Jay's Ride Across America

Manchester to Portsmouth - The Finish!

2008-07-25T11:48:00.005-04:00

Last evening we had a last meal together. It included Barbecue chicken, pork, and pork ribs with coleslaw and baked beans. Pat, Allison, and Mark were there to enjoy his event with me, as were family members and friends of others riders.

There was a full agenda for the final evening together starting with introduction of the guests who were present, then proceeding with Route RAP and instructions for the ride to the Atlantic, dinner, Individual rider statements and reflections of the experience, and finally ending after awards and a small gift were made by the ABB staff to each rider. It was a nice wrap-up to the experience and preparation for the climax of this event.

It was very different last night as I shared a room with my wife Pat and this morning when I woke at 5:45 AM to prepare for the final ride. Sharing the room with three others as I did on this tour was a logistical challenge that required patience and flexibility.

Rick and I left the hotel together this morning as we did on many mornings of the tour. We soon caught up with others that had left before us. Everyone was riding at a relaxed comfortable pace. As we pedaled along the route we collected more and more of our fellow bikers. It was like a school of fish as we worked our way toward the Atlantic. We made a few wrong turns on the route. Everyone was just following the bikers who were at the front. As we went through the small town of Exeter, my family caught up to us in the jeep and took pictures of us as they passed, and then stopped ahead and took more photos as we passed them. It was a real thrill knowing that we were about to accomplish our goal, and that my family was here to share the final day, and to take me back to my home base.

All of the bikers had been instructed to gather at Rye school where we would wait until all had arrived. We had a final group photo taken before we formed up into a parade group to be escorted by local police the final 3 miles to the ocean. We were arranged in groups of four with our honorary leader Shuresh Kurjah in front with Steve Foley who he always rode with. Next to them were Jose Campos, and John Douglas the most mature of this group of teenagers at 69 years young. The rest of us filled out the the formation. I was on the third row back on the right side and next to me was Rick Tangard my roommate and frequent riding partner. Next to him was Piet and Hetty Meurs the couple from Netherlands.

We all followed close behind the police car traveling at a slow pace of maybe 10 or 12 mph and taking up one lane of the road and extending maybe 100 to 150 feet long. Another police car brought up the rear. As we proceeded toward the Atlantic I began to smell the salt air of the ocean even before I could see the ocean. As we neared the planned arrival point at Wallis Sands State Beach the police sirens walled. Chills swept over my body as I was feeling the enormous undertaking that we were about to complete.

As we rode into the parking area an explosion of celebration began. It was like the cork had just been released from a bottle of champagne and the bubbles were overflowing from the bottle. Riders were being hugged by their family and friends. I was so happy that some of my family could be there with me. Riders were dashing through the sand with their bicycles to get to the water for the traditional wheel dipping. I took my bike and walked into the water with my bike shoes on and dipped my wheel over and over. I let the waves surge over my feet and my bikes wheels. I was feeling the enormity of what we had just completed. One of the bikers jumped into an incoming wave still wearing his helmet. It was an ecstatic feeling of completion.

WHAT A CELEBRATION! WE DID IT!

We had said our goodbyes and wished each other well starting last evening and continuing through today’s ride and arrival at the Atlantic. I was ready to go home.

After a few final photos with the ABB staff, I rode back toward the hotel to get a shower, change into clean dry clothes and depart with my family for home.

There is no doubt that this cross country tour has impacted me in many ways, some of which I don’t fully understand. Off and on I have felt overwhelmed with emotion. I plan to take some time to re-acclimate to my home environment and then I will post final reflections of the tour entry.

Brattleborro, Vermont to Manchester New Hampshire

2008-07-21T16:09:00.003-04:00

Today was another damp start to the day. It rained quite a lot after we arrived yesterday and the roads were wet and the air heavy with moisture. The clouds were low and threatening.

I left the hotel with Rick, Amy and John and rode with them until we encountered the really significant hills, some with double digit grades. My GPS showed 18% at one point. The name of the road was Sullivan road, it should have been called heart break hills road. I went for it, and was the 4rth person to arrive at the first SAG stop at 27 miles. These miles were extremely difficult because of the steep ups and downs. We had one section of dirt road that was very steep mostly down hill. My friend Jim had warned me about this since it’s apparently the same section he rode in 2005. As I was refueling people started arriving, some looking to be on the edge of exhaustion. It was a two banana stop, I usually only have one banana at SAG stops but today required a little extra. We still had 60 miles to go.

I grabbed a couple of trail bars and I was off, Alan had left just before me. I don’t think he was feeling well because I don’t usually keep up with him. When we came to more climbing I passed him. All the time I thought some of the faster riders will soon pass me.

After another 35 miles I arrived at the second SAG stop and was the 3rd person to check in. They had fresh blueberries in cups. I gobbled down two cups, they were delicious and sweet. I ate some salty fritos, topped off my water supply, grabbed a bag of fig newtons and was off. All I could think about was that maybe Pat, Allison and Mark would be t the hotel when I arrived. I was very eager for this reunion. I pushed on to finish the last 25 miles. It has been a cool day with light rain off and on.

Surprisingly I was the third rider to arrive at the hotel. George and Larry from Colorado are always the first to arrive. As I was turning into the hotel lot I could see Pat and Allison standing there waiting for my arrival.

What a wonderful reunion. After hugs and kisses they asked me if I would like some pizza. You know what the answer was.

I also met my buddy Rick’s family. His Wife, Father, Brother and Niece were awaiting his arrival. We hung out and welcomed other riders as they arrived.

The riders that I talked to agreed that this was one of the more difficult days because of the steep climbing. My GPS indicated a cumulative climb figure of 6,475 feet.

Tonight we will have the last meal together as a group of riders. Family members will be joining us for this meal. It will be a time to share our reflections of the tour with our fellow riders and their families.

Tomorrow we will ride the final 62 miles to Portsmouth and the Atlantic Ocean. Then it’s over.

Here's the remaining result of my crash back in Kansas. Might have to have that looked at by John Bowman when I get home.

Latham, New York to Brattleboro, Vermont

2008-07-20T15:31:00.007-04:00

For breakfast this morning I had orange juice, coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon, two egos, and a bowl of wheaties with half a banana. That should be enough to get me over the mountains and into Brattleboro, or at least to the second SAG stop where there was promise of a hot dog stand. At route rap last eve we got the route sheet and there was concern by some of the riders about the mountains we would be climbing over.

As I got ready to roll my Bike out of the room this morning, I looked out and it was raining. Bummer! It was not forecasted. I had been a little slow getting around this morning so I had the distinction of being the last rider to leave. That’s the first time on this trip. No problem, I planned to set a comfortable pace for myself and enjoy the day.

I decided against putting a jacket on because the temperature was 72 degrees. Even if I got rained on I would still be warm, and it didn’t look like a all day type of rain. It was the right choice because it stopped raining shortly after I left. As I was riding along by myself still in Latham, I saw a sign, “Steck for Congress”. Do you have any relatives in Latham New York Randy? I continued on and began catching riders who had left not long before me. I crossed the bridge over the Hudson River. The clouds remained and the air was heavy with moisture.

The first SAG stop was at a Dunkin donut store. A couple of donuts would be good with a cup of coffee but I’m not sure how well they would ride in my stomach as I started climbing up the promised mountains. So I got a banana and some salty pretzels and topped of my water supply. When I get home I’m going to go to the donut shop and get a couple of donuts to enjoy with a cup of coffee!

We cycled into Vermont at mile 31. I got the obligatory state line pictures and proceeded on. One of the first towns we rode through after entering Vermont was Bennigton. It was a very attractive town with interesting church buildings and other buildings with a unique architecture. The town center had many interesting restaurants and cafes. It had a distinct New England flavor. Here’s another town that I would love to come back and explore.

Shortly after leaving Benngiton we began the climb that reportedly would be about 8 miles to the highest point. The grades weren’t too steep at first but eventually we came to some 8 and 9% grades. Groups usually disperse when getting into the steep climbs because everyone has their own pace for grinding up steep grades. I was feeling good today so off I went. Soon I was cycling alone with my thoughts as the miles accumulated. It wasn’t as difficult as it had been built up to be. After arriving at the second SAG stop at 58 miles and checking in, I decided to go for a hot dog. Rick, John, Amy and I went to little hot dog stand and got a dog and a drink.

Soon I was back on the road again. I caught up to Jerry Griswold at the Hogback mountain overlook and got him to take a picture of me, and I took one of him. We departed together to enjoy our decent. I maxed out just over 40MPH twice and I was braking to hold the speed down. Jerry said he let it go and almost made 50. That’s crazy! I talked about Jerry in my previous post. He is a very good rider and I decided if I could keep up with him to the finish that I was doing pretty good. I did, and we arrive d at the hotel at 1:30 PM after a 80 mile day. I felt the best riding today than I have felt since we left Erie, PA. My saddle sore issues have become non-issues, so I can pedal and not think about my pain. A&D did it for me. Thanks to Larry from Colorado for suggesting the routine of application. Also, I think taking it slower for a while helped.

To the readers of my web log, I have appreciated your interest, and many times your encouraging words gave me the boost I needed to have a brighter outlook.

I do not expect to post a log entry for tomorrow, or the last day until I get home. Tomorrow evening Pat, Allison, and Mark will be joining me when I arrive in Manchester. Tomorrow evening we will be having a last meal together as a group and we will have time to share reflections of the trip and say our formal farewells. The last Day, Tuesday we will ride to the Atlantic for the traditional wheel dipping and then all go our separate ways.

I just can’t see spending an hour or two posting a blog entry with all that going on. I know you will understand. I will post the final two days entries and final thoughts on the trip when I arrive home.

Response to comments on previous post:

Wow! I'm so honored to have 10 comments. I think that may be a record . What can I say? Thank you sooo much!

Little Falls to Latham

2008-07-19T19:20:00.010-04:00

Today as I left the hotel in Little Falls, the air was heavy with moisture. We rode in the mist of the morning’s cool foggy air. It was very pleasant conditions during the morning, but got pretty hot and humid after noon.

We followed route 5 which mostly followed the train track which followed the Mohawk River. The route took a path mostly through the valleys of the increasing foothills. Most of the hills were gradual grades. We went through the small town of Fonda where I took a photo of an interesting building. Then we went through Amsterdam which I’m sure has no resemblance to the original version in Netherlands. I’ll have to check with Piet and Hetty.

I got into the zone and missed a turn at 50 miles and didn’t discover it until I was two miles past. I had to retrace my path back to the intersection where I should have turned. This added 4 miles to my day. Once back on route I went through the small town of Rotterdam and then was directed to a bike path which ran along the Mohawk River. I stopped to take a picture of some pleasure boats I noticed on the river. While I was getting the picture I notice a bush along the path with little round red berries, they looked like they would be tasty, I think you can see them if you click on the photo. Also, while taking the photo a snake slithered across the trail. I didn't get at pic of that.

I finally made it to the second SAG stop at Jumpin Jacks Drivein. It was located on the river front just outside the city of Schenectady. I remember that a former work associate at Dominion, Don Chapman was from Schenectady. The drivein was a welcome stop since it had gotten quite hot and was about 12:30 PM, a good time to get a hot dog and a large iced drink.

After getting refreshed I continued on my way to complete the 20 miles to the hotel. The majority of this was on the bike path. I caught up to John from Seattle again. This must have been about the 5th or 6th time of the day that our paths had crossed. I would catch up to him and pass him and then I would stop at a convenience store or miss a turn and he would be ahead of me again. This time he was stopped at the end of the bike path when I rode up. The directions didn’t synch with our mileage. A home owner drove in there driveway so I asked for directions. Sure enough we had gotten off the bike path and were on a neighborhood path. Together we retraced our paths a short distance to get back on track.

I finished my day at the hotel at 1:50 PM. I had added 4 miles to the mileage with my miss-cues for a total of 80 miles for the day.

Roomate Rick at work on his blog.

While riding today I went through a range of emotions as I thought about the end of the ride being near with only three more days after today. The experiences that I‘ve had are amazing and probably life changing. The new friends that I’ve made have enriched my life. I’ve mentioned before how I’ve missed my family, and friends. I look forward to reconnecting with all, including our pet Shih Tzu Bailey. I’m looking forward to returning to Glen Allen, VA. and reestablishing my daily routine. But first there are three more days of challenging riding to complete!

Response to Previous Comments:

Brother in-law Dennis from Alaska. Thanks for your kind words. Glad to here you are tuned in and find it interesting.

Karen and Sherri from DC, thanks for the encouragement, nothing can stop me now!

Liverpool to Little Falls

2008-07-18T15:15:00.004-04:00

Rick and I had breakfast this morning at 6:15 at Denny’s. We shared the meal with John and Amy from New York and Kip and Carol Jean from Florida. A nice older lady waited on us. She seemed a little flustered at first and said she had worked late last evening and that they had called her in early this morning because of the bike riding group. We conversed with her and put her at ease. As we were leaving the restaurant we were approached by a young guy who wanted to know where we were going to and coming from. It was another “Oh Wow” Moment.

I left the hotel at 7:30 AM. Kip and I were riding together and as time went by I could see another rider in my mirror. When we stopped to change the map to the next page I saw that it was Jerry Griswold from CA.

Jerry has toured all over the world and frequently does tours self contained staying in hotels. I ate dinner with him last evening and got to talk to him some about his touring experience and how he prepares when he goes to a foreign country. One interesting technique he uses is to get someone to write the location of his next planned stop in the language so he can ask directions if he get’s off course. I asked him if the language has been a problem and he said, “I can’t hear anyone anyway so it’s no different than here”. Jerry is extremely hard of hearing so it’s a little difficult to communicate with him in a loud restaurant. Jerry is 64 years young, is from California and had a career as a barber. His wife is not into bike riding, but she is supportive of his adventuresome spirit.

Kip, Jerry and I rode together until we arrived at the first SAG stop at 24 miles. The ABB vans were parked next to the Erie Canal. From the first SAG stop the route took us along the canal on Canal Road. I followed Skip, Don, and Jose until they decided to get on the canal trail. I continued on Canal Road.

