Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Bob and Crew to Assault Six Gaps!!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Three Gaps Down, Three To Go
In the March, 2007 issue of Bicycling Magazine (a shameless publication that often reads more like a manufacturer's catalog than the serious enthusiast's journal it claims to be), there was a breathless headline that read "100 Best Climbs in America (With Maps!!)". As most of you would have done, I ripped the magazine open to the lead article and quickly scanned it for familiar names....prior cycling conquests, if you will. Well, I'm not surprised to say that there was only one climb that I'd experienced ("conquered" would be way too strong- in fact, "survived" might be a better description) and that was on this summer's tour-Grand Teton Pass just outside of Jackson, WY. That is, until yesterday's ride. But first, allow me to set the stage.
One night during this past summer's cross country ride-it could have been in Manitowoc, WI-, I had decided that another dinner buffet was more than I could take and as it happened, Ralph Antolino (a fellow rider) was in a similar frame of mind. So, Ralph and I headed off to take nourishment at a Friday's or Applebee's or some such place. We had a nice leisurely dinner, during which the subject of "what's next" came up. I really hadn't given it a lot of thought, but somehow, the words "Six Gaps" came to mind and without thinking about what I might be getting myself into, I blurted out those words. Ralph locked onto them with the intensity of one of Michael Vick's pit bulls, and before the check was paid, plans were being laid down for Ralph to join me in riding the September, 2007 edition of the fabled Six Gaps Century in Dahlonega, GA.
Oh Ralph, I thought, you must realize that I was just making conversation. Why on earth would I be willing do such a notoriously cruel ride? A century ride with nearly 11,000' of climbing over six mountain passes in the southern Appalachians-well that just wouldn't be prudent. Think back to our days climbing Teton Pass, Continental Divide or Mt Rushmore- none of those days were 100 miles and they all had under 6,000' of climbing and I was in better shape then and I was whining like a little girl with a bee sting when I did those. You think I'm going to do Six Gaps? That was just the Diet Coke talking, my friend.
Well, a few weeks passed and Ralph let me know that he couldn't come to Georgia for Six Gaps (thank you Lord), but that he could be in town in two days and suggested that we do three of the six gaps. To make a long story short, my efforts to steer us to a lovely, sane ride around the lakes were pooh-pooh'ed- Ralph was locking onto Three Gaps.
And so, yesterday, Ralph flew his plane into Habersham County airport, complete with his custom built, carbon fiber Parlee bicycle (code name: "Mariah"). Following a picture perfect landing , he taxied up to my truck and climbed out of the plane wearing the Monex race kit that we often saw him in this summer. Clean shaven, looking fit as ever and wearing his signature ear-to-ear smile, Ralph had arrived and quickly let it be known that he was in no mood for a "lovely lake route"- he wanted something with an edge, something that would make Bicycling's list of the Top 100 Climbs in America. In short- Ralph wanted HOGPEN. (In fact, Hogpen Gap is one of the climbs in "Six Gaps" and is one of the climbs that Bicycling includes in it's top 100. As an aside, Neels Gap is also included in the "Top 100" and in the Six Gaps Century.)
Fast forward to Helen, GA-4:00PM on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Ralph and I set out to ride Three Gaps-first Hogpen, then Jacks, followed by Unicoi, a 41 mile ride with 4,500 vertical feet of climbing. The skies were partly cloudy, the temperature pegged at a sultry 94 degrees and the humidity was off the charts. After consulting with a trucker in Helen on where we were,
we set off- our spirits high and each of us ready for a "first". In very short order, the climb started and we pressed on the pedals for an hour and a half, ascending Hogpen (2,000' vertical, pitches up to 15% and about 10 miles in total) along the Richard Russell Scenic Byway. The road is aptly named as the scenery, when I could manage to look up, was spectacular. 
Huge views were there for the taking as we'd occasionally be treated to long looks out across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hogpen is a brute and a leg breaker- but it's a wonderful experience.
At the very top of Hogpen we stopped for a photo op and found that the spot at which we'd stopped was also where the Appalachian trail crosses the road and we could easily see where the trail picked up and then quickly disappeared into the forest. We learned that this stretch of trail (we were about 25 miles from the start of the trail), which runs along the Tennessee Valley Divide- a ridge similar to the Continental Divide- is some of the toughest hiking (perhaps "climbing" is a better description??) to be had on the entire system.
With Hogpen now written into our personal history books (and half of the day's climbing completed), I sensed that a weight had been lifted. The tone of the ride became more high spirited and though we were rained on (poured on is more like it), the following descent and the two remaining gaps seemed to fly by. The scenery continued to dazzle us, the temperature moderated mightily, the road surface was superb and the traffic was light and polite. The ride had become, in Ralph's own words- "Gah-Gah".
We finished our final climb, Unicoi Gap, at 7:30 PM, again crossing the Appalachian Trail. By now, we were quickly losing our daylight and of course both of us had bike tail lights- safely tucked away at home. At this point every car that passed us had its headlights on and we were on an unknown road with at least 10 miles to go. It was time to tuck and roll. The final miles were an E Ticket ride- a howling descent all the way into Helen. Endless switchbacks and just the right amount of downward pitch allowed us to make short work of the final miles and in about 20 minutes we'd finished the ride, pulling up to my truck as twilight settled in on Helen. Yeah baby... that's what we're talking about.
We made the short drive to The Frame's Green Acres where Ralph and I were treated to a fine dinner of grilled salmon, wild rice with toasted almonds, baked asparagus and a tomato/cucumber salsa fresh from Sherry's garden. The three of us stayed up 'til after midnight telling stories of all sorts until finally someone had sense enough to declare it was bedtime. It was a fine day indeed.
This morning we awoke to clear skies. After a nice breakfast, Ralph checked the weather and then we listened in as he filed a flight plan to Asheville, NC where he was planning to visit a client later this morning. Following "load",
refueling and a safety inspection, Ralph carefully wound his way out onto the runway. At about 9:00AM, it was "wheels up" 
and I briefly watched him climb up, turn left twice and then fly directly over the air field. I thought I saw him tip his wings as he flew past, but that could have been him trying to get one last look at Hogpen. I'll have to ask him when he comes back to ride the other three.
Ralph, I can't tell you how much Sherry and I enjoyed having you visit us. I often need to be pushed into trying new things (like Hogpen) and you were just the guy to get me to try it. You are always welcome back at Green Acres. Look forward to riding with you again......
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3MbaGJN2ioQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
One night during this past summer's cross country ride-it could have been in Manitowoc, WI-, I had decided that another dinner buffet was more than I could take and as it happened, Ralph Antolino (a fellow rider) was in a similar frame of mind. So, Ralph and I headed off to take nourishment at a Friday's or Applebee's or some such place. We had a nice leisurely dinner, during which the subject of "what's next" came up. I really hadn't given it a lot of thought, but somehow, the words "Six Gaps" came to mind and without thinking about what I might be getting myself into, I blurted out those words. Ralph locked onto them with the intensity of one of Michael Vick's pit bulls, and before the check was paid, plans were being laid down for Ralph to join me in riding the September, 2007 edition of the fabled Six Gaps Century in Dahlonega, GA.
Oh Ralph, I thought, you must realize that I was just making conversation. Why on earth would I be willing do such a notoriously cruel ride? A century ride with nearly 11,000' of climbing over six mountain passes in the southern Appalachians-well that just wouldn't be prudent. Think back to our days climbing Teton Pass, Continental Divide or Mt Rushmore- none of those days were 100 miles and they all had under 6,000' of climbing and I was in better shape then and I was whining like a little girl with a bee sting when I did those. You think I'm going to do Six Gaps? That was just the Diet Coke talking, my friend.
