The CycleQuest Continues....

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all the best of Health and Happiness in 2012!

Upcoming Road Ride...

2011-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I am riding in the Tour of Scottsdale. It is a 70 mile road ride and after the hot summer we have had here in Arizona, I am really looking forward to getting back on the road.

My message has not changed...please continue to share the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer with your loved ones...you never know who's life you can effect.

Inspiring...

2011-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

I met a woman today who is an ovarian cancer survivor. Her name is Jan and she is training for a hiking/climbing trip that she is taking this summer to the Swiss Alps.

It was great meeting you Jan! I hope you have a wonderful trip to Switzerland. Watch you step over there I hear the Alps are rather steep!

A great day for a ride...

2010-12-05T16:43:00.002-07:00

The Dawn to Dusk ride started at sunrise and was much warmer than last years 38 degrees. Over the course of the day I managed 6 laps and 93 miles of riding in the dirt. My hands are a little sore today and my back was pretty tight by hour 7 of the ride. I guess that last time I rode my singlespeed for 8 hours was last years ride...maybe there is a lesson there somewhere.

Thanks to everyone who pledged their support! We raised hundreds of dollars for the NOCC. That money goes a long ways towards educating the public about the signs and symptoms or ovarian cancer.

Upcoming Event: Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race...Solo Singlespeed

2010-11-27T15:17:00.006-07:00

December 4, 2010 McDowell Mountain Park. You can see more about this event here: http://www.dcbadventures.com/Event/dawn-to-dusk

Once again I am using this ride as a platform to raise money for a great organization: the NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition). If you are able to pledge so much money per mile we can raise funds to help support the NOCC; a non-profit organization that does so much for raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

100% of the pledged money will go to the NOCC. All donations are tax deductable and you can make your donation directly on their website on the right side of this blog->>>

Just like last year, I will sponsor myself for $1.00 per mile. Any amount you can pledge (for example .25 cents per mile X 100 miles = $25.00) would be greatly appreciated. It will also be a great incentive for me to ride as far as I possibly can on Dec 4th! If you would like to pledge a flat rate that would be great too.
Even if you can't donate right now please help by spreading the word with your family and friends. This is the sole purpose of CycleQuest: To increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

If you are able to help please leave a note here or e-mail me at psychlingbww@yahoo.com

Likewise if you are in the area on Dec 4th stop on out at McDowell Mountain Park and cheer the riders on! The park is a great spot for hiking, riding, picnicking, and nature watching.

I hope to see you out there! Oh, dress warm...last year it was 38 degrees at the start!

Many Thanks!
Brad

Go Bob Go...

2010-08-06T15:59:00.006-07:00

Friend and CycleQuest team member Bob Lewis is nearing the end of a major transcontinental bike ride. He is riding with PAC Tour on the "Northern Transcontinental", starting in Everett, WA and finishing in Williamsburg, VA.

He is riding 3400 plus miles in 30 days, with over 110,000 feet of climbing!

Wow!!!

You can read more about his trip here: http://www.pactour.com

Way to go Bob!!!

Miles Ridden and Dollars Raised

2009-12-06T15:40:00.005-07:00

We had a nearly perfect day for the Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race at McDowell Mountain Park. It was a chilly morning as the thermometer in my vehicle said it was 38 degrees at 530am.The race consists of riding laps of the 15.5 mile Pemberton trail. As this is a mountain bike event it was somewhat new to me. I had an absolute blast doing the race and ended up riding 7 laps (105 miles) in the solo singlespeed division. I finished 8th place in my division. More importantly, thru the generous support of friends, we were able to raise over $600 to be donated to the NOCC (see link at right) and the Arizona Cancer Center. Thank you friends and family for your generous support of this effort! A very special thanks go out to friends and co-workers Jeremy and Meg for their amazing support throughout the event; they kept me fed and watered and in good spirits. Thank to Steve and Micki for the use of their awesome camper/basecamp facilities; and for being patient with my endless mountain biking questions in the weeks leading up to this event.

Upcoming Event - Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race

2009-11-17T10:00:00.004-07:00

On December 5th I will be riding in the "Dawn to Dusk" Mountain Bike Race at Mcdowell Mountain Park (Phoenix, AZ). Some of you who know me may be thinking "isn't Brad a ROAD cyclist"? What is he doing riding for 10 plus hours off-road?? Has he lost his sanity?? I felt I needed a new challenge in the realm of cycling...so I signed up for this event. At first I thought I would do it with a team...Then I felt I would like to try it as a solo rider...

THEN I thought it would be nice to use this challenge as a platform to raise some money for a great organization: the NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition). By getting people to pledge so much money per mile I could raise funds for the NOCC; a non-profit organization that does so much for raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

100% of the pledged money will go to the NOCC. All donations are tax deductable and the link is on the right side of this blog->>>

The longest I have ridden off road in 1 day is 40-50 miles. The longest I have ridden on the road in a day is 230 miles. I am hoping to be able to ride 100 miles in this event...I am not sure what I can do...which is what makes this effort both challenging and exciting.

So...friends old and new alike...I am asking for your help. Please help me support the NOCC. They have supported me with the ovarian cancer awareness information that I give out on my long CycleQuest rides. I will sponsor myself for $1.00 per mile. If you can pledge something per mile (for example .25 cents per mile X 100 miles = $25.00) it would be greatly appreciated. It will also be a great incentive for me to ride as far as I possibly can on Dec 5th! If you would like to pledge a flat rate that would be great too. I will post ride results and mileage here on Sunday Dec 6th.

If you are able to help please leave a note here or e-mail me at psychlingbww@yahoo.com

Likewise if you are in the area on Dec 5th stop on out at McDowell Mountain Park and cheer the riders on! The park is a great spot for hiking, riding, picnicking, nature watching. I hope to see you out there!

Thank you!
Brad

Day 6 Hannibal Arrival!!!!

2009-05-23T06:55:00.007-07:00

After a 90 mile day Friday, we did about 100 miles or so today into Hannibal. I say "we," but Chris did all of the pulling (Thanks Chris - AKA diesel motor).

We arrived in Hannibal a little past 7 p.m.to a warm welcome, and a big cake!

There was a big cycling weekend in Burlington this weekend and cyclists were everywhere. Friday we met Lisa who rode the last 35 miles into Burlington with us. Lisa said she had lost a friend to ovarian cancer at age 27; so please continue to share the signs and symptoms with your friends and loved ones. Every woman, regardless of age, can be at risk.

It was a great week, and we could not have done it without your support and encouragement. Thank you!

Let's keep sharing the ovarian cancer message.

Stay tuned for future CycleQuest rides.

See you on the road!

Brad (and Chris)

Day 5 Iowa City to Burlington

2009-05-22T10:30:00.010-07:00

Good morning! I had a great overnight visit with the Martins in Iowa City. Chris will be riding with me the rest of the way to Hannibal.

It was 63 here in Iowa City at departure. The high today will be around 76 so another good riding day....with lower wind!!

The Snake Alley cycling criterium being held tomorrow in Burlington....FYI. Chris has already secured lodging for us tonight, thankfully.

More later as we roll along.

Here's our location at 10:30 a.m.:

Latitude:41.6739
Longitude:-91.5236
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.6739,-91.5236&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

We expect to roll into Hannibal Saturday afternoon, ending this ride at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home.

The Mark Twain Festival will be underway and I understand thousands of people are attending.

They'll rededicate the famous Tom & Huck statue, erected in 1926. They've renewed the statue's base and grounds with a new stone wall. Pretty cool.

You can see the statue and read more at these links:

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090522/BREAKING01/90522014/Rededication+Saturday+for+Tom+and+Huck+statue+in+Hannibal

http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/tomsawye/nostalgia/26nemisshp.html

A LOT of people have been to Hannibal, Missouri! Well, it's America's Hometown!

And people are always interested in hearing about the CycleQuest ride, too. They always agree to encourage friends and family members to check out the ovarian cancer information.

More later!

Brad (and Chris)

Day 4 Iowa, Friends, and Beautiful Weather

2009-05-21T19:15:00.002-07:00

Hello from Iowa!

Cooler weather today after a front passed overnight. A nice reprieve from the heat, but the wind is still gusty.

Yesterday was a hard day with the high winds. Today will be better hopefully.

I departed early from Guttenberg, Iowa. I had a great stay at the Guttenberg Motel, and a fine meal last night at one of the local watering holes.

