July 12, 2000
Coast to coast no easy coast
TC man completes cross-country bike trip started in 1985
By Justin Trapp
Herald staff writer
When John Shields decided that he wanted to see the country, he wanted a slower picture of the U.S. than an automobile could give him. Thankful he had a bike.
Beginning in 1985, Shields began his trek from coast to coast on a bicycle packed with all the gear he could think of. The trek didn't all happen at once, mind you. Shields took five "stints," or mini-trips, the longest being over 1,700 miles, from Washington State to Fargo, North Dakota.
That was the first stint. The second went from Canton, New York, to Bar Harbor, Maine. The third was the shortest, at 170 miles. While explaining the third stint, Emmy Lou Cholak, Shields' wife, reminded Shields exactly why the trip ended so abruptly. Shields grinned good-naturedly and said, "After I left my sister's place, I ran into a parked truck. I was looking down, wondering what some squeak was, and all of the sudden, 'bingo!' There I was on the ground."
The fourth stint was the first that Cholak accompanied her husband, and went from Bemidji, Minnesota, back to Traverse City, to their Long Lake home. It was just this May that Shields and his wife took their last trip, which went from Traverse City back to Canton, New York.
The summary of the whole trip: 80 days, 4,865 miles, and a heck of a time.
Shields camped on several trips, but later stayed in motels. He also ate out, rather than bring his own food, saying that "When you stop at the local restaurants, you get more of the local flavor. And when you stay in campgrounds, you only see people who are doing the same thing that you are. You don't really see what's going on."
Probably the biggest difference for Shields in his cross-country biking expedition were the stories. He remembers the time better on a bike better than he would have in the car.
"I think that it is the closest to the land and to what's happening," said Cholak of bicycling.
Shields remembers all sorts of adventures from his trip, and also has kept a large scrapbook, which contains photos, maps, statistics and various other odds and ends. For instance, Shields recalls the hills in the eastern part of the country as being far fiercer. In contrast, his longest downhill measured in at 21 miles, a "biker's dream."
Not only were there amazing sights and misfortunes, such as the occasional skinned knee or blown tire, but there were also incredible people and weather.
"We were near an earthquake, and a tornado near Toronto," said Shields. Then there was also the rain factor. Luckily, Shields went prepared, as so did Cholak.
Shields kept lists of gear he stowed on the four bike panniers and the front bike bag. The most prominent tool: duct tape. Other items of use included camping gear (when camping), maps, a compass, first aid, spare parts, tools, tires, clothing, and plenty of water bottles.
Shields and his wife keep in contact with some of the people that they met while on the road. They even had a couple visit their house. And if you're wondering whether or not you could make a journey like this, you can. According to Shields, the first thing you need is "a bike, a chain, and get in shape."
Throughout life, there are stories from friends and in magazines about people who live the adventure. Shields and Cholak have proven that life is indeed, quite a trek.