Support Crew
Barbara Brody
My greatest supporter of all is my wife, Barbara. Besides being “Mom”, “Grandma Barb”, and a great teacher, she has always supported me in anything I or we decided to take on whether it was family, work, or personal interest related. Her approach was always to see how she could support me and make the necessary adjustments that would allow me to be successful. Adjustments like taking care of three small children while I took classes to complete my masters degree, camping two days by herself at Colter Bay with three small children while I climbed the Grand Teton, getting the kids up in the middle of the night and driving to my exchange zone as I fulfilled my responsibility on the Hood to Coast Relay Team, and meeting me various and sundry places and times as I trained for the three marathons I completed. Lastly, she has picked me up numerous places with my bike when I wanted to ride to distant destinations, like Timberline Lodge.

This was all done without even a whimper of irritation or frustration. It was done selflessly, with love and support for me. Thanks, Babe, for all or your love and support over the last 30 years. I love you!


Jay Thomas
After moving to Wilsonville one of my best friends, Steve said, “You need to meet Jay Thomas. He is a bike rider like you.” The rest is history. Jay and I have begun a friendship that goes far beyond bicycling. He is a much better rider than I and he has shared his knowledge and skill with me to make me a more proficient rider. In addition, he has assisted me in maintaining my bike and learning how to become more self sufficient in taking care of my equipment.

We have ridden many miles together; Cycle Oregon, the Oregon Coast, and most recently a fast trip to Lake Tahoe to complete a beautiful century ride there. Jay also has a bicycle built for three that we call a triple. Jay, our friend Gregg and I rode the triple from Seattle, WA to Portland, OR in one day, just about 200 miles.

When I decided to sign up for this ride across America I went to Jay and Gregg and asked them if they would assist me in preparing for this experience. I am indebted to both of them for their commitment to my success. Thanks Jay for your friendship and I look forward to many more miles together.


Gregg McElhinney
After I met Jay, he introduced me to a friend he rides with named Gregg. Through our riding, Gregg has become a close great friend. He is a super rider and he knows more about bikes, all bikes, than anyone I know. Bicycling is Gregg’s passion and I am so glad to be in a position for him to share it with me. I have learned so much from Gregg, both in riding technique and in bicycle maintenance. In recent weeks Gregg’s work calendar and mine were in sync with each other so we have logged many miles together in preparation for our trips. During the time I will be riding across the USA, he will be riding the Tour of France route with two other friends. Good luck Gregg, and be safe! Thanks for helping me get in shape for my trip across America. I also want to thank Gregg’s wife Connie for her support and encouragement.


Sarah Thomas
Sarah is Jay and Rosie’s oldest daughter. She is an outstanding young lady. She and her sister Hannah often accompany Jay on the triple. She is a strong stoker and an all around great kid! She has ridden Cycle Oregon twice as well as the entire Oregon Coast. When Jay, Sarah, and Hannah are riding the triple, along with Gregg, the time goes so very quickly because we are all laughing and having so much fun.

Sarah is also my webmaster. She is the reason you are able to ride across America with me. In addition, she is an excellent student. I believe she has much to contribute to the world; to whom much is given, much is expected. Please email Sarah and thank her for her fine work. Oh, by the way, Sarah is 14 years old.

Lastly, if you have any questions about the website or my ride, you can email them to Sarah. She and I will likely be having regular communication with each other. Sarah will be holding me accountable for completing my part of this project.


Hannah Thomas
Hannah is 12 years old and very spunky. She rides the triple with Jay and Sarah. Sarah sits in the middle box on the triple and Hannah is seated behind. Now Hannah always feeds the team. She has access to all of our snacks and keeps us well fueled for our rides. She is an outstanding rider as well. She has ridden Cycle Oregon twice and the entire Oregon Coast. We call this fantastic three-some the Thomas Triple Team! When the Thomas Triple Team is in their matching jerseys they attract a lot of attention. Gregg and I serve as outriders when we all ride together to protect them from the paparazzi.

Hannah likes to sneak up on Mr. Gregg and flip up his rear fender when he is not looking. When this happens, Mr. Gregg looks like a skunk with a raised tail. A little known secret is that Hannah is a bit competitive. She does not like to be passed and if some unsuspecting soul passes the Thomas Triple Team, she instinctively gets squirrelly and kicks the pedals into high gear, propelling the entire three-some forward so fast that near whip lash results for the participants.

Hannah is also a very good student who loves to read. She also loves kids. I will really miss our rides while I am on my trip, but it will make the return home that much sweeter.


Rosie Thomas
Rosie, Jay’s wife, keeps the show on the road. Between running errands for food and equipment, she provides the most important things that only great moms can provide. Rosie has also rescued us on more than one occasion. I have never heard her complain when that cell phone call for help comes. Rosie may be the most patient person I presently know. She has a heart as big as Texas!


Kate Dickson
Kate Dickson is a colleague and friend whom I have worked with for the last four years. She also retired from her Deputy Superintendent’s position at the Oregon Department of Education the same time I did. We decided to start our own company and have been scrambling to keep up with the work that we both enjoy, helping build strong educational leaders and implementing high school reform in order that each student may be successful. Since January, Kate had to work around my training schedule and listen to my tireless accounts of training rides and other training related issues. She has been a big supporter. Kate, when I get back, I promise not to talk about bicycling for at least a day.


Linda and Dave
Linda is my sister and Dave is her husband. In my training schedule I built in a couple of trips to help keep me motivated. One of those trips was to Linda and Dave’s house. They put me up for a week and we rode every day but one. The first Saturday of the week we rode the Top Hat Ride, and the second Saturday, the Wine Country Century out of Santa Rosa. During the week I rode every day with either Linda or Dave. They have been very encouraging. We all participated in the Ride Around Lake Tahoe as well.

During that week their son Steve, took me on my first nighttime mountain bike ride in the steep hills outside Palo Alto. This night ride occurred after nearly a full day of rain. If anyone ever asks you if you would like to borrow a bike light, the answer is yes! Steve also does mountain biking on a unicycle. He is amazing to watch.

Linda and Dave, thanks for all of your support.


John and Kathy
John and Kathy are riding buddies of Linda and Dave. I have really appreciated their friendship and love riding with them. There is a lot of super conversation and a lot of laughing. John and I have a deep appreciation for a good cup of coffee, Starbucks! We are not sure if a bike ride is worth the effort unless it goes by a Starbucks. John is also always trying to get me on rides that take super human effort. Thanks for the great rides and I look forward to many more.


Bob Knott
I met Bob at the athletic club where I work out early nearly every morning. (I mean, the doors open at 5:00AM!) Bob holds me accountable for showing up and in the event I miss once in a while, he harasses me with an email. Bob is a great guy and I really appreciate our friendship and his encouragement. Bob, I will be expecting you to email me every day and let me know if you were on time at the club.

Click here for Bob's side of the story.