There’s typically an array of cars parked outside of Cecil’s Cafe at lunch time on any given weekday.

And on a day as beautiful as Thursday, Mar. 19, a few bicycles chained up outside wouldn’t strike any citizen as out of the ordinary.

However, these particular bicycles belonged to five men from various states on the East Coast who were in the middle of a cross-country journey that began on Feb. 26, 2009.

Lloyd Feinburg, Art McMurdie, Ted Brush, Rich Friedman, and Jim McMullen began their trip in St. Augustine, Fla.

The trip is based on the Southern Tier route listed on the cyclist enthusiast‘s website at www.adventurecycling.org. They are sponsored by the Adventure Cycling Association.

The Southern Tier route takes them across the eight southernmost states to San Diego, Calif., an expedition that caps off at 3,131.5 miles.

The group cycles about 50 miles every day, making their trip an estimated 62 days of straight pedaling.

However, McMullen said “We kind of cheat.”

McMurdie explained that every day a different team member drives the van holding heavier items, such as clothing and repair supplies, that would be difficult for a bicyclist to carry on his person during such a long spin.

In the true spirit of minimalism, and perhaps freedom, nights are spent in camp grounds or inexpensive motels.

The only non-minimalistic part of their voyage may be the amount of food consumed to compensate for the amount of energy expelled each day, thus the stop at Cecil’s.

Like many teams, this one did not start out as a team. Brush, Friedman and McMullen served together in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, and the five have been friends for over 45 years.

Several of them have made this trip before.

The men were quick to point out DeRidder’s significance to avid bicyclers, and to explain why residents may note a higher volume of Schwinns streaming through the area as the sun continues to loan its gracious warmth and summer months approach.

Many cyclers and map makers try to create routes based on back roads for safety, and scenery, when planning lengthy trips.

US 190, which runs through downtown DeRidder, is a well-paved stretch of highway with a low flow of traffic, making it an ideal leg of a transcontinental trip for the folks who prefer a more low-tech method of transportation.

Residents may keep up with the team’s trek on their website, www.jambl.net/biketrip. The website is updated almost daily with pictures, a blog, a map of the route, and a map that tracks their progress through a wrist-GPS.