed division. I finished 8th place in my division. More importantly, thru the generous support of friends, we were able to raise over $600 to be donated to the NOCC (see link at right) and the Arizona Cancer Center. Thank you friends and family for your generous support of this effort! A very special thanks go out to friends and co-workers Jeremy and Meg for their amazing support throughout the event; they kept me fed and watered and in good spirits. Thank to Steve and Micki for the use of their awesome camper/basecamp facilities; and for being patient with my endless mountain biking questions in the weeks leading up to this event.

Upcoming Event - Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race

On December 5th I will be riding in the "Dawn to Dusk" Mountain Bike Race at Mcdowell Mountain Park (Phoenix, AZ). Some of you who know me may be thinking "isn't Brad a ROAD cyclist"? What is he doing riding for 10 plus hours off-road?? Has he lost his sanity?? I felt I needed a new challenge in the realm of cycling...so I signed up for this event. At first I thought I would do it with a team...Then I felt I would like to try it as a solo rider...

THEN I thought it would be nice to use this challenge as a platform to raise some money for a great organization: the NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition). By getting people to pledge so much money per mile I could raise funds for the NOCC; a non-profit organization that does so much for raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

100% of the pledged money will go to the NOCC. All donations are tax deductable and the link is on the right side of this blog->>>

The longest I have ridden off road in 1 day is 40-50 miles. The longest I have ridden on the road in a day is 230 miles. I am hoping to be able to ride 100 miles in this event...I am not sure what I can do...which is what makes this effort both challenging and exciting.

So...friends old and new alike...I am asking for your help. Please help me support the NOCC. They have supported me with the ovarian cancer awareness information that I give out on my long CycleQuest rides. I will sponsor myself for $1.00 per mile. If you can pledge something per mile (for example .25 cents per mile X 100 miles = $25.00) it would be greatly appreciated. It will also be a great incentive for me to ride as far as I possibly can on Dec 5th! If you would like to pledge a flat rate that would be great too. I will post ride results and mileage here on Sunday Dec 6th.

If you are able to help please leave a note here or e-mail me at psychlingbww@yahoo.com

Likewise if you are in the area on Dec 5th stop on out at McDowell Mountain Park and cheer the riders on! The park is a great spot for hiking, riding, picnicking, nature watching. I hope to see you out there!

Thank you!
Brad

Day 6 Hannibal Arrival!!!!

After a 90 mile day Friday, we did about 100 miles or so today into Hannibal. I say "we," but Chris did all of the pulling (Thanks Chris - AKA diesel motor).

We arrived in Hannibal a little past 7 p.m.to a warm welcome, and a big cake!

There was a big cycling weekend in Burlington this weekend and cyclists were everywhere. Friday we met Lisa who rode the last 35 miles into Burlington with us. Lisa said she had lost a friend to ovarian cancer at age 27; so please continue to share the signs and symptoms with your friends and loved ones. Every woman, regardless of age, can be at risk.

It was a great week, and we could not have done it without your support and encouragement. Thank you!

Let's keep sharing the ovarian cancer message.

Stay tuned for future CycleQuest rides.

See you on the road!

Brad (and Chris)

Day 5 Iowa City to Burlington

Good morning! I had a great overnight visit with the Martins in Iowa City. Chris will be riding with me the rest of the way to Hannibal.

It was 63 here in Iowa City at departure. The high today will be around 76 so another good riding day....with lower wind!!

The Snake Alley cycling criterium being held tomorrow in Burlington....FYI. Chris has already secured lodging for us tonight, thankfully.

More later as we roll along.

Here's our location at 10:30 a.m.:

Latitude:41.6739
Longitude:-91.5236
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.6739,-91.5236&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

We expect to roll into Hannibal Saturday afternoon, ending this ride at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home.

The Mark Twain Festival will be underway and I understand thousands of people are attending.

They'll rededicate the famous Tom & Huck statue, erected in 1926. They've renewed the statue's base and grounds with a new stone wall. Pretty cool.

You can see the statue and read more at these links:

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090522/BREAKING01/90522014/Rededication+Saturday+for+Tom+and+Huck+statue+in+Hannibal

http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/tomsawye/nostalgia/26nemisshp.html

A LOT of people have been to Hannibal, Missouri! Well, it's America's Hometown!

