LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk | Personality Following Floyd 12,000 Miles. By: Scott Mierop L ong time volunteer and supporter for the Tri-Lakes Humane Society, Floyd Lampart, will be raising money through his Pedaling 4 Paws bike ride. Floyd's goal is to visit the four U.S. post Offices in the farthest four corners of the contiguous 48 states. This route will cover over 12,000 miles and take a little over five months to complete. On his trek around America, he will be spreading the word about the Humane Society and collecting donations along the way. The money raised will be used exclusively for a new and much needed sprinkler system for the Tri-Lakes facility. Floyd is donating quite a bit himself, as his ride is not being funded by the money raised. In early April of 2013, Floyd will leave from Saranac lake and head for the farthest northeasterly post office in Lubec, Maine. From there, it's down the East Coast to Key West, Florida, his most southerly destination. He'll then head west, passing through Mississippi, Louisiana, and into Texas. From there, he will continue through the Southwest portion of the country, and head up the west coast of California to La Push, Washington, the most westerly point in his journey. From there, he'll head east, through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and into Angle Inlet, Minnesota, the most northern U.S Post Office in the lower 48. Finally, Floyd will continue east, passing through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and back to New York State, ending his ride in September. We wanted to know more about his trip and the cause he's riding for, so I had lunch with Floyd at the Blue Moon Cafe in Saranac Lake before he left. LOCALadk: Floyd, this is a real Forest Gump kind of trip, and all for a good cause. I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who would like to know a few details about your journey and how you prepare for it. Let's start off with a little about your equipment. What are you riding? Floyd: It's a Surly Long Haul Trucker, with a Whipperman Stainless Steel bike chain, a special Rohloff internal-gear rear hub, and I'm taking two sets of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires I figure will last about 6000 miles each. All of this was set up by my good friends Kenny, Don and Carl at Placid Planet, in Lake Placid. The bike is set up with 26 LOCALadk Magazine Spring 2013 a rear rack and both front and rear panniers. I plan on taking about 38 to 40 pounds of gear. LOCALadk: Gear. That's a great next question. What are you taking with you? Floyd: Really, I'm not taking much. There's just not that much room, and of course the lighter the load the better. With me I'll have a rain suit, 4 pairs of socks and underwear, a few Smartwool tops and a special UV blocking solar suit for when I'm crossing Texas and the Southwest in the hottest part of the summer, including a sun hat with flaps that will protect my neck. I have a Eureka one-person tent for shelter, and I am not taking a stove, which really lightens my load. For eating utensils, I carry one cup, and one spoon. That's it. LOCALadk: Wow, that's very minimal. Lots of people go on weekend camping trips with a lot more than that! Can you tell us a little about how and what you'll eat along the way? What's your plan? Floyd: Well, I'm planning on needing 4,500 calories a day, as I'll be expending quite a bit of energy. I begin every day the same. For breakfast, I start with a quart of almond milk, granola and one banana. I fill my cup with granola, banana and milk. Once the banana is gone, I keep refilling the granola until the quart of almond milk is finished. Mid-morning, I'll stop somewhere for a cup of tea and a cookie or pastry. For lunch, I basically keep to two options. I have a Subway card loaded up, and if I use that, I stick with a mostly vegetarian sub. If there is no subway, I'll stop by a Hannaford or something similar, and get some canned fish, cheese and crackers – something like that. For dinner it's the same. Not a lot of variety, but it gets the job done. LOCALadk: Do you have a daily schedule? Do you have a routine? Do you set goals for distance? By the way, do you mind if I ask how old you are? Floyd: First off, I'm 67. My routine is very much the same every day. I wake up at 6am every morning, have breakfast, and I'm on the road biking by 7am sharp. This gives me five hours before noon, taking out a little time for my mid-morning break. That's a lot of riding time, and often I can make 45 miles or more by noon. After lunch, I can usually make another 45 miles, depending on the terrain, which will give me 90 for the day. Sometime I'll do a hundred (what cyclers call a century) and sometimes maybe I'll only do 75. I don't have set goals on a daily basis; I just do what feels right. I know what I'm capable of, and know that if I bike within those capabilities, I should be back in Saranac Lake in September. LOCALadk: Will we be able to know where you are, and follow your progress? LOCALadk comes out quarterly, so we'd love to let our readers know about your adventure in our coming issues.

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