Man and his dog are cycling for a world record

Four years ago, ex-bartender Mike Minnick and his rescue dog, Bixby, climbed aboard a touring bicycle in Galveston, Texas, with the goal of seeing how far they could go. Forty-four U.S. states and nearly 25,000 miles later, they’re still on the move in a world record-settting cycling campaign billed as “Where’s Bixby?”

Over the years, Minnick, Bixby and a rubber chicken named Charlie, have circled the country twice, suffered several crashes and enjoyed the hospitality of hundreds of newfound friends, fans and followers on social media.

This month, their journey brought them back to San Diego, where in 2015 Minnick’s bike was stolen from a garage in Mission Beach and then recovered several days later by a local TV newswoman who’d reported on the theft.

Over a green smoothie in downtown Encinitas on Friday morning, Minnick recounted his and Bixby’s adventures as a steady stream of curious passers-by stopped to take pictures, play fetch with the 7-year-old pooch and, in many cases, recall how they first met the duo during their last visit two years ago.

“We tend to attract a lot of attention wherever we go,” Minnick said.

The 41-year-old Tulsa native said he can hardly believe how much his life has changed over the past five years. Back in early 2011, he was a chain-smoking, out-of-shape barkeep with no accomplishments to be proud of.

Mike Minnick and Bixby the dog on a travel break in Encinitas on Friday. They’ve traveled by bike nearly 25,000 miles together to raise money and awareness for animal shelter programs.

(Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune)

When a friend offered him a ticket to the Burning Man Festival, he decided to make some major changes in his life. He quit his job, sold everything he owned, bought a truck with a camper shell and he and his then-2-year-old female shelter dog, Bixby, hit the road together.

Eventually, the truck broke down in the desert mining town of Terlingua, Texas, (population: 300) and that’s where the duo spent the next 18 months, living in an old school bus and figuring out how to get back on the road.

A year earlier, Minnick had encountered brothers Noah and Timothy Hussin, long-distance bicyclists whose road odyssey was documented in the 2015 film “America Recycled.” Inspired by their travels, he bought himself a 300-pound Yuba Mundo Cargo Bicycle, which he outfitted with an open-topped plastic bed for Bixby. He quit smoking, saved up a few thousand dollars and started a website (wheresbixby.com) and they officially set off on May 15, 2013.

Over the next 2-½ years, they covered 10,000 miles, traveling from one corner of the continental U.S. to the other, from Lubec, Maine, to Key West, Fla., then on to the Washington/Canada border and, finally, San Diego.

Early in their journey, Minnick decided to devote their travels to a higher cause — supporting animal shelters, like the one in Austin where he found Bixby. In many cities he visits, he helps organize fundraisers (like an event this past Thursday for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society). He also sells $25 fundraising T-shirts that say “Hug Your Dog” on the front and “Dreams are like sticks, you just have to chase them!” on the back.

Minnick plots out a general route for their travels and lets serendipity play a role in where they stop and for how long. Using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, he charts their progress and future destinations. Usually by the time they arrive in each city, someone among their 12,000 social media followers has offered up a couch or bedroom for a night or two.

During their bike theft odyssey in 2015, Minnick and Bixby were stranded in San Diego for seven weeks. But he was overwhelmed by the generosity of local residents who lent him a car, put them up in a Del Mar home and donated enough money to replace all their stolen gear.

Encinitas resident Will Headapohl is among Minnick’s many local well-wishers. A fellow long-distance biker, Headapohl said he’s impressed by Minnick’s drive, his upbeat nature and his humility in devoting his travels to Bixby and other shelter dogs.

“You don’t see too many people doing something like this. I’m blown away by this guy,” Headapohl said. “I want to know about the next stage of his life and how I might be able to help.”

In 2015, Minnick heard about a New York man who set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled on an electric bicycle (it has since been bested by a man in India who rode 4,612 miles). Minnick figured that with his lifestyle he could do better so he reached out to Yuba for sponsorship.

Yuba agreed to give Minnick one of its own electric-assist bikes and he’s been on a record-breaking campaign ever since (he topped 14,400 miles on his Spicy Curry Electric Cargo Bike this week).

To adhere to Guinness rules, Minnick has to document his progress with video, GPS records and witness statements wherever they go. They can’t stop for more than 14 days, and they can’t accept a ride.

Having already tripled the world record, he’s planning to wind down his record attempt in the next six months. He hopes to finish it with some coverage on “The Ellen Show,” since host DeGeneres is herself an advocate for pet shelters.

Then what? Minnick’s working on a book about their journey and hopes that one day an animated film can be made about Bixby, her human companion and Chicken Charlie. If Bixby and Minnick get too old to continue traveling by bike, they might switch to a van. But that’s many miles down the road.

When he was first planning his trip years ago, Minnick said he briefly considered finding Bixby a new home rather than subject her to the rigors of the open road. But his decision to not only take her along but to make her the focus of their journey has changed his life.

“Once I made Bixby the center of this, everything opened up for me,” he said. “I was floating through life and living for myself. Now I travel this beautiful country with my best friend and we’re incredibly lucky.”

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com