Here's my SPOT satellite beacon location at departure:

Latitude:42.7727
Longitude:-91.1006
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.7727,-91.1006&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 8:30 a.m. I'd made Luxemborg which is north of Dyersville. There's a lot of road construction in this area, but I'm rolling on good roads now.

At 10 a.m. I rolled into Dyersville for breakfast with Janet Fitzgerald, the sister of Ginny Lewis (Bob's wife) back in Arizona. Thanks Janet! If you've followed CycleQuest in the past you've read all about Bob and Ginny.

I think Bob and I have been responsible for a number of Pizza Huts going out of business after we visited them on past CycleQuest rides!

Bob and I can really put away the pizza when we're riding.

By noon I was well South of Dyersville and heading for Cascade.

Latitude:42.3239
Longitude:-91.0677
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.3239,-91.0677&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

My friend Chris Martin, who lives in Iowa City, rode north to join me today. We joined up at Olin, Iowa about 3:15 p.m., and its significantly easier riding with another cyclist to draft.

We rode the 30-35 miles to Iowa city together. Chris knew all the back roads in these parts so we made good time. We arrived about 7 p.m. Dinner in Iowa City!

I'm staying at the Martin family's "nonsmoking" home (inside joke) tonight.

Here's the SPOT satellite ping on our location:

Latitude:41.7112
Longitude:-91.5421
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.7112,-91.5421&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Thanks so much for all the comments being posted on the blog. They really help to motivate me. It's great knowing there is this community surrounding me and the cause. Let's build on that for the future. You in? Good!

Tomorrow, it will be on to Burlington where I'll likely overnight Friday.

The Stillwater (MN) Gazette will be running a photo/story on my departure from there last Monday. A special thanks to Kris Janisch, the managing editor!

Beverly Darr, a reporter for the Hannibal Courier-Post is planning a story this weekend. CycleQuest North is in touch with media along the way. We're hoping KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids and the Iowa City paper will have an interest.

You can listen live for the news story about CycleQuest on Christian station KSFI-FM all day. Just visit KFSI.ORG and click on Listen Live.

It was a great day of riding, and I'm grateful Chris could join me. Please share the blog with coworkers, friends, and family.

Brad

Day 3 All Iowa, All Day Long

2009-05-20T20:15:00.004-07:00

Good morning,

A great overnight camp at the Red Barn Campgrounds in Lansing, Iowa.

Some light rain to the west, but I think I'll miss it as I roll south.

I enjoyed a big breakfast: bacon, egg and cheese bisquit, two Pop-Tarts, coffee, and 20 oz. of chocolate milk.

Here's SPOT satellite to show where I'm departing from this morning:

Latitude:43.3621
Longitude:-91.2253
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.3621,-91.2253&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It's really hilly and the headwind is once again my companion.

At noon I was just north of the Effigy Mounds National Monument.

Latitude:43.1174
Longitude:-91.2004
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.1174,-91.2004&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Had a good lunch of spaghetti and cake, washed down with an icy Coke. Ahhhhhhhh!

At 3p.m. I was here:

Latitude:42.8884
Longitude:-91.1562
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.8884,-91.1562&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I'll be riding near the Mississippi for awhile, and away from these bluffs. I hope that cuts the winds a bit.

By late afternoon I had traveled to Guttenberg, Iowa. On the way, I met a fellow cyclist who has ridden this route clear down to Louisiana. Pretty cool.

Guttenberg is in Clayton County, Iowa, and has a population of about 2,000.

Prairie La Porte, meaning "the door to the prairie," was the first name given to Guttenberg by French explorers in 1673. The Guttenberg area was a site of Sac and Fox campgrounds until 1823. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 transferred ownership to the United States and the Black Hawk Purchase of 1833 finally opened the area for legal settlement.

Thus ends our history lesson for the day. :-)

The wind is incredible this afternoon. Sometimes I'm standing on the pedals being buffeted by the up to 40 mile an hour gusts. I talked to John in Minneapolis and they were having similar high winds. I probably only did 60-70 miles, but it feels like 100.

My destination was going to be Dyersville, Iowa, but I've gotten a motel room in Guttenberg. The Guttenberg Motel is a great inn, and the proprietor Jerry Schmitt gave me a discount on the room. Thank you Jerry!

This evening I was interviewed for KFSI-FM, a Christian station serving southeastern Minnesota and SW Wisconsin. The story will be airing several times throughout the day tomorrow. You can listen live, just visit KFSI.ORG.

I had a neat experience today. Riding along, I saw a snake beginning to cross the road. All of a sudden a red-tailed hawk came swooping out of nowhere, grabbed the snake in its talons and flew off, snake hanging limply. It was amazing. Perfectly executed. I guess the hawk thought he'd better get it before I did. :-)

I'm riding for ovarian cancer awareness and my late wife Susan is on my mind as I pedal onward. Please tell your friends, family and co-workers to visit the blog and review the ovarian cancer symptoms. And please post a comment. We love to hear from you!

Brad

Day 2 - More wind, a mechanical issue, and arrival in Iowa!

2009-05-19T20:36:00.003-07:00

Goooood morning! I had a great, restful night at the Pioneer Campground in Kellogg.

I broke camp around 8:30a and rode about 30 miles - with the wind against me - to Winona. At the Country Kitchen, I had the "Country's Best Skillet Breakfast" and that's no hyperbole. It hit the spot.

Here's my SPOT beacon as of 8:30a when I was riding to Winona:

Latitude:44.3306
Longitude:-91.9658
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.3306,-91.9658&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I finished breakfast around 11a and got back on the Surly. Here's my location at 11:30 a.m.

Latitude:44.0408
Longitude:-91.6595

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.0408,-91.6595&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 1:45 p.m. I'd ridden to Dakota, Minnesota near I-90. I was out of water, but the postmistress at the local post office was kind enough to fill my bottles.

Here's my location as of 1:50 p.m. today:

Latitude:43.9115
Longitude:-91.362
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.9115,-91.362&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

By 4p.m. I had crossed over into Wisconsin at LaCrescent and was rolling southward.

Latitude:43.7979
Longitude:-91.2507
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.7979,-91.2507&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Then, mechanical problems. I was standing on the pedals on a steep climb and popped a rear spoke. Thankfully, I was only about 12 miles from LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I quickly found Smith's Cycling & Fitness and they took care of me.

After a snack, I resumed riding to stay on schedule, and reached Lansing, Iowa where I'm spending the night at the Red Barn Campgrounds. Here's the SPOT satellite signal:

Latitude:43.3609
Longitude:-91.254
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.3609,-91.254&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

So, despite the two days of headwinds, I am on schedule!

Tonight, I'll be preparing for my interview with KSFI-FM tomorrow afternoon. This Christian station serves southeastern Minnesota and SW Wisconsin.

Brad

Monday, May 18 CycleQuest 2009 Begins!

2009-05-18T18:27:00.004-07:00

CycleQuest 2009 is underway! Hannibal, Missouri is the destination, some 600 miles down the road. I expect to arrive there Saturday.

I departed from Stillwater, Minnesota, about 25 miles east of the Twin Cities, at 9 a.m. It was sunny and 58. The forecast calls for a high of 80 today. It's pretty windy this morning, breeze from the south. That with the hills is making for an "exhilarating" start.

Stillwater is in Washington County, which was Minnesota's first county, established in 1858. The view along the St. Croix River is beautiful, and there are lots of rolling hills through this region.

I crossed into Wisconsin briefly around 11 a.m.

By 1:15p I'd arrived in Red Wing via route 63. I rode 48 miles during the windy morning.

At one point, I was riding along a pasture and saw a newborn calf that had just been born, not more than 30 feet from the road. I cycled on not wanting to spook the cow.

I stopped at a QuikTrip for a couple of bananas, some cheese, pizza, donuts and a Coca Cola. Look, a guy gets hungry riding into the wind! I passed out awareness bookmarks to the staff members; they were very interested in the ride and the ovarian cancer cause.

By 3 p.m. I had 65 miles logged and still felt good, despite the wind.

Here's the SPOT satellite PING I broadcast around 3p.

Latitude:44.4877
Longitude:-92.4434
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.4877,-92.4434&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I ended the first day - a 95 mile day with headwinds - in Kellogg, Minnesota, south of Wabasha. I'm camping overnight at the Pioneer Campground where I also stayed during the 2004 ride. 9 hours today with about an hour or so out of the saddle.

Here's where I am camping.

Latitude:44.3192
Longitude:-91.9469
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.3192,-91.9469&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

And, get this, the owner of the campground - Paul Logan - does a talk show on KFSI-FM, a regional Christian radio station. He will be doing an interview with me Wednesday. Thank you, Paul!

