CYCLE OF STRENGTH; BIKE TREK TESTS SCOUTS' ENDURANCE.

Byline: Don Holland Staff Writer

For 581 miles, they pedaled from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to the Santa Monica Pier.

For this band of 18 local Boy Scouts, it was part adventure, part sightseeing tour.

But more than that, it was a test of mind and muscle, a chance for young men to conquer their limits and push beyond.

``I thought it was going to be pretty difficult. And it was,'' said James Yeary, 11, of Thousand Oaks, the youngest to complete the nine-day trek, which ended Sunday. ``You get kind of tired after a while so you have to push yourself on the long rides.''

Planners of the California Dream Run saved the longest ride, the 100 miles between Carpinteria and Santa Monica, for the final day. For Yeary, who just graduated from fifth grade at Aspen Elementary School, keeping up was a challenge. But only when he tumbled into a patch of stinging nettles did he take a ride in the ``sag wagon,'' one of three vehicles that caravaned with the cyclists.

``These boys have no idea what they can do,'' said Kim Bond, a Newbury Park Scoutmaster and one of eight adults who accompanied the Scouts. ``Can they ride 100 miles a day? Can they conquer the hills? Now they know what their limits are. They know their bodies and how to set a goal and make it happen.''

On one of the first days, one youngster was ready to catch a ride in the ``sag wagon'' after just 10 miles into a 60-mile ride that day. But for Bond, it was the perfect moment to tap into the youngster's inner strength to push past physical and mental fatigue.

By the end of the day, the Scout finished the ride and had accomplished what he never thought possible.

``Did he learn something about himself?'' asked Bond. ``Sure he did. And that lesson was repeated with all of these guys.''

Trevor Tyloch, 14, of Moorpark said he was confident he would finish the journey, although conquering a 5,000-foot elevation gain in one day was a challenge.

Fellow cyclist Jason Bond, 17, of Newbury Park persevered - despite battling strep throat and a 103-degree fever.

``You just kind of bite the bullet and be sick when you get to camp,'' he said. ``You have to push past it or else you'll never know what you can do. . . . When I look at a map, I can't believe how much we covered in the past week. And it makes me feel really good, knowing I pushed myself to go as fast as I could.''

Local Scout leaders started kicking around the idea of the long-range bicycle ride seven years ago. Then about a year ago, leaders got together from Boy Scout troops 753 in Newbury Park, 633 in Simi Valley, 718 in Westlake Village, and troops 610 and 604 in Moorpark. Skeptics said the logistics would be insurmountable.

But perseverance paid off.

Companies donated supplies, and state campground officials helped out too, as did many parents. Soon other Scouts who weren't interested in the entire journey made plans to meet the cyclists for the final leg.

The adventure even captured attention from Boy's Life magazine, which sent writer Toby Rowland to cycle along.

Rowland, who hadn't touched a bicycle in years, said he was impressed by the quick camaraderie that formed in the group and by the mutual respect between leaders and the Scouts.

``There was no lack of respect on either side,'' said Rowland, who was a Scout three decades ago while growing up in England. ``To me, that's what Scouting is all about. And I don't really see that (kind of respect) in today's society.''

During a lunch break in Camarillo, Kim Bond reflected on the challenges conquered and lessons learned during the past nine days.

``They won't remember the ride next week,'' he said, as the Scouts set off on the last leg. ``But they'll remember parts of the ride for the rest of their lives.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color in Simi and Conejo Editions only) (Different photo ran in AV Edition) Scouts cycle toward a stop at Camarillo Airport on their way to the Santa Monica Pier from Carpinteria during the California Dream Run.

(2--Color in Simi and Conejo Editions only) Boy Scouts James Yeary, left, Trevor Tyloch and Jason Bond take a lunch break Sunday in Camarillo on the last leg of their nine-day, 581-mile trek from San Francisco.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News