Day 0 – Sat, April 20, 2013

PREPARATION DAY, COSTA MESA, CA

Weather: 
Sunny all day.
High 75, Low 57

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  0 mi
Today’s climbing:  0 ft
Total miles ridden:  0 mi
Approx miles to go: 3,455 mi

Hard to believe the ride is finally about to begin.  Today is a “Preparation Day.”  All riders were asked to be here by noon today so that bicycles could be assembled, briefings given and everyone could be ready to ride tomorrow.  I flew in yesterday just to be sure there weren’t any transportation or other glitches, as did 8-10 other riders.  Everyone brings their own bicycle for this ride.  Some shipped their bikes ahead using FedEx or UPS.  Others, including me, brought their bikes on the plane.  I used a hard-shelled bicycle travel case which worked well.  Very glad and relieved to see my bicycle made it here with no damage.

There are 23 riders signed up to ride the full cross country route and two more doing a portion of the ride.  Riders are from all over:  Seven from overseas (London,  Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Australia (2), and one US military stationed in Europe) and the rest are from the US (Georgia, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, California (3), Minnesota, Massachusetts, Utah, New Jersey (2), Alabama, Virginia, Michigan).

We’ll have two vans as support vehicles.  One will carry our gear to the next night’s destination as well as stop midway to supply lunch (sandwiches, Gatorade, etc).  The other van will be running support for mechanical issues or anything else that comes up.  We had a series of briefings this afternoon which included a lot of logistical items such as how the support stops would work, bike maintenance issues, etc.  Dinner was on our own and about 10 of us walked over to a nearby restaurant.  Time to wind down now, do some final organizing of gear for tomorrow, then get to bed.  Everyone is ready to get going, so should be a good day tomorrow.

Below are photos from today and yesterday.  Click on any photo to open the gallery in a slideshow view.

Getting ready to leave for the airport.

Packing the bike.

Fitting everything was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle!

Arrival at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

Unpacking – big relief to get the bike there with no damage!

Starting point hotel in Costa Mesa, CA.

America By Bicycle vans at the hotel parking lot.

Help with bike assembly for early arrivers on Friday.

Saturday briefings.

Indoor briefing.

Explaining how SAG support will work.

Maintenance support van. Mike Munk, tour leader is giving the briefing.

Dinner Saturday night with 9 other riders.

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Day 1 – Sun, April 21, 2013

COSTA MESA, CA to PALM SPRINGS, CA

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 60, finishing temp 94
Winds varied from 3-4 mph to 20 mph and from south, west and east

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 117 Miles
Today’s climbing: 4285 ft
Total miles ridden: 117 miles
Approx miles to go: 3,343 mi

Excellent first day!  Today, in many ways, was a “shakedown day” where we got our first feel for the daily routine, following the route cue sheet, SAG (support vehicle) procedures, etc.  The riders do not all ride as one large group.  Everyone starts out together, then people start naturally grouping with others wanting to go about the same speed, etc.  I wanted to take these first several days at a moderate pace and fell in with a group of five thinking the same.  Our group consisted of Jim (Iowa), Phillip (Massachusetts), Max (Australia), and Jan (Alabama).

You are given a cue sheet with each turn outlined and you keep that attached to your handlebar for reference.  When riding with a group everyone really has to watch the cue sheet.  It is easy to trust the guy in front and follow him, but if he makes a wrong turn, you can easily become like lemmings going over a cliff!

We left the motel in Costa Mesa, rode to the ocean for the ceremonial wheel dipping and group photo.  Mike (ride leader) took the group photo and I don’t have a copy yet.  Then we headed east.  Stayed on the Santa Ana River Trail for about half of today’s ride to get out of the LA area.  Rode right by the parking lot of Angel Stadium and fairly close to Disneyland.  However, on the river trail you were pretty sheltered from the urban sprawl around you.

Even though our total climbing was over 4000 feet, most of it was very gradual uphill for miles or very gradual downhill.  Highest elevation was in Beaumont, then down grade to Palm Springs.  Riding on the Interstate highways is legal in the desert areas as that is the only reasonable way to get from point A to point B sometimes.  We briefly got on I-10 today between Beaumont and Palm Springs.  It felt REALLY weird riding down an entrance ramp on a bicycle and then riding on the Interstate shoulder.  The shoulders are wide, so you have adequate separation from the traffic, but it still felt weird.  A lot of debris on the shoulder to dodge.  We weren’t on the interstate long today, but will ride quite a bit on it the next two days as we cross the desert.

Interesting wind phenomenon as we rode through a canyon on the way to Palm Springs.  For a stretch of about 10 miles we had a great tailwind and slight downgrade.  We were doing 25 plus mph with minimal effort.  We were feeling pretty good thinking we’d have the rest of the way to Palm Springs like that, when something changed in the canyon and blammo! all of a sudden we were fighting a 20 mph headwind.  Memo for record:  we were no longer doing 25 plus…

Good first day.  Long day tomorrow, 134 miles.  Here are some photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Map Day 01

Day 01 Ride Profile

Breakfast

Ride start from motel.

Ceremonial wheel dip in Pacific Ocean.

Riding Santa Ana River Trail.

First SAG stop.

Max got the only flat in our group today. Several in other groups got flats as well.

Lunch SAG.

Orange grove along the trail.

Windmill farm in the canyon leading to Palm Springs.

Entering Palm Springs.

Our riding group today. Jim, me, Jan, Max, Phillip

Unloading luggage bags at the Palm Springs motel.

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Day 2 – Mon, April 22, 2013

PALM SPRINGS, CA to BLYTHE, CA

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 70, finishing temp 97
Mild winds, S to SW

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 136 mi
Today’s climbing: 2687 ft
Total miles ridden: 253 mi
Approx miles to go: 3,209 mi

Tough day.  Everything today was in desert areas.  Started out with 60 some miles along small roads including a ride through Box Canyon on the way to Interstate I-10. Box Canyon was pretty cool.  The road climbs at a 2-3 degree gradient for several miles up into the canyon.  It is just a very dry canyon with sculpted canyon walls on either side of you.  Apparently some movies have been shot here.  Don’t know what movies, but perfect place for a western ambush scene!  See photos of the canyon below.  The next 60 or so miles was on I-10.  Just before entering I-10 we had a SAG break.  A General Patton museum was there.  Patton conducted desert warfare training in the area for WW II.