The ride today was not as hilly as some of our recent days. The attractive features were the Erie Canal and some nice farms along the way. The total distance was 78 miles. The air was heavy, just like at home. It looked like we could get another shower but we were spared.

As I was riding the last 25 miles by myself, I decided to stop and verify that I was on the right road and get a cookie from my onboard snack bag. After I saw that I was on route and was preparing to continue, a group of four riders passed me and asked if I was ok. It was Wayne from Wales, Steve from Australia, and John and Gary both from CA. They usually maintain a pretty fast pace. As I got underway they invited me to join them. I rode the last 25 miles with them. The pace was faster than I had been riding but was not difficult to keep since I was in their wind shadow. We arrived at the hotel in Little Falls at 1:15 PM.

My energy level has been good the last four days. I am eating more throughout the day. I had a strawberry milkshake and Big Mac when I arrived today. I'm trying to eat every hour during the ride. I am riding a little slower than I had been and smelling the roses a little more.

Canandiagua to Liverpool

2008-07-17T14:39:00.005-04:00

Today I left the hotel at 7:30. The temperature was low 70’s.

I navigated a series of mildly rolling hills through farmland and small towns. This is the Finger Lakes area and we are riding across New York at the North end of some of the lakes. As I entered the town of Geneva I came into sight of Seneca Lake. It is a large body of water with much boating business visible with marinas and boat sales establishments. Also, there were a fair amount of nice hotels for vacationers to stay near the lake. This would be an interesting place to explore more. Unfortunately I’m just passing through on my way to Liverpool which is near Syracuse. Many times on this cross country bicycle tour I have seen places that I would like to return to and spend several days exploring. Part of the route today followed the Erie Canal.

At the only SAG stop of the day I noticed dark clouds to the north and west. I decided to get on the road so I would have a chance of getting to the hotel before any wet weather developed. As I rode it got darker and darker. It was eerily still and muggy as just before a rain. Finally at 43 miles it began raining so I stopped to put my phone, camera and wallet in a water proof baggy. I continued on for several miles and it rained more as I went. Apparently this system was following the same directional course that I was. I had seen Kip and CJ ahead before I stopped to protect my phone and camera so I kept an eye open to see if they had stopped to take shelter. I notice a gas station convenience store on my left and as I approached I saw two bicycles and then heard Kip’s shrill whistle as they motioned for me to join them. I quickly accepted the invite. I got a cup of coffee and an old fashioned donut, and they ordered a sub sandwich. We sat at the protected picnic tables and enjoyed our food as it rained gently. By the time we were finished the rain had let up and the sky was brighter. We resumed our journey and although we were wet the temperature was still above 70 so we were not cold. Since the roads were wet we got a good shower every time a big truck passed us.

Eventually the roads dried, and we caught up to some other riders who had stopped at the Erie Canal Park to take photos. Now we were part of a group of about ten riders who finished out the last ten miles together. We arrived at the hotel to complete our 69 mile day at 1:00 PM.

They are having a major classic car show in this town this weekend and throughout the day we saw many nicely restored and some customized cars on their way to this town. One old custom car passed me in the rain today. It had no windows, so the driver was getting wet. After arriving in Liverpool they seem to be everywhere. Several are parked in the hotel where we are staying.

After two days of getting rain showers the bikes was very dirty. The hotel had a bike cleaning station setup at the end of the hotel and I took advantage of it. I wiped down the bike frame and wheels with a damp rag, then degreased the chain and cassette before applying fresh lube.

I am savoring these last days of the tour. There will be more challenges ahead with the mountains of Vermont. It will be over in just five more days.

Hamburg to Canandiagua

2008-07-16T16:30:00.011-04:00

Today a Bicycle museum a short distance off our route was on the agenda. This is a private bicycle collection and it was impressive. The owner had been contacted by the ABB staff and agreed to open at 7:30 AM for a guided tour. Most of the bike group took advantage of this opportunity.

The owner had been collecting bikes for over 35 years. He had a copy of the first bicycle which was made in Europe (Germany, I believe) and many other bicycles that showed the evolution of the design and engineering of this alternative to the horse and precursor to the car.

The bicycle that we often see with the large front wheel was infamous for dumping the rider off headfirst if the wheel hit a rock or rut. This resulted in an accident called a header. I can imagine the damage that could result since the rider sat so high on the bike and I guess helmets were not worn. All of my photos for the day are from the bike museum. If you ever visit this area a visit to the museum would be well worth your time. Here is the web address http://www.pedalinghistory.com/

The Museum visit took about an hour and I was itching to resume pedaling since this was going to be another long day of 97 miles. Again I decided to reduce my pace and go for the comfort zone and rode by myself most of the day. After riding about 25 miles I could see dark clouds in the North which was the direction that we were headed for the first part of the route. Soon I saw numerous bolts of lightening and heard thunder closing in on my path. I hadn’t taken a jacket today since I hadn’t heard any forecast for rain. As the thunder got closer I also thought of my cell phone, wallet, and camera which were unprotected if it started to rain. I also thought of my safety and comfort from lightening and rain. I was about two miles from the first SAG stop at 33 miles when it started raining. There was a group of about 6 riders a ways ahead of me. I saw a restaurant with a covered porch opening which would fit a bike and me so I turned into the parking lot and went into the sheltered area. I quickly placed my cell phone, camera, wallet and watch in a baggy that I carry in my fanny pack for an occasion like this. It was a fast moving storm and was heading east, which was the way I would be heading after the next turn. In a few minutes it let up slightly so I continued on to the SAG stop which was located in a gas/convenience store lot. Other bicyclers were already there with bikes parked under the roof overhang of the convenience store. I used the store’s facilities, then refilled water bottles and got food to refill the fuel tank and extras to take with me.

After 10 or 15 minutes the storm had moved east and skies were looking brighter. Gradually groups of riders headed out. I finally left as well. Eventually the roads dried and the sun came out. It was quite humid. I eventually came up on John and Amy working on a flat tire. Later I came up on the group that Rick was riding with, two of the riders were fixing flats. Rick was helping Skip fix his first flat of the trip. Skip had a total of three flats today. I guess he making up for earlier missed opportunities.

I arrive and checked in at the hotel in Canandaigua at about 3:00 PM. My total mileage for the day was 97. This town is in the Finger Lakes area of New York and is located next to Canandaigua Lake. The Finger Lakes support a lot of pleasure boating.

I am encouraged by some improvement in the saddle soreness. I was relatively comfortable until the last 15 miles which had more hills. The combination of the treatments and the reduced riding pace seem to be effective. I will continue with this approach.

Response to comments:

It’s so good to hear from all of you. For my family and friends I look forward to a personal reunion when I return. To those that I have never met, I’m happy to share my journey with you. If chance allows us to meet in person at some future time, I would be delighted.

Erie, PA to Hamburg, NY

2008-07-15T15:21:00.012-04:00

It was a cool clear morning and we were leaving Erie, PA and would be entering into another state, New York, on the way to our destination. It would be 81 miles to Hamburg, NY, just South of Buffalo. Most of the route followed the shore of Lake Erie and provided many nice views with Vineyards and Lake Erie as a backdrop.

I had been struggling with saddle discomfort for sometime and it had worsened at the end of the 5 day stretch which ended in Erie. I am not alone with this problem. I don’t know if the cause is my bike seat or what, but I suspect it is the cumulative effect of sitting on that bike seat for over 3,000 miles with very little rest time to recover.

I could write a book on the causes and remedies. But I’ll spare you. Once word got out that I was suffering, others would ask me what I’m doing to address it and would share their ideas. Some offered to share what they were using to prevent the problem. I wasn’t sure I would be able to ride today. With the day off and some rest I prepared to ride.

I told Rick who I’ve ridden with most days that I was going to ride alone in an attempt to find a pace that I would be comfortable. Or at least be able to complete the ride. So I began the day riding by myself. I poked along enjoying the scenery. I rode a while with Tom and Susan. I stopped more frequently to take photos. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling relatively comfortable. I rode a while near John and Amy. Skip came up and rode beside me and inquired about my condition. I was actually a little tired talking about it. Skip told me that he had been struggling with seat comfort also and related that he had two blisters.

After arriving at the only SAG stop of the day at 47 miles, I took this picture of Andy Hiroshima and his cool Seven bike with Carbon fiber 620 wheels.

I saw Rick there and he said he heard that there was a Dairy Queen about 4 miles from the hotel. Rick has been known to start rumors that don’t necessarily come true. After fueling up I departed. I had eaten two oatmeal cookies on the way to the first stop and had one left for the rest of the route. I added some Fritos to my bag and headed out to finish the ride or at least make it to the DQ.

On the way I saw this cool Dodger Challenger retro version that chrysler has produced. I had seen pictures in magazines, but this was parked in a dealers lot. I couldn't resist. It takes me back to the late 60's when I had a cool 68 Plymouth Barracuda.

Sure enough there was a DQ, about 2 miles from the hotel. I pulled in and there were 5 bikes already parked outside. It was Skip, Don, Jose, Kip and CJ enjoying refreshing treats. I ordered a Strawberry milkshake and joined them.

After finishing our rewards we finished the last couple miles to the hotel together, arriving about 2:00 PM.

Youngstown, Ohio to Erie, Pennsylivania

2008-07-14T11:33:00.008-04:00

A frontal system was forecast to affect Youngstown area overnight and today. When I checked the forecast last evening 60% precipitation was forecast for today. It was raining last evening when we retired for the night

We departed about 7:45 this morning. Not raining but the road was wet and there were puddles. The clouds were heavy with moister. It rained lightly off and on until we reached the 25 mile point. Eventually it developed into a steady rain so we stopped and put on our jackets. Rick and I were riding with John and Amy from New York. By the time we got to the first SAG stop at33 miles we were very wet. Rain continued to fall and the temperature had dropped from 72 at start to 64 degrees. Even though I was wet through the jacket, I was warm enough while riding because the jacket is a good wind break.

The SAG stop was located next to a café which was open. I went in and bought a cup of coffee to have with the snacks. After 10 minutes and the rain showing no sign of letting up we reluctantly departed to continue our journey in the rain. The rain increased now and was fairly heavy. We had gone about 3 miles and all of a sudden my tire went flat. Here we are on a two lane road with a fair amount of traffic with no shoulder and no shelter. I got the wheel off the bike and inspected it as best I could. There was no apparent cause on the tire surface. Rick helped get the tire off and we were preparing to install a new when the ABB van pulled up behind us and turned on their hazard lights. Andy Hiroshima took the wheel and installed the new tube and pumped it up and sent us on our way in minutes. I was so happy to see them appear to assist me.

As we continued on our way a mile or so later, we heard a shout from the front porch of a house near the road. John and Amy had stopped to seek shelter from the rain. We decided to continue on. How could we get any wetter than we already were? The hardest part is starting out in the rain. When it starts raining and you get wet you reconcile yourself to the journey and destination ahead and just pedal. You know that there are 30 other riders doing the same thing you are.

We were on a smooth road with very little traffic now and we were making good time. It’s funny what you think about when you are riding in conditions you wouldn’t normally ride in. I never before knew what water tasted like that landed on my sweaty head and ran down my face through my mustache. Salty, not very desirable.

As we rode I heard a train whistle several times in the distance. Apparently it was on a parallel path with us. Two bicycle riders pedaling through the rain drops on a country road in Ohio. We also had several dog encounters today, but nothing too threatening.

Eventually the sky appeared lighter in the Northeast. The temperature started to warm. At about noon the rain stopped and with the temp now 70 degrees we stopped to remove our soggy jackets. By the time we arrived at the second SAG stop at mile 69, the sun was out and the sky had cleared to a deep blue.

This SAG stop was perfectly positioned at a popular drive in that specialized in Root beer floats and also had typical drive-in fare. It smelled great, I got a mug of root beer and an order of French fries. Many of the bike riders were enjoying root beer floats and other delicious food options. It was obvious how the dramatic improvement in the weather along with the drive-in treats, raised everybody’s spirits. Many others from the area were there enjoying the drive-in also. One man asked me where we were going. I love it when they ask that! Other riders gathered around to see his reaction. His eyes opened wide, it was great! Then I said you should ask where we came from. Of course he did, and his response when I answered was another dramatic reaction. I guess you could call it the wow effect. When his tray of food was ready he wished us well.

Refreshed and re-energized we departed the drive-in for our destination, Erie, PA. It was another 28 miles. We arrived about 3:15 PM and we will stay here through tomorrow for a much needed day off.

Response to previous post:

Hi Shriram, it was great to here from you!

Mark, Thanks for the suggestions, you would think I had this figured out by now

RABA friends, I feel your energy, Ron Corio has been a real encouragement with his regular comments

Matt, Looking forward to some of that Moyer corn, thanks David and Nancy!

Bob, Thanks for the encouraging words, the staff nurse has some interesting remedies for the saddle soreness

Wooster to Youngstown

2008-07-12T15:36:00.005-04:00

Departing Wooster we initially rode through pleasant rolling country side containing a patch work of small farms. At 6 miles, our route sheet directed us to turn left on Rohrer Rd. at the Buckwalter Greenhouse. We had to stop and get a photo with the street sign. My father grew up in Ohio and has relatives in the area. We followed Rohrer Rd. for several miles through the country side. I felt a kinship with the area.

Later in the ride we navigated on some of the roughest roads of the trip. These roads had been patched with asphalt and were mostly patch rather than smooth surface. This occurred for maybe 20 miles. I became very tired of this and would try to stand on the pedals when I could to save the impact on my already unhappy butt. I also slowed my pace to try to reduce the impact. Cars have big rubber tires, springs, shock absorbers, and comfortable seats. Bikes have none of this so every expansion joint, uneven patch, or hole in the road is just waiting to give you a jolt. Traffic was usually light so we would use the whole road to try to find a smooth path, but when cars came behind us we had to ride through the bone jarring surface at the edge of the road. On the bright side, we did have a lot more shade than in previous states, and that will likely continue. Today the temperature reached the 90’s so shade was good!

As we were nearing completion of our ride and were about a mile from the hotel I was leading the way when I heard someone calling my name. I slowed and looked back to see a collection of bikers at an ice cream stop. Rick and I wheeled our bikes back to join them. I had a very good strawberry milkshake. It was so refreshing after riding 94 miles.

