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This is a true story about 300 bicyclist's..riding 3,363 miles... in 47 days...One will die...

This is a true story about 300 bicyclists heading out on a 3,363 mile 47 day adventure across America. One of the largest groups to ever make this journey. At the beginning none of us could have imagined that 35 days into the ride one Trekker would die. If known, how many would have left Seattle?

(Guy Smith #280) Nobody was excited about our Saturday ride, one that required a three page trip tik to guide us through South Chicago streets, heavily industrialized neighborhoods, and the crowded highways of North Indiana. However, the first 15 miles were on the busy but delightful Lakeshore Bikeway which parallels the beaches of Lake Michigan. I rode with the “Nordy Girls” Karin, Nancy and Terri. They loved to pose for pictures like the cutesy models of the classy Nordstrom’s Department Stores; we got several good ones that morning. I was leading our group. Terri, normally a very intense rider, was lagging way behind. As we were passing Shedd Aquarium, Karin suddenly yelled. “Terri is down.” In her mirror Karin had seen her friend flying headfirst over the handlebars and landing on her head in the bike path. I rushed back to Terri where she lay with a large pool of blood beginning to form around her mouth and face. A passing jogger offered to run to a street telephone to get help. Teri was conscious but bleeding badly. Her tooth was broken. Both lips and her face were skinned, and she had many bruises on her shoulders and chest. She was a very beautiful woman with a big warm smile

and I felt so helpless to see her lying there. The only thing I could do was direct traffic, keeping bicycles and joggers clear of her so that nothing worse would happen. Nobody dared moved her before the ambulance arrived. Ingrid, a nurse Trekker rode up and took over the first aid.