We then started ridding I-10.  Wasn’t too bad.  Shoulder had a fairly good surface and we made good time.  The only problem was all the debris that gets blown off the highway onto the shoulder.  Lots of small pieces of truck tire retread debris.  You could generally dodge that and the larger pieces of wire, but it was the very small wire debris that would get you.  At the 110 mile point of the ride while we were on the interstate I heard a “tick, tick tick tick tick tick” coming from my rear wheel.  Stopped, pulled a small piece of wire from my tire and the tire seemed to be holding air fine.  I hoped that the wire had not fully penetrated through the Kevlar bead into the tube and we continued riding.  About a mile later I noticed my rear wheel shimmying and knew I was going flat.  Stopped, changed it, and continued on.

The last 15 miles I was quite tired, so backed off and took it easy the rest of the way into the motel.  A Super 8 motel never looked so good!

Two riders were picked up and rode the van in today.  One of these and one other rider went in to get IV fluids due to dehydration/heat exhaustion.  One seemed to be feeling pretty good and one was more symptomatic but hopefully the fluids will help.  I am feeling fine, but definitely felt the effects during the last part of the ride.

Here are some photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 02 map

Day 02 Ride Profile

Leaving Palm Springs

First SAG

Harvesting dates

Harvesting dates

This and next several photos are Box Canyon.

2013-04-22_00012.jpg

Leaving Box Canyon on way to I-10.

Lunch

Lunch

Patton museum

I-10

Jim with something in eye while riding. I figured I would help too by taking a photo!

Eye is all good!

Flat while on I-10.

Coming into Blythe, CA, end of ride today.

Dinner this evening.

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Day 3 – Tues, April 23, 2013

BLYTHE, CA to WICKENBURG, AZ

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 63, finishing temp 85
Fairly strong winds, mainly from NE but variable

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 116 mi
Today’s climbing: 4190 ft
Total miles ridden: 369 mi
Approx miles to go: 3,094 mi

Breakfast was 05:30 at Denny’s, then baggage load and start riding.  Mike (tour leader) said that if anyone got lost today they would certainly be tagged as directionally challenged.  The route was: go 35 miles east on I-10, then 80 miles on State Route 60 to Wickenburg, AZ.  Shortest cue sheet yet!

Pretty straight forward day today.  A lot of low gradient climbing.  Primarily a crosswind/headwind off our left shoulder most of the day.  Fairly strong wind, so that made riding slower.  Wind would sometimes shift briefly according to the terrain.  We did have a tailwind for a few miles.  Nothing eventful in our rider group today.  The two riders that received IV fluids yesterday are feeling well, but set out today for recovery.

Mike Munk (tour leader) has his journal up.  Here is the link:
http://www.bamacyclist.com/BAMA/Fast_America_2013/Fast_America_2013.html

Here are photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 03 Map

Day 03 Ride Profile

Entered Arizona first thing in the morning.

Riding the interstate. Most trucks moved over further than this.

Mike calls Route 60 the loneliest highway in America. Straight as an arrow for miles!

Sign when leaving the town of Hope, AZ. Contractions aren’t somebody’s strong suit!

Windy riding, and not in the best direction!

Lunch

Final SAG stop

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Day 4 – Wed, April 24, 2013

WICKENBURG, AZ to COTTONWOOD, AZ

Weather: 
Mostly sunny
Starting temp 60, finishing temp 77
Mild tail/crosswind most of day

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 103 mi
Today’s climbing: 8497 ft
Total miles ridden: 472 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,992 mi

Wow.  Today has been one of those days a cyclist lives for.  I’m still grinning ear to ear.  The first 3/4 of the day was good, but the best was definitely saved for last.  We started out with a long gradual climb up to the start of our first of three significant climbs for the day. The area was very dry, but pretty in its own way.  The first climb took us up to Yarnell Pass, then a beautiful descent to Peeples Valley and Skull Valley.  We then climbed again before descending slightly to Prescott.

After Prescott, the final big climb was up Mingus Mountain to our high point of the day, 7023 feet.  Then came the best part of the day…a gorgeous descent of over 10 miles down the back of Mingus Mountain.  The scenery was beautiful and the road was perfectly smooth without a blemish.  Add to that perfect weather and it could not have been a better finish for the day.  We stopped at a small town, Jerome, about 2/3 of the way down the mountain and had dinner at The Haunted Hamburger Restaurant.  Good food and a great view over the valley below.  Tomorrow we will be “…standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ” to take a quote from the Eagles.

Some photos from today, including photos of the ABB group leading this ride…

Day 04 Map

Day 04 Ride Profile

Mike Munk, tour leader

Karen (on left), ride leader and Barbara, Mikes wife and support leader.

Jim, support and mechanic.

Floris airs up. Floris participated in an event that climbed Alpe d’Huez 7 times in one day. Floris can climb…

Shane, from Ireland.

Goat head in Phil’s tire

Phil got a flat today from a goat head.

Wire pulled out of my tire today. Stuck laterally in the rubber and did not cause a flat!

Prescott

At the top ready to come down.

Descending Mingus. Wish I had more photos of the descent, but we only stopped once until we got to Jerome.

Dinner in Jerome on the ride down Mingus Mountain.

Evening wrap

Think any cyclists are staying in this motel?

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Day 5 – Thurs, April 25, 2013

COTTONWOOD, AZ to WINSLOW, AZ

Weather: 
Partly sunny all day
Starting temp 54, finishing temp 72
Winds mostly from S, strong in PM

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 109 mi
Today’s climbing: 5125 ft
Total miles ridden: 581
Approx miles to go: 2,885 mi

A day of contrasts.  The morning scenery was beautiful and the afternoon scenery was flat, dry and barren.  We started heading north out of Cottonwood with a gentle climb all the way to Sedona.  Many of you have been to Sedona – very pretty.  We then rode 89A through a beautiful canyon going north toward Flagstaff.  Big climb out of the canyon then on to Flagstaff for lunch.  Following lunch in Flagstaff the rest of the ride was on I-40 to Winslow.  Not much out there.  Dry, barren and windy!  The shoulder on I-40 was in good shape, smooth and there seemed to be a little less debris than what we found on I-10.  Very windy!  For the first third we had a cross/tail wind which pushed us along well, then it shifted to cross/head wind and our speed dropped in half (a bit demoralizing to work hard and go so slow), then it shifted again for the final third to cross/tail wind.

Arrived in Winslow, AZ for the evening.  Not much here other than an intersection downtown dedicated to the Eagles’ song “Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.”  Tomorrow is almost all interstate between Winslow and Gallop, NM.  See you then.

Photos from today…

Day 05 Map

Day 05 Ride Profile

Breakfast at motel in Cottonwood.

Leaving Cottonwood.

Leaving Cottonwood.

The next several photos are in Sedona.

Mike and Barbara’s daughter married the son of a pastor at a Sedona Church, so the church opened its doors as our first SAG stop!

