Jim's Big Ride (XC09)

Boston, Massachusetts to Hermosa Beach, California

2009-06-27T15:54:00.001-07:00

3,500 miles, 5:45 hours of flying, 25,000 feet of climbing, ZERO Calories

I'm safely home. Deborah met me at LAX and I'm catching up on hugs and kisses that I missed. It took seven weeks to ride my bike from Los Angeles to Boston; it took less than six hours to fly back. I had a window seat on the plane and could look down on the approximate route that we took riding our bicycles the other way. Wow, is the U.S. of A. big! I'm suffering a little separation anxiety - my trusty bicycle is en route and won't be here for a week, but it's good to be home.

Final thoughts

If you decide that you, too, want to ride your bicycle across the United States, I offer the following suggestions and comments:

Go with Cross Roads Cycling Adventures! Tracy and her crew will take care of you. They have years of experience, are highly organized and efficient. All you have to do is ride your bicycle from hotel to hotel and CR will take care of all the rest.

Don't take stuff you don't need. At a minimum, all you really need, in addition to the stuff you will carry on your bicycle, is: bike shorts (1), jersey (1), bike socks (2 pair), arm coolers, street shorts (1), street shirt (1), windbreaker, sandals or Crocs, and a toothbrush. [You will need a camelback or equivalent for the desert crossings - send it home after.] Everything else is optional.

Wash your bicycle clothing in the motel sink each night. Cross Roads provides detergent. After washing, roll the wet clothes in a towel to pre-dry them, hang them up, and they will be dry in the morning. [Tom R. suggested a ShamWow or equivalent in place of the towel]

Get trip insurance. Riding a bicycle is potentially dangerous. You've paid a lot of money to take this trip. Get trip insurance.

Take a digital camera and get a "bento box" for your bike. It's much easier to get to your camera when it's in the bento box.

Buy a good quality road bike from a professional bike shop. Do not spend less than $1,500 for your bike. [Carbon frames are softer rides than Aluminum, steel, or Titanium.]

Get a bike fitting from a professional bike shop. Pay special attention to the five points where you come in contact with your bike: bottom, feet, and hands. Buy good quality shoes, padded shorts, and padded bike gloves.

Use tire liners; gatorskins or armadillo tires won't protect you from getting flats caused by wires on freeway shoulders. Trust me, I know.

A bandana is handy. It keeps the sun off your neck and can be moistened for cooling.

Instead of a "head sweat," bring a bicycle cap to wear under your helmet. The visor helps keep the sun off your face and the rain off your glasses.

Go on line and check your cell phone provider's coverage (especially in the western states).

Wireless internet connection is available at all hotels. Start a blog and either use the hotels' terminals or bring a netbook (they only weigh about two pounds).

Do EVERYTHING that Tracy tells you to do in her pre-ride emails. After years and years of taking intrepid cyclists across the U.S., she knows best. Do EVERYTHING she suggests you do. Trust me.

In preparation for the trip, the LONG training rides are more important than the short ones. Yes, you need to be in shape, but the long rides will tell you where you need to make changes in your shoes, gloves, shorts, etc. You don't want to discover that your saddle isn't comfortable between Riverside and Wickenburg! You will find out how to "go long." Oh, yes, wear your camelback (full) on your long training rides.

Chamois butter is not optional! Use it.

You, too, can ride your bike across the country! Just do it!

And, finally, support our troops. Make a donation to the USO. I thank you.

RSRO (ride safely, ride often),
Jim

Burlington to Revere Beach, Massachusetts

2009-06-26T09:14:00.001-07:00

19 miles, 1.:35 riding time, 447 feet of climb, 904 Calories

It's still hard to accept, but today was our final ride together. We are here, Boston, finally, after seven weeks of riding. It was a short 19 miles from the hotel to Revere Beach. We paused at mile 14 to regroup and ride to the shore together. The mood was festive, riders waved to everyone on the street, and got a big cheer from some school kids. There was a lot of joking, singing, and shouting.

When we rounded the turn to the beach, a cheer went up from family and friends who had gathered to witness our triumphant arrival. My youngest son and his wife had driven down from Connecticut as representatives of my clan.

Although the tide was out, riders carried their faithful bikes across the sand to dip the front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean. We posed for our group picture and the bikes were loaded onto the trucks to be transported back to the hotel. This afternoon, we will pack up the bikes for shipment home. The banquet is tonight.

Brattleboro, Vermont to Burlington, Massachusetts

2009-06-25T13:14:00.001-07:00

93 miles, 6:03 riding time, 4,380 feet climbing, 4,826 Calories

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world. (Emerson)

Almost there!

No rain, partly cloudy skies, and mild winds (no, still not out of the west), made for a perfect day to ride from Vermont into the outskirts of Boston. We crossed two state lines today, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The New Hampshire border came shortly after leaving the hotel. We crossed the Connecticut River and followed the river for a while before joining Route 119. Cross Roads saved the steepest hills for today; my Garmin measured slopes of 12% on a couple of long climbs! It was such a beautiful day, I left Al and Peter for a bit and rode ahead of them, up and down the mountains, into the first SAG stop. My buddies soon caught up with me at the SAG and we rode the rest of the day together. About half way thought the ride, we began a long descent, losing a thousand feet of elevation over a few miles. The second SAG stop was our last SAG stop of the trip; it was located next to a nice hot dog stand that served fresh squeezed lemonade. The rest of the day was spent riding up and down over rolling hills through the forest. Ron, one of last year's riders met us in Carlisle and led us in to the hotel - this was much appreciated as the route was very windy with many turns to navigate. We stopped briefly to photograph the statue of the Minuteman in Lexington, rolled into the hotel, gave each other a high five, and collapsed.

Today was our last, full day of riding! Unbelievable. Tomorrow, we ride the final eighteen miles to Revere Beach to complete our coast to coast bicycle trip.

Albany, NY to Brattleboro, Vermont

2009-06-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

80 miles, 5:34 riding time, 5,119 feet climbing, 4,013 Calories

Rain! Headwinds! Climbs! The gorgeous Green Mountains of Vermont.

The forecast was for 40% chance of rain and winds from out of the north. I pocketed my wind breaker, just in case, and headed out of the motel parking lot. We navigated the city streets, with potholes, impatient traffic, and even a tunnel. Inside the tunnel were some potholes big enough to swallow a bicyclist, but we safely navigated our way around them. Eventually, we turned onto Route 7 and entered the forest. Thirty-one miles from Albany we crossed the Vermont State line, pausing to take pictures and sprinkle some of our CA sand.

Painted moose structures appear to be all the rage in Vermont; I especially like this gold one. We stopped at the Bennington Battle Monument - the tallest manmade structure in Vermont. The monument commemorates a battle during the Revolution; unfortunately, the actual battle site is some ten miles away in the state of New York, but don't tell anyone.

Coming out of Bennington, we started a 7 mile climb. Near the top, the grade was 8 & 9% for a couple of miles. In fact, the entire day was spent climbing or descending. As we neared the top, it began to sprinkle and then to rain in earnest. We donned our jackets for the descent. It rained, off and on, all the way to the hotel. This wasn't as bad as the rain we had riding from Erie to Canandaigua, but my left shoe was full of water at the end and everything was covered in mud.

It's too bad the rain detracted from a wonderful ride in the Green Mountains. There were streams and rivers, lots of trees and steep hills, a perfect mix for a perfect day of bicycling through Vermont.

Brattleboro is the oldest town in Vermont. It's situated in a deep valley next to the Connecticut River. Since Vermont doesn't have any regulations against public nudity - it's usually so cold here, no one would think of going outside with no clothes on - Brattleboro is the home of the Vermont World Naked Bike Ride. Unfortunately, the ride was two weeks ago, on June 13, so we missed it.

Little Falls to Albany, NY

2009-06-23T13:05:00.001-07:00

72 miles, 4:29 riding time, 1,862 feet climbing, 3,647 Calories

This morning, we delayed our start by one hour, sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast and then signing out at 8:15. The usual group of Peter, Al, Willie, and I started down Route 5 which parallels the Mohawk River below Little Falls. It was a glorious day, with blue skies and puffy white clouds. Al spotted a red fox hunting beside the road! A few miles down the road, we stopped to visit Fort Klock, a fortified house built in 1750. The house has gun slits next to the windows for firing at raiding Indians. The Mohawk valley was the gateway to the west from the coastal communities in the Colonies and some of the old houses still exist.

Although heavily wooded, we were often able to catch a glimpse of the river and surrounding farmland. In Amsterdam, the railroad station is right next to the river. Peter looked at the schedule and said he could take the train home to New York City from there; he opted to continue riding with us instead. Peter is going to ride his bike home from Boston at the end of our trip!

As we were rolling down one long hill, I spotted two Cross Roads riders sitting with their bikes beside the road. I knew they were CR riders because they were wearing CR jerseys and one had his orange flag on his bike. I was confused however, because I knew they weren't with our group; everyone in our group was behind us. We stopped and met Don and Barbara, Cross Roads alumni from last year's ride. They live in the Albany area and Don volunteered to ride in with us.

Eventually, we left the beautiful countryside behind us and rolled into Schenectady - lots of traffic and bad pavement! We must have stopped at every traffic signal in town. Finally, we turned into the suburbs where it was a little quieter, but the streets were narrow and the road surface was in need of repair. Don said the last few miles of the CR route were dangerous and under construction; did we want him to take us to the hotel by a safer and more scenic route? Peter and I opted to go with Don, but Al said he wanted to stick with the route sheet. We followed Don down to the Mohawk River and rode a very nice bike path for several miles before climbing up the hotel. Later, Al said we had made the right choice, that the road he was on was not safe to bicycle.

We have two more days of riding left, plus the short ride into Revere Beach on Friday. Where has the time gone?

Little Falls, New York

2009-06-23T03:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we got into Little Falls early enough for me to wander around a little bit. At one time, LF was a thriving industrial town on the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. With plentiful water power, access to barge and rail transportation east/west, the town became very prosperous. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and the industries faded or went elsewhere as railroads, interstates, and cheap labor eroded the economic base. LF is one of the smallest towns we have stayed in on our cross-country adventure, but is undergoing a revival of sorts. They are renovating the factories and derelict buildings, for antique shops, restaurants, etc. Tourism may be the next boom business for LF.

The NY Barge Canal is 40.5 feet higher than the Mohawk River in Little Falls. There used to be three locks to lift barges from the river to the canal and back down; they were replaced by a single lock, making it one of the greatest lifts in the world. While commercial barge traffic is a thing of the past, the canal is still used by pleasure boats.

I met the man on duty at the lock and he gave me a quick tour. Can you say, "cool job?" In the picture of the lock, you can see how big it is by comparison to the van parked on the left.

Syracuse to Little Falls, New York

2009-06-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

78 miles, 4:40 riding time, 1,591 feet climbing, 4,452 Calories

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me down
It's gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright sun shiny day
It's gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright sun shiny day
(Johnny Nash)

Woo hoo! No rain today. We even had sun and blue skies! We left Syracuse at the normal time; riding for almost ten miles just getting out of town. But once we were past the city, we were treated to a very nice, deserted country road - Al said this road was what he imagined most of the ride across America was going to be like…well, sort of, if you ignore the Interstate highways, the desert, the wheat fields of Kansas, and a few other things.

Chris didn't ride today - he has injured the tendons in his shin and is taking some time off the bike. So, it was just Big Al, Peter, Willie, and me, riding through the countryside. Once in a while Al would break out into song. "Good morning, America, how are ya?" seemed to be a favorite. Each day, shortly into the ride, Al says, "Hey, Jim. Guess what!" "What Al?" "We're riding across America!" Al is easily amused.

