Lake County cousins ride 3,816 miles to raise money for charity

For all the intricate logistics and months of planning, one detail was deemed absolutely essential for the big road trip starting Tuesday under the Golden Gate Bridge.

“A much more comfortable seat — I’m going to be on it a long time,” said Mike Logunetz, 25, a Libertyville resident who with his cousin, Jim Boge, 29, of Lake Zurich is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

The pair, who have been close since they were kids, will fly to San Francisco on Monday, the starting point for a 3,816-mile cross-country bicycle trip scheduled to end in Boston in time to celebrate the Fourth of July.

“We’re going to be putting our bikes together at the baggage claim,” Logunetz said.

Every aspect of the fundraiser/adventure has been detailed, with the first leg — a 73-mile spin to Vallejo, Calif. — scheduled for Tuesday morning.

“It will have to be pretty severe weather or injury that would keep us from being on schedule,” Boge said.

Well-wishers can learn about the mission, track their progress, make a donation or link to their commentary as the trek unfolds at www.bikeforhomes.com.

“We want people to partake in it,” Logunetz said. “We’re completely accessible the entire trip through the website.”

“Bike for Homes” is what the pair call their quest to raise $20,000 for Habitat for Humanity, a national Christian housing ministry that builds homes for families in need.

“Since we both have the background in construction, we thought it was fitting to work for Habitat for Humanity,” Logunetz said.

Donations will be directed to the Lake County chapter of the national organization for a home to be built this summer in Waukegan in cooperation with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Through the Lutheran Student Fellowship program, the pair have traveled south to help residents rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, and to New York City to rehabilitate churches and help in soup kitchens.

But that was some time ago. Boge, as a project manager for H/S Builders based in Rolling Meadows, is overseeing major work in the Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park neighborhoods of Chicago.

Though a tough time to take off, he has the blessing of his bosses.

“We started talking about this trip a year ago,” Boge said. “They said, ‘Yeah, we like the idea.’”

Logunetz earned a master’s degree in architecture in May 2010 but hasn’t found work in his chosen field. He recently returned to Libertyville after bumping chairs and shoveling snow as a lift operator at a Colorado ski resort.

As jobs in his field remain scarce, he decided to seize the opportunity.

“We may never have another time in our lifetime to do this,” he said.

The seed may have been planted years ago and slowly germinated as their fathers, who have been friends since high school, regaled the family with tales of their bike trips in the early ’70s from Chicago to Racine and Lake Geneva, Wis.

“We didn’t have a route mapped out. We just decided to head north,” recalled Logunetz’ father, Mike. “Even though it’s a much, much longer trip, I still feel they are much better prepared than we ever were.”

The cousins have a love of the outdoors, particularly snow and water skiing, as well as hiking and biking. Boge has participated in triathlons and half marathons. Logunetz rode in Colorado and upon his return to this area in March joined a gym, mainly to use the stationary bike.

Their legs withstood the test on a recent practice run to Whitewater, Wis.

“What hurt most was our shoulders and necks,” Logunetz said.

Advice came from Logunetz’ brother-in-law, who last year rode from San Francisco to Jacksonville, Fla., for a different charitable cause.

A network of bike shop operators, enthusiasts and others, including a nutritionist, offered tips about what to bring and what to expect. Who knew shoe covers to keep their feet dry would be a must?

Logunetz’ 2009 Trek Portland touring bike has been extensively modified. Special tires with more spokes and a heavy-duty fork were installed to hold extra weight. Each rider will carry about 75 pounds in supplies.

They will average about 75 miles a day and plan to camp most nights, although there are some planned stops with friends along the way. They’ll likely stop at a hotel at least once a week for a hot shower and a soft bed.

“This isn’t a race across the country. It’s a journey,” Logunetz said. “We’ve got all day, every day to get from Point A to Point B. It’s all about meeting people, sharing our story, sharing what our course is.”