Well, a few weeks passed and Ralph let me know that he couldn't come to Georgia for Six Gaps (thank you Lord), but that he could be in town in two days and suggested that we do three of the six gaps. To make a long story short, my efforts to steer us to a lovely, sane ride around the lakes were pooh-pooh'ed- Ralph was locking onto Three Gaps.
And so, yesterday, Ralph flew his plane into Habersham County airport, complete with his custom built, carbon fiber Parlee bicycle (code name: "Mariah"). Following a picture perfect landing , he taxied up to my truck and climbed out of the plane wearing the Monex race kit that we often saw him in this summer. Clean shaven, looking fit as ever and wearing his signature ear-to-ear smile, Ralph had arrived and quickly let it be known that he was in no mood for a "lovely lake route"- he wanted something with an edge, something that would make Bicycling's list of the Top 100 Climbs in America. In short- Ralph wanted HOGPEN. (In fact, Hogpen Gap is one of the climbs in "Six Gaps" and is one of the climbs that Bicycling includes in it's top 100. As an aside, Neels Gap is also included in the "Top 100" and in the Six Gaps Century.)
Fast forward to Helen, GA-4:00PM on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Ralph and I set out to ride Three Gaps-first Hogpen, then Jacks, followed by Unicoi, a 41 mile ride with 4,500 vertical feet of climbing. The skies were partly cloudy, the temperature pegged at a sultry 94 degrees and the humidity was off the charts. After consulting with a trucker in Helen on where we were,
we set off- our spirits high and each of us ready for a "first". In very short order, the climb started and we pressed on the pedals for an hour and a half, ascending Hogpen (2,000' vertical, pitches up to 15% and about 10 miles in total) along the Richard Russell Scenic Byway. The road is aptly named as the scenery, when I could manage to look up, was spectacular. 
Huge views were there for the taking as we'd occasionally be treated to long looks out across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hogpen is a brute and a leg breaker- but it's a wonderful experience.At the very top of Hogpen we stopped for a photo op and found that the spot at which we'd stopped was also where the Appalachian trail crosses the road and we could easily see where the trail picked up and then quickly disappeared into the forest. We learned that this stretch of trail (we were about 25 miles from the start of the trail), which runs along the Tennessee Valley Divide- a ridge similar to the Continental Divide- is some of the toughest hiking (perhaps "climbing" is a better description??) to be had on the entire system.
With Hogpen now written into our personal history books (and half of the day's climbing completed), I sensed that a weight had been lifted. The tone of the ride became more high spirited and though we were rained on (poured on is more like it), the following descent and the two remaining gaps seemed to fly by. The scenery continued to dazzle us, the temperature moderated mightily, the road surface was superb and the traffic was light and polite. The ride had become, in Ralph's own words- "Gah-Gah".
We finished our final climb, Unicoi Gap, at 7:30 PM, again crossing the Appalachian Trail. By now, we were quickly losing our daylight and of course both of us had bike tail lights- safely tucked away at home. At this point every car that passed us had its headlights on and we were on an unknown road with at least 10 miles to go. It was time to tuck and roll. The final miles were an E Ticket ride- a howling descent all the way into Helen. Endless switchbacks and just the right amount of downward pitch allowed us to make short work of the final miles and in about 20 minutes we'd finished the ride, pulling up to my truck as twilight settled in on Helen. Yeah baby... that's what we're talking about.
We made the short drive to The Frame's Green Acres where Ralph and I were treated to a fine dinner of grilled salmon, wild rice with toasted almonds, baked asparagus and a tomato/cucumber salsa fresh from Sherry's garden. The three of us stayed up 'til after midnight telling stories of all sorts until finally someone had sense enough to declare it was bedtime. It was a fine day indeed.
This morning we awoke to clear skies. After a nice breakfast, Ralph checked the weather and then we listened in as he filed a flight plan to Asheville, NC where he was planning to visit a client later this morning. Following "load",
refueling and a safety inspection, Ralph carefully wound his way out onto the runway. At about 9:00AM, it was "wheels up" 
and I briefly watched him climb up, turn left twice and then fly directly over the air field. I thought I saw him tip his wings as he flew past, but that could have been him trying to get one last look at Hogpen. I'll have to ask him when he comes back to ride the other three.Ralph, I can't tell you how much Sherry and I enjoyed having you visit us. I often need to be pushed into trying new things (like Hogpen) and you were just the guy to get me to try it. You are always welcome back at Green Acres. Look forward to riding with you again......
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Day Forty Four-That's All Folks!
Day 44-(83 Miles)- Tuesday, July 31, 2007- Niagara Falls, NY to Henrietta, NY
Ride Update: I have now completed my cross country ride of 3,217 miles and have climbed 90,502' through eight states and one Canadian province. As a sidebar, I logged 2,300 miles in July which included seven centuries (+100 miles) and five additional rides over 90 miles.
The ride today went by at light speed. I was joined by the Millers for the entire ride, but saw many of the group along the way. Today's ride itself was pretty boring, but throughout the ride I experienced strong emotions about this incredible experience coming to an end. Do I wish I was going through to New Hampshire with my friends? Of course. I'd give anything to be able to do that. But it is not to be and I've made peace with that. So, I am glad to have finished what I set out to do.
I have enjoyed myself beyond all expectations. The ride has been more than I expected- harder, longer, prettier, and way more fun. Way, way more fun.
I have commented many times about the nearly perfect weather. Today was another day that you'd kill for. I make no apologies for doing this ride in wonderful weather. None whatsoever. And thanks to whomever was responsible.
This group of riders has been extraordinary. I hope I've made friends for life with some of these folks. Maybe we'll meet up again on our bicycles and we'll ride some more. However, I seriously doubt that any other encounter we might have will top this one. I've read people's journals from other rides in which they refer to fellow riders as "family". I thought that was hokey and overly sentimental- and I was sure that I would not feel that way. But I do. We have done things that families do together- we've eaten together, some have shared bedrooms, we've washed clothes together, laughed and fussed at each other, we've done chores as a team, and we've protected each other. If this isn't how families behave, then I don't understand what they do.
So, I'm happy to be at the end of my ride and I'm proud of what I've done. I look forward to reuniting with Sherry on Friday. It's the longest we've ever been apart and I have missed you. I am excited about spending time this week with Ron, Jack, Susie, Sara and Mom. And I also can't wait to see Kelly and meet Rizzy for the first time. And I hope that Erin, Nora, Patrick, Thomas and Courtney will all be ready to have some fun. Finally, I look forward to soon being with Nick and Jon- it's been a while, and I appreciate you guys taking care of the farm while I've been gone.
I want to say a special thanks to the following friends:
Joe, Brian and Brody at Habersham Bikes- thanks for your help in getting me ready for this adventure and for following along through the blog. I'll see you soon. And thanks for keeping Matthew away from the Cervelo.
Danny Short and Keith Campbell- I had lot's of comments from you guys and though a couple were real smart ass comments, you guys helped me to get through some of the tough days. Thanks a bunch and I look forward to seeing you soon.
The Miller Family- Thanks for taking me in and making me "Uncle Bob". I enjoyed the hours we spent together. Michael- keep killing people and eating them- it's the right thing to do.
Derek Miller- You get special thanks for sharing your food/gum, pulling me when I was beat, pushing me up hills, making me laugh, laughing at my stupid jokes and not getting pissed when I said "yeah?". Keep Ole B-1 running and watch out for chain deformities.