In Canastota, we turned down Canal Street and rode along a portion of the Erie Canal for several miles. This part of the old canal is a park, with a trail along the old tow path, how neat is that?

We made great time (the road was flat) into the SAG stop, under partly cloudy skies and warm conditions. After the SAG, we continued on country roads for a while before paralleling the highway and eventually turning into the quaint town of Little Falls. Al and I joined Willie at the fire station to talk to some of the first responders. In the old fire house is a four story fireman's pole; it's in sections; the firemen would drop down one section of the pole and then swing over to the next, to get from the top floor down to the truck bay.

Factoid of the day: Little Falls is on the Mohawk River; there's a bigger falls up the river, hence the name. On the barge canal at Little Falls, is a 40.5 foot lock, one of the highest in the world.

Canandaigua to Syracuse, New York

2009-06-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

69 miles, 4:02 riding time, 2,509 feet climbing, 3,597 Calories

I've got a mule and her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She's a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

We haul'd some barges in our day
Filled with lumber, coal, and hay
We know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo

Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, yeah we're coming to a town
And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal

It's Father's Day! It's also Willie's birthday - Happy B'day, Willie!

How do you like my new bike…er, trike?

When I went in search of my morning coffee, they had the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" playing in the reception area. Unfortunately, the weatherman didn't share Paul, John, Ringo, and George's sentiments.

It was drizzling when we left the hotel and it continued to rain for about an hour before stopping. We didn't have the gully washer rain we had the previous day, but the roads were wet and messy. There were periods of sprinkles and dry spells for the rest of the ride to Syracuse. More fl*ts today, but none for me. For some reason, people get more flats when it rains. Either we don't see debris in the rain, or the rain washes glass and wire onto the roadway.

Big Al and I burned up the road getting to the SAG stop, wanting to minimize our exposure to any possible rain. We slowed a little after that and caught up with Chris who had a mechanical problem. The three of us rode into the hotel together.

This part of New York is beautiful, with gently rolling hills, farm buildings, old barns, and tidy towns. We rode through Waterloo, birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866, and Seneca Falls, the home of Amelia Bloomer, suffragette. The highlight of the day, for me anyway, was crossing the Erie Canal!

We have now ridden more than three thousand miles across the U.S. Not much further to go before we are in Boston.

Hamburg to Canandaigua, New York

2009-06-20T13:47:00.001-07:00

95 miles, 6:26 riding time, 5,000 feet of climb, 4,388 Calories
One FL*T

[My Garmin gps had issues in the rain, so the above figure for feet of climb is an estimate.]

"Rain, rain, go away
Come again some other day
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day"

RAIN! It rained all day, a toad strangler of a rain, a deluge, a whale of a rain. I started the ride with Al, Chris, and Willie. Soon after the first SAG stop, I had a fl*t. As I was replacing the inner tube, Rick and Mack spotted me from one of the vehicles and stopped to loan me a floor pump, which was much appreciated. By the time I got back on the road, everyone else was long gone. I rode the last sixty-plus miles alone, in the rain. It would have been a gorgeous ride on a bright sunny day, good road surface, green hills, many dairies, and corn fields, but not so much fun with the rain pelting down. The hills were long and not too steep, but seemingly endless in the wet. As I neared the final turn for Canandaigua, I spotted Willie and Chris at the bottom of the hill; Willie was changing a tire. Chris said, he, too, had a fl*t - just before the second SAG stop. Al said, he had three fl*ts! Of the four of us that started together, all four of us had fl*ts in the rain! After Willie replaced the inner tube and inflated the tire, we rode in to the hotel together.

Canandaigua (kan-ahn-day-gwa) is Iroquois for "chosen spot" and was the site of the principal village of the Seneca tribe. Canandaigua is located in the Finger Lakes District, the largest wine producing part of New York.

Erie, Pennsylvania to Hamburg, New York

2009-06-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

80 miles, 4:51 riding time, 1,664 feet of climb, 3,966 Calories

We left downtown Erie under threatening skies. Willie, Peter, Chris, Al and I rode together at the start of the ride. When it started to sprinkle, we all donned our jackets, only to take them off again a few miles down the road when the precipitation stopped. Our route took us along Lake Erie, but the lake was only visible from the road part of the time. The road paralleled the lake, with woods on the lake side and vineyards on the other. At mile 19, we left Pennsylvania and entered the great state of New York. (BTW, the shoulders on New York's roads are wonderful, wide and smooth.)

New Yorkers have similar tastes as the residents of states further west. Do they have flamingos in New York? How about a fifteen-feet-tall statue for your yard?

We met a couple of cyclists on the side of the road who are from Cleveland, Ohio, riding to Bangor, Maine. When they asked us where we started, they shook our hands.

Big Al and I finished the ride together, racing to beat the rain, which never came.

Trivia - the Erie County Fair, held in Hamburg in August is the second largest county fair in the U.S.

[Betsy - We ride the final eighteen miles from Burlington, MA, to Revere Beach, the morning of Friday, June 26.]

Erie, Pennsylvania - rest day

2009-06-18T12:46:00.001-07:00

We are almost there! This is our last rest day. We only have six more days of riding before we get to Burlington, Massachusetts. Where did the past six weeks go? In some ways, Manhattan Beach seems a long time ago and, yet, only yesterday…

In my last blog, I forgot to mention that Peter started playing, "name the counties of England." Of course, neither Al nor I could name more than a few. I guess it was payback for "States' Capitals" that Al started the day before.

I think tomorrow's diversion should be bicycle haiku.

Five - seven - five

Wind pushes into me
I am a sail for the wrong
direction - headwind (Jonathan Neske)

The answer my friend
is not blowing in the wind
it's riding a bike (Jaberwock)

Yesterday, rain; today, it's drizzling in Erie. Early this morning, Ira and I walked down to the waterfront on Lake Erie, where we met Al coming the other way. A few blocks back up State Street was a Starbucks, my first of the trip. George was already there, reading about contract bridge, and Hank stopped in with his brother. Several other riders were out, on their way to the Laundromat or looking for breakfast. Amazingly, you could shoot a cannon down State Street without hitting anyone, on a Thursday morning, during rush hour! By far, there were more Cross Roads people on the street than Erie residents.

When I got back to the hotel, I spotted some of our group out front cleaning their bikes. I checked the forecast for tomorrow, 80% chance of precipitation, and just cleaned my bike's chain. It's almost time for my nap.

Wouldn't you know it, the wind is out of the west…on our day off!

Niles, Ohio to Erie, Pennsylvania

2009-06-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

90 miles, 5:47 riding time, 1,264 feet of climbing, 4,426 Calories

"It's raining; it's pouring.
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head,
And he wouldn't get up in the morning."

As predicted, rain started falling this morning just as we were about to leave the hotel. The wind was blowing about 15 mph out of the SE, but we were spending most of the day riding north, so we finally got a helping breeze…did I mention it was raining? Shortly after leaving Niles, we were back in the country again, with lots of farms and few people. The route sheet said, "No services for 24.3 miles," and we had just left the hotel. Peter, Big Al, and I were taking it easy; Peter's knee has been bothering him for the past couple of days. Tom caught us and the four of us rode over some easy "rollers" and country roads into the first SAG stop, with Tom in the lead. At that point, Tom and Peter decided to call it a day and SAG into the hotel. George joined Al and me out of the rest stop, and we rode the next 34 miles together to the second and final SAG stop of the day. This SAG was at an old fashioned root beer stand that had opened in the same spot in 1955. They had the curtains down because of the rain, but I can imagine how nice it would be to sit on the stools, or in the garden out back, sipping root beer on a hot afternoon. Al and I left George, enjoying his root beer, and headed up the road in a pouring rain. Once we turned east towards Erie, riding became more challenging due to 20 mph winds out of the SE. We literally slogged into Erie, dodging potholes and water puddles. Although the lake was off to our left, we never did see the water. Al and I were the first riders to arrive at the hotel; several riders had opted not to continue riding in the rain and got into the SAG vehicles. There are crazy people and then there are the really crazy people like Al and me. There was mud in the bathtub after my shower!

I didn't take but four pictures today, due to the rain. We spotted a covered bridge (better bring a tape measure); George in his raingear; at the root beer stand; and Al at the Pennsylvania state line, in the rain.

I'm now sitting in my room, on the fifth floor of the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie, with the wind howling outside and rain sheeting on my window. It's good to be out of the weather. Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day.

Wooster to Niles, Ohio

2009-06-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

96 miles, 6:25 riding time, 3,456 feet of climbing, 4,595 Calories

Leaving Wooster, under partly cloudy skies, we encountered some more rollers, but not as long or steep as yesterday. We spent most of the day in what I would call rural residential neighborhoods - lots of nice homes and fewer small farms than before. There were several very large dairy farms, but most farms were quite small compared to the ones we were riding by further west. Our route sheets had us turning and twisting down narrow country roads, over hill and dale. It was a pleasant day to be on a bicycle despite a pesky east wind. We have ridden through Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, and now Ohio without once having a west wind! The wind ALWAYS blows out of the west in these states, but not for us! What are the odds? Is a favoring wind, once in a while, too much to ask for?

Ok, what is it with the huge lawns? Every house has at least an acre of newly mowed lawn in front. Do these people have a fetish for riding mowers? Some of these lawns look like golf courses. Sorry, honey, I'm going out to mow the lawn - see you next Tuesday. They do look nice and nearly all the homes we have passed have been neatly kept and clean. Oh, one more observation, we haven't see any graffiti since leaving Los Angeles and there is very little litter along the roadsides in the heartland - very nice.

Niles, Ohio, is a former industrial center, iron, steel, and glass manufacturing. Many of these industries are now shuttered, but I did find the Niles Ironworks with a huge statue of a welder in the parking lot.

The cemetery in Niles had American flags marking the graves of her sons/daughters who had served in the military. It was a very moving sight to see the flags flying as I came into town.

At the second SAG stop, Rick pointed out this little spider who was centered in the Cannondale logo on my bicycle. Of course, I had to take a picture. I don't know when it got off, but it must have been somewhere south of Niles because it wasn't there when I got off the bike at the hotel.

As I walked into the hotel, Mary Lou S. introduced herself. In 1996, she and her daughter rode from LA to Boston. It turns out she knows Walter! It's a small world. Rain is forecast for tomorrow's ride into Erie…stay tuned.

Marysville to Wooster, Ohio

2009-06-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

98 miles, 6:28 riding time, 3,582 feet of climbing, 4,794 Calories

"Bike" by MAL WEBB (2000)

Push on a pedal, push on a pedal / Get your (gasp) heart started
Push on a pedal / Push it down and up again
Get on your bike, sit on the seat / Push your feet on the pedals
And ride it all around / Ride it all around
Oh, get that car out of my way / I want to ride my bike today
It keeps me fit and gets me there / And won't go stinking up the air
Leave behind the daily grind / And let your mind unwind
If it's life you tend to like / You'd better get yourself a bike
Oh, oh, get yourself a bike

Today was another long day after yesterday's century - two centuries, back to back. Peter's knee was bothering him, so he, Al , nd I started out easy. After leaving Marysville, we returned to the winding country roads. As we move further east, we are seeing more trees and the farms are getting smaller and more frequent. The first seventy miles were either flat or rolling. Before the first SAG stop, we came to a bridge-out on our route. Margaret set up an impromptu SAG at the detour sign and we walked our bikes around the barriers and over what was left of the bridge. After the second SAG at mile 73, the rollers got much bigger and we had climbs of up to 12%, the steepest of the trip! For a while, we even got to ride in the shade of the trees hanging over the road, with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle in the air. We were in Amish country and I saw a few dressed in their black clothing and hats, but I did not take any pictures as that would be considered rude (thanks, Barbara). Al, Tom, and I raced to the hotel with Sue in hot pursuit.

