These and other examples of the growing stature of bikes and biking on 91����Ƶ’s campus have more recently attracted attention from off-campus groups. In the fall of 2012, the League of American Bicyclists made 91����Ƶ just the third university in the state to win a “bicycle friendly campus” designation. The following spring, 91����Ƶ learned that it won the “small university” category of the National Bike Challenge – a contest in which groups earn points based on how far and often participants ride bikes (19 91����Ƶ faculty and staff members participated, logging a collective 9,412 miles).

91����Ƶ’s first bicycle maintenance class was a full-blown, three-credit affair (now scaled down to just one credit) that went well beyond mechanics. “We learned about many complex issues related to cycling and community organizing,” recalls Ben Bailey ’13, now an assistant manager at Rocktown Bicycles, one of several bike shops in Harrisonburg.

“We tried to use the coop and the class as a springboard into community advocacy,” says Dula.

As a result, a growing number of students began looking beyond campus to become more involved in the active biking scene in and around Harrisonburg, billed as the “bike capital of Virginia” for the fantastic mountain and road biking opportunities within easy reach of the city. In the past several years, Dula and a number of students have ridden in events like the Shenandoah Mountain 100 – a 100-mile mountain bike race held west of town – and spent many hours volunteering with advocacy groups, trail-building projects and other biking events. “We really love to ride our bikes, not just get other people to ride them,” Dula notes.

One of those outside efforts with closest ties to 91����Ƶ is the development of a new, 2.5-mile walking and biking path, called the Northend Greenway, which will connect campus to downtown Harrisonburg. Planning for the path began in 2010 (building on similar efforts dating back at least a decade), when a small group of concerned citizens, including Lars Åkerson ’08, began talking about how to build a multi-use path, mostly following Blacks Run through the north side of town.

“From the beginning, the Northend Greenway wasn’t only about bikes. Bikes brought us together, but the Northend Greenway was an opportunity to develop a ‘linear park’ that would not only connect neighborhoods, but connect neighbors,” says Åkerson, who later stepped down from the steering committee when he left town for graduate school.

Among the neighborhoods the Greenway will more closely connect is a low-income residential area on the north side of downtown to 91����Ƶ and to the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. Stephen Godshall ’92, another former member of the steering committee, looks forward to the path providing a new opportunity for his and other families to bike with their children. Godshall, a family practice doctor, is also eager to see the greenway provide people with a safe, enjoyable place for exercise. *

By 2011, the city had endorsed the idea, and the Greenway’s leadership team redoubled its planning, fundraising and landowner outreach efforts. They now expect the path will be open to the public by 2015.

In the meantime, Godshall hopes that 91����Ƶ will begin playing a bigger leadership role in making the Greenway become a reality.

“I would challenge 91����Ƶ to be a little more involved,” he says. “It would be nice to see it take an even more active lead in promoting bicycle infrastructure.”

Bikes, say many of those who love them, are fundamentally sources of connection with the outside world and with other people, and in that sense, the more 91����Ƶ does to encourage and support biking on and around campus, the better, stronger ties it will establish with the wider city.

“91����Ƶ, like any college, is separated a bit from the local community,” says Bailey, who developed a passion for biking as a student but, at first, “didn’t have connections outside of campus to people who were riding bikes.”

During his junior year, a job at a bike shop next to campus opened his eyes to the larger world of biking in Harrisonburg. For years, Bailey says, individual students at 91����Ƶ like him have found their own ways into this wider biking scene; he hopes that the bike coop and class that began on campus when he was a student will help create a stronger institutional connection between 91����Ƶ and everything else that makes Harrisonburg Virginia’s bicycle capital. (If he called the shots at admissions, he’d be making a much bigger deal about local biking).

Because the student body at any college is in constant turnover, another key bit of helping students on bikes more fully enjoy and participate in the life of this bike capital is the support of older, more experienced bikers. When Bailey was a student, Dula and Wyse were very influential in getting him involved beyond campus. Now that he’s graduated and moved on to a job in the biking world they helped him discover, he’d like to do what he can to make that same process even easier for students now and in the future. One of his first steps: returning to campus in the spring of 2014, as Wyse’s co-teacher of the bike maintenance class that played such a heavy influence on Bailey just a few years earlier.

— Andrew Jenner ’04

* Others from 91����Ƶ who have had prominent involvement in the Greenway include Jakob zumFelde ’11, a former engineering intern, Nicholas Detweiler-Stoddard ’07, MDiv ’12, its first fundraising and outreach coordinator, SPI associate director Nathan Musselman ’00 and Kevin Burnett ’03, both steering committee members, and numerous representatives of the Greenway’s advisory board.

The last few weeks have been an exercise in contrasts for Lars Akerson and Jon Spicher, pedaling from barren ground to verdant, from sea level to nearly three miles in the clouds. They are in Peru now, six months, nine countries and nearly 6,000 miles gone from Harrisonburg, bound for the Mennonite World Conference, in Paraguay in July – an adventure, a spiritual journey, a fundraiser for other young people to attend the conference and more.