Tomorrow morning I'll ride into Winona for a big ole breakfast at the Country Kitchen. As I recall, the "Grizzly" breakfast plate is spectacular.

I had a great run-up to departure. I stayed with my brother John, sister-in-law Lynae, and nieces Annya and Amelia over the weekend. We enjoyed a huge spaghetti feast last night for some carbo-loading.

They live in Minneapolis on the 45th latitude parallel, which is kind of neat. That means their home is midway between the Equator and the North Pole, although it sure seems closer to the Pole. Saturday morning it was 38 degrees!

As above, I'll be sending a SPOT satellite signal periodically during the ride. You can follow the ride on Google Earth by visiting the links, like the one below, that my brother John will be posting within the blog entries.

Here's my departure point as of 9 a.m.(central) today:

Latitude:45.0374
Longitude:-92.7978

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=45.0374,-92.7978&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It's pretty cool technology!

I'm riding for ovarian cancer awareness and Susan is on my mind as I pedal onward on another CycleQuest odyssey. Please tell your friends to visit the blog and review the ovarian cancer symptoms. Together, we might just save a life or two this week!

Thanks for the encouragement and interest in the ride. Tomorrow, I should enter Iowa. Good night!

Brad

CycleQuest 2009 Begins May 18, 2009!

2009-05-11T20:43:00.003-07:00

CycleQuest Cycling Odyssey For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Begins May 18

560 mile Stillwater to Hannibal, Missouri Ride Planned

Minneapolis, Minn. – Brad Wingate, a resident of Tempe, Arizona, will launch his 560-mile bicycling odyssey May 18, riding from Stillwater, Minnesota to his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.

The disease claimed the life of Brad’s wife - Susan DeFrank Wingate - in 2005. Susan was a dedicated athlete who loved cycling, running, hiking and camping. She spent much of her professional career working with students with disabilities at Arizona State University.

“Ovarian cancer is insidious. It can already be well advanced when the often-subtle symptoms are first noticed. Early detection is key to saving lives. That’s why I’m riding, to alert women and their families to the warning signs,” Brad says.

Brad departs from Stillwater, Minnesota, located east of the Twin Cities, on May 18 and will arrive in the historic Northeast Missouri community of Hannibal May 23.

The ride will take him through Red Wing, Wabasha, Winona, La Crescent, Decorah, Manchester (Waterloo), Alamosa, Iowa City, Burlington, Quincy (Ill.), and Hannibal (MO.).

Check out the ride’s progress by visiting www.cyclequest.blogspot.com.
Updates will be posted during the ride.

Brad’s last major CycleQuest ride was a 930-mile, ten-day cycling journey across the heartland in July 2007 from Vail, Colorado to Hannibal. In 2004, he did his first Minneapolis to Hannibal ride for ovarian cancer awareness.

Brad is a former Category 2 cyclist ranked with the U.S. Cycling Federation. He is currently a manager at the Tempe, Arizona REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)a national retail outlet selling equipment and supplies for outdoor recreational activities. “As a 20-year employee of REI, I receive a five-week sabbatical,” Brad explains, “so this is the perfect time to help inform others about the importance of recognizing the signs of ovarian cancer,” he adds.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and non-specific; women may attribute the symptoms to other - more common - conditions.

By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.
A woman has a 1 in 67 chance of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer.
Older women are at highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. About 25 percent of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women between 35 and 54 years of age.

The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are often subtle:

•pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort;

•vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas,nausea and indigestion;

•frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection;

•unexplained weight gain or weight loss;

•pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness;

•ongoing unusual fatigue;

•or unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks ask your doctor for a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound.

A PAP Test will NOT detect ovarian cancer.

Media Advisory:

To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact
John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com

Upcoming Events: CycleQuest Midwest

2009-05-07T18:27:00.003-07:00

It's been awhile since I have done a CycleQuest ride. It is time to put the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer in the public eye once again. Please stay tuned...more information to follow in the next week!

Arizona Republic Story

2007-12-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the story that ran in the Arizona Republic. Bob Young did a great job of telling the story. Thank you Bob!

http://www.azcentral.com:80/sports/azetc/articles/1221seasonforsharing-cycle1222.html

Ride raises cancer awareness
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 21, 2007

Brad Wingate first spotted Susan DeFrank as he pedaled his bike on a training ride around a lake in Carbondale, Ill.

She happened to be running around the lake near Southern Illinois University. He had no idea he had just seen the woman he would come to know as, "my best friend, the love of my life."

When a mutual friend introduced the pair, Wingate immediately recognized the petite runner. "Hey, you run by the lake!" he said.

They were both involved in other relationships at the time, but they learned that they shared a love for the outdoors and for running, riding and hiking. They became fast friends.

When Susan took a job in a program to help students with learning disabilities at Arizona State, she called Brad to tell him she was planning to attempt her first "century" bike ride, the 109-mile El Tour De Tucson.

A Category 2 (translation: really fast) racer in USA Cycling's amateur ranks, Wingate had done a lot of 100-milers and agreed to come join her on the ride.

A romance sparked, and he soon moved to Tempe to work for REI, where he still is a supervisor 18 years later. The relationship grew and Wingate married his best friend, the love of his life.

However, in July 2001, just six months after undergoing a routine ultrasound examination, Susan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

"I can't emphasize this enough," Wingate said. "The symptoms are so subtle. She was an athlete. She was a runner and a cyclist, and when you're active like that and you get a little back pain, you think you just tweaked something. She had the classic symptoms, but they were subtle."

Susan underwent surgery, but it was too late for surgeons to get all of the cancer. Thus, the couple began a 3 1/2-year battle. Susan's 5-foot-3 body had dropped from 120 pounds to less than 100 before she even began chemotherapy treatments.

"You go through fear and hope and despair," Wingate said. "And you just try to do your best to stay in front of it."

Being a cyclist, he figured a coping mechanism must have two wheels on it.

"I told her in the hospital, 'We need a tandem (bike),' " he said. "It was a situation where I was going to try anything to help her, and if I had to do all the pedaling so she could keep going out on the bike, then that's what we would do.

"I ordered a Cannondale tandem that day, and it ended up being awesome. We were able to share that for the next three years together."

Ultimately, though, Susan lost her fight, and Wingate lost his best friend, the love of his life, on Jan. 31, 2005.

During his 12 years of competition, Wingate often thought that his personality was better suited to long-distance riding - touring - than to racing.

"There is a lot of time to think," he said. "There are not too many times in life you get that. You're always too busy."

On long rides, he thought mostly about Susan and trying to inform others about the insidious, silent nature of ovarian cancer.

"I didn't know yet what it was going to be, but I knew I just needed to do something," he said. "I ride bikes. It seemed like that was the way to go about it. I wanted to make people aware of the symptoms and how subtle they can be. "

In July, Wingate was planning to ride the "Triple Bypass" in Colorado that takes riders over three major mountain passes. He decided that he might as well just keep on going to his hometown of Hannibal, Mo., and pass the word about ovarian cancer along the way.

He ran the idea by Bob Lewis of Mesa, his longtime cycling buddy and a fellow member of the Banner Children's Hospital Cycling Club.

They dubbed their adventure "CycleQuest," loaded up their touring bikes, put a sign on the back of Wingate's bike to let people know he was riding for ovarian-cancer awareness, and off they went from near Vail, Colo. en route to the Mississippi River.

At times, Wingate said, the journey was exhilarating. At others, it was excruciating, like the time they battled brutal headwinds and relentless July heat while running low on water.

At one stop, Wingate was suffering from dehydration and heat illness and just wanted to sip on a soda pop at a small diner.

Meanwhile, Lewis was tucking into the biggest, greasiest cheeseburger Wingate had ever laid eyes upon.

"I had to turn away," he said.

On they went, with an exhausted Wingate drafting behind the burger-charged Lewis.

"I just rode that cheeseburger," Wingate said, laughing.

In all, they covered 930 miles in 10 days, camping along the way in their one-man tents and light sleeping bags.

And everywhere they stopped, people wanted to know what they were doing and why.

It was just what Wingate had hoped for, and he told them about Susan and explained the symptoms. He would refer them for more information to his blog cyclequest.blogspot.com, which he was updating daily during the ride through his brother, John.

When people offered money, he asked them to donate to the University of Arizona Cancer Center, where the Bobbi Olson Endowment Fund has helped fund research on cancers that attack women.

The fund is named for the first wife of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson. Bobbi Olson was an ovarian cancer victim, too.