Didn’t anyone tell them that Wi-Fi needs no cable? (Okay, I know that’s not what they mean!)

Leaving Sedona.

This and the next several photos are the canyon north of Sedona.

The climb out of the canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff can be seen in the background.

Canyon north of Sedona. Beautiful ride inside canyon on 89A, then long climb out.

Just outside Flagstaff

I-40 between Flagstaff and Winslow. Nothing out there!

Route 66 passes through Winslow.

Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Opposite corner in Winslow

Downtown, Winslow

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Day 6 – Fri, April 26, 2013

WINSLOW, AZ to GALLUP, NM

Weather: 
Mostly sunny
Starting temp 42, finishing temp 70
Moderate cross/tail wind

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 135 mi
Today’s climbing: 3560 ft
Total miles ridden: 716 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,751 mi

Long day.  135 miles, two flat tires, lost one hour in the day due to crossing from Pacific to Mountain time.  Almost all the miles were on I-40.  Not a lot to look at.  Dry sagebrush most of the way, then some rock formations as we entered New Mexico.  There was a three mile section of road construction on I-40.  We could not ride bikes on this due to safety issues, so it was a mandatory SAG.  All the bikes were loaded on the vans and transported through the construction.  Once on the other side we unloaded and kept rolling.  We were told to expect multiple flat tires during the days we ride on the interstate.  I had two today and others I rode with flatted as well.  You always carry a couple extra tubes and a CO2 cartridge to re-inflate.  When you flat, you change your own tire or if the support van happens to be coming by they always stop to help.  Another long ride tomorrow into Albuquerque, then our first recover day after that!

Photos from today…click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Leaving Winslow, they put an ABB jersey and bike at the “famous” corner for a photo.

This was the scenery almost all day. Sagebrush and an occasional train.

.

Jody and I (next photo) waiting for transport around the 3 mile construction

Loading the van

Van ride.

Unloading.

Had to fight dinosaurs along the way. This one momentarily had the best of me.

Jan has a flat.

My first of two flats today.

Finally some change in scenery as we approached Gallup, NM

Jan at New Mexico border.

Me at border.

Jan riding.

Gallup, NM, the town we are spending tonight.

recovery drink after todays ride. Something just isn’t right. “Muscle Milk…Contains no Milk.”

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Day 7 – Sat, April 27, 2013

GALLUP, NM to ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Weather: 
Mostly sunny
Starting temp 30, finishing temp 76
Winds mild to moderate cross/head to cross/tail

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage: 136 mi
Today’s climbing: 3110 ft
Total miles ridden: 852 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,615 mi

First, a note of thanks to those who have donated to the USO.  Someone mentioned that they did not see the instructions to write  “On behalf of Greg Browning’s cross country bicycle tour” in the dedication box on the donation link.  Writing that note in the dedication box allows to USO to direct the funds to the Naval Station Great Lakes holiday meal program.  If you made a donation and did not fill in the dedication box, send me an e-mail  that you did not include the dedication note and I will send your name to my USO contact so they can direct your donation appropriately.  Don’t send me the donation amount, just your name.  If you donated and did include the note in the dedication box, no need to send me an e-mail.  Thanks.

Today was another long day in the saddle, 136 miles.  Big temperature variation.  30 degrees when we started and then mid seventies in the afternoon.  The sun made it feel hotter than that.  Some of today was on I-40, some on Old Route 66 which parallels I-40.  Not a lot to see on this stretch of the route.  We crossed the Continental Divide fairly early in the day, then pressed on down the road.  Hit a short stretch of construction, but we were able to ride through it this time.  Every so often we have a “jersey day” when they ask everyone to wear the America By Bicycle jerseys.  Today was our second jersey day, the first being day one.

Very nice, long descent into Albuquerque.  Rode by an outdoor wedding in the “old town” area of Albuquerque.  Sunday will be our first recovery day, so we will stay in Albuquerque for the day.  Everyone is looking forward to having a day off.  My body is holding up okay with no major aches or pains, but I was pretty fatigued yesterday.  I mentioned previously that everyone keeps a cue sheet on their handlebars to stay on course.  I posted a photo of the cue sheet setup below so you could see what it looks like.

Here are photos from today.  Click on any photo and a slideshow view will open up.

Day 07 Map

Day 07 Ride Profile

A lot of nothing out here.

Max is riding down the highway.

We were able to ride through this construction stretch.

Old Route 66 bridge.

Nearing Albuquerque

Old Town are of Albuquerque

Outdoor wedding we rode by.

Cue sheet setup.

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Day 9 – Mon, April 29, 2013

ALBUQUERQUE, NM to LAS VEGAS, NM

Weather: 
Mostly sunny all day
Starting temp 52, finishing temp 78
Winds mild/moderate, cross/tail

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  137 mi
Today’s climbing:  8281 ft
Total miles ridden: 989 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,480 mi

Yesterday was our rest day and I did not create a blog entry for it.  We took it easy around Albuquerque.  Most of us went for a 10-15 mile ride just to keep the legs active as the staff recommended.  I found two pieces of wire in my tire yesterday and took a photo before and after removing it.  Luckily neither punctured the tube.

Today was the last in a string of high mileage days.  137 miles with a lot of long 3-6% hills up and down all day. Much prettier scenery than the last two days.  Some interstate riding and the shoulders were in good condition with minimal debris.  One of the staff said the reason there is more debris on the southern California/Arizona desert interstates compared to here is that the snowplows clean off the shoulders here when they push snow off the shoulder, but it does not snow on the desert interstate, so debris just accumulates.  I hadn’t thought about that!

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 09 Map

Day 09 Ride Profile

You can barely see the wire before removal.

After removal

Did a lot of riding on old Route 66.

Staff had painted this on the road at the 38 mile point…

SAG stop

Dan fixing a flat.

Karen, one of the ride leaders.

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Day 10 – Tues, April 30, 2013

LAS VEGAS, NM to TUCUMCARI, NM

Weather: 
Mostly sunny all day
Starting temp 52, finishing temp 95
Wind moderate to strong, cross/tail

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  110 mi
Today’s climbing:  3471 ft
Total miles ridden: 1099 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,371 mi

Good ride today.  Good road, wide open spaces, almost no traffic.  With tailwind and a lot of downhill we got in earlier this afternoon, so not so rushed.  Forgot to mention that another rider joined the group in Albuquerque and will be riding with us the rest of the way to Massachusetts.  His name is Norm and he is from Australia.  The seat stay of his bicycle (part of the frame) was broken on the flight over, so he had to purchase a new bike in Albuquerque.  Not a fun way to start, but he did what he needed to and is riding.

