Welcome, everyone, and thanks for visiting my website, “Old Guy on a Bicycle.”
As you can tell from the title, I’m an old guy (65 in 2011) with an extreme passion for bicycling. In fact, as of October 2011, I have logged over 23,000 miles since I began biking in 2005. What you will see as you scroll through my website are my many adventures since then as well as my new adventures.
My name is Frank Briscoe. I have always appreciated the great outdoors, e.g., football, motorcycle racing, hunting, the Boy Scouts (as a Scout and Scout Master), jogging, hiking and backpacking, caving, sport rappelling, white water rafting and canoeing. Some of these have taken their toll on this “Old Guy.” I wondered how I could continue to enjoy outdoor sports, exercise my body and soul, and still be able to get out of bed the next morning!! I found it in biking.
Inspiration and motivation are key elements for me. I was blessed to have been inspired by a very wise man who just before he passed at the age of 77 said to me, “Don’t wait until you’re 65 or have enough time and money to begin enjoying life. If you don’t make the time and/or you wait to have the money, you never will. So do it now while you’re healthy and able.” His words combined with motivation from my childhood scouting days reminded me that biking is it. You see, I recalled a running series of a story I read back in the late 50’s in “Boy’s Life Magazine”. It was the story of a young Scout who rode his bike solo acrossAmerica. That was my dream then and now it’s become reality.
- I DID IT!
On October 4, 2011, after 126 days and more than 6,000 miles I can say I made it from the northwestern most corner of Washington State’s San Juan Islands to the southeastern most tip of Florida, I fulfilled my childhood dream. It was much more than I ever imagined and truly renewed my spirit and introduced me to fabulous, caring and kind people along the way.
You can read all about my “Crossing America” journey by going to “Bicycle Adventures”. There you can read about it and many others since 2005 as well as new adventures as they happen.
In addition to my “Bicycle Adventures”, there is a tab called “Videos/News Releases”. This section contains biking YouTube videos and any recorded interviews. Take a look. It’s fun stuff!
There are a number of ways to reach me. The “Contact Me” section outlines the various ways. I look forward to hearing from you with comments and/or questions I might be able to answer for you.
I hope you take time to visit the “Donate to MS” section. It is there you will learn about my commitment to help the National MS Society find a cure for this debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Many of my adventures have focused on raising money to do just that. Please take a minute to read all about it and make a donation to create “A World Free of MS”.
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you visit from time to time and take a virtual ride with me!
hi frank,
thanks for correcting my mistake and also for the connection with sue and her husband. have you considered doing the santiago thing? i know you’re busy with american tours but have a look at the movie “the way” with martin sheen in it and you might just want to join us (whoever we turn out to be) in a couple of years. it would be great to have a survivor champion in our midst!
nancy
Yes, I will be interested in joining you on your Santiago adventure. Keep me posted on your progress and especially when you confirm date for it. Frank
wow – fantastic! it isn’t for a couple of years yet – but great!!!
hi frank,
what a great site. cycling’s fantastic isn’t it? i’ve just started my own blogsite which i hope you visit and comment on – i’d appreciate that very much. i’m slowly getting a team of older women together for a hike across the camino in spain – the santiago de compostela – it should be a wonderful walk or bike ride, haven’t decided yet. maybe you could give us some cycling tips or getting ready tips on my blog? keep up the good work, nancy
Hi Nancy, I’ll check your website out. If I might be of any assistance with tips or ideas for a specific adventure you are going on let me know and I’ll do my best to provide good information.
that would be great. the santiago de compostela thing will happen in the next couple of years even if it’s just me and one other friend! what i’d appreciate is if you would do a guest blog on my site about how you prepare for a long trek – i know you’re on your bike so what preps do you do? and how do you prepare mentally? what inspires you etc and any weak spots? it would be lovely to establish a strong link between the two sites if you think the same. nancy ps i’ve started cycling every other day in preparation.
