Week 5 Recap

We’ve had a pretty amazing past week! After 29 days straight on the bike, the team took two days off in Minneapolis, where the wives joined for some much needed R&R. As we rode into Minneapolis, we were able to have a TV interview with KSTP followed by a radio interview with WCCO Radio. That night, we had a wonderful reception with two local SUDC parents and Dr. Andrew Baker, the chief Medical Examiner for Hennepin, Dakota, and Scott counties in Minnesota (and is a good friend of the SUDC Foundation and has a mutual working relationship with our scientific advisory board).

Besides a few mishaps and some stolen laundry (most of Bobby’s bike shirts) at the Grand Hotel, everyone had a fantastic few days off. We spent their time relaxing, eating wonderful food, having a few massages, and the boys enjoyed spending time with their wives! Bobby, Chelsea, and Jan had a fantastic dinner at Spoon and Stable. The ambiance was great, the staff was so nice and caring and really took an interest in the Brothers Bike story, and the food was incredible! We will definitely be going back there next time we are in Minneapolis.

Before getting back on the bikes on Friday, the guys had a great TV interview with KARE11. Then mid-day on the bikes, Logan at KAAL spotted the boys on the road and was able to get an interview to help share our story. Saturday and Sunday the boys rode hard through the cornfields of Iowa with strong crosswinds and more hills than expected. We’ve also all upped the flat tire count! Dennis: 9; Bobby: 6; Raleigh: 3; and now Chelsea/Sandy: 2! The car experienced two flat tires in one day, where they found 5 nails in one tire! Bobby had a scare with his knee – it started hurting Saturday night and he could barely walk by Sunday morning. We were very worried, but by the time they were ready to ride for the day, it was feeling better. He still went to an Urgent Care in Ankeny, and are happy to report that his knee looks great and is feeling fine!

Staying in Des Moines on Sunday and Monday night, the boys did their first live interview with We Are Iowa in the morning and finished the day with an incredible fundraising event put on by our good friends, Jeff and Connie Springer. They, along with the wonderful team at Springer Professional Home Services and other pest control companies in the area, were able to raise over $20,000 for Brothers Bike and we could not be more grateful for this incredibly kind donation. We also had the honor of having 3 SUDC families from the area attend, which made the night that much more special.

At the end of week 5, we are almost to 2,200 miles with about 18 days to go. Thank you again to everyone who has made a donation towards Brothers Bike and everyone who helps share our story – we are so grateful for your support and could not do this trip without each of you!!