Tomorrow looks like a different story than today.  50’s – 60’s temps but we may have a 25 mph wind cross to head.  May be a hard day.

Mike Munk has completed the “Meet the Riders” page on his blog.  It is a nice way to see all the riders in the group. Click HERE to go to the page.

Photos from today.  Took several photos of the wide open road just because it was beautiful!  Click any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 10 Ride Profile

Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas

Beautiful roads!

Mike taking rider photos.

One main descent into the valley. Great ride down!

Didn’t see all that many cattle, but this guy was near our SAG stop.

Several roadside memorials.

No water out here now!

Downtown Tucumcari.

On the ABB support van

Mike gives daily brief.

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Day 11 – Wed, May 1, 2013

TUCUMCARI, NM to DALHART, TX

Weather: 
AM partly sunny, PM cloudy
Starting temp 58, finishing temp 44
Extreme headwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  96 mi
Today’s climbing:  750 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,195 mi
Approx miles to go: 2,276 mi

The staff told us that normally today’s segment of the ride will have kicking tailwinds and everyone does their personal best century (100 miles).  Not today.  We had kickin’ winds.  All in the wrong direction.  Started in Tucumcari at sunrise with 18 mph headwinds and 58 degrees.  By the time we got to Dalhart, Weather.com was reporting 44 degrees with 33 mph headwinds.  Rarely have I ridden in winds like this.  Never have I ridden 96 miles in it.  Donald, if you are reading this, do you remember that first weekend in April when we were riding in Wisconsin and hit that nasty stretch of headwind?  It was like that all day long!

13 of the 24 riders made it on their bikes to Dalhart.  The van brought in the rest.  Barry and I were the last of the 13 who made in it.  I rode the first 63 miles with Mark, trading pulls at 1 mile intervals so we could take turns shielding each other from the wind.  Mark decided to jump in the van, so the next 25 miles I was alone.  With 8 miles to go, Mike (tour leader) pulled in front of me with the van and shielded me from the wind until we caught up with Barry who was a couple miles ahead of me.  We then drafted the van for the remaining few miles.  The staff on this ride has been incredible.  They are always watching us like hawks, making sure everyone is safe.

Tomorrow’s conditions are supposed to be worse.  In all the years Mike has been doing this he has only cancelled a handful of ride segments.  Tomorrow may be cancelled.

Very few photos today.

ABB van at sunrise

Did I say it was windy?

Barry and I at the finish.

Day 11 Map

Day 11 Ride Profile

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Day 12 – Thurs, May 2, 2013

DALHART, TX to LIBERAL, KS

Weather: 
Partly cloudy
Starting temp 32
35 mph headwind

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  0 mi
Today’s climbing:  0 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,195
Approx miles to go: 2,163 mi

This morning was 32 degrees, 35 mph headwind, 18 degree wind chill.  Mike has only cancelled a handful of rides in all the years he has done this, but today’s ride is cancelled.  Mandatory van transfer for all riders to Liberal, Kansas.  The two vans together could take only half the bikes and riders, so they loaded half of us at 8 AM, drove to Liberal, then came back for the second half. There are several statues of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in Liberal and there is a “Dorothy’s House and Land of Oz” recreation in town.

Tomorrow we ride from Liberal to Dodge City, KS which will be a shorter day of about 83 miles.  It is going to be chilly in the morning, but the plan is to wait until about 8:30 to ride and it should be in the mid to upper 30’s by then.  Winds will be less, with a 10-18 mph primarily crosswind projected.

It was good to have some recovery time after yesterday’s ride.  Tomorrow, as Willie Nelson would say, we are “…Back on the road again…”

Click on any photo below to open in a slideshow view.

Loading vans in the morning. Cold and windy!

Inside the van.

A long section of the shoulder we would have ridden was under construction.

Passed through the Oklahoma panhandle

Entering Kansas.

Unloading the second shuttle in Liberal, KS.

Several statues of Dorothy in Liberal (Wizard of Oz)

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Day 13 – Fri, May 3, 2013

LIBERAL, KS to DODGE CITY, KS

Weather: 
Mostly sunny
Starting temp 40, finishing temp 58
Winds moderate cross/tail then cross/head

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  84 mi
Today’s climbing:  722 ft
Total miles ridden: 1279
Approx miles to go: 2,080 mi

Good day for riding today!  Breakfast at Pancake House in Liberal, then we had a later riding start than usual (08:30) as we had a relatively low mileage day (83 miles) and it allowed the temperature to rise from a low of 29 to 40 when we left.  Very good road surface and cross/tailwinds allowed us to reach the first SAG at 39 miles in less than 2 hours.  Two days ago in the headwinds the same distance would have taken about 5 hours!  The first SAG was at the old Dalton gang hideout.  Everyone wondered why it took the authorities so long to find the Daltons…there were signs pointing to their hideout everywhere (see photos below)!

A change in travel direction and shifting winds resulted in a cross/headwind in the afternoon, but we still made it to Dodge City fairly early in the day.  We made a quick visit to the El Capitan statue and Boot Hill area before hitting the motel and going out for dinner.  Settlement in the area was originally related to forts for protection of the Santa Fe Trail.  Dodge City became heavily involved in the buffalo trade and then became a railhead for the cattle trade.  El Capitan is a statue of a longhorn steer commemorating the cattle drives.  “Boot Hill” is the name used by graveyards located in several western towns, including Dodge City, KS and Tombstone, AZ.  It implies that the occupants died “with their boots on” (gunfights/hangings) rather than from natural causes.

Tomorrow we “get the heck out of Dodge” and ride to Great Bend, KS.  Here are photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 13 Map

Day 13 Ride Profile

Breakfast

Grain bins outside Liberal

You can find the Dalton gang here!

Look for the Daltons here!

You’ll find them here!

Lunch SAG at the Dalton Hideout.

Entering Dodge City

El Capitan statue.

Old Dodge City exhibit.

In front of our motel.

Evening wrap. Notice Mike’s shoes?

Look closer!

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Day 14 – Sat, May 4, 2013

DODGE CITY, KS to GREAT BEND, KS

Weather:
AM sunny, PM cloudy
Starting temp 38, finishing temp 54
Winds very strong cross/head

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  86 mi
Today’s climbing:  200 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,365 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,995 mi

Three days ago was the worst wind I’ve ever done an extended ride in.  Today was the second worst!  NWS reported steady winds at 20-28 mph, gusts 30-40 mph all day long.  It was coming at us from 10 – 11 o’clock throughout the day.  When the wind gets going out here, there is just nothing to stop it.  No trees, just flat open nothing!  We rode past a few windmill farms – looked like they were having a good day!