Ultimately, Wingate hopes that he can plan and pull off a coast-to-coast ride to keep spreading the word.

Ovarian cancer symptoms

The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. More than 15,000 women will die of the disease in 2007. Symptoms are subtle. Watch for:

• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort.

• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion.

• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection.

• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss.

• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness.

• Ongoing unusual fatigue.

• Unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, ask your doctor for a combination pelvic/rectal exam, CA-125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound. A Pap test will not detect ovarian cancer.

Day 3 - Heading Home

2007-11-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

After a fine ride with El Tour De Tucson yesterday, Bob and I made our way home today, another 130 mile ride.

We started the day with breakfast at the Kettle Restaurant in Tucson:

Waitress: "Good morning, would you gentlemen like to try our all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet?"

Brad & Bob (in unison) "Why yes! Thank you! (Big grins all around)

Three plates later...ahem...we agreed that Kettle puts on a great buffet. See you next time, folks!

We departed around 8 a.m. As we were rolling north out of town, a car drove next to us at a stoplight, bikes on the roof, they had obviously ridden in El Tour. The passenger asked "If we were riding home from El Tour"? Answer "Yeah"! "How far today then"? "Oh...about 130 miles or so". Both of their mouths literally "dropped open" as we sped off. ;->.

Our first stop was Catalina, which is about 30 miles up the road from Tucson. It was a steady climb, but riding conditions were great. We got water at Catalina and then cruised along the "Tom Mix Highway" (see Nov. 15th post) or "The Wilderness," as Bob calls it. It's pretty rural and remote, but we clipped right along, averaging around 20-22 mph, and made it to Florence for lunch.

By early evening we were in Mesa where Bob's wife Ginny had prepared a great celebratory meal! And - of course - Bob and I were both...well...hungry just doesn't seem the best, most appropriate, word. Famished, that's it! We were famished! Thanks Ginny!

I want to thank everyone for following the blog and helping spread the word about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. It's been nearly three years since Susan's death; this ride was for her and the other women who have died too soon because of this killer. Please spread the word and help to raise awareness.

Thanks for your ongoing support. And stay tuned for more CycleQuest ride news!

Brad (and Bob!)

Day 2 - El Tour

2007-11-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

What a great day! Let's take it from the beginning. This morning Bob and I departed about 7:15 a.m., a team of two among the estimated 10,000+ cyclists participating in the 25th Annual El Tour De Tucson.

It was a veritable "sea of humanity" with every color jersey imaginable. Quite a sight at the downtown start!

We rode the 109 mile stretch which took us on a broad, perimeter ride around Tucson. Tim and Bo, two colleagues from REI in Tempe, joined me. Another friend - a second Tim - rode with us, too. The two Tims and Bo had a GREAT time, as did Bob and I. It was Bo's first century ride and he was pretty psyched!

The day was perfect...sunny, clear and a high around 80. Tucson rolled out the red carpet for all the riders. At mile 55, firefighters at one of the firehouses were offering an endless supply of pancakes for hungry cyclists. Well, you can imagine how that went. Last I heard, they were ordering more batter as U.S. supplies had been depleted. Kidding! They really hit the spot.

Ya know, Pizza Huts really should offer pancakes, too.

The only downside was to my backside. I was riding on a new Brooks saddle which...while of the highest quality...just doesn't break-in very quickly.

Please share our blog with your family, friends and co-workers. Have them read the signs of ovarian cancer. Awareness can save lives! Many of the symptoms are dismissed as something else. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed soon enough, survival success is higher.

Well, that's day 2 of CycleQuest Arizona. 109 miles and time in the saddle was six hours and 50 minutes. We took it easy, wrapping up the course around 2:30 p.m.

Back to Enoteca for dinner! They have really good desserts there, too!

Thanks so much Tucson. You really know how to throw a party!

Tomorrow, we turn the bikes north and ride home.

Brad (and Bob!)

Day 1 - Tempe to Tucson

2007-11-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

It was a fine day for riding. My thermometer read 64 degrees at 6 a.m. in Tempe, as we made the final gear preparations.

Bob's wife Ginny sent us off with a big, hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes (my favorite) and banana pancakes (Bob's favorite), eggs, bacon, and hot coffee. Thanks Ginny! Let me tell you, we were well fortified when we rolled south. Ginny rode the first ten miles with us and then there were abundant hugs all around as we said goodbye.

We made it to Florence by 11:30 a.m. so that gives us about 65 miles for the morning. We "fed" on some slabs of pizza, and downed some Mountain Dew, at A & M Pizza, a restaurant on the edge of "The Wilderness," Bob's description for this neck of the woods. Beautiful, spare country down through this part of Arizona. The riding was good as we steadily climbed in altitude southward.

By 3:30 p.m. today we had arrived at the outskirts of Tucson, with 120 miles under our belts. We then rode the final 12 miles to Howard Johnsons where we'll overnight. By the way, fantastic pizza can be found at this great little pizzaria in Tucson called Enoteca (58 west Congress St.) We were able to replace the calories burned on the trip down ;-)

In all, we had 7:57 riding time with 133.3 miles covered. That's 215 kilometers for our European and Canadian followers.

Tomorrow, we ride the 109-mile leg of the 25th annual El Tour De Tucson, with up to 11,000 riders expected. This is a fun ride, with aid stations (food) every five miles. One never grows hungry. Ahem. The ride starts at the convention center downtown and will take us on a perimeter ride around Tucson.

Day one of CycleQuest Arizona is history!! Talk to you tomorrow!

Brad (and Bob!)

CycleQuest - Arizona Ride (Nov. 16 - 18)

2007-11-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday evening and we're getting the bikes and the gear together for an early departure tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.

The CycleQuest cycling team, which rides to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, hits the road tomorrow, November 16th, for a 360 mile ride down to Tucson, Arizona.

Bob Lewis, a frequent cycling buddy who rode the Heartland ride with me this past summer, will again be along for this latest adventure.

The first 125 miles will be through Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Florence, Catalina, and finally Tucson. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the territory, the road between the communities of Florence and Catalina is referred to as the "Tom Mix Highway."

Mix was a cowboy movie star - a big one - who appeared in more than 300 Westerns. He lived the life of a bon vivant, and by the early 1920s the former Texas Ranger was earning the remarkable sum of $10,000 a week. And, he even got to keep the big cowboy hat!

Sadly, Tom died in 1940 in a weird automobile accident near Florence, when the back of his head was walloped by a suitcase that flew off the rear shelf of his single-seat roadster in the remote area. It was October 12, 1940 and Tom Mix died alone in a dry wash. He'd apparently ignored warnings about a gully bridge being out due to road work. Let that be a warning motorists!

"The Tom Mix Death Site Marker -- a black iron silhouette of a riderless bronco -- stands roughly 17 miles south of Florence. The road where Tom drove to his end is long, flat, straight -- surrounded by desert scrub and the occasional giant cactus. The gully into which his 1937 Cord plunged has been renamed Tom Mix Wash," according to Roadsideamerica.com, a great historical resource for travelers.

Bob calls this area simply “The Wilderness." We'll zip right through it on Friday, because Saturday we're riding in the 25th anniversary El Tour De Tucson. 10,000 - 11,000 cyclists are expected for the fun. Bob and I will ride the 109-mile leg, then try to find a Pizza Hut to refortify ourselves. (To fully appreciate the "humor" foreshadowing intended, please read the summer Heartland Tour entries.)

Then, on Sunday, we'll simply point the bikes north and ride 125 miles back home.

Please alert your friends to this latest CycleQuest ride. Encourage them to read the continually updated CycleQuest blog, and understand the signs of ovarian cancer. As always, we ride in memory of Susan and the other women who have died too soon because of this "silent killer."

CycleQuest Arizona beckons! For this ride, we're proud to be wearing the new cycling jerseys for our Banner Children's Hospital cycling team!

More from the road on Friday!

Brad (and Bob!)

Upcoming Rides...El Tour De Tucson (With a twist)

2007-11-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

The CycleQuest continues in the great state of Arizona.

This year El Tour De Tucson celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 17th. El Tour is a great ride put on by a wonderful organization called PBAA (www.pbaa.com). El Tour is a 109 mile ride around the perimeter of Tucson with about 10,000 of your closest cycling friends (This year 11,000 are expected). The start line of El Tour De Tucson is about 125 miles from my home in Tempe...which is where the twist comes in. I thought this would be a perfect oportunity for a short 3-day CycleQuest ovarian cancer awareness ride.

