Trio plan to bicycle across U.S.

It’s safe to say, with a combined 80 years of teaching, Ed Drouin, Neil Kempen and Tim Williams are three wise men.

So how will they spend their summer vacation? They’ll ride their bikes across the country, silly.

Drouin, a teacher at Lakeside High School, Kempen, a supervisor at Gonzaga Prep, and Williams, a teacher at Sacajawea Middle School, will push out of Spokane on June 16. The end of the line will be Drouin’s daughter Erica and son-in-law Ryan’s apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Drouin’s wife, Deb, and Williams’ wife, Judy, also educators, will be there to meet the men. Some will drive back to Spokane. Others will fly home.

The men plan to cover 80 to 85 miles a day, set up their no-frills camp, get some shut-eye, and do it again the next day. They figure it will take about 40 days to complete, give or take bad-weather delays or a night of too many shots of tequila.

Drouin, 56, Kempen, 53, and Williams, 53, have mapped out a route that will take them on or around U.S. Highway 2 for a good part of the tour. Although the route is not etched in concrete, certain sections — like the Continental Divide — cannot be avoided. Williams said they plan to cross at Marias Pass, not coincidentally, the lowest mountain pass between Canada and Mexico.

Extreme bike riding — or in this case, extremely long bike riding — is nothing new to these three.

Drouin and Kempen, both North Siders, are most proud of touring in the Register’s Annual Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), a 600-mile, six-day race that has grown from 300 riders in 1973 to a 8,500-rider limit last year.

Drouin first rode in RAGBRAI in 1985 and has done it three times. Kempen joined him three summers later and has done RAGBRAI two times.

Williams, a South Hill resident, is the cross-country voyager of the group. In 1995, he and his son, Steve, rode from Spokane to Boston. Neither one strayed far from each other, an easy feat considering they were riding a tandem bike.

Over the years, Williams and his other buddies have done their share of 1,000-mile bike tours throughout the West. Admittedly, cycling was a lot easier when he was younger. The inclines weren’t as intimidating.

“In those days,” Williams said, “we used to ride uphill to ride downhill. Now, we’re too old to ride uphill and too scared to ride downhill.”

Back in the day, Williams rode a 1972 Mondia touring bike with Campagnola parts. He paid about $400.

Thirty-two years later, Williams rides the same bike. He affectionately calls his Swiss-made beauty — which would cost about four times as much today — White Lightning. The only replacement he’s made is new spokes.

“Compared to today’s bicycles, mine is like a 1953 Cadillac,” Williams said. “It’s a classic … . Some will say it’s a relic.”

Drouin and Kempen both ride Novara Randonee touring bikes. They list for $639.99 on the REI Web site.

Drouin, who rides between 75 to 110 miles a week, calls his Novara the Beast of Burden. Kempen, equally regimented in his cycling routines, calls his bike the Burro, as in a donkey used for packing.

The Burro, White Lightning and the Beast will each be weighed down with about 25 pounds of gear and supplies. One-man tents, cooking gear and everything considered necessary will be packed in panniers attached to the front and back of the bikes.

Williams will be in charge of the one-pot cooking. Some nights it will be chicken, potatoes, carrot and onions. Other nights Top Ramen will never have tasted so good.

Williams said the secret to spicing up any food is just that — spices. He plans to pack dried garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, herbs and olive oil. Drouin said each day he’d have three 32-ounce bottles of water with him.

“The most concern is breaking down physically,” said Williams, who has had two knee surgeries. “Food becomes whatever is convenient, even if it’s Zip-Trip style food … bananas, Fig Newtons.”

Destine, or any form of diaper-rash ointment, also is a must, the men said.

“It helps to get your seat familiar with your seat,” Williams said. “By the time you get to Montana, you’re ready.”

Although the men plan on camping out, when they’re too tired, too cold or can’t stand another minute without a shower, they won’t hesitate to check into a motel. After all, they may be nutty, but they’re not dummies.