Joel and Allison- I really enjoyed riding with you. You guys saved me a couple of times and I appreciate it. And thanks again for lunch at Wolfgang's!! Good luck to Allison- you'll be Dr. Paine in no time.
Ralph- Learned some things from you, man. Thanks again for the book and it's lessons. I enjoyed riding with you and Gerard (gulp!!). September- Six Gaps?? Let me know. Hope Mariah treats you right.
The Three D's- Brett, Jen and Russell- I enjoyed your company so much. You are neat folks and I hope our paths cross again soon. Good luck to you. Love you Jen.
Gary- I wish I'd have gotten to know you sooner, cause you are one funny dude. We'll do some fly fishing in Madison, OK?
Rich- You were the class of the group Rich. One cool dude, for sure. Sorry about stealing Sarah from you a time or two- but what can I say? She was just a sucker for a guy with a faster bike. Take good care of Peaches.
Will - You showed me what a man with infinite patience looks like. Thank you.
Badger Bill- I will never feel guilty again eating donuts or ice cream. And I have you to thank for this. I still dream about the donuts your wife brought. Is there a cure for this?
Marianne- Thanks for making me laugh so many times. But do be careful on the rest of the trip- I don't want you to poke your eye out.
Marilyn- Thanks for showing me what courage looks like. My hat is off to you- nobody on this trip could compare to you.
Ernst - To the Governator- FOUR MORE YEARS!!! I enjoyed riding with you and thanks for making me laugh.
John and Janet- Drafting behind your tandem was a blast. Thanks so much!!
Daco, Bud and Cindy- Though we didn't ride together often, you guys graciously allowed me to suck wheel a couple times- thanks for letting me run with the big dogs!!
Max and Mark- I had some enjoyable times with you guys, but the best was the Google argument. Enjoy the rest of your ride. Max- keep the rubber side down.
And to the ABB staff- I really appreciate the work you did. This was my first supported tour, but I give you high marks for your organization and attention to detail. Thanks for making my trip a reality.
Ride Update: I have now completed my cross country ride of 3,217 miles and have climbed 90,502' through eight states and one Canadian province. As a sidebar, I logged 2,300 miles in July which included seven centuries (+100 miles) and five additional rides over 90 miles.
The ride today went by at light speed. I was joined by the Millers for the entire ride, but saw many of the group along the way. Today's ride itself was pretty boring, but throughout the ride I experienced strong emotions about this incredible experience coming to an end. Do I wish I was going through to New Hampshire with my friends? Of course. I'd give anything to be able to do that. But it is not to be and I've made peace with that. So, I am glad to have finished what I set out to do.
I have enjoyed myself beyond all expectations. The ride has been more than I expected- harder, longer, prettier, and way more fun. Way, way more fun.
I have commented many times about the nearly perfect weather. Today was another day that you'd kill for. I make no apologies for doing this ride in wonderful weather. None whatsoever. And thanks to whomever was responsible.
This group of riders has been extraordinary. I hope I've made friends for life with some of these folks. Maybe we'll meet up again on our bicycles and we'll ride some more. However, I seriously doubt that any other encounter we might have will top this one. I've read people's journals from other rides in which they refer to fellow riders as "family". I thought that was hokey and overly sentimental- and I was sure that I would not feel that way. But I do. We have done things that families do together- we've eaten together, some have shared bedrooms, we've washed clothes together, laughed and fussed at each other, we've done chores as a team, and we've protected each other. If this isn't how families behave, then I don't understand what they do.
So, I'm happy to be at the end of my ride and I'm proud of what I've done. I look forward to reuniting with Sherry on Friday. It's the longest we've ever been apart and I have missed you. I am excited about spending time this week with Ron, Jack, Susie, Sara and Mom. And I also can't wait to see Kelly and meet Rizzy for the first time. And I hope that Erin, Nora, Patrick, Thomas and Courtney will all be ready to have some fun. Finally, I look forward to soon being with Nick and Jon- it's been a while, and I appreciate you guys taking care of the farm while I've been gone.
I want to say a special thanks to the following friends:
Joe, Brian and Brody at Habersham Bikes- thanks for your help in getting me ready for this adventure and for following along through the blog. I'll see you soon. And thanks for keeping Matthew away from the Cervelo.
Danny Short and Keith Campbell- I had lot's of comments from you guys and though a couple were real smart ass comments, you guys helped me to get through some of the tough days. Thanks a bunch and I look forward to seeing you soon.
The Miller Family- Thanks for taking me in and making me "Uncle Bob". I enjoyed the hours we spent together. Michael- keep killing people and eating them- it's the right thing to do.
Derek Miller- You get special thanks for sharing your food/gum, pulling me when I was beat, pushing me up hills, making me laugh, laughing at my stupid jokes and not getting pissed when I said "yeah?". Keep Ole B-1 running and watch out for chain deformities.
Joel and Allison- I really enjoyed riding with you. You guys saved me a couple of times and I appreciate it. And thanks again for lunch at Wolfgang's!! Good luck to Allison- you'll be Dr. Paine in no time.
Ralph- Learned some things from you, man. Thanks again for the book and it's lessons. I enjoyed riding with you and Gerard (gulp!!). September- Six Gaps?? Let me know. Hope Mariah treats you right.
The Three D's- Brett, Jen and Russell- I enjoyed your company so much. You are neat folks and I hope our paths cross again soon. Good luck to you. Love you Jen.
Gary- I wish I'd have gotten to know you sooner, cause you are one funny dude. We'll do some fly fishing in Madison, OK?
Rich- You were the class of the group Rich. One cool dude, for sure. Sorry about stealing Sarah from you a time or two- but what can I say? She was just a sucker for a guy with a faster bike. Take good care of Peaches.
Will - You showed me what a man with infinite patience looks like. Thank you.
Badger Bill- I will never feel guilty again eating donuts or ice cream. And I have you to thank for this. I still dream about the donuts your wife brought. Is there a cure for this?
Marianne- Thanks for making me laugh so many times. But do be careful on the rest of the trip- I don't want you to poke your eye out.
Marilyn- Thanks for showing me what courage looks like. My hat is off to you- nobody on this trip could compare to you.
Ernst - To the Governator- FOUR MORE YEARS!!! I enjoyed riding with you and thanks for making me laugh.
John and Janet- Drafting behind your tandem was a blast. Thanks so much!!
Daco, Bud and Cindy- Though we didn't ride together often, you guys graciously allowed me to suck wheel a couple times- thanks for letting me run with the big dogs!!
Max and Mark- I had some enjoyable times with you guys, but the best was the Google argument. Enjoy the rest of your ride. Max- keep the rubber side down.
And to the ABB staff- I really appreciate the work you did. This was my first supported tour, but I give you high marks for your organization and attention to detail. Thanks for making my trip a reality.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Day Forty Three-Preparing to Dismount
Day 43- (0 Miles)- Monday, July 30, 2007- Niagara Falls, NY- Rest Day
Up at 4:30 AM, polished off my laundry by 5:15AM, early breakfast, cleaned the bike by 10:00AM. It's now 10:17 AM and I'm bored, but the tourist things hold no interest for me. Guess I'm really ready to dismount and stick a landing in Henrietta tomorrow.
I wandered around the falls with my dinner partners last night 'til about 10:30PM. While it was still light out we walked along the river, upstream from the falls and I was in awe of the power of the river.
After a cool and refreshing ice cream treat, we ambled on over to the falls. As dutiful tourists, we ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the lighted up falls and at the fireworks display, 
but a little of that goes an incredibly long way. Just prior to that I captured a photo of Mike releasing a helium balloon-his gift to the visitors at Niagara Falls- he's generous in that way.
