Former Merrill mayor makes cross-state bike trek

(Sentinel photo by Luke Widbin) Rick Brent, formerly of Merrill, stands behind the bicycle he's ridden 750 miles from Loveland, Colo. to Pocahontas for his high school class reunion. Brent stopped in Le Mars at J & J Cafe on Wednesday morning to visit relatives. [Click to enlarge]

Around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Rick Brent pedaled into Le Mars to meet his brother, Barry Brent, as well as visit other relatives in the area.

At age 59, Brent will complete the 750-mile trip from Loveland, a city near Fort Collins, Colo., to Pocahontas Saturday when the Pocahontas High School class of 1969 will have their 40 year class reunion.

Twenty years ago, Rick Brent, former resident and mayor of Merrill, returned to Pocahontas for his 20 year high school class reunion from his home in Loveland. An avid cyclist at the time, he said to himself that the next time he came for a reunion, he would bike the journey.

Twenty years later, he did just that.

"I decided to bike the trip this year because I thought it would be cool twenty years ago," Rick said. "And I might not be able to do it in 20 more years, so now was the perfect time."

"He's always done stuff like this," Barry added. "He does open water swimming, hiking, skiing...he and adventure go together."

Although he has been out of long distance cycling for many years, Rick picked up the hobby again about a year ago to prepare for this trek from Colorado, through Nebraska, and into Iowa, which he began Wednesday, June 17.

"The best part of the trip - people," Rick said. "When they'll talk to a big guy in spandex, and you can talk a little farming back to them, it's just a fun experience."

Without people like that, his cross-state bicycle ride would have been much more difficult.

Rick was joined 81 miles into his ride by his son and son-in-law in Brush, Colo., who remained with him until Arnold, Neb. They had a humorous encounter in Julesburg, Colo., and another past North Platte, Neb.

"I came up on these motorcyclists ready to do a poker run, and they saw me riding by in my outfit and all," Rick said, chuckling. "One of them started joking with me and told me I could still register and join them, and that they were going to North Platte. I shouted back to them 'I just came from there, why would I want to go back!'"

Next, Rick recalled staying in a nice little bunkhouse in the village of Merna, Neb., which has about 400 people.

"The librarian of the town found me a place to sleep for the night," he said. "It turned out to be one of the nicest places I stayed."

A similar situation played out 85 miles down the road in Ericson, Neb.

An older woman who took him in owned a place on a 13-acre lot, and fed Rick a nice lunch and gave him a warning about venturing too far from the house.

"She came up to me and said 'Be careful when you go into the backyard. Those billy goats are kind of mean.'"

For a moment, Rick's luck traveling ran a little short. Rumble strips and gravel roads began to take a toll on his bike.

"Those rumble strips ruined the wheel," Rick explained. "The rear wheel was loose, one of the spokes was loose, and the bike just started to wobble."

He stopped at a gas station near Elgin, Neb. where he made a sign out of two boxes and marker that read "Bike broke, need ride to Sioux City." When the gas station attendant informed him that there was also a nice bike shop in Norfolk, Neb., Rick added to his sign "...or Norfolk."

"Sure enough, this guy pulls up in a pickup and says he's going to Norfolk," Rick said. "So we threw the bike in the back and headed out. In 40 miles, probably only 10 miles of road were paved."

After purchasing a new rear wheel in Norfolk, Rick continued his journey, which finally brought him to the J & J Cafe in Le Mars.

"Everybody on the road has been really great giving me space," he said. "The only scary moment was when a big cattle hauler went flying by me going about 70 mph. I picked up about 6 mph just from the draft."

Ironically enough, Rick met up with the driver of that semitrailer at a gas station later in his travels.

"I just gave him a hard time," Rick said, laughing.

These close calls seem to be the things that Rick and Barry Brent live for, as they will tell you. They will share stories from years past that will make your jaw drop from their days of thrill seeking, and traveling through Mexico.

"He's been all over the world," said Barry of his brother. "He's always doing something. I don't know when he works anymore."

So what's next for adventure seeker/real estate agent Rick Brent?

"One of these days real soon, I'd love to keep riding (until) Maine," Rick said. "All it would take is for my wife to tell me to go do it."