Cross-country cyclist takes a day off in Evanston

Benjamin Lange, Herald Reporter
Posted 8/8/17

Man rides bike across country for friend who died of cancer

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Cross-country cyclist takes a day off in Evanston

Posted

EVANSTON — On what will be his fifth — and, he said, final — crossing of the United States by bicycle, Oregon resident Brent Bundy took a day off in Evanston on Saturday to rest up and spend time with people he has met during his previous journeys.

Bundy first made the crossing from Salem, Oregon, to Staten Island, New York, in 2006. He did not train or do anything to prepare for it, and he said doesn’t even really care for bicycles, but was determined to cross the U.S. as a tribute to his friend Gina, who passed away from breast cancer in 2004.

“This is for her. She was one of my closest friends, and was the best person you could ever meet. I would have known her for more than 30 years by now… all of this is to raise awareness for breast cancer,” he said. “When I decided to do this whole thing, I wanted to do it entirely by my own muscle power, but I had too much gear to jog. So I started biking.”   

During his prior trips, Bundy suffered injuries and heat exhaustion, overcame challenges presented by weather and landscapes, and collected countless stories. 

Near the end of his most recent crossing in 2015, he received a ticket for illegally crossing Goethals Bridge between New Jersey and New York while it was closed for construction. 

“I was told by the police in New York [that] if I turned back, they would not give me a ticket,” Bundy said. “After 3,400 miles, with just [a few] miles to go, turning back was not an option.”

Bundy was told that he would need to return for a court date in six weeks to pay the ticket, but he had no intention of returning in time.    

“There’s a warrant out for my arrest now in New York,” Bundy laughed. “I was given the option to turn back and find a different way around to avoid the ticket, but I was only three miles from finishing my trip so I felt like it was worth it… I never came back to pay it, though, so I might not get a chance to touch the Atlantic this time. They might stop me before then.”   

These journeys could not have been successful without the help and kindness of strangers along the way. People have offered places to sleep, paid for hotels, provided meals and supported Bundy in countless other ways.

However, Bundy said that when people donate money, he keeps a careful record of it and donates everything he is given to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation upon completion of each trip.  

The entire journey usually takes about three months, but the second crossing between 2012 and 2013 took more than a year. Bundy was riding from New York to Oregon but was injured in Pennsylvania when he hit a car. He made it all the way to Davenport, Iowa, before deciding to stop for a while, and ended up volunteering for a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. He spent more than nine months there before continuing on his way, and said that ever since then, he has loved visiting Davenport along the way. 

Bundy began this trip on June 28, and expects to complete it in early September.

He said that he spends a total of around 3,500 miles on his bike each crossing, and upon completion of this final trip he will have ridden nearly 18,000 miles. He has burned through more than 20 tires, replaced around 30 chains, broken shifting and brake cables, and has spent more on repairs than he spent on the original bike. 

In 1997, Bundy was involved in a car accident that resulted in a broken neck — he endured up to seven strokes. Doctors gave him a 5 percent chance of ever learning to walk again, and he had to re-learn how to perform many basic functions. He expressed pride in what he has accomplished despite these odds, but said that it is time for him to be finished.

“I’m way too tired for this. I’m way too tired right now. This is the last time,” he said.

Bundy said he is grateful for the support he has received and that he is glad to have gained as much coverage as he has in each state he has visited, and he said he hopes it will help people become more aware of breast cancer prevention and treatment.