It has been four months since the inagural CycleQuest ride across the heartland from Vail to Hannibal; it is time to put the signs and symptoms in front of the public again. The plan is to ride down to Tucson Friday, ride El Tour De Tucson Saturday and then ride back home Sunday...about 360 miles for the weekend! Bob Lewis (inagural CycleQuest team member)is slated to participate in this event, too.

Please stay tuned...more to follow! Daily updates from the road starting 11/16!

Epilogue CycleQuest-Midamerica

2007-08-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

The days following the end of the first CycleQuest ride went by like a whirlwind! Re-entry back into the "real world" is always tough after you complete a meaningful event like this.

This was a long bike ride and the lasting and memorable effects to me are the wonderful comments from a whole multitude of people about how this event touched their lives. Hearing this makes me happy; cycling has always been, for me, a way to express myself, and this message is dear to my heart. This ride was in the beginning, a very grass roots effort to get the word out about the subtle symptoms of ovarian cancer. As we made our way East the ride and message gained momentum and support.

I am thankful for my family, friends and all of the people along the way who supported the first CycleQuest. Please stay tuned...as there is more to follow!

Front Page News!

2007-07-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

I opened the Hannibal paper this morning and here's what I found on the front page. Thanks Don; great story.

http://www.hannibal.net/stories/07262007/local_news_j3_001.xml.shtml

Hannibal native rides bike over 900 miles to raise awareness about ovarian cancer
By DON KRAUSE Of the Courier-Post

For 10 days and about 920 miles from Vail, Colo., to Hannibal, Brad Wingate and Bob Lewis rode their bikes with a purpose for others. They weren't raising money, but they were raising awareness about ovarian cancer - disease that often goes unnoticed until it's too late.

Wingate's interest in ovarian cancer is personal. His wife, Susan DeFrank Wingate, lost her battle with the disease in 2005.

Wingate, a Hannibal native, lives in Tempe, Ariz, and Lewis resides in Mesa, Ariz.

"It comes on so subtley," Wingate said about ovarian cancer Wednesday afternoon during a reception for him and his riding partner at the James E. Cary Cancer Center. His wife was diagnosed with an advanced stage of the disease. Looking back, she realized she had most of the symptoms, but didn't make a connection, he said.

Some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer include: pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort, vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets, such as gas, nausea and indigestion, frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection, unexplained weight gain or loss, pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and /or feeling of fullness, ongoing unusual fatigue, or unexplained changes in bowel habits.

"Just pay attention to your own health," he said. "If you see changes you should tell the doctor."

A long-distance bike rider, who logs about 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year, the CycleQuest ride was a method to raise awareness. In addition to the ride, a blog at www.cyclequest.blogspot.com kept others informed of their progress as well as provided additional information on ovarian cancer.

That communication vehicle generated good responses, according to Wingate. "I see that as very successful."

The goal of the trip was to create awareness of the disease and its symptoms, with the ultimate goal of saving others.

"If we can do that for one person, so they don't have to go through that - life goal achieved," he said with a thumbs up sign.

The trip to Hannibal ended Tuesday, but Wingate isn't done. He hopes to do another ride in the fall. Next year, maybe expanding the ride and doing something larger with more cyclists.

"We're not sure. We'll see where it goes."

We fly out late this afternoon from St. Louis. CoolByke in Hannibal is shipping our bikes for us.

Brad (and Bob)

The Festivities Continue!

2007-07-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today, the James E. Cary Cancer Center in Hannibal hosted a reception for Bob and I and presented us with certificates of apreciation for our efforts to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. Thanks so much to David DeProspero and all the other new friends we met. We really enjoyed ourselves. KHQA-TV was there along with the Hannibal Courier-Post newspaper.

Here's the story that ran today in the Quincy, IL Herald-Whig.

http://www.whig.com/289436019846996.php

Cyclist's trip over, but journey to find cancer cure ongoing
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
By Steve Eighinger
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Brad Wingate completed an 890-mile odyssey Tuesday, but his mission is never-ending.

Wingate, 46, formerly of Hannibal and Quincy, Ill., rode his bicycle from his home in Tempe, Ariz., to downtown Hannibal in an effort to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. The disease claimed his wife, Susan, in 2005.

"The most gratifying part of this has been the response of people along the way and what has been written on the blog," said Wingate, who made the trip with fellow cyclist and friend, Bob Lewis, a Mesa, Ariz., resident. "I really didn't know how all of this would work, but I wanted to help bring awareness to the signs of ovarian cancer."

Wingate's blog can be viewed at the cyclequest.blogspot.com Web site.

"Ovarian cancer is insidious," Wingate said. "Early detection is key to saving lives. That's why we're riding, to alert families to the warning signs."

Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries and the average woman has a 1-in-67 chance of developing the disease, the fifth most-common cancer among women.

The cause remains unknown and older women are at the highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women 55 and older and about 25 percent occur in women in between the ages of 35 and 54.

Symptoms are often vague and non-specific and by the time the disease is diagnosed the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries. Some of the symptoms often include:

* Pelvic or abdominal pain and discomfort.

* Vague, but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion.

* Unexplained weight gain or loss.

* Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection.

* Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness.

* Ongoing and unusual fatigue.

* Unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, a doctor should be consulted. A Pap Test will not detect ovarian cancer.

This was Wingate's second such journey, having traveled in 2004 from Minneapolis to Hannibal. Wingate said the cycling adventures renew his appreciation for America and its people.

"We have a beautiful country and people are basically the same everywhere," he said. "I am warmly welcomed wherever I ride. People are curious about my travels and many hold their own dreams of pursuing a similar adventure. I'm a big believer in following one's dreams.

"We never know how much time we have left."

Wingate ran into heavy rains in Colorado and battled a strong headwind much of the trip, but overall found the journey quite exhilarating. Wingate and Lewis stayed in motels most nights, except for two camping stops along the way. The daily rides usually started around 6 a.m.

Wingate and Lewis covered an average of 100 miles each day, winding through Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri, mostly on U.S. 36.

Wingate was born in Hannibal, but grew up in Quincy. He graduated from Quincy High School in 1979 and later attended then-Quincy College and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has lived in Tempe for 18 years, working for Recreational Equipment Inc.

Wingate said he normally returns to the Hannibal/Quincy area "about three times a year" to visit friends and family. This trip, however, was designed to be more than a normal vacation.

"I didn't want to do the basic vacation," Wingate said. "I wanted to make a difference."

We're getting the word out...

We fly back to Phoenix tomorrow.

It feels good to relax.

Brad (and Bob)

Day 10 - Arrival in America's Hometown

2007-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

3p.m. Arrival in Hannibal! We had a BUSY stretch of U.S. 36 from Macon to Hannibal. Many, many semi trucks and gravel shoulder in many spots. Just west of Monroe City, about 20 miles from Hannibal, Bob took a spill and has some road rash on an elbow and a knee. His bike's front brake was not functioning so my brother John was on scene to give him and the bike a lift to nearby Hannibal.

When I arrived in downtown Hannibal I was greeted by Mayor Roy Hark, my mother, sister and brother, Bob, and another cycling friend Bob Scott, who had motorcycled out to greet Bob and I earlier in the day.

WGEM-TV caught up with me in the final few miles of the ride and did a story that aired last night.

Lots of things going through my head so will sign-off and post something a bit later.

Thanks for everyone's support and comments. It means a lot.

Brad (and Bob)

Early this afternoon, we'll be dipping our front wheels into the Mississippi River, officially concluding this formative CycleQuest ride.

We left Macon under sunny skies. It's a beautiful day. Hannibal here we come!!

Thanks for all your support during this long distance event. We have been lifted up and carried along by your kind words and prayers. Thank you.

I'll post a final update later, most likely as I enjoy a giant coffee at Java Jive!

Brad (and Bob)

Day 9 Riding Like the Wind

2007-07-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

6:30 p.m. We had a great day on the bikes, riding 98 miles to Macon, MO...a mere 62 miles from Hannibal. Tomorrow, a metric century and we're there.

We feel the ride winding down; feeling a bit contemplative about it. What an amazing thing we've done..come together as a community united to raise awareness and help save many more lives through early detection of ovarian cancer. We've connected with the great people we met along the way, the multitudes reached by this blog all over the country, the 82 chapters of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and who knows how many thousands by the four TV stories and several major newspaper stories that have been done or will be done by the end of the day tomorrow.

If you're within the range of KTVO-TV in Kirksville, MO - Ottumwa,IA tonight you can catch the story they did this afternoon with us.

