Fifty Miles on the Bugline
- Richard Webster
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Ken started this ride with a simple goal: get the road bike out, see how it performed, and keep building toward the Lake Michigan trip.
It turned into something bigger.
On Monday, July 6, Ken rolled out in the morning with his secondary road bike, the one he plans to have available during the ride around Lake Michigan. It was about 70 degrees when he started. By the time the ride was done, the temperature had climbed to 85 degrees, with the heat index pushing into the 90s.
And he still finished 50 miles.
Testing The Backup Bike
Before the big trip, every piece of gear matters. The primary bike matters. The backup bike matters. The route matters. The way the body responds in heat matters.
That was part of the purpose of this ride. Ken said he had the road bike out because it would be his secondary bike for the Lake Michigan trip. He wanted to see how it would perform.
That may sound like a small detail, but on a ride of nearly 600 miles, small details can turn into big problems if they are not tested ahead of time. This ride gave him a real test.
First Break At North Lake
Ken's first break came at North Lake, about 13 miles into the ride. That is one of the things that has been helpful during training. He is not only building distance. He is learning how the day feels in sections. Ride. Stop. Drink. Check the bike. Keep going.
That rhythm will matter once he is on the Lake Michigan route and Richard is leapfrogging ahead in the support van.
Finding The Bugline Trail
After about 15 miles, Ken found the Bugline Trail. That changed the feel of the ride. Instead of staying out in the open heat, he had a long stretch through a canopy of trees.
Ken said he would probably ride it for about 20 miles and called it a good way to ride on a hot day. That kind of shade is not just more comfortable. On a long ride, it helps preserve energy, keeps the body cooler, and makes it easier to keep moving when the day starts heating up.
Obstacles And Blue Water
The ride was not completely smooth. One video caught Ken coming up on an obstacle on the trail. His reaction after getting through it was simple: That was not that bad.
That is training too. Some parts of the Lake Michigan ride will be open road. Some will be trail. Some will be hills, wind, traffic, heat, rain, detours, and whatever else shows up. The point of rides like this is not just to rack up miles. It is to get used to solving little problems without letting them stop the day.
Those are the moments that make the training more than exercise. They are small previews of what this trip can become: mile after mile, stop after stop, seeing places you would miss if you were moving too fast.
Thirty Miles Out
By the time Ken reached Menomonee Falls, he had made it to the end of the Bugline Trail. At that point, he was about 30 miles into the ride. Then came the part every cyclist knows. Turning around.
Fifty Miles In The Heat
When Ken made it home, he had ridden 50 miles. His ride stats showed 50.07 miles, 7 hours and 13 minutes of total time, and 2,668 calories.
He summed it up with a smile: I have not ridden that far in over 20 years. That was a 50 mile ride. 85 degrees, over 90 something with the index. Not bad for an old guy. Gotta keep training.
Why He Is Riding
Ken is training for a nearly 600 mile bike trip around Lake Michigan to raise support for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse. The goal is simple and meaningful: help ship shoebox gifts to children around the world.
It costs about $10 to ship one shoebox. The fundraiser goal is $6,000, enough to help ship 600 shoeboxes. Every mile is part of that purpose. Every gift helps.
A Simple Way To Encourage Ken
One of the biggest encouragements for Ken right now is knowing that people are following along. If you have a minute, please like this post, leave a comment below, and then go back to Facebook and like or comment on the post there too.
Those small notes really do matter. They help Ken see that people are riding along with him, praying for him, cheering him on, and paying attention as he keeps training for the Lake Michigan trip.
Even a short comment like Keep going, Ken or Praying for a safe ride would mean a lot.
No gift is too big or too small. Small gifts add up, and together they can help send these shoeboxes into the hands of children around the world.
If you would like to support Ken's ride and help ship Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, you can donate here.
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