PHOTOS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS

Spice and grain for sale in the open markets

















A group on piligrimage to a Hindu temple















An ox-pulled caravan carrying sugarcane to market

















Street musicians in a procession in Dundigul

Group photo in front of a field of ripening sugarcane

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

TOP TEN PHRASES FOR WEEK ONE

Here are the Top Ten phrases we've used and heard used along the route during our first week of riding:

10. “CHAI”

India’s irresistible trademark beverage--hot spiced tea with hot milk and tons of sugar in a plastic shot glass. One thing Indians decided to keep when they kicked the English out. Tea, three times a day. Ahh!

9. “LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, BOB.”

Yardy keeps thinking like a silly American and we have to remind him to ride on the left side of the road--another residual norm from a century of English rule.

8. “ANOTHER KODAK MOMENT”

Keeping Joe on his bike with all this glorious scenery, interesting people, and intriguing sights is a challenge. “There he goes again.” On the other hand, he’s taken some really sensational photos, some of which are posted on the blog. Joe’s taking still photos while John is videotaping.

7. “MORE NAAN, PLEASE”

This Indian flat bread is addictive.

6. “HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR PILL TODAY?”

We remind each other each morning to take our malaria prevention pill--Malarone.

5. “GATORADE? WATER? BANANAS? COOKIES?”

At each rest stop, our driver/guide Gope peddles his wares which, of course, we’re craving after 90 minutes of hard pedaling in 80 to 90-degree heat and sun. We are consuming tons of water, it seems. We should have invested in Aquafina.

4. “LOW GEAR! LOW GEAR!”

John yells out to the Indian riders to gear down on hills. They aren’t used to multiple gears and tend to try to grind out the climbs in high gear. They’re catching on, however.

3. “OFF!”

What we yell when a bus or truck is passing another bus or truck on the two-lane highway and hasn’t left us any room at all to ride. We scramble to get off the pavement and onto what little shoulder there is.

2. “ONLY 20 MORE KILOMETERS!”

This means “There’s really 40 kilometers to go.” Gope and Sathi Sam routinely underestimate the distance to our daily destinations. We laugh when they say “only 20 more to go.” We’ve ridden considerably further each day than originally planned. But no one’s complaining. What’s 12 miles more after 62 or 70?

1. “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Our greeting, echoed back thousands of times on New Year’s Day and January 2nd as we road thru villages and towns. Apparently many Indians know this phrase in English. English is one of over 20 official languages in India.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

SIXTH DAY OF CYCLING THRU INDIA

POST #9

TO DHARMAPURI. We rode 77 miles from Dundigul to Dharmapuri today. We are nearing Bangalore, our weekend destination. The “Silicon Valley of India” is about 90 miles to the north. On Friday we cover about 60 miles, finishing with a 30-mile jaunt into the city before noon on Saturday. John will speak to two groups in Bangalore on Sunday. Joe and Bob will travel to Vellore to a medical school to recruit medical personnel for Umri Christian Hospital.

FIRST BIG HILL. Along today’s route we encountered our first major hill, a 3 kilometer-long climb up into a high plane. I thought the steep hill would never end. Half way up the hill we encountered monkeys for the first time. A group of fifteen or so of the critters were frolicking by the roadside. We were too focused on making it up the hill to stop and take photos. Near the top, a roadside vender was selling coconuts, so we drank coconut milk and ate some of the soft center before carrying on.

DAILY ROUTINE. We’re into a daily routine now. We start our rides at 6:30 am, after loading our luggage in the Tata Victa, having a cup of chai, and praying together. We ride for 14 to 16 miles and stop at a village restaurant for breakfast (like the one in this photo). After breakfast we ride pretty hard, with one rest stop, until lunch at 12:30 or so. We are getting over 50 miles behind us by noon each day. Lunch is also at a village or town restaurant. We finish the ride by 3:30 pm, arriving in our destination town and checking into a hotel or the guest house provided for us. We shower, rest, make repairs, make arrangements for the next day, journal, read, and then eat dinner together. We’re asleep before 10 pm.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ http://www.bikeindia.org/

TO NAMAKKAL

POST #8

FIFTH DAY RIDING. Today was our fifth day riding north from Nagercoil and Kaniyakumari at the southern tip of India to New Delhi. We rode 74 miles from Dundigal to Namakkal. We are striving to make it to Bangalore by Saturday. Bangalore is a major cit in India, called the "Silicon Valley of India" for its computer technology centers. We had the best ride day yet. The wind was at our backs and it seemed like we were riding on the clouds.

VILLAGE TO VILLAGE. The names of the villages and towns we are passing through on our 2,000-mile trek northward are quite interesting, but they come and go with such frequency that they are starting to run together. We are weary when we arrive at our destination for the day. We shower, rest, eat dinner, and retire for the evening. But each place and the people fill one's senses. Whatever the community or village or farm or industry we pass by, it is insightful and instructive.

