Cyclists offer range of reasons for Raiding

Bike tour caters to variety of interests, ages

Savannah, Mo. ? Martin Allen, 76, Topeka, likes to cycle with friends to breakfast – even when it’s 30 to 40 miles one-way. He lives in Texas in the winter and three mornings a week friends arrive at his house and choose a route to a place for breakfast. Allen tracks his cycling mileage from October through September each year and he hit 5,000 miles for the current year last month while on the Bike Across Kansas.

“I love bicycles,” Allen said. “My life is pretty much built around my bicycle.”

Allen is the oldest cyclist on the Border Raiders tour, which completed the sixth day Thursday of the eight-day, 400-mile ride through Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

Twelve-year-old Ben Sulzen, Leawood, is one of the youngest cyclists. He’s riding a tandem with his father Ron on their first multiple day ride together. Thursday they made a rest stop with other cyclists at Conception Abbey in Conception, Mo., and toured the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

“I don’t have to work as hard as on my own bike,” said Ben, who rides and pedals in the seat behind his father.

“If he’s slow it’s because we’re both slow,” adds his father, Ron.

The Border Raiders ride was appealing to the Sulzens because it started in Lawrence and ends in Lawrence, which eliminated the need of having someone to drive and pick them up in a different location.

But Border Raiders participants have as many reasons to participate in cycling tours as there are different ages among the participants.

“I want to see small town America,” said Fran Gale, Lawrence, who has done a cycling tour every year since 1991.

She is saddened by the decline of rural communities.

“I figure this is the last chance to see them,” she said.

Border Raiders stayed overnight Thursday in Savannah, Mo., and will continue their trek today to Weston, Mo. Tonight the group will have a celebration banquet prepared by the historic American Bowman Restaurant in downtown Weston. The meal will include Smothered Chicken Tara, Cheese Grits Fiddle Dee Dee and Pecan Pie Pittypat.