Not many photos today as all we really wanted to do was make it to the night’s motel.  The first SAG stop was in Kinsley, KS where they claim to be 1561 miles from both New York and San Francisco – Midway USA (see photo).  Don’t know how that is measured, I think it may have been by auto route “back in the day.”

One bike issue today.  Suddenly my rear derailleur quit working.  Looked around and the cable had snapped inside the shift lever.  Well, a broken cable means the derailleur pulls the chain to the highest gear and leaves it there.  Not what I wanted in this wind.  However, I could not believe my luck.  Mike parks the van at various places on the route to check up on riders.  My cable broke literally right in front of the van!  Mike had a new cable, replaced mine and off I went.  I told Mike he was Clint Eastwood – he made my day!

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open a slideshow view.

Day 14 Map

Day 14 Ride Profile

Getting the heck out of Dodge.

Kinsley claims to be Midway USA

Bicycle ridden from New York to Kinsley, KS in 1900 by a 19 year old man.

Look at how the tire was taped up!

Barry, confused, got on the wrong road and this big black thing came up behind him!

Yep, not going to do much gear shifting with that!

Barry and Jan with me at the end of the ride.

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Day 15 – Sun, May 5, 2013

GREAT BEND, KS to ABILENE, KS

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 43, finishing temp 65
Winds cross, then head 10-12 mph

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  127 mi
Today’s climbing:  1540 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,492 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,866 mi

Noticed a big change between Great Bend and Abilene.  We are now getting into greener areas with some trees as compared to west of here.  Abilene is the birthplace of Dwight Eisenhower and our ride went right by the Presidential Center which includes his boyhood house, presidential library, museum, and gravesite.  Stopped and looked around for a while, then went on to the motel.

Winds were less of an issue today. 10-12 mph crosswinds for the first 80 miles, then we turned north and they became moderate headwinds for the last 40 miles.  Tomorrow we ride to Topeka, which will be our last night in Kansas before entering Missouri.

Photos from today.

Day 15 Map

Day 15 Ride Profile

Downtown Abilene

Gravesite and memorial

Eisenhower boyhood home.

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Day 16 – Mon, May 6, 2013

ABILENE, KS to TOPEKA, KS

Weather:
AM overcast, PM mostly sunny
Starting temp 47, finishing temp 69
Mild crosswinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  109 mi
Today’s climbing:  3310 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,601 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,757 mi

Cool, overcast, and a bit misty to start, then the sun came out around noon.  Interesting to see the changes in the appearance of the land.  We started out with green vegetation and trees, transitioned to a brownish, open prairie more like western Kansas (but not as flat), then back to green and trees.

Photos tell the rest of today’s story.  Click any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Map Day 16

Ride Profile Day 16

The “Long and Winding Road…”

Brick street in Katy, Kansas

Greeting committee

Old gravesite just off the side of the road

Bicycle “art” (?) in Dover, KS

More bicycle “art”(?)

These guys must all be related…

Bed and Breakfast

Dinner in Topeka

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Day 17 – Tues, May 7, 2013

TOPEKA, KS to CAMERON, MO

Weather:
AM foggy, PM mostly sunny
Starting temp 48, finishing temp 76
Mild cross/tailwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  123 mi
Today’s climbing:  6010 ft
Total miles ridden:  1,724 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,634 mi

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

We left Topeka in fog, then crossed the Missouri River and entered Missouri via the town of Atchison.  A bit of trivia – Atchison is Emelia Earhart’s birthplace.  Once into Missouri, we hit a lot of rolling hills.  Today we crossed the halfway point of the ride, and Mike had drawn a symbolic “point” to represent it (see photo).

All-in-all I have been feeling fine with no significant aches or pains.  I feel fatigued in the evenings, but generally fairly good in the AM and once back on the bike.  I must have picked up a bug recently as yesterday and today I feel the effects.  Tonight I feel totally drained.  I’m hitting bed early and think this bug will pass soon.

Here are today’s photos.  Click any photo to open in a slideshow.

Day 17 Map

Day 16 Ride Profile

Morning fog

Bike drop at SAG station

Missouri River, bridge under construction

Missouri River

Lots of rolling hills in Missouri

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Day 18 – Wed, May 8, 2013

CAMERON, MO to KIRKSVILLE, MO

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 56, finishing temp 74
Mild cross/tailwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  119 mi
Today’s climbing:  6903 ft
Total miles ridden:  1,834 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,514 mi

We lucked out.  There was a storm system west of us that had a chance of bringing us some rain, but it never did.  We have been very fortunate to have had no rain to ride in yet.  Tomorrow may end that streak…we’ll see.

Lots of rolling hills again today.  Reminds me of areas around Madison, WI or southern Indiana.  Very pretty area to ride.  Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi River and enter Illinois.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 18 Map

Day 18 Ride Profile

Today’s typical road view.

Keeping tabs on riders, ready to take photo.

Several one lane bridges with these signs on BOTH sides of the bridge. When two cars come from opposite directions, do they both stay there forever, yielding to the other?

Photo of Barry taking a photo.

Must be owned by the same guy who put his boot on the fence a view days ago!

Amish buggy

Mike is tour leader, rides with us, repairs bikes, takes photos, drives the van, and organizes wrap. Guess you could say he wears multiple hats!

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Day 19 – Thurs, May 9, 2013

KIRKSVILLE, MO to QUINCY, IL

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 59, finishing temp 67
Light crosswind first 80 mi, then light headwind last 20 mi

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  99 mi
Today’s climbing:  4603 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,933 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,418 mi

Today we left Missouri and crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.  It was cloudy all day and we ran into a very light rain just before hitting the river.  We have been extremely fortunate in the rain category.  Rain passed through the area last night, so the roads were all wet but it was not raining when we started.  There was a chance of thunderstorms throughout the day, so everyone carried something to keep warm if caught in one, but once again, other than the short term light rain, it never materialized.

I did not feel strong all day today…didn’t have a lot to give the pedals.  While still in Missouri I came upon six turkey vultures just sitting in the road in front of me (see photo).  I’ve never seen buzzards just sitting in he road like that.  Were they trying to tell me something!?!?!?

We crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry at the small town of Canton, Missouri.  The river was 5 feet over flood stage and the area around the ferry was a wet, muddy mess.  There is not a lot at the crossing area.  Canton is a very small town and when you get to the Illinois side of the ferry you are let off on a very small road with nothing else there.  Big grain bins half a mile up the road and huge, flat, open fields.  We turned south here and rode on this flat plain down to Quincy where we spent the night.  Huge, old houses along the road going into Quincy…must have been something “back in the day.”

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 19 Map

Day 19 Ride Profile

Missouri road

These guys were waiting on the road for me!