OUR SUPPORT. Our journey would not be possible without our Indian team members. Sanju "Gope" Sumadre (far right) is not oly a professional driver by vocation, he makes all sorts of arrangements to make our riding smooth, supported, and refreshed. Gope is from Yavatmal in Maharashtra, near Umri. We are also supported by Sathi Sam (next to Gope), the Hospital Administrator at Umri Christian Hospital. Sathi Sam is from Tamil Nadu, the stat through which we are now passing, and his ability to translate and talk to local folk has been invaluable. He will leave us in a few days, replaced by another host in another state. We appreciate his guidance and help. In the photo, our Tamil Nadu riders are Anand and Jose. All are healthy. All are safe. We press on.

Here are a few more photos....

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ http://www.bikeindia.org/

ONWARD, NORTHWARD

POST #7

ON TO DINDIGUL. After Monday’s epic ride, we were thankful to have a relatively brief jaunt on Tuesday. Our trek took us from the outskirts of Madurai (a city of 4 million inhabitants) to Dindigul, 74 kilometers (47 miles) to the north. We passed through many villages along the way, about one every two miles. Village life seems consistent with Bible times. As we pass water wells, shepherds, goats, fields of ripening grain, and so many living people seemingly living hand to mouth, we recall some of Jesus’ stories, parables, and teachings. We actually saw a man with his ox stuck in the roadside ditch. We would have stopped to help, but it was the Sabbath. Just kidding.

OBSERVING SOCIAL LIFE. It is impossible not to notice the wide stratification of social life as we ride along, stroll through villages, eat in restaurants, and stay at hotels (accommodation not equal to a Dollar Inn), guest houses, and churches. While India has the fastest growing economy in the world (comparable to China), hundreds of millions of people are locked tight in the grip of poverty and caste. India’s population is more than triple that of the United States—1.2 billion people, or one fifth of the world’s total population—dwelling in an area one third the size of the USA. Of these 1.2 billion, it is estimated that as many as 300 million people are considered spiritual and social untouchables, outcasts--a vast swath of the population now referred to as dilats (pronounced “daleets”). Untouchability was officially outlawed in India shortly after it gained independence from England in the late 1940’s, but this millennia-old practice continues with impunity the way unlawful race prejudice and de facto segregation continues to function in America. This situation, along with human trafficking and the rights of women, are challenges the world’s largest democracy is trying to address in various ways. One dilat was recently appointed to a position equivalent to Supreme Court Justice. The way out for most dilats in this rapidly growing economy is education, which India investing in heavily.

TERRAIN AND ROAD CONDITIONS. We entered into some hill country, apparently foothills of the Eastern Ghats (mountains), which we can see to the west as we ride north. Mostly, the roads are flat to rolling. The wind is usually a brisk headwind, so our average speed is about 12 mph. That translates into long hours in the saddle, even on shorter rides like this 47-miler. We are riding in 80 to 90-degrees and sun. About 80 percent of the road surfaces are paved and smooth. It’s that 20 percent that are potholed and broken up that really slows us down. There is a lot of construction long National Highway 7. It is being upgraded to a four-lane road in some places. In most places, however, it’s like any secondary or county road. We are taking the road conditions and terrain in stride, however, grateful for the possibility of riding thru India to raise funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital. (Note: This photo does NOT depict the road conditions; this tarmac was broken up for replacement, but we couldn't resist the photo op)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOLLY! John passes along birthday wishes to Molly, who is sweet 16 today. "Sorry I'm missing this birthday, Molly," he says. We all wish Molly a great day!

Here are some more photos from the journey, a few examples of ways bikes are used...

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ http://www.bikeindia.org/

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM INDIA!

POST #6

LONG RIDE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY. “Happy New Year.” That’s the greeting we exchanged with hundreds of Indian villagers and townsfolk on this first day of 2007. All day we traveled north on National Highway 7, the main north-south artery thru India. Leaving the guest house provided by the Church of South India at 6:30 am, we pedaled further today than expected. Our lodging arrangements changed en route and a planned 120 kilometer ride turned into 140 kilometers—over 87 miles. Weary, we arrived on the outskirts of Madurai around 4:30 pm. Saddle time was 7 hours, 42 minutes…and we are feeling every bit of it this evening in our legs, shoulders, and backs. On the other hand, we have now covered 312 kilometers. That’s 194 miles out of a planned 2,000 total miles to New Delhi. You might say that in three days we’ve ridden 10% of the distance. Not bad for just getting started.

