Team Haraburda Cycles Around the United States

Dan Haraburda, who happens to be my father-in-law is an inspiration for me as well as for many others. Regardless of his age, this is an incredible feat, but over the span of four years, beginning at the age of 58 and ending at the age of 62, he cycled his way around the contiguous United States of America. He started in 2006 and finished in 2009. This is nothing to take lightly and his accomplishment is nothing less than amazing.

His rides were in five segments as outlined below:
Southern Tier - 3100 miles - San Diego CA to St Augustine FL
Atlantic Coastal Ride - 2200 miles - Bar Harbor ME to St Augustine FL
Northern Tier - Eastern Half - 2000 miles - Stillwater, MN to Damariscotta ME
Northern Tier - Western Half - 2000 miles - Anacortes WA to Stillwater MN
Pacific Coastal Ride - 1800 miles - Canadian Border to Mexican Border

TS: When talking about your rides you would refer to yourself as “we”. I haven’t known you to have a split personality, so why the “we”?
DH: That is because Betty (Dan’s wife) was with me all the way. I like to say that she did all the work. I just rode the bike. I am well aware that I am a very lucky man. There aren’t many people who would do what she did for me on these trips.

TS: Clearly having Betty’s support was invaluable. Tell me a little bit about this.
DH: I guess we should say right away that we did this the lazy man’s way. I had my own personal SAG wagon. I didn’t carry everything on my bike. I admire the people who do. I thought many times about those who rode all day in the rain and then set up their tents in the rain and then crawled into a wet tent or sleeping bag. My hat is off to those people but I didn’t do it that way and was fortunate enough to have Betty with me all the while.

TS: When did cycling go from being recreational to a more serious endeavor?
DH: I did a lot of biking in the 90’s and always thought that I would like to go from somewhere to somewhere else rather than riding the same roads every day. In the course of the riding season, I rode around 1500 miles. I wondered where that would get me if it was a straight line. Our first idea for a long distance ride was that we would ride the Baja. We mulled the idea over but someone talked us out of it and we adopted the idea of the riding the Southern Tier.

TS: What inspired you to ultimately cycle around the United States?
DH: While we were riding the Southern Tier, we ran into a fellow who was going to ride around the US. He called it riding the four corners.

TS: How many total miles did you cover after completing your tour of the outer Contiguous United States?
DH: The total distance by the maps is 11,112 miles. During the course of the ride we had computer and GPS failures so we don‘t have a good “actual” number. The actual number is probably a bit higher than the map miles.

TS: Which of the segments (tiers) was the most challenging?
DH: Physically, the hardest part of the ride was the southwest segment of the Southern Tier, eastern Arizona and New Mexico. These were the highest mountains at 8,200 feet, on the entire journey and the first time this flatlander from Michigan climbed any mountains. For just plain miserable riding conditions, it’s a draw between a morning ride in Louisiana and a five day stretch in New York. Both were rainy and cold. The Louisiana ride was probably the most miserable that I have ever experienced while biking.

TS: Which of the segments was most enjoyable?
DH: That’s a hard question. I am a history geek. So the Atlantic Coast Ride with Washington DC, the Civil War Battlefields, and Kitty Hawk are high on my list of the most interesting places that we have ridden through. For natural beauty - In every one of my journal entries, I would write “this area is fantastic!” It seemed to keep happening, “Oh yeah we like Washington; Oh yeah, we like Montana, Oregon, Maine, the mountains in the northwest and southwest, the Pacific ocean.” We also rode the Outer Banks of North Carolina which were beautiful.

TS: If you chose to do so, which segment (tier) would you choose to ride again?
DH: I wouldn’t ride any of them again because there are quite a few other rides and things that I would like to do. However, if I had to suggest just one segment for someone interested in a long distance ride, it would be the Pacific Coast Ride. It’s relatively short and you are in sight of the Pacific Ocean for almost the entire ride. For me the entire ride seemed biker friendly. Bikers aren’t an oddity on the west coast like they seem to be in Michigan.

TS: What was the strangest experience you had while riding?
DH: I mentioned the ride in the rain in Louisiana. I was truly miserable and was thinking of quitting for a while when I saw a biker approaching from the opposite direction. We stopped and talked. He was biking to San Diego. I was in route to St Augustine. He said that he had two choices, get wet in the tent or get wet riding. He chose riding. I thought well if he is going to continue then so am I. Shortly after that the rain stopped and conditions improved. I have always wondered if this was just a chance meeting or a special messenger to keep me going.

TS: What was the scariest moment you experienced during your rides?
DH: I got knocked down by a dog in New Mexico. In Texas, I had a truck rear end a car at a traffic light right next to me. But the scariest moments are the subtle ones like when I realized I just did something stupid, like buzz through a stop sign and a car was coming. Then about two minutes down the road it all sinks in and I realized how different the outcome could have been. You thank God for letting you get away with that one and vow to sin no more.

TS: What is the most critical piece of advice you would offer a person considering embarking upon this same adventure?
DH: Safety is paramount. I have two friends that were killed while cycling. So use good lights front and back, (strobe on the back), and good colors. Make yourself visible. Use a rear view mirror. Watch your back. Cycling is full time. No music, No iPods. Share the road. Don’t be an aggressive biker. Safety, Safety, Safety. Oh and buy the most durable tires that you can afford. Armadillos or Bontrager Kevlar have worked great for me. Armadillos wear great but Bontrager performance is better.

TS: Other than your bicycle, what piece of equipment could you NOT live without for a long ride?
DH: My GPS - It tells me everything I need to know. I have a Garmin Legend Cx. This is not designed for cycling but it works for me. I can’t imagine navigating using a map. I carry maps only as a backup. Interestingly enough, I did not see many people using a GPS but I wouldn’t leave home without it.

TS: While riding long, would you rather ride in downpour in 38 degrees or in a 35 mph headwind with sun and 70 degrees?
DH: I am as lazy as the next guy. Give me sunny and 70 with a gale at my back and I’m happy.

TS: While riding long, which would you miss more if you lost it en route, your fluids or your solid foods? Why?
DH: I’ve gone hoarse because I couldn’t down enough fluids and I’ve ran out of gas because I forgot my energy bars. If I had to choose I would take the fluids. I am certainly no expert on nutrition but a drink with some “additives” will probably get me a lot further in the desert than a bag full of Snickers.

TS: Would you rather win an all expenses paid trip to the Tour De France or a chance to have coffee with Lance Armstrong for 30 minutes?
DH: How about if I take the money for the Tour and finance our next adventure. I would take the Tour. (Although, I wouldn’t mind talking about Cheryl Crow for a half hour, she‘s cool). The Tour is the ultimate in cycling. It would be great to see the bikes, the athletes, the course, and of course Robin Williams.

TS: You have ridden around the entire Contiguous United States. What’s next?
DH: I am glad you asked. There are several rides that I am interested in taking on - (hooking up with a group to ride) the Baja, riding the length of New Zealand, the Transcontinental ride in the US, (some serious mountains there), riding around Lake Superior. Did you know that you can ride from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego? Other items on the list: Finish climbing Mt Rainier, trekking in Nepal and maybe Kilimanjaro.