An ambitious plan to pedal 4,000 miles across the United States will fulfill a longtime dream for two Palo Alto buddies who hope their journey also will serve to promote environmental awareness and bring Palo Alto's Centennial celebration a little national attention.
If everything goes according to schedule, Brandon Duisenberg and David Warren, both 21, will mount their bicycles June 22 and begin cranking their way east on a trip they expect will take them through about a dozen states in 10 weeks.
"I've wanted to go biking cross-country for as long as I can remember," said Warren, a junior at Brown University. "It'll pretty much take our summer."
The city Centennial Committee on Jan. 11 made the ride an officially sanctioned Centennial event. And the Palo Alto City Council on Jan. 18 approved a resolution presented by Council member Ron Andersen that it supports the endeavor.
Warren and Duisenberg attended Palo Alto High School together and are both Eagle Scouts. Duisenberg is a senior majoring in natural resource management at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The two learned to ride bicycles together when they were 5 years old.
"We want to see our country and meet as many people as we can," Warren said. "Often the environmental problems we face seem overwhelming. We hope our cycling trip will call attention to some simple ways people can be part of the solution."
It was their interest in the environment that gave them the idea of turning their adventure into a fund-raiser and awareness campaign for Bay Area Action, a Palo Alto grassroots environmental group which has endorsed their ride.
In the next several months, the two each hope to raise more than $1,400 in contributions from friends, residents and local businesses to cover the cost of making the trek. Palo Alto Bicycles, Warren said, has already agreed to pay for some of their gear. The two have promised to donate 25 percent of the money they raise to Bay Area Action and give the non-profit group any money they have left after covering their expenses.
More important, Warren said, the two plan to meet with residents and community leaders in cities along their route and spread their message that more people should use means of transportation other than gas-guzzling cars. "It's a trip of awareness," said Warren.
The two will pass out bookmarks to people they meet that give tips for helping preserve the environment. They'll also hand people postcards, asking them to list the things they do to help the environment and mail them to Bay Area Action. They hope to distribute Centennial T-shirts and decals along the way.
Warren said he and Duisenberg will attempt to schedule publicity events in five to 10 major cities, including Chicago, along their route to talk with the media and local politicians to inform them about the need to increase awareness about environmental preservation.
During the ride, the two plan to camp wherever they go, including a stop in Yellowstone National Park. They hope to cover 70 to 100 miles a day. Although neither has ever attempted to tackle a trip of this distance, Warren said they are not daunted by the physical challenge ahead. He said they'll attempt to do some training during the spring.
"We figure the first week will be pretty painful, but after that it should be OK," Warren said. "That's our plan."
To make a tax-deductible contribution, Warren and Duisenberg ask donors to send a check made out to "Bay Area Action-Bay to Bay the Long Way and mail to Bay Area Action, P.O. Box 50726, Palo Alto, CA 94303. For information, call Bay Area Action at 321-1994.
--Rufus Jeffris
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