KEEPING SAFE ON THE ROADS. We want all to know that we are all healthy at this point and have thus far had a safe time on the roads. Few mishaps. It is true that buses and trucks sometimes pass by at high speeds within feet of us, but we know the Indian “rules of the road” and are but one of many types of vehicles and people on the roads. Bicycles are much more prevalent that cars in India. Animals also wander or are driven along the roads--donkeys, chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, pigs and, of course, the sacred cows. We are wearing iridescent yellow vests with reflective striping (they have our logo emblazoned on the back), not only for us to be well seen, but for us to be able to distinguish our riders from many others on bicycles.

A HIT IN THE VILLAGES. We also want our family and friends to know that our entourage is being well received and is, apparently, quite a novelty even in a culture that is itself one great novelty. Many people wave and greet us as we pedal by. When we stop in a village or town, we are swarmed by young people and men looking over our bikes and gear. People ask us about our purpose and Jose, Anand tell them in the Tamil language. No one has been rude to us; on the contrary, we have been greeted graciously everywhere so far. One person saw our entourage riding and slowed down his limbo to inquire. We stopped to talk to the man who turns out to be a high-ranking trade official from Dubai. He pledged support for Umri Christian Hospital. Imagine that: an official from Dubai contributes to UCH because he sees an international team from Canada, USA and India riding purposefully through the heart of India!

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

AFTER ONE DAY IN THE SADDLE

POST #5

Our first day of riding took us over 75 miles, nearly 128 kilometers. It was a long, hot ride and we were weary when we arrived at the youth hostel in Anandapuram. The day had three high points and several mini-crises to overcome.

GETTING STARTED. First high point: mounting our bicycles at 6:30 am at the Lysander’s home in Nagercoil and actually getting this long-anticipated journey underway. We were full of excitement and rather nervous at the same time. Dr. Lysander prayed for us and we bade his household and the families of Anand and Jose farewell. In no time we were out of the city and on our way to Kanniyakumari—the southern-most point in India—across wetlands, palm trees, rice fields, vacation resorts.

FURTHEST POINT FROM NEW DELHI. Seventeen miles after launching we saw the beautiful Indian Ocean in Kanniyakumari at Cape Comorin. This windswept point rises from the sea rather sharply. We made our way down to the rocky beach, dipped the back wheels of our bikes in the sea and joined hands in a circle of prayer. Here was the second high-point of the day. We were at the furthest point we would be from New Delhi, our anticipated destination. So much is planned but unknown. But we are confident in the purpose of our ride and hopeful that safety, health, and open doors will be with us all along the way.

STRONG HEADWINDS SLOW US. Leaving Kanniyakumari, we headed northeast and right into to 25-35 mph headwinds. We rode through a massive wind farm with what seemed like thousands of giant modern wind mills with blades over thirty feet long. The wind slowed our pace considerably. We wore ourselves down and had to rest a bit. John hit a rock and punctured, but quickly repaired. John also fell in the rough road and sand as we travelled through one village; he and the bike are fine. Then, Bob took a wrong turn and we rode 10k in the wrong direction before figuring it out. But this is the stuff of riding cross-country. In all, we felt good about the day's ride.

ARRIVING AT THE YOUTH HOSTEL. The third high point was arriving at the youth hostel in Anandapuram. The children lined the roadway into the campus and showered us with flowers as we rode through. We were overwhelmed. After a night's rest, we shared the morning church service with them. We wish you could here these children, age 6-17, whose families were all impacted by the 2004 tsunami, sing and pray. John spoke to them about giving and receiving gifts. After the church service, we packed up and headed on up the road.

SUNDAY JAUNT, LOOKING TOWARD MONDAY. Our journey today was rather brief, only 47 kilometers. We started around 10:45 and rode until 3:00 pm. Still, we travelled through many villages and across fields of rice and through wooded areas. Riding in India is a feast for the eyes and heart. We are spending New Year's Eve in Palayamkottai, staying at a school for deaf children. We hope to strike out early on Monday morning for another long ride--about 120 kilometers--to Thirumangalam. The following are some more photos from today's trek. Check back often for updates, but know that we do not have Internet access every day.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

READY TO RIDE - DAY ONE

POST #4




















READY FOR DAY ONE. As I post this entry, we are ready to head out on the first leg of our Nagercoil to New Delhi trek. Today’s ride is to be a 130 kilometer ride, one of the longest we have planned. It will first take us south to the southern-most tip of India. We hope to dip the wheels of our bikes in the Indian Ocean at Kanniyahumari (Cape Cormorin). Then we plan to ride north along the east Indian coast. We have been invited to stay at the youth hostel overnight.

WHY WE RIDE. As we begin this core part of our journey, we are very much aware of the support and prayers of many people. We are grateful beyond words. Such care and concern give depth and joy to our journey. Our hope, first and foremost, is that our effort will result in a rebuilt and revitalized Umri Christian Hospital. May care translate into open hearts that are willing to make a donation to the project.


Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

GETTING READY TO RIDE

POST #3

PREPARATION DAY. We had our first experience of riding bicycles on the roads of India this morning. After assembling our bikes and fitting two bikes for our Indian riders Anand and Joce, two young men from Nagercoil, we toured around the city before lunch. Sunny and in the mid-eighties, the ride was pleasant. I think we are going to encounter more pedestrians and vehicle traffic than I imagined. This is not a problem, just a footnote for how we ride—single-file, in good communication, and carefully. The pace may be slower than anticipated, too, because of these factors along with some rough roads.

DEDICATION AT TSUNAMI YOUTH HOSTEL. This afternoon, we drove three hours on bumpy roads to a youth hostel that was expanded after the tsunami that devastated the south east coast of India in December 2004. Founded and guided by local Free Methodist leaders, the hostel is home to 82 boys and girls whose families were directly impacted by the tsunami. We were honored to be part of the dedication of two new buildings—a girl’s dorm and an assembly hall—that have been build through people who participate in the Free Methodist child sponsorship program. We arrived back at Nagercoil late. We are in great anticipation of our first day of the Nagercoil to New Delhi trek on Saturday.

Here are a few more photos of today's preparation activities...

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

FROM TRIVANDRUM TO NAGERCOIL...OUR STARTING POINT

POST #2

ALL ARRIVED SAFELY TOGETHER IN TRIVANDRUM. We and our bikes arrived safely in Trivandrum (this is the traditional name of the city; it has officially been changed to Thiruvananthapuram). Our flight from Mumbai followed the Indian Ocean coast into a lush south land. As we approached the southern tip of India, we noted many salt mines. Trivandrum itself is a beach haven; a high percentage of passengers on our Jet Airways flight were non-Indian tourists. Here the Indian Ocean’s hue is light and inviting.

FROM TRIVANDRUM TO NAGERCOIL. We were met at the airport by Sanje Sumadre, the professional driver from Yavatmal, near Umri, who will be our primary support during the trek north to New Delhi. Nicknamed “Gope,” he is an essential part of our Bicycle India 2007 team. With Gope was Sathi Sam, the Umri Christian Hospital administrator who is from Nagercoil. After greetings and hoisting the bike boxes on top of Gope’s SUV, we drove from Trivandrum to Nagercoil, a city further south in the state of Tamil Nadu. Nagercoil is less than 45 miles from Trivandrum, but it took over three hours due to pace and traffic. It was a two-lane road which is shared by cars, trucks, motorbikes, three-wheeled motorized rickshaws, bicycles, pedestrians, goats, dogs, cattle…you name it. This, we are told, is typical of the highways and roads on which we will pedal 2,000 miles.

OUR FIRST TWO RIDING COMPANIONS: ANAND AND JOCE. We met our first two Indian riding companions when we arrived in Nagercoil. Anand and Joce are two young men who, without us knowing them, have been anticipating our trek together for some time. We look forward to building friendship with them. They will be riding 6-speed bicycles which our project purchased for this purpose. Anand and Joce helped us unload and reassemble our bikes, which survived the air travel and drive from Trivandrum quite well. We can’t wait to start riding. After so much time sitting on airplanes, we are a bit stir crazy.

OUR NAGERCOIL HOST: DR. LYSANDER. But first things first: our gracious host in Nagercoil, a distinguished Free Methodist physician Dr. Nesamoni Lysander, took us on an after-dusk drive to one of his new hostels for young women. Joe James offered prayer in dedication of the facility, which houses 20 of the more than 90 young women who are involved in Dr. and Mrs. Lysander’s ministry. We returned to Nagercoil late and exhausted and looking forward to a good rest in anticipation of beginning our trek in earnest on Saturday, December 30.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

WE ARE IN INDIA!

POST #1

WE’RE IN INDIA! We are safely on the ground in India! The flight from Chicago to Mumbai (Bombay), including a 2-hour refueling stop in London, was exhausting. It’s just hard to sit still that long. We boarded the Air India 747-400 at Chicago O’Hare at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, December 26. We arrived in Mumbai, India at 1:00 am on Thursday, December 28. So, we literally lost a day in the air. Go figure.

OUR BIKES MADE IT, TOO. Good news: our bicycles arrived together and in one piece on this important leg of the journey. All three bike boxes were waiting for us as we walked up to the baggage claim in the Mumbai International airport. This sight allayed much anxiety. We have one flight remaining--from Mumbai south to Trivandrum. It’s only a two-hour domestic flight, so we are hoping all goes well for our “vehicles” in the cargo bay of the Jet Airways plane.