And people are always interested in hearing about the CycleQuest ride, too. They always agree to encourage friends and family members to check out the ovarian cancer information.

More later!

Brad (and Chris)

Day 4 Iowa, Friends, and Beautiful Weather

Hello from Iowa!

Cooler weather today after a front passed overnight. A nice reprieve from the heat, but the wind is still gusty.

Yesterday was a hard day with the high winds. Today will be better hopefully.

I departed early from Guttenberg, Iowa. I had a great stay at the Guttenberg Motel, and a fine meal last night at one of the local watering holes.

Here's my SPOT satellite beacon location at departure:

Latitude:42.7727
Longitude:-91.1006
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.7727,-91.1006&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 8:30 a.m. I'd made Luxemborg which is north of Dyersville. There's a lot of road construction in this area, but I'm rolling on good roads now.

At 10 a.m. I rolled into Dyersville for breakfast with Janet Fitzgerald, the sister of Ginny Lewis (Bob's wife) back in Arizona. Thanks Janet! If you've followed CycleQuest in the past you've read all about Bob and Ginny.

I think Bob and I have been responsible for a number of Pizza Huts going out of business after we visited them on past CycleQuest rides!

Bob and I can really put away the pizza when we're riding.

By noon I was well South of Dyersville and heading for Cascade.

Latitude:42.3239
Longitude:-91.0677
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.3239,-91.0677&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

My friend Chris Martin, who lives in Iowa City, rode north to join me today. We joined up at Olin, Iowa about 3:15 p.m., and its significantly easier riding with another cyclist to draft.

We rode the 30-35 miles to Iowa city together. Chris knew all the back roads in these parts so we made good time. We arrived about 7 p.m. Dinner in Iowa City!

I'm staying at the Martin family's "nonsmoking" home (inside joke) tonight.

Here's the SPOT satellite ping on our location:

Latitude:41.7112
Longitude:-91.5421
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.7112,-91.5421&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Thanks so much for all the comments being posted on the blog. They really help to motivate me. It's great knowing there is this community surrounding me and the cause. Let's build on that for the future. You in? Good!

Tomorrow, it will be on to Burlington where I'll likely overnight Friday.

The Stillwater (MN) Gazette will be running a photo/story on my departure from there last Monday. A special thanks to Kris Janisch, the managing editor!

Beverly Darr, a reporter for the Hannibal Courier-Post is planning a story this weekend. CycleQuest North is in touch with media along the way. We're hoping KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids and the Iowa City paper will have an interest.

You can listen live for the news story about CycleQuest on Christian station KSFI-FM all day. Just visit KFSI.ORG and click on Listen Live.

It was a great day of riding, and I'm grateful Chris could join me. Please share the blog with coworkers, friends, and family.

Brad

Day 3 All Iowa, All Day Long

Good morning,

A great overnight camp at the Red Barn Campgrounds in Lansing, Iowa.

Some light rain to the west, but I think I'll miss it as I roll south.

I enjoyed a big breakfast: bacon, egg and cheese bisquit, two Pop-Tarts, coffee, and 20 oz. of chocolate milk.

Here's SPOT satellite to show where I'm departing from this morning:

Latitude:43.3621
Longitude:-91.2253
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.3621,-91.2253&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It's really hilly and the headwind is once again my companion.

At noon I was just north of the Effigy Mounds National Monument.

Latitude:43.1174
Longitude:-91.2004
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.1174,-91.2004&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Had a good lunch of spaghetti and cake, washed down with an icy Coke. Ahhhhhhhh!

At 3p.m. I was here:

Latitude:42.8884
Longitude:-91.1562
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.8884,-91.1562&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I'll be riding near the Mississippi for awhile, and away from these bluffs. I hope that cuts the winds a bit.

By late afternoon I had traveled to Guttenberg, Iowa. On the way, I met a fellow cyclist who has ridden this route clear down to Louisiana. Pretty cool.

Guttenberg is in Clayton County, Iowa, and has a population of about 2,000.

Prairie La Porte, meaning "the door to the prairie," was the first name given to Guttenberg by French explorers in 1673. The Guttenberg area was a site of Sac and Fox campgrounds until 1823. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 transferred ownership to the United States and the Black Hawk Purchase of 1833 finally opened the area for legal settlement.

