Tony Breitbach got on Facebook and posed the question to his old high school buddy.
“Any interest in riding a bicycle across the United States of America in the spring of 2010?”
Brendan Leonard laughed as he recalled his first thoughts when the two hooked up later via the telephone.
“Abstractly, I was all for it,” Leonard said, “but then I realized he was like serious. And I thought, man that would be awesome.”
And now the two former New Hampton residents are about to embark on their awesome adventure, one that will cover 3,100 miles, all on a bike, and will take them from San Diego to Saint Augustine, Fla.
The pair hopes to raise $10,000 for Big City Mountaineers, a non-profit organization based in Denver that employs Leonard.
“That made it a little easier for me to go into my boss and say, ‘Um, just wondering, would you mind if I took a couple of months off,’” Leonard said.
Meanwhile, Breitbach’s chiropractic clinic that is based in Evanston, Ill., is picking up the costs of the trip.
“I don’t want to be one of those guys who gets old, looks back and says, ‘Man, I wish I had done that bike ride when I was 30,’” Breitbach said. “It’s going to be a heck of an adventure.”

BREITBACH AND LEONARD were, as Breitbach succinctly put it, “good buds almost from the start.”
They both graduated from New Hampton High School in 1997, and they both attended the University of Northern Iowa.
After college, they both went their separate ways.
Leonard dabbled in journalism out west while Breitbach continued his education at the Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport.
Breitbach eventually moved to the Chicago area, where he opened his own clinic, while his buddy left newspapers and took a job with Big City Moutaineers, an organization with a mission to “enhance the lives of under-resourced urban teens through transformative outdoor experiences."
But years ago, they had ridden several RAGBRAIs together.
“Back then,” Leonard said, “Troy would bring it up, but it was usually when we were partying. Who knew he was serious?”

THEY WILL MAKE for a unique site as they make their way across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Breitbach stands 6-foot-11 while Leonard is a foot shorter.
“Yeah, you’ll definitely know which one is Tony’s bike,” Leonard said.
While Breitbach has become a triathlete — “I’m the tallest tri guy out there,” he jokes — Leonard’s training regimen is a little unconventional.
“I ride my bike every day to work and climb mountains on the weekends,” he said, “and I’m hoping that’s going to be enough.”

BOTH MEN LOOK look back fondly on their hometown, although they do wonder what their old teachers and friends would think about the pair’s upcoming adventure.
“I was kind of a goofball in high school,” Breitbach said, “but it’s really true that this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time. And to do it for a good cause makes it even better.”
While Breitbach’s parents, Randy and Sue, still live in New Hampton, Leonard’s parents, Joe and Kathy, moved to Marshallltown in 2004.
But Leonard says he believes he’ll be taking a little of New Hampton with him on the bike ride.
“I wasn’t really athletic, but you know, I learned a lot from people like [New Hampton football coach] Scott Frerichs,” he said. “I know he taught me that hard work pays off in the end.”

ON FEB. 5, THEY will depart San Diego.
While Breitbach’s clinic, The Wellness Revolution, is providing the bulk of the funds for the trip, several bicycle shops and bicycle accessory businesses have donated to the cause.
The pair believe they can make their cross-country trek in about 50 days. They plan on camping six nights a week and grabbing a hotel room on the other night.
They are ready to deal with almost any kind of weather. Even taking the Adventure Cycling Association’s “southern-tier route” won’t keep them immune from winter.
“It could get a little dicey in the mountains, but we’ve got the wool socks and all that jazz,’ Leonard said.
No matter what the weather, they pledge to trudge on.
“I know I’m going to miss my patients,” Breitbach said, “but you know what? If we don’t do it now, will we ever? And I’m not willing to take that chance ...”
He paused for a moment, almost as if he were visualizing the upcoming adventure.
“I can’t wait. The people we’re going, the scenery we’re going to see,” Breitbach said. “Wow, how can you not want to do something like this?”