Someone asked me about Sue's recumbent bicycle (see image above.)

Factoids: Wooster is an old manufacturing town. It used to be the headquarters for Rubbermaid Products. It is said that the first Christmas trees were introduced to Americans by a German immigrant who lived in Wooster.

Richmond, Indiana to Marysville, Ohio

2009-06-14T14:21:00.001-07:00

107 miles, 6:57 riding time, 2,047 feet of climbing, 5,074 Calories

"Arms, hands, bars, knees
Spinning blur, fast trees
Heart bangs, tires sing
Wind roars, gears ching
Climbing grade, sweat drips
Heavy legs, a couple sips
Breathing deeper, suck the air
Crest a hill, pedals tear
Feel no pain, feel no burn
Still time to go another turn
Mind is clear, thighs are tight
Rolling speed, wheeled flight
Cycling!"

Zeko, Jr., (2003)

Today's ride was beautiful, but long, another century-plus ride. Just after leaving Richmond, we did our ninth state line crossing, moving into Ohio. Although Weather Underground was only predicting a 10% chance of precipitation, we kept our eyes on a peculiar storm cloud formation moving in our direction. Yes, they have tornadoes in the Heartland. Luckily we did not get rained on and after a few hours of riding, the sun came out and it got warm and humid. The damned headwinds continued to retard our progress, but were not strong, even if they were in our faces for most of the day.

To pass the time, Big Al played state's capitals…what's the capital of Tennessee? Al got more correct than Peter or me.

We rode sinuous country roads that twisted and turned through areas peppered with small farms and ranches. The road was mostly flat with some Ohio Rollers thrown in to keep things interesting. We slowed down a bit today, stopping to take a few more pictures, and even eating lunch in one small town. I think this bull is a longhorn, but it may be an African cross. We turned one corner and I shouted out, "hello, kids!" I think Peter lost it at that moment. At one photo opportunity, I walked over to take a picture of some goats and was surprised when I got zapped by an electric fence! Yes, I'm OK and my camera still works, but boy was I shocked…

Big Al, Peter, and I rode together for most of the morning. Chris and Willie joined Rick and Mike in a race to the hotel. We have several long days ahead, so we didn't pursue them. Sue joined us after the lunch stop. Some friends of Al, from Ann Arbor, rode out from our destination hotel to meet us and Al rode in with them. Sue and I retraced out steps to find a Dairy Queen after checking into the hotel. A bunch of other riders stopped for shakes as well. We've been given cash to go out and eat on our own tonight, the restaurant that CrossRoads normally uses is out of business.

Indianapolis to Richmond, Indiana

2009-06-13T15:52:00.001-07:00

84 miles, 5:12 riding time, 1,524 feet of climbing, 4,093 Calories

Yesterday, they called me from the front desk at the hotel and said I had some mail. It was a letter from my dear friend and hero, Walter. He enclosed the above cartoon from his previous rides across the country.

It took a long time to get out of Indianapolis proper. We rode through the suburbs on the east side of town for almost fifteen miles before breaking out into the countryside. Once again, we were in the midst of small farms, offset with woods. The roads were quiet on a Saturday morning, with little traffic. Although the skies were cloudy, we didn't experience any precipitation and today the wind gods were at least benign. Peter, Big Al, and I rode together for most of the day. Chris, Mike, and Rick caught us at the first SAG stop and then left us in the dust as we rode the last miles into Richmond. Having checked into the hotel, we went looking for some food and walked over to the Steak 'n Shake. As we were ordering, Debbie Lanham walked up to the table and said, "I though I'd find you here. I missed you at the hotel and then thought where would Jim go to get his milk shake?" Debbie had driven up from Dayton to intercept me on my way to Boston. Debbie and I went for an early dinner and had a marvelous visit. I'm very fortunate to have such good friends.

We're beginning to see lots of cemeteries, large and small, beside the road. Front yards of homes are full of lawn ornaments (ducks, deer, gnomes, etc.) and each one has a Christmas tree growing somewhere near the house. We are also moving into Amish country attested to by the road signs.

Trivia: Richmond has been called the "cradle of recorded jazz." Some of the first studios to press jazz records were located here. Richmond was also the lawn mower capital of the world when several manufacturers were located in the city. Orville and Wilber Wright went to school here. And, finally, of the three Egyptian mummies in Indiana, two are located in Richmond, giving it the highest concentration of mummies in the state.

Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, Indiana

2009-06-12T11:02:00.001-07:00

46 miles, 2:51 riding time, 900 feet of climb, 2,214 Calories

The further east we ride, the more densely populated the countryside. We pass many more homes and the farms are much smaller here than they are in the western states. We are beginning to see smokestack industries in towns, in addition to the usual grain elevators.

Today's ride took us into the biggest city we've visited since leaving Los Angeles. Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana and the fourteenth largest city in the U.S. We took a circuitous route from Crawfordsville, with many turns and byways. As the crow flies, it's less than forty miles between them, but the CrossRoad's route was for a ride of 62 miles to get there. Fred, who is from Indianapolis, had his friend, Bob, ride out to meet us and bring Peter, Al, Fred, and I in to town by a shorter route. Peter's knee is bothering him, so we took the short cut. Fred left us when we got near his home. He is leaving the ride at this point and not going on to Boston. We will miss him. The picture above is of Fred and me. BTW, a big thank you to Bob; it was great meeting and riding with you.

The Major Taylor Velodrome is located in Indianapolis. Used for track bicycle racing, the venue is named for Marshall "Major" Taylor (1878-1932), an African-American cyclist who won the one-mile track cycling championship in 1899 after setting numerous world records. I had hoped to ride a lap at the velodrome, but, alas, it wasn't open to the public today.

There are only two state capitals whose names incorporate the name of their state. One is, of course, Indianapolis. What's the other?

Champaign, Illinois to Crawfordsville, Indiana

2009-06-11T12:44:00.001-07:00

80 miles, 4:54 riding time, 1,228 feet of climb, 3,999 Calories

[Margaret wants to know where I'm getting the values for feet of climbing, Calories, etc. I have a Garmin Edge 705 bike computer with gps. The Garmin keeps track of all the data from the ride, including heart rate, cadence, slope, elevation, etc.]

Today was decorate your helmet day. Some of the fuddy-duddies didn't participate, but some riders went all out. Cousin Harry takes the prize for effort!

The forecast was for thunderstorms and rain - it didn't happen. Although streets in Champaign were wet from last night's rain, we were soon riding on dry roads. It was cool and cloudy all morning and rain threatened, but we were pleasantly surprised at how nice conditions turned out to be. We were even spared the pesky headwinds that had plagued us the last few days. The ride was very nice, basically flat, on country roads through woods and fields. About halfway, we crossed the state line into Indiana, where we dutifully sprinkled our beach sand. I rode most of the day with Peter, Big Al, and Fred (who is from Indiana).

Indiana is the Hoosier state. Al asked Fred, "What's a Hoosier?"

According to ask.com: Like barnacles, a thick crust of speculation has gathered over the word "Hoosier" to explain the origin of Indiana's nickname. Popular theories, diligently and often sincerely advanced, form a rich, often amusing body of folklore. Those theories include: "Who's here?" as a question to unknown visitors or to the inhabitants of a country cabin; Hussar, from the fiery European mounted troops; "Huzzah!" proclaimed after victory in a fight; Husher, a brawny man, capable of stilling opponents; Hoosa, an Indian word for corn; Hoose, an English term for a disease of cattle which gives the animals a wild sort of look; and the evergreen "Who's ear?" asked while toeing a torn-off ear lying on the bar room floor the morning after a brawl.

The best evidence, however, suggests that "Hoosier" was a term of contempt and opprobrium common in the upland South and used to denote a rustic, a bumpkin, a countryman, a roughneck, a hick or an awkward, uncouth or unskilled fellow. Although the word's derogatory meaning has faded, it can still be heard in its original sense, albeit less frequently than its cousins "Cracker" and "Redneck."

Factoid: Lew Wallace, Civil Was general, governor of New Mexico, and author of Ben-Hur. A Tale of the Christ lived in Crawfordsville as a child and is buried here.

New rider of the day: Sue Yocum, from Sisters, Oregon, has joined us in Champaign for the final push to Boston. She rides a "bent," a recumbent bicycle.

Champaign, Illinois - rest day

2009-06-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

The forecast for our day of rest in Champaign called for an 80% chance of thunderstorms. Wouldn't you know it, it didn't rain. I took advantage of the day off to take a couple of naps, do my laundry, eat, and decorate my helmet. Yes, decorate my helmet; all part of the fun and games with Cross Roads. I also found a UPS store and shipped a bunch of stuff I don't need home.

I mentioned earlier pig and cattle truck odors, but there are other olfactory memories that will also stay with me for a long time after this trip is over. This past week, we have been treated to the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the woods as we ride down the road. Here in Illinois, the aroma of new mown hay is everywhere; it looks like they have had a wet Spring and the work crews are out moving the margins of the roads. All the farms have huge, green lawns that have either been recently cut or are in the process of being mowed. Then, there's my favorite, damp grass just after a rain - my grandparents' farm smelled like that after summer showers.

I got all excited night before last when I realized that there were fireflies in Illinois. I haven't seen fireflies in years - we don't have them in SoCal! Then, this morning, as I was walking to Target to replenish some toiletries, a flock of about eighty Canada geese walked across the road - geese! Cars stopped and patiently waited for the adults and goslings to safely cross the street, just like Make Way for Ducklings. It's like I'm a city boy dropped into rural, eastern America for the first time.

Trivia question of the day: Hank asked at dinner, "why are barns mostly painted red?"

Answer: Before commercial paint was available, farmers would mix iron oxide (rust) with linseed oil. The red-colored iron oxide acted as a fungicide, preventing mold and mildew from destroying wood. When commercial paint became available, red paint was the cheapest paint you could buy; if you are going to paint a barn, you need a lot of paint. Later, whitewash became cheaper than red paint and many barns are now painted white.

Springfield to Champaign, Illinois

2009-06-09T13:57:00.001-07:00

87 miles, 5:22 riding, 1,034 feet climbing, 4,357 Calories

Someone said, grain elevators are America's castles. When you first see them on the horizon, they do look like castles. I will never view them in quite the same way again. I think a photographic essay on the heartland's elevators would make a great coffee table book.

I've been accused of being focused on chocolate milkshakes instead of the great country I'm riding through. I must confess that's often true; sometimes the promise of a treat at the end of the day gets you through the last few miles like nothing else.

Hank asked an interesting question at last night's route rap, "how much time do we spend looking at the road and how much time do we look around us?" For most of this trip, I think I'm concentrating on the road and traffic more than eighty percent of the time, and only observing my surroundings less than twenty percent. For safety, you have no choice but to watch the pavement for holes, glass, bumps, tires, etc., and keep an eye out for cars trying to pass. Of course, when you are riding through endless fields of wheat, you don't have much to break the monotony. When we come into towns or have more diverse scenery, then the percentage spent away from the road in front of me increases.

Illinois is pretty flat, at least the part we have been riding through. There are lots of trees, cornfields, and poor roads. We try to stay off main highways and ride less traveled country roads. Unfortunately, country roads often do not have shoulders, are not very wide, and are not as well maintained as the state highways.