We're planning to be in Hannibal tomorrow at 2p.m. We hope to see some of you there! We'll roll down to the Tom & Huck statue on North Main and change from bike shoes into Keens for the first time in more than a week.

The Kansas Pizza Huts can rest easily tonight. It's over. Well, until next time. (Cue theme music from JAWS)

Brad (and Bob)

12:15p.m. The rain and lightning stopped this morning, and we have the wind to our backs for a change. YEEE hawww! We're averaging about 15 mph with more than 40 miles in so far today. Macon, MO is our goal for today.

KTVO-TV, which is the ABC affiliate for the Kirksville-Ottumwa market in NE Missouri, called me on the road this morning. They're going to meet us along U.S. 36 today for a story that we assume will air this evening.

We're still a GO for arriving in Hannibal tomorrow around 2p.m. at the historic Tom & Huck statue on North Main Street.

We're almost there. Susan would have loved to be on this ride.

Later!

Brad (and Bob)

7:00 a.m. It's raining in Cameron, MO this morning, with occasional lightning, so we're going to wait for awhile before departing. We're ready to get going. We had a pre-breakfast; I had two donuts, a bagel, two Belgian waffles, apple juice, orange juice and abundant coffee. We'll stop down the road a bit to have a hearty actual breakfast.

This forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms until noon, then isolated rain until 7p.m. Looking east, the weather looks good.

We expect to arrive in Hannibal tomorrow around 2p.m. We'll ride to the Tom & Huck statue on North Main street to officially conclude this particular CycleQuest ride.

Gotta go...Bob is up at a DQ having a snack.

Brad (and Bob)

Day 8 - Welcome to Missouri!

2007-07-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

6:50 p.m. We made 79 miles today with a headwind the whole way! From Hiawatha, KS to Cameron, Missouri. I thought prevailing winds were supposted to go West to East? It was a little unsettling riding through the St. Joseph, MO area. There is quite a bit of road construction going on. On our route, which I would not take the next time, we encountered a lot of debris on the shoulder - what appeared to be old, twisted metal from cars, half of a refridgerator. I'm serious. We saw potholes 8-10 inches deep. Bob called them potholes to Hell. It was unsettling. At one point I thought we'd found Jimmy Hoffa! :-)

So, We're in Cameron for the night, beyond the urban, metallic road carnage of day 8.

We're 150 miles from Hannibal. I think its most likely that we will be arriving in Hannibal Tuesday. After a week of the wind, the hills, the heat, and just the challenges of riding a fully loaded bike, that appears to be a good, prudent plan.

We'll have the schedule posted for our arrival and the news conference at the Tom & Huck statue on North Main Street in Hannibal.

Welcome to Missouri, Bob. "Thanks Brad! Let's eat!"

Brad (and Bob)

Earlier....

Good morning! We had a good overnight rest in Hiawatha, Ks. It was 67 here this morning and it got up past 90 I think.

We are 48 miles or so from the western Missouri border so we'll end the day in the Show Me state! Kansas has been great. The people are terrific and we've had a lot of acquaintances in recent days. And let's not forget those Pizza Huts. I know they won't be forgetting us! :-)

Here's something to ponder on this summer Sunday:

This year, more than 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It has been diagnosed in girls as young as age eight, and women in their 90s. In fact, Susan's mother recently informed us that a woman she knows died of ovarian cancer at the age of 94.

Ovarian cancer is the quiet cancer. The symptoms can be subtle. Until there's some sort of diagnostic test or cure, symptom awareness is best. We have to catch it early. Outcomes are better when we do.

(Ssee symptoms list in the right column of this blog -> -> -> ->.)

Also...During fiscal year 2006, Congress allotted more than $150 million to breast cancer research, $80 million to prostate cancer, and just $10 million to ovarian cancer research.

Let's work together and see what we can do to make this situation better.

Day 7 - Saying Goodbye to Kansas

2007-07-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

8:18 p.m. We're overnighting in Hiawatha, Kansas. It's 72 degrees and really nice after the hot day with head winds we experienced. Still, we logged 113 miles averaging 12.9 miles an hour. Ride time in the saddle was 8 hours 45 minutes.

Hiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri and Denver. Hiawatha is named after the legendary Onongada and Mohawk Indian leader Hiawatha. Hiawatha is nicknamed the "City of Beautiful Maples" because of its countless trees that produce delightful colors in the fall season. This year is Hiawatha's 150th anniversary.

There you have it!

We're in an RV park in the City of the Beautiful Maples, with our tents set up under two massive soft maples. Its fun to camp when it's not too hot and you're not too exhausted. I can tune in my Grundig shortwave radio and bring in the world. Australia, the UK. Cornfields across the road, and the BBC is right here in my one person tent. Oh Jeeves, bring us some iced teas, won't you? Thank you, ole boy!

There is a Super WalMart down the road which may be our best option for food. I hope they're up to the challenge. We're powerfully...POWERFULLY...hungry. Giant box of Cheese-Its anyone?

We are 240 miles from Hannibal! Tomorrow, a new state; we're 30 miles from the Missouri border!

Araceli Pedroza with WGEM-TV called media central tonight. She's going to cover our arrival Monday/Tuesday. I remember watching channel 10 when Charlie Griffith anchored the news, and Cactus Jim hosted afternoon cartoons for the kids. Cactus was a little scary now that I think about it. When he drank milk from his plastic cowboy boot cup,and he did frequently, he always admonished us - the youthful viewers - to "kink our pinky." No Cactus, no.

Let's take a look back at the rest of the day...

3 p.m. We're just outside Seneca, Kansas with 76 miles in so far today. We'll probably overnight in Hiawatha which will be about 30 miles from the MISSOURI BORDER.

We had lunch at the Pony Express Coffee Bar & Deli in Marysville. A guy we met said that U.S. 36 from St. Joseph, MO to Hannibal is all dual highway, which is great news! So far we've been on single lane roads with good shoulders. It's pretty warm this afternoon, but the landscape is looking more like Missouri; fewer large wheat fields and more cornfields. Talk to you later from Hiawatha!

11:45 a.m. - We've stopped for lunch in Marysville, Kansas. We've ridden 50 miles this morning with an average speed of 13.5 mph. It's sunny now, but less wind so we're riding a bit more easily. We've ridden some steep hills though, similar to the grade on Loveland Pass in Colorado (without the altitude of course). We take those a bit more slowly at 7 mph. We were thinking about shipping home the sleeping bags and one-man tents, but decided to hold onto them. Some of these towns only have one motel, and if the inn happens to be full we'd be "outta luck."

The CycleQuest media office in Minneapolis had an e-mail this morning from a reporter - Trevor - in Athens, Georgia. He inquired as to whether the CycleQuest ride would be coming through Georgia. (Bob! Come back!) Maybe, we'll do a Georgia ride at a later date, Trevor. Georgia is a beautiful state. A great idea. Thanks for your interest!

Earlier, we had a good overnight rest at the Super 8 in Belleville, KS. Here's something curious...the showers have new - non-intuitive - faucets. I was running the water and trying to ascertain how to turn on the shower. There is NO lever. Nothing! So I ran a big tub of warm water and thought about it. While soaking I realized that you have to pull down on the bottom of the spigot to activate the shower. And they call this progress. :-)

Bob and I had a pre-breakfast before getting the bikes ready to roll. Bob joined me in the kitchenette/dining room of the Super 8 with a big...I mean BIG... bowl of Fruit Loops. It's hard to get enough calories on these rides! The Super 8 offers a free breakfast to their guests, and we can testify to the fact that it is awfully filling.

We have 300 miles ahead of us, and if this is a good day, that'll be down to 200 tonight.

It was overcast and 64 degrees at the start. The winds are out of the south at 9, so it looks good weatherwise. That's what we like.

Thanks for your great comments. They mean a lot to us. We're already thinking of ideas to formalize CycleQuest into a permanent vehicle for promoting ovarian cancer awareness. More later. Meanwhile, if you want to get on a mailing list for future CycleQuest updates, please send your contact information with mailing and email addresses to my brother John: john(at)wingategroup.com. He's keeping track of these things while we're "at the mobile office."

We had an email from a reporter - Steve Eighinger - who works for the Quincy (IL) Herald-Whig. He's planning a story. Thanks Steve for your interest! Also, the two Quincy television stations, WGEM-TV (NBC) and KHQA-TV (CBS) have both been in contact with the CycleQuest North media office in Minneapolis. Quincy is across the Mississippi from Hannibal and upstream about 17 miles. I spent many years there, and a lot of money at the great bike shops. Madison-Davis Bike Shop has been in business since the early 20th century. Same ownership for decades. Cool.

