Ride for the Relay - Day 1

We left Downer's Grove this morning at 7 AM, and headed into Chicago, meeting at Navy Pier.  The weather was beautiful and the roads were clear!  Bob and Pam Braam had helped us trailer the trike down to Illinois and stayed to see us off before heading back to Michigan.

Chicago is such a beautiful city!

We think there were around 40 motorcycles with us at Navy Pier.

Melinda had a good day!  Her shingles hurt and her eye bothered her, but overall she did really well.  This is in downtown Pontiac, Illinois where we had lunch.

We enjoyed our 35th Wedding Anniversary on an adventure!

At the end of the day, the City of Lincoln, Illinois hosted us to a BBQ at the Hampton Inn and the Mayor came and greeted us as well.

We are tired, but doing well!  It's great to be traveling together!

God is Good!  All the time!

Steve and Melinda

 

American Cancer Society Support - Help Find the Cure!

If any of you would consider supporting the American Cancer Society through this Ride For the Relay, please send your checks payable to

"Ride for the Relay"

and please mail to

Melinda Hamstra
530 West Central Avenue
Zeeland, MI 49464.

Thank you!!!!

Steve and Melinda

This is us for the 2008 Ride for the Relay

We've changed a bit!  

Nice Front Page Article Today!

Lisa Ermak, Holland Sentinel Reporter prepared a really nice article about our ride and it is on the front page today of the Holland Sentinel!

Holland Sentinel Article - Click Here!

Check it out!

Shine On!

Steve & Melinda

Motorcycle Modifications

Getting a motorcycle ready for a cross-country trip takes some planning and some experience. Safety and comfort top the list of priorities, followed by cargo space, communication and navigation. The 1998 Honda Valkyrie Trike that we bought in Alabama from our friend Moon (see previous Blog) was already heading in the right direction. First we added some additional running lights on the top trunk to allow us to be more visible from behind.

I added some pieces of "safety" chrome. Some people think chrome is just a vanity thing - not me! I tell Melinda ALL THE TIME that the more chrome on a bike, the easier it is to see and therefore it's SAFER! Make sense?! I does to me and Melinda tolerates it. Anyway, various bits of shiny stuff was added to make us safer. Melinda's comfort came next. The original backrest was way too small and there were no armrests. So I purchased a Harley-Davidson backrest with extended arm supports and mounted it on the top trunk. Best part is the custom polished stainless steel support posts fabricated by our friends Karl and Kale Kotecki - way cool and look fantastic!

We added a rack and studded leather bag on top of the top trunk as storage on this bike is much smaller than on the Goldwing. Note the blue tube from the leather bag - this is for a water canteen (supplied by Daughter Alison) for Melinda as it is important for her to keep pushing the fluids. We can fill this up with ice tea and she can sip for miles. Disadvantage is I suspect the frequency of our "potty stops" in go up, but I'm fine with that. Final in the list of major additions are navigation and communication. We added a Garmin ZUMO GPS and an integrated CB radio/intercom/weather radio/stereo system that allows us to talk with each other, talk with other riders on the trip and listen to music, the GPS and the weather forecast.

Making sure the bike is mechanically sound wraps up the preparation - new front tire, oil change, a little brake work and some new spark plugs all mean a minimal opportunity for issues on the road. We are ready!

Our Route 66 Cancer Ride Adventure Begins August 23, 2013!

Our 2013 Ride for the Relay American Cancer Society adventure begins Friday, August 23, 2013 in Zeeland.  We are busy getting our new (old) motorcycle (trike) ready for the trip - I'll post some photos soon!

The link to the official "Ride for the Relay" website is:  http://www.ridefortherelay.org/

The link to the Holland Sentinel newspaper 2008 article about our first Route 66 adventure is:  http://www.hollandsentinel.com/lifestyle/x1049846382/A-ride-down-Route-66-Anniversary-adventure-benefits-cancer-research

Lisa Ermak at the Holland Sentinel is working on an article about our up-coming 2013 adventure!  We will post a link when she publishes it!

If anyone wants to make a donation to the American Cancer Society for this ride (well, it IS a fund raiser you know!)  please email Melinda at melinda.hamstra@gmail.com and she will get you the information you need.

Here's a photo of the Honda Valkyrie trike that I bought in Alabama earlier this summer from a great guy by the name of "Moon". This was taken in Huntsville, Alabama as my friend Bob and I were were hauling it back to Michigan.

Thanks!

Steve & Melinda