Tugboat was separate from the ferry barge and was connected to it at this pivoting arm. Cool!

Illinois side after getting off.

Illinois grain bins

Flat plain on Illinois side.

Downtown Quincy

Quincy mansions

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Day 20 – Fri, May 10, 2013

QUINCY, IL to SPRINGFIELD, IL

Weather: 
Misty in AM, cloudy all day
Starting temp 57, finishing temp 57
Moderate cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  106 mi
Today’s climbing:  3582 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,039 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,312 mi

Interesting weather today.  We started at 57 degrees and it stayed steady at that temp all day.  The first couple hours were misty and we got damp riding through it.  We did breakfast a little differently today.  Normally we eat before starting to ride, but today we rode 15 miles, then stopped at a country diner, Mike’s Restaurant, in Liberty for breakfast.  Good call!  It was excellent!  Great place and we had a huge breakfast.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful.  We crossed the Illinois river on a neat, long, blue truss bridge and after some initial hills most of the ride into Springfield was mostly flat.  Our route took us directly past the Capitol Building in Springfield, then on to the motel.  We will remain in Springfield all day tomorrow, our second scheduled rest day of the trip.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 20 Map

Day 20 Ride Profile

Breakfast at Mike’s Diner

No parking?

Illinois River

Karen (one of ride leaders) crossing bridge.

Illinois River

Typical view today

Capitol Building

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Day 21 – Sat, May 11, 2013

REST DAY #2 – SPRINGFIELD, IL

Weather: 
Partly cloudy
High 63
25 mph WNW winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  0 mi
Today’s climbing:  0 ft
Total miles ridden:  2,039 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,312 mi

Today is our second and final rest day.  I’ve had a bit of an intestinal issue the last 4 days, so I went to bed earlier the last couple nights to get more rest rather than writing a blog entry.  As today is a rest day with no riding, I’m going to go back and write those two entries.  I’m not feeling significantly ill, but I think the “bug” has sapped some energy.  I’ve been riding through it and I believe it will pass.

Today’s forecast is for what would be great tailwinds if we were riding – 25 mph WNW winds.  Too bad we can’t take advantage of them!  We have not had that kind of tailwind the whole ride!

I plan to take it easy, rest and regroup today.  Jeanne is coming down mid afternoon and we will go out to dinner with another rider and his wife who will be here as well.  Tomorrow we have our shortest ride of the trip – 77 miles.  Twelve more days of riding and we reach the Atlantic…

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Day 22 – Sun, May 12, 2013

SPRINGFIELD, IL to TUSCOLA, IL

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 46, finishing temp 54
Moderately strong tail/cross winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  78 mi
Today’s climbing:  1355 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,117 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,235 mi

Today was the easiest day we’ve had.  Decent tailwind, flat roads, sunny, short mileage.  A welcomed break.  Almost all of today’s riding was back country roads through central Illinois farmland.  Nothing unusual today.  Big German Shepherd in the road ahead of us at one point, but he moved aside and never threatened.  We really have not had many run-ins with dogs.  I can only think of one dog that came a little close for comfort somewhere in Missouri, and that is about it.

As mentioned in the previous post, yesterday was a rest day in Springfield.  Jeanne came down and we went out to dinner with Jim (another rider) and his wife Jane (who was visiting on the rest day as well).  We ate at a good Italian restaurant, then got back to the motel early to rest up before riding again today.  Forgot to take a picture at dinner, so no photo to post.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 22 Map

Day 22 Ride Profile

Max, me, Jeanne getting ready to depart Springfield

Jan

Norm

Richard

Post-ride DQ recovery

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Day 23 – Mon, May 13, 2013

TUSCOLA, IL to LEBANON, IN

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 43, finishing temp 64
Moderate tailwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  122 mi
Today’s climbing:  2454 ft
Total miles ridden: 2239 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,114 mi

We crossed into Indiana today and with it, our final time zone change.  Another good day for cycling.  Moderate tailwinds, good roads, and cool weather.  I’m feeling better and I think whatever I caught is resolving.  My brother, Bob came up from Indianapolis and our son, Nick from Columbus, IN to go out to dinner with a couple other cyclists and myself.  It was great to see them and a perfect way to end the day!

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 23 Map

Day 23 Ride Profile

Didn’t know there was a Muncie, IL.

George posing with bike art in Hillsboro.

Lunch SAG

Dinner: Max, Nick, David, Bob, and myself

Nick’s version of two-wheeled transportation. Nice bike!

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Day 24 – Tues, May 14, 2013

LEBANON, IN to RICHMOND, IN

Weather: 
Sunny all day
Starting temp 57, finishing temp 85
Strong winds, cross/tail to cross/head

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  109 mi
Today’s climbing:  2513 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,348 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,008 mi

We started the day with a tour of the Roark Welding and Engineering Company, a custom metal fabrication company in Brownsburg, Indiana.  Why would we visit a custom metal fabrication company?  Well, several years ago they began making custom titanium bicycle frames as a side venture.  Both our ride leaders, Mike and Karen, ride Roark titanium bikes.  They are beautiful bikes.  Basically, here’s the way it works.  You get a custom bike fit from a separate company who will then supply Roark with ideal frame size dimensions for your body, riding style, etc.  Roark then fabricates a titanium frame to those dimensions and builds the bike up with your choice of components.  The bicycle manufacturing venture is only a very small portion of Roark’s custom metal manufacturing business, but they have all the technical machinery and expertise at their disposal.  It was an interesting tour and worth the stop.

Following the tour, we starting riding a little later than usual, but made it to Richmond by late afternoon.  My parents live in Richmond, so I was able to eat dinner with them.  My swim coach from high school, Phil, and his wife Twyla joined us.  Phil and Twyla ride a tandem and we have ridden a couple tandem rallies with them, so it was great to have them join my parents and I for dinner.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 24 Map

Day 24 Ride Profile

Roark factory

Beautiful frames

Our own bicycle art on the lawn!

Jan, can’t you just drink water when you ride like everyone else?!?!

Dinner with Mom, Dad, Phil, Twyla

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Day 25 – Wed, May 15, 2013

RICHMOND, IN to MARYSVILLE, OH

Weather: 
Mostly sunny all day
Starting temp 67, finishing temp 83
Strong tailwinds all day

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  107 mi
Today’s climbing:  3,074 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,455 mi
Approx miles to go: 903 mi

Great day for riding!  Beautiful country roads, great weather, and a strong tailwind all day.  The tailwind was strong enough that we could maintain 25-26 mph on a few of the flats with minimal effort.  It is amazing how much an effect the wind has.  Had we been travelling east today it would have been an entirely different story!

