Quad Cities native bikes across the country

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - A Quad Cities native is crossing off a bucket list item while bringing awareness to a non-profit in Florida.

Bruce Mills is no stranger to long bike rides. He’s ridden along in 11 RAGBRAIs and a RASDak in South Dakota.

After putting off a cross-country trek in 2008 the 65-year-old wants to check it off his bucket list in 2022. He started in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and hopes to end in Santa Monica, California.

“It just didn’t happen [in 2008], work got in the way,” Mills said. “I just kind of retired again and decided to go for it ... I guess it’s just more of the holy grail to ride all the way across the country”

He said one challenge was switching from an 18-pound RAGBRAI bike to a 34-pound bike.

“It’s a little bit more work,” Mills said. “It has all my camping gear and tools and clothes and everything I should need.”

The Bettendorf graduate now lives in Florida where he serves as president of Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind in Pasco county. He’s using the journey to raise awareness for the group.

“I kind of looked around to who I wanted to be involved with,” Mills said. “It’s just a great organization that does a lot of good things.”

Mills isn’t taking the most direct route, he wants to stop with some friends in the QC and see the sights along historic route sixty-six. By his count, he will cover about 4,000 miles.

“Then as I go south, I’ve got relatives in Burlington and St. Louis and Flagstaff,” Mills said.”My son’s in Santa Monica and one of my fraternity brothers I didn’t realize was on the route until he called me. So I may find more as I go along.”

Averaging 50 to 60 miles a day, Mills hopes to cross the Mississippi into the QC over Labor Day weekend. He expects to be on the road for about three months.

Mills uploads weekly updates on his journey across the country on his YouTube channel Bruce Bikes America.

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