I got a call from my brother in Harrisonburg tonight. He turned on the speaker phone and my parents were there along with my daughter and son in-law. It was great to talk to them and receive encouragement.

Tomorrow 97 miles takes us to Erie, Pa. where we get a much needed rest day on Monday!

Marysville to Wooster

2008-07-11T19:50:00.003-04:00

Today was another fine day riding through Ohio. The temperature started at about 68 degrees with blue sky an almost no wind. It warmed to mid 80s with a mild West wind. The terrain was rolling with increasingly steep hills. Some of the hills in the second half of the route were 10% to 15% grade.

When you’re already tired from riding 80 miles it requires your last reserves of energy to make it up the steep hills. To add to the challenge today, bike wasn’t shifting smoothly into the lowest gears. It would get between gears and the chain wouldn’t engage properly causing a loss of momentum while I tried to get it to engage. It’s like the clutch slipping in a car and not applying the power when you need it.

Every day after the ride there is a mechanic schedule were you can get Girard to address problems with your bike. I was second in line today. He diagnosed the problem to be too much slack in the shift cable and made the necessary adjustment. I sure hope that takes care of it since I think I will be using my low gears tomorrow again.

Bob from Wooster joined us for dinner tonight. Bob had a bad fall earlier in the trip and suffered a trip ending skull fracture. He spent several days in the hospital in pueblo Colorado before returning home to Wooster. It was great to see that his recovery is going well.

Here’s a brief report on my attempts to maintain a good energy level longer during this marathon. I packed cookies (oatmeal, cranberry, walnut, that Allison sent) in my bike jersey so I could eat quality food before the first SAG stop. I felt pretty good all morning. Rick and I stopped at a Subway shop for lunch that was located in a grocery store along the route. I had Veggie Delight sandwich and water, and then followed that with a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. With this I felt good for the next 25 or so miles. With the increasing steepness of the hills over the last 30 miles and fact that it was the second day in a row of 100 + mileage I was spent by the time I arrived at the hotel. Thankfully tomorrow we only ride 93 miles. What a break! The next day will be just 96 miles. That takes us to Erie, PA. for a well deserved rest day. I will continue to try to eat more, earlier during each days ride.

Pat is concerned that I have lost weight. I’ve included a picture here to show that I am healthy. This is after completing about 85 miles of the day’s journey.

Response to Comments to Yesterday’s post:

It was great to hear from you Phil, I’m not making any commitments yet on what my next adventure will be! I think I will spend some time getting reacquainted with my home routine and enjoying a little less intense activities for a while.

Matt, Beam me some good energy vibes. I will need it over the next 11 days.

Richmond, Indiana to Marysville, Ohio

2008-07-10T20:20:00.004-04:00

This morning after breakfast we loaded luggage and left Richmond, IN. The weather was almost perfect. It was 59 degrees, clear blue sky and no wind. We had a short 2.7 miles to the Ohio state line. Check off another state. We along with a few other riders gathered for photos at the Ohio sign.

Western Ohio is very scenic. There were many small farms along the route, unlike the mega farms of Kansas. Some farms building were in disrepair and some were immaculately maintained. The terrain was rolling with increasing hills. We were greeted by quite a few dogs. Some were large and threatening and some were yappy little pooches. Thankfully they were all fenced.

Today Rick and I stopped for lunch at 68 miles in a little town named St Paris. There was a little Café that had sandwiches. It was owned by the friendly mayor who was working in the store. I had a turkey Panini with lettuce tomato and mayo, chips and a drink.

On arriving in Marysville Rick spotted an ice cream store so we stopped for some cold refreshing ice cream before proceeding the last miles to the hotel.

I was surprised by a package when I checked into the hotel on completing the ride. My daughter Allison sent me cookies! It is always great to get treats from my family. I feel the love! There was a card in an envelope addressed to M. Jay “Pedalswift” Rohrer. It has a nice ring to it don’t you think? I don’t always feel so swift.

I have noticed that I usually start off the day riding strong and feel that way maybe the first 40 miles or so. This takes me to the first SAG stop where I eat nectarines or bananas or both, some salty snacks and maybe some cookies and drink water. After that I sometimes feel sluggish and not as energetic. Today being 107 miles I did not feel energetic for the last 25 miles. I’m going to try something different tomorrow. I’m going to pack along a couple two or three cookies and eat them while riding, before the first SAG stop. I may be using up most of my stored energy from dinner and breakfast and not refueling soon enough. I also may try a cup of coffee with lunch. While training for this ride I would often stop in Ashland for a cup of coffee at the Ashland Tea & Coffee shop. I always felt reenergized after that.

It’s hard to believe that we are actually just 12 days away from finishing this cross country adventure. Tomorrow we will ride another century (103 miles). We will also reach the significant milestone of having reached the 3,000 mile point on this trip.

Response to comments from yesterday:

Matt, Yes Wade and Eunice lived in Dayton, Ohio at one time and we visited them there.

Mike from Dominion, I appreciate your frequent comments. When I reached Richmond yesterday I had a momentary brain flash “I’m Home”. I quickly snapped out of it. I have about another 800 miles of discovery on a bike before my family shuttles me back to Richmond, VA.

Indianapolis to Richmond

2008-07-09T15:27:00.003-04:00

I felt well rested after the off day in Indianapolis. I actually had two days off since I rode the van From Crawfordsville because of the rain storm. My roommate Rick and three others hired a van to shuttle them back to Crawfordsville yesterday so they could complete that stretch in better weather conditions. I didn’t join them because my cousin Wade and his wife Eunice were coming to see me, and take me out to lunch and to a bike shop to pick up some necessary supplies.

I had a very nice time with them. We went to the Bike Line bike shop in a very nice part of Indianapolis and I was able to make my purchases. Next door was a Mexican restaurant and they treated me to lunch there. Wade was scheduled to participate in this bike tour with me and had sent in the necessary deposit to secure his spot. Unfortunately Eunice’s Father was diagnosed with terminal cancer so he canceled. Her father passed away in June. We talked about ideas for doing a future bike tour together and compared notes on how retirement is going. Wade retired last year also, but as a Physician he still works part time in an Urgent Care medical center near their home in Indiana. It is very meaningful to reconnect with family friends when being away from my family for so long.

The ABB staff have a day off too when we aren’t riding. They have many other tasks that have to be done on the off days such as servicing the vans and cleaning the water coolers and many things I’m not even aware of. If they have a little spare time they may work on their own bike. I took a photo of Girard servicing his bike. He has a Santana which is constructed of Titanium tubing. It is very light. This bike has couplers on the frame which allows disassembly and packing in a box the size of the wheels. This allows you to check it as luggage with the airlines.

Last night we went to bed with thunder, lightening and torrential rain coming down. The forecast was that a frontal system was moving in from the north and was supposed to move south of Indianapolis by this morning. When we woke and checked conditions we could see puddles but no indication of recent rain on the streets. After breakfasting and loading luggage we departed.

The air was heavy with humidity but we rode the route mostly in the dry. We had a brief rain shower about 35 miles into the ride but otherwise it was smooth sailing. We had a slight tail wind and because of the clouds the temperature stayed cool. It was about 72 degrees on departure and about 80 on arrival in Richmond Indiana. We arrived at the hotel at 1:00 PM after stopping at a McDonalds for lunch on the way.

It felt good to be riding again. Our course followed Route 40 and we rode due East for a total of 74 miles. The next two days will be over 100 miles each.

Crawfordsville to Indianapolis

2008-07-07T20:41:00.007-04:00

I was wakened this morning with the boom of thunder. I rolled over and checked my watch. It was 5:30 AM. We were supposed to load at 6:30 AM then ride our bikes into the town of Crawfordsville to breakfast at Joe’s Diner. We went through our morning routine of preparation. Before 6:00 the rain began falling intensely with very dark clouds and thunder and lightening. I walked to the hotel lobby where other bikers were gathering. Shortly after 6:00 AM Michele made an announcement to the group about a change of plans. Rather than loading luggage, then riding bikes to the diner, they would be shuttling us in the vans to breakfast. After returning to the hotel after breakfast, they would check the weather conditions and make a plan.

During and after breakfast it poured rain and continued lightening and thunder. They announced that no one would be allowed to depart on bikes as the conditions were. They also polled the group to see who would rather be shuttled to Indianapolis in the vans. A majority desired this. I was in the first group to transport. About a third of the riders wanted to wait for the second shuttle to see if conditions would improve to allow biking. The planned route was on RT 136 which had virtually no shoulder and with rain and standing water and motor vehicles it seemed a risky. As it turns out the people who waited were able to start a couple hours later after the main rain system had disipated and were able to complete the ride with only a few sprinkles.

I am disappointed that I didn’t get to visit the attractions on the route today, but satisfied with my decision to van shuttle to Indianapolis. We arrived at about 11:00 AM. Rooms wouldn’t be available until after noon. Rick and I found our luggage and changed from bike clothes to street clothes. The hotel is located on the edge of Indianapolis city center. Since it was not raining when we arrived we walked into the city central and found a coffee shop for a cup of coffee and a muffin.

We then walked to the war memorial in the square, took a few pictures of the capital and the memorial, and then got lunch before returning to the hotel. Soon the bikes arrived with the second shuttle, so we retrieved our bikes and checked into our room.

On a down note, Jeff Bucher who shared the rooms with Rick and I, left for home today. He had been struggling with health issues and decided to end his tour. He was dehydrated and walked to the nearby hospital ER last night to receive IV fluids. He lives in New Zealand and had a long flight to return home. We said farewell to him this morning and wished him well.

Tomorrow I will have lunch with Wade and Eunice and hopefully they will be able to take me to a bike shop to pick up some important supplies. We will clean and service the bikes, take in some local sights, and rest up for the next push east.

Champaign, Illinois to Crawfordsville, Indiana

2008-07-06T15:39:00.013-04:00

Today started much more smoothly than yesterday. I was up at 5:30 AM and down to the hotel lobby for breakfast before 6:00. Loading was supposed to be at 7:00 but Andy got confused with the time and had the trailer open at 6:45. I was one of the first to load. Rick and I were some of the first riders to depart at 7:00 AM. At home I wouldn’t normally be up this early on a Sunday morning.

It was a beautiful morning with temperature of 68 degrees and blue sky with no wind. There was a haze on the horizon over the corn fields and soy bean fields as we headed east into the sun. The early morning haze reminds me of Virginia a lot. I think it is related to the increased humidity.

We were riding on mostly country roads so traffic was very light. The roads in the rural areas run mostly East/West or North/South and are numbered rather than named. Of course when you come into a town all the streets have names.

We rode through the small town of Danville,Il before crossing into Indiana. When we entered Indiana we crossed into the Eastern Daylight time zone. Now my bike computer agrees with the actual time. I didn’t change t from Eastern time when I started the ride.

We came into the small town of Hilsboro and noticed the most Interesting sign announcing the town.

There were not many hills on today’s ride. We finished our ride of 82 miles at about 2:30 PM Eastern Daylight time.

I took this picture of Gary and Deb Neumayer today relaxing in the hotel lobby after the ride. They are a husband wife couple from New Lenox, IL. Deb has a lot of experience biking is a very fast rider. She is usually in a group of early finishers. She shares her advice freely and is concerned for other riders that are struggling. She was an art teacher. Gary has recently retired from the corporate world and is less experienced as a biker, but has improved his pace dramatically on this trip. He is a CPA and has held various corporate positions during his career. Gary has a great sense of humor and a ready smile. At the halfway point of our ride across the country, Gary in true accounting fashion gave a presentation on statistics of the ride which included: Number of flats by the group, Max number of flats for a rider, amount of sunscreen used by the riders, amount of chamois crème used, number of calories consumed by the group, pounds lost by the group 152 (0ne person). He stated that the accounting rules used were GBE (Gary’s Best Estimate) and WAG.

Tomorrow we have a shorter mileage day of 62 miles. There will be many interesting opportunities tomorrow as we have the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a “Roark” titanium bike factory, and the Major Taylor Velodrome on our route.

Springfield to Champaign

2008-07-05T17:27:00.004-04:00

The day started with a few little inconveniences. We had breakfast at Bob Evans which was next door to the hotel. We were one of the first to order and one of the last to be served. We could see our food sitting under the lamp ready to be served but our waitress was taking orders from other customers. We finally got served and after eating returned to the hotel for loading. My room key wouldn’t work so I had to go to the front desk to get a new one. This put me behind so I was one of the last riders to leave the hotel.

Rick and I had pushed pretty hard yesterday and weren’t at our best today. We decided to maintain a more relaxed pace for the day. Our bodies are tired after having multiple long days back to back. We have two more days before the off day in Indianapolis. Tomorrow we have 82 miles and the next day 64. The reduced mileage is welcomed.

Today there was another accident. Robb one of the bikers that Rick and I have ridden with on several occasions was riding with his friend who joined us yesterday and somehow crashed injuring his shoulder. The call came in at the final SAG stop that he had crashed and was injured. The ABB staff took one van and went to pick him up and take him to the hospital. Surprisingly Rob was at dinner tonight. He has a broken bone in his shoulder and apparently a dislocation of the shoulder joint. He is on heavy pain medication and will be flying out of Chicago tomorrow to return home to Philadelphia to receive treatment.

Jeff, my other roommate didn’t ride again today. He has been bothered by allergies and also maybe the GI Bug.

I caught this picture of the ABB staff today at the final SAG stop before they received the call that Rob was injured. Andy Hiroshina the co-leader is on the right, Michele Sahli the Co-leader is next to him and Christine Leineinger head of SAG operations is sitting at far left. Girard the mechanic is on the bike at left. They are a great crew. They are very professional and work really hard to keep all the riders riding safely, getting us fed, loading our luggage each morning and unloading it each afternoon. Andy always has a ready joke and an enthusiastic laugh.

After riding cross country with ABB 3 times Andy decided the tours were something he wanted to continue to be involved in. Andy has Co-lead 5 coast to coast tours. Michele rode the coast to coast for the first time in 2000. She has co-lead tours with Andy the last 5 summers. Christine is a lifetime cyclist and has ridden many ABB tours. Girard has been mechanic on 5 cross country tours. The ABB staff all take turns riding the route. At least one and sometimes two of them are riding with the tour participants each day.

