Industry Supports Fire Fighter Bike Tour

NEW YORK, NY—A few in the industry got a look at a different side of five hard FDNY veterans during their Thank You America cross-country bike tour.

After Ladder Company 9, Engine Company 33, was swamped with financial donations and consolations, veteran firefighter Dan Rowan decided to pedal the country to say thanks. His division lost 10 men on Sept. 11.

"The response has been so amazing," Rowan said, listing examples like a homeless man giving all $1.22 of his money, a neighborhood bar raising $15,000, the Hell's Angels donating $10,000 and hundreds of firefighters traveling to New York to participate in memorial services.

"All of these people are the reason we need to go out and say thanks," Rowan said.

Scores of industry people gave their time, product and mechanical support to Rowan and the other New York Firefighters who rode with him.

Rowan, the lone cyclist of the group, called Cannondale for sponsorship on Halloween, 11 days before their planned Nov. 11 start date from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center.

"We were in the process of coming out with a new red, white and blue scheme for our R700. Then Dan called asking about bikes," said Tom Armstrong, Cannondale's communications director.

"We made the frames Monday, painted and shipped them Tuesday, and Gotham Bikes assembled them Wednesday," Armstrong said.

Dave Nazaroff, co-owner of Gotham Bikes and Toga Bike Shop, outfitted the firefighters, pulling more than $1,000 in product off the racks. Gotham Bikes is five blocks from the World Trade Center.

Nazaroff joined the tour between Athens and Chattanooga, Tennessee, home of his grandfather, a retired FDNY Lieutenant. "Riding into Chattanooga, the first thing they did was pull up and hug my grandfather. I just lost it," Nazaroff said.

In addition to stopping at firehouses, the tour stopped at the Pentagon. The League of American Bicyclists' communications director Patrick McCormick and its government relations director Melé Williams orchestrated a tour of the crash site.

The Adventure Cycling Association also pitched in, providing maps.

Retailer Craig Griffen of Extreme Sports spent five hours on his day off truing crashed wheels, tuning and cleaning their bikes and supplying them with more clothing.

"They are all really pretty big guys— XL and XXL—so we gave them extra pairs of wheels to keep in their van. It's not often someone in the bike industry can assist people who are involved in something like this," Griffen said.