We entered Ohio first thing this morning and our “miles left to go” for the remainder of the trip soon dropped below the 1000 mile mark.  Yesterday, in Richmond, when I saw my parents, my mother gave me a few batches of brownies she had baked for the riders.  They were put out at the SAG stops today and quickly were devoured.  Several riders said thanks, Mom!

My sister Joan lives near our stop tonight, so she and her husband, Perry, came by and we went out to dinner.  Good to see them!

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 25 Map

Day 25 Ride Profile

The ABB crew. Posing with Karen, Jim, Barb, Mike.

.

My sister, Joan, and her husband, Perry, joined me for dinner.

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Day 26 – Thurs, May 16, 2013

MARYSVILLE, OH to WOOSTER, OH

Weather: 
Partly sunny all day
Starting temp 67, finishing temp 77
Mild cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  103 mi
Today’s climbing:  4,534 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,558 mi
Approx miles to go: 800 mi

Another good day for riding.  Today’s route between Marysville and Wooster, Ohio, was primarily on small country back roads.  Very pretty fields, streams, bridges, and wooded areas.  Some large hills on SR 603 and as we approached Wooster (see photo).  Once in Wooster we stopped at an ice cream shop close to the motel.  A man who had ridden with ABB two years ago on this ride, Bob, lives in the area and was at the ice cream stand to say hello.  He also stopped by the motel with a box full of cookies which were a welcomed snack!

My sister, Karen, and her husband, Dave, live near Wooster, so I had the chance to go out to dinner with them tonight.  Good to see them!  The ride route has been perfect for quick visits with my siblings and parents.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 26 Map

Day 26 Ride Profile

Leaving Marysville

Norm riding

SR 603

Lunch SAG at a park

There used to be a piglet on the lower block, but apparently it was stolen!

Ice cream stand in Wooster. Bob, a previous year’s rider, had placed the sign.

Dinner with my sister, Karen, and her husband, Dave.

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Day 27 – Fri, May 17, 2013

WOOSTER, OH to WARREN, OH

Weather: 
AM foggy, PM mostly sunny
Starting temp 54, finishing temp 78
Mild cross/head winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  97 mi
Today’s climbing:  4,537 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,655 mi
Approx miles to go: 702 mi

The day started with an unexpected heavy fog which stayed with us for the first couple hours.  It finally burned off and turned into a sunny day.  Ohio has been one of my favorite states.  Almost all of the riding has been on small country roads through rolling fields, wooded areas, and over multiple streams.  Add to this great weather (other than the AM fog), and it has made for a very good several days.  Had we experienced rainy, dreary weather, our impression would likely be different.

Most of Ohio’s back roads have been in good condition, but today we hit several miles of roughly patched asphalt.  It wasn’t terrible, but several stretches were pretty jarring to ride over.  Interesting to ride on a brick road in the town of Canal Fulton.  That was smoother than the patched asphalt!

Toward the end of the day we rode on a paved trail for a few miles near the town of Austintown, then finished the ride on roadways to the motel in Warren.  Tonight we had a T-shirt swap where everyone put a T-shirt out on the lawn, then we went through a white elephant gift swap routine to arrive at the T-shirt you went home with.  The most sought after shirt was probably Floris’ Alpe d’Huez shirt.  I came home with a “Biked It, Liked It” shirt from Lake Tahoe.

Tomorrow is our highest mileage day, 139 miles.  We’ll leave Ohio, cut through the comer of Pennsylvania, then spend the night in Dunkirk, NY.  High mileage, but it should be fairly flat.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 27 Map

Day 27 Ride Profile

Foggy start!

Fog

Brick street in Canal Fulton.

Bike path near Austintown.

Self-portrait!

T-shirt swap.

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Day 28 – Sat, May 18, 2013

WARREN, OH to DUNKIRK, NY

Weather: 
Mostly cloudy all day
Starting temp 58, finishing temp 69
Variable light winds AM,
moderate headwinds PM

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  138 mi
Today’s climbing:  3,451 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,793 mi
Approx miles to go: 563 mi

Long day today.  138 miles in three states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. We started with light, variable winds and made some good time early.  Then, as we approached the lake, you could feel the air get cooler.  We also picked up a headwind, which stayed with us the rest of the day.

Much of today’s riding was on highway 5A, which sits a couple hundred yards inland from Lake Erie.  We rode by several vineyards…something I did not realize was in the area.  We are all a bit tired tonight.  Tomorrow is a short day of around 82 miles, so we should recover some then. Still very fortunate in the rain category…we’ll see if it holds.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 28 Map

Day 28 Ride Profile

This morning’s start

Horse out on a front lawn!

Root beer break just before entering Pennsylvania.

Erie, PA

Vineyards near Lake Erie.

Lake Erie

Marina behind tonight’s motel.

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Day 29 – Sun, May 19, 2013

DUNKIRK, NY to BATAVIA, NY

Weather: 
Mostly sunny all day
Starting temp 65, finishing temp 74
Light winds, cross to cross/tail

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  82 mi
Today’s climbing:  2,838 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,875 mi
Approx miles to go: 479 mi

We started today riding close to Lake Erie, then moved more inland in New York.  The area is rural, changing back and forth multiple times between farmland to small town.  The roads are busier compared to the last few days.  We rode by several signs and shops related to the Seneca Indians and I later learned that a reservation of the Seneca Nation is in this area of western New York.

We made it to Batavia fairly early and I pulled in to a convenience store just before the motel to get some chocolate milk (which many of us use as a recovery drink after a day’s ride).  A man was filling his car with gas and doing a handstand beside his vehicle while filling it up.  I asked if I could take his photo, and he smiled, popped up on the top of his van, and did the horizontal handstand shown in the photo below!  Pretty neat!

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 29 Map

Day 29 Ride Profile

He held it steady in this position while I took the photo!

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Day 30 – Mon, May 20, 2013

BATAVIA, NY to LIVERPOOL, NY

Weather: 
Mostly sunny all day
Starting temp 58, finishing temp 81
Mild cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  123 mi
Today’s climbing:  4,419 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,998 mi
Approx miles to go: 358 mi

How can you start writing a blog without having the people of Oklahoma City on your mind?  What a horrendous day for them.  All hopes and prayers that those people have the strength they will need to get through the next days and weeks.

Another good day of riding.  We are still out in rural upstate New York.  We rode mostly on highways 5 and 20, which parallel Interstate 90, a few miles south of it.  Although rural, the roads are fairly busy and the small villages are more frequent compared to further west.  We were on the north edge of the Finger Lakes region and went directly by a couple of the lakes. We are getting into a more historical area and most villages have historical markers describing various buildings.  One of the villages, Waterloo, is recognized as being the birthplace of our Memorial Day holiday tradition.  Another village, Seneca Falls, has significant links to the women’s suffrage movement.

