ADRIAN — Matt Hermes and Matt Harpst, Adrian High School graduates who spent a summer after graduation riding their bicycles through the United States and Canada, will give a presentation on the 50th anniversary of the trip on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Lenawee County Historical Museum in Adrian. 

The “Matt and Matt Bike Tour” took place from May 1 to Sept. 2, 1975, starting and ending at Adrian City Hall. 

Over the course of the 10,000-mile trip, Hermes and Harpst cycled through 33 states, two Canadian provinces and crossed the Continental Divide twice. Before leaving, they decided that the bike tour could be more than just a ride around the country. 

“Both Matt and I thought since we were to travel the country on bicycles, we might as well raise money for a good cause, so we contacted Ruth Carter of the American Cancer Society in Adrian,” Hermes said. Funds were raised through word of mouth and interviews with local newspapers along the way. 

Hermes said that Tom Thiery, who taught art at Adrian High School at the time, helped them plan their route. Thiery had experience planning bike tours for his own group, the Overlanders. 

“He knew especially where and when to travel to avoid rainy and extreme weather conditions,” Hermes said. 

That experience came in handy when it came to planning the most scenic spots of the tour, such as the Gulf Coast Highway in Florida, which is known for its beautiful beaches, Hermes said. 

But it didn’t completely keep Hermes and Harpst from running into weather problems along the way. One stretch in eastern Colorado saw headwinds so difficult, they could only ride 40 miles in six hours, he said. The next day, they faced the same winds going downhill, when they had to pedal their bikes to travel downhill because of the wind. 

  “We ended up walking a lot that day, because it was brutal,” Harpst said. 

  Without a doubt, Hermes said, his favorite part of the trip was “the encounters with people from all walks of life” who they met along the way. 

“Often, people invited us to spend the night with their families,” he said.

Harpst said his favorite part of the trip was biking through Colorado, then up to Glacier National Park in Montana. Twice during the trip, they were able to enjoy coasting nine or 10 miles downhill. 

Touring the entire West Coast was memorable for Harpst.

“There was something new around every corner,” he said. 

Hermes and Harpst will present their memories of the tour on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Lenawee County Historical Museum, 110 E. Church St. in Adrian.  For more information, email lenaweemuseum@yahoo.com or call 517-265-6071.