Updated: January 31, 2012

Welcome to the section about my ministry travels by bicycle. In August 2008, I came across the photo on the left of me and my second bicycle. It was used in the Minneapolis, Minneapolis "Star-Tribune" where a short article had been written about me . I hadn't seen the photo before since the article it was from wasn't in the collection of newspaper articles that had been written about me and my ministry since 1993. After checking out the internet, I found out that it was from an article in the Beloit, Wisconsin "Daily News" dated JUN 21, 1996 . The photo on the right is one of me and my sixth bicycle (my second recumbent). It was taken in 2009 while I was riding North along the Mississippi River in Illinois.

At the time of the Beloit, Wisconsin article, I had only ridden a total of 63,000 miles (100,800 KM). As of September 28 ('11) : 210,823 miles (337,217 KM) have been traveled since February 19, 1993 in 3,611 days at an average of 58.39 miles (93.42 KM) per day. This is equivalent to 8.4664 times around the Equator (the mean distance around the Equator is 24,901 miles (39,841.6 km)) or almost .89 the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

The above map graphic shows an approximation of the routes that I have taken. Using Paint.net, I was able to combine all of the routes that I've taken during the past 18 years and put them onto one map. The map shows lots of sections that I have criss-crossed during many of the year's rides. You can see that I pretty well covered the Eastern half of the country. Also, it shows that I have ridden through all of the 48 lower states (For those who might think that I didn't ride in Nevada, the map shows that I did ride about 20 miles (32 km) in Nevada across the Southern tip of the state and over Hoover Dam). Also, shown on the map is about a 100 mile (160 km) jog through Sw Ontario, Canada that occured during the Mission Trip 28 ride in 2010.

On March 27th of 2011, I celebrated the 18th anniversary of my ministry. Along the way, I helped with disaster relief after 19 natural disasters that included a major flood along the Mississippi River in 1993, a major earthquake in 1994, several tornadoes, and thirteen hurricanes. The last natural disaster was Hurricane Irene last yearand I got caught in it's path as it was making it's way up the North Carolina Coastline.

I was looking at Mission Trip 32 starting sometime around Monday, February 13th, 2012 from Baton Rouge, Louisiana but this isn't going to happen. There is the chance to get some medical needs taken care of. I'm hoping that the delay will only last a couple of months. I am really hoping to be on the road by March 27th, which will be the 19th anniversary of my ministry.

The plan for this year's trip was going to take me West to California, North to Washington State, and then back to the East Coast but that isn't going to happen because of the late start. Instead, I will not be going passed the Rocky Mountains. From Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I will be riding through Austin, San Antonio, and Waco, Texas before crossing into Kansas and Nebraska before going up to Colorado. I've got friends in the Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado areas. My concern will be crossing Kansas and Nebraska during tornado season. From Colorado, I'll be heading North up to either North or South Dakota before heading back East. I am not sure where this year's trip(s) will end for the year.

Even though this year's trip hasn't started yet, I've already set up a page for the year. Throughout the year, I have been posting updates about every two weeks or so. The Second Update for the year was posted on January 31. The next one will be posted around February 19th. Also on the page, you will find a map showing the route that I cycled, a index for any newpaper articles that might be printed during the year, a log of my travels (which hasn't starting yet) so that you could see where I have cycled, and a list of churches and/or religious organizations that I have been blessed to speak at throughout the year. Here is the link. TRIP 2012

I have set up a directory for all of the mission trips between 1993 and 2011. On the trip index pages, you will find a map of the route that I had ridden, trip logs, either stories from the road or trip updates, links to newspaper articles written that year, and lists of churches that I was able to speak at during that year. You can check them out HERE

I tell everybody that "With every wheel revolution, a prayer goes up to Heaven". On my 48th birthday (June 15th, 2004) while riding between Crystal City and Saint Genevieve, Missouri, I passed the 1 Billionth wheel revolution mark. At the end of my 55th birthday in Purcell, Oklahoma, I hit 1,124,476,182 wheel revolutions.