DRINKING IT IN. We were extremely tired when we arrived in India in the wee morning hours. But the sights, smells, and culture of India are instantly invigorating. You gulp it in on the walk to the taxi and the drive along Mumbai’s roadways. It confronts you in the distinctive protocols at the hotel and in airport procedures. You do not know the rules, exactly; you just know the customs are not American. You have flown into the most internally diverse culture--or matrix of cultures--on the planet. Its poverty is excessive. Its wealth is exploding. Its burgeoning population—one fifth of the world’s population in a space one-third the size of the USA—is as dense as the smoke-thick air. Its colors are bright against the dullest of faded grays. Its people are beautiful, its customs inexplicable, its promise vast. We look forward to experiencing India outside the tourist areas, outside the barrier of a automobile—on two wheels on open roads at a pace that lets us encounter India’s heart and soul.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

READY TO FLY

We converged on Chicago O'Hare airport to check in and board our flight to Mumbai, India. The flight, with a two-hour refueling stop in London, would last over 17 hours on a 747-400. But it's much better than a boat and we are full of anticipation of the days and weeks ahead.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

ON THE EVE OF A GREAT ADVENTURE

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS. It's the eve of our departure and a 2,000-mile trek through the heart of India. Anticipation has mounted, along with nervousness. Plans and preparations that go back two years are coming together. On Christmas Day we are on the brink of a great adventure. We will spend this day with our families and loved ones--our last day with them until February 10.

PACKING DECISIONS. Our bikes are already boxed and ready to be checked through as luggage. We're packing our bags painstakingly. We weigh them carefully so that we clear weight limits for both international and domestic flights. What would take with you on a six-week bike ride through India that weighs under 100 pounds--including your bike? Decisions, decisions.

AVOIDING MALARIA. We also begin our rounds of oral malaria prevention medicine today. No one in North America will think a thing about mosquitoes or malaria in January. But this dread disease--and other common tropical conditions--is on our minds. Temperatures in India are in the high 80's and malaria-carrying mosquitoes are prevalent, particularly in south India--where we begin our journey. On Sunday, 90-year old retired man who worked in India for 25 years offered this blessing to us: "May your mosquito nets not have holes in them!" Mosquito nets? Okay, we'll have to get some of those!

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Let us hear from you. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE...

To borrow from the title of Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's bestselling book, our project to ride 2,000 miles thru India is "not about the bike."

It's about...

...RECOGNIZING THE FAITHFULNESS AND COMMITMENT of people who have served the medical needs of hundreds of thousands rural central Indian residents for 55 years.

It's about...

...REBUILDING FOR A NEW GENERATION, replacing deteriorating 1920's-era buildings with a modern facility that will provide for advanced medical interventions.

It's about...

...REGENERATING SUPPORTING AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS within India, support and friendships that are vital to long-term vision, sustainability, and growth of UCH as an important healthcare provider for underserved people.

It's about...

...CELEBRATING A FUTURE OF HOPE that professional medical care, community health outreach, dedicated caregivers, and sustained support make possible.

Our commitment to ride 2,000 miles thru India isn't a matter of "having fun" on wheels for six weeks. It's about riding through villages, towns and cities, talking hundreds of times to people along the way about UCH, encouraging their support, and enlisting their commitment to celebrate its opportunities. The bicycle entourage is a method that makes possible such face-to-face contact that UCH needs to win the hearts and minds of people within India.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

BISHOP ON WHEELS

Meet our Team Members

Bishop Joe James
British Columbia, Canada

When he learned of the planned project to ride 2,000 miles thru India to raise awareness and funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital, Free Methodist Bishop Joe James became very interested.

ON A SABBATICAL? The ride coincided with the time of his upcoming Sabbatical. It was in an area in which he was invested and familiar, having served in an oversight capacity as a Bishop of the Free Methodist Church and making semi-annual visits to India. And he had some experience with cross-country bicycling, though he was not currently active in cycling.

TAKING WINGS. It didn't take long for Joe James to decide to spend his Sabbatical on wheels. He threw himself into the effort. He bought a bike and gear and began to train. Outside, he rode his bike around Indianapolis International Airport. Inside, he rode it on a trainer in his living room. He dieted and took off excess weight. He talked about the project with lay and pastoral leaders across North America. When he committed to the project, it seemed to take wings.

750 BICYCLES. On a visit to India a year ago, Joe James realized that bicycles were a basic mobility need for village outreach workers. Without bikes, their efforts to help villagers were limited; with bikes, they might multiply their effectiveness. So, Joe spearheaded an effort to raise funds to purchase 750 Indian-made bicycles--each costing $50. Children, youth, congregations, organizations, and individuals contributed the full amount by October 2006. The bikes are being purchased in local Indian villages, towns, and cities. Even before the Bicycle India 2007 team hits the roads of India, Joe has already made a big difference.