Thus ends our history lesson for the day. :-)

The wind is incredible this afternoon. Sometimes I'm standing on the pedals being buffeted by the up to 40 mile an hour gusts. I talked to John in Minneapolis and they were having similar high winds. I probably only did 60-70 miles, but it feels like 100.

My destination was going to be Dyersville, Iowa, but I've gotten a motel room in Guttenberg. The Guttenberg Motel is a great inn, and the proprietor Jerry Schmitt gave me a discount on the room. Thank you Jerry!

This evening I was interviewed for KFSI-FM, a Christian station serving southeastern Minnesota and SW Wisconsin. The story will be airing several times throughout the day tomorrow. You can listen live, just visit KFSI.ORG.

I had a neat experience today. Riding along, I saw a snake beginning to cross the road. All of a sudden a red-tailed hawk came swooping out of nowhere, grabbed the snake in its talons and flew off, snake hanging limply. It was amazing. Perfectly executed. I guess the hawk thought he'd better get it before I did. :-)

I'm riding for ovarian cancer awareness and my late wife Susan is on my mind as I pedal onward. Please tell your friends, family and co-workers to visit the blog and review the ovarian cancer symptoms. And please post a comment. We love to hear from you!

Brad

Day 2 - More wind, a mechanical issue, and arrival in Iowa!

Goooood morning! I had a great, restful night at the Pioneer Campground in Kellogg.

I broke camp around 8:30a and rode about 30 miles - with the wind against me - to Winona. At the Country Kitchen, I had the "Country's Best Skillet Breakfast" and that's no hyperbole. It hit the spot.

Here's my SPOT beacon as of 8:30a when I was riding to Winona:

Latitude:44.3306
Longitude:-91.9658
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.3306,-91.9658&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I finished breakfast around 11a and got back on the Surly. Here's my location at 11:30 a.m.

Latitude:44.0408
Longitude:-91.6595

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.0408,-91.6595&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 1:45 p.m. I'd ridden to Dakota, Minnesota near I-90. I was out of water, but the postmistress at the local post office was kind enough to fill my bottles.

Here's my location as of 1:50 p.m. today:

Latitude:43.9115
Longitude:-91.362
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.9115,-91.362&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 4p.m. I had crossed over into Wisconsin at LaCrescent and was rolling southward.

Latitude:43.7979
Longitude:-91.2507
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.7979,-91.2507&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Then, mechanical problems. I was standing on the pedals on a steep climb and popped a rear spoke. Thankfully, I was only about 12 miles from LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I quickly found Smith's Cycling & Fitness and they took care of me.

After a snack, I resumed riding to stay on schedule, and reached Lansing, Iowa where I'm spending the night at the Red Barn Campgrounds. Here's the SPOT satellite signal:

Latitude:43.3609
Longitude:-91.254
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.3609,-91.254&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

So, despite the two days of headwinds, I am on schedule!

Tonight, I'll be preparing for my interview with KSFI-FM tomorrow afternoon. This Christian station serves southeastern Minnesota and SW Wisconsin.

Brad

Monday, May 18 CycleQuest 2009 Begins!

CycleQuest 2009 is underway! Hannibal, Missouri is the destination, some 600 miles down the road. I expect to arrive there Saturday.

I departed from Stillwater, Minnesota, about 25 miles east of the Twin Cities, at 9 a.m. It was sunny and 58. The forecast calls for a high of 80 today. It's pretty windy this morning, breeze from the south. That with the hills is making for an "exhilarating" start.

Stillwater is in Washington County, which was Minnesota's first county, established in 1858. The view along the St. Croix River is beautiful, and there are lots of rolling hills through this region.

I crossed into Wisconsin briefly around 11 a.m.

By 1:15p I'd arrived in Red Wing via route 63. I rode 48 miles during the windy morning.

At one point, I was riding along a pasture and saw a newborn calf that had just been born, not more than 30 feet from the road. I cycled on not wanting to spook the cow.

I stopped at a QuikTrip for a couple of bananas, some cheese, pizza, donuts and a Coca Cola. Look, a guy gets hungry riding into the wind! I passed out awareness bookmarks to the staff members; they were very interested in the ride and the ovarian cancer cause.

By 3 p.m. I had 65 miles logged and still felt good, despite the wind.

Here's the SPOT satellite PING I broadcast around 3p.

