Posted: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 12:00 am
Brothers bound for East Coast by bike to celebrate recovery
By Matt Neznanski
Gazette-Times reporter
Pearson and Pete Constantino may have picked the best for first.
The New York-raised brothers rode from Newport to Sweet Home on Tuesday, completing the first leg of their 3,400-mile cross-country trek that they expect to complete Oct. 1 in Cape Cod, Mass., to raise awareness for bicycle safety. They made a short stop in Corvallis for a bite of lunch and an interview.
Resting in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express around noon, the Constantinos praised Oregon's commitment to cycling, including the official state bicycle manual, many streets with bike lanes and courteous treatment from log trucks on the coastal stretch of Highway 20.
"The things you folks are doing needs to be spread to every state and municipality," Pearson Constantino said. "And we need to spread the word to drivers so they can feel what it's like to share the road - and what it's like to get squeezed out."
The pair plans to ride as far as 100 miles a day. It's more than a long ride; it's a comeback for Pearson, who was seriously injured when a hit-and-run driver struck him in 2006 as he was riding his bicycle near his home in upstate New York. His injuries included a shattered hip, a crushed lumbar vertebra and severe head trauma. He endured two surgeries and nine days in the hospital. He credits his helmet for keeping him alive.
The driver who hit Pearson was never caught.
With gas prices prompting more people to take up cycling as basic transportation, Pearson said, it's the right time to encourage more drivers to watch for bicyclists.
"Cycle awareness is really taking shape in the country right now," Pearson said. "The more people who are out riding, the safer the roads will be."
Accompanying the Constantinos along their route is Julia Wrona, who is making a documentary film of Pearson's recovery and the cross-country ride. The brothers chose Highway 20 in part because they grew up along it in Skaneateles, N.Y., in the center of the state.
Despite constant aches in his back, headaches and vertigo, Pearson so far is enjoying the ride and looking forward to taking in mountain views in the next several days.
"You won't get that same sense of the Earth from your car," he said. "There's an element of pain. I happen to like it, and my brother does, too. That's why we're doing it."
ON THE NET: For more on the brothers' trip, see www.longbikeback.com
Matt Neznanski can be reached at 758-9518 or matt.neznanski@lee.net.