The ride of his life, again

A 65-year-old man rides across the country for the second time in 5 years

Bicyclist Ernie Neupert proves you are never too old to live your childhood dreams. At 60 years-old, he finally embarked on a trip he planned to take when he was in high school.

As a teenager, Neupert and a friend planned to ride their bikes across the country. His friend completed the trip, but Neupert stayed home to work. After working since a small boy, the retired construction worker finally has the time to live his dream.

In 2000, Neupert rode his bike from the Atlantic to the Pacific to raise money for cancer research. The disease took his wife, Helene, and nearly himself. Along the way he decided to devote the rest of his life to having fun and helping others. His epiphany hit him while lying on the Salt Flats on a clear night during his tour.

"I was watching the city (Salt Lake City) and mountains mirrored on the (Great Salt) Lake and I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven," he said. "I thought this is living, this is freedom."

He enjoyed the trek so much that he decided he would take a different tour every five years and raise money for other causes.

On April 4, 2005, his 65th birthday, Neupert left his home in Central Florida to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. This time, Neupert is not just riding across the country ‹ he's encircling it.

Known as Sonny to his family, "Uncle Sonny's Bike-A-Thon to Battle Diabetes" takes him through all of the border and coastal states ‹ approximately 10,000 miles in 280 days. On June 14, he rode into Winslow.

Three years ago, Neupert married a long-time friend, Jean, who was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. He also has a niece who was born with Type 1.

"So I've got a real good reason to do this," he said.

Neupert wanted Jean to accompany him on this tour so they scraped together enough money to buy a motorhome. Neupert's son, Jim, drives and is seeing the American West for the first time at 49 years-old.

The trip offers Neupert no financial gain. In fact, it's costing him about $1,400 a month. They live off their Social Security and Disability checks. Neupert said he lives his life "100-percent on faith."

"The good Lord will provide," he said. "I must be doing something right or the good Lord would've stopped me in my tracks. Besides, we're millionaires because we're free to go where we want and we're together."

Not having sponsors also frees him to take side trips, such as to the Grand Canyon. Returning home to Central Florida before winter hits the East Coast is his driving force to stay on schedule. He expects to be home for Christmas.

He aims to cover 50 miles per day depending on weather. He's about one-fifth of the way through his journey and already on the second set of tires. He charts his progress with a map on the side of the motorhome with each state visited in color.

His 2000 trek took five months, three weeks to complete the 8,038 miles and it was completely solo. He carried his own food, medical needs and clothes. He slept under freeway overpasses and made friends with the homeless people that he met.

"I had the time of my life," he said. "I had so much fun, that I decided to do another tour."

He started at 5-years-old working on farms for 25 cents per hour, seven days a week when he wasn't in school. Although child labor laws should've prevented him from working that young, Neupert said he has the tax forms he filled to prove it.

He used those earnings to buy a bicycle. He said he rode it two miles to and from work everyday. That's how he fell in love with riding.

"I've basically waited until I was 60 to have my childhood," he said.

Even now, Neupert doesn't plan to grow up any time soon. When he turns 70, he said he would like to ride across Canada.

Neupert doesn't take donations on the road. To donate to the American Diabetes Association, call 800-676-4065 ext. 3037 or to donate for Uncle Sonny's Bike-A-Thon to Battle Diabetes, call 407-660-1926 ext. 3030.