Under partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures, we left Springfield at the normal time and rode into a headwind all the way to the first SAG stop. The road eventually turned east and the wind was sideways to the road, less of a nuisance. We stopped at a Dairy Queen for ice cream and met a bevy of beautiful ladies in Clinton (as in the President - roll your eyes and sigh, please). The women come from their daily exercise classes to DQ for coffee and conversation. After the second SAG, Peter and Willie pulled me into town at a fast pace, for which I'm eternally grateful.

Champaign is a university town and boasts some very quiet, tree-lined streets. Tomorrow is a well deserved "rest" day; it's time for laundry, bike cleaning, and maybe a bike ride…if it doesn't rain.

Quincy to Springfield, Illinois

2009-06-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

108 miles, 6:25 riding time, 2,167 feet of climbing, 5,585 Calories

"Now he belongs to the ages."

As you know, Springfield is the capital of Illinois. It is also the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln's assassination, his body was removed to Springfield - over the course of several years, he was reburied several times before finally being interred in the current vault. The story makes fascinating reading; at one point there was a plot to steal the body and hold it for ransom. Unfortunately, our route does not take us near the monument - I would have really liked to see it.

Because of thunderstorms, we delayed our departure out of Quincy until 8:30 AM. When we left, the rain had stopped, but the streets were wet. The blasted wind, which was forecast to at least be neutral, failed to shift to the west as promised. We either fought into a head wind or had gusts coming at us from the side. Out of Quincy, we climbed out of the river valley, over some long rollers, before dropping into the Illinois River valley. We crossed the Illinois on a narrow two-lane bridge, but it wasn't nearly as thrilling as crossing the Mississippi yesterday. Then, it was out of the Illinois valley and then flat, flat, flat into Springfield. Al, Peter, Chris, Willie, Fred, and I came in together. Ira was in the lobby shortly thereafter. Then it was off to Steak n Shake for a large, chocolate milkshake.

"Share the road," doesn't mean with bicycles in Illinois - large farm equipment is more likely.

Kirksville, Missouri to Quincy, Illinois

2009-06-07T13:46:00.001-07:00

76 miles, 5:19 riding time, 2,106 feet of climbing, 3,431 Calories

With light rain falling, we left Kirksville and headed east on SR 6E. The first part of the ride was over some more Missouri Rollers, through cattle ranches. Someone said, they should be called "misery rollers." The first SAG stop was at mile 32 in Knox City. Shortly after the SAG, the rain stopped, but a strong headwind more than made up for the lack of rain. It was a long slog for the remaining forty miles. It's disheartening when you have fifteen miles to go, you're making fifteen mile an hour, so you figure it's going to take you an hour. With eleven miles to go, you are only making eleven miles an hour and it's going to take you an hour! What's wrong with that picture?

On the bright side, we have now covered over two-thousand miles of our journey to Boston.

But the big highlight of the day for me, was crossing the Mississippi River! Yes, the Mighty Mississippi, the Big Muddy, the Queen of American Rivers. My excitement was tempered by the narrow two lane bridge, traffic, strong crosswinds and a fear of heights; mix equal parts adrenaline and terror.

Quincy is called the "gem" city - not for diamonds or emeralds, but for its beauty. The city was built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi where it was immune to flooding. An important port on the river, Quincy was also an important part of the Underground Railway for runaway slaves from Missouri where slavery was legal prior to the Civil War. There are many huge mansions lining the streets, leftovers from when Quincy was an important economic center. As we move east, we are also moving back in time, reversing the westward movement of people and commerce.

Chillicothe to Kirksville, Missouri

2009-06-06T15:31:00.001-07:00

[Note to Pamela: Chillicothe (chill-a-coth-ee)]

76 miles, 4:45 riding time, 4,172 feet of ascent, 3,845 Calories

We had a thunderstorm in Chillicothe as we were having breakfast. Checking the radar, the departure was delayed several times; We finally got on the road two hours later than usual, in a light rain. The wind was very strong out of the southeast and slowed our progress. The rain finally let up and eventually we had a warm, sunny day, but the winds plagued us all day, except for those few miles where we were headed due north. We are now riding through lots of cattle ranches and forests. Oh, we saw two whitetail deer; unfortunately, they were too skittish to photograph.

Route for today: go east on 36E for about twenty-five miles (no services for 25.6 miles). Turn left on state road 11N for another forty-six miles (no services for 45.6 miles) to Kirksville. Yes, 75 miles and one store! After the first 26 miles, we stopped at the one store for some chocolate milk and pastries. When we got to the main street in Brookfield, they were having a parade! No, it wasn't for us, it was some sort of celebration of spring.

The last fifty miles were fun. According to Tracy, there are 148 hills in this stretch of road, called, "Missouri rollers." Imagine racing down a hill as fast as you can go and, at the bottom, crashing through the gears, downshifting and trying to keep your momentum to carry you up the other side of the valley; sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. The grades on some of the hills are as high as ten per cent - very steep. The road looks like ribbon candy as it undulates over the horizon.

We passed through, or near, the towns of Wheeling (pop 268), Meadville (pop 457), Laclede (pop 415), Brookfield (pop 4,769), unincorporated St. Catherine (pop ??), and unincorporated New Boston (pop too few to count?). Not much has happened in these towns, unless you care where General John Pershing was born; answer, near Laclede, Mo. Many of the small towns here are slowly dying. What, at one point, were thriving communities with busy downtowns, schools, banks, and post offices, are now just wide spots on the road, with shuttered businesses and no services. I think it's a shame.

Not much has happened in Kirksville, MO either, at least anything of any remark. No pre-sliced bread, no best pie in the country, no Indian name, nada!

Cross Roads employee of the day (and my favorite). Margaret drives one of the SAG wagons and makes sure that we have plenty of Gatorade, water, snacks, bananas, and other bike fuel. She is always a sight for sore eyes when we spot the SAG stop. Outgoing, with an incredible positive attitude, she's a delight to have on the trip. We love you, Margaret!

St. Joseph to Chillicothe, Missouri

2009-06-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

87 miles, 5:00 riding time, 4,097' of climbing, 4,375 Calories

Leaving St. Jo., we rode east on state road 6 through Maysville and then on SR 190 into Chillicothe. Rolling country roads with light traffic and lots of trees and small farms; this is what it's all about.

Maysville is a small town that celebrates the CrossRoads arrival each year. The town turns out with baked goods, etc. to greet the adventurers from far away. We all wore our CR jerseys in honor of today's visit and regrouped a little outside of town so we could ride in together. There are many kind, warmhearted people in this world and a bunch of them live in Maysville. The grade school kids left class to visit with us and cheered as we rode into town. It was a very special treat for all of us.

Across from the grain silo in Lock Springs, is a plaque with the following quote, "Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." We are living our dream to ride our bikes across America; I guess that makes us, "happy."

Trivia of the day: Chillicothe is Shawnee for "big town where we live." Obviously, some settler asked the Shawnee what the area was called and got the answer he deserved.

Chillicothe's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of sliced bread. The Chillicothe Baking Company started selling pre-sliced bread on July 7, 1928, the first time anywhere in the world.

For you sci-fi fans, the "City of Chillicothe" was the name of one of the spaceships in Robert Heinlein's Methuselah's Children.

Rider of the day: Willie is on a sabbatical from being the CFO of a major telecommunications company. He lives in Virginia. Willie is riding to support the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. To make a pledge to FAAN, www.foodallergy.org . At the end of each day of riding, Willie finds the local police or fire station to meet and thank the first responders. He's a heck of a nice guy.

Topeka, Kansas to St. Joseph, Missouri

2009-06-04T13:47:00.001-07:00

86 miles, 5:26 riding time, 2,271 feet of climb, 4,144 Calories

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

Yep, we finally left the fabulous state of Kansas. I had no idea how big Kansas was until we rode across it on our bicycles. Not counting the rest day, it too us six days to get from Liberal to the Missouri border.

Today, we have made another state line crossing. I stopped to sprinkle some Manhattan beach sand on the state line sign to appease the wind fairies. The Missouri sign needs a lot of help. Tracy has asked Ira to stop sprinkling as his supplications appear to be lacking.

From Topeka, we made our way out of town and rejoined K4 in a NE direction. The winds were mild and variable (big grin). Rolling green hills, recently planted corn fields, and small farms were the order of the day. When K4 ended, we transitioned to highway 59, crossed the Kansas River into Missouri, and followed the river bottomland into St. Joseph. The St. Joseph Bike Club provided free ice cream for us! (Much appreciated guys. If you are ever in Los Angeles, I owe you.) As we came into St. Jo., we rode along the SW Parkway, many miles of green park and traffic free, curving road - the prettiest part of the ride. Big Al, Chris, Fred and I came into the hotel together and then went next door for some barbecue and sodas - otherwise known as bike fuel.

Factoids:

Atchison, KS, is the birthplace of Amelia Earhart.

St. Joseph was the eastern terminus of the short-lived Pony Express. Jesse James was killed in St. Joe.

The Lewis and Clark trail goes through St. Joseph.

"From Natchez to Mobile, from Memphis to St. Joe,
wherever the four winds blow
I've been in some big towns and I heard me some big talk,
but there is one thing I know
A woman's a two-face, a worrisome thing
who'll leave ya to sing the blues in the night"

Barbara, great stuff I've seen along the roadside: truck tires, gravel, tools, cans, bottles, road kill…? For some reason, we've seen lots of bungie cords.

Rider of the day: Alec is one of the four Musketeers. He lives in Tahoe most of the year.

Abilene to Topeka, Kansas

2009-06-03T17:30:00.001-07:00

107 miles, 7:18 riding time, 4,986 feet of climbing, 4,897 Calories

"Do you hear that whistle down the line?
I figure that it's engine number forty-nine,
She's the only one that'll sound that way.
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe

See the ol' smoke risin' round the bend,
I reckon that she knows she's gonna meet a friend,
Folks around these parts get the time o' day
From the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"

We are now halfway to Boston! Time is really flying by. It's all downhill from here, right?

Today's ride deserves a two-thumbs up! Despite a pesky NNE wind that dogged us all day, today was one of those special days on this adventure. We left Abilene going south on Hwy 43 to connect with Kansas-4. K4 is a two lane farm road that goes through the tiny communities of Woodbine, White City, Dwight, Eskridge, Keene, and Dover on the way to Topeka. There isn't much traffic and the road surface is excellent. We rode generally in a easterly direction with the occasional turn north or northeast, with many ups and downs (note the almost 5,000 feet of climbing). The topography changed as we moved eastward, lots of wheat fields, then more cattle ranches as we moved into the Flint Hills. Because these hills are Permian limestone containing hard chunks of chert, they were never plowed. Instead, cattle were raised here and this area of eastern Kansas contains most of the remaining tall grass prairie in the world. The hills are green at this time of year, dotted with fat cattle.

Deborah, I've found a nice place for us. Although there wasn't a for sale sign in the yard, I think we might be able to get this one cheap. The house needs a little help, but there's a nice yard and the house is already air conditioned.

At mile mark 91.5, we entered the town of Dover. In 2008, Good Morning America had a contest to name the country's best pies. The winner was a coconut cream pie baked by Norma Grubb of the Sommerset Hall Café in Dover! I ordered a piece of the "best pie in the country," a piece of strawberry/rhubarb pie, and a cup of coffee. Although Norma wasn't at the café when we arrived, someone went to her home and brought her to meet us. Norma is now 89 and sharp as a tack. It was a real pleasure to meet her and to taste the "best pie in the country." Chris and I ate the last two pieces of coconut cream before the rest of the riders got to Dover. How sweet is that?