Not counting the troubles that I have had in 1995 (damaging my lower back in a non-bike accident in Hannibal, MO) and 1997 (having one bike stolen (Philadelphia, PA) and another one destroyed in a car crash (New Orleans, LA)), 2002 was by far the hardest year since I was hit twice by vehicles (both were minor accidents occurring in Georgia and Kentucky), having the frame of my first short-wheelbase recumbent broken nearly in two because of frame failure and getting it emergency welded together in Kentucky, and having a major accident that occurred during the end of Spring while I was in the New England Region that resulted in major surgery.

Around noon on Saturday, May 4th 2002, while coasting down a hill outside of Dublin, New Hampshire, I crashed because my front tire blew out. I had been going at least fifteen miles per hour. The crash was caused by either the rim cracking or an inner tube blowout. There was extensive damage done to my left shoulder. A two-piece artificial head for my left humerus (upper arm bone) was implanted in a four hour operation on June 7th at Maine General Hospital in Augusta, Maine. More about this can be read in the posted updates between May 4th and July 25th of 2002. I was able to get back on the road near the end of July.

2009 was the safest year for me since I had no major incidents with vehicles or spills. I did have one minor incident with a vehicle when I was almost side-swiped.

Probably the most unusual donation to the ministry occurred in late April 2005 when a brand new recumbent was given to me. This happened in Savanna, Illinois. A new recumbent was really needed since I had almost 50,000 miles (80,000 KM) on the old one and there was some weakness in the frame. This might have been the most unusual physical donation but the one that means the most right now is what you see here. Having this website on a new server with tons of space to grow into and also having my own domain name. No more free sites with limited space and advertisements and pop-ups. Thanks go out to Rayburn and Waco Web Designs in Waco, Texas.

The last recumbent lasted till April 18, 2007. It was destroyed in a freak auto accident in Mystic, Connecticut but I was not on it at the time. This was the second bicycle destroyed by an automobile. 23,323 miles ( 37,317 KM) was ridden on it in 410 days at an average of 56.89 miles ( 91.02 KM) per day. My new recumbent was made by the same two companies as my last recumbent (Easy Racer - Sun) and it is an EZ-Speedster-AX instead of a -SX. Aluminum was used to make the frame instead of steel and it has front and rear disc brakes. Instead of having a gear range of 24-speeds, I now have a range of 27-speeds. As of September 28, 2011, I've got 42,896.83 miles (68,634.93 KM) of touring in 728 days on it at an average of 58.94 miles (94.30 KM) per day. The recumbent does has a name and it is "Alice".

There is a lot of information here so I hope you don't mind reading. It is really hard boiling down over eighteen years of travel. Please enjoy the information that you can find here. At the bottom of this page there is a link to an index page to sections that talk about each year of my ministry. There are maps, trip logs, links to any press coverage, lists of churches that I spoke during the at year, and either stories that I've written about things that happened along the way or in latter years trip updates. There is also a page that talks about the seven bicycles that I've had so far.

To get a better understanding on who I am, what I am doing, how it all started, and what is my message in a brief form, here is an animated flipbook that I created through a brand new internet service called FLIP SNACK that was developed by SnackTools.com . The flipbook answers the twelve most commonly asked questions about me and my ministry. Clicking on the graphic below will open up the flipbook in another window.

Originally, this flipbook used to be a handout flyer that I give out. Since I first started handing them out in 2003, I estimate that I passed out 5,000+ handouts (this doesn't count the ones that ushers handed out at churches). The handout flyer is supposed to be 2-sided and tri-folded. Information is current to September 19, 2010.

The flyer is distributed here in PDF format (61 KBytes). You need Adobe Reader to view it. If you don't have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, here is a link to a download site.

Click on bicyclist to get PDF FILE


Click on icon to get Acrobat Reader

---

---

Hosted by:


All Written Material unless specified is by Rev. Johannes Myors
No part may be reproduced without prior permission by Rev. Myors.
(Main Graphics, Logos, Photos, and Text restricted use)

Copyright: 1998 to present

PEDAL PRAYERS MINISTRY