By the way, Hannibal has a new bike shop called CoolByke. We were in there over the July 4th holiday. Nice shop!

I hope we have nice weather for our Hannibal arrival...hopefully on Monday afternoon late. But wind, heat, equipment breakdowns, etc. could change that. We're staying positive.

Later!

Brad (and Bob)

Day - 6 Reflections - Why We're Riding

2007-07-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

We've pedaled 570.69 miles at the end of day six. We have 300 miles to Hannibal.

Tonight we're staying in Belleville, Kansas. It was a 94 mile day, and now we're at the Dairy Queen on a beautiful clear night. But all is not well because we just spoke with a motel guest whose friend was diagnosed with stage-3 ovarian cancer, just like Susan's experience.

They call OC the quiet cancer because it whispers its' symptoms. Let's together now pledge to make positive change, in a life-affirming way, to marshall our love, our grief, some anger and our passion to bring ovarian cancer awareness more into the spotlight, much like what we've seen happen with breast cancer. There have been too many deaths, too many women taken in the prime of their lives, too many grieving families and friends. Let's keep the focus and passion of CycleQuest and continue the momendum of the ride in new directions. Will you join with us? Please leave us a comment. They mean so much and we need to hear from our friends and supporters.

Meanwhile, earlier today....

We left Phillipsburg around 7 a.m. this morning. Thankfully, the winds were lighter, but still a headwind.

We wheeled to Smith Center and had breakfast at the Second Cup Cafe, and we took their advice. Great coffee! Smith Center is the geographical center of the U.S. We rode past the county fairgrounds and saw some of the largest and cleanest pigs we've ever laid eyes on. Smith Center is a cute town; they actually have music playing downtown for all to hear...without ear buds!

By 10:30 a.m. we reached the 500 mile mark in our journey. It's in the 80s and we're feeling a little weary due to the headwinds, but this too shall pass. Okay, everyone together now - "Winds from the west, winds from the west!" :-)

3:30pm: We're in Courtland, Kansas with 79 miles under our belt. We've been cruising good with LESS headwind! AMEN!

We stopped at a....PIZZA HUT and "had a bite." Then, on the way out of town, we found a great fresh fruit stand at U.S. 36 and Route 199. Bob says he had two of the best peaches he's ever eaten.

Earlier, we met a world tourist - Walter - from Germany. He's in his mid-60s and has ridden across the U.S. eight times. On this trip his final destination is Tucson. What a great example of vital living. We briefed him on the Pizza Huts up ahead as he goes westbound. He looked VERY hungry, too. Go Walter!

Speaking of food. What's great on these rides is to walk into a convenience store and be presented with a full array of edibles. I was assessing the candy bars earlier today and down on the bottom shelf, tucked away, was my very favorite, and one that you rarely see - THE CHOCOLATE PAYDAY! As far as I'm concerned Baby Ruth and Butterfinger can just pack their bags and run home...there's just no comparison.

The James E. Cary Cancer Center in Hannibal has invited us to attend a reception to welcome us to town. More on this as we work out the details. Nice! Thanks David DeProspero!

Check out today's issue of the Hannibal Courier Post: Here's the link:

http://www.hannibal.net/stories/07202007/local_news_j3_001.xml.shtml

Bev Darr did a great story and they ran a photo of Susan, too!

Here's another link with information about CycleQuest. Thanks Vicki for posting that.

http://www.thecancerblog.com/2007/06/21/gossip-columnist-claudia-cohen-dies-of-ovarian-cancer/

Later!

Brad (and Bob)

Day 5 - Kansas Headwinds, but Halfway to Hannibal!

2007-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Late news....I did a phone interview tonight with Bev Darr, a reporter for the Hannibal Courier-Post newspaper. The paper will run a story tomorrow about CycleQuest. Check it out at Hannibal.net. Thanks to Bev and Mary Lou Montgomery, the managing editor!

Okay, the day: The CycleQuest team departed Atwood, Kansas at 6:30 a.m. under overcast skies. It rained overnight. The temperature was in the low 70s at departure time, and has risen to 78 at mid-day. Much better than the 100+ heat of yesterday.

Bob and I had breakfast mid-morning in Oberlin, and...lunched in Norton.

All I can say is someone should have warned the Pizza Hut buffet manager that we were coming. Bob completed three grueling trips to the warming table, and I did likewise. Look, we're sorry! We're very, very sorry! Perhaps tomorrow will be a more profitable day for the "hut!"

Thank you! :-)

We faced a strong 20 mph headwind all day, yet managed a 96 mile day with fully loaded bikes. To give you an idea of how windy it is, typically we'll hit 40 mph on a good downhill. But today, my maximum speed was 23.5 mph, according to my cyclometer.

It's more humid and green as we roll east. Whoever said Kansas is flat hasn't ridden here!

This afternoon, I was riding along - into the wind - and I noticed a bike chain lying at the side of the road. Then, I look up to see Bob ahead, spinning wildly; his chain had broken! Thankfully, we'd brought a chain tool along and quickly did an emergency repair by removing a link.

As we worked on the chain, covered in grease, with the wind buffeting us, we looked at each other and Bob said, "At least there are no biting flies!"

The good news is that we're more than HALFWAY TO HANNIBAL! Our mileage at the end of day five is 476.69 miles. We're spending the night in Phillipsburg at the New Cottonwood Inn.

We really appreciate all the comments, encouragement, and support. One was posted this morning by Judy Fitzgerald of the Tri-State Ovarian Cancer Alliance in Cumberland, Maryland. Thanks Judy!

This afternoon, Myrna Klitzke of the Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) posted a nice message (see comments). Thank you Myrna for your kind words, and we're sorry to hear of the death of your sister. Too many deaths.

Also, some supportive words from the publisher of the Hannibal newspaper and the executive director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum. See you all in Hannibal!

Hmmm, we've noticed that Phillipsburg has a Pizza Hut. Catch ya later!

Brad (and Bob)

Media Advisory:To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com.

Day 4 - Beautiful Kansas, TV Coverage

2007-07-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

This just in...

Tonight we learned that WIBW-TV in Topeka ran a story today about CycleQuest. The news anchor read the symptoms of ovarian cancer and shared the CycleQuest blog address with viewers. Yea!

Here's the link: http://www.wibw.com:80/home/headlines/8574087.html

Here's the script:

CycleQuest Ride for Ovarian Cancer
Posted: 11:28 AM Jul 18, 2007
Last Updated: 11:28 AM Jul 18, 2007

Two men cross Kansas to raise Ovarian Cancer awareness. On July 15th Brad Wingate along with his cycling team member Bob Lewis began their ride from Vail, Colorado to Hannibal, Missouri. Wingate lost his wife, Susan DeFrank Wingate to Ovarian Cancer in 2005.

The team will ride more than 100 miles each day. To check on their progress visit www.cyclequest.blogspot.com.

The team emphasizes that the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are subtle.

- Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort.
- Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea, and indigestion.
- Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection.
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss.
- Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating, and/ or feeling of fullness.
- Ongoing unusual fatigue.
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits.

Thanks WIBW!

Earlier today, we left Idalia, Colorado after a hearty breakfast at that favorite diner, the Prairie View, I told you about yesterday. We were not disappointed. It was clearly the best breakfast I've had since I last ate there with my brother, John, in the 1980s. We were well fueled....and ready for a nap. Just kidding!

We're very pumped by some good news that arrived via email early this morning from Shelly Rozenberg, the Chief Administrative Officer for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition:

"Thank you for sending us this information about Brad's journey to raise awareness. We have posted this information on our website and emailed our 82 chapters across the US. We are grateful to Brad for raising awareness and making a difference. He is truly an inspiration."

Sincerely,

Shelly Rozenberg
Chief Administrative Officer
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc.
500 NE Spanish River Blvd.,
Suite 8
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
561-393-0005
888-OVARIAN
www.ovarian.org
Help "Break the Silence" about Ovarian Cancer

Thanks so much Shelly and all the folks associated with the Coalition. We are very grateful for your kind words and encouragement. It means more than you can imagine.

We hit Kansas about 10a and switched to central time. We snacked at St. Anthony, KS with 30 miles under our belt for the morning. After eating lunch at Bird City, we rode another 45 miles to Atwood and will overnight here. We did 73 miles in temps that exceeded 100, but had to make it a sub-100 day for mileage since we have laundry and necessary bike maintenance to do.

