So…why “The131YearRide”? Is it really going to take 131 years to ride across the US? Of course not! Though we are definitely going to take our time to make sure that with every stop we can enjoy this great big beautiful country. The name comes from our 2 ages. This year (2019), my father (left) is 78 and I (middle) am 53 (for those of you still struggling with the math, that’s 131 in human years) and we’ll be riding from West of Portland, OR to St. Augustine, FL. (Caleb, my son is on right – picture from our previous ride to Key West)
Unlike our previous 2 wheel rides, this time we’re going in true recumbent style and will be riding Catrike Expeditions.
Paul Shadle
Paul Shadle, born in California and in 1965 I married Marsha (Marti) Melancon from Hershey, PA. We have worked and pastored churches in several states and were missionaries in South America. We have four married children who are scattered around. After 30 years in the ministry I took a purchasing job for a mid-sized corporation and worked 20 more years.
Finally retiring at 73, we decided to move to DeLand, FL because we love warm weather. Now I am able to bike more often. Since purchasing the recumbent trike, a Catrike Expedition, I have ridden 5200 mile in each of the last two years.
I’m not new to cycling. Starting in 1989 I began a cross country trip. I like to say it took 20 years and 30 days. Because I couldn’t justify taking that much time off in one year, I broke it up into three parts, i.e. 30 days. Also I’ve ridden the East Coast From Fort Kent on Canadian border to Key West, FL. Also a second 1000 miles ride from FL to NJ, as well as shorter rides. Several time a year I like to take bike camping trips to FL state parks. They are great places.
We plan to follow the Oregon Trail as far as Wyoming and head south from there. Next we plan to ride south-east through Colorado, into New Mexico before turn east. There are family living along our path whom we hope to visit. Lord willing, we plan to end the crossing on St. Augustine Beach. Though, in reality I have one more day after that to cover the 70 miles home to DeLand.
Charles (Chuck) Shadle
Charles (Chuck) Shadle married Suzannah Brennan in 1989 and lived in Alloway, NJ until 2001. There they had 3 children (Sarah, Daniel, Caleb) and eventually moved to Lancaster County, PA. In Pennsylvania, they lived on a rural 20 acres and eventually adopted 3 more children (Ruth, Elijah, Joel). Life was full, fun, noisy and everything they wanted.
Chuck always enjoyed running, swimming and biking and in 2011, at the request of his son Caleb, had the opportunity to join him on a bike trip from Lewes, DE to Key West, FL. A further blessing was having his father Paul (who had already ridden the East Coast twice) join them in GA.
Seven years later, Paul and Chuck started discussing how fun it would be to ride across the US (Paul already having done this over 3 separate trips in the past) in one complete trip with time to enjoy this beautiful country.
Suzannah and Chuck had always encouraged their children to live life to the fullest and found that not only did they have an empty nest, but that the kids were all over the world and not likely to move back. They realized that this was an ideal time to rid themselves of all the things that tied them down and live the life of adventure they believed in.
Chuck worked in Information Technology and realized he could work remote and short term gigs and Suzannah switched to travel nursing so that she could take contracts all over the world. With nothing left to hold them down, they embarked on their own adventure (which can be followed at 10XYourReality.com).
And since they were now free, Chuck found that (with his wife’s blessing) a coast to coast ride was no longer a wish but had actually become a reality.
This is that story…