We finished our 96 miles at 3:15 today. Our first priority on arrival was to check into our room, get a shower and find a place to do laundry.

Quincy to Springfield

2008-07-04T19:10:00.002-04:00

Our route covered 106 miles today and we left with the temperature at 63 degrees. It warmed to the upper 70’s by the end of the ride. Great temp and Blue sky.

We at breakfast at the hotel at 6:00 and loaded at 6:45. Rick and I were on the road before 7:00 AM. We had fewer hills today. It was nice to have more flat terrain especially since the wind was in our face. The wind increased later in our day slowing our progress some. Rick, Carol Jean, and I partnered up at the first rest stop and rode together the rest of the day. Three of us riding together taking turns in the lead helped us maintain a reasonable pace. We have ridden together before. Our pace and style of riding are quite compatible.

Today is 4rth of July and the ABB staff asked us to wear our America By Bike jerseys in the spirit of the holiday. Also they announced a bike decorating contest for the 4rth. This morning several bikers had found decorations and came dressed and bike dressed for the occasion. It was interesting how that Richard from Ireland came with a cape decorate with red white and blue stars. Alan from England came dressed in the British union jack. Steve from Tasmania and Srage from Trinidad had their bikes decorated.

We saw lots of corn and soy beans. The fields stretched to the horizon. Some of the corn appears to be about 7 feet tall. We crossed the Illinois river over a narrow two lane bridge. I was worried about cars but no cars crossed the bridge while we were crossing.

When we came into Springfield, the Illinois state capital we rode by the capital building. Preparations were being made for 4rth of July celebrations as we rode by.

It was great to ride on the new tires today. I didn’t worry about having another flat. Girard the mechanic installed the tires for me. He recommended that I install a new chain since it had stretched in the 2,500 miles I put on the bike since starting the trip. I had him install the new chain.

Tomorrow we ride 97 miles to Champagne. After that comes Indiana! I’m looking forward to seeing my cousin Wade Wenger and his wife Eunice in Indianapolis. They are going to drive from northern Indiana to see me.

We are 34 days into this 52 day trip. That means 18 days before I get to see Pat, Allison, and Mark in New Hampshire. I do miss my family.

Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL

2008-07-03T21:48:00.006-04:00

Today we waked to a steady rain. Not what we wanted to see. We have been so fortunate to have good weather most of the trip. I guess the odds were that we would get rained on eventually.

I dug out my rain gear and prepared for a wet ride. It was a very wet ride for the first 25 miles to the first SAG stop. I didn’t eat enough at the first SAG stop and so ran low on energy getting to the next SAG stop at 59 miles. I also had a flat tire about 5 miles from the second SAG stop. Rick and I were expecting the new tires we ordered to be delivered to the hotel in Quincy. So after this flat I was really eager to get the new tires. I think I’ve had four flats so far and all of them have been on the rear tire.

Weather conditions improved after the first 25 miles and by 30 no rain was falling. Hooray! However a stiff headwind developed slowing progress. The day’s route had even more hills than yesterday so we did a lot of flying down hills and grinding up the other side. By the time we arrived at the hotel my knees were aching.

This was our last day in Missouri and the ABB staff had to make alternate plans to shuttle us across the Mississippi river since the ferry was out of service as a result of the flooding. They went out last evening and scoped out a different route than the usual. They had us meet at a truck stop on the Missouri side and wait for the van. They loaded our bikes on top of the van and us inside and took us across a busy bridge into Quincy where they dropped us off to ride the final 3 miles to the hotel. As we crossed the river you could see results of the flooding.

When we checked in at the hotel the first thing we did was to inquire whether a package had been delivered for us. Sure enough! We have new tires. During mechanics hours after supper this evening Rick and I both got our new tires installed.

I pray for clear skies and a tailwind tomorrow as we are scheduled to ride 108 miles to Springfield, IL.

Chillocothe to Kirkville

2008-07-02T14:37:00.006-04:00

When I checked the weather forecast last eve for today it predicted a 50% chance of rain today. As we departed this morning the sky looked like it would deliver. It was cloudy with very dark skies to the North. It was lighter and less threatening in the East.

As we rode we got light showers of rain periodically. I came up to a rail crossing that had been highlighted on our route sheet and crossed it very carefully. The terrain was very hilly like yesterday but the hills were longer and steeper. The ride was identified as the ride of 1000 hills. I don’t think there were that many, but there were a lot. Picture a roller coaster that goes for 80 miles. One of the up hills was 14% grade, a few others were 12 and 11 % grades. Still beautiful farmland scenery. It reminds me of the Shenandoah Valley.

As we progressed toward our destination the sky was a changing canvas of clouds and in some cases you could see rain in the distance. As we left the first SAG stop it was raining lightly.

The new 17 year old rider, Dan, took a spill on the wet road today and got a good case of road rash on his leg. Gerard the mechanic had Dan, Larry and I line up for a group picture with our road rash visible. Larry definitely had the most impressive bruise on his hip and down his thigh.

We arrived at the hotel at 12:30 PM with dirty bikes and a little soggy and very hungry. Since there were no food establishements close to the hotel we ordered a pizza for lunch.

Since today’s report is short I will include a piece I wrote about Piet and Hetty when I shared a meal with them on a previous off day.

June 13

I ate dinner with Piet and Hetty tonight. They are a Dutch couple on the trip. Their bicycles are touring style which has bigger tires than many of the bikes on the tour. Their bikes are much heavier and sturdier than the light weight road bike I and many others ride. They each carry a pannier on their bike. They are both strong riders.

I mentioned in an earlier account about Hetty having a crash on her bike when nearing our overnight destination at West Wendover. Even though she had 13 stitches in her chin from the crash she rode to Salt Lake City the next day.

Piet is 61 years young. They both look younger than their years. Both Piet and Hetty are retired. Piet as a banker, retired at 55. Hetty retired from a career in Book Keeping. They have two daughters who are in their thirties.

Piet and Hetty love to tour on their bicycles. They often tour self contained tent camping at night. They love to be active. Hetty said that In Netherlands she rides her bicycles to do most of her shopping.

Hetty said that she will get her stitches taken out tomorrow. Sue one of the riders on the tour from Colorado is a nurse and will remove the stitches for Hetty.

St. Joseph to Chillicothe

2008-07-01T17:31:00.014-04:00

It was great to have an off day from riding. We got the bikes cleaned and lubed, and washed clothes. I took the opportunity to visit the Pony Express museum, the house where Jesse James lived briefly and was murdered by one of his partners in crime, and Pattie House, a large restored hotel built in 1858, where the Pony Express headquarters was based.

A nice couple, who had toured with ABB in the past, and lives in St Joseph, taxied us wherever we wanted to go. The husband and wife each had a vehicle and showed up at the hotel to be our taxi from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

I learned that the Pony Express was only operational for 19 months before the Telegraph made it obsolete. The museum was housed in the original stable for the horses used. In this building was the original well used which was dug in 1859, There was a Plexiglas cover and the well was lit so you could see the stone lining and the water below. There was a hand pump that you could operate to pump water into a trough. Pony express riders could deliver the mail in 20 LB. pouches 1,950 miles to Sacramento, CA in 10 days. Fresh horses were located at stations every 10-15 miles.

Today we rode 90 miles from St. Joseph to Chillicothe beautiful rolling farmland. At the first SAG stop a nice man approached me and asked about our tour. I introduced myself to him. His name was Michael Burress. He was maybe in his late 40’s or early 50’s. He asked if he could pray for me. He shook my hand while he prayed for my safety and that of the other riders. It was a meaningful interaction. He may have been a minister, or he may have been an angel.

Our route took us through Jamesport, MO, known for Amish home cooking. Most of the bikers stopped at Gingrich Dutch Pantry for lunch. We had sandwiches and pie with ice cream. It was apple for me. We all agreed that this was a lunch stop to remember. Young Amish or Mennonite girls were working in the kitchen. We saw horse and buggy transportation as we ate. With lunch finished and back on the road again we met several horse and buggy Amish. They readily returned our waves of greeting.

Our daily information sheet that we get with each day’s ride included a short paragraph on the Mennonite movement and how it originated in Holland in 1561. The Amish group originated from the Mennonite movement and was founded by Jacob Amman in 1663.

We have 4 new riders that joined us in St. Joseph. A husband and wife couple from Atlanta, Ga who are riding a tandem bicycle. Also, a Grandfather and Grandson team have joined us. The Grandfather is on a recumbent and did the cross country ride about ten years ago.

Tomorrow we ride 83 hilly miles to Kirksville, MO.

Topeka KS. to St Joseph MO.

2008-06-29T20:40:00.004-04:00

After breakfast this morning at 6:00 AM we loaded luggage at 7:00 and were on the road by 7:15. Conditions were cool and breezy with NNW winds increasing in intensity throughout the rest of the day. Our track was North East so the wind buffeted us from the side and as the roads we were riding on turned, we occasionally had the wind in our face, which severely impeded our progress. Oh well, I guess we got spoiled by the big tail winds.

Many of the riders inquired about my injuries this morning and throughout the day. We have become like a big family all looking out for each other. I reassured all that I was okay and ready to ride. Sue the ER nurse on the ride had wrapped my elbow with gauze last evening and Rick helped re-wrap it for today’s ride.

The terrain is increasingly rolling with longer and sometimes steeper hills on the route. Being mostly on country roads again we passed many farms and open fields of lush green grasses outlined with trees.

As we were leaving the small town of Atchison Kansas we rode across a very treacherous bridge to cross the Missouri River. About a mile later we came upon the unimpressive sign announcing the State of Missouri. The roads in Missouri have been rough. At least we get a chance to ride in the shade sometimes now.

Even though today’s ride at 89 miles was shorter mileage than yesterday’s 108 miles. It took nearly as long to complete. Less favorable wind and more hills was the cause.

It is a relief to know that tomorrow we have an off day and can rest or bodies and service our bikes for the next leg of the trip. We will be getting into some of the areas that suffered flooding and will likely have some changes to the route plan as a result.

Thanks to all for your comments on my blog and for emails that I receive. I find that I feel connected to you and I’m energized by your interest. It was nice to receive a comment on yesterday’s post from Carolyn, a previous co-worker at Dominion. My Brother in-law Don and his wife Frieda have been great cheer leaders for me, and are cruising the US in an RV also. Where are you Don and Frieda?

Abilene to Topeka

2008-06-28T21:25:00.003-04:00

This morning was almost a carbon copy of yesterday the sky was angry and threatening. Only this time it was lightly sprinkling as we left. We had jackets on to protect us in case it really decided to rain. Fortunately it did not develop into a serious rain. It was just enough to make the road slightly we. It pretty much stopped completely by the time we had gone 5 miles. At that point we removed our jackets and proceeded on.

Today I was reminded again of how valuable the helmet is to our safety. As we progressed along the route at about 12 miles we came upon a set of railroad tracks. The tracks crossed the road at a diagonal. We have been schooled by the ABB staff on riding across RR tracks perpendicular. As I approached I saw that the ABB SAG vehicle had stopped just beyond the tracks and Girard the Mechanic was taking photos of approaching riders. He motioned to me to cross perpendicular. I approached and turned slightly to the left to cross the tracks and when I went across the first track my bicycle slipped and started skidding wildly out of control. I fought to get it under control but took a hard spill right in front of the mechanic. Rick who was following behind me saw this and started braking getting his foot out of the clips just before getting to the tracks. His bike went down also, but he was able to save himself from a fall. The light rain had made the tracks wet and extremely slippery. The ABB staff was on the scene quickly to check on my condition and to stop other approaching riders and avert the same occurrence for them. I found out later that another rider had crashed earlier at this same spot. He also has scrapes and bruises.

For all this excitement I received a pretty good case of road rash on my elbow, hip, back, and lower leg. I also dented my helmet. After getting basic first aid on the scene, I felt good enough to proceed. After arriving at the hotel and getting cleaned up, I inspected my helmet and found that it was broken with the blow. I acquired a new helmet from the ABB staff for the rest of the trip.

Even though I consider myself to be a cautious rider, I learned something from this event. Be extra cautious when the roads are wet, and beware of railroad crossings in wet conditions.

After the first SAG stop I rode in a group of four with Rick, CJ, and Girard. We covered the 40 miles to the next SAG stop in good time. I felt like the pace was faster than I wanted to maintain for the rest of the ride. After the last SAG stop I rode with Rick and CJ. Again I didn’t feel motivated to try to maintain the pace so I dropped back. Rick has really gotten stronger on the trip. I watched him and CJ getting smaller as they pulled away, until they became dots in the distance on the country road. After riding by myself for some miles, I came up to an intersection 6 miles from the end. Rick and CJ were waiting for me. I told them they didn’t need to wait, but they said we’re a team and we will finish together.

We rode 109 miles today for our last full day in Kansas. The scenery is increasingly rolling and green. We passed many smaller farms. Tomorrow we enter Missouri. We also have a shorter route of only 89 miles, and then Monday is a rest day which will be welcomed.

McPherson to Abilene

2008-06-27T15:02:00.008-04:00

Last night while asleep I was wakened by thunder. When I got up this morning the sky was angry and threatening. It had rained during the night and it looked like it could rain on us today. Unbelievably the storm system moved East ahead of us and had no effect on our ride.

Today we rode 64 miles on our route from McPherson to Abilene. We arrived before noon. Our track took us took us East of McPherson about 11 miles before heading mostly due North for the remainder of the route. We had a South wind averaging 19 mph with a max South wind of 27 according to my GPS statistics on the Motioned Based web site, that I attach to each post.

After making our turn north we literally flew before the wind. At one point we maintained a speed of 30 mph + or – for over two miles. When it’s going that well you don’t feel any discomfort from the typical places like seat or handle bars. You get in a zone and it is a euphoric feeling. Our bikes gobbled up the miles.

We stopped and took photos at the official halfway point in our ride. We were cruising along at such a terrific rate of speed we almost missed it. Several riders had stopped and we thought they had problems so slowed down to check. They informed us that it was a halfway photo op. ABB had painted this milestone on the highway.