Latitude:44.4877
Longitude:-92.4434
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.4877,-92.4434&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I ended the first day - a 95 mile day with headwinds - in Kellogg, Minnesota, south of Wabasha. I'm camping overnight at the Pioneer Campground where I also stayed during the 2004 ride. 9 hours today with about an hour or so out of the saddle.

Here's where I am camping.

Latitude:44.3192
Longitude:-91.9469
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.3192,-91.9469&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

And, get this, the owner of the campground - Paul Logan - does a talk show on KFSI-FM, a regional Christian radio station. He will be doing an interview with me Wednesday. Thank you, Paul!

Tomorrow morning I'll ride into Winona for a big ole breakfast at the Country Kitchen. As I recall, the "Grizzly" breakfast plate is spectacular.

I had a great run-up to departure. I stayed with my brother John, sister-in-law Lynae, and nieces Annya and Amelia over the weekend. We enjoyed a huge spaghetti feast last night for some carbo-loading.

They live in Minneapolis on the 45th latitude parallel, which is kind of neat. That means their home is midway between the Equator and the North Pole, although it sure seems closer to the Pole. Saturday morning it was 38 degrees!

As above, I'll be sending a SPOT satellite signal periodically during the ride. You can follow the ride on Google Earth by visiting the links, like the one below, that my brother John will be posting within the blog entries.

Here's my departure point as of 9 a.m.(central) today:

Latitude:45.0374
Longitude:-92.7978

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=45.0374,-92.7978&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It's pretty cool technology!

I'm riding for ovarian cancer awareness and Susan is on my mind as I pedal onward on another CycleQuest odyssey. Please tell your friends to visit the blog and review the ovarian cancer symptoms. Together, we might just save a life or two this week!

Thanks for the encouragement and interest in the ride. Tomorrow, I should enter Iowa. Good night!

Brad

CycleQuest 2009 Begins May 18, 2009!

CycleQuest Cycling Odyssey For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Begins May 18

560 mile Stillwater to Hannibal, Missouri Ride Planned

Minneapolis, Minn. – Brad Wingate, a resident of Tempe, Arizona, will launch his 560-mile bicycling odyssey May 18, riding from Stillwater, Minnesota to his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.

The disease claimed the life of Brad’s wife - Susan DeFrank Wingate - in 2005. Susan was a dedicated athlete who loved cycling, running, hiking and camping. She spent much of her professional career working with students with disabilities at Arizona State University.

“Ovarian cancer is insidious. It can already be well advanced when the often-subtle symptoms are first noticed. Early detection is key to saving lives. That’s why I’m riding, to alert women and their families to the warning signs,” Brad says.

Brad departs from Stillwater, Minnesota, located east of the Twin Cities, on May 18 and will arrive in the historic Northeast Missouri community of Hannibal May 23.

The ride will take him through Red Wing, Wabasha, Winona, La Crescent, Decorah, Manchester (Waterloo), Alamosa, Iowa City, Burlington, Quincy (Ill.), and Hannibal (MO.).

Check out the ride’s progress by visiting www.cyclequest.blogspot.com.
Updates will be posted during the ride.

Brad’s last major CycleQuest ride was a 930-mile, ten-day cycling journey across the heartland in July 2007 from Vail, Colorado to Hannibal. In 2004, he did his first Minneapolis to Hannibal ride for ovarian cancer awareness.

Brad is a former Category 2 cyclist ranked with the U.S. Cycling Federation. He is currently a manager at the Tempe, Arizona REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)a national retail outlet selling equipment and supplies for outdoor recreational activities. “As a 20-year employee of REI, I receive a five-week sabbatical,” Brad explains, “so this is the perfect time to help inform others about the importance of recognizing the signs of ovarian cancer,” he adds.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and non-specific; women may attribute the symptoms to other - more common - conditions.

By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.
A woman has a 1 in 67 chance of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer.
Older women are at highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. About 25 percent of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women between 35 and 54 years of age.


The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are often subtle:

•pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort;

•vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas,nausea and indigestion;

•frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection;

•unexplained weight gain or weight loss;

•pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness;

•ongoing unusual fatigue;

•or unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks ask your doctor for a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound.

A PAP Test will NOT detect ovarian cancer.



Media Advisory:

To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact
John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com

Upcoming Events: CycleQuest Midwest

It's been awhile since I have done a CycleQuest ride. It is time to put the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer in the public eye once again. Please stay tuned...more information to follow in the next week!