Medina grads complete epic bike ride across Iowa

Provided photos: A group of friends who graduated from Medina High School and became avid bikers, have participated in prestigious rides across the country. Here, at the end of a ride are, from left, Jeff Green, Dave Maiorana, Bronwyn Green, Kate Dydo Eaton, Amy Forbush of Indiana and Pam Brown Muscato.

A group of friends from Medina High School with a passion for biking have added another prestigious ride to their repertoire.

Jeff and Bronwyn Green, Dave Maiorana and his companion Pam Brown Muscato, Kate Dydo Eaton and a family friend Amy Forbush of Indiana just completed a seven-day ride in the 51st Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Tom Walders of Medina accompanied the cyclists driving a support vehicle – Maiorana’s RV he named “Lola.”

Maiorana, Jeff and Walders graduated in 1981; Bronwyn and Eaton in 1982; and Muscato in 1983.

Jeff and Bronwyn started cycling during the first year of Covid in 2020, she said. Jeff had just had a total knee replacement in 2018 and his surgeon said cycling was a safe sport for him to try.

“He’s never looked back,” Bronwyn said.

They have cycled across America, including twice on the Cycle the Erie Canal ride from Buffalo to Albany; the Gravel Grinder, a 38.4 mile ride in the Adirondacks. They are in the Adirondacks riding this week, and plan to ride the Sun Road in Glacier National Park and the Gap Trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md.

Friends from Medina High School and a friend from Indiana pose with a Medina Mustang banner near the Mississippi River, after completing a seven-day ride across Iowa. Standing from left are Tom Walders, who was the riders’ support person; Jeff Green; Dave Maiorana; Kate Dydo Eaton and Amy Forbush. Kneeling are Bronwyn Green and Pam Brown Muscato.

The recent RAGBRAI, as the Iowa race is known, was one of the most challenging, Bronwyn said. It was also the first time they have ridden with Maiorana, who has a reputation as a world traveler since his retirement. He and the Greens planned for the RAGBRAI for a year.

The ride is the hilliest they have ever done, encompassing almost 20,000 feet of elevation, Bronwyn said. Where the Cycle the Erie Canal ride has 650 to 750 riders, RAGBRI had more than 18,000, making it the largest bike ride in the world.

“There was a river of bikes,” Bronwyn said. “The weather was perfect – in the 80s, and we were on the road most mornings between 5:30 and 6 a.m. “

The shortest day was 40 miles and the longest was 84 with an option to do 100. Jeff, Bronwyn and Forbush did the 100 miles.

The towns they passed through were all ready to welcome the riders with drinks, port-a-johns, snacks and bike repairs.

One van who followed the riders was pink and called “Pork Chop.” They cooked pork chops along the way and at a stop, each rider was handed a pork chop.

Maiorana and Muscato are next heading to Europe at the end of August to tour Italy and Spain for a month.

Bronwyn said they owe credit to Maiorana and Eaton for starting the wheel turning for the RAGBRAI trip to Iowa.

“We had all kept in contact after a Celebration of Champions get-together a couple of years ago,” Bronwyn said. “We all had cycling in common, and the trip, thanks to Dave as team leader, became a reality.”

The Greens plan to do the Virginia Creeper ride in September and may join Eaton and Forbush in Indiana to ride the Hilly Hundred in October.