The Riders This page introduces the people who are participating in this year's Bike America Tour. If you have any questions or would like to correspond with any of the participants, click on their name, fill in the person's name on the subject line, and they'll get back to you when we hit the next campsite.

Adam Iobst Silver Spring, Maryland Age: 21 Weight: 150 Height: 5'10" Hi, my name is Adam Iobst. I'm 21 years old and attend St.Mary's college of Maryland. I really enjoy biking, mostly with my dad on weekend trips. I agreed to take a another trip with him this summer. Well, here I am thousands of miles from home. HELP! I hope I trained enough!

Lee Smith New York, New York Age: 36 Weight: 162 Height: 5'10" I live in Greenwich Village, where I've been a management consultant and internal operations consultant to retailers for the last 6 years. A recent victim of a corporate restructuring, I decided to take some time to think about my future. I'm married to a professional dancer, and since she's on tour for 4 weeks I had some time to myself in May and June. As a teenager, I toured in Nova Scotia in the summer of 1975 and in France and Switzerland the summer after. From the first time I heard of Bike Centennial organizing for the summer of '76, the idea of some day crossing from coast to coast has been a dream. Now I'm 36, and I can hardly believe I'm getting to do it! Thanks to Gena for supporting me in this endeavor, and to my family and friends. I'll see you all in July!

Ken Iobst Silver Spring, Maryland Age: 47 Weight: 190 Height: 5'11" I'm the eldest cyclist of Bike America '96. My background is as a computer architect and electrical engineer. Graduate of Drexel University BSEE '71 and University of Maryland MSEE '74, Ph.D. '81. Author of "A Simple Solution to the Pyramid", Pinnacle Books, '82. Past President of the Unitarian Universalist Mid Atlantic Community (UUMAC). Architect of the Cray Computer Corp. Super Scalable System, '95. I am a single parent with three wonderful sons - Adam, Wayne and Paul. I like games and puzzles, frisbee golf, bridge and bicycling around the country with my oldest son, Adam.

David Wallace Canton, Ohio Age: 40 Weight: 205 Height: 6'0" Born in Alliance, Ohio. Graduated from Kent State University with a B.S. in Seceondary Eduacation and from Akron University in Elementary Education. I teach 7th grade science and reading and 8th grade current events at Garaway Junior High School in Sugarcreek, Ohio. I coach golf and track and direct a yearly high school play. In my spare time I golf, swim and bike! You must join Bike America...it's the experience of a lifetime.

Paul Wyer London, England Age: 20 Weight: 140 Height: 5'10" I'm an English mountain biker finding hisAmerican road tires for the first time. Just joiningthe tour's first week - enough to get across Washington - before heading back to Seattle... Priorities: Enjoying the change, but pretty soon I'll be back off road.

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Mark Miller San Francisco, California Age: 42 Weight: 155 Height: 5'8" I'm probably the least experienced rider in the group, so if you want to know how a complete novice is handling the tour, keep an eye on the "Daily Journals". I started mountain biking about four years ago and switched over to a touring bike about a year and a half ago. I left the East Coast twenty years ago, hitchhiking from Boston to Anchorage. I figured biking back across would tie it all together. I contacted Dave in January with the concept of participating with Bike America '96 as an "Internet Journalist". The idea is to provide daily updates of the tour so that people who have thought about riding long distance tours can follow us and see how intermediate riders handle such a journey. If you have comments or questions about the website, please e-mail me. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Joann Blair Ashland, Oregon Today is mother's day and I am the mother of David Blair who is the fearless leader of our merry band of cyclers. David is the youngest of three boys. The other two are Scott and Todd. He also has a younger sister, Nancy. I currently live in Ashland, Oregon, and I find it interesting that I was born in Ashland County, Ohio, (64 years ago in my great-grandmother's house) and, in fact, Ashland, Oregon, was named by a pioneer from Ashland, Ohio. So I feel as though I have come full circle. I'm a graduate of The University of Akron and, also, Kent State University. My background is in journalism and librarianship---not a career, just a series of jobs fitted in between family activities. I spent most of my life as a Buckeye in Ohio before moving west eight years ago, first to Montana and then Oregon. I love the Pacific Northwest and feel very lucky to have come out to this beautiful country. It has everything--mountains, rain forest, desert, ocean, lakes and rivers. I hope to spend many more happy years in the PN but, at the moment, I am thrilled to be part of this trip, rolling slowly through the gorgeous scenery of western Washington. Wish you could be here to enjoy it, too.

Chuck Blair Ashland, Oregon I'm the father of David, Bike America's 1996 organizer,and a very proud father. This is my second Bike America venture as part of Dave's support staff and I am thoroughly enjoying "working" for my number three son. I have the time to cross America with the cyclists as one of the benefits of retirement. Joann, my wife and the cook on Bike America '96, and I came out West in 1988 after I retired from the active practice of law in Akron, Ohio. That followed my retirement as an administrator at The University of Akron and the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Having been born and raised in New York City, I find the grand spaces and character of the populace in the West both fascinating and desirable. We should have moved earlier!

Dave Blair Billings,Montana My wife Bernadette and I pedaled across the USA self-supported during the summer of '92. The experience was so incredible, I wanted to share it with others. After returning home I decided to organize and lead a group of like-minded folks on a fully supported, transcontinental bicycle tour. After months of marketing, promoting and coordination, I, along with my wife and parents for support and five participants, left Anacortes, Washinton in June of '95 and finished 62 days later in North Carolina. . . Bike America Tours had become a reality! This year we have six people who will be participating in part or all of the trek. I want to extend an invitation to you to "join us" on the internet this year and then in person for the '97 tour.

Donna Bell Byron, Wyoming My name is Donna Bell, I'm 37 yeas old and live in Byron, Wyoming. I am the sister-in-law of David Blair and was excited to accept the opportunity to cook for Bike America '96. I love to travel and see other places and people. With a degree in horticulture, I work summers on Flower Crew, designing, planting and maintaining the flowers on the Northwest College campus in Powell, Wyoming, where I work year round. In the winter, I return inside to work as a custodian. My hobbies include reading, gardening, yoga and spinning sheeps wool or llama hair into yarn.

Sarah Mauthe Byron, Wyoming My name is Sarah Mauthe. I'm 11 years old and live in Wyoming. I go to Powell Middle School. My hobbies are sports, especially soccer, bike riding swimming and roller blading. I also enjoy playing with my friends.

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