Hi Nancy,
Glad to see you are pursuing your dream, even if it ends up being only you and one other or just you whichever you are the one to make it happen. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
I took up bicycle riding almost 7 years ago. I had been a life long jogger but due to a total knee replacement could no longer participate in that activity. For five years following the knee replacement I became a couch potato not doing anything in the way of exercise. During those five years I gained over 50 lbs. Worse my mental attitude was in the WC. It can be safely assumed I was depressed. Realizing my depression and need to fight it I knew I had to once again begin exercising. I thought bicycling was the closest to jogging for me. Due to my extreme out of shape condition I was only able to ride a bicycle 4 miles when I first began. Also I found the bicycle caused me substantial physical discomfort. In an attempt to see if there was a way to make bicycling more enjoyable of an experience I went to bicycle shop that did fitting of rider to bike. The bicycle I had been riding was much too large a frame and none of the vital fit points came close to what they should have been for me. Wow! Getting a bike fitted to match my body geometry made a world of difference. Almost immediately I went from riding fewer than 10 miles per outing to 15-25 miles. Most of the discomfort of riding was gone. The exception was saddle comfort and I literally tried 22 saddles over the course of a year before settling on one I liked. In summary; first sure get a bicycle fitted to you and second start slow and build your miles up over the course of several months.For the last 6 years I have averaged 3,000 miles on a bicycle annually in 150 +/- outings. I supplement my bicycle riding with an indoor spin trainer when the weather is bad outside. I also weight train with light weights and high repetition about 35 times annually, mostly during the winter months. What I don’t do but very much encourage you to do is to do about 5 minutes of stretching before and after each workout. My New Year resolution is to force myself to do stretching this year. The few times I have done stretching exercises I have fewer aches especially after longer rides.
Having a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTIDUDE is all important in anything you do in life. I can testify to this truth as time and time again in my life I have accomplished what others thought I couldn’t do or were amazed I did to whatever the project. For example during my ride across America this past summer one particular stranger when he learned what I had done looked at me and said, “Excuse me you don’t hardly look like you can ride a bicycle let alone ride one over 4,000 miles. At that time I had just completed riding across the mid-section of America about 4,000 miles still well short of my goal to ride corner to corner another 2,000+ miles to go. You see even with all my exercise, I still am over weight. I like my beer and food. There are many things I think about to keep a positive mental attitude the most important to me are the folks I meet on my journeys. We can discuss more about keeping a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE in future discussions.
I encourage you to pursue your dreams, keep a positive attitude and check in with me as often as you like with any questions, comments or concerns.
May the wind always be at your back and happiness in your heart.
Your new friend,
Frank
frank,
thanks so much for the encouragement. i will copy and paste it on to my blog with your ok. i also used to jog – my best was 19 kilometres one afternoon after teaching all day. walkman in my ear (yes, a walkman!) and i was flying on the home strait.
but that was in my early 30s. mid-50s and i’m cycling now like you. i don’t stretch but will take note of what you advise. it’s such a chore, isn’t it?
like you, i indulge in sins of the stomach, but i also have residual strength (also like you) that keeps me keeping on. but your positivity is very encouraging and i will stick with my routine to honour my goal of the santiago trek.
my attitude is positive – i know i will do that trek – and i know i will succeed, at my own pace. and having strong support in the background is invaluable.
thankyou and i look forward to continuing this discussion,
nancy
it’s up now, frank. thanks so much.
also, i wonder if you could fix a mistake i made in my reply below. instead of the word “jog” i wrote “job”. are you able to edit it?
am enjoying our new chats,
wishing you well and success with survivor application,
nancy
Hi Again Nancy, OK I corrected the job to jog. Anytime I can be of assistance let me know. Good luck with your hike across the Santiago de Compotela in Camino, Spain. If I may be of any further assistance let me know.
Hi Nancy, I love the idea of a trek for “older women”. I prefer wiser. My husband did a 6 month cycle trip around Australia on his bike – in 5 months!! http://www.ridethetalk.com.au – have a look to see what he got up to. He was doing talks on energy efficiency in the home – in the most environmental way he could think of.
On my bucket list, I have the great alpine walk, also the great ocean road walk. In time it will happen.
Good luck with your trip organising.
Sue welcome to the Old Guy’s website. Maybe you and Nancy will be able to get together for an adventure? I’ll be here to offer my advise if and when you have questions. Frank
hi sue
i’ve checked out your hubby’s site and subscribed also. maybe you might consider joining a bunch of “wiser” women (and maybe some men as well – your h. might want to come?) in a couple of years if you’re not busy up in the alps. i’ve long wanted to cycle the great ocean road too – it’s magnificent isn’t it? good luck with your walks and maybe this can all lead to bigger and better things?
nancy
It’s a shame you don’t have a give money button! I’d definitely give money for this outstanding webpage! I suppose for the moment i’ll be satisfied bookmarking and incorporating your Feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh messages and will share this blog with my Facebook team: )
Hi Ryan, I do have a way for you to contribute. On my Home Page top center click on Donate to MS, next screen scroll down to link in red click on it. That will take you to my personal page with the National MS Society. On the left of this screen you will see fund raising guage just below it in red text is “Donate to Participant” click on it and follow the directions and you’ve made a donation. Thank you for your help and support I greatly appreciate it as does all the folks with MS.
More defense Frank- More D Hope you’re home safe by 20 Sept
Hi Lloyd, Sorry won’t be home until about Oct. 10th but will play then, if you want me too?
Frank,
All these years and I had no clue you were an avid cyclist!