It's now after 8:00PM and bedtime is not far off. The day was a real bore and I'm really ready to blow this pop stand. Bring on the final verse- I'm ready to sing.
Up at 4:30 AM, polished off my laundry by 5:15AM, early breakfast, cleaned the bike by 10:00AM. It's now 10:17 AM and I'm bored, but the tourist things hold no interest for me. Guess I'm really ready to dismount and stick a landing in Henrietta tomorrow.
I wandered around the falls with my dinner partners last night 'til about 10:30PM. While it was still light out we walked along the river, upstream from the falls and I was in awe of the power of the river.
After a cool and refreshing ice cream treat, we ambled on over to the falls. As dutiful tourists, we ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the lighted up falls and at the fireworks display, 
but a little of that goes an incredibly long way. Just prior to that I captured a photo of Mike releasing a helium balloon-his gift to the visitors at Niagara Falls- he's generous in that way. 
It's now after 8:00PM and bedtime is not far off. The day was a real bore and I'm really ready to blow this pop stand. Bring on the final verse- I'm ready to sing.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Day Forty Two-Back in the US of A
Day 42- (72 Miles)- Sunday, July 29, 2007- Brantford, ONT to Niagara Falls, NY (571')
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,137 miles (97% of the total) and climbed 87,852'. I have one day/80 miles remaining.
Note: My email is back up. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Interesting day. After a fitful night's sleep (I was awake from 1:30-3:00AM), and a relatively late start, I departed from breakfast alone. The morning was cool and clear and the day held that way until mid afternoon, when things finally warmed up- but not uncomfortably so. Within a few miles from the Echo Restaurant's breakfast buffet,
I heard riders approaching me and I turned to see Big Ralph and Gerard coming by. I decided to play with the big boys (these two are among the elite riders on our tour and have some impressive cycling accomplishments to their credit) and stomped on the gas, quickly falling in behind Gerard. I have ridden with both of these fine guys before and enjoy their company, but I had serious doubts as to how long I could even draft behind them. I knew full well that getting in front to pull would lead to a catastrophic melt down, so I dutifully paid homage by staying in the slipstream. That turned out to take a heroic effort on my part.
In a mile or so we were joined by John from Minnesota, who is a strong rider, but still not in the same league as our big boys. With John aboard, Ralph and Gerard taxied down the country road and in short order, lifted off-two abreast- into a brisk headwind. The wind blew the rest of the day and in spite of being in the draft, the boys hammered me into the ground- cruising along at 19 up the hills, 20-24 on the flats and who knows how fast downhill. For 35 miles, I scrapped to stay on Gerard's wheel. The hardest part came early on, as I struggled to get warmed up (I find this can take an hour or more). The middle part of the ride was the easiest for me as I finally warmed up and got reasonably comfortable. Then my comfort level began to decay, and by the sag at mile 35, I was crying "Uncle". With no real regrets, I tendered my resignation and waited for a more moderate group to join.
While waiting for a group to materialize, I was standing next to my bike, talking to a staffer and we both heard a hissing sound. In two shakes of a lambs tail, we had the noise pinned down to the Habersham Bicycle TCR Giant, that I call mine. It was my second flat of the day and with some fine help from Mike Miller, we stripped that boy down to the essentials, and had it roadworthy lickety split.
My group finally appeared-and a familiar group it was- the Millers, Gary, Max and Mark, and the Paines. Unfortunately, within a few miles we had trouble holding the group together and quickly began to lose people off the front and back.
After Derek's chain disintegrated, Joel, Allison and I formed an alliance and held that formation all the way to the Falls. Just before crossing back into the US, Joel announced that he was buying my lunch- and not just any lunch. We got a patio table at Wolfgang Pucks- for some "real food", as Allison called it. After a wonderful lunch, we jooked our way through the traffic, 
stopped for the obligatory pics at the falls- always a treat- and then inched our way across the Rainbow Bridge- our re-entry to the U.S.
Today marks the end of our fifth leg- a modest one by previous standards with only six days, 495 miles and 7300' of climbing. And with the close of this leg, we found ourselves saying goodbye to six riders- several of whom I have had the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time. We are losing Topper, Lois, Bud, Sarah, Allison, and Dave. I will miss all of them, but some have become good buds and I wish they'd have postponed this for a couple of days. I especially want to wish Allison Paine good fortunes as she starts medical school at UC Irvine in a couple of weeks. This is a really smart young lady with unlimited potential who, so far, has always been right. Good Luck Allison-I'll miss riding with you!!
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,137 miles (97% of the total) and climbed 87,852'. I have one day/80 miles remaining.
Note: My email is back up. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Interesting day. After a fitful night's sleep (I was awake from 1:30-3:00AM), and a relatively late start, I departed from breakfast alone. The morning was cool and clear and the day held that way until mid afternoon, when things finally warmed up- but not uncomfortably so. Within a few miles from the Echo Restaurant's breakfast buffet,
I heard riders approaching me and I turned to see Big Ralph and Gerard coming by. I decided to play with the big boys (these two are among the elite riders on our tour and have some impressive cycling accomplishments to their credit) and stomped on the gas, quickly falling in behind Gerard. I have ridden with both of these fine guys before and enjoy their company, but I had serious doubts as to how long I could even draft behind them. I knew full well that getting in front to pull would lead to a catastrophic melt down, so I dutifully paid homage by staying in the slipstream. That turned out to take a heroic effort on my part.In a mile or so we were joined by John from Minnesota, who is a strong rider, but still not in the same league as our big boys. With John aboard, Ralph and Gerard taxied down the country road and in short order, lifted off-two abreast- into a brisk headwind. The wind blew the rest of the day and in spite of being in the draft, the boys hammered me into the ground- cruising along at 19 up the hills, 20-24 on the flats and who knows how fast downhill. For 35 miles, I scrapped to stay on Gerard's wheel. The hardest part came early on, as I struggled to get warmed up (I find this can take an hour or more). The middle part of the ride was the easiest for me as I finally warmed up and got reasonably comfortable. Then my comfort level began to decay, and by the sag at mile 35, I was crying "Uncle". With no real regrets, I tendered my resignation and waited for a more moderate group to join.
While waiting for a group to materialize, I was standing next to my bike, talking to a staffer and we both heard a hissing sound. In two shakes of a lambs tail, we had the noise pinned down to the Habersham Bicycle TCR Giant, that I call mine. It was my second flat of the day and with some fine help from Mike Miller, we stripped that boy down to the essentials, and had it roadworthy lickety split.
My group finally appeared-and a familiar group it was- the Millers, Gary, Max and Mark, and the Paines. Unfortunately, within a few miles we had trouble holding the group together and quickly began to lose people off the front and back.
After Derek's chain disintegrated, Joel, Allison and I formed an alliance and held that formation all the way to the Falls. Just before crossing back into the US, Joel announced that he was buying my lunch- and not just any lunch. We got a patio table at Wolfgang Pucks- for some "real food", as Allison called it. After a wonderful lunch, we jooked our way through the traffic, 
stopped for the obligatory pics at the falls- always a treat- and then inched our way across the Rainbow Bridge- our re-entry to the U.S.Today marks the end of our fifth leg- a modest one by previous standards with only six days, 495 miles and 7300' of climbing. And with the close of this leg, we found ourselves saying goodbye to six riders- several of whom I have had the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time. We are losing Topper, Lois, Bud, Sarah, Allison, and Dave. I will miss all of them, but some have become good buds and I wish they'd have postponed this for a couple of days. I especially want to wish Allison Paine good fortunes as she starts medical school at UC Irvine in a couple of weeks. This is a really smart young lady with unlimited potential who, so far, has always been right. Good Luck Allison-I'll miss riding with you!!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Day Forty One-Cruisin' Through Ontario
Day 41- (64 Miles)- Saturday, July 28, 2007- London, ONT to Brantford, ONT (692')
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,065 miles (95% of the total) and climbed 86,202'. I have 152 miles/2 days remaining.