Can anyone interpret the significance of the cup cake arrangement on today's SAG refreshment table?

The roads we were on today were more country roads with very little traffic. It was a nice change of pace, and was very scenic. We followed the ribbon of highway through the wheat fields that had been recently harvested. There are more and more trees now and you can see the greening effect of the rain.

Since we arrived in Abilene before Noon we went straight to the Eisenhower Center. We spent 20 minutes or so exploring. We visited the chapel were Ike and Mamie are buried. I took a photo of the excerpt from a speech that he made in 1953 which was inscribed on a marble wall near his burial place. I thought how profound his words were regarding war and peace. You can click on the photo and zoom in to read the text.

We have two longer rides the next two days before we arrive in St Joseph Missouri for our next rest day.

Great Bend to Mcpherson

2008-06-26T14:23:00.005-04:00

Today we rode 64 miles on our route from Great Bend to McPherson Kansas. We arrived in McPherson before noon. Our track took us took us due East. We had a South wind of about 12 mph that came across the wheat fields and pushed us around on the shoulder. This is the more scenic part of Kansas with more contour to the terrain and more trees, green grasses and crops.

The temperature was mid 60’s when we left and had risen to upper 80’s by the time we arrived. I can tell that the humidity is increasing as we progress east.

The road shoulder started off with a chip and seal surface as we left Great Bend and was this way several miles before changing to a smoother rolled surface. This Chip and seal is basically tar base with gravel spread over it and has not been rolled smooth. It is very rough which affects the ride quality on the bike. This generates a lot of vibration that transmits through the bike seat, handle bars, and pedals, making for a very uncomfortable ride. It also effectively reduces the speed of forward progress. Yesterday we encountered some of the same shoulder surface conditions. Some of the bikers including me were getting on the edge of the road which was much smoother to eliminate the negative effects. The problem with this was that when vehicles approach there very little room for two vehicles passing each other safely with bikes traveling on the road edge. The ABB staff was very direct in discussing this at route RAP last evening and stressing that we have to ride on the shoulder. Realizing the wisdom of this we stayed on the shoulder today.

Today I felt my energy level was down for some reason. I tried to drink water but the water didn’t taste good, I added Gatorade powder at the SAG stop, and the Gatorade flavor didn’t taste good. While riding I fantasized about having a sweet iced drink. When we arrive in McPherson we stopped at a McDonalds and I got an iced orange drink and a chicken sandwich. I have always like McDonalds orange drinks. It was so refreshing. After checking in to the hotel room and getting cleaned up I took a long nap.

Tomorrow as we travel north to Abilene we will be on more country roads and less traffic that will good change. Abilene was the home of past president Ike Eisenhower and there is an Eisenhower Center in Abilene close to the hotel. I hope to be able to take that in.

This evening I met my friend Mike Krehbiel who I had not seen since my wedding in 1969. He lives in McPherson Kansas. It was a great reunion! I met his wife Margaret, a very nice lady. They treated me to a nice dinner at a local restaurant and topped it off with a chocolate cake and ice cream dessert that we shared. Mike and I reminisced about our days as roommates in Chicago in the late 60’s and caught up on some of the events in each of our lives from then to now. He is a big sports fan and follows the Kansas City Royals. Mike has a farming background here in Kansas and when I called him today to let him know I had arrived, he was helping a friend harvest the wheat crop. It’s amazing how when so much time has passed, you can reconnect with friends you’ve not seen for years so quickly. I hope Mike and Margaret can visit Pat and me in Virginia in the future.

Dodge City to Great Bend

2008-06-25T22:21:00.005-04:00

Today we rode 85 miles on our route from Dodge City to Great Bend Kansas. Although this was a longer ride than yesterday, we still arrived in Great Bend by Noon. Our track took us took us East and slightly North. We had a SW wind of about 12 mph sweeping us along our path.

The temperature was mid 60’s when we left and had risen to maybe about 92 by the time we arrived.

Along the way we had a SAG stop at a small park/rest stop which was the halfway point between the West coast and East coast at 1561 miles each way. When I think about it, it seems unreal that we are riding our bikes across America and that we have actually already ridden nearly halfway. The group, although very diverse with individuals being from different parts of the US as well as different parts of the world, are united in our goal to pedal across America.

No cattle feed lots today so the air quality was much better. Something I thought about when I was riding today is how the riding here in Kansas is in a way similar to navigating a boat to a destination on the Chesapeake Bay. When boating on the Bay, sometimes you can’t see anything but the vast expanse of water before you. But you know based on your planning with navigational charts and your compass heading that something should appear. After some distance you may see a dot on the horizon, and when you get closer you identify the navigation feature (navigation aid) and can tell exactly where you are on this vast expanse water. It occurred to me while cranking the pedals along at a clip of about 22 mph with nothing but fields of grain and corn as far as the eye could see, that the grain silos that rise several hundred feet in the air are like navigation aids. Each small town has a large complex of these grain silos. The towns may be separated by 10 to 20 miles of fields with a ribbon of highway running through. As you leave one small town and pedal off into the wide open space, after some time you notice in the distance ahead a structure is becoming visible on the horizon. Soon you can make out the outline of this grain silo structure and know that you are coming to the next town on the route. I estimate that you can see these grain silos 8 to 10 miles in the distance.

After much online bike tire shopping and calling bike shops along our route to check their stock and still not being able to find the tires we want. Rick my roommate called “Three Sports” in Richmond and found that they have what we need. They will ship them, UPS to our next day off hotel location in St Josephs Missouri. This Sunday I should be installing the Continental Gator Skins on my bike and can return the loaned rear tire I’m running now.

Garden City to Dodge City

2008-06-24T16:04:00.005-04:00

Today was a short day. We had 51 miles of Kansas to ride through to get to Dodge City. The temperature was mid 60’s when we left Garden City and we had a slight head wind. We finished the ride at 10:30 AM so the temp increased to about 80. This was a nice change from the twin centuries with heat.

I took photographs of the predominate features of Kansas; crops, cattle, and grain storage facilities. We were welcomed into Dodge city by mounted cowboys coming right at us.

I’m very excited about the prospect of seeing an old friend from Kansas that I have not see since my wedding nearly 39 years ago. I have contacted him and we plan to meet when I stop in his hometown of McPherson on June 26.

Today I washed clothes, degreased and lubed the bike chain and gears. Tonight being in Dodge City we went to the Miss Kitty drama in town. It was a lot of fun watching the drunken cowboys come out of the saloon and carry out there act. Miss Kitty sang love songs to a couple of the guys in our troop. The leading cowboys did the same with some of the gals. It was a hoot.

Bob placed an entry on his blog to update us on his condition. He said he thought he hit a bump or hole on the shoulder that caused him to crash. He was diagnosed with a Basal skull fracture over his ear. He was in neuro ICU for close observation for 24 hours. Says he plans to see us when we come to his home state of Ohio. His sense of humor showed in his message as he described that much to his dismay his new Colorado jersey was destroyed as the emergency worker cut it off of him while attending him. It’s a great relief to hear that he is improving.

Lamar, Co. to Garden City, Ks.

2008-06-23T20:08:00.004-04:00

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. The temperature gradually warmed until it became uncomfortable a little after Noon. Although not as hot as yesterday, the combination of heat and wind made progress over the last 25 miles difficult. My bike computer said 104 degrees so air temp was maybe low to mid 90’s.

Today we entered our fifth state. We are in Kansas now. We have ridden a little over 1,600 miles on bicycles! That’s also nearly half of the 3,800 for the total trip. We rode 104 miles today. That’s on top of the 121 we did yesterday. We are all very thankful for the 51 mile route planned for tomorrow.

We continue to travel on RT. 50. The terrain is mostly flat, but we were surprised with some rolling hills. We entered Kansas about 33 miles into our route. Again the scenery was similar to yesterday with planted crops irrigated by different methods. Some had a network of moving sprinkle systems spraying water and in other cases it appeared that the rows of planted crops were flooded with water from the network of irrigation trenches. Also now we are seeing large grain storage complexes, and as we neared Garden City more cattle lots and a Tyson plant.

As we entered Kansas we passed through the small town of Coolige and then Syracuse. The destination we looked forward to today was the town of Lakin at 78 miles. The attraction was the Dairy Queen next to the SAG stop.

I had more tire issues today. I had replaced my rear tire two days ago because it had developed a bulge in the sidewall. I installed that tire before I left home and had put a couple hundred miles on it, so with the trip it had maybe 1,800 miles and still had considerable tread wear left. The new tire that I installed failed today with a bulge in the tread line. The ABB staff installed a spare tire from their supply at the first SAG stop. I now need to buy some new tires. I will save this tire and maybe Jay, the Manager at my LBS will give me a refund when I return.

Mark, thanks for your suggestion of tire to provide more dependability. The next bike shop we have, I plan to get a set of Continental Gator skins. Several others have purchased those tires recently and installed them. The Kevlar belts should help.

As we were struggling against the wind at 99 miles all I could think about was that I just had 5 more miles. I was very tired, sun baked, and ready for the ride to be done for the day. Auto and truck traffic was heavy as we neared Garden City and there was an increasing amount of debris on the shoulder to contend with. Suddenly I noticed that my bike felt mushy rather than its usual sure footedness. I looked down, and to my distress the tire was going flat. I was so upset. I stopped and removed my rear wheel and sat in the grass dejectedly scanning the tire for the offending piece of debris. At this point I was just too tired to stand. I quickly found a very small piece of glass that had gone through the tire and punctured the tube. By this time my friend and riding partner Rick noticed hat I had stopped and returned to help with the repair. I felt a sense of relief as he took the wheel from me and quickly removed the tire in preparation for the new tube. Re-energized I stood up helped install the new tube, inflated it and installed it on my bike.

I carry one spare tube and have a patch kit incase I had already used my spare tube. I can always call the Support van if I’ve used all my supplies and still have a flat. I nearly always ride with Rick and he carries three spare tubes in his bag.

With the tire repaired we resumed our journey arriving at the hotel at 3:30 PM. There was Ice water and cookies offered by the hotel staff as we entered the lobby to check in. This was a welcome treat for very tired riders.

I have just completed my second century ride in two days barely a day after being racked by the intestinal bug. The first day I felt pretty strong for the first ¾ of the ride then faded some on the last stretch. Today I felt really strong for the first ¾ and then again faded some on the last stretch. In spite of our struggle with the wind and heat late today, we had a moving averaged of 17.6 for the 104 miles. Not bad! To quote my riding partner Rick, he said, “This was because of our astonishing level of fitness”. We averaged over 20 mph for the first 35 miles.

In closing today our thoughts are for Bob who had an accident yesterday and is the hospital as a result. Please join us riders in praying for his full recovery.

Pueblo to Lamar

2008-06-22T18:29:00.009-04:00

It was great having the rest day in Pueblo. It gave us time to recuperate physically, clean and service our bikes and, take care of personal needs.

It’s not surprising that Wal-Mart is putting other stores out of business. You can get almost anything there. There was a WM about a mile from our hotel so I made the trek. I needed a haircut, personal items like sunscreen toothpastes, etc., and I wanted to see about getting a larger piece of luggage to give me a bit more space than I had in my tightly packed duffel bag. I was able to address all these needs in about an hour.

We left Pueblo this morning about 6:00 AM after having breakfast at the Country Kitchen next to the hotel. This was a long day with 121 miles to cover and the ABB staff wanted to get us started early so most of the ride would be completed before the hottest part of the day.

About 18 miles into the ride Jeff my other roommate got a flat so Rick and I stopped and helped him put in a new tube. Once back under way I got a flat. This time it was a thorn that punctured the tire and tube, so another quick repair. Finally we arrived at the first SAG stop. While getting refueled and refreshed Jeff’s tire that we had repaired blew out with a loud bang. Rick’s rear tire also went flat at the SAG stop. Get the picture, this was not a good day for tires. There was so much glass and other debris on Rt 50.

We met a rescue squad vehicle going the opposite way with lights flashing. At the SAG stop we got word that Bob one of the riders had crashed and was taken to the hospital with a concussion. Details are still sketchy about the cause of the accident. Reportedly his wife is flying out to be with him. It’s very sad, Bob’s tour is over. We hope and pray that Bob will be okay.

The scenery today was uninspiring compared to the eye catching mountainous terrain that we had become used to. Flat prairie vistas that stretched for miles, a few prairie dogs scurried into holes nears the road as we approached. We passed some cultivated fields with corn and what looked like barely or wheat. Also alfalfha hay. It requires irrigation to grow crops here and there are canals visible from the road that provide water to these crops. We saw cattle feedlots, one of them must have been a mile long with hundreds of cattle. There was a massive mountain of manure. It was hot and because of the wind direction we could hardly breathe as we passed.

We found a Dairy Queen on our route as we passed through the town of Las Animas. We had done 87 miles and it was 12:00 noon. I got a strawberry shake and big cup of ice water. It was very refreshing! The last miles were difficult as we entered the hottest part of the day. My bike computer showed 109 degrees. Based on my GPS web site it said the max air temp during the ride was 95. It was a relief to check into our air conditioned room at the “Cow Palace Best Western” hotel in Lamar Colorado at 3:00 pm.

I didn’t take any photos today but I received this breaking news flash! click on this link:

http://rooster-productions.com/mk/kdEUmiUrfGUniU.Pat%20&%20Allison_b.mpg

Thanks to all those posting comments on my blog(read comments from previous post). Tonight special thanks goes to my friends at First Mennonite Church, specifically the small group that Pat and I are part of. I see your meeting tonight was productive. I especially like the suggestion of a certain nurse (I can't say who she is but her name is spelled Patti) on how to treat the effects on my rear resulting from sitting on a bike seat for 6 to 8 hours a days in soggy bike shorts. That takes the cake! The mental image just cracks me up. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and suggestions.

Gunnison to Salida to Pueblo

2008-06-20T17:12:00.007-04:00

Riding from coast to coast is a major challenge. Actually it is a series of challenges. Today was one of the big days in our ride maybe the biggest for me. I admit that I have looked forward to this day with excitement, but also some apprehension. These feelings were shared by many of the other riders. Think about it, ride a steep grade for nine miles and as you progress into increasing altitude the air becomes thinner making it more difficult to breath.

