Staffing Across America North for ABB 2004: January 2016

Front: Mike Munk, Mark Tyson; back L to R: Josh Stratton, Karen Bauer,
Barbara Munk, Susan Walker, "Cov" Covington

Name: MIKE MUNK, Tour Leader/Mechanic

Age: 56

Married: (To Barbara)

Home: Prattville, Alabama (Transplanted Yankee...originally from Indiana)

Occupation: Retired Air Force Navigator, Cross Country Bicycle Ride Leader, Bicycle Mechanic

Experience: First rode across the country as staff with Cycle America in 1996 upon retiring from the Air Force. First rode with ABB in '97 and began serving as head mechanic and leading ABB tours in '98. Has crossed the US 20 times and has led a total of 25 tours with ABB as of 1 Jan 2004. Started riding in 1989 at 42 years old and started racing at 45. Since '89, has amassed over 120,000 miles and has medaled at district, regional, and national levels in Armed Forces Masters, USCF Masters, and Senior Olympics competitions. Training includes: LABs Effective Cycling Instructor Certification, United Bicycle Institute's Bicycle Mechanic Certification, and is a Walden School of Cycling graduate. Four time National Senior Olympics Gold medalist; currently, the defending 40K Road Race Gold Medalist and 5K time trial Bronze Medalist (55-59 age group). Holder of the 50-54 National Senior Olympics record for the 5K time trial (6:29/29.0 MPH in 1999 at Orlando FL)

Bike: Custom Roark Titanium

Favorite Quote: Your worst day on a bicycle is better than your best day at the office.

Second Favorite Quote: Put the hammer down, you can rest tomorrow!

Third Favorite Quote: Life's too short to ride in the small ring.

Hobbies: Although cycling is a passion, other interests include golf, traveling, meeting new people, and playing with this web site.

Name: BARBARA MUNK, Assistant Ride Leader; Lodging, Food, & Finance Coordinator
Age: 53
Married: (To Mike)
Home: Prattville, Alabama
Occupation: Keeping Mike out of trouble is her full time job, but her grandkids (3) call her "Super Nena!"
Favorite Quote: "Being happy is a personal responsibility."Heard saying to a motel desk clerk: "Do you want to talk to the man in charge, or the woman who knows what's going on?"
Experience: Barbara began supporting bicycle tours so she could see Mike in the summer time. After he returned from his third summer on the road while she stayed home, she told him if he went again, he had to take her or stay home himself. She has been a wonderful addition to the ABB staff as she comes to us with 5 years experience supporting and developing bike tours. Her basic duties include taking care of the luggage, meals, motels, and general support of the riders (but mostly, as said before, she spends most of her time keeping Mike in check). You'll see her smiling face at the SAG stops and while preparing lunches on the road.
Hobbies: She spends most of her time, when away from bicycle tours, being the perfect mother to her two daughters (Krystal 32 and Niki 29) and grandma to her 3 grandkids Michael (7), Noah (4), and new granddaughter, Annaleise (1), and she's looking forward to seeing her newest (Rebekah Joy) due in August '04. She enjoys reading, working in the yard, travel, movies, and her grandkids (and keeping Mike out of trouble).

Name: KAREN BAUER, Ride Leader/Support Staff

Age:50

Home: Eugene Oregon

Experience: Cycling since 4, touring since '89...I asked her if she'd been riding all her life and she replied, "Not yet." Karen comes to us with 6 years staff experience. She has been involved with numerous state and local rides and 13 cross country rides. She has been with ABB for 4 years and we are proud to have her experience and personality on our staff. Smile when you see her...She'll have a camera in hand at the SAG stops or in the support van when she is not riding. She holds a MS degree in Physical Education and has coached US disabled cycling team at the Paralympics in Atlanta and Sydney Australia. She has raced tandem at the northwest Burley events and captained a tandem during the '95 US ABA Masters Disabled Nationals to the gold medal (Set national record) in the 40K women's tandem team event with a blind stoker. Qualified for the '05 National Senior Olympics by winning the Alabama State 40k and 20k road races and by placing second in the 5k time trial. Most recently, placed 6th and 8th in the time trials and won the SILVER medal in the 20k road race at the National Senior Olympics in Pittsburg PA.

Bike: Roark Custom TI

Occupation: Working out and eating bagels and broccoli.

Favorite Quote: "Can I have broccoli with cheese on the side with that?"

Hobbies: Cycling, reading, working out, traveling, and meeting new people.

Name: JOSH STRATTON
Age: 28
Home: East Grand Rapids, MI
Single: Yes, but I have a lead on a good one

Occupation: Bike Mechanic; left an interesting job in bone model making to be with ABB this year . . . we hope he won't have to use that expertise on this ride.
Bike: Kestrel
Favorite Quote: "The shortest distance between two points is the easiest." Ned Overend
Hobbies: Biking, Frisbee, Soccer

Experience: Began cycling after his senior year of college after a friend convinced him to start riding to overcome boredom. In fall of 2003, rode ABB Fast South and so impressed Mike that he was asked to join the ABB staff. Attended UBI's (United Bicycle Institute's) Pro Course in Oregon that winter to learn bike mechanics.

Name: MARK TYSON, Mechanic

Age: He ain't telling

Home: Boulder, CO

Occupation: Managing Servo Engineer

Experience: ABB Challenge, 1998; staffed Mississippi, 2000; staffed America North, 2004; staffed America North, 2002

Hobbies: Skiing. biking, volleyball, tennis, carving, knapping, woodworking, hiking, travel

Bike: Merlin with Compy Chorus group, 5-10 yrs old

Favorite Quote: "All things should be as simple as possible but not simpler."

Name:

KAY "COV" COVINGTON, Newbie Support Staff

Age: 49

Hometown:
Edwardsville IL

Occupation: Professor, Exercise Physiology Southern Illinois University

Hobbies: Cycling, Reading, Traveling

Bike: Roark Custom Ti

Cycling Experience: 2002 ABB North, 2000 ABB Challenge, Numerous multi day tours

Something interesting about you: Cycling and exercise physiology are my "first loves." Being involved in a cross country bicycling event allows me to combine both interests.

Favorite Quote: A bad day on a bike is better than a good day at school.

Name: SUSAN S. WALKER, Newbie Support Staff/Website helper

Age: 62

Hometown: Stillwater, OK

Occupation: Retired fire service curriculum developer/editor/English teacher

Hobbies: Beekeeping, birding, cycling newsletter, Wheel Issues; Audubon newsletter Feathers/ Pinfeathers

Bike: Specialized Roubaix Elite

Cycling Experience: ABB Mississippi River '98; self-supported West Coast '00; Alaska '02; Katy Trail, OK Freewheel, etc.

Something interesting about you: I am a certified Firefighter I, fire instructor, SCUBA diver, and LAB cycling instructor #1067

Favorite Quote: "Coast when ya kin" advice from an awed Southern teen I met on the ABB Mississippi River ride in '98 (I turned this quotation into the title of a book I published in 2016: Coast when Ya Kin: 30 Years "Behind Bars." It describes my many rides, including this one, and is available on Amazon.)

It is 12 years post-photograph for all shown here, myself included. Much more information about each rider was included on the original website, but it is just too much to copy, paste, and reformat, so I am including only a photo of each rider and his/her age and hometown. The positioning is helter skelter because I am unable to insert a table in this blog program--or perhaps I just do not know how.

One thing that I observed during this website-to-blog operation is that Mike Munk was a phenomenal ride photographer, recording riders and events as they happened, but he could never make a living as a portrait photographer. If you do not recognize yourself, blame Mikie.

Susan Walker, 2016