THE WYMAN DISPATCH - Friday 5/25 – Day -3

The Gathering from Across the Great Divide, Part 1:

Musings of a
Long Distance Rider

A quick glance at the Spot Walla 'Rendezvous Location Page (thanks to the magic of Jason Jonas of course) reveals that all nine participants (8 pilots and one pillion) are trekking toward San Francisco from parts east.  In fact, no one attempting the Wyman Challenge this year resides west of the Rockies.  There will be more about all the riders as the days roll on (pun intended), but here is a brief intro by way of starting location.

Joe Green takes long-distance honors departing from Florida.  Robert Rehkopf and Doug Vance motor from Tennessee.  John and Nadine Huval, the only two up riders in the event, hail from Louisiana, or some place in the deep southeast.  My notes are incomplete at this point.  Richard Worsham begins the ride from Goshen, Indiana and appears to be the only rider living and starting from a point on the original Wyman trail.  All rides must have some obnoxious Texans and Tim Masterson and yours truly, Cliff Wall, fill that role perfectly.  Gary Huff can see the Great Divide from his home in Colorado Springs and has the shortest ride to the starting point.

Why are there no western riders?  Who knows the answer but it does match up with the history of George Wyman.  Save his great-granddaughter, Marty Wyman Schein, who resides in San Francisco, any following of Wyman seems to be emanating from those who are outside his home territory.  Maybe it’s typical that you just don’t think about things right under your nose.  I live in the Dallas area.  You would be hard pressed to get me excited about anything Dallas is famous, or infamous for.  So this group of sightseers and Wyman enthusiasts turns the front wheel westward today and will collectively cross the Great Divide for the first of two crossings that will be necessary to complete the Wyman.

Temps are hot in the southwest.  Not Iron Butt Rally hot, for Lisa Landry is not in charge of weather for this ride, but hot enough that hydration will matter.  Hopefully all riders are prepared for this issue.  We’ll find out when they arrive in the Bay area and we’ll relay the outfitting of each riders long-distance bike preparation.  Some of the riders are veterans of the LD riding scene, some or absolute rookies, the term that is sometimes applied to riders attempting a ride of this distance.  They will be in good hands as the format of the ride involves ending each day together at a pre-determined eating place.

Riders will have the day to themselves if they choose or can ride in whatever groupings become comfortable each day.  The nightly Rendezvous’, thus the name of the ride, are designed and advertised to encourage any riders across the country to join the group at the end of the day for some tire kicking and stories from the road.  Celebrity participants are in the works including the possibility of an appearance by Mr. IronButt himself, Mike Kneebone.  Wyman made a stop in Naperville, IL and Mike is rumored to be joining us at dinner that night.  You might recognize Naperville as the post office box home of the Iron Butt Association.  That very post office box is one of the Wyman waypoint stops.

I’ve made it all the way from DFW to Childress, Texas for Day minus 3, getting a late start from work, the curse of all long distance riders.  But it is work that pays the bills, provides the computer and connectivity for these daily reports, and generally keeps me out of trouble.  There are literally hundreds of people across the rider group - fellow workers, friends, relatives and strangers following their little spot trackers across the land and cheering for their completion of the ride and a safe return back to the daily routine.  Perhaps that’s why we do it.

My free hotel breakfast is ready.  Time to hit the road.  Wyman would already be riding.

Cliff Wall, Rendezvous Ride Master