He began by hopping on a stationary bike in November. Now Gerald Kobes is embarking on a 3,881-mile ride across the country.

"Physically, I'm ready. Mentally, I'm still working on that," joked 62-year-old Kobes, a former Selah City Council member and vice president at Tree Top Inc. "It's a day-by-day experience."

Kobes is one of about 200 cyclists who stopped in Yakima on Thursday as part of the "Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour." Organized by the Christian Reformed Church, the nine-week journey began Monday in Seattle and will end Aug. 30 in Jersey City, N.J.

The purpose of the tour is to raise $1.5 million to help combat poverty. Each Sea-to-Sea cyclist is committed to raising at least $10,000 for the cause. Proceeds will be donated to programs in job creation, education and health services around the world.

"People are very encouraging and supportive of each other," said Claire Elgersma of Grand Rapids, Mich., a cyclist and chairperson of the steering committee. "We have a real sense of community."

Cyclists began arriving Thursday morning in Yakima, setting up camp at Riverside Christian School. By afternoon, most were gulping cold beverages and sitting in the shade to escape the heat.

But if they were uncomfortable, they didn't show it. Instead, Elgersma said, her travel companions are driven by their mission to help their community and to see God in the beauty that surrounds them.

She's partaking in the experience with her husband, 72-year-old Henry Zwaanstra. When they ride, she takes the lead and he lags behind because "he doesn't like to be rushed," Elgersma said.

"I'm pleased with how I've done, but I'd be less than honest if I didn't say it's an exercise in humility," Zwaanstra added. "It's easy to overestimate your physical capabilities."

Of the 220 cyclists participating in the tour, 93 are riding for at least two weeks. The rest, like 22-year-old Heidi Bentum of London, Ontario, Canada, are determined to see it through to the end.

So far, she's battled Stevens Pass in the scorching heat, and lived to tell the tale. By the end of the trip, she hopes to forge a closer relationship with her younger sister, who is traveling with her.

"It's a really cool opportunity to give to a really worthy cause, to be a part of something much bigger than you," she said. "It's been really, really hard. But all in all, it's been really cool."

For more information on the Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour, go to www.seatosea.org.

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.