RIDE OF HIS LIFE. Joe is from British Columbia, Canada. He now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, his base of service as a Bishop in the Free Methodist Church of North America. He's a husband, father and grandfather. And now he is a prepared cyclist looking forward to the ride of his life--a mission unlike any other he's taken on. Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

I'VE NEVER EVEN BEEN TO IOWA

Meet our Team Members

John Hay, Jr.
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

NOT IOWA...INDIA! It's true: I've never been to Iowa, though only Illinois separates Iowa and Indiana, where I live. But that's what I thought about when I was asked to participate in Bicycle India 2007 by tour organizer Bob Yardy a little less than two years ago. No matter, as soon as Bob discussed with me the charitable cause and the challenge of the 2,000-mile ride, I was "on board."

INDIANAPOLIS LOVING. I've invested all most all of my adult and professional life in Indianapolis, Indiana. You might say I feel "called" to this metropolitan area. I've served as an urban pastor, a community center director, a regional metropolitan planning coordinator, director of a homeless day center, and now an urban pastor again. I graduated from Plainfield High School, adjacent to Indy, and have been living, cycling, serving, and learning around Central Indiana ever since, leaving only for college and seminary. If you've got the time, I can show and tell all about the best of Indianapolis!

THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE. It wasn't until our other North American team member, Free Methodist Church Bishop Joe James, invited me to tag along with him on his semi-annual administrative trip to India back in January 2006, that I'd been outside the United States as an adult. That three-week visit took us from Hyderbad to Kolkata (Calcutta) to Nagpur and, finally, to Mumbai (Bombay). It opened my eyes and heart in powerful ways. I wasn't in Kansas, er, Indiana, anymore. Mark Twain was right, India surpasses the experience of all other places combined. Since our return, I've been so looking forward to getting back India for this unique adventure.

ON THE HOMEFRONT. I'm grateful to my community of faith and family for their support and readiness to allow me to leave my place of service for six weeks. Our church leaders have been gracious. My wife and four children are both excited for me and anxious about the project. During these last two weeks before we ride, I'm busy trying to do all I can to make preparations for smooth operations and care for all in Indy during this special mssion. I hope to get on the Air India jet and be able to focus fully on the challenge of our ride and effort to raise awareness of--and funds for--Umri Christian Hospital's important work within India.

IOWA...SOMEDAY. I also hope I get to go to Iowa someday. I've always wanted to ride the RAGBRI. Maybe next year! Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

TOUR ORGANIZER: BOB YARDY

Meet Our Team Members

Bob Yardy
Mahomet, Illinois, USA

This the instigator of this crazy dream to ride 2,000 miles thru India in 6 weeks in order to raise awareness and funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital.

BORN IN INDIA. Bob Yardy lives in Mahomet, Illinois, USA. He works as a physical therapist at a university hospital in Champaign, Illinois. But a little over half a century ago he was born in India, at Umri Christian Hospital. His father, Dr. Paul Yardy, was the founding physician of UCH. Bob lived in Umri in the Yavatmal Disrict of Mahrashtra, India, until he was in middle school, when he moved to America.

FIFTY YEARS LATER. When Bob returned to UCH five years ago for the hospital's 50th anniversary, he was struck both by the wonderful outreach of the hospital and its ancillary services...and by the deteriorating physical condition of the facility. He vowed to try to make a difference. Bicycle India 2007 is the way he hopes that difference will be made.

PUTTING A HOBBY TO CHARITABLE PURPOSE. Bob has been an avid cyclist since his early days in India. He's pedaled thousands of miles since then on individual and group cross-country tours. But he's never done anything like what he's attempting now. He recruited John Hay, Jr. and Bishop Joe James--both of Indianapolis, Indiana--to join him in this project. Two Indian riders will accompany these North American cyclists as they make their way from the southern tip of India northward to New Delhi. The ride begins December 30.

Please track their journey for charitable contributions on this blog. Updates and photos will be posted as often as the team can access Internet cafes along the route. Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

WE'RE IN COUNTDOWN MODE

NOT NECESSARILY FLAT TERRAIN. This enhanced satellite photo prominently features the southern tip of India, where our 2,000-mile (3,218 km) trek begins on December 30, 2006. It also reveals something of the terrain we will encounter--not necessarily flat! The weather in Nagercoil, India today is 88 degrees and sunny. Heat index is 94 there. The night-time low was 74 degrees. Ahh...the January you've always dreamed of!

MAKING A LIST, CHECKING IT TWICE. As our December 26 departure date moves closer, we're getting into countdown mode. We continue to train, riding our bicycles indoors on Cyclops trainers now that the American Midwest weather has dropped below freezing. We also continue to work on checklists both for our work and families from which we will be away for six weeks, as well as for our trip and ride.

RIDE ALONG WITH US. We hope you will join us for this project--go with us via this blog. Check in on our progress as we wind our way northward toward New Delhi at an average of 100 km (62 miles) per day. We hope to post photos, updates, and insights on this blog as often as possible. So, save this site in your "Favorites" (bookmark it) and return often in January and the first week of February.