On the road from Dover to Topeka, lives a farmer who isn't happy sharing the road with bicyclists. The road is narrow, with many curves and hills, so cars can't pass readily and are slowed down by the cyclists from Topeka. He has erected some anti-bike art on the hill next to his farm.

Factoid:

Topeka is named after the Kansa and Ioway Indian words for "to dig good potatoes". Topeka was an important ford across the Kansas River on the Oregon Trail. It's the capital of Kansas.

Abilene, Kansas - rest day

2009-06-02T09:51:00.001-07:00

"Abilene, Abilene
Prettiest town I ever seen.
Folks down there don't treat you mean
In Abilene, my Abilene."

It's strange, not putting on my bicycle togs and getting ready to ride. Since our last rest day in Santa Fe, we've ridden nine days straight and the routine has become, well, routine.

5:15 AM - get out of bed (no alarm needed, I'm too excited to sleep)
shave, brush teeth, etc.
5:30 AM - slather sun screen on all exposed body parts, don cycling clothes
5:45 AM - go in search of coffee
6:00 AM - breakfast (usually at the hotel)
7:00 AM - pack bags and take them to the lobby
take bicycle to the lobby
7:15 AM - sign out and start riding
?:?? PM - arrive at destination hotel, sign in,
find Dairy Queen or equivalent for chocolate milkshake
5:45 PM - route rap
6:00 PM - dinner
8:30 PM - bedtime

Repeat the next day…

In fact, this morning, I donned my cycling clothes and took a leisurely ride through Ablilene. I visited the Eisenhower center (very moving) and rode through the older residential area admiring the the grand old ladies. I found one that Deborah would like, a 4BR/2B Victorian built in 1890; it's listed for…are you ready for this…$270K. In Los Angeles, that would be a down payment. No, Deborah, I didn't make an offer. I returned to the hotel just as it began to rain.

"Every gun made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed…This is not a way of life at all…Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron." Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Chance for Peace" address, Washington, DC, April 16, 1953.

McPherson to Abilene, Kansas

2009-06-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

63 miles, 3:14 riding time, 758 feet of climbing, 3,512 Calories

"It was a dark and stormy night…" actually, it was a bright and windy day. Because it was going to be a short day, only 63 miles, we left McPherson an hour later than usual so that our rooms might be ready for us in Abilene. The wind was blowing strongly out of the south when we left the hotel. Fortunately, we were traveling due east for the first 22 miles, so the cross wind wasn't much of a problem and when we turned north on Rt. 15, we flew with the south wind pushing us along at 20+ mph the entire way into Abilene. A cheeseburger and large, chocolate milkshake at Dairy Queen and the day was over almost before it started.

Elmo, Kansas, is a wide spot in the road on Rt 15. I had hoped to get a picture of the Elmo sign, but Elmo is so small, it doesn't have one. Yet, if you do a Google search on Elmo, Kansas, you will get 1.4 million hits! Elmo is a famous site for Permian insect fossils, 250 million year old dragonflies, etc. I looked for, but did not see any road cuts or exposed rock, or I would have stopped.

Peter and I were riding up Rt 15 when we were passed by a truck pulling a trailer full of calves. As the truck passed us, one of the wheels on the trailer blew off. The wheel kept going, rolling, rolling, and rolling until it finally came to a stop in someone's front yard. The truck and trailer took a long time to stop. Meanwhile, the trailer's axle was plowing a furrow into the pavement in front of us, throwing up a lot of smoke and asphalt. As luck would have it, we weren't in the wrong place at the wrong time, and were able to safely navigate around the disabled vehicle.

Abilene is the home of the Dwight David Eisenhower Library; President Eisenhower and his wife are buried here. The town was one of the first cow towns, where cattle, driven up from Texas, were loaded onto railcars for transit to the more populous east. Abilene was famous for its stockyards, the Chisholm Trail, and Marshal Wild Bill Hickcock. It is also, currently the home of the Greyhound Hall of Fame.

Tomorrow is a rest day. It's been nine days since our last day off. I need to do laundry and clean the bicycle. Mail was waiting for me when I checked into the motel. I got a nice letter from Walter and a picture drawn by my little friend, Emma. Thanks, guys…much appreciated.

The "four Musketeers" are (left to right) Alec, Karen, Harry, and Ira. They ride together each day, with Harry leading the pace line.

Great Bend to McPherson, Kansas

2009-05-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

64 miles, 3:45 riding time, 469 feet of climbing, 3,335 Calories.

According to Wikipedia, Kansas is "named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name (natively kką:ze) is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind". The wind was howling out of the south today, giving credance to "people of the south wind." Luckily, we were headed east and the wind was from the side, but it was still a nuisance. Nonetheless, we made good time for a short day, only 64 miles.

I think the route sheet best describes our ride today: "no services for 20.5 miles" and "no services for 28.4 miles." US 56 is a long, lonesome road. About ten miles east of Great Bend, is the little town of Ellinwood. In its heyday, Ellinwood had an underground mall under the businesses on main street. The older basements and coal chutes were connected and stores were set up in the empty spaces. Much of the underground passages have been filled in with sand, but some still remain and tours are available by appointment. They were not open on Sunday.

Kansas is the friendliest state we've been in so far. At least, Kansas has the most curious citizens - "Where are you going?" "Boston." long pause "On your bicycle?" "Yes." You can see them think, "this man is nuts, but I'm too polite to say so." Nice people.

Factoids:

McPherson was recently ranked 3rd by Progressive Farm Magazine in its Best Places to Live in America.

Terry Nichols bought the one ton of ammonium nitrate used in the Oklahoma City bombing, in McPherson.

The first basketball team to represent the United States in the Olympics featured six McPherson residents of 13 total players. This team went on to defeat Canada 19-8 in the Gold Medal game at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

There was an opera house in McPherson. The building is being restored.

This is too good not to include: Denny posted a comment on Al's blog:

"Another little-known fact. During the McCarthy era, college professors were suspect. They were required to sign "loyalty oaths." The president of McPherson College, a Church of the Brethren school, said their religion forbade them from oaths, so they said they'd write their own statement. It said that they were against any overthrow of a government using force, including the overthrow of the British government in America in the Revolutionary War. Not exactly what McCarthy was looking for!"

Pictures for today, Peter showing off. At the SAG stop, left to right, Peter, Chris, Willie, Al, yours truly, and Fred. These are the thoroughbreds - the first ones into the hotel each day.

Rider of the day: Mike is a Brit, who works freelance as a computer programmer. He wants to become an author and writes very well. His blog is much more entertaining than mine. After finishing the ride to Boston, Mike is going to strike out on his own and ride south to his home in Florida.

Dodge City to Great Bend, Kansas

2009-05-30T11:56:00.001-07:00

88 miles, 4:00 hours, 496 feet of climbing, 5,160 Calories.

I was going to start with, "Let's get the h*ll out of Dodge…", but I think, "America the Beautiful," is more apt.

"O beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,…"

Weather Underground had forecast a "favorable" wind. Maybe there's something to sprinkling the sand from Manhattan Beach on the State Line signs. The wind was behind us the entire way into Great Bend. We flew down the road, covering 87 miles in four hours! We headed out of Dodge on US50 through Larned, which marks the midpoint between San Francisco and New York. We still have a ways to go before we reach our halfway point. US50 was just like the part of Kansas we had already passed through - mostly flat with broad expanses of wheat fields and tiny towns. The major difference is that we are now beyond the tree line and there are many trees lining the wheat fields and beautiful homes with large green lawns.

After sixty odd miles, we turned onto US 56E, passing Pawnee Rock, one of the way points (before gps) for the travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. I took the one-mile detour to see Pawnee Rock. If you are ever on US 56, you can save yourself the effort. There isn't much to see in Pawnee.

OK, I have to admit, I never heard of Great Bend, Kansas before, much less ever been there. It is, however, an interesting place to visit. Named after its location at the north end of a huge bend in the Arkansas River, the city was part of the aforementioned Santa Fe trail; it's been the home of the Fuller Brush Company since 1973; and Truman Capote's In Cold Blood depicted murders committed in Great Bend - scenes from the movie were also filmed there. Oh, and Smallville (superman's childhood home) is fictionally near Great Bend.

I don't think I've mentioned the trucks. There are lots of pigs and cattle raised in this part of the world, and they have to be taken to market. The stench of pig trucks is indescribable. Along with an unwelcome blast of wind that threatens to throw your bike off the road, the smell is wretched. Every time I see/smell one, I think about the pigs - where do they think they're going? Disneyland? Along with the livestock, come meat packing plants which employ large numbers of immigrants. The number of Latin Americans in the small towns of the high plains is staggering. Who thought you could get great Mexican food in Nowhere, Kansas?

Liberal to Dodge City, Kansas

2009-05-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

86 miles, 4:55 riding time, 1,032 feet of ascent, 4,440 Calories

"Mr. Dillon, Mr. Dillon…"

I can still remember hearing Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver) limping quickly down the street, calling after Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) in the hit TV series Gunsmoke, fictionally set in the prototypical western town of Dodge City.

In real life, Dodge City was an important jumping off spot on the Santa Fe Trail west, the railroad nexus for the buffalo hide trade, and the trailhead for Texas longhorns driven up the Cimarron. It was where cowhands; prostitutes; saloon keepers; and misc. unsavory characters like the Dalton Gang, gathered to do business in the lawless west. Dodge City was where Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson later enforced the law; it's the home of Boot Hill. Unfortunately, the historic buildings along Front Street were torn down during a fit of urban renewal in the seventies, but the ghosts still remain.

We left Liberal at the normal time and rode east on Highway 54 for sixty miles before turning north on US 283, passing by endless horizons of wheat fields. Al started talking about "white line fever." A few days of rest and he should be OK, again.

The statue is called "el capitan," in honor of the Texas longhorns that were driven to the rail head in Dodge City, making her the queen of the cowtowns.

Rider of the day: Nancy is from Florida. She bought her first bicycle five years ago and hasn't stopped riding since. She's a former flight instructor and real estate salesperson.

Oz

2009-05-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

Here's an update to yesterday's blog. I visited the Dorothy House in Liberal. It's a replica and houses a pair of the ruby slippers. They also have a yellow brick road. Above, Harry and the three musketeers (Ira, Alec, and Karen) are off to see the wizard…

Guymon, Oklahoma to Liberal, Kansas

2009-05-28T12:03:00.001-07:00

39 miles, 2:30 riding time, 393 feet of ascent, 1,861 Calories

"We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz…"

Today was a recovery ride, very short (less than forty miles) and easy (essentially flat, with gentle winds). We are now riding between huge expanses of irrigated fields - I think they are wheat fields; it would be nice if they would put up a sign or two for the ignorant, city folk who get lost and drive these roads.

We passed through Hooker, a small town that capitalizes on it's name. Bumper stickers and t-shirts are for sale with slogans, such as, "I'm not your typical Hooker." The local baseball team is named the Horny Toads; you can buy a shirt with "I could've been a prince, but it's more fun being a Horny Toad." Great gift ideas for Aunt Ethyl back home…or not.

We crossed another state line into Kansas (where did Oklahoma go)? This is Dorothy and Toto country. US Highway 54 in Kansas is the official "yellow brick road," even though it isn't brick and it isn't yellow. Liberal is home to the Wizard of Oz Museum, Dorothy's house, a large air museum, and the Coronado Museum. No, we didn't see any tornados, heartless tin men, cowardly lions, brainless scarecrows, munchkins, or witches; but we are in Kansas and will be for several days.