Earlier, we met two cycle tourists who set out two months ago from Maine for a leisurely ride to California. One of the cyclists is planting saplings along the way. We traded stories of the road, and they inquired about amenities and supplies in Last Chance, Colorado. We joked that it's named that for a reason. We explained that it's best to stock up on food and water before riding across that remote stretch of eastern Colorado.

The roads are great; nice and smooth for comfortable riding. The bikes and their humans are holding up well in beautiful Kansas!

We're spending the night at a nice little motel called the "It'll Do"...and it will.

Tomorrow...day five of the CycleQuest Across the Heartland. Thanks for checking in on our progress to raise awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer...please check the symptoms on the right side of this blog.

Brad (and Bob)

Day 3 - On the Kansas Border

2007-07-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

We left Strasburg Station in the historic, old railroad town of Strasburg in eastern Colorado bright and early. It was 70 at departure time, but warmed up quickly; the mercury hit 100 this afternoon.

Bob and I are riding some remote country - dusty and windy conditions, hilly roads with long climbs, and wheat fields everywhere. God's country nevertheless. The spare landscape has its own beauty.

We're each riding with four water bottles each. But here in eastern Colorado, towns are few and far between. At one point we ran low on water. Thankfully, in Anton, the local postmaster provided us some cold water from her deep well. We drank, replenished our water bottles and were revived.

Hey, some great news to report. The Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry's website posted information about our CycleQuest project. Thank you Cathy Fahey! And thanks Lesa, one of Susan's cousins, for getting the information to Cathy! You can check it out at http://www.ovariancancer.com/app/index.php?pid=11.

Also, a special thanks to Vicki, Pam, and Danny, Susan's siblings; her mother Georgia, all the relatives, Bob's wife Ginny, my mother Betty, sister Sharon, brother John, and a whole lot of friends and colleagues, for all they're doing to support this effort and encourage us.

This afternoon, we ran into Essie Garrett, a long distance runner who is helping to raise funds for the Amelia Earhart Foundation. She flagged us down and we visited briefly. Check out her website at www.essierun.org. Essie's run more than 23,000 miles, and raised over a million dollars for charities, since 1981. Cool! Run, Essie, run!

By the way, U.S. 36 - one of the main arteries across America in the era before freeways - is a great cycling road. The people in the small towns are kind and gracious, but the biting flies are less polite, so... we keep moving! :-)

We rode 117 hot miles in just under 8 hours of riding time today, and will overnight in Idalia, Colorado, a neat town just a few miles from the Kansas border. Back in the 1980s when my brother and I were doing a lot of backpacking in Colorado, we always managed to plan our drive so we could have breakfast at this great little diner in Idalia. Bob and I will be eating breakfast there tomorrow morning. I can almost smell the bisquits and coffee!

On the media front, the Hannibal Courier-Post already has run a story on the CycleQuest ride and plans a follow-up when we arrive. Other newspapers and television stations are planning stories, too. It's good to have the media coverage and national visibility so we can share the purpose of our cycling odyssey across the heartland of America.

Please do me a favor; contact every woman you love and encourage her to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The current situation, with many women having the disease diagnosed too late, is unacceptable. Let's all work to make it better. That's why we're riding.

My teammate, Bob Lewis, is really riding strong. A true ironman! I'm grateful to have him riding this with me.

Ever onward! Wednesday - Kansas!

Brad & Bob

Media Advisory:
To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com.

Colorado - Day 2

2007-07-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

We rolled out of Idaho Springs, Colorado at 7:30 a.m., refreshed and renewed. One of the big challenges today was climbing Juniper Pass which tops out at 11,000 feet. We climbed for three hours for a total altitude gain of 7,000 feet.

Then, the incredibly long decent from 11,000 feet down to around 5,000 feet on the edge of Denver. The altitude is slowly coming down as we ride eastward...today we rode from high mountain passes into the foothills and suddenly we were rolling past wheat fields. It was amazing...a hint of the great plains that beckon.

It was hot...we rolled past a bank that was reporting 103 degrees on its outdoor signage.

Today, I was going up a long climb and noticed an abundance of Columbines, Colorado's state flower and Susan's favorite. Just then, the cry of a bald eagle captured my attention. It was one of those powerful, amazing moments.

During a food stop, a waitress was very interested in our CycleQuest ride. She related that she'd battled ovarian cancer, but thankfully recovered from it. A wonderful success story. OC typically strikes women in the prime of life, but I recently heard about a 94-year-old woman who was diagnosed with it. Please read the posted information about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. It could save the life of someone you love.

This evening we arrived in Strasburg, Colorado, about 30 miles east of Denver.

Strasburg is a small agricultural community on the Colorado Eastern Plains. Historically it was the location of the "joining of the rails," the actual last link in the coast-to-coast railroad network in the United States, completed in August 1870. But, tired as we are, there is no interest in hopping a train. With a little rest we'll be good as new tomorrow.

Bob and I rode 115 miles today, a great day, and we already have several miles of riding on U.S. highway 36 - our road to Hannibal - behind us.

More later.....tomorrow, the Great Plains!

Brad

CycleQuest is Underway!

2007-07-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

What a great day to begin our ride across the heartland of America. We departed Vail, Colorado about 8 a.m. under beautiful, sunny skies with temperatures in the 60s. We experienced some hard riding through Loveland pass in the thin air of 12,000 feet. Logged 75 miles in nearly seven hours of hard riding, with 7,500 feet of climbing on opening day.

Team member Bob Lewis dubbed Loveland Pass "Two Apple Pass" because of the food intake it requires to ride the challenging climb.

Bob and I faced a cold rain on a lengthy, mountainous downhill, but abundant hot coffee and a great lunch at the Georgetown Coffee Cafe in Georgetown revived us.

We spoke with several people throughout the day about the purpose of CycleQuest. We hope they keep in touch and help to raise awareness.

The CycleQuest team is spending the night in Idaho Springs.

By the end of Monday the 16th - day two - we will be past Denver, positioned to pedal across the plains as we continue our odyssey to raise awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Susan is in our thoughts, of course, and she's no doubt looking down from Heaven and cheering us ever onward.

Thanks for all your support, thoughts and prayers. We feel it!

Brad

Media Advisory:To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com.

CycleQuest Departs July 15, 2007

2007-07-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

CycleQuest For Ovarian Cancer Awareness
Planned for July 15 – 23

Vail, Colorado to Hannibal, Missouri - 850 miles in nine days

Vail, Colo – Beginning July 15, Brad Wingate, a resident of Tempe, Arizona, is riding an 850-mile bicycling odyssey from Vail, Colorado to his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, to raise awareness of the subtle signs of a deadly disease – ovarian cancer.

The disease claimed the life of Brad’s wife, Susan DeFrank Wingate, in 2005.

Brad and his cycling team member Bob Lewis, a Mesa resident, depart from Vail on July 15 and is expected to arrive in the historic Northeast Missouri community of Hannibal on July 23.

Check out the ride’s progress by visiting www.cyclequest.blogspot.com. Updates will be posted during the ride.

“Ovarian cancer is insidious. It can be well advanced once the often-subtle symptoms are noticed. Early detection is key to saving lives. That’s why we’re riding, to alert families to the warning signs,” said Wingate.

Brad and Bob will ride more than 100 miles most days across the Heartland, largely following U.S. highway 36 through Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

Ovarian Cancer Whispers – So Please Listen
Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries, the female reproductive organs that produce eggs. A woman has a 1 in 67 chance of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer. The cause is unknown.

Older women are at highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. About 25% of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women between 35 and 54 years of age.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and non-specific; women and doctors may attribute the symptoms to other, more common, conditions. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.

The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are subtle:

· pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort;

· vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea, and indigestion;

· frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection;

· unexplained weight gain or weight loss;

· pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness;

· ongoing unusual fatigue;

· or unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks ask your doctor for a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound.

A PAP Test will NOT detect ovarian cancer.

Brad, who did a similar ride in 2004 from Minneapolis to Hannibal, said cycling adventures renew his appreciation for America and its people. “We have a beautiful country and people basically are the same everywhere. I am always warmly welcomed wherever I ride,” Wingate said. “People are curious about my travels and many hold their own dreams of pursuing a similar adventure. I’m a big believer in following one’s dreams. We never know how much time we have left.”
###

Media Advisory:
To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com.

Upcoming Rides

2007-06-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

CYCLEQUEST Mid-America
Vail, CO to Hannibal, MO
850 miles in 8 days