I can hear the sand running through the hour glass. With three days remaining (two ride days and a rest day in Niagara Falls), I am beginning to think about returning to LBTR - Life Before The Ride. And, as I expected, there are lots of emotions running round my head. I miss my family, Buck (our sweetheart Golden Retriever) and having a truck to run around in.
I look forward to home cooked meals that do not require a coupon, sign-in sheet or any LS (Line Standing). On the other hand, riding every day has become "what I do" and, as much as I thought otherwise, I have grown attached to my "family" on the road. Not all of them, but quite a few, are pretty cool cats, and I will miss being with them, facing the challenges of the road. This has been an incredible experience and I recommend it to anyone who's ever thought about it. It ain't perfect by a mile, but it has been a very special experience for me.
Today's route was not so special- the scenery was more rolling hills through Ontario farm country- corn, tobacco and ginseng appear to be the crops of choice. However, the group I joined worked together well and we formed a nice pace line, double when we could do so safely, and we motored along at a smart clip. The mood was light and we all worked hard to keep the chuckle factor high. We played well together.
As we have come to expect, the weather pattern did not fail to delight. Highs in the low 80's, clear skies, just a bit of humidity and very tolerable winds. I think our ride leader feels as though we should only get partial credit for our ride across country, since we've not faced the worst that's possible. I say- pound sand- rather be lucky than good. By the way, there's another America By Bicycle tour going cross country along a more central route and we hear they're getting pounded by rain. Better them.
Yesterday I got a lesson in Canadian money. They have one dollar pieces that have a picture of a Loon (a bird) on them. They're referred to as "Loonies". The two dollar pieces, which are a bit larger are referred to as....anyone?...anyone?.....they're called "Toonies". So you've got your loonies and you've got your toonies. Canadians apparently have the time to do things like this. Aren't they just cute as hell?
Speaking of all things Canadian, I've got another one. How about "Live Bait Vending Machines"? I didn't think so either, but I have by God seen one-picture submitted for your approval. Let's just pray they never lose power, shall we? This is a picture of Michael Miller who's pointing out that they dispense, not just worms, but "SPAWN" also. Got yer chilled spawn right here people. Life is good, eh?
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,065 miles (95% of the total) and climbed 86,202'. I have 152 miles/2 days remaining.
I can hear the sand running through the hour glass. With three days remaining (two ride days and a rest day in Niagara Falls), I am beginning to think about returning to LBTR - Life Before The Ride. And, as I expected, there are lots of emotions running round my head. I miss my family, Buck (our sweetheart Golden Retriever) and having a truck to run around in.
I look forward to home cooked meals that do not require a coupon, sign-in sheet or any LS (Line Standing). On the other hand, riding every day has become "what I do" and, as much as I thought otherwise, I have grown attached to my "family" on the road. Not all of them, but quite a few, are pretty cool cats, and I will miss being with them, facing the challenges of the road. This has been an incredible experience and I recommend it to anyone who's ever thought about it. It ain't perfect by a mile, but it has been a very special experience for me.Today's route was not so special- the scenery was more rolling hills through Ontario farm country- corn, tobacco and ginseng appear to be the crops of choice. However, the group I joined worked together well and we formed a nice pace line, double when we could do so safely, and we motored along at a smart clip. The mood was light and we all worked hard to keep the chuckle factor high. We played well together.
As we have come to expect, the weather pattern did not fail to delight. Highs in the low 80's, clear skies, just a bit of humidity and very tolerable winds. I think our ride leader feels as though we should only get partial credit for our ride across country, since we've not faced the worst that's possible. I say- pound sand- rather be lucky than good. By the way, there's another America By Bicycle tour going cross country along a more central route and we hear they're getting pounded by rain. Better them.
Yesterday I got a lesson in Canadian money. They have one dollar pieces that have a picture of a Loon (a bird) on them. They're referred to as "Loonies". The two dollar pieces, which are a bit larger are referred to as....anyone?...anyone?.....they're called "Toonies". So you've got your loonies and you've got your toonies. Canadians apparently have the time to do things like this. Aren't they just cute as hell?
Speaking of all things Canadian, I've got another one. How about "Live Bait Vending Machines"? I didn't think so either, but I have by God seen one-picture submitted for your approval. Let's just pray they never lose power, shall we? This is a picture of Michael Miller who's pointing out that they dispense, not just worms, but "SPAWN" also. Got yer chilled spawn right here people. Life is good, eh?
Friday, July 27, 2007
Day Forty- Oh Canada!
Day 40- (80 Miles) Friday, July 27, 2007- Port Huron, Mi to London, ONT, Canada
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,001 miles (93% of the total) and climbed 84,852'. As of today I have ridden 2,078 miles and have completed 7 centuries plus 5 rides over 90 miles in the month of July. Needless to say, this is a personal record for me. I have three more riding days left and will complete 216 more miles. I hope.
The start of today's ride was the most unusual and fun start to any ride I've ever been involved in. Following load, the riders assembled behind the motel and at 8:00AM we pulled out of the parking lot in the following sequence: Silver van, box truck, 75 riders occupying a lane and a half and all dressed in our ABB jerseys and finally, the white van. We rode slowly towards the bridge which crosses the Detroit River (connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie) and separates the US and Canada. Once we'd cleared the toll booth, we regrouped and moments later we took control of the entire bridge which had been closed to vehicular traffic.
For about five minutes our entourage was all that moved on the bridge and it was a blast to be a rider in this group. We stopped twice and dismounted to cross the "king pins"- expansion joints big enough to swallow a bike tire-and then coasted into Canadian Customs.
We'd been warned that joking was not a laughing matter here and I had every intention of playing things totally serious. However, when it was my turn, the customs person asked "Do you plan to leave anything in Canada?" Without thinking, I answered, "Just sweat". Guess I may have made a mistake, but she smiled, laughed a bit and replied, "Have a nice stay". Mister Wisenheimer dodges a bullet.
Following customs, we were free to leave and I happened to be near Bud, Cindy, Daco and Sarah again, so I grabbed a wheel and hung on. Daco was pulling like a madman- 20-22MPH- and after about 20 miles, I thought about bailing out, but hung on. I revisited the notion of dropping off about every 5 miles, but finally made it to the sag at mile 35. I
officially resigned from that group at this sag.
The Charles Schwab cookies were a hit- with several riders bitching that they weren't getting a fair share. I, on the other hand, got a fair share. Thanks again Eric!!
Sarah and I finished the ride, which was flat and windy, and I was pleased that we dodged the thunderstorms that had been in the area. I thought the ride was tough- probably harder than some of the centuries we've done. Sometimes these "little" rides can get pretty bitchy-and I am really starting to dislike flat rides- there's just no rest- just keep on pedaling.
Post Script: Tonight when I returned to the hotel from dinner, Rich asked me if I had checked the front desk for any packages. I hadn't and he suggested that I do so. The front desk had a box full of gift packages for the riders and I collected mine. Turns out that they were from Ralph Antolino and the gift was a copy of his book, "The Nine Secrets of the Ultra-Happy People". Ralph wrote a very nice, personal note in mine. I thought that this was extraordinarily nice and very classy. Thank you Ralph. Very Much.
