“I don’t ride a bike to add days to my life. I ride a bike to add life to my days” – Unknown
- Date: Monday, July 11, 2022
- Weather: Thunderstorms rolled through last night and took the humidity. The overcast skies kept it cool and I’m not going to mention the other thing.
- Starting Point: Fremont, NE
- Departure Time: 0730 CST
- Miles: 31
- Moving Time: 1:46
- Total time: 1:50
- Overnight Location: Cunningham Lake, Omaha, NE
It’s a sad day in the Schwenk Tank. No, it has nothing to do with bike riding. Today is the day that our Son, Conor, goes back home. That’s not the upsetting part, though.
More heartbreaking for Kristin and Me is that he wants to leave. It turns out six days is his RV living limit, and he has made it clear, in a smiling, charming way, of course!
We’re also a bit blue to leave our overnight destination, the Fremont Lakes. It was the most active and exciting campsite we’ve had the pleasure to experience. Thousands of people congregate here, motivated to spend a lot of their disposable income to have fun on toys other than horses.
It’s like the Yacht Club scene in Caddyshack meets Nascar. Pontoon boats packed with partiers, souped-up jet skis, ski boats pulling slalom skiers, kayaks, and swimmers, all were living together. All were making hundreds of left turns as they flew around the track-like lake with an island in the middle.
It was nutz! And fun.
The adventure must go on! Honestly, I won’t be sad to see my last stalk of Nebraska corn. The ride was a nice one today. It will be the closest I get to a recovery day, and I tried to approach it that way.
Lake Cunningham in the suburbs of Omaha is NOTHING like Fremont. No swimming, no motorboats, and no people watching, but it is subdued, relaxing, and finely manicured. It’s perfect for a day like this one.
I rolled in early as planned. We had a lot of stuff to do in Omaha and needed an early start. We did some shopping and laundry on the outskirts of the city. We’re not in the country anymore, relatively, but it is colorful.
If I weren’t riding my bike, I’d be driving this hoopty whip! Not!
Restock in aisle, AHHhhh! Thank you to The Bike Way in Omaha.
Six days is enough time cooped up in an RV for Conor, and coincidentally it’s also the maximum time that Uncle Rudy could stay away. We picked him up from the airport and went downtown to explore. Conor’s flight departed a few hours later and we had time to kill.
Omaha is a sprawling city. Regrettably, we only had time to experience a small part. What we did see was fun, progressive, and hip. It reminded me of the Midwest’s version of San Francisco. The bike culture was palpable and refreshing, and that was cool!
Good beer is hard to find in Nebraska. I found some VERY fine brews in Omaha’s Brickway Brewery. It also gave us a few final fun moments with our boy. We’re going to miss him, again!
About the DIRT Dad Fundo Pledge for Day Thirty-Three—Gene Nifenecker
Here is what Gene had to say—”I’m a loyal patient and supporter of Chris!”
Amount Raised to Date—$7,798
Thank you, Gene!
Now off to Shelby, Iowa!
To support Chris in his effort to raise awareness of The DIRT Dad Fund, the non-profit he created to assist members of the worldwide cycling community, check out this link to learn more.
Find out where you can pledge a donation and subscribe to The ZOMs newsletter to follow along on the journey.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
