EVANSTON — Although when he passed through Evanston in 2017, he claimed the fifth coast-to-coast bicycle trip would be his last, Brent Bundy arrived in Evanston on July 4, once again cycling from Oregon to New York. Bundy is on his sixth trip to raise awareness and raise donations in the fight against breast cancer. He started this campaign after he lost a very good friend, Gina, in 2004 to stage 4 breast Cancer. 

Bundy said he doesn't even like bicycles, and he never rides them except for these trips. Biking made more sense than walking because he carries too much gear. His bike and gear weigh 60–80 pounds. He does absolutely no training in preparation for his trip; he just goes slowly to begin with and at the end of several weeks feels pretty fit. Bundy does admit that now that he is 50 years old it takes a lot longer to recover.

It's remarkable that Bundy can do this strenuous ride at all. In 1997, he was injured in a car accident and suffered strokes and was in a coma. He had double vision until doctors injected Botox which cured that, but he also lost dexterity in his right arm and hands.

He has to use glasses for close-up work. A welder by trade, Bundy had to give it up after becoming disabled. But that didn't stop him from taking on his mission of creating awareness about the need for early check-ups in regard to breast cancer. 

“If Gina had gotten a check-up earlier, she might still be with us,” Bundy said. “Whenever I get tired and am facing another hill, I tap my helmet and ask Gina to help me. She is my inspiration for going on.”

His first bike ride was in 2006, the next one was in 2012 but took a year to complete as he was injured, so he wintered in Iowa and finished the trip in 2013. Since 2013 he has completed a trip every year.

Bundy said that he has raised $2,500 so far from all the trips. This year people have been so generous that he has already raised $500. All donations go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation upon completion of each trip. Bundy said his trips are more about creating awareness and education than about the money, though he is proud of what he has been able to raise.

His journey started in Seaside, Oregon, and will end at Staten Island, New York. Bundy estimates it will take three and a half months to complete. He plans to be in New York in mid-October. When he arrives in Iowa he will join the RAGBRAI (the Des Moines Register”s Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) for three weeks and travel with the group from Newton to Davenport, Iowa. 

He sleeps in a tent, in hotels, in firehouses, in hospitals and wherever he is offered a bed. He said people have been 99.9 percent supportive and kind. People have given him food, paid for hotels and helped in many ways. 

“My favorite part of this endeavor is the people I meet. I've probably met over 10,000 people. The worst part is the wind and hills,” Bundy said. “It took me 21 hours to get from Ogden to Evanston because of hills. My favorite state is Nebraska, because it's flat.” 

Bundy stayed in Evanston for two days, then headed to Little America to recharge his cellphone battery and rest, and then on to Rock Springs. He tries to travel 50 miles between stops. When he reaches Nebraska he will take Highway 30 to get off the interstate for a while where there isn”t as much traffic. When Bundy finally reaches New York, he plans to fly back home to Salem, Oregon. 

Bundy carries a sign on his bike that also raises awareness about other issues facing Americans. He has written on it in bold letters; 17 FL. and Newtown, Conn., in reference to school shootings; the name James Foley, the American journalist beheaded in Syria by ISIS; and the words “For Gina,” which is where it all began for Bundy and his bicycle.

Who knows if this is the last bike trip across America for Brent Bundy? He claims every trip is his last but his passion about the need to be aware and educated about breast cancer keeps him bicycling for the cause.