During the ride when the scenery is not especially eye grabbing, or the heat is getting to me or a particular part of my body is hurting. I break the day down into segments. I focus on the next ten miles, or the next SAG stop.

When the day’s route includes Monarch Pass at the continental divide I focused on much smaller segments. As I began riding up the steep nine miles grade, I decided I would make it one mile at a time. If I felt like I needed a break after that mile, I would stop get a drink and catch my breath and maybe take a photo. As I progressed it got more and more difficult. I took even more frequent breaks to catch my breath.

Finally the summit was in sight. Well I made it! It was a tremendous feeling of relief and accomplishment. I was exhausted. The summit sign documented the elevation at 11,320 ft. The Pacific water shed is to the West and the Atlantic water shed is to the East. We took our time to get photos and to get something to eat before resuming our journey.

As you can image if you climb a mountain you get to go down the other side. We coasted for close to 10 miles feathering our brakes to keep the speed below the sound barrier. We had to had to pedal very little get to the hotel in Salina.

After checking in and getting cleaned up I still felt unusually tired. Several riders, maybe 5 or 6 had been affected by flu like symptoms causing them to take a couple days off from riding. I had been worried that it might get to me. There was no doubt as the symptoms started. I’ll spare you the details. I didn’t go to route rap, or dinner. After talking with Pat and getting her advice, I got some microwave chicken noodle soup from a nearby 7 Eleven and a Sprite. I was able to eat half of it and keep it down. I went to bed with chills, and aches. I didn’t sleep well. My legs felt like spaghetti noodles the next morning. I knew I wouldn’t be able to ride.

Friday June 20

I rode in the support van along with three other riders that were suffering the same discomfort. We traveled through beautiful canyon country along the raging Arkansas River for the first 30 or so miles. Then we popped out into flat prairie terrain. We have left the mountains behind.

The ABB staff took us sick folks straight to Pueblo to the hotel. This was much appreciated. We got into our rooms and rested. I must say 24 hours after noticing the first symptoms I’m feeling much better. I ate a light meal tonight as I watched those who had ridden eat enormous amounts.

The good news is that June 21 is an off day for riding. I expect to be recovered and ready to go the next day.

Montrose to Gunnison

2008-06-18T17:28:00.010-04:00

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. As we progressed the temperature actually dropped to 57 degrees, and then gradually increases to upper 70’s by the end of the ride.

Today we were on RT. 50 again from Montrose to Gunnison. The scenery was the best we’ve had on the ride so far. We paid for the privilege with some significant challenges.

We began a gradual climb as we left the hotel. After about two miles the morning mountain down draft winds came at us with a vengeance. We clawed our way through this for close to 10 miles. After that the winds stopped being a factor but the climb rate took over to make our task difficult. We had a 6 miles climb at grades that fluctuated between 5, 6, and 7% until we reached the first mountain pass at 7,900 ft. Then we had a nice downhill run for about 5 miles. The work was not over. Now we had to climb again for another 7 miles to an 8, 700 ft pass at graded similar to the first pass. Our first SAG stop was setup at this second pass.

It was much needed and after refueling we were off to finish the last 35 miles of the route.

There were many photo opportunities today with the green mountain meadows, rocky mountain structure outlined with green spruce and another tree with silver bark that jumped out at you visually. As we came down after the second mountain pass we could see a large lake in the distance. It was Blue Mesa lake, and it was maybe 10 miles long. As we descended the mountain and got closer to the lake we could see boaters on the lake. Our route took us along the lake shore for many miles. As we got further along in the ride the large groups of Ride the Rockies riders started to fragment into smaller group with more distance between them. I finished the last 30 or so miles by myself enjoying the scenery and cooler temperatures of the day. This is a place of beauty and I would like to come back to this place.

An added element today was that we shared the route with the annual Ride the Rockies Bicycle event. There were 2000 bicyclists participating in this event. We were told at route rap last night to wear our America by Bicycle jerseys so that the ABB staff would be able to recognize us in this mass of riders. We were also cautioned to be extra careful around these riders since there riding habits may not be up to the standard that we have come to expect from our ABB tour riders. There were no problems, and it was entertaining to see all the riders, SAG wagons, Police escorts and SAG stops they had setup.

Tomorrow we ride we will ride over Monarch Pass, the continental divide and the highest elevation we will do on the trip. Scenery should be spectacular. After that it will be all down hill.

Grand Junction to Montrose

2008-06-17T21:54:00.011-04:00

Load time is always a flurry of activity as riders initial the sign in sheet, carry their luggage to the trailer for loading, pump up tires, lube chains, and applying sunscreen before departure. Here you can see Grand Mesa in the background.

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. Again It was quite hot by ride completion today, although I didn’t feel it so much until the last 15 miles. Today my bike computer reached 108 degrees, so I’m guessing there may be a 10 degree higher reading on the bike computer to the actual air temperature.

Today we followed RT. 50 from Grand Junction to Montrose. The scenery was nice leaving Grand Junction as we followed a bike path along the Colorado river for the first 12 miles.

Grand Junction is so named because it is the merge point of the Colorado River and the Gunnison River. The Colorado River was originally called the Grand by the Indian natives of the area.

Today was supposed to be a recovery day but many of the riders felt like it was still a difficult day. Even though it was difficult, the temperature was slightly cooler and the mileage less.

Tomorrow we ride to Gunnison. It is projected to be cooler with awesome scenery, only 63 miles, but increasing elevation. Our route is now taking us into the Rocky mountains. The day after tomorrow will will ride over Monarch Pass, the highest elevation we will do on the trip. Scenery should be spectacular.

The two flat tires I have gotten both have been as a result of very thin wire maybe a ¼ in long or less puncturing my tire and then working it’s way into the tube. In both cases the tire lost pressure gradually. As I said earlier there is a tremendous amount of debris on the road shoulder, mainly on the highways frequented by trucks.

Green River Utah to Grand Junction Colorado

2008-06-16T22:23:00.024-04:00

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. It was very hot by ride completion. My bike computer said 111 degrees, so air temp was probably upper 90’s. We had been prepared by the ABB staff that it would be hot and that we needed to be sure to stay hydrated.

Our route took us on I-70 96 miles to Grand Junction Colorado. The scenery was much the same with mesas, plateaus and painted mountains in the distance. When we came into Grand Junction we rode along the Colorado River. It was beautiful with Grand Mesa in the background. Sorry I was to hot and tired to stop for pictures.

I drank an enormous amount of water and Gatorade today in an attempt to stay hydrated. The ABB staff was really conscientious about being sure we had plenty of water. They stopped twice on I-70 and refilled our bottles with cold water. When it is so hot the water is not refreshing and hard to drink. At 91 miles Rick and I stopped and got a subway sandwich and a cold drink. I really needed that to get me the last 5 miles to the hotel.

I had another flat today. It was no fun fixing my tire in the hot sun. Today was the toughest day so far. On days like today it is a little hard to maintain focus. The big thing is the goal of getting to the next SAG stop where we get cold drinks and snacks. When I'm tired and hot, I am thinking how far do I have to go to get cold water and a break from the bike seat. When the scenery is great I'm just taking it in.

After showering and getting refreshed at the hotel a bunch of us went to the local bike shop to get needed items. When we returned we walked next door to the A&W root beer stand and got a free root beer float. It was sooo good!

Tomorrow is a recovery day with shorter mileage. We will not be traveling on the interstate so photo ops should be good.

Price to Green RIver

2008-06-15T15:27:00.008-04:00

We were up at 5:30 AM to have time to eat breakfast and do final packing and luggage loading at 6:30 AM. Today’s route takes us to Green River Utah a distance of 67 miles.

The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and a wandering mild wind . It was quite hot by ride completion, maybe 90.

We continued in a Southeasterly direction again today. The scenery today was beautiful with mesas and plateaus and painted mountains in the distance. The vegetation is low growing plants and some grasses with scrub brush accents.

At the SAG stop there was a interesting earth hill or mountain not too far away. While we were fueling up with snacks an Antelope sauntered by in the distance. The grade of the ride over the 67 miles was descending elevation. You could see for miles. We rode by the Book cliffs toward the East. Book cliffs are rock formations that appear like books stacked on a shelf. The sun position did not present a good photo op for the cliffs. I got a couple of shots at the SAG stop. Check out my dew rag with the flames. One of my room mates bought it and it didn't fit so he gave it to me.

We stopped at an Arby’s and got lunch at 11:00 AM then proceeded the last couple of miles to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel in Green River at 11:30 AM.

We maintained a fairly fast pace today and I felt it when we arrived. I drank a lot on the way but may not have taken in enough water. After showering, enjoying a handful of cookies from Kristy and drinking a large bottle of ice water I felt better.

With today’s ride we have surpassed the 1000 mile mark. That’s something! Tomorrow we head straight east for Grand Junction Colorado and into our fourth state.

Provo to Price

2008-06-14T18:06:00.010-04:00

We were up at 6:00 AM to have time to eat breakfast do final packing and luggage loading at 7:30 AM. Today’s route takes us to Price Utah a distance of 75 miles.

The weather conditions were the same as yesterday except for a stronger headwind. The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and wind out of the south East. It reached upper 70’s by ride completion.

We continued in a Southeasterly direction again today. Once out of the town of Provo we followed route 6 to Price. I could see large wind driven rotors apparently for electric generation in the distance near a mountain pass we were headed for. This should have been a clue of what was to come. As we started ascending the mountain pass near the rotors, the wind started increasing directly at us. It was difficult to make much headway. I stopped to get a picture of these wind generation rotors. They were a stark white contrast to the green mountain background. When I resumed riding, the group that I had been riding with was a good distance ahead though still in sight. I finally caught up to them after several miles of pedaling. The next 15 or so miles were up, up, up. The riding group broke up as each rider found a pace they could maintain.

I finally reached the SAG stop at 28 miles into the ride. It was a welcome sight since I had been riding hard and was in need of fuel. After fueling up and using the facilities I resumed the day’s journey. Riding by myself I had 7 more miles of steeper climbing to Soldier summit at 7477 ft. elevation. The view was not impressive, but here's a photo of the summit.

We were told we had a nice downhill the rest of the way. As it developed, when I reached the summit and started down, the headwind picked up fairly strong. Even on the 2% grade downhill I had to pedal to maintain an acceptable pace. I felt cheated! After a long difficult climb you expect to reap the rewards with a nice downhill coast. To add to the challenge today there was significant construction work on the road leaving a very narrow and sometimes non-existent shoulder.

Near the end of the ride we passed through an old town called Helper. It is so named because being on the train line it is where additional engines were added to the trains so they could make it over the mountain I had just descended. While coming down the mountain I saw a long Union Pacific freight train straining its way up the mountain. At the end of the train it had extra engines pushing.

I arrived at the hotel in Price at 1:45 PM. The first thing that happened when I was checking in was that I was told I had a package. It was from Kristy and Matt! Guess what, more cookies and a Fathers day card! I feel like a kid when I get these gifts from home. Thanks Kristy and Matt. Cookies are great when getting in from the ride. I'll eat as many as I can then share the rest with my room mates.

Rooms were not available yet when I checked in so I changed into my swimming trunks and spend the next half hour in the pool. That was refreshing.

To end my post today I want to include a Fathers day message to my Father. Since this posting probably won’t be read until Sunday I will include it with today’s ride report.
My Father (Gilbert Rohrer) is 91 years young and lives with his wife, my Mother (Elsie) in Harrisonburg, VA. He enjoys mostly good health. He loves his family and enjoys visiting with family and friends. I love him very much! He has been and continues to be a good role model as he navigates life’s pleasures and challenges. He was a hard working man during his working years and provided for the needs of his family. Happy Fathers day Dad! I look forward to see you when I finish my trip. I’ll be thinking of you as I crank the pedals on my way to Green Utah.

Salt Lake City to Provo

2008-06-13T17:13:00.007-04:00

We left at about 7:30 AM after breakfast and luggage loading. We felt revived and ready to ride after our rest day. Today was a shorter ride with final destination Provo Utah and total scheduled ride distance was 64 miles.

The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and wind out of the south East. It reached lower 70’s by ride completion. We have been blessed with great weather so far!

Our route took us in a Southeasterly direction. We had many turns on our route sheet. At times it seemed like we were going in circles. The first 30 miles was getting out of Salt Lake City and it’s suburbs. We had great views of the snow topped Wasatch Mountains as we rode.

Our only SAG stop today was at 29 miles. Today we had home-made cookies made by my dear wife. I proudly announced to the riders that were enjoying them that my wife made them and shipped them for the riders to enjoy. Those partaking were enthusiastic in their appreciation and asked me to to pass their sentiments on to Pat. Hetty said that she and Piet had cookies at the SAG stop and also put one in their pocket to enjoy later. Others came up to me in the hotel and raved about them saying be sure to tell Pat Thank You! I think we will be enjoying them a couple more days. There must have been 4 dozen. Thanks Honey!

At one point in the ride we could not find the street for our turn. We took one that was not labeled but we thought was right only to find a street sign sometime later that wasn’t what was called for. So we retraced our route a miles or so but couldn't find the street identified on our route sheet. We finally found a post lady to ask. She informed us that the street names had been changed and directed us to the correct route. This resulted in adding about three miles to the day.

During the second half of the ride today, our route took us on University drive right through the campus of Brigham Young University. It is an attractive campus.

When we were about 8 miles from the finish we saw a Dairy Queen. Rick and I decided to take a little break and get a refreshing dairy treat. I got a strawberry shake and he got hot fudge Sunday. Refreshed we resumed our journey arriving at the hotel at 1:45.

Yesterday on our off day I had a nice conversation with Jose one of my fellow riders. He had set up his computer at a table in the hotel hallway. Jose is from California and was from Laredo Texas originally. He is retired from a career in education as a school counselor. Jose is 69 years young and has dreamed of doing a cross country bicycle tour for years. He has a wife and three grown children. I asked him if his family was excited for him to do this trip. He said they were very supportive and that he decided he should not wait any longer to do it. Jose is a strong rider and we see each other frequently during the ride and sometimes ride in the same group together. He is an enthusiastic man. One day he passed a whole group of riders near the end of the route cheering and taking pictures of riders he passed. It is a pleasure to meet and be able to spend time with people like Jose.

