Ed's big adventure

Ed Witterholt has done some funny things on bikes. I first met Ed when we served together on an advisory committee for the Trail Watch program. We did a couple of trail patrols together, and I remember him being proud of an old road bike he bought for $10. After making few repairs, he happily rode it on a regular basis.

He once showed up at a Frigid Bits winter race on Goose Lake, and rode a fixed-gear road bike with no studs and no brakes. I still can't figure out how he stayed upright. Then last year, his young daughter wanted to ride the Fireweed 50, so Ed rigged up a tandem with toe clips attached to pink blocks he had put on the pedals, and they went and did the race. A friend of mine complained for months about being passed by "the little girl with the pink blocks."

Ed's latest adventure is moving to Colorado. But instead of jumping on a plane or driving the family car, he left last week to pedal from Anchorage to Denver. Thanks to his very cool and indulgent wife, he has five weeks to live on his bike. Tara's not only supportive of the idea, she's also documenting the whole thing on a blog as she gets updates from the road.

Here's hoping the truckers, weather and road conditions cooperate all the way down the Alaska Highway. Have a great trip, Ed.