We have been paralleling the path of the Erie Canal, but had not crossed it until today.  We crossed the canal at the Erie Canal Park, near the village of Camillus, NY.  We did not ride the path along the canal as it was crushed limestone, but we did ride a beautiful, winding, forested road alongside it.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 30 Map

Day 30 Ride Profile

Hikers. Said they were walking to California.

Sign concerning Oneida Indian Nation land claim. Didn’t have time to read about it.

Erie Canal

Erie-canal_1840_map

Evening ritual clothes dryer. Wash clothes in sink, hang on bike in front of AC unit.

Erie Canal

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Day 31 – Tues, May 21, 2013

LIVERPOOL, NY to AMSTERDAM, NY

Weather: 
AM cloudy, PM partly sunny, humid
Starting temp 65, finishing temp 85
Mild cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  119 mi
Today’s climbing:  3,166 ft
Total miles ridden: 3,117 mi
Approx miles to go: 240 mi

Following breakfast, one of the riders was walking up and down the motel hallway rather aimlessly, mumbling to himself.  I finally heard what he said…”I can’t remember my room number…I can’t remember my room number…”  I had to laugh.  It had happened to me one morning as well.  After 31 straight days in motel rooms sometimes you just draw a mental blank; or you get today’s room number confused with yesterday’s or the day before’s.  Let’s see, room 249.  Hmm, that doesn’t look right, must have been yesterday’s.  No, I think it was 202 today.  You finally realize that you need to carry that little card jacket with the room number written on it when you go out!

Today I was riding with Jan (pronounced Jon) and he got two flat tires within the first 10 miles.  5 miles later my rear flatted.  We have not had a problem with flats since riding the interstate back in the Southwest.  Don’t know what was going on today.  After that start we were both feeling deflated and our riding was rather flat for a while.

We lucked out again with rain.  Showers passed through the area last night, so the roads were a little wet this morning.  There was a chance for thunderstorms, but nothing materialized.  Our route today paralleled I-90, but on small roads in the area.  Quite a bit more traffic today, but very good, wide shoulders to ride on.

We are starting to hit more hills.  Today and yesterday were fairly long days, each about 120 miles and the next two days are the same distance, but they’ve warned us that there is over twice as much climbing tomorrow as today.  Everyone is feeling some fatigue at this point.  Nothing terrible, but you know that you’ve been stretched.

Jeanne and her sister, Jan, are driving out for our final arrival at the beach on Thursday, then we’ll put the bike in the van and drive home.  They’ll do a little sight seeing on the way out, then we’ll all stop at Niagara Falls on the way home (I’ve  never seen the Falls).  Only two days left…

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 31 Map

Day 31 Ride Profile

“World’s smallest church”

That would be a bit cramped!

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Day 32 – Wed, May 22, 2013

AMSTERDAM, NY to KEENE, NH

Weather: 
AM overcast, PM partly cloudy, then rain
Starting temp 65, finishing temp 75
Mild cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  125 mi
Today’s climbing:  7,815 ft
Total miles ridden: 3,242 mi
Approx miles to go: 114 mi

Thunderstorms rolled through the area last night and we woke up to wet pavement, but clearing skies.  The sun came out mid day and it became quite humid, then clouds rolled in behind us in the afternoon and I rode the last 6 miles in rain.

We rode through the remainder of New York today, then crossed Vermont, and entered New Hampshire for the night.  A long ride and a lot of climbing.  Mike calls a couple of the descents we did today double nickel descents (double nickel = 55 mph).  I don’t approach that speed on a descent, but see how it would be possible if a person wanted to.

It is getting late, so I’m going to wrap this up and get to bed.  Tomorrow is our final day.  We ride to the beach, do a wheel dip in the ocean, then have a closing banquet in the evening.  It will be a full day, so there probably won’t be a blog entry written until a day later.  See you then…

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 32 Map

Day 32 Ride Profile

Hudson River

You know a good descent is coming when you see this!

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Day 33 – Thurs, May 23, 2013

KEENE, NH to AMESBURY, MA

Weather: 
Cloudy, occasional light rain throughout day, no rain at beach
Starting temp 59, finishing temp 63
Mild, variable winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  108 mi
Today’s climbing:  5,285 ft
Total miles ridden: 3,350 mi
Approx miles to go: 0 mi

33 days (30 days on bike), 3,350 miles, 15 states, 4 time zones.  Done!!!!

Wheel dips

Most of today’s riding was in overcast conditions with on and off light rain.  Beautiful green, lush, New England countryside with a lot of streams, forests, hills, and small villages.  The plan was for everyone to meet at a rendezvous point, which was about 2 miles from the beach, by 2:30 in the afternoon.  We would then ride as a group to the beach.  Everyone arrived in time for us to depart the rendezvous point by 2:45 and we left for the beach.  It was great to see a crowd of family members and even a man playing a bagpipe as we arrived.  Jeanne and her sister, Jan, were there.  We all had a good reunion, then went to the beach for a ceremonial wheel dip and photos.  The day ended with a closing banquet that evening.  Each rider and staff member stood and gave a formal goodbye to the group.  It was the perfect way to close the tour.

I’d like to thank all those who donated to the USO for the sailors at Great Lakes.  We raised approximately $700 which will help with their holiday meal program.  Many donations were made anonymously, so I don’t have a list of all the names – but thanks…

It is now Friday, as I did not have time yesterday to write up this blog entry after the ride.  I am writing this from a motel room near Niagara Falls.  Jeanne, Jan and I are driving home from the coast, and stopped to see the Falls on the way.

The ride was great.  Although some days I had more energy and some days less, I never felt like I did not want to get on the bike.  I could not have asked for a better group of riders and staff to share the experience with.  Very supportive, positive individuals and there really were no “bad apples” that spoiled the group dynamics.  I’ve enjoyed putting this blog together and hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 33 Map

Day 33 Ride Profile

Barry

Barry’s bear

Same road, two interesting designations.

Rendezvous point

Waiting for all riders to arrive

Rendezvous point

Rendezvous point

Rendezvous point

Rendezvous point

Rendezvous point

Family members waiting at beach

Our group approaching beach

Bag piper at beach

Jeanne and I

Jim

Shane and parents

Roger

Mike

Ralph

Jan and his brother

Mark and family

Max and I

Barry lifting bike

Wheel dip

George

Roger and Floris

Shane

Jody

Jan, me, Max

Posing withShane

With Floris

Evening banquet

At Niagara Falls on the trip home.

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