Penn State students visit city on cross-country bicycle journey to New Jersey

Thursday, June 9, 2011
Three Penn State University students, (left to right) Lyle Ressler, Jody Essick and Steve Linde, stopped in Fort Scott last week on a cross-country bike trip to see America. Their destination is Ocean City, N.J. They started in San Diego, Calif.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

Three Penn State University students found themselves a long way from home this past week as they pedaled through Fort Scott on their way across the country.

Aboard 10-speed bicycles, Steve Linde, Lyle Ressler and Jody Essick started their sojourn in San Diego, Calif., May 11, and plan to stop in Ocean City, N.J. As of June 3, they had ridden 1,800 miles and averaged 80-90 miles a day. The trip, which will span 3,000 miles when it's done, will last about six weeks.

Their longest day had been 175 miles through Colorado, which took them 13 hours. Since then, they've toned it down a little.

Using maps, "We plan it out day by day," Linde said. "... We try and hit up small towns and get the real American experience." It also means less "scary" traffic, they said.

Ressler and Linde are from Lancaster, Pa., and Essick is a Pottstown, Pa., native. None of the boys had done much cycling before they set out, but Ressler had run a Boston Marathon. Runners have to complete the 26.2-mile course in 3 hours, 10 minutes to make it into the race, and Ressler said he did it in 3:04.

Ressler said he and Linde had cousins who made a cross-country bike trip together and they were inspired to put a journey of their own together.

"It's been pretty amazing," Essick said. "We've had a lot of great experiences meeting a lot of great people."

Linde said they stayed in cave one day and rode horses another.

"Every day it just keeps getting more exciting," Ressler said.

Throughout their trip, the three said they have been amazed by people's generosity. "We've gotten fed well and taken care of well," Linde said.

In Fort Scott, Linde, Ressler and Essick attended the Good Ol' Days festival, including the chicken dinner, parade and weiner dog races, last Friday night, and had a chance to stay at Lyons Twin Mansions.

Originally, they were going to pitch a tent in a vacant lot next to Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Lindsay Madison's home.

The youngsters said Fort Scott seemed like a good, friendly place. If you would like to keep up with the bicyclists, visit their blog at goeastyoungmengoeast.blogspot.com.