Ride Update: I have ridden 3,001 miles (93% of the total) and climbed 84,852'. As of today I have ridden 2,078 miles and have completed 7 centuries plus 5 rides over 90 miles in the month of July. Needless to say, this is a personal record for me. I have three more riding days left and will complete 216 more miles. I hope.
The start of today's ride was the most unusual and fun start to any ride I've ever been involved in. Following load, the riders assembled behind the motel and at 8:00AM we pulled out of the parking lot in the following sequence: Silver van, box truck, 75 riders occupying a lane and a half and all dressed in our ABB jerseys and finally, the white van. We rode slowly towards the bridge which crosses the Detroit River (connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie) and separates the US and Canada. Once we'd cleared the toll booth, we regrouped and moments later we took control of the entire bridge which had been closed to vehicular traffic.
For about five minutes our entourage was all that moved on the bridge and it was a blast to be a rider in this group. We stopped twice and dismounted to cross the "king pins"- expansion joints big enough to swallow a bike tire-and then coasted into Canadian Customs.We'd been warned that joking was not a laughing matter here and I had every intention of playing things totally serious. However, when it was my turn, the customs person asked "Do you plan to leave anything in Canada?" Without thinking, I answered, "Just sweat". Guess I may have made a mistake, but she smiled, laughed a bit and replied, "Have a nice stay". Mister Wisenheimer dodges a bullet.
Following customs, we were free to leave and I happened to be near Bud, Cindy, Daco and Sarah again, so I grabbed a wheel and hung on. Daco was pulling like a madman- 20-22MPH- and after about 20 miles, I thought about bailing out, but hung on. I revisited the notion of dropping off about every 5 miles, but finally made it to the sag at mile 35. I
officially resigned from that group at this sag.The Charles Schwab cookies were a hit- with several riders bitching that they weren't getting a fair share. I, on the other hand, got a fair share. Thanks again Eric!!
Sarah and I finished the ride, which was flat and windy, and I was pleased that we dodged the thunderstorms that had been in the area. I thought the ride was tough- probably harder than some of the centuries we've done. Sometimes these "little" rides can get pretty bitchy-and I am really starting to dislike flat rides- there's just no rest- just keep on pedaling.
Post Script: Tonight when I returned to the hotel from dinner, Rich asked me if I had checked the front desk for any packages. I hadn't and he suggested that I do so. The front desk had a box full of gift packages for the riders and I collected mine. Turns out that they were from Ralph Antolino and the gift was a copy of his book, "The Nine Secrets of the Ultra-Happy People". Ralph wrote a very nice, personal note in mine. I thought that this was extraordinarily nice and very classy. Thank you Ralph. Very Much.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Day Thirty Nine-God Bless Charles Schwab
Day 39- (90 Miles)- Thursday, July 26, 2007- Birch Run, MI to Port Huron, MI (596')
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,920 miles (91% of the total). I have 4 days/295 miles remaining.
Today I received a nice surprise from Eric Cramer, my financial advisor from Charles Schwab. Eric, an accomplished bicycle racer, knew just what to send. Thanks for the cookies Eric- you da man!!
(To Ron Lau: I have noticed a dramatic change in how I feel riding long distances. And it did begin to occur after 2-3 weeks, but in my case, after 4 weeks I noticed the biggest difference. Today's ride was nearly 90 miles and it was not a big deal at all. While I was training for the ride I would have needed a day to recover from a ride like today's. But I was a girly man then.)
On Monday we put Lake Michigan at our backs and pushed off to the east-in the direction of Lake Huron, so beginning our three day march across Michigan. Today that push finally paid off, as we cruised along Lake Shore Blvd in the city of Port Huron with Lake Huron and some pretty impressive "cottages" along it's western shore to our left.
A couple of us rode through a small lakeside park and down to a public beach on Huron, where we were able see just why they call these the "Great Lakes". Might just as well been the Atlantic- these boys are mucho grande. (The picture of the lighthouse was taken from the Badger as we finished crossing Lake Michigan.)
I am still suffering from a nearly total electronic meltdown- my email stopped working about 4 days ago and the guys in New Delhi don't seem to have any answers- at least none that make sense to me. The Holiday Inn in Manitowoc seems to have permanently disposed of all of my chargers and cables that I managed to leave behind. I am powerless to do anything about either situation. Actually, I may take a cab to a Radio Shack this afternoon and try to replicate some of the battery/charger/cables that I lost.
I'm now back from Radio Shack and I did replace some, but not all of my cables. Still don't have a way to charge my camera, so I'll have to use it judiciously and hope I can find one. Also, I think I have solved my email problem, so I should be back in business.
The ride today was quite flat again and the weather was another sweetheart- temps mild, wind manageable, skies pretty much clear. The morning was foggy and humid, but we don't expect perfection. I started today's ride alone and after a few miles hopped on with Joel and Allison when they came by.
Joel complained somewhat that I was riding too fast and I guess I dropped them some- I think Allison wasn't 100% today. At the first sag, Sarah and I left together as Bud, Daco and Cindy were pulling out. So by happen chance, the five of us ended up riding together. Now I have always thought that the three of them were a bit out of my league, but maybe they were holding back today. Whatever the reason, I was able to hang on with them for the next 60 miles- and actually enjoyed the ride.
Tomorrow will be interesting- we will ride, as a group, across the bridge into Canada. They tell us that they'll close the bridge for us- that's going to be cool. Following that, we'll spend the next three days in Ontario and then cross back into the US at Niagara Falls. After that, one day to Henrietta and then I get off the Peace Train and re-enter reality. Too bad.
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,920 miles (91% of the total). I have 4 days/295 miles remaining.
Today I received a nice surprise from Eric Cramer, my financial advisor from Charles Schwab. Eric, an accomplished bicycle racer, knew just what to send. Thanks for the cookies Eric- you da man!!
(To Ron Lau: I have noticed a dramatic change in how I feel riding long distances. And it did begin to occur after 2-3 weeks, but in my case, after 4 weeks I noticed the biggest difference. Today's ride was nearly 90 miles and it was not a big deal at all. While I was training for the ride I would have needed a day to recover from a ride like today's. But I was a girly man then.)
On Monday we put Lake Michigan at our backs and pushed off to the east-in the direction of Lake Huron, so beginning our three day march across Michigan. Today that push finally paid off, as we cruised along Lake Shore Blvd in the city of Port Huron with Lake Huron and some pretty impressive "cottages" along it's western shore to our left.
A couple of us rode through a small lakeside park and down to a public beach on Huron, where we were able see just why they call these the "Great Lakes". Might just as well been the Atlantic- these boys are mucho grande. (The picture of the lighthouse was taken from the Badger as we finished crossing Lake Michigan.)I am still suffering from a nearly total electronic meltdown- my email stopped working about 4 days ago and the guys in New Delhi don't seem to have any answers- at least none that make sense to me. The Holiday Inn in Manitowoc seems to have permanently disposed of all of my chargers and cables that I managed to leave behind. I am powerless to do anything about either situation. Actually, I may take a cab to a Radio Shack this afternoon and try to replicate some of the battery/charger/cables that I lost.
I'm now back from Radio Shack and I did replace some, but not all of my cables. Still don't have a way to charge my camera, so I'll have to use it judiciously and hope I can find one. Also, I think I have solved my email problem, so I should be back in business.
The ride today was quite flat again and the weather was another sweetheart- temps mild, wind manageable, skies pretty much clear. The morning was foggy and humid, but we don't expect perfection. I started today's ride alone and after a few miles hopped on with Joel and Allison when they came by.
