Monett native Andrew Rausch is riding coast to coast

By Murray Bishoff Special to the Monett Monthly

A dream to sustain a family legacy has inspired former Monettan Andrew Rausch to take his bicycle this summer and ride across the country. 

Rausch, a 2015 Monett High School graduate, is the son of George and Ann Marie Rausch of Monett. His father, in 1976, took on the Adventure Cycling Association’s coast-to-coast bicycle ride, going from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia. Fifty years later, Andrew is repeating the trip on his own, only he’s going from east to west. 

“I grew up hearing about riding bikes,” Andrew said. “In college, I fell in love with riding by bicycle and camping. In 2019, I biked from Rolla to Montana. I always wanted to do the whole thing [the cross-country trip]. I figured if not this year, I was never going to.” 

His parents knew of Andrew’s love of biking, but naturally had reservations about this trip. 

“They knew I’ve been planning this for a long time,” Andrew said. “My mom worried, like any mother. Still, they’re happy to see me do what I love.” 

Like his father, Andrew is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s school at Rolla, now the Missouri University of Science and Technology, then the University of Missouri-Rolla. Andrew took a job designing concrete trucks for the Osh Kosh Corporation in Osh Kosh, Wisc., which owns Pierce Manufacturing, the firm where the City of Monett buys its fire trucks. Andrew subsequently switched to Pierce, where he accumulated “a lot of vacation time,” making his trip possible. He nonetheless has his laptop in tow and is working one day a week, in a café or library, making his expedition possible. 

Andrew chose to take the route backwards from his dad, the traditional route, over weather. 

“I have a soft spot for the Rocky Mountains,” he said. “I wanted to get there when it was warm.” 

He estimates arriving in Astoria in the first week of September. 

The Adventure Cycling Association, which officially began as Bikecentennial in 1973, has over the years developed a map of the Trans-America Route, listing roads, elevations, and stops along the way. Many churches will allow bikers to stay overnight, and specific parks are listed where camping is allowed. After a two-day stop to see his parents in Monett in mid-June, Andrew biked to Golden City. The map identified the eatery Cooky’s there, which is “world famous” among bikers for its pies. From there, he traveled through Pittsburg, Kan., after which the road goes due west to Pueblo, Colo. 

Andrew is averaging between 40 and 60 miles a day, depending on weather and where he can find a good place to overnight. The cost for such a trip depends on the rider. 

“Some choose to sleep in hotels and eat in restaurants,” he noted. “That can be quite costly. Some camp out nightly and buy local groceries. I’m somewhere in the middle. I try to eat out to experience local food and the people, experience where I’m at. I do a lot of camping, which costs $10 to $30 for a campsite. It’s not terribly expensive for a vacation that lasts four months.” 

Andrew admitted the trip carries its own challenges. 

“If it rains, you get wet,” he said. “I have a poncho and rain pants. Rain or shine, you’ve got to ride through it.” 

The first week, he continued, was the worst as his body adjusted physically to the daily demands. After that, the challenges largely become mental, especially keeping motivated and happy. Major challenges come from dogs not on leashes and traffic. Andrew has a mirror on his bike to watch out for passing vehicles. 

“The mirror has genuinely saved my life on several occasions,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your wits about you and an eye behind you. There’s no way to eliminate all the risks.” 

He’s riding a Salsa Marrakesh touring bike, built for long-distance trips like this. He has panniers, or bicycle saddlebags, over the back, in which he carries his supplies and strategic bike parts, as well as tools. All his gear weighs “north of 100 pounds,” plus his laptop. 

“The route went through Virginia and Kentucky, touched Illinois and into Missouri,” he noted. “I’ve not spent a lot of time out East. Virginia was interesting. Eastern Kentucky was all coal mining territory and pretty destitute. The interstate doesn’t go through there. There’s no reason to go there. Traveling through to see how the country lives is eye-opening.”

Andrew calls his mother once a week and is keeping a record of the trip. 

“Friends from college convinced me to make an Instagram,” he noted. “I’m posting photography. They encouraged me to take more pictures. I’m really enjoying that. Plus, I’m keeping a diary. I tried writing, but I switched to voice recordings instead.” 

When it’s all over, what will he have? Andrew confessed asking himself that question. 

“The prize is the experience itself, seeing the country, sweating, hurting, being too hot, meeting wonderfully hospitable people,” he said. “The doing of it – that’s the real treasure at the end of the rainbow.”