Donation protected
Hello, my name is Francis and I am writing on behalf of my twin brother Rick who sadly passed away on August 19th, 2024. He was on a cross-country bicycle ride through the US when he was killed in a hit-and-run outside of Gun Barrel City, TX.
I want my brother to be remembered as a kind man, with great personality, humor, and who lived his dream bicycling wherever his dreams convinced him to go.
My brother and I group up in Germany and learned bicycling at a young age and always liked to take the bicycles to school and to work later in life. Rick bought himself a special touring bike which is most suitable for long lasting biking trips. I remember his first big tour on the bicycle was within Germany from Saxony towards the Baltic and the North Sea. He had accomplished over 600 km in roughly a week. He was so energetic and happy to have reached his destination on his bicycle for the very first time. For the following two years, he was wondering where his next adventure would be. Rick decided to bicycle to Switzerland and explore the local beautiful scenery the Swiss country side had to offer. His first bicycle trip took him to central Switzerland and through the Alps and numerous lakes within. He bicycled for two weeks and spent an awesome time, where he had time to think about life and his goals in life. I remember he ascended a few summits the Alps had to offer, such as S. Bernardino at 2066 m altitude. He was super happy and felt free doing what he liked. On his way back to Germany, he spontaneously decided to take the long way around Lake Constance, where he once bicycled with his former girlfriend. The second trip to Switzerland in 2023 took him three weeks. He rode all the way down to Lake Geneva and circled the Lake on his bicycle. He had a great time again. He swam in the Swiss lakes again and forwarded many beautiful pictures of the country and himself to his family and friends. At this time, Rick also rode around Lake Constance on his way back home as he wanted to bicycle the lake clockwise this time. This was his last big bicycle tour in Europe because he developed a new interest in overseas destinations.
It was clear that Rick would pursue his dream bicycling in the USA and set new goals for himself.
In early 2024, my brother had already made plans to go to the USA for a cross-country bicycle tour which would last around four to five months this summer. After organizing and planning carefully for this new experience, and getting approval for his US visa in May, his journey began on June 6th, when he flew from Frankfurt in Germany to Seattle in the USA with his bicycle and all the gear he needed. He was super excited and he couldn’t wait to see the US for the first time. My brother’s journey began in Seattle the next day.
Rick planned his trip from the west coast, down to San Francisco and Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the four corner monument, Roswell, Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, parts of Florida and Georgia, up to Washington and New York, and finally crossing the border to Canada at Niagara Falls to visit me on October 22nd in Toronto so we could spend our birthday together.
He accomplished more than 6400 km within the first two months and ten days. The people he met along the way described him as a friendly and generous person and were amazed by his smile and his knowledge he had for various historical sites such as the Four Corner Monument, where four US states meet in one location. I was told by the friends he made that Rick seemed very confident and experienced for what he planned and where his journey would take him. His favorite place he had been to was Utah because of its rocky and dry scenery and the famous Forrest Gump Hill, which he was looking forward to witnessing. After he passed through Salt Lake City, New Mexico, and Mojave Desert, he arrived in Dallas and Fort Worth, where he stayed with some warm shower hosts. For two days, Rick decided to stay in Dallas and visit a few historical sites such as the Dealey Plaza, the Texas School book depository right next to it and also the cemetery in Fort Worth where Oswald is buried. The friends and hosts he met were amazed how much he had known about the mentioned sites he visited that day and took him around the city. The next day, Rick left his last host's apartment just after 9 a.m. and began his trip towards the southeast, leaving the city behind on US-175. Sadly, this was the last time my brother was seen by a host or friend as he was struck by a semi-truck near Gun Barrel City in a hit-and-run at around 4:07 p.m. Rick’s life and journey were cut short but the impact he made on those along the way and his family will never be forgotten.
I learned of his story on Tuesday…
I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for taking their time reading my brother’s story, for their kindness and generosity and honoring his memory. While my family and I are going through the worst weeks of our lives, we also had to face the unexpected financial burden. These include the funeral expenses in the US, international travel expenses for me and mom to see him one last time in Dallas, and the transport of his remains back to Germany, where he will have a funeral to say goodbye to his family and friends, and be laid to rest. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and not forgotten.
May my brother rest in peace
Organizer
Francis Müller
Organizer
Etobicoke, ON