First rest day in Salt Lake City

2008-06-12T16:28:00.013-04:00

Wednesday June 10

I got a wonderful surprise care package from home. Pat made a bunch of cookies and Allison shipped them to me. I received them in West Wendover. I've been chowing down on homemade cookies since. My roommates are loving them too. I really have no space to pack them in my luggage so the ABB staff agreed that I could put them in the van. There are enough to share with all the riders. We will have real cookies for SAG stop tomorrow. All the riders will love them!

Friday Morning June 12

It was great to sleep in this morning, even though you might not call it sleeping in under some standards. I was up at 6:30. I guess I'm in the mode since I've been getting up at 5:00 AM recently.

After breakfast I posted my brief report for yesterday. Then I talked to several other riders and we decided to get a transportation to Salt Lake City town center at 10:00 AM. We are in a Comfort Inn near the airport.

So we had about one and a half hours before 10:00 which gave us time to clean our bikes. The hotel furnished a big bag of old towels. I degreased my chain which was very scuzzy, then cleaned the rest of the bike. My bike is happy now!

10:00 AM came quickly so we were off to SLC town center. Free tours are offered of the Mormon church facilities. We went to the visitor center (nine of us) where two young ladies probably in their early twenties were waiting to give us a tour. Together they gave us the background and history of the Mormon religion. It was clear as they spoke how meaningful and personal it is to them. Their role as tour guides was part of their personal mission commitment.

The visitor center was furnished with beautiful art of Jesus and special events of the new testament. There was a statue of Jesus with painting of the universe on the wall as a backdrop. They stressed how the Bible was an important basis for their religion and that the book of Mormon was another testament of of their faith.

We were taken to the tabernacle and given some history. We were able to take some pictures there.

We were not taken into the temple as that is a sacred place only for Mormons in good standing. But we were given some history on the construction of the temple. It was build starting in the 1850's and was completed in the 1880's. Each granite building block was transported by horse and wagon from a location four days from the building site. Each block weighed 5000 lbs. It is an impressive structure.

It is apparent that this is a Godly place.

We had lunch together before returning to the hotel. After I post this I will chill out the rest of the day, maybe makes some phone calls. Tomorrow we are back on the road.

West Wendover to Salt Lake City

2008-06-11T23:34:00.003-04:00

We left at about 6:45 AM again this morning after breakfast and luggage loading. Today was another long ride with final destination Salt Lake City Utah.

The temperature was 50 degrees partly sunny skies. It stayed cool in the 60’s all day.

This was our second century day with 117 miles to Salt Lake City. We rode past salt flats. It looked like a sea of water, stretching on far into the distance. The traffic got very busy near SLC (Salt Lake City) until we finally exited to a frontage road for the last 10 miles. Much of this was on the lake front.

We arrived at the hotel at 1:30 and were first to the laundry. This is the longest consecutive days of riding scheduled for the tour. We have ridden eleven straight days for a total of 862 miles and have crossed two states. Finally a day off!

I will clean my bike today, degrease and re-lube. I also plan to visit the downtown SLC and get some pictures of the Mormon tabernacle

Elko to West Wendover

2008-06-11T17:29:00.011-04:00

We left at about 6:45 AM this morning after breakfast and luggage loading. Today was to be a long ride and the ABB staff wanted to get us started early

The temperature was a cool upper 50’s with cloudy skies. It looked like it could rain and it did sprinkle on us as we were leaving. As the day progressed the wind picked up into a strong tail wind. The temperature warmed some, maybe into low 70’s by the end of the ride.

This was our first century day with 107 miles to the next stop in West Wendover, NV. Three of the riders including me had never ridden a century. We were instructed how to eat and drink to prepare for this. It was encouraging how the other riders shared advice with us.

Rick one of my roommates and I rode together averaging 20 mph for the first 34 miles. The wind was our friend today.

The landscape started to get greener and tress graduated from 3 ft shrubs to 10 footers. We saw some very scenic ranches near the base of the mountains. It looked inviting, like it could be a nice place to live.

At 70 miles into the ride with top the 6900 ft. summit of another mountain to arrive at the final SAG stop of the day. After refueling and refreshing we were off to finish the day. From the summit you could see I-80 at the base of the mountain stretching for maybe 10 or 15 miles. The miles really clicked off from here. We didn’t really have to pedal for maybe 6 or 7 miles. Just coast and as always keep a sharp eye out so as not to ride over debris on the shoulder.

Here's Rick heading down the mountain.

After crossing the mountain the landscape really changed again. Suddenly it looked like a desert again. About ten miles from our destination I had my first flat tire. Bummer! As luck would have it the SAG van with the mechanic driving went by just as we stopped. We gave him the signal for assistance needed and he pulled over on the shoulder of I-80 and put a new tube in my tire. It’s like taking AAA along on a trip in case you have problems. The ABB support team has been excellent! They do a great job.

These two pictures are looking back at the mountain we just decended.

There have been many flat tires so far on the ride. One of the riders has had 6 flats. I haven’t wanted to discuss this subject because I was afraid I would jinx myself. There is so much debris along the interstate we are constantly dodging truck tire debris, nails, glass etc.

After my tire was repaired we proceeded on to our destination. As we were about to exit I-80 some very strong side winds nearly blew us off the road. We arrived at the hotel at 1:30. I now have ridden a century. Hooray! Tomorrow we ride 117 miles. Better get some rest before morning.

This is our final night in Nevada. I noticed that during our ride through Nevada every hotel we’ve stayed at has either had a casino as part of the hotel or there was one near by. This is truly a major part of the economy in Nevada. I understand that the government gets 20% of the casino income and there is no state income tax.

The hotel we are in tonight is a major casino, “Rainbow Casino”. They don’t have wireless access so that’s why this report won’t get posted until Salt Lake City. We had dinner at the casino buffet which had many choices of good food. We walked through the casino to get to the dining area. The casino is arranged like a maize. It's easy to get lost. There were many people playing the slot machines and at the poker and black jack tables.

I found out at dinner that Hetty from Netherlands crashed and was injured as a result of the strong cross winds as she was getting off the interstate near the hotel. We experienced the strong cross winds when we arrived also. It nearly blew us off the shoulder of the road. Hetty went over the handle bars and got a cut on her chin. Also scraps and bruises on her legs and chest. The ABB staff took her to the hospital where she received stitches. Everyone was concerned for her at dinner. With all that she plans to ride tomorrow.

Battle Mountain to Elko

2008-06-09T19:08:00.006-04:00

We left at about 7:30 AM this morning after breakfast and luggage loading.

The temperature was a cool 60 degrees with beautiful blue sky and warmed throughout the day to upper 70’s.

Initially the pace line was effective. As we caught up to other smaller groups they joined in eventually we had about 15 riders cooperating in a double pace line. We rode the first 22 miles on a secondary road before our route sheet took us back to I-80. At this point the pace line fell apart because of the amount of debris on the shoulder. We also had rumble strips about every 75 feet which are not fun. Since we had a light breakfast this morning the SAG stop food table was supplied with additional items. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and had a banana, Fritos and water.

Immediately after the SAG stop we started a long climb of about 12 miles up to Immigrant pass. I rode alone during this climb and could see riders on the route ahead some of which I caught up to and passed. When I reached the summit I was quite hot and stopped to take off my jacket apply sunscreen to my arms and of course take a photo of some of the riders who had collected at the summit sign. The summit was 6000 ft.

This was followed by another screaming downhill of close to 10 miles, and arrival at the final SAG stop of the day at 49 miles. They had some interesting new food choices at the SAG stop. Fresh cherries and wafer sugar cookies. They try to mix up the food options so we won’t get burned out on the same items. Yesterday they had fig newtons. I love fig newtons!

The final leg of the route was to take old route 40 to nowhere. Well it would be nowhere if you were in a car. This allowed us to bypass a I-80 tunnel which we would not have been able to ride through. Old route 40 goes around the mountain and dead ends at I-80 after the tunnel. I don't know this for sure, but I suspect Route 40 was the first highway west in this area and that I-80 made it obsolete.

It was a scenic ride through a canyon along a pretty river, and I finally saw some beef cattle on this route. They were hanging out at the edge of the river. Some were in the water.

When we reached the end of 40 we had to lift our bikes over Jersey road barriers that keep cars from going any further. We had to wait for traffic to clear on I-80 before crossing the West bounds lanes then the East bound lanes to get to the East bound shoulder. Sounds a little scary but we got a good traffic pause and safely crossed I-80 to proceed on our way East. From this point on we had a good tailwind and 4 riders including me averaged more than 20 mph for he final 10 miles of I-80 for the day.

We arrived and checked into the hotel at 1:00 PM.

Winnemucca to Battle Mountain

2008-06-08T22:00:00.010-04:00

Ride start temperature was 55 degrees. Ride distance for the day was 55 miles with one 3 mile 4 to 5 percent grade hill Otherwise it was fairly flat terrain with mountains on either side of the route.

After 4 miles we got on I-8o for the remainder of the ride. We could see the hill from 7 miles away. I climbed this hill in my middle chain ring gear and didn’t have to use my lowest cassette gear.

Here is a picture of the first SAG stop of the day at the top of the climb. Notice the snow covered mountains in the background.

Our SAG stops are spaced at roughtly 25 to 30 miles intervals. This gives us an opportunity to refill our water bottles (I carry two) and partake of cookies, crackers, trailmix, bannanas, grapes, etc. There is also gatorade powder if we want to use that. You can also fill your pockets with whatever you want to take with you at these stops(I sometimes take a pack of peanut butter crackers). Depending on the length of the day we often stop for lunch at a fast food restarant along the route. The America By Bicycle staff are seasoned tour leaders. They are friendly, organized, and make

Last night I read from the Upper Room devotional book that friend and cousin, Paul Wenger recommended. The reading was from Matthew 9 18-26. It’s about the woman who touched Jesus garment and was healed. As I rode today on the somewhat boring I-80, I thought about Eddie, Rosie, and Cecil from the church I attend who are fighting cancer, and prayed for their healing.

Rick Tangard one of my roommates is raising funds for cancer research. He will be riding in the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) Bike ride which occurs in Massachusetts August 2nd and 3rd. He will ride from Sturbridge to providence town, 192 miles over two days. Rick has ridden this ride 9 times. Many of us know people who have been affected by cancer. If you read this and would like to contribute to the fight against this terrible disease please visit Rick’s webpage and make a contribution. The funds he raises go directly to cancer research and treatment. The first link tell you about PMC, and the second is the link to Rick's Fund raising page.

http://www.pmc.org/

http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=RT0014

I took a picture today of one of the roads to nowhere. One of the readers of my blog indicated that they go to ranches that may not be visible from the road. That may be the case, because we have had to ride across cattle guards from time to time. We usually see them at the interstate exits and entrances. The puzzling thing is that I haven’t seen any cattle or other livestock. Maybe somebody can look into that for me and comment.

Lovelock to Winnemuca

2008-06-07T19:11:00.004-04:00

On departure this morning my bike computer said the temp was 54 degrees with a strong head wind. It warmed up to mid 70's and We had blue sky all day. Our route took us on a North Easterly course.

Today is our third day in Nevada. I must say the scenery hasn’t changed. The landscape appears forbidding with sand and mountains with little or no vegetation. The vegetation consist of sage brush and an occasional tree. I saw some trees near a house along the way but very few otherwise.

We get a historical sketch each day at Route rap of the area covered in the ride for the next day. It indicated that trees were always quite rare in the area and that the trees that were present in the past were used for cooking. Lack of fuel was a problem for the immigrants; the immigrants used up all the trees which also caused problems for the Indians who lived and hunted in the area.

The dreaded headwinds presented a challenge today. Even though the terrain was fairly level, the headwinds slowed our progress significantly. I completed the 73 miles with an average moving pace of 14 mph. We were schooled on pace line riding last evening and today we rode in a rotating double pace line of 15 riders. For none bicyclist, a pace line is a group of riders working together to improve the pace through aerodynamic advantage. A group of riders can ride significantly faster than just one rider. This really helped today. Headwinds can be demoralizing. It’s like riding uphill all day.

We passed through a small town with the unusual name of “Rye Patch” on our way today. It consisted of a volunteer fire station and a few residences scattered about. Along the route there are very few roads that intersect our route. Some of the roads we see that do cross our route quickly turn gravel. I would like to follow one of these roads to see where it goes (but not on my bike). Our stopping place for the night is Winnemucca. Winnemucca has a significant Basque population who immigrated and settled here. I’m not sure why they picked this place. They are having a Basque festival in town today.

We arrived at about 1:45 PM. The first order if business was to check into our room and get a shower. I was starving even though I ate half dozen cookies, a banana, some licorice, and crackers at both Sag stops. There was a MacDonald’s across the street from out hotel so Rich and I made a food run. It was a Big Mac meal for me and it was so good!

Most riders are holding up well to the challenge. There are a couple though who have had problems. One of the riders developed a saddle sore where the seam on his shorts rubbed his butt. He has consulted his doctor and is taking a couple of days off to help the healing in hopes of getting back on the bike. Many of the riders are talking about discomfort in that place. There are four husband wife teams on the trip. During the Sierra Nevada climbing day I could tell one of the women seemed to be demoralized, although I think she has recovered with the flatter courses of the last couple of days.

My son Matt commented about my hair. No I don’t plan to get a hair cut Matt, but I did shave tonight. Rick took a picture of me today on the ride. I thought I looked like a wild man with sunscreen on my unshaven face and hair sticking out of the helmet vents. I think if you point your mouse at the pictures and click it will zoom in to give you a bigger view of each photo. Maybe that only works if you have photo software on your computer.

Sparks to Lovelock

2008-06-06T19:58:00.011-04:00

Temperature was about 60 this morning at 7:20 AM departure. No need for jackets, long finger gloves, or the Thermal jerseys that we’ve been wearing the last couple of days.

