On the first day of September, Eden Prairie’s Dennis McCoy is going to put the back tire of his bike in the Mississippi River, hop on and then pedal west.

He’ll stop when reaches Huntington Beach, Calif., and his front tire touches the Pacific Ocean.

According to plan, the trip is expected to take 42 days and span a distance of 2,352.2 miles, or so says some mapping software.

Along the way, he’ll pedal through parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

A third of his nights will be spent in a tent, a third in Ma and Pa motels, and a third in either friend’s houses or friend’s of friend’s houses.

The plan, there’s that word again, calls for no fast food, except for Dairy Queen. “Multiple visits are OK,” laughs McCoy, “even on the same day.”

By his own admission, this isn’t a physical feat, but rather a “Journey of personal self discovery.”

Training wheels

In a former life, the 58-year old grocery executive rode motorcycles.

“I put 62,000 miles on my Honda Gold Wing,” he said. “In all, I’ve biked in 35 different states.”

But living in Huntington Beach and working in Burbank changed all that.

“I saw so many accidents that I lost my courage,” he said.

Much to his friends chagrin, he’d sell his motorcycle. “They couldn’t believe it,’ he said. “They still can’t believe it.

“I think about that myself,” he adds. “If I was still cycling, I’d probably be riding a Harley, just like my friends.”

Instead, he’d trade horse power for peddle power.

“I started riding an old 5-speed Panasonic,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow!’ I can’t explain it, but I love riding bikes.

“And it’s not the physical activity,” he adds. “In fact, if biking didn’t have any health benefits, I’d still be riding a bike. Generally, I don’t even like to exercise.”

Being ridiculous

After riding the Panasonic for awhile, McCoy would trade up and buy a $249, 21-speed Fuji. “It was cheap,” he admits. “Still, it was better than what I had.”

Soon he’d be riding 30 to 40 miles a week. Not only that, but he’d be showing an interest in longer rides, rides like the AIDS Ride to Chicago, RAGBRAI, or MS TRAM

“I looked at some rides,” he said, “and thought, ‘Hey, I can do that.’”

In 1998, he’d ride the 500-mile RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).

Then, in February of 2002, he’d stop at AAA and pick up trip ticket outlining a planned ride from Minneapolis to Huntington Beach.

“My wife Cathy thought I was being ridiculous and that I couldn’t possibly ride from here to California,” said McCoy.

His mother was/is mortified.

“I guess I’m still her little boy,” he said, with a laugh.

Undeterred, McCoy would hold on to his dream.

“Cathy came around,” he said. “I think it was after she walked a marathon, 26.2 miles in 6 hours, 45 minutes. Now, she’s my biggest supporter.”

According to plan

In preparation, McCoy has been riding 100 miles per week.

“That doesn’t compare to the 400 miles per week I’ll need to ride,” he said, “but it’s a start.”

To make his training sessions more realistic, he’s been riding with weights, one in each of his panniers (saddlebag) and one in a handlebar bag.

On his ride, he expects to be carrying 16 to 18 pounds of gear (not including water).

Traveling light is an understatement – one 2-pound tent, one 1-pound sleeping bag, one long sleeve shirt, rain gear, extra socks …

He’ll also carry a repair kit that’ll include an extra bike tube, extra spokes, extra links of chain, etc.

In addition, he’ll bring sunscreen, bug deterrent, lotion, and last, but not least, the same aerosol dog deterrent postal workers carry.

“You can never be too prepared,” he said.

He’ll also start with new ties, new tubes, and anything else he thinks needs replacing.

Smelling the roses

Like he said before, McCoy’s dream ride isn’t so much a physical test as it is an opportunity to see the country.

“I’ll be seeing life,” he said, “at 12 miles per hour.”

If he’s sees a local fair, he’ll stop and enjoy. Festivals? Count him in. Lemonade stands? Bring ’em on.

“I want to learn why people do the things they do,” he said. “If Mrs. So-and-So settled in McCook, Neb., I want to know why.”

In talking with other riders, McCoy learned that 50 percent plan everything and the other 50 percent plan nothing.

“I fall somewhere in between,” he said.

In reality, he’s made arrangements for his first four nights on the road. After that, he’s got nothing, or everything, depending on your perspective.

Editor’s note: McCoy plans to blog about his adventures throughout his trip. His blog address is www.dennismccoybicycling.blogspot.com. We’ll also have a link at www.edenprairienews.com.