PRAYER PARTICIPATION. We also welcome your participation in prayer. One community of faith is signing up friends to pray for us each day of our journey. Thanks! Please pray for our safety on the roads, but also for completion of our mission--$600,000 raised to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

FINAL PREPARATIONS...AND 4 WEEKS UNTIL WE RIDE

North American members of Bicycle India 2007 met this evening in Indianapolis to make final plans and preparations for the 2,000-mile trek from the southern tip of India to New Delhi beginning December 30, 2006.

Here we are with our spouses, whose support for this effort is critical. While we ride 100 km each day, they'll be working and caring for many homefront challenges. We simply could not make this investment of time and mission without them.

During our meeting, we conferred on medical forms, documents, and schedules. We divvied up tire tubes and other supplies. We talked through financial issues and walked through our checklists. It's hard to believe we're just four weeks away from living this dream. Everything seems to be coming together for a successful launch.

After our meeting, we broke down one of our bikes and boxed it to check the fit and weight. What a handy and compact package a 23 lb. bike makes. The durable box should be easy to process as one of two pieces of checked luggage in Chicago.

We hope our ride will inspire folks in North America to contribute to help rebuild Umri Christian Hospital. If you can help, you can go to and print out a mail-in donation form.

$50 sponsors us at $1.5o per ride day. $200 sponsors at $.01 per mile. Every gift in any amount is important to reaching the goal of $600,000. And each donation goes directly to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital.

We also hope Bicycle India 2007 raises awareness of UCH in India. We hope it inspires residents of India whom we encounter along the 2,000-mile route to support and sustain UCH as an important medical resource in rural central India.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

5 POSSIBLE WAYS TO HELP UCH

Consider one these five ways to help rebuild Umri Christian Hospital:

• Sponsor our ride @ $1.50 per ride day = $50 for UCH
  
• Sponsor our ride @ $.05 per mile = $100 for UCH
  
• Sponsor our ride @ $.10 per mile = $200 for UCH
  
• Sponsor our ride @ $.50 per mile = $1000 for UCH
  
• Sponsor our ride @ $1.00 per mile = $2000 for UCH

Umri Christian Hospital in Umri (village), Maharashtra (state), India, has been serving rural residents of central India for 55 years. UCH is in desperate need of a new facility. Serving the poorest of the poor, UCH is led by an international Board of Directors and is supported by charitable donations. Click here to donate to help rebuild UCH.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

COUNTDOWN TO RIDE: 6 WEEKS

READY TO ROLL? We're just six weeks away from starting to roll on "Bicycle India 2007" - our 2,000-mile ride through India to raise awareness and $600,000 to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital. Hard to believe we're that close! Yikes!

BOXED BIKES. Our North American team members meet together on November 28 - our final preparation and planning meeting before getting on an Air India flight to Mumbai on December 26. We will box up the second of our three bikes. Our three bikes - boxed carefully in containers designed especially for bikes - will be checked as part of our baggage. One of our significant hopes (and prayers!) on logistics is that our bikes arrive in southern India when we do! The difference between riding a single-speed 40-lb. bike (the typical bike used in India) and our multiple-speed lightweight (22-25 lb.) bikes is vast.

ITINERARY FIRM. We have firmed up our daily itinerary, at least to the point of identifying what towns and cities we hope to arrive in each afternoon. We plan to ride over 100 kilometers (62+ miles) five or six days days a week for most of the six weeks. Our goal is to start early each day - around 6:30 am - and try to be at our daily destination by early afternoon. This, we hope, will keep us out of the hottest portions of the day in India's "winter." While the American Midwest will be experiencing freezing temperatures in January, we anticipate 85-95 degree temps and full sun during the day. It will be "cold" in the evenings - down to 75! We anticipate cooler weather as we approach New Delhi during the first week of February.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

UMRI HOSPITAL GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Here is an architect's rendering of the ground floor plan for a rebuilt Umri Christian Hospital. It provides for 100 beds in three medical wings. When built, it will offer high quality medical facilities for the next generation of rural Indian residents from the surrounding area.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

OCTOBER TRAINING DAYS

Bob Yardy and Joe James take a break during the first of two 60+ mile training rides we made on Monday and Tuesday in southwestern Indiana. It was 42 degrees and quite windy by the time we ended the ride Monday evening. Quite a cold trek. But it took us past beautiful Shakamak State Park. Our second day took us from Clay City to Spencer and back on a beautiful--and a bit warmer--sunny day. The ride between Clay City and Spencer is hilly and quite colorful. We don't anticipate this cold in India. In January and February it may get as low as...a chilly 75 degrees!

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

WHY WE'LL RIDE 2000 MILES IN INDIA

We need your help! We're preparing to ride 2000 miles over six weeks in India. Why? In order to raise awareness and funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital. The cost is $600,000--a fraction of what a new medical facility would cost in North America.