Is there a Conservative, Oklahoma? Yes, turn right at Liberal…

Rider of the day:

George is from Missouri; he's a retired physician. We are now calling him, "Brave Heart." Day before yesterday, George was on the road, riding alone, from Tucumcari to Dalhart, into the wind, for twelve hours! He arrived in Dalhart as the rest of us were eating dinner. George said, "I would look ahead and see a tree. I told myself, I can ride that far. When I got to that point, I would look ahead for another tree…" It was truly a hard day's riding and a huge effort on his part.

Dalhart, Texas to Guymon, Oklahoma

2009-05-27T13:47:00.001-07:00

76 miles, 4:47 riding time, 1,029 feet of climb, 3,625 Calories, 1 fl*t

All together now:

"OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, When the wind comes right behind the rain."

No rain, but lots of wind, unfortunately a headwind. Another day, another state!

[I've been asked to explain what a pace line is. Riding behind another bicycle rider reduces the effort required because the first rider is partially blocking the wind for the following rider. When several cyclists ride in a pace line, and take turns leading, the group travels faster and easier than individual riders can, riding alone.]

Due to the time change, we left the hotel an hour later than usual this morning. When I got on my bicycle, I noticed the rear tire was low on air. Yes, I did check it last night and again this morning. So, I changed the tube in the parking lot and was the last one to leave. I caught up with Harry & the three musketeers (Karen, Alec, and Ira). I rode with them until we reached the "big cowboy." After a photo op, I joined Peter, Al, Chris, and Willie. We rode together for the rest of the day, including our crossing of yet another state line, into Oklahoma. If you thought yesterday's ride was flat, you should see the panhandle of OK. We passed a wind farm (look closely and you'll see an old windmill for perspective.) Lots of grain elevators on the plains. The wind wasn't as bad as yesterday, but it was in our faces most of the day. Fortunately, today's ride was shorter than yesterday's.

Rider of the day:

Peter is from New York. He's an artist and cabinet maker. Originally from England, he's lived in this country for thirty years. We're wearing the New Mexico jerseys that Rich gave us.

Tucumcari, New Mexico to Dalhart, Texas

2009-05-26T17:35:00.001-07:00

96 miles, 7:05 riding time, 2,423 feet of ascent, 4,107 Calories.

"The longest day"

As you can see from the above picture, the road to Dalhart is very straight. Tucumcari marks the edge of the mesa lands; east of there is rolling prairie. We crossed the Texas border and sprinkled our beach sand, but the wind fairies were obviously displeased with our meager offering. We had head winds all day, a century ride into 20 mph winds, gusting to 30 mph. Peter, Chris, Al, and Willie worked a pace line to make it possible for me to finish. It was a long, hard day. I'm so tired, I can hardly type.

Deborah says, according to AAA, Dalhart Texas' original name was Twist, later changed to Denroc which is a combination of the 2 railroads the crossed there in 1901 (Denver City and Rock Island), then changed to Dalhart which reflects the 2 counties in which it resides (Dallam and Hartley). It's a shipping point for agriculture and cattle and has the world's largest amateur rodeo in late summer. Up to 400,000 cattle are in the feed lots south of town. You can imagine the smell. The XIT Ranch was more than 3 million acres at one point. Things are big in Texas.

CrossRoads employee of the day:

Mack is one of the CR staff taking care of our needs each day. He's English and an ultra nice guy. He drives one of the support vehicles, helps Margaret with the SAG stops, and does a myriad of chores behind the scenes to make our trip comfortable.

Las Vegas to Tucumcari, New Mexico

2009-05-25T18:22:00.001-07:00

109.5 miles, 6:48 riding time; 3,245 feet of climbing, and 4,836 Calories

I'm tired! It was a long, long day, but spectacular riding. We climbed out of Las Vegas (I've noticed that all the towns in New Mexico are at the bottom of valleys - probably where the water was); think flat, treeless plain; you could see forever in all directions. A small herd of horses joined us for a while, running parallel to the pace line. After many miles of rolling flat plain, we dropped off the edge of the Canada escarpment - one-thousand feet of descent over three miles to the desert below. Mesas towered over the road as we dropped through the canyons with some uphills and "The Wall" - 0.6 mile of 8-9% grade, granny gear time. After the climb, the land was rolling - long gradual descents and long gradual ascents to Tucumcari.

Deborah looked up the meaning of Tucumcari - it's either Comanche for "lookout," or from an Apache tale of Tucum and Kari - think Romeo and Juliet.

We have now biked more than 1,000 miles! Only 2,400 more to go.

The creature above is a Prairie Dog.

Riders of the day: Tom and Bob, from New Jersey. Both retired, and long time friends, they are riding to support Anchor House - a haven for abused children: http://www.anchorhouseride.org/ . Tom is the one with the moustache; Bob has a beard.

Santa Fe to Las Vegas, N.M.

2009-05-24T14:19:00.001-07:00

73 miles, 4:30 riding time, 3,693 feet of climbing, 3,523 Calories

"What goes up, must come down…"

My son, Mike, is in Santa Fe working a movie. He dropped by the hotel to see us off. What a nice surprise.

Under threatening skies, we donned our raingear and headed out of Santa Fe, climbing out of the valley. After fifteen miles, we got onto the shoulder of I-25 North for five miles. At the end of this five mile stretch, we exited the freeway, marking the end of our freeway travel!!!! The picture above shows Willie, Chris, me, and Peter checking our route sheets. No more interstates!

The rest of the day, we were on old highway 66. The highest elevation of the trip was reached at Glorietta Pass (7,500 feet above sea level); the place where the Battle of Glorietta Pass took place in 1862, during the Civil War, for control of the Santa Fe Trail.

We then enjoyed a screaming descent into Pecos (as in, "there's no law west of the Pecos, hombre"). I didn't see Judge Roy Bean, but I'm sure his spirit is there somewhere. The SAG stop was at the El Alto Bar (picture above). From there we had rolling terrain, long drops followed by steep climbs' all the way into Las Vegas. We stopped at the Dairy Queen for shakes and sandwiches before riding the remaining mile to the hotel.

Today's ride competes with the ride through Oak Creek Canyon for the prettiest day so far.

Rider of the day:

Chris is from Virginia. At 44, he's one of the youngest riders and one of the strongest. His brother just got back from a tour of duty in Iraq. Chris is riding to support Injured Marines. Semper Fi!

Santa Fe, New Mexico - rest day

2009-05-23T08:31:00.001-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend. Don't forget to pause and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can sleep safely in our beds.

Please support our sons and daughters currently in uniform by donating to the USO.

After only five days of riding since our last rest day, we have paused in Santa Fe for another breather before resuming our crossing of the continent. The Rocky Mountains are behind us and we will now descend to a more reasonable elevation, crossing into Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

It's hard to believe that only two weeks ago we were all meeting each other for the very first time at the hotel in El Segundo, CA. Where before we were strangers, we have now become close friends. We've been through a lot together, deserts, mountains, rain, winds, and miles and miles of asphalt.

The dark line on the map above shows how far we've come.

Stats so far…

12 days of riding
894 miles
58:12 hours of riding
30,853 feet of climbing
45,559 Calories burned

3 states
3 century rides
5 fl*ts
10 chocolate shakes

There are many more miles to go before we reach Boston - the adventure continues.

Albuquerque to Santa Fe, New Mexico

2009-05-22T14:51:00.001-07:00

67 miles, 5:08 riding time, 4148 feet of climb, and 3,262 Calories

Three strikes! Uphill, into the wind, and raining! More about the ride in a moment.

Last night we had dinner with Rich in Albuquerque. He gave me a New Mexico bicycle jersey! I'll post a picture of me wearing it later. In the morning, he turned up at the hotel with bagels and was standing on the side of the road screaming and ringing a cowbell as we pedaled out of town. I think he misses us.

Barbie, Jack W, and Mark left the group this morning. Hugs all around. The rest of us are going to carry their flags to Boston! It was wonderful meeting them and riding together for the past two weeks.

OK, back to the ride. When we left the hotel this morning, the skies were cloudy and threatening. The weather channel predicted a 60% chance of rain. The wind was blowing hard out of the East, the direction we were traveling. It was a hard slog out of town. I rode with Hank for a while, behind him, drafting; can you believe it, I'm drafting behind a 73 year old? Hank's an animal! It was uphill out of town and the rain began to fall. It took an hour and a half to go only sixteen miles! Even when we turned up the canyon on Route 14 north, the rain continued and the wind was in our faces, making the uphill crawl even more difficult. At one point, I looked up and saw the CR truck with several of our crew cheering us on. Who said riding uphill, against the wind, in the rain wasn't fun? There were a couple of nice downhills, but headwinds slowed our progress even then. Coming out of Madrid, we had a short downhill and then a slow, steady climb up to Santa Fe. Peter and Tom were my riding companions for the last twenty miles. It was a joy to finally reach the motel and get my chocolate shake! Tomorrow is a rest day!

Rider of the day: Tom is from Colorado. He's a graduate from Cal State Long Beach who is an economist. He has done the cross country trip with CR before. He's helping Tracy out on this trip and riding, too.

Grants to Albuquerque, NM

2009-05-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

78 less 16 = 62 miles of riding, 4 hours, 1,711 feet of ascent, and 3,200 Calories.

Lots of new things today. It was raining when we left the hotel! Part of I-40 was impassable to bicycles! We had to be ferried part of the way, around the construction on I-40!

Despite the light rain that was falling when we left Grants, it was a beautiful morning, riding along old Rt-66, within sight of I-40. Very little traffic and a smooth road surface made the first two hours go by quickly. I stopped to take a picture of this old gas station; note the old style pump. At the first SAG stop, CrossRoads loaded us and our bikes on the support vehicles and took us to a spot past the area where it would had been impossible to ride on the interstate; the freeway narrowed to one lane with no room on the shoulder for bicycles. It was a good call by CR to get everyone safely beyond the construction. It also lessened by sixteen miles the distance we were to travel on I-40; you can guess how upset I was with that! Al and I rode together the remaining 32 miles into Albuquerque and our hotel for the night. After checking in at the hotel, we joined Fred at Little Anitas for chicken burritos, which came with a side of sopaipillas! There was even honey on the table to go with the sopaipillas. For those of you who are unfortunate enough not to have ever enjoyed them, sopaipillas are a fried bread that puffs up into a little pillow; you tear off a corner and eat it with honey. Delish!!!

Each night, we have a "route rap" to go over the next day's ride. We have route sheets for each day, with detailed instructions on how to get from one hotel to the next. The sheets can be folded into quadrants and clipped to the bicycle's handelbars.

On the way through town, we passed over the Rio Grande river (isn't that redundant? River large river?).

Rider of the day: Mark is from Louisiana. Mark builds ship interiors, among other things. His pretty wife, Melissa, came along in their car, following the group. Mark is one of those great folks who is leaving us, here in Albuquerque. The others are Barbie and Jack W. Jack R is going one more day, into Santa Fe. That will leave only eighteen riders to continue this cross country adventure

Gallup to Grants, NM

2009-05-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

68 miles, 4:02 riding hours, 915 feet of ascent, 3,521 Calories

We changed time zones when we crossed into New Mexico, yesterday. (Arizona doesn't observe daylight savings.) As a result, the start for today's ride was an hour later than normal, which allowed for a much more leisurely breakfast. I guess you could call today a recovery ride. The distance was only 68 miles, with an easy, steady climb up to the Continental Divide and then downhill into Grants. Most of today was spent on Route 66, with the exception of a ten mile stretch on Interstate 40. The shoulder on I-40 was awful - very rough, potholed, and covered in loose gravel. Needless to say, we were very glad to put those miles behind us. Although tempted, we didn't tinkle on the Continental Divide sign to see which direction it would flow. I rode most of the day with Peter and got into Grants early enough to grab some chocolate milk and a sub before checking into my room. We just beat a rain storm - some of the later riders weren't as lucky.