Glad to know it from a fellow Randonneur!
Sincerely,
Corey Harper
Hi Corey, Same here maybe we can get together for a ride one day.
Very nice message u have written!
Hey Frank, Joyce said you might be having trouble with logistics for the west coast leg … what’s up?
Hi Dale, Joyce said you were tied up with work and another gal who was going to help in Oregon has a new job, I think. Past that I have a friend in Seattle, Joyce and Denny Harkins going to help get me trough Washington.
Soooooo, what’s the current plan for your Oregon leg? Let me know as much in advance as you can & I’ll see if I can help out somewhere. The “work” situation is somewhat flexible.
Hi Dale, any help would b great. Maybe shuttle my vehicle? I’m thinking OR about 10-12th at N border allow week to ride State?
Hi Dale, I’m thinking to b OR N border about 10-12 Aug. Take week to ride entire State?
Thank you, may you continue to enjoy my journal.
Thank you Mary, how did you find my website? I’m really pleased at how many folks are finding it and writing me. I very much would like to write short stories and be a motivational speaker in my next life.
Nice Blog !!! your the best
Thanks, hope you continue to enjoy my ramblings.
Good for you! “The secret of life is being
passionate about what you do!”
You sir are just that. Best of luck on your
adventure! My hat is off to you and I am
sooo jealous
Hi Jeff, thank you for the kind words. Don’t be jealous, part of my adventure is to prove to other folks you can always live your dream or at least give it a go. Attitude and determination are the secret ingredients.
Great write-up, keep it up!
Glad you enjoy my ramblings. Hope to continue to inform and entertain you.
Where are you Frank? We’re getting nervous!
Hi Jack, Sorry haven’t had internet service for several days. My journal is caught up as of now. I’m still going.
Thank you as I try to keep the reader involved by writing in a conversational manner. Hope you continue to read my blog.
Hope you got some rest today.
You’re our hero. We’re tracking you every step of the way. Hope to see you when you come through Savannah, GA. – Long way off, good luck, great charity.
I’m just another baby bloomer trying to prove we can do anything we set our mind to doing. Glad you’re following my blog and look forward to seeing you in Georgia.
You may want to check http://www.biketheusforms.org website as they have maps, videos and news feeds of our Trans-Am crossing as well as a Northern Tier and Pacific routes.
Hope you find my blog informative and fun to read.
Hope to keep you informed and entertained.
Hope all is going well. Think of you as I’m out ‘leisurely’ riding my bike. Hope to get a bike rack today at Spokes and Spandex. Vickie and I will have a fun day together today. Nancy
Great job. Wonderful cause. Hang in there. Looking forward for the updates.
Hi Monte! Thank you your words of support made my day. Hope to be a bit more positive, informative and entertaining as the weeks roll on.
Hi Monte, Thank you for reading my blog. I hope to provide you with insights to my thinking and feelings as I cross our great country and hopefully entertain you at the same time.
Keep spinning Frank!
And may the wind always be to your back.
Don’t I wish, mostly it appears we have headwinds. Today, I had to peddle going downhill as we were riding into a 20+ mph headwind. Such is life.
Spinning is how I make it up all the hills. It would be interesting to know how many revelutions I do going up some of these hills at 3 mph for nearly and hour. My short legs are spinning like a top or so it feels.
Frank,
I see from your first post you got started. Keep the faith. Stay strong! Wishing I was sharing the ride with you! more than vicariously.
John
Thank you for the kind words. I know you can do this and you should. Looking forward to providing you useful information for what to or not to do on a crossing of Ameria.
Frank, hope things are going well and your goal is be achieved. Take care of yourself and will be watching for details.
Hi Diane, after a couple dark days things are getting better. I’ll also get stronger but so will the kids on this stage of my adventure. Looking forward to providing you more fun news to read.
Looking forward to your next and all future postings……. Not only is your trip and the 4 years of planning leading up to it inspirational, but the fact you were a guest at our Tuesday afternoon “Medicine Meeting” at the Cottage before your departure takes this adventure to a whole new level. May the wind be always at your back.
Hi Rick, You just made my day. Part of my adventure journey is to share the experience and to let other folks know they too can live their dream, too. Take care my friend, I hope to be a bit more positive with future posts. The past couple days have been difficult but I’m working through it. After all its all part of the journey.
Off to a good start, Frank ! I’ll be looking forward to following you on your journey.
Way to go Frank. Your adventure is inspirational and we will watch your progress with interest. Safe travel. Pat
Hi Frank!
Joyce forwarded me your blog, very impressive. I have done a lot of fund raising to fight MS in the past, ridden my bike a lot to do so. I will ride a century right this weekend to support the fight against leukemia and lymphoma, the ride around Lake Tahoe.