Joel complained somewhat that I was riding too fast and I guess I dropped them some- I think Allison wasn't 100% today. At the first sag, Sarah and I left together as Bud, Daco and Cindy were pulling out. So by happen chance, the five of us ended up riding together. Now I have always thought that the three of them were a bit out of my league, but maybe they were holding back today. Whatever the reason, I was able to hang on with them for the next 60 miles- and actually enjoyed the ride.Tomorrow will be interesting- we will ride, as a group, across the bridge into Canada. They tell us that they'll close the bridge for us- that's going to be cool. Following that, we'll spend the next three days in Ontario and then cross back into the US at Niagara Falls. After that, one day to Henrietta and then I get off the Peace Train and re-enter reality. Too bad.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Day Thirty Eight- The World is Flat
Day 38- (75 Miles)- Wednesday, July 25, 2007- Mt. Pleasant, MI to Birch Run, MI (635')
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,832 miles which is 88% of the total. I have 382 miles/5 days remaining.
In Tom Friedman's book, "The World is Flat" he talks about how the process off globalization is leveling the playing field between first world and second world countries, like India and China, allowing them to become serious players in global supply chains. When I say the world is flat, I mean that it's really flat. At least that's what I found today as we rode through central Michigan- there ain't a hill out there.
I find that in order for an area to be considered scenic, it's very tough to do that when things are flat. So, in my humble opinion, what we're dealing with here in good old central Michigan is an area that is the plain Jane of the ride across the US. Not butt ugly, but not much going for it either.
Today we covered about 75 miles and got a late start. I decided to accompany Gary today and tried to give him a hand easing back into riding. He bailed out yesterday after 30 miles and was diagnosed with some kind of asthma. Joel checked him out and wrote him a script for some kind of drug, which Gary took last night. He thought he was at about 80% today and he rode pretty well. We put the cruise control on a medium setting and really took our time, stopping for donuts in Alma, MI and again for sandwiches in some little burg at about 11:00AM. We stopped for water at about mile 62 and spent a half hour watching some ants deal with a WD-40 roadblock that Jim made. Wow- easily amused/distracted or what?
I still haven't recovered my chargers and cables, even though I called the hotel again. My friend Ralph recovered a lost article from the same hotel, so I know they can do it- but I don't think I talked to the same person and finding someone who gives a crap about solving somebody's problem is so hard to do.
Speaking of people who are incapable of doing the right thing- I am sure my email is hosed up agaim. I swear- when I get back I am changing email providers because HUGHES SUCKS.
Sorry to not have pictures again today- but that's the problem with losing those cables and not having a car to get new ones.
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,832 miles which is 88% of the total. I have 382 miles/5 days remaining.
In Tom Friedman's book, "The World is Flat" he talks about how the process off globalization is leveling the playing field between first world and second world countries, like India and China, allowing them to become serious players in global supply chains. When I say the world is flat, I mean that it's really flat. At least that's what I found today as we rode through central Michigan- there ain't a hill out there.
I find that in order for an area to be considered scenic, it's very tough to do that when things are flat. So, in my humble opinion, what we're dealing with here in good old central Michigan is an area that is the plain Jane of the ride across the US. Not butt ugly, but not much going for it either.
Today we covered about 75 miles and got a late start. I decided to accompany Gary today and tried to give him a hand easing back into riding. He bailed out yesterday after 30 miles and was diagnosed with some kind of asthma. Joel checked him out and wrote him a script for some kind of drug, which Gary took last night. He thought he was at about 80% today and he rode pretty well. We put the cruise control on a medium setting and really took our time, stopping for donuts in Alma, MI and again for sandwiches in some little burg at about 11:00AM. We stopped for water at about mile 62 and spent a half hour watching some ants deal with a WD-40 roadblock that Jim made. Wow- easily amused/distracted or what?
I still haven't recovered my chargers and cables, even though I called the hotel again. My friend Ralph recovered a lost article from the same hotel, so I know they can do it- but I don't think I talked to the same person and finding someone who gives a crap about solving somebody's problem is so hard to do.
Speaking of people who are incapable of doing the right thing- I am sure my email is hosed up agaim. I swear- when I get back I am changing email providers because HUGHES SUCKS.
Sorry to not have pictures again today- but that's the problem with losing those cables and not having a car to get new ones.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Daty Thirty Seven- Boogity Boogity
Day 37- (115 Miles)- Tuesday, July 24, 2007-Ludington, MI to Mt. Pleasant, MI (761')
Notice: I think my email is down and has been for a couple of days. I'm not getting any email, so if you're trying to reach me- so sorry. I'm going to shop for a new email provider when I get back on Earth. Bob.
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,787 miles (87% of the total). I have 457 miles and 6 days remaining. (A real pittance).
Today was our first riding day in Michigan and our re-entry into the Eastern Time Zone- in my view, the one true time zone. I know that others believe that their zones are THE CHOSEN ONE, but I'm tellin' ya- the good old EST is the best.
Anyway, the hassle factor yesterday was off the charts as it included some of my very Least Favorite Activities (LFA's). Those include: Waiting in Lines, Crowd Participation, Crappy Food Eating, Being Lost in a Dumpy City, Sitting in a Hot Room and Listening to Morons Talk. So after hours of doing these LFA's, I was ready to choke someone or at a minimum, something.
Today's wake up came at 5:00AM (or 4:00AM in CST, which experts generally agree is the second best time zone). It seemed like I had to go at 90 MPH, to get ready and by 6:30AM, I was loaded and ready to pounce on the pedals. I was in a mood to vent my hostility and to really put a beating on the bike. Starting out alone, I waited for someone interesting to come up and before long Rich and Sarah moseyed on by. I quickly fell in behind them and chatted up Rich for a while. By mile 15 or so I wanted to release additional energy and started apply a bit more pressure to the cranks. By the first sag at about mile 30, Rich had fallen back, but Sarah was ready to trade pulls with me, so off we went.
I pushed myself harder today than at any other time on this ride. Granted the conditions favored a fast pace- temps were very cool, skies overcast, and the hills were negligible. On top of that, we were, at times, pushed along by a bit of a tailwind. Still, there were rollers and we climbed about 2,500 feet in 115 miles, so it wasn't totally flat. But Sarah and I were clipping along at a very brisk pace- at times 20-22 MPH, through about mile 85 and our third sag, where we picked up Derek. Our pace continued, maybe even increased, once he joined us.
At mile 90, we hit an unexpected bit of road construction and decided to cowboy up and ride the gravel. The gravel was worse (looser and deeper) than the 6 mile stretch we'd ridden a week or so ago, but it was, mercifully, much shorter- only about a mile. Once we finished that, the rockin' and rollin' continued. Derek stopped at one point to take a shot of a beautiful old fieldstone church and Sarah and I rode on. He apparently felt slighted that we didn't wait and when he eventually caught us, he breezed on by and wouldn't let me catch him. I'd try, but the boy is strong and he'd just muscle down the road, keeping his distance from me, til I'd quit pushing and then he'd slow down. We played cat and mouse until about mile 105 or so, when he finally grinned and let me know he was done with the game and let me catch him. I bought his lunch and Max and Edna's deli/bakery in Mt. Pleasant. After lunch we rambled on to the Baymont Inn- our home for the next twelve hours.
Sarah was good company today and we talked about horses and farms and bird dogs and all such things. We also talked some about bicycle touring and hiking, which she's into. I fact, she talked about doing a 40 mile hike in a day, which struck me as measurably crazier than what we're doing- and I think she'd agree. She'd had a farm at one point in her life and had dressage and three day horses. She and her family had Brittanies and she knew a bit about field trialing and walking horses, so it was nice to not have to draw pictures to explain what that's all about.