Rider of the day - Jack W (there are two Jacks on this trip) is from Israel. He's a tri-athlete and in great shape. Unfortunately, Jack is only going as far as Albuquerque; tomorrow is his last day.

Holbrook, AZ to Gallup, NM

2009-05-19T15:24:00.001-07:00

88 miles, 5:10 riding, 1,894' climbing, 4,419 Calories
And NO FL*TS!

Last night, after my three f-words, Fred handed me a set of tire liners and said, "put these in your tires!" I graciously accepted, pulled both tires off the bicycle, inserted the liners, and put the wheels back on the bike. No fl*ts today! During the ride, I pulled three pieces of wire out of the tires that would have caused catastrophic deflation at the most importune times on the road without the liners. Fred saved my bacon today. Thanks Fred!

BTW, Fred is 67 years young and a damned strong rider. Normally a mild mannered banker from Indiana, he's one of the first people to sign in at the end of the day; he's one of the thoroughbreds.

Today's ride was from Holbrook to Gallup, New Mexico, along Interstate 40. We essentially climbed all day, although the gradient was never steep. As we neared the New Mexico state line, the topography changed from flat, high desert to red cliffs and colorful canyons. The picture above is Window rock.

Riders of the day: Karen and Hank are both from Sacramento, CA. They did not know each other before signing up for this trip even though they are both members of the Sacramento Wheelmen. Karen runs a Physical Therapy office and is a PT Asst. Hank is 73 years young, having worked for years in the plumbing supply industry - he still consults in the field. Hank is one of my "heroes." At one point, he was leading a pace line of younger riders and soon left them all in the dust. I don't know what he had for breakfast, but I should have had some, too.

Rich

2009-05-19T15:04:00.001-07:00

Rich is one of the nicest and most outgoing people I've ever met. Unfortunately, he's scheduled to leave the group in Gallup, NM. He's off to ride the Iron Horse Bike Race in Colorado. At dinner in Flagstaff, he brought some "awards." Peter and I were given Hot Wheels. Mark got a huge Kmart bike cycle seat for the "monkey butt" prize (Mark has been having some bottom issues). CrossRoads' staff member, Rick, got a Jedi knight, in honor of his touch with bicycle maintenance ("be one with the bike"). Margaret, who staffs the SAG stops and cleans up after us, was awarded a doggie-doo bag dispenser. Mack got a clothes pin (his roomie snores). Willie and Chris were given the "good sports" awards, jerseys. There were a couple of others, but this is a G-rated blog, so I won't mention them. In any case, Rich will be missed.

Flagstaff to Holbrook, AZ

2009-05-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

95 miles, 5:00 hours riding, 1,056 feet of ascent, 4,915 Calories.
THREE FL*TS!!!

"Get your kicks on Route 66."

Although Interstate 40 isn't the prettiest highway, it is way better than I-10 in California . Unfortunately, there aren't any alternatives between Flagstaff and Holbrook, but we did get to ride a little on Historic Route 66 in Winslow.

Remember the song?

"Take It Easy" - The Eagles

Well, I'm running down the road tryin' to loosen my load
I've got seven women on my mind,
Four that wanna own me, Two that wanna stone me,
One says she's a friend of mine ...

Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
and such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me ..."

I didn't see any girls in flatbed Fords, but I did get my picture taken.

The Wigwam Motel, the Jackrabbit Trading Post, and a couple of abandoned gas stations are still here! We made good time, despite my three flats (damned steel belted radials, anyway). A couple of miles from the hotel, Rich took off like a rabbit trying to beat his best time for a century ride (yes, 95 miles counts as a century by the US Cycling Federation, so it's official). He made it!

Rider of the day:

Big Al (63) from Michigan, a runner turned cyclist. Al is a world-class orienteering racer (look it up); you get a map and have to run through the woods, checking in at designated sites. So, he's as crazy as the rest of us. He joined the thoroughbreds today, finishing strong with Jack W.

Rest day in Flagstaff

2009-05-17T12:56:00.001-07:00

What do you mean, we're taking the day off? No riding? What am I supposed to do all day?

Breakfast in the hotel with the early risers.

Laundry - instead of washing out my bicycle togs in the sink, I used the washer/dryer in the hotel.

Clean the bicycle - CR has buckets, rags, degreaser, etc. available for this task.

Take a ride - I took a leisurely spin up into historic Flagstaff, visited a bicycle shop, and even found a dive store!

Eat lunch (took home the leftovers for dinner.)

Work on my blog.

Take a nap?

Eat left-overs from lunch for dinner.

Go to bed early in anticipation for tomorrow's ride on I-40.

[the rug was on the wall of the place I had lunch yesterday]

The bags supplied by CR for our clothes - we get two bags, total weight not to exceed thirty pounds. You don't need to bring much on this trip. As soon as riders arrive at their hotel, sign in, and go to their rooms, they find their bags already in the room with the A/C on full. SWEET!

Cottonwood to Flagstaff, AZ

2009-05-16T15:45:00.001-07:00

47 miles, 3:54 hours riding, 4,380 feet of climbing, and 3,287 Calories burned.

Please note the 4,380 feet of climbing! Flagstaff is 7,000 feet above sea level and we spent all day accumulating each foot of elevation. The most difficult climb was 2.2 miles of up to 8% grade to the first, and only, SAG of the day. But, it was a GREAT…no, make that FANTASTIC DAY!

We rode through picturesque Sedona and then up Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. It was a glorious day, with blue skies, puffy white clouds, cool in the canyon during the morning and very comfortable on the high plateau leading into town.

Sedona is famous for its red rocks, scenic views, spiritual flavor, and is considered to be an important nexus of the universe. I stopped to get my fortune told ("you will go far"), do a little aroma therapy (eucalyptus oil), and sit in a pyramid (to focus the universal energy). They didn't have a pyramid big enough for my bicycle, which could use some energy).

Actually, as those of you who know me have guessed, I didn't really stop, but I thought about it!

Rick, is one of the CrossRoads' staff. Normally, a mild mannered pharmacist in a small Texas town, Rick is CR's mechanic who often rides "sweep" to pick up the last riders. Today, he charged ahead to time trial up the switchbacks at the head of Oak Creek Canyon. Chris and I chased him, but neither of us could get close; both Chris and Rick beat me to the top. We had lunch together in Flagstaff before checking into the hotel.

Tomorrow is our first "rest day." I'm not sure what I will do. There's always laundry. Maybe I'll go for a bike ride. J

Prescott to Cottonwood, AZ

2009-05-15T15:36:00.001-07:00

44 miles, 3:12 riding time, 2,477 feet of ascent; 1,935 Calories

Today was a short day, so we didn't leave Prescott until 9:15. The later start made for a more relaxed morning, eating a leisurely breakfast and packing up our bags. We were warned that the hotel in Cottonwood was notorious for not making the rooms available until 3:00, so no rush to get there. I left the parking lot a little after everyone and rode at an easy pace out of town. At fifteen miles, we turned onto Route 89A and headed north into the climb in earnest. I spotted Jack R stopped beside the road; he was taking a breather and drinking some water. He asked me, if I had seen the antelope. WHAT? WHERE? There were two small herds of antelope grazing in the distance! Unfortunately, too far to get a picture with my "happy snappy." I'm so glad Jack pointed them out, I hadn't see them until then. Really cool!

As I passed the Yavapai Fair Grounds, I saw a sign saying the Jumping Cholos were having a dog agility meet this weekend. [explanatory note: My daughter, Pamela, and my good friend, Bob, run their dogs in agility contests.]

I was taking it easy, no rush to hurry into Cottonwood. I stopped to photograph some flowers and slowly ground my way up the mountain to Mingus Pass - elevation 7,023 feet. Oh, yes - I wore my St. Peter's Bicycle Club jersey today. The Palos Verdes Bike Club jersey saw daylight, yesterday.

After leaving Mingus Pass, it was all downhill into Cottonwood, seventeen miles of steep downhill and hairpin turns. It was too bad the pavement wasn't in better shape. Afraid of potholes and rough pavement, I alternately braked, left and right, to slow my descent. Part of the way off the mountain, I passed trough the picturesque town of Jerome, an old mining town that is now a tourist attraction. I had meant to stop in Jerome for lunch, but never saw any of my bike buddies, so I rolled through town and on into Cottonwood. On the left was a Sonic drive in, so I stopped for a double cheeseburger and large, chocolate shake before going on the hotel.

To answer a couple of questions: yes, we get a rest day in Flagstaff on Sunday. When someone gets a fl*t, we have a fl*t party. Unfortunately, the time it takes to change a flat is directly proportional to the number of people trying to help.

The last picture is of "rumble strips" cut into the asphalt to warn motorists if they start to run off the road. Strange the things you notice at fifteen miles per hour.

Wickenburg to Prescott, AZ

2009-05-14T14:49:00.001-07:00

60 miles, 4:27 hours of riding, 5,065 feet of climbing, 3,358 Calories

Now this is more like it! The desert in this part of Arizona is beautiful right now.

We spent the greatest part of the day climbing; experiencing the pain of "false flats," terrain that looks flat but is actually uphill, and "false peaks," when you think you are coming to the end of a long climb and discover, when you get there, that it isn't the top and the hill goes on forever. We went over one pass at 6,100 feet!

But, on the positive side, the wildflowers are in bloom and the sweet scent of pine greeted us at elevation. The last five miles were all downhill into Prescott; a great treat after climbing all morning.

Keep the comments coming! I read all of them. Pamela, get that bike out there and ride! Bob asked about the characters - Peter is a Brit who has lived in NYC for thirty years (sixty years old); Rich is a retired paramedic from New Mexico (in his forties). Both are thoroughbreds and very strong riders. Unfortunately, Rich is leaving us in Gallup, NM.

Tomorrow is a short day into Cottonwood, more climbing and false flats!

Blythe, CA to Wickenburg, AZ

2009-05-13T19:52:00.001-07:00

116 miles, 7:20 riding time, 5,774 Calories, 2580 feet of ascent
TWO FL*TS!!!!

Today was a very, very long day. After riding a century yesterday, we topped that with another century plus, today. We got back on I-10 for the crossing of the Colorado River into Arizona. Each of us has been given a small vial of California beach sand to sprinkle on the state lines; this is supposed to appease the wind fairies, assuring favorable winds on our rides. Not one to tempt fate, I dutifully poured a small portion of my sand on the Arizona state sign. We'll see if the fairies like our offerings.

The first 36 miles were on I-10, with two long climbs. We finally got off the interstate and took Route 60E through a picturesque desert. Saguaro cactus stood guard by the roadside as we climbed through the low hills, through Brenda, Salome, and Wendon (very small, very isolated little towns). At the SAG (stands for "support and gear") stop, I checked my tires and found a small piece of wire sticking out of the side wall; my first fl*t (we do not use the f-word). The SAG stop was a fortunate place to change the tube - I had shade and access to one of CR's floor pumps. Out of the stop and we started on a long, long, straight road; and I do mean long and straight.

At about the ninety mile mark, my back was beginning to ache. With another twenty-five miles to go, Peter took over and pulled Rich and me into Wickenburg. It was on this stretch that I had my second fl*t! We replaced the tube by the side of the road and rolled down into Wickenburg for the night. I have to say that Peter and Rich were real godsends; their moral support helped me enormously. Thanks, guys!

Rich was very excited - he never thought he would ever be able to do two century rides back to back - he did it with style!

Enough for tonight for tomorrow we climb!

