On the road with SammyRides

This is an ongoing update on the SammyRides quartet - Michael Libenson, 73; Mike Brown, 62; Adolf Lex, 71; and John Bear, 64 - who started pedaling from Sun City, Ariz. March 2 back to Sun City Center, arriving May 1. The ride is being done to raise awareness of pediatric cancer, which claimed the life of Libenson's 9-year-old granddaughter, Sammy Rotman, who died of the disease in 2008. The updates are posted by Mike's wife, Lois Libenson, via emails and at sammyrides.com.

In addition, there is a Sun City Center Softball Cookbook with recipes from members, family and friends of the Sun City Center Softball and SammyRides organizations. The 156-page, 200-plus $10 recipe book includes hints with notes for reminders. It can be purchased by calling (813) 944-8989 or email dml2rjl@yahoo.com.

Today the bike riding was difficult because of heavy crosswinds in the mountain area and steep climbs that seemed to come out of nowhere. We finally made it to Globe, Ariz., and will take it easy tonight in order to catch up with various items on the agenda. The scenery today, however, was glorious; even pictures can't do it justice.

Before leaving today, we gave SammyRides shirts to the nice folks that were our servers in the coffee shop and to the two motel clerks who were extremely kind to us during our stay. All were wearing the shirts as we pulled out to begin our day.

Until tomorrow from Thatcher, Ariz., we are sending our best wishes to everyone.

Today was another challenging ride through the mountains and terrain of Arizona. The riders rode many, many miles through the cold and wind, stopping several times along the way to nourish themselves with snacks and water. They particularly had to be careful of the large amounts of broken glass that seemed to be everywhere along the road shoulders. Fortunately, no flat tires or other mishaps happened as a result. In the background of every turn we took, however, were the majestic mountains and rock formations that make Arizona the beautiful state it is. We passed miles of Native American reservations with huge cotton fields that made the ground appear as if it had just snowed.

I kept about a five-mile distance in the van from the riders, keeping a close watch on them as they road this long stretch of highway. At times, I was able to stay right behind them, which made me feel much more comfortable knowing they were safe from lots of speeding traffic on this two lane highway. The shoulder of the road in most places was wide enough that I could actually drive right behind them; something I know won't always be the case.

At long last, we got to Thatcher, Ariz., a small community, where we are staying two nights. Yay! A great hotel-motel, comfort plus, so we will be able to rest comfortably until we head off to Lordsburg, N.M., Tuesday.

By 3 p.m., we were all famished, so off we went to lunch after checking in. Tomorrow, we get to sleep later in the morning, and we're all happy about that. The only thing we have scheduled tomorrow is a pot luck supper at the Baptist Church in Safford, at 6 p.m., which we're looking forward to. The mayor has been invited as well as other town officials, so it should prove to be a wonderful eve of meet and greet.

Rest in Thatcher, Ariz., much needed to say the least.

We all did various errands such as restocking water, power bars and other snacks. Laundry was a top priority and how fortunate we were to have great facilities here at the Springhill Suites to do just that.

Michael spent some time confirming various things, as well as checking out the weather conditions for tomorrow. Looks like very strong winds are going to cause some rethinking of the time we leave here and head for New Mexico. Safety is the most important factor and if the winds are way too strong, we'll delay leaving until later in the morning to avoid serious riding conditions. Fortunately, we have no evening meet and greet to be concerned about regarding a time factor, so if we're late in getting into our next lodging, that'll be ok.

Tonight, we do have a meet and greet at the Baptist Church in Safford, Ariz., and will write about that in my blog tomorrow eve.

All of us at SammyRides, both on the ride and back in Sun City Center, want to thank you for all the support we continue to receive each day. We have been truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of friendship and love shown towards this project and as always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

It's been a long day, but one that seemed to be the easiest so far for the riders. We left Thatcher, Ariz., around 11 a.m., because the winds were way too strong for us to leave any earlier. We had such a relaxing time in Thatcher, which gave the riders and me an opportunity to get re-energized. We biked along Route 70 East on the highway's bike path which was littered with broken beer bottles and all manner of other junk. The riders had the wind at their back and more than once were able to ride at speeds in excess of 25 mph. Along the way, we crossed the border from Arizona to New Mexico and Michael tossed a rock across that great distance. A few miles further down the road, we met a struggling rancher who, along with his grandson, is trying to preserve a cattle ranch in very trying circumstances.

March 8, the men were headed to Lordsburg, N.M. before going 60 miles east to Deming, N.M. March 9.