Your contribution goes a long way to ensure that a 65-year old respected medical tradition is renewed and rebuilt to provide healing to the next generation.

Please follow the instructions on the right sidebar to make an investment. Or, go to our website -- www.bikeindia.org -- and click on "how to donate."

Photo: the aging facility of Umri Christian Hospital is in desperate need of replacement after 65 years of free and low-cost medical care to thousands of Indian residents.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

FUNDS RAISED FOR 750 BIKES

It started with a conviction back in January that if we were going to bring our sophisticated, lightweight bikes to India to ride 2,000 miles to raise funds to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital, we ought to at least make sure that those in India who need bikes for basic mobility in their village outreach work should have bikes, too. Before we ride, let's make sure those who are on the front lines every day have a ride!

Well... Friends across North America have helped us raise funds to reach our goal of 750 Indian-made bicycles @ $50 per bike. THANK YOU! Atlas and Hero bicycles will be purchased locally in cities and towns across India, contributing to the local economy. We know that this will make a significant impact in lives for years to come.

Any further funds contributed for bicycles will now be applied to the hospital construction fund.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Help us rebuild Umri Christian Hospital. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

JOE JAMES RETURNS FROM INDIA

Team member Joe James just returned from a brief visit to India. He took advance supplies with him. He worked with Indian contacts on our route and arrangements. We continue to tweak our route to make it possible to be in major cities or points of interest on the weekends. We also want to spend some quality time at Umri, to encourage the hospital staff, nursing students, and hospital leadership. All systems are "go" at this point for the ride.

With the Sumo Victa vehicle that will follow us 2,000 miles through India is (left to right) Bishop Narendra John, Jaya John, and our professional driver Sanju Samudre of Yovatmal. These are wonderful people who are investing time and networking with friends to make our journey possible.

Thanks for your interest & involvement. Check back often for updates. Learn more @ www.bikeindia.org.

FUNDS FOR 635 BIKES FOR INDIA...SO FAR

While the main purpose of this project is to raise $600,000 to rebuild Umri Christian Hospital in rural central India, our team has also challenged North American friends to help us purchase 750 bicycles @$50 per bicycle for outreach workers in India. Bicycles are the primary form of transportation for most Indians. Increased mobility means more effectiveness, greater access, further reach, and higher quality of life. Bicycles like the Indian-made Atlas or Hero bikes are sturdy and last a lifetime.

We're happy to report that, as of this date, funds have been contributed to purchase 635 bicycles in India in January, 2007. Thanks to all who have contributed...especially to the children! Only 120 bikes to go! Can you help us make it a full 750 by contributing $50 or more to this effort? If so, please follow the donation instructions on the right sidebar or go to our website -- www.bikeindia.org -- to print out a donation form. Thanks for what you are able to do.

NEW WEBSITE, UPDATED LOGO

We've updated our Bicycle India 2007 logo (shown here). We've also launched a new website -- www.bikeindia.org -- for those who prefer traditional web pages to blogs. We'll continue to work with both formats. You will find similar content on each site. However, during the ride from December 30, 2006 through February 7, 2007, we hope to post daily reports and photos on this blog. Why not bookmark both (save as "favorites") for easy future reference?

SUMMER TRAINING RIDES SIMULATE INDIAN HEAT

Our team, together and individually, has been hitting the hot pavement of Midwestern roads and byways this summer especially hard. Why? Because mid-summer in North America is similar to mid-winter in India. Sunny. Hot. Humid. Temperatures in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad were in the upper 80-degrees Fahrenheit when Joe James and John Hay, Jr. were there the last few weeks of January 2006. And that was unseasonably cool, we were told. So, we're riding as much as we can, day after day, while the weather's hot in order to simulate what will be a daily experience throughout the month of January and the first week of February 2007.

Heat/weather issues we're preparing for/anticipating:
(1) adequate and consistent hydration
(2) access to lots of purified bottled water
(3) preventing heat exhaustion
(4) adequate salt/sodium levels
(5) UV protection from cloudless skies day after day

In the photo above, Bob Yardy leads Joe James and a group of riders across the Upper Penninsula of Michigan during a week-long ride in July.

SIX MONTHS...AND COUNTING

We are just about six months away from "launch" for Bicycle India 2007. We plan to fly to India on December 26, 2006 and begin our trek two days later. Hard to believe we are this close; the months are rolling by quickly. There is still much to do by way of preparation and training.

Summer weather in the American Midwest on a hot, sunny day is similar to weather in India in January. January is one of ten dry months in India; the rains fall mostly in August and September. The rest of the year is mostly hot and dry. We experienced 85-degree Fahrenheit weather in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad in late January and early February of this year.

Photo: Cyclists in Kolkata transport freight from place to place in the city. This tricycle is a common commercial vehicle on the streets and roads of India.