Indio to Blythe, CA

2009-05-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

102.5 miles, 6:00 hours riding time, 5,466 calories, 2323 feet of ascent

Well, to be honest, today wasn't much fun. To get to Blythe from Indio, you have to ride on Interstate 10. It's legal for bicycles to use the freeway, if there are no other roads. We left the hotel at 7:15 am to avoid the rising sun and started the day with an eleven-mile climb. The rest of the day was spent on the highway, riding on the shoulder. Luckily, the shoulder is wide on I-10 and the truck drivers are very courteous. Unluckily, there's lots of little bits of steel wire from blown steel-belted radial tires - just waiting to ruin a cyclist's day! A few people had to pull off the road to change a tire. Oh, yes, did I mention it was one-hundred degrees in the shade? Not that there was any shade. We were briefed last night on riding across the desert - everyone carried a backpack water system and two full bottles on their bikes. Many wore white leggings and arm covers - think Lawrence of Arabia! CrossRoads set up a bunch of support stops for refills of Gatorade, water and snacks. It was a long, hot day. I'm glad that we have that behind us. Of course, tomorrow we ride an even longer day through the desert to Wickenburg, Arizona. Crossing the state line, we sprinkle some beach sand on the border to appease the wind gods…

Riverside to Indio, CA

2009-05-11T14:57:00.001-07:00

Miles 85
Feet climbed 2435
Calories 4,440
Riding time 4:48

It was cool and overcast when we left Riverside this morning. Right out of the hotel, we started off with a hill climb. It didn't take too long to get out in the country for the first time - wheat fields and cows. I'm still amazed at how much development has taken place in SoCal over the past thirty years. It was nice to be away from the traffic and stop signs. A second, longer climb was followed by what I can only describe as cyclists' heaven - downhill with a tail wind! For many miles, I was sailing along at thirty plus miles per hour without pedaling. The winds in the pass on the way to Palm Springs were perfect, not too strong and not gusting. By the time I got to Palm Springs, the temperature had reached 98 degrees. I have no previous experience in riding in the heat - it wasn't that bad. I just drank lots of fluids and kept going.

Upon reaching the hotel in Indio, I immediately went into the local, fast-food joint and ordered the biggest chocolate shake they sell. Yummy. My bike computer says I burned 4,440 Calories today, so it's OK.

Tomorrow is the big desert crossing into Blythe and our first century ride of the trip. It's going to be one-hundred degrees plus. Wish me well.

Today's pictures are ones Margaret took of the group and me on the pier in Manhattan Beach.

Manhattan Beach to Riverside, CA

2009-05-10T16:57:00.001-07:00

79 miles, 5:11 ride time, 1868 feet of climb, and 1940 calories.

At last! After many months of waiting and preparing, the journey began this morning. I didn't think I was excited, but I didn't sleep much last night. I got up before the alarm went off and went in search of a cup of coffee at 5:00 am. The breakfast buffet was at 5:30. We had been told to have our bags ready at 6:30 and be ready to depart the hotel by 7:00. I figured with a large group that the departure would be delayed, waiting for stragglers, but everyone was on time and ready to go. The CrossRoads staff had the cyclists line up in pairs, with an escort vehicle in front and one in back. We paraded through the streets of el Segundo, eventually merging onto the bike path at the beach. A short ride took us to the Manhattan Beach pier. I was met by the Palos Verdes Bike Club, one of my "Presyterian" bike buddies, my wife, daughter, grand puppies, and dear friends, the Webbs and de laneys. What a great send off. Thanks guys, I really appreciated your coming out to see me off.

Some cyclists took their bikes down to the water for a ceremonial wheel dip in the Pacific Ocean. I chose to keep my wheels salt-free, thank you. We gathered for group pictures and, after a brief pep talk by our leader Tracy, we headed east, up the short hill on Manhattan Beach Blvd.

It was a great day to ride, with overcast skies at the beach and cool conditions. The ride across Los Angeles isn't very exciting, lots of traffic even on Sunday morning and lots of lights and stop signs. The pace was good, not too fast and we covered the miles in good time. The ride up Santa Ana Canyon was very pretty - the sun was coming out and the river bike trail is great. Once we got to Riverside, our route took us on Victoria through the orange groves. Forty years ago, this is what most of Southern California looked like, too bad the groves are long gone, replaced by ticky-tacky homes.

We were into the hotel by early afternoon - time for a shower and some carbo-loading for tomorrow.

D-day minus one

2009-05-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

Less than twenty-four hours to go before we depart for Boston!

Deborah dropped me off at the hotel this morning, with my bike and two crossroads bags. I checked into my room and took my bike to the meeting room for inspection. No problems encountered with the bike - they installed a flag with my name on it. The flag will take some getting used to - I can't just throw my leg over the bar without getting the flag's pole stuck between my legs! It does make everyone easy to spot and identify on the road.

Yesterday, I rode to the hotel and met Jack, Bob, Tom, and Nancy for a ride up the coast to Santa Monica. Everyone wanted to see the infamous Venice Beach strand, with its street people. Before cell phones, this was a great place to hear people talking to themselves...common now. Southern California delived a beautiful sunny day for the out-of-towners. Normally, gloomy in May and June, yesterday was cloudless and warm.

This afternoon, we all gather for our initial briefing and tonight we dine together. Breakfast is at 5:30 am tomorrow morning before a scheduled 7:00 am departure for the Manhattan Beach Pier. Once there, some people will ceremoniously dip their rear wheels in the ocean (NOT MY WHEEL!). Lots of photo ops and then we are off, up a short hill and over the horizon...

Cousin Harry (aka three degrees of separation)

2009-05-07T12:53:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago, one of my bike buddies asked me if I was willing to sell one of my old bikes. His neighbor's English cousin was thinking about riding across the U.S. and wanted to buy a back-up bike. Cousin Harry was in town and came by the house to look at the bike, ultimately buying it. He asked me to keep it in my garage until he needed it. The following year, Harry had a knee operation and did not come to the States. Another year goes by and I still have Harry's bike in my rafters...

When the CrossRoads' roster for this year's ride was sent out, I saw Harry's name! Cousin Harry was coming on the same trip I was taking! It's a small world.

Harry got into town last weekend and today joined me for a short ride up the coast.

"It's about the bike"

2009-05-05T08:05:00.001-07:00

Lance Armstrong wrote a best seller called, "It's Not About the Bike." If you read his book, you'll discover Lance's title is deceiving; mine is not.

My bicycle for this upcoming adventure called "XC09" is a 2008 Cannondale SuperSix 1. For those of you who don't spend weekends, holidays, and the odd evening in bike shops, the SuperSix has a carbon fiber frame. Without water bottles, seat pack, pump, spare spokes, bike computers, extention arms...the bike weighs in under fifteen pounds, very light. I'm afraid to weigh the bike fully loaded for the trip. Previously, I rode Aluminum Cannondale bikes; I much prefer the carbon fiber - it's stiff and responsive, without being a harsh ride.

Only four more days to departure.

Short time

2009-05-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? It's only a week from tomorrow that the intrepid riders gather for bike inspections and orientation! I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Last Sunday, I met the other SoCal rider, Ira, for a training ride around Palos Verdes. It was good to put at least one face to a name. Since this was a training ride, we pushed ourselves. Ira's a young, strong rider and we had a great time. We stopped at the Manhattan Beach pier for a picture; this is where the fun begins. Where is everyone? Ira and I are ready to go. This week was the last hard week of training; I've started tapering off to my "normal" mileage in preparation for the "big ride."

Cast of Characters

2009-04-24T12:58:00.001-07:00

There are twenty-six riders this year; not all of them are going all the way across the country. Median age is 58. The oldest rider is 73 and the youngest is 19. They are coming from all over the United States, one from Israel, and another from the U.K. States represented are: CA(5), FL(3), NJ(2), TX(2), VA(2), NV, MO, MI, NY, IL, LA, IN, TN, and OR.

The slump in the economy may have affected the size of the group. Past numbers of riders have been in the 34-40 range; with a large group of 60 in the year 2000. Having said that, there are a couple of riders who have said they can go because they were laid off from their jobs!

The route from LA to Boston

2009-04-22T13:15:00.001-07:00

Only seventeen days until we leave on our adventure!

The map above shows our route, from L.A. to Boston. The ride will take seven weeks, including five rest days. We will average about eighty miles a day. The total distance is 3,415 miles.

Bike fitting

2009-04-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I’ve ridden a bicycle for years without getting a professional “fitting.” Big mistake!

It’s pretty typical to buy a bike at the local bike store, where the salesman nominally sets the seat height and makes a few adjustments before releasing you out the door.

Since I’m going to be spending long hours in the saddle, day after day, on our trek across the country, I made arrangements to have a fitting at one of our largest, local bike dealers. I’m glad I did.

Steve, the owner of the store and a trained professional fitter, took a variety of measurements of both the bicycle and me before putting me on the bike and video-taping my pedal motion. It seems I’ve got high arches and have been throwing my left knee outward on each rotation of the crank. Steve put some gel pads inside my bike shoes to correct the problem. He adjusted the position of my cleats, saddle and handlebars. All in all, it took more than an hour and I feel much better about my positioning on the bike.

My conditioning in preparation for the ride continues. I’ll be off the bike for a week when we go to Key West for a wedding. Only five weeks from this w/e. Our departure is getting close. Almost time to take the bike in for an overhaul.

Walter

2009-03-28T17:48:00.001-07:00

Walter has ridden his bicyle across the United States three times; his last cross-country ride was when he was eighty years old!

Walter will be 86 this year and is still going strong. He rides with the Palos Verdes Bicycle Club three or four days a week. He wanted to do the crossing again this year, but he fell in a bicycling accident in December and just isn't up to going with me.

I wore my new CrossRoads jersey on a club ride last week. Walter said he had one just like it and could I wear mine on Friday. Here's the picture of Walter and me.

Walter is my hero. I want to be him when I grow up.

Test blog

2009-03-26T14:05:00.001-07:00

This is a test of the email to blog system.

Hey! It works. You can send in your blog via email with images attached. Now that's really cool.

The above image is "art" in front of an apartment complex in Palos Verdes. The site is on a downhill.

Anticipation

2009-03-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I signed up for this year's cross-country ride more than a year ago! Of course, the waiting and planning is part of the fun, but I'm ready for this thing to get started. CrossRoad's has a ten-week training cycle that we are all trying to complete. I live in Southern California, so it's very easy for me to get out and ride. Those who live where they have that nasty white stuff must be going crazy on their indoor trainers.

Our duffle bags and CrossRoads jerseys arrived today. We have to limit our luggage (not counting the stuff we will carry on the bicycles) to thirty pounds max. I did a preliminary packing and my two bags total 17 pounds. Either I've forgotten something, or I have a great deal of leeway in what I carry. No sense in taking any more than the bare minimum. We will always be near a store and my credit card weighs next to nothing.

By the way, if you are riding across the country on a bicycle, don't bother to mention it to any non-bikers; they just don't understand. Bike riders, on the other hand, they get real excited and want to know more.

First time blog

2009-03-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm riding across the U.S., from Manhattan Beach, CA, to Boston, MA, on my bicycle!

Am I crazy? Some folks would say, yes.

I'm riding with CrossRoads Cycling - an organized tour. I'm too old to do the tent thing. With CrossRoads, all the planning has been done for me, hotels, routes, meals, etc. All I have to do is ride from one spot to the next.

Riding across the country is something I've always wanted to do, but never had the time. Now that I'm retired, I'm going for it.

We leave Los Angeles on Mother's Day, May 10 and arrive in Boston seven weeks later.

I'll post more as the departure nears. Now, I have to go out and ride and then ride some more to get in shape for the trip.