Biking across America: Joseph Fors lost job and decided to change life

Joseph Fors figures he's been asked about 4,000 times why he's bicycling across the United States.

He's yet to come up with a snappy answer.

"You do it to change your life," the Lombard native said.

Truth is, Fors lost his job and was at loose ends. So on Feb. 21, he climbed on his 17-year-old Trek 6500, a mountain bike he equipped with road tires, and started pedaling for the East Coast. He reached Cape Canaveral in Florida and was headed west when he stopped at Livonia, La., last week for an interview.

He aims to reach the West Coast, then turn back to arrive in Wisconsin to attend a June 12 wedding. After that, he plans to head for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, pedal south along Lake Michigan and be back in the Chicago area in late June or early July.

That's 6,800 miles total. Fors had made it more than a third of the way and celebrated his 41st birthday when he spoke with the Daily Herald. It was only after he had passed the 2,000-mile mark that he was convinced he was going to make it.

"I had never done anything like this before," he said. "At first, it was a little tough. It's a lot more fun for me now."

Before he left, a friend who works for an airline gave him a buddy pass so he wouldn't get stuck somewhere.

"When I left, I had every intention of using that pass," he said. "I think there was a pool going on how far I would actually make it."

But along the way, Fors has upped his mileage from a low of 35 miles a day through the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky to 80 to 100 miles a day.

"I'm on the bike six to eight hours a day," he said.

The 6-foot, 1-inch biker is down 35 pounds from the 285 he weighed when he started and hopes to lose another 30 by the time he reaches the West Coast. Fors said he's also lost many the anxieties he had, experienced the kindness of strangers, and been amazed at the interest others take in his trip.

His e-mail list has grown from 200 to 500, and that doesn't count others following him on Facebook.

"People say, 'Oh, I wish I could do that,'" he said. "I haven't had anyone who was even a little indifferent."

Leyla Arsan, a Chicago friend who set up a fan page on Facebook for Fors, said what Fors was doing really didn't register with her until she began reading his e-mail updates.

"Wow, I can't believe you are really doing this," she said. "I think it's extremely admirable."

His mother, Patricia McIlroy of Wheaton, admitted she was very concerned when Fors told her his plans. She has another son who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a bike accident. Her anxiety has decreased as the weather has improved, she said.

"I think he's gotten more confident on the road," she said. "I think his attitude has changed a lot."

Low on funds, Fors said he initially planned to spend only $20 to $25 a day on the road. But with campgrounds costing as much as $30 a night, he found it impossible to stick to his budget at first.

Then one day riding through Georgia, he was caught in the rain 10 miles from the nearest town. Fors decided a bridge would be his shelter for the night.

"I lost the anxiety of sleeping anywhere," he said. "I don't even sleep well in hotels any more."

Another time, he stopped in Tennessee when the temperature was reaching 23 degrees at night only to find the campground had no electricity to run his heater. The owner said he'd let Fors stay in a cabin and Fors asked if he could run a credit card.

"For what, I ain't charging you nothing," the owner responded.

"Everyone has been very helpful and supportive," Fors said.

Fors stopped in Atlanta, Ga., to visit family and friends, and rode 600 miles out of the way to visit other friends at Fort St. Lucie, Fla. Much as he enjoyed his time in Fort St. Lucie, Fors said he probably would not make that kind of detour again.

"It was overwhelming where I had to go," he said.

His stop at Cape Canaveral has been one of the highlights of the trip.

"Watching a shuttle launch was pretty amazing," he said.

Taking two-lane highways, Fors also marveled at the sight of an abandoned log cabin in Tennessee.

"It was probably built 200 years ago and still standing," he said. "I think everybody should take a nine- or 10-hour trip down these back roads."

Fors said he's made friends on the way with whom he'll stay in touch. A couple he met on the border of Alabama and Florida let him stay a few days on their 65-foot sailboat and invited him back for a cruise.

He's had stops for bike repairs, too. Spokes kept breaking. Frustrated by what different bike shops have told him, Fors said he thinks he's finally figured out the problem - carrying too much weight. He recently jettisoned 37 pounds of stuff, in addition to 40 pounds of winter clothes he sent home earlier.

"She feels like a new machine," he said.

Just in time, too. He doesn't want any breakdowns in West Texas where the distance between towns can be as much as 200 miles.

Fors said he's living on cheap fast-food supplemented by groceries he buys.

"My goal right now is to make the West Coast," he said. "I'm still investigating my route through the Rockies."

Fors, who had worked in the restaurant-bar business, said he's not sure what he'll do when he returns home. But he is taking good notes on his trip.

"I'm working on it," he said. "I might try to write something."

To read more about Fors' trip go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Joe.Fors? ref=ts