Today’s ride was not up to the level of scenery or challenges we’ve had the last two days. We left Sparks NV and after couple of miles we got on interstate 80. That’s right, we actually rode 60 some miles on the interstate today. We were not excited about the idea. It was not so bad since it had a very wide and quite smooth shoulder for us to ride on. Traffic was fairly heavy with many tractor trailers flying by at 70 mph. Some of these rigs had three trailers attached. I hadn’t seen that before. When they went by we got a big wind suction that allowed us to pick up a couple miles per hour for a short time.

The wind was favorable in the beginning allowing Rich and I to cover the first 20 miles in one hour. That included a couple of miles of slower travel until we got on I 80. Later we had strong gusty wind on our left side that was challenging, then later dreaded headwind. I guess it all averages out pretty well I average slightly over 17 mph for the 91 miles. After the first SAG stop at 32 miles I rode by myself for most the next 35 miles of Interstate. As I rode many thoughts flew through my mind, I though about the early settlers of this country who traveled this route by horse and wagon and the many who lost their life heading West. I also thought of my family that I will not see until July 22.

The scenery is desert with gray mountains and very little vegetation. Someone said the mountains appear naked. It does present a certain beauty but It is not a place I would want to live. It’s called the 40 miles desert.

An Interesting event happened today at the first SAG stop. Kip and Carol, a nice couple from Florida are on the trip. They don’t always ride the same pace so occasionally are not together on the route. I was standing next to the SAG trailer and I heard Carol calling Kip on her cell phone. She had a worried tone to her voice. “Kip are you okay! Where are you?” I heard him answer, “I’m fine, I’m at the SAG stop”. Neither of them realized that they were standing about 40 feet away from each other with a small tree blocking their view. A number of other riders observed this. It was good for a big laugh!

One of the riders at the SAG stop today was asked the typical question, “where are you going?” He answered “New Hampshire” The questioner responded with an interesting reply, “I guess it will be dark by the time you get there”, I had a good laugh on that one.

Martin is a rider from Germany. I got a picture of him with me today. He had a cool shirt on. In case you can't make it out, It's graphic of a gas pump spout, and it says "Gas Sucks".

At dinner tonight I sat across from Steve from Australia. He works for a charity in Australia related to cardiac research and plans to meet with some contacts as he crosses the US to promote his cause. Incidentaly there is another Steve from Australia on the trip. He is from Tasmania and carries a picture of the Tasmanian devel in his wallet.

Ron Corio from RABA posted a comment asking about how I was able to update the blog each day. All hotels so far have had wireless internet access. Occasionally it is only accessible from the hotel lobby. Tonight there are about 6 people in the lobby working on blogs. I guess we are a geeky bunch.

Rick Tangard's Blog of this trip

2008-06-05T23:41:00.002-04:00

Rick Tangard who is one of my roommates is also from Richmond. Interestingly we both belong to The Richmond Area Bicycling Assn. (RABA) but had never met before this trip. He is also posting a Web Blog. I has received comments on my blog from some Dominion people that know Rich. Mike and Ron, Rick sends his regards. His Blog address is:

http://www.teamnaturespath.com/forum.html

Truckee CA to Sparks NV

2008-06-05T18:46:00.002-04:00

The temp at the start of today’s ride leaving Truckee CA at about 7:15 AM. was the coldest we’ve had. It was in the 30’s, so we had our cold weather clothing on. The day finished in Sparks NV with the temp at a warm mid to upper 70’s. This was big change. You may wonder what the cyclists do with the cold weather gear when it gets warm. ABB has a neat way to handle that. They have a drop box at a SAG stop so you can leave clothing you don’t need for the rest of the day’s ride, or pick up clothing if you need additional clothing.

We rode 66 miles today. From Truckee we rode to Lake Tahoe. This town is on the lake front and our ride took us along the lake with great views of the snow covered Sierra Nevada Mountains across the lake. The lake is crystal clear water with many boats moored out from the water’s edge.

Goodbye California hello Nevada! Lake Tahoe straddles the border of California and Nevada.

Leaving Lake Tahoe we had an 8 mile climb up to the Mount Rose summit. The elevation at the summit is 8.991 ft. and the grade of the climb was 7 degrees. This was the challenge that most of us were apprehensive about since we had major climbing in yesterday’s ride with little time for our bodies to recover. My thigh muscles were tender to the touch this morning from yesterday’s ride. The climb started at 30 miles into the ride and I decided that I would take it one mile at a time. I rode by myself since riders paces are so different especially when climbing. It was tough. As I ascended I got some great photos of Lake Tahoe.

The sensational aspects of the ride were, the great scenery in Lake Tahoe, successfully riding to the summit of Mount Rose, and finally the screaming 16 mile descent down the other side of Mount Rose into Sparks Nevada. The Lake Tahoe scenery speaks for itself. Arriving at the summit I asked the ABB staff if they had a cot. I just wanted to lie down. After congratulating me on making it, they suggested that I could lay down in one of the nearby snow banks. I decided a better option was to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and get a few photos before the descent.

After riding 8 miles uphill descending 16 miles without have to actually crank a pedal was a fabulous pleasure! It seems like challenges often have their payoff. If you put yourself out there to struggle through adversity there is usually a silver lining. Anyway, to go on, the mountain was as steep descending as it was ascending. Rick and I rode together and we feathered the brakes periodically to slow our decent. I didn’t want to go too crazy. I’m sure we averaged 30 mph, at one point when descending on a straight section of road I was cruising at 38 mph. That was fast enough for me.

We had an awesome meal at the Nugget hotel casino in Sparks. I’ve never seen a buffet that big. I won’t go into the details of what I ate. But I topped it off with Blueberry Pie Alamode.

Auburn-Truckee

2008-06-04T21:19:00.005-04:00

Today was an exhausting day, so the report will be brief. Up at 5:30 AM, load Luggage at 6:00, then ride down the street for Breakfast at Denny's. We were on the road by about 7:00 AM

The exhasuting part was that we had to ride from Auburn at 1,450 elevation to Donner Pass which is at 7,229 elevation. I have never done anything like this. We completed the ride at aprox 4:30 PM. That's a long day of intense physical exertion. We made a wrong turn at the end, riding about a mile uphill away from our hotel. A very helpful park ranger helped us sort it out. We were physically spent when we arrived. There were definately rewards for the day's work. The weather was good again and the scenery was sensational. I tried to capture some of it with the camera.

Uber River

My Victory celebration at Donner Pass

Donner Lake

Donner Lake from Donner Pass

Donner lake

Sacramento to Auburn

2008-06-03T23:01:00.006-04:00

Today we were up and loading the luggage trailer at 6:30. We all rode our bikes to a restaurant near the hotel for breakfast. It’s tough on the Restaurant staff to have 40 people come in to be served at one time. They are notified ahead that we will be coming. Anyway it took a while, but breakfast was scrambled eggs, French toast and fresh fruit with coffee and water. Food choice is important when you are expecting your body to provide the power to transport you to your destination.

The weather was blue sky again and temperature in upper 50’s and finished the day in upper 70’s. Nice! According to my GPS we climbed an accumulative elevation of 3222 ft.

Today I started the ride today with a group of five riders. We stuck together for a while. A Father Son team was part of the group. They kicked the pace up and went on ahead, but later Rick, Larry and I passed them as they stopped for a bathroom break. Larry is a retired middle school teacher from Colorado so we compared notes on retirement as we rode at a fairly comfortable pace. There was a speed limit of 15 MPH on the trail. We were cruising at 17 or 18.

We rode the first 30 miles on the American River Way, which is a bike trail that follows the American River from Sacramento to Lake Folsom state recreational area for our first SAG (Support And Gear) stop. It’s a really nice bike trail and no cars to contend with. I saw a turkey gobbler in full strut maybe 50 yards off the trail. There were also some hens he was trying to impress. I got several pictures, but each time I took a picture he put his fan tail down.

We passed other riders along the way who asked where we are going. It’s fun to say New Hampshire and watch they eyes light up! The next question is usually how long will it take.

At the SAG stop I had about four cookies, a banana, and trail mix. I have a couple of pic from this stop. I reapplied sunscreen and visited the restroom and we were off. Rick and I rode together the 15 miles or so to Auburn. This last stretch had some hills that got our attention. After grinding up these hills into Auburn all I could think about was ice cream.

We asked several locals and got direction to and old drug store with a soda fountain and ice cream. It was a strawberry shake for me. It was Awesome!

Since it was about 11:30 AM too early to get in the hotel room we hung out in town and checked out a local bike shop. Other riders began collection until there 10 or so riders getting lunch, ice-cream in the town center.

Finally Rick and I with two other riders from Las Vegas finished off the last two mile climb to the hotel.

I changed and went to the pool for about and hour came back to the room and showered and worked on uploading GPS data and pictures for the blog.

We had Route RAP at 5:00 PM to hear what we will face tomorrow. There is some fear and apprehension about the elevation we will have to climb and the weather.

I had a delicious Lemon Chicken dinner including ice-cream and brownie dessert. At dinner I shared a table with Wayne from England and another rider whose name escapes me. It’s been interesting meeting the people on the ride.

It's been another great day!

Fairfield-Sacramento

2008-06-02T22:30:00.004-04:00

I failed to mention in yesterdays post that a few of the riders were very beat after the the first day’s ride. My second roommate Jeff showered and crashed until dinner. Went to bed after dinner and slept until we woke him for breakfast. My training and preparation has paid off. I feel great after two days. Credit goes to my RABA friends, son Matt, and brother Dennis who were frequent ride partners since the start of serious preparation in January. I don’t want to get overconfident since we have to go over the Sierra Nevada range on June 4. There will be an 8900 ft mountain pass that we ride through and then later the Rocky mountains.

Today we had a much more relaxed departure schedule. Breakfast was at 6:30, and then luggage loading at 8:00. Most of the riders departed shortly after 8:00 AM.

The route today took us from Fairfield to Sacramento, a distance of 57 miles and the side trip into Davis made it 60 total. We were all excited that it would be relatively flat terrain. Based on my GPS, we actually had a total accumulative climbing elevation of 1289 ft for the day. That’s a piece of cake compared to the first day accumulative climbing elevation of 5049 ft. As you know San Francisco has some hills! Today the wind was from the SW at 15-20 MPH and we were riding NE. That’s cool!

We rode through Central CA where they grow all the produce that ends up in many of the grocery stores back East. I saw fields of Wheat, Peach Trees, Tomatoes, and other crops I couldn’t readily identify.

We also went through Davis CA which is a University town with several bike shops and lots of street side cafes and eating places. I stopped with our riding group for lunch and to check out the bike shops in case we needed to pick up some important items.

We arrived at the hotel in Sacramento at about 2:30 PM. The temp at ride start was about 60 degrees and finished around 80. It was great to get in the room, get a shower and drink some ice water.

I always look forward to the comments that you have left. It a real gift, thank you! I feel honored to receive them from you. I believe that I will be able to face the physical challenges that come and accomplish this dream. This is a big adventure and I’m happy to share it with you. Today I thought of my friends at Dominion as I pedaled across CA. Hang in there and be sure to have dreams for the future. Your day will come.

If you aren't familiar with how to post your comments on my blog, it’s easy. I’ll ask my blog administrator to post a concise procedure on the blog that you can read and follow (thanks Mark).

San Francisco-Fairfield

2008-06-01T23:34:00.007-04:00

Finally we are on our way. The day started very early with a wake up call at 5:00 AM. After breakfast and loading luggage we were off at 7:00 AM. It was cool in the lowers 50’s with a strong wind out of the West. During the day it warmed up nicely reaching the mid 70’s.

Here's a pic of Rick Tangard, one of my roommates, and I before departure this morning.

My dear wife Pat saw me off at the hotel and then I saw her three more times along the route. She catches the red eye flight back to Richmond tonight.

The ride started with a steep climb of about a mile and then after after 17 miles we met at the Pacific Ocean for the traditional wheel dipping and group picture taking. The scenery on our way was awesome with the white caps on the Pacific, the Golden gate bridge, and the San Francisco skyline. We all Stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge for more scenery and pictures. We rode through Sausalito and other quaint towns along the way. We had two rest stops with fluids and snacks provided by the ride by ABB (America By Bike) during theday’s ride.

It was interesting how riders developed pace groups collaborating on navigation. I rode with various groups eventually riding the last 30 miles with Rick Tangard from Richmond. Interestingly Rick is a member of the same Richmond bicycle club I am, RABA. Rick and I stopped at a Pop Eyes for some real food and cold drinks and a much needed break from the bicycle seat about the 70 mile point. We finished the day at about 4:20 PM after pedaling 85 miles. That’s my longest one day ride.

The "Great Adventure" has begun

2008-05-31T21:44:00.003-04:00

The "Great Adventure" has begun with orientation today. There are 35 riders for the complete trip with 5 or more add-ons along the way. We have 4 leaders: Andy Hiroshima from Ca, Michelle Sahli from N.Y., Christine Leininger, from Canada, and Gerard Boisse, Head Mechanic.
The group is quite interesting; from various countries such as Holland, Germany, Trinidad, UK, Australia and New Zealand. One of my roommates is from New Zealand and the other is from, guess where??? Richmond!!! How about that for a surprise; he lives in the Short Pump area and is a member of RABA, the Richmond Biking Club that I also am a member of.
We had a flat tire repair demonstration and ended this evening with the first of an every evening "Route Rap." This is the time where we receive a route sheet for the next days ride and the ride leaders discuss details about the route.
Tomorrow at 6:45 our journey begins. Pat is here to see me off and plans to meet me at Golden Gate Park where there will be a "wheel dipping" in the Pacific and a photo of the group. Everyone seems quite pumped...hope I can sleep tonight.

Training

2008-05-18T23:40:00.014-04:00

Yesterday I had a great training ride with two of my buddies. My brother on the left and son on the right. You can check the ride stats on the GPS graphics below. You can also navigate to Motion Based website to slice and dice this info.

I dreamed of riding cross country while I was working and followed friends journals that were able to do it. After retiring March 2007 I began planning seriously.

Thanks to the support of my wife and family, and encouragement of friends my dream is about to become reality!

The count down is on. 5 days before I fly to the West coast. I will spend a week in the Seattle area seeing the sights with my wife. 14 days before I depart San Francisco on my bicycle headed for the East coast on June 1.

I have been training since January and am ready to get started.