Good luck on your ride!
Markus
Frank,
What an inspiration you are. To take on this journey and your contribution to MS is awesome! We will probably still be talking about it at our “50th” reunion.
Looking forward to following your blog.
Nancy
Thank you Nancy, hope I’m with you all at the 50th to talk about it, too.
Go, Frank!!! Old Guy? I think not! Young at heart and an inspiration, definitely.
Godspeed and roll on!
Thank you Suzy, you made my day hearing from you.
Are you bikin’ through my beautiful Utah? I’ll be here!!
Best regards.
Hi Ruthann,
Originally yes, but since changed my route to make it easier on myself. I hope to ride in your area within the next two years.
Way to go Frank! I’ll be watching.
Hi Bill, Hope I’m able to entertain and amuse you.
Frank,
My best wishes to you. I trust the fulfillment of your dream will be beyond your imagination and that you will pick up many friends and have many adventures along the way.
What an inspiration you are to so many! As a man named Paul says: “press on”.
Stay safe, and know that you have many thinking about your ultimate success!
Ooohhhrrraa – FRANK!
Semper Fi ….!
God’s speed!
ady
Frank,
Have a great time on your tips and be CAREFUL!
Dr. John
Hi Frank.
What a journey you are planning. It will be fun to follow your trip. Best of luck.
Regards from Iceland.
Hildur
Oh my goodness! How wonderful to hear from you Hildur. Hope to entertain folks with my blog. I’ll make my first post today. Look forward to visiting with you again.
I will pass your webside on to my biking friends in Iceland.
Best of luck.
Hildur
Frank,
Good luck on your adventure. Be safe and take pictures. Best Wishes!
Sandy
Frank –
First of all…you are amazing!!! I have so much respect for what you are doing physically, mentally, emotionally and philanthropically!!!!
I will definitely be following you adventures on your website – and by the way – love your website name!!!!!!
I truly wish you the best of luck on this adventure and can’t wait to hear/see/read all about it.
Deb
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable”.
Happy biking to you, my friend….
Barbara Ann
Frank, Good luck on your trip. Looking forward to following along on your website. Check is in the mail for MS. Good Luck and Good Speed (not to fast !!)
Jerry and Jaxcene Beisner
Good luck to you Frank! Can we get a blog or a map???
Sweet website Frank. We’re happy to have you, I look forward to riding with you this summer!
Hi Pepper, It will be an honor and pleasure to ride with you and the group.
Way to go Frank, I’m so proud of you!!! You are an inspiration and I’m glad to know you.
Yeaaa Frank! Good for you! What a memorable 65th for you! Take care, be safe and well and Godspeed always! Your friend, Bonnie
Read your article on morningsun.net. Good idear raising money for MS Society, plus having an adventure to boot! May you always get that “tailwind”. Bless you on your journey!
Frank, I salute you! An old guy supporting a good cause riding a red, white and blue bicycle across our great country is a true patriot in my book. Keep me posted on the exact time and location of your departure in Anacortes and I will try to be there.
Hi Denny,
That would be great! I’m on a wandering path but should be in the Anacortes area around Aug. 5th. I’ll keep you posted.
You’re doing it Frank! Rolling across America and helping MS….absolutely heart warming. I’ll be following this blog!!
Thank you Joyce. I do what I can, where I can. Along the way, hope to entertain folks as well as motivate.
Your website is now in my Favorite file and I’ll follow with interest your summer adventure.
Wishing you the best of everything – health, weather, excitement, friends, bike maintenance…
I know you’ll handle any challenges that may occur with little difficulty.
Nancy
Thank you Nancy. I do hope I’m able to provide you some entertainment and memories while on my adventure.
I could not be prouder or more honored to be your friend for all you do! You are a good and extraordinary man. God speed, my friend!
Thank you, those are the kindest words. You bring joy to my heart and soul and a tear to my eyes. God has blessed me with such beautiful friends.
“Stay the Course!” In case you’re from where, THE PATRIOT.
Good Luck Frank, I have your website saved to my favorites only a couple of months to go. Take lots of pictures and get them posted for us. I’m sure it will be an adventure of a lifetime.
Hi Robert, I plan to keep you all posted on my last great adventure. Hope you enjoy the stories.
I truly like yours site.. retain going
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I�ll make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I�ll certainly return.
Great cause by a great guy! Are you riding anywhere near CL on the X-country trip?
Thank you Kurt. Unfortunately southern Illinois will be the closest I make to CL.
Great site Frank. Keep on keep’n on!
Thank you Wendy, but I’ve had to rely on others to make it work and look good.
What a great website Frank…I am going to have so much fun follow you on all your biking adventures
..elena
Frank, I am so proud of you. You are such an inspiration to many.