The Biker

When I start this post about the biker, I need to explain that Dennis had been an avid cyclist for almost 30 years.  When we lived in Pasadena, he left the house each morning at 5:00 to peddle his way to the high school about 10+ miles away.  As a coach, he was trying to find time for a personal workout so this was HIS uncompromised time to take care of that.

In the beginning, he got a nice road bike to start biking.  When his mother heard he was doing this she gave me stern orders to tell him not to do this.  Her words were, "He has a family to think of.  It is too dangerous and he could get hurt or killed riding that distance early in the morning."  When I shared her concern, Dennis assured me that he was taking every precaution for safety.  In fact when I looked out the window to see him ride away, he looked like a Christmas tree or UFO going down the street.  He wore lights that were constantly on and a couple clipped to his backpack that blinked continuously.  He never rode without a helmet and was cautious not to travel heavy traffic areas.

And so it went that biking was added to his love for swimming.  Biking was relaxing for him.  I remember when Scott was getting ready to leave for college, we went out shopping for a new bike.  Denny's bike had problems and we just decided to purchase another more updated bike.  So off we went to the Bike Barn.  He rode a Schwinn mountain bike and 'fell in love'.  Much to my surprise he said, "Lin I want you to try one of these bikes for yourself."  I fussed and said that was a waste for me but he insisted.  After a brief test ride, we found ourselves the proud new owners of 2 new bikes.  And for a period of about five years, we would have our carefree bike rides through the neighborhoods and on the bike paths of Iowa during the summer.

Dennis had mentioned for several years that he would love to do the RAGBRAI in Iowa.  He had heard of it -- read about it -- and just wanted to do it 'someday'.  In 2006, four years after the diagnosis, I made contact with the Davenport bike club about how to get Dennis registered for the ride.  There was a lottery and you couldn't just automatically register and get to go.  They gave me further contacts as I shared our story of Alzheimer's.  I knew it had to be soon rather than later for him to be able to make this ride.  Before the initial registration, I spoke with Scott (also an avid cyclist).  I asked him to join his dad for the ride.  I knew it would create great memories for the two of them but just as important was the constant supervision for this 444 mile ride (week long event).  Of course he was on board to make this dream of his dad's possible. 

Starting in January, Dennis started training for the ride.  He increased his daily mileage and added the conditioning of continued distance swimming.  When we got to Iowa in early June, Steve (Denny's brother and cyclist) took on the responsibility of more intense training with long distance rides several times a week.  Watching Steve and Denny ride off for their morning rides each day was so heartwarming.  This was truly a team effort.  His brother's attention to training and conditioning kept Denny focused and inspired.  As the time approached, his increased excitement and enthusiasm was noticeable to everyone.  Afternoon naps were part of the daily routine but it was all good -- and obvious to everyone that he could physically make the ride.

Steve and I had some concerns about Denny's bike.  After all this was a 444 mile ride up and down hills.  He had noticed that Denny was needing some reminders to shift on the hills to preserve his energy.  We visited the local Sparky's bike shop and found a terrific buy on a Klein road bike.  It was a gem!  (Didn't know bikes could cost $1000+).  Dennis thought he had a cadillac.  He was like a little kid who wanted to sleep with his new toy.  We threw in some 'Butt Butter' and a few other necessities as final preparation for the trip.  He moved his odometer from the older bike and he was ready to continue training for the ride of a 'lifetime'.

Scott and I had discussed the logistics of camping each night and the backup support that would make this ride possible.  We owned a van at the time and I would follow the route in a distance or ahead as a support vehicle.  There were many unknowns to be covered;  sleeping in different place every night, sleeping in a tent, night wandering, getting to portable 'potties' in the middle of the night then finding his way back and so on.  Scott very carefully placed his tent close to his dad so he would know if there was movement.  Of course his dad's snoring didn't make things pleasant but it was a sacrifice of safety. 

At each stop for the day, we would meet.  I would hear the stories of their day and the warm hospitality of all the wonderful people along the way.  There were laughs and detailed stories of sites seen along the ride.  All in all the ride was a great success.  And we (Scott, Steve and myself) felt like we had been a part of something very special.  We made it possible for Den to fulfill this dream.  [God was with us on this venture every step of the way.  If we had asked the doctor about this whole venture, he would have been aghast at such a possibilty citing all the things that could go wrong. During some of the little issues of the trip, safety was covered.] 