Lars Akerson and Jon Spicher pause for a celebratory photo at Abra Condorcenca (13,700 feet) late in the afternoon of their first full day of climbing through the Andes. (Courtesy Photo)

Spicher, an 91����Ƶ student, and Akerson, a recent graduate, spent most of May heading south along the Peruvian coast, through some of the driest deserts on earth. It was the most lonesome segment of their trip so far. The scenery was almost surreal, lunar, bare sand interrupted by dunes and taller, jagged rocky outcrops. The headwinds, the unending brown and the miles of emptiness all took a toll on the two bikers.

"It began to wear on [me]. It was the same landscape, the same scenery … straight roads for miles and miles," said Spicher.

At Nazca, after hundreds of miles south through the desert, their route took a jog east, and up, into the Andes. The straight roads turned to spaghetti, winding and winding and climbing. They spent the first night in the mountains camped beside the road. There was a new moon that night, Akerson said, and he saw more stars than he’d ever seen before. Up and up they went; they were relieved to see the color green again as they reached wetter altitudes, and to hear the sound of running water.

They gained 8,500 feet in their longest day of climbing, and once got about 15,000 feet in elevation; they spent another entire day riding through high grasslands above 14,000 feet, dotted with vicunas, alpacas, llamas and flamingo-filled lakes.

"The whole stretch through the Andes has been gorgeous," Spicher said.

Though they suffered some minor altitude-related headaches, shortness of breath, lethargy and excessive yawning, none of it’s been as bad as they’d anticipated. At night they started having to bundle up – a welcome change from desert heat.

At the end of May, after a week of climbing, they reached Cusco, the old capital of the Inca Empire. They paused there for a week of R&R, spending their time visiting an elementary school and a clinic and making other connections as they’ve tried to do since leaving Harrisonburg on a rainy January Tuesday.

Their trip seemed to naturally break into sections: make it to Mexico (check), then to Managua by Easter (check), then South America (check, after a flight from Panama to Ecuador, bypassing Colombia for logistical and safety reasons), then up the Andes (check) and next, finally, on to Paraguay.

"It definitely feels like we’re heading toward the finish line," said Akerson.

So far, so good, and no real mishaps yet. Spicher’s trailer sustained a glancing blow from a careless car in southern Mexico, which bent his rear wheel and took about 24 hours to fix. In Abancay, Peru, another car rolled through a stop sign and grazed Akerson’s leg. Their worst scrape occurred upon arrival in Cusco, when Akerson misjudged his approach to a slotted drainage grate in the road, steering his front tire straight down a front tire-sized slot, and sending Akerson tumbling over his handlebars. A passing ice cream vendor dragged Akerson to his feet; he and the bike were fine, and Akerson and Spicher laugh now when they tell the story – evidence that the worst so far hasn’t been all that bad.

Next, into Bolivia, east across the high altiplano, and down, down to Paraguay, where they plan to finish their trip in Asuncion by July 9.

Follow their progress online at .

By Andrew Jenner, Rocktown Weekly

It was the first Tuesday in January, cold and rainy, when Jon Spicher and Lars Akerson began pedaling south. In the 45 days and 2,000-plus miles since then, they’ve made steady progress, about five days of biking and two of rest each week, cutting a gentle arc across the Southeast, crossing the border in Laredo, Texas, and heading south into Mexico – Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and now, San Luis Potosi.

They’re just hitting their rhythm, about a quarter of the way done. Spicher, a junior at 91����Ƶ, and Akerson, a recent graduate, are bound for Asuncion, Paraguay, where the Mennonite World Conference will convene in mid-July.

Biking through the towns hear Oaxaca, Mexico (Photo from the bikers’ latest blog on )

They’re riding to meet new people and see new places, to "strengthen relationships within the global church," to "consider ways of living the life-changing call of Jesus Christ in the context of a global church" (so says their blog), to raise $30,000 to help other young people attend the conference in Paraguay – part pilgrimage, part adventure, all by bike, slowly, heading south.

So far, so good, they say.

Yes, lots of people ask them what they’re doing and where they’re headed. Yes, they’ve encountered unexpected kindness and hospitality, and yes, they’ve had a bunch of interesting conversations. No, nothing really bad has befallen them, so far. Some tendonitis that troubled Spicher early on dissipated somewhere in Alabama.

They eat a lot of bread, and they drink too much soda (everyone in Mexico seems to do this, they’ve found; Spicher says he’s giving it up for Lent). They both got sick soon after crossing into Mexico, something fluish, and now they’re mostly better except for a lingering cough.

Their bikes – Spicher’s on a Surly, Akerson’s on a Trek – have performed admirably, especially since they found a friendly bike shop in Corpus Christi, Texas, that allowed them use of the workshop for a tuneup.

