Smith begins bike tour of the U.S. on Underground Railroad route

Janel Shoun | 05/09/2009

Mike and a fellow biker at the Three States Three Mountains bicycle race in Chattanooga.

Today Mike Smith, director of the High Rise residence hall, will head out from Mobile, Ala., to ride the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route all the way to Owen Sound, Canada. That’s 2,028 miles over the course of 37 days.

Learn more about Mike’s trip at:

biketour.lipscomb.edu

Give a gift to Mike's bike tour scholarship fund at:

"Give Online" at biketour.lipscomb.edu

Follow Mike’s progress at his blog site:

lipscombbiketour.blogspot.com/

mikesmithugrr

Smith, an avid long-distance cyclist who will ride the route alone, has been riding 200 or more miles a week for the past few months to train for the nationwide trek. He is using the trip to raise money for diversity scholarships at Lipscomb University, a cause that has grown close to his heart over the nine years he has worked with Lipscomb students.

“My desire is to help anybody get an education, and I’m particularly interested in making it possible for them to live in the dorm and experience the campus community,” said Smith, who as head resident in High Rise Residence Hall, sees first-hand the value for students of living on-campus during the college years. “Lack of funds is one reason many students must live off campus, so I want to make a thriving campus life a little more available to students who may not be able to afford it.”

The League of American Bicyclists has declared May National Bike Month, and May 11-15 is Bike to Work Week, making it the perfect month for Smith to head out on his cycling trek. His route will take him through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and into Canada.

This is Smith’s first nationwide trip, and he will be among the first people to ride the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route solo. The route was established by the Adventure Cycling Association in 2007 to memorialize the Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes by which African slaves attempted to escape for many years before and during the Civil War.

Smith has bought several bikes for High Rise and has taken as many as 50 students out on rides around town.

In April, Mike gave students a chance to feel what his trip will be like at the Internstional Square Fair hosted by LUMA.

Lipscomb held a send-off for Mike in April, highlighted by performances by Lipscomb's Malagasy and Hispanic students.

On the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route he will ride an average of 62 miles a day and spend many of his nights sleeping under the stars. In Tennessee, his route will take him through Shiloh National Military Park and the Land Between the Lakes. His plans are currently to ride through Tennessee, May 18-May 21, through Hardin, McNairy, Decatur, Perry, Humphreys, Houston and Stewart counties.

Inspired by the bravery of the people who helped escaped slaves to freedom two centuries ago, Smith decided to reach out to his friends, family and co-workers to raise money for students in underrepresented populations to obtain a Christian education at Lipscomb.

Smith has enhanced campus life at Lipscomb in the past few years by purchasing bicycles for the dorm residents and leading them on day-long trips around Nashville. He estimates around 50 students, many of them international students, have gone out on bicycling trips with him around town.

“I have seen too many students move out of the dorm or quit school for a semester or two for financial reasons. It also troubles me to see students graduate with a massive amount of debt,” Smith said. “While I would love to help all students receive help toward their educational expenses, I am particularly excited about this trip and tying the Underground Railroad toward an opportunity to help provide scholarships for students of different ethnic backgrounds.”

Mike's goal to help the diversity of Lipscomb grow is a positive goal for both multi-cultural students and the university as a whole, said Tenielle Buchanan, Lipscomb's director of the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs.

"Many students desire a Christian education or a small college environment, so Lipscomb offers multicultural students an opportunity to excel in a nurturing, Christian environment that they may not get at a public university," said Buchanan.

"For the university, it is very important for us to continue working towards greater diversity as cultural competence is one of the most important things our graduates can learn as they head out into the working world. It's our hope that our graduates will have the cultural skills to fully engage in any community and work for its betterment."

Those interested in making a donation can go to http://biketour.lipscomb.edu and click on “Give Online,” or send a check to Sonja Hayes at Lipscomb University, One University Park Drive, Nashville, 37204, with “bike tour” in the memo line.