I have included this write-up of the ride so you have some idea how special this really was.  Cyclists from all over the country come for this ride each summer.  It is one of the premiere rides for cycle enthusiasts of all ages.

RAGBRAI XXXIV
July 23-29, 2006
How powerful a spell does RAGBRAI cast over the first-time rider? Just ask seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong who participated in the ride for a couple of days. After just a few hours on the road, he was hooked and promised to be back for the entire week next year. The overnight towns along the route this year had a great mix of rookies like Sergeant Bluff, Waukee, and Marengo, two had not hosted in many years, Ida Grove, and Newton, and two veterans, Coralville, and Muscatine. All of the towns performed like seasoned professionals. As was promised, the route was short but challenging with the first three days guaranteed to get your attention.
The riders left Sergeant Bluff the first day and headed back in time to Ida Grove and the town’s medieval assortment of Knights and castles. The next day started out as hot and hilly as the first day, but with fewer towns to stop in on the way to Audubon. The final stretch from Manning to Audubon will go down as a mini version of Saggy Thursday with its unrelenting hills, headwind and heat making the last 21 miles seem like an eternity. Some riders were so delirious when they reached Audubon that they swore that they saw a giant bull on the side of the road. Their eyes were not playing tricks on them, it was Albert, a 30-foot tall, 45-ton concrete bull that the town is famous for. On to Waukee where the hills finally came to an end about 15 miles from the end of the day’s ride. Waukee pulled out all of the stops with a great central setup and top notch entertainment. The only damper was a storm that hit later in the evening.
Wednesday morning found the riders on the road heading east to Newton and one of the biggest crowds ever witnessed on RAGBRAI. Lance Armstrong, who had jumped on the ride outside of Elkhart, spoke to a crowd that engulfed the downtown square that evening. As the premier spokesman for cancer research, he spoke to the crowd, which included many cancer survivors, about what still needs to be done in the fight against the disease. He promised to return next year to bring attention to the cause in a state that has a powerful say in the selection of the next president.
On Thursday, the riders experienced cooler weather as they made their way to Marengo. The day was filled with stories of “Lance” sightings, from a pie shop in Sully to a beer garden in Montezuma. Friday from Marengo to Coralville, the ride was a short one at 48 miles with one particularly nasty hill outside of Cosgrove. As the riders came into town, they were honored as the first to ride a stretch of road finished just for RAGBRAI. Coralville had a great venue set up to host the riders, where Armstrong again spoke. He received a Hawkeye jersey presented by University of Iowa Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. Riders traveled through West Branch, the hometown of Iowa’s only President, Herbert Hoover. The final leg of the ride was an easy spin down to the Mississippi River town of Muscatine which has hosted RAGBRAI five times.

After the ride, it wasn't long before Dennis was unable to ride out on the rodes with a group.  His inability to follow cyclist ettiquette made it dangerous for him to be in a group (for himself and others).  He no longer had the automatic timing to change gears to ride altering terrains.  At that point Dennis was limited to riding in our neighborhood.  Short rides that were monitored. 

Then one hot summer day he left for a ride in the morning and did not return at his regular time.  Hours passed and neighbors helped me check surrounding neighborhoods to see if we could find him.  Nothing!  It was 100 degrees by early afternoon and I grew increasingly concerned.  Finally I had no choice.  I had to notify police so they would also be on the alert.  An officer reported to our home and took the report.  I provided current photo and information to put things in motion.  Late afternoon the officer returned to speak with me.  As we were speaking Dennis rode up on his bike.  He was hot, exhausted and 'irritated' to see the officer there.  We tried to speak with him but he was doing his best to disregard our concerns.  He went on to explain he didn't see the problem or why the officer was there.  He told the officer, "I was over by the freeway waiting for her because she said she was picking me up.  When she didn't come, I just found my way back home".  And with that he walked into the house.  I thanked the officer and apologized for any inconvenience.

During his next visit to our house, Scott promptly flattened both tires on the bike.  He said under no circumstances should his dad be riding and so it was that this love for biking came to an end.