Before they left, they expected to camp about half the time, to cook on their campstove, to purify their own water. But thanks to the unexpected hospitality they’ve encountered, and pleasantly cheap lodging and food elsewhere, they haven’t really roughed it at all. They haven’t even taken their tent out of its bag since leaving Harrisonburg.

Biker Lars Akerson enjoys the hospitality of local residents during a recent stop near Puebla, Mexico (Photo from the bikers’ latest blog on )

They carry about 50 pounds of gear each. They are a few days ahead of schedule, which affords them the luxury of a leisurely pace.

"I’d say we take at least two days a week off," said Akerson.

"It’s pretty laid back," added Spicher.

San Luis Potosi by Mardi Gras. The halfway point in Managua, Nicaragua, by Easter, hopefully, and that’s about as far ahead as they’ll let themselves look, right now. Conceiving their trip as a series of shorter ones keeps them from getting discouraged.

"You can’t really think about Peru or Bolivia from Mexico," Spicher said.

Two thousand-odd miles down, a lot more than that left to go. South America still feels like a dream.

To follow their trek, visit their blog at americas.bikemovement.org/route.

Lars Akerson and Jonathan Spicher are well aware of the major challenge, risk and unknowns facing them, but they feel confident that they’ll persevere "with God’s protection and the support of family and friends."

A large group of well-wishers stood in the cold rain Tuesday morning, Jan. 6, as Akerson, 22, of Harrisonburg, and Spicher, 20, of Lancaster, Pa., left Virginia Mennonite Conference headquarters in Park View, pointing their 27-speed touring bikes southward. Six months and some 8,500 miles later, they hope to arrive in Asuncion, Paraguay, to attend two global church meetings.

The 15th Mennonite World Conference Assembly, set for July 13-19 in Asuncion, is expected to draw upwards of 7,500 people from North and South America, Europe and other nations. The event will be preceded by a Global Youth Summit, July 10-12. The first such gathering was held in 2003 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and attracted more than 220 young adults from 28 countries. Akerson hopes that many more will attend this time.

It’s an adventure, certainly, but more than that the pair will seek to raise funds to help more young adults from other countries to attend the youth summit.

They’ll also engage individuals, Anabaptist churches and larger groups along the way, do much listening to others’ concerns and vision for the church, but they also anticipate doing service projects as they arise in keeping with the focus of the youth summit, "Service: Live the Difference."

They also worked with persons at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Akron, Pa., and with Mennonite Church conferences in setting up contacts along their route.

Lars Akerson (l.) and Jonathan Spicher ready their bike equipment before departing. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

Akerson graduated from 91����Ƶ the spring of 2008, a double major in mathematics and liberal arts with a minor in Spanish. He was one of 10 recipients of 91����Ƶ’s "Cords of Distinction" recognition for significant contributions to the school and broader community.

Spicher plans to return to 91����Ƶ this fall as a senior biology/premed major. His biking venture will fulfill the school’s cross-cultural requirement, and he’ll receive additional credits for independent study related to the trek.

The first segment of the journey will include stops in Durham, N.C., and at Jubilee Partners in Comer, Ga. They’ll travel through Alabama, Louisiana and Texas and cross into Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and finally, Paraguay.

They’ve invited persons to join them for sections of the ride, for a few miles or several days.

They hope to spend time interacting with the 91����Ƶ cross-cultural spring semester seminar group whose time in Guatemala will coincide with the men’s travels. They’ll also visit MCC workers in various locations and Conservative Mennonite Conference personnel in Ecuador.

Asked about the weather uncertainties and risk and safety factors of this major trek across two continents, Akerson and Spicher gave knowing looks and remained silent awhile before responding.

"Our main concern is the last leg of the trip," Akerson said. "We’ll spend much of the last two months biking in elevations up to 14,000 feet above sea level."

"We will be vulnerable, but we’re relying on persons’ hospitality and intentionally depending on God and others for safety and protection," Spicher stated. "We’ve done some planning for contingencies but can’t anticipate everything that could happen along the way."

Akerson and Spicher mount their bikes as they head out of Harrisonburg. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

Nancy Heisey, chair of the Bible and religion department at 91����Ƶ and president of Mennonite World Conference, called the pair’s impending venture both "exciting and scary."

"I admire the amount of energy Lars and Jonathan are putting into this journey," Dr. Heisey said, "but even more, I’m pleased that they are demonstrating a commitment to spiritual growth as well as the significant contribution they want to make to other young adults around the world."

The pair has set up an interactive web site () where they will provide regular updates of their journey with personal reflections, stories and photos. Anyone who wants to contribute to the fund-raising effort can do so at the same site.

"We hope that our journey will encourage and add to an intercultural conversation about discerning and living Christ’s call with integrity," said Akerson.

Added Spicher: "Biking together is a great relationship-building endeavor. I’m excited to have this opportunity for two-way learning with brothers and sisters and for spiritual growth."