07/15/2026
Day 7 Ride — Sam vs. The Running Board, Joshua vs. Everybody Else 🚴♂️😄
Joshua had himself a day.
It was the last day of the tour, and that young man was riding like he knew it. Every hill, every pull, every mile—he was putting in the work. More than once I watched him fly down a hill with Little Kevin racing right behind him like they were both trying out for the Tour de France.
Turns out there was an agreement.
Attack every downhill as hard as you can. First one to the top of the next hill waits for everyone else.
That sounded like a pretty good deal to Joshua.
The morning started beautifully. Birds were carrying on conversations in the pine trees while we packed up camp for the last time. There’s something bittersweet about breaking camp on the final morning. By then you've gotten used to the routine, even the parts you complained about all week.
With the tents packed away, we headed off in search of breakfast.
The "best diner in town" turned out to be McDonald's.
Not our first choice.
Not even our second choice.
But it was the only choice for miles, so Ronald McDonald got our business that morning. 😄
After breakfast we drove to our starting point on the Trace, unloaded the bikes, and got ready to roll.
Now let me tell you about Sam.
Sam mentioned he thought his tires needed air. Turns out he hasn't aired them up in a couple days, so they're a little soft, and either I'm losing my touch or he's the cycling version of the princess and the pea.
I squeeze them and tell him they look fine. The truth is, the bike pump was buried under what looks like 300 pounds of tents, bags, coolers, and everything else we'd been hauling across Mississippi all week.
But Sam persisted.
So I dug out the pump while reminding him that those tires had better actually be low.
A minute later I hand Sam the pump and turn around to restack gear in the van.
Then I hear shouting.
Followed immediately by a crash.
Sam's bike shoes slipped on the van's plastic running board, and down he went.
Hard.
The good news is he was okay.
The bad news is his ankle definitely wasn't happy about it.
That meant no cycling, no driving, and probably no dancing at his wife's birthday celebration on Monday.
So, Coach Kinney inherited all riding duties for the day.
The kids, meanwhile, carried on like champions.
It felt like the hottest day of the entire trip. The thermometer never quite reached 100, but Mississippi humidity was doing everything it could to finish the job.
Julissa gave it her best shot, but her knees let her know early that today wasn't the day. She wisely called it after the first stop.
Little Kevin pushed through with a knee brace and the same determination he's shown all week.
And Joshua?
Joshua awarded himself the title of "Youth Cyclist with No Injuries" and rode accordingly. 😄
As I watched them ride, I found myself thinking about the bigger picture.
When you're in the middle of something hard, it's difficult to see just how far you've come.
You're focused on the next hill.
The next mile.
The next rest stop.
But from where I stood, I could see the whole journey.
These young people just spent a week doing something most adults never think to attempt.
They crossed state lines.
Pushed through heat.
Faced setbacks.
Learned when to push and when to rest.
And somewhere along the way, they learned a little more about themselves.
That's the real victory.
Not the mileage.
Not the finish line.
The growth.
I've learned a lot about each of them this week.
The funny thing is, they've probably learned even more about themselves than I'll ever know.
That makes every mile worth it.
And Sam’s tires? They were 28 psi below what they should have been. Turns out he is the prince of cycling. ❤️🚴♂️
Your Connection
A tour like this runs on more than legs. It runs on a support system that doesn't fall apart the moment somebody gets hurt — Sam goes down, and instead of the day ending, Kinney just picks up the front and keeps three kids moving toward the finish anyway. Gear that doesn't quit. A brace bought before day six was even over. A second adult who can step into a solo lead role without missing a stride. That's what your support actually builds — not just a ride, but a structure sturdy enough to survive an ankle.
Your Call to Action
That's a wrap on this year's Summer Experience Tour — Joshua, Julissa, and Kevin, all the way to the finish, one way or another. None of it happens again next summer without support between now and then. Give at trianglebikeworks.org and help us put the next crew of kids on this same road.