I have had a fear since starting the ride that I was going to misplace my cables and by god, I think I did it. I had developed a very good routine for using and repacking the cables. However, I cannot find the cables and chargers for my camera, iPod and bike computer. Good news is that there are only six more days to ride, but for now, my Garmin computer is dead and I have will limited use of my camera and cell phone. Called the hotel that I think I left them and they can't find them- what a surprise. I may be able to replace the cell phone cable and borrow a Garmin charging cable, but charging the camera or iPod and uploading pics is over. Royally pisses me off.
Notice: I think my email is down and has been for a couple of days. I'm not getting any email, so if you're trying to reach me- so sorry. I'm going to shop for a new email provider when I get back on Earth. Bob.
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,787 miles (87% of the total). I have 457 miles and 6 days remaining. (A real pittance).
Today was our first riding day in Michigan and our re-entry into the Eastern Time Zone- in my view, the one true time zone. I know that others believe that their zones are THE CHOSEN ONE, but I'm tellin' ya- the good old EST is the best.
Anyway, the hassle factor yesterday was off the charts as it included some of my very Least Favorite Activities (LFA's). Those include: Waiting in Lines, Crowd Participation, Crappy Food Eating, Being Lost in a Dumpy City, Sitting in a Hot Room and Listening to Morons Talk. So after hours of doing these LFA's, I was ready to choke someone or at a minimum, something.
Today's wake up came at 5:00AM (or 4:00AM in CST, which experts generally agree is the second best time zone). It seemed like I had to go at 90 MPH, to get ready and by 6:30AM, I was loaded and ready to pounce on the pedals. I was in a mood to vent my hostility and to really put a beating on the bike. Starting out alone, I waited for someone interesting to come up and before long Rich and Sarah moseyed on by. I quickly fell in behind them and chatted up Rich for a while. By mile 15 or so I wanted to release additional energy and started apply a bit more pressure to the cranks. By the first sag at about mile 30, Rich had fallen back, but Sarah was ready to trade pulls with me, so off we went.
I pushed myself harder today than at any other time on this ride. Granted the conditions favored a fast pace- temps were very cool, skies overcast, and the hills were negligible. On top of that, we were, at times, pushed along by a bit of a tailwind. Still, there were rollers and we climbed about 2,500 feet in 115 miles, so it wasn't totally flat. But Sarah and I were clipping along at a very brisk pace- at times 20-22 MPH, through about mile 85 and our third sag, where we picked up Derek. Our pace continued, maybe even increased, once he joined us.
At mile 90, we hit an unexpected bit of road construction and decided to cowboy up and ride the gravel. The gravel was worse (looser and deeper) than the 6 mile stretch we'd ridden a week or so ago, but it was, mercifully, much shorter- only about a mile. Once we finished that, the rockin' and rollin' continued. Derek stopped at one point to take a shot of a beautiful old fieldstone church and Sarah and I rode on. He apparently felt slighted that we didn't wait and when he eventually caught us, he breezed on by and wouldn't let me catch him. I'd try, but the boy is strong and he'd just muscle down the road, keeping his distance from me, til I'd quit pushing and then he'd slow down. We played cat and mouse until about mile 105 or so, when he finally grinned and let me know he was done with the game and let me catch him. I bought his lunch and Max and Edna's deli/bakery in Mt. Pleasant. After lunch we rambled on to the Baymont Inn- our home for the next twelve hours.
Sarah was good company today and we talked about horses and farms and bird dogs and all such things. We also talked some about bicycle touring and hiking, which she's into. I fact, she talked about doing a 40 mile hike in a day, which struck me as measurably crazier than what we're doing- and I think she'd agree. She'd had a farm at one point in her life and had dressage and three day horses. She and her family had Brittanies and she knew a bit about field trialing and walking horses, so it was nice to not have to draw pictures to explain what that's all about.
I have had a fear since starting the ride that I was going to misplace my cables and by god, I think I did it. I had developed a very good routine for using and repacking the cables. However, I cannot find the cables and chargers for my camera, iPod and bike computer. Good news is that there are only six more days to ride, but for now, my Garmin computer is dead and I have will limited use of my camera and cell phone. Called the hotel that I think I left them and they can't find them- what a surprise. I may be able to replace the cell phone cable and borrow a Garmin charging cable, but charging the camera or iPod and uploading pics is over. Royally pisses me off.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Day Thirty Six- The Non Rest Day
Day 36- (15 miles)- Monday, July 23, 2007- Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI
It is 9:00Pm and I just walked into my hotel room. I left my hotel room in Manitowoc (Wisconsin's arm pit) at about 8:30 and have been moving ever since.
This was billed as a rest day, and though it was not a day of physical exertion, there was virtually zero opportunity to do the wifely chores that one must do on a trip of this nature. 
Like wash the clothes, get the cash, clean the chain, and so on.
So the post will be brief today, I'll add pictures later IF I feel like it (yes, I'm in a bit of a pissy mood- and no I will not explain- it's none of your business- maybe later), and I will then try to salvage something of this non rest day.
The big entry on the to do list today was to get on the SS Badger and ride across Lake Michigan. That turned out to take all freaking day. It was the kind of crowd that you'd see at the state fair. Just a smidgeon above the county fair crowd, but not really a Disneyworld group. Maybe Pigeon Forge- yeah that's just about right. The ship could have been right out of Noah's Ark era, coal powered if you can believe that. Heavy duty steel ship, complete with a bingo parlour. Anyway, we finally got into Michigan, ate dinner, consumed our second ice cream dosage of the day and then rode about 5 miles to the hotel.
Before starting the Badger activities, we toured downtown Manitowoc and wandered into a submarine museum.
Manitowoc was the site of a large sub shipyard during WW2 and the museum was very nice. Had a nice chat with a woman who's husband was stationed on the sub on display there. He's written an account of his missions while assigned to the sub and that was interesting.
I've had it- going to bed. May write more tomorrow, but I doubt it. We have a century ride tomorrow in a plus size- think it's 115 miles. Oh boy.
It is 9:00Pm and I just walked into my hotel room. I left my hotel room in Manitowoc (Wisconsin's arm pit) at about 8:30 and have been moving ever since.
This was billed as a rest day, and though it was not a day of physical exertion, there was virtually zero opportunity to do the wifely chores that one must do on a trip of this nature. 
Like wash the clothes, get the cash, clean the chain, and so on.So the post will be brief today, I'll add pictures later IF I feel like it (yes, I'm in a bit of a pissy mood- and no I will not explain- it's none of your business- maybe later), and I will then try to salvage something of this non rest day.
The big entry on the to do list today was to get on the SS Badger and ride across Lake Michigan. That turned out to take all freaking day. It was the kind of crowd that you'd see at the state fair. Just a smidgeon above the county fair crowd, but not really a Disneyworld group. Maybe Pigeon Forge- yeah that's just about right. The ship could have been right out of Noah's Ark era, coal powered if you can believe that. Heavy duty steel ship, complete with a bingo parlour. Anyway, we finally got into Michigan, ate dinner, consumed our second ice cream dosage of the day and then rode about 5 miles to the hotel.
Before starting the Badger activities, we toured downtown Manitowoc and wandered into a submarine museum.
Manitowoc was the site of a large sub shipyard during WW2 and the museum was very nice. Had a nice chat with a woman who's husband was stationed on the sub on display there. He's written an account of his missions while assigