From St. Louis to Calgary

Everybody smiles when they’re on a rickshaw.
That’s the belief of Ralph Zuke, who over the course of nearly eight weeks rode a bike from his home in St. Louis, Mo., to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, all in the name of helping eradicate polio from existence once and for all.
Included on his stops during his ride was Custer, where the soon-to-be Rotary district governor and 17-year veteran of Rotary had lunch with the Custer Rotary Club and even helped pitched in on a roadside cleanup the club conducted.
Zuke pulled into Custer with his bike pulling an attachable rickshaw, which he used to brighten the day of those he came across on his trek by giving them a quick, relaxing ride.
“To date, no one has ever not smiled in the rickshaw,” he said. “Doing these rides with a lounge chair rickshaw in tow grabs people’s attention, allowing me to engage in conversation. During these conversations I am able to tell about Rotary and its key role in the eradication of polio.”
 Rotary has played that key role in the eradication of polio by raising funds to help finish the job. There have been only 10 cases of the disease so far this year.
“Unfortunately that number will most likely rise before the end of the year,” Zuke said. “With good funding, that number can be kept down and hopefully reach that goal of zero very soon.”
Zuke said when Rotary first made a promise to the children of the world that it would eradicate polio, there were 360,000 cases a year worldwide. Last year there were 99.
“That is literally like having the football on the one-inch line,” he said. “If everyone chips in just a little bit, we will cross that line to zero.”
Yes, Zuke’s trek had a dual purpose—not only to get him to the Rotary International Convention in Canada, as well as continue to spread Rotary’s message about ending polio.
Zuke has been joined by a series of support and gear drivers along the way, with BJ Welling joining him in Custer.
Originally, Zuke was set to bike 2,250 miles, but there have been several rained out days and technical problems along the way that have shortened the miles. Due to time constraints he cannot make up the days, so he jumps in the support and gear vehicle and jumps ahead to stay on schedule. Zuke calculates by the time he arrives in Calgary he will have pedaled around 1,700 miles.
“To be honest, the hardest part mentally will be when I finish the ride,” he said. “This adventure will be over. On the plus side, I’ll be in Calgary, where I’ll get to see my wife, Danielle, for the first time in almost two months and catch up with lots of new and old friends at the Rotary International Convention.”
Zuke said he averages around 40 miles a day on his bike, and there have been a few days he has been in the high-50s range, which he said is about his limit. He rides for six to 10 hours a day.
This is actually his third year riding his bike to the conference, having done so in 2018 to Toronto and Houston in 2022.
Zuke left St. Louis April 28, and will arrive in Calgary Friday. He travels by trying to first and foremost stick to bike trails, such as the Katy Trail /Rock Islands Spur (Missouri), Wabash Trace Nature Trail (Iowa), the Cowboy Trail (Nebraska) and of course, the Mickelson Trail. The rest of the time he is on state or county roads, avoids gravel and never gets on the interstate.
He makes his way on a 25-year-old Canondale he said is light and durable, and his rickshaw is a zero gravity lounge chair mounted on a custom-built aluminum chassis.
How does he stay fueled? What does he eat and drink?
“Anything and everything,” he said, emphasizing lots of liquids.
Zuke said although he takes the trip one day at a time, the first day is always the hardest. This year was no different, as his friend got hit by a car only three miles in, and he battled leg cramps as he pedaled in heat and humidity.
“What really picks me up is meeting all the wonderful people along the way,” he said. “Sometimes it’s as simple as having someone come up to me in Buffalo, Wyo., and say, ‘I saw your End Polio Now shirt. I’m a Rotarian from Oklahoma. Glad to meet you.’”
Zuke said the people he has met and gotten to know is his favorite part of the rides, along with getting to see places as he travels through them at 12 miles per hour.
“You see, hear, smell so much more than you do driving at 60 miles per hour,” he said.
Zuke said people are overwhelmingly supportive of his message, and he continues to be in awe of the people and the places he never thought he would go.
“I’m getting to experience things most people will never get the opportunity to,” he said.