Bicyclist rides the waves from Falmouth to M.V.

By Janet Hefler - September 7, 2006

Most people who visit Martha's Vineyard arrive by boat or plane. For Richard Marino, however, there is only one way to go. "I can't imagine a more enjoyable way to view the shore than from my bike," he will tell you.

Last Thursday, Mr. Marino stepped onto his bike in Falmouth's Great Pond and pedaled his way across the sound to the Vineyard - and possibly into the record books. Cycling across the waves, he said he was reminded of a line from the movie "Back to the Future": "Where we're going, there are no roads."

Mr. Marino made the approximately four-mile trip in two-and-a-half hours, using a kit made in Italy called the Shuttle Bike. It consists of two pontoons with brackets to which he attaches his 21-speed Mongoose Switchback bicycle. He modified the front and back brackets somewhat to make the device more seaworthy. A friction wheel driven by the bicycle's back tire connects to a cable, which runs a propeller mounted under the front tire. The bike's handlebars steer it.

By removing the propeller, another mechanism can be attached to inflate the pontoons by pedaling the bike, a process that takes about five minutes for each pontoon. When dissembled, the pontoons can be rolled up, and the whole kit can be carried in a backpack.

Mr. Marino, age 44, is the owner of Chianti Restaurant, an upscale Tuscan restaurant on the North Shore in Beverly. He started bicycling as part of a diet and exercise program and lost 90 lbs. in two years. "I never liked gyms," he said. "I think it's crazy to sit on a stationary bike next to some smelly guy when you could be outdoors enjoying the scenery."

He bought the Shuttle Bike kit online (www.shuttlebike.com) for $1,100 about a month ago, after trying one owned by his friend Wayne Silva. He decided he wanted to make a big trip on his Shuttle Bike, and having always dreamed of kayaking to Martha's Vineyard, he knew instantly where he wanted to go.

Josie, his wife of 12 years, has been very supportive of his ventures on the water, he said. Mr. Marino prepared for the Falmouth-Vineyard trip by bicycling from the beach on the North Shore to Baker's Island and back. He picked Falmouth's Great Pond as his starting point, because his uncle lives near there.

Mr. Marino called the Times about two weeks in advance of his unusual bike ride, explaining that it would have to be a spur-of-the moment event, determined by weather, wind, and currents. He decided to make his attempt last Thursday, while Tropical Storm Ernesto was still down south doing his heavy breathing.

Unfortunately, a friend who had offered to follow Mr. Marino in his boat as a crucial safety precaution could not help him until Friday.

Mr. Marino decided to head to Falmouth anyway. After hearing his dilemma, the Falmouth harbormaster called upon Bob DiSanto to help him out. Mr. DiSanto was on standby patrol in Falmouth Harbor for his job with SeaTow of Southern Massachusetts, owned by Don Lynch. He agreed to follow Mr. Marino while he listened to his radio for calls about breakdowns.

Although someone on shore told Mr. Marino that sea conditions were choppy when he left at 3:45 pm, he pedaled through it just fine. The only thing that slowed him down occasionally was seaweed, which he had to reach down and pull from the front tire.

Compared to biking on the road, Mr. Marino said the Shuttle Bike feels like biking on a slight incline. Although it can handle ocean swells, which break over the pontoons, current and wind are not its strong points, he said. On Thursday, although he biked in waves up to three feet, he had the advantage of the wind at his back. Mr. DiSanto clocked him going up to 3 knots. As Mr. Marino described, "It was like bicycling on a bucking bronco."

He put off calling anyone until near the end of his trip, not wanting to make it "official" until he was sure he would not turn back. However, at about 5:30 pm, Mr. Marino slipped his cell phone from a plastic bag under his life-vest and called the Times to say he was on his final stretch, in sight of the ferry slip in Vineyard Haven.

About three-quarters of a mile from West Chop, Mr. DiSanto got a tow call, so he notified the Steamship Authority, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Tisbury harbormaster's office about Mr. Marino's arrival.

"The ferry guys asked me, is this guy drunk?" Mr. DiSanto said. "I said no, he's just 40-something." He gave Mr. Marino his phone number and the Coast Guard's before leaving him.

A little after 6 pm, the Shuttle Bike's bright yellow pontoons rounded the seawall into Vineyard Haven. The strange sight of what looked like a man bicycling on a banana split on water drew a small crowd at the dock.

After clocking his finish time at 6:10 pm, Mr. Marino took great delight in letting people take the Shuttle Bike for a spin.

"I should put the words, 'That's so cool' on the pontoons, because that's what everyone says when they see it," he laughed.

The bike intrigued both tourists and natives alike. Visiting from Mansfield, Kelsie, 12, and Kristen, 17, both tried the bike while their parents, Frank and Kathy Fleck, watched in amusement.

Sal McNamara, 13, Chloe McLane, 13, and Kaelin Nelson, 12, all students at Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School, took several turns each, followed by Sveta Drevila, a Steamship Authority employee from Belarus.

The Shuttle Bike proved to be surprisingly stable, as Mr. Marino demonstrated by standing on one leg on one pontoon, gliding along with his other leg raised behind him. He thinks it works best for people who weigh 200 lbs. or less.

The pontoons are double-hulled, with an upper and lower chamber, so if they lose air, they will not completely deflate. In the event one pontoon deflates, Mr. Marino could sit on the other one and use an oar he brings along to paddle to shore.

With his trip completed, Mr. Marino could not stop smiling. He packed up the Shuttle Bike kit and walked his bicycle onto the 7:15 pm Islander. "I think I earned a ride back on the ferry," he grinned.