Students who participated in the Lifecycles Summer Challenge Rides have quite the answer if a teacher asks them "What did you do on your summer vacation?" They logged thousands of miles on their bicycles, traveling across state lines, making friends and growing in both faith and confidence.

The mission of Lifecycles is to build young men and women of character in a Christ-centered bicycle touring adventure experience. This summer, four groups of riders embarked on Challenge Rides that showcased their biking skills and their endurance.

Three groups of boys and one group of girls participated in the Challenge Rides, said Lee DeRemer, director of Lifecycles.

One of the boys' teams took a route through the Great Allegheny Passage, from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., traveling 320 miles, while the other two traveled through the Adirondack Mountains up into New England and along the Canadian border, covering 324 miles.

"The girls rode on a new route from Connecticut north to Massachusetts and into Boston, finishing up with a ride to Cape Cod," Lee said. "They rode 224 miles."

The boys' trips included 39 riders, while 19 people participated on the girls' ride. Each trip took more than a week to complete, and the rides took place in July and August.

"It was hot," Lee said. "And the miles were big. They rode four or five hours a day, sometimes longer. One of the trips had an 84-mile day in it."

While the boys navigated a climb up Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, N.Y., the girls had to navigate traffic in Boston.

"Each trip had its unique physical challenges," Lee said. "There's also the mental challenge of staying focused, staying safe, not quitting and bringing a good attitude each day."

Riders ranged in age from 14 to 18, and Lee emphasized that they received much more out of the experience that just exercise.

"There's the physical challenge of the rides, but there's also the friendship that happens along the way," he said. "There's also the development of leadership, teamwork and other skills, as well as spiritual growth during the devotionals held each night. They get into some deep conversations."

To train for the Challenge Rides, the students begin riding in April for upward of 90 minutes a ride. On Saturdays, they ride for three to five hours.

"By the time they get to the end of July and head out on the trips, they're physically ready to do it," Lee said. "They do well on the Challenge Rides. The self-confidence they develop along the way really changes them. They're different people when they come home."

Lee and his wife, Marcie, founded Lifecycles 12 years ago. They wanted to provide opportunities for young people to take bike rides while also growing in faith and fellowship.

Since its inception, the program has served 549 boys and girls in Lancaster and York counties, who have ridden more than 600,000 miles.

"That's the distance to the moon and back and halfway to the moon again," Lee said.

From April through mid-October, groups set out from locations throughout the county on weekday and Saturday rides.

Lee explained that Lifecycles is for anyone who wants to try it.

"They don't have to make the team. If they show up, they're on the team," he said. "There's no cost for anything. Everything is 100% free." Participants can receive all the gear they need, and each ride includes a free hot meal.

Participants are taught to ride safely in small groups, progressing at a pace that serves them, Lee said, and ride groups are separated by boys and girls as well as by strengths and abilities.

"It's an opportunity for youths to get out in the fresh air, make new friends and be supervised in a positive and encouraging environment," he said. "They develop their skills at their own pace."

No experience with biking is required to join Lifecycles.

"We've taught kids to ride," Lee said. "We have everyone from beginners to experts in our groups."

He encourages parents to consider signing their child up for the next season of Lifecycles, which will begin in the third week in April next year.

"A person doesn't have to belong to a church, doesn't have to come in with a relationship with Jesus, but they are going to hear about it," Lee said. "If you want your child to have this outdoor adventure experience with a faith-based core, that's what we do."

To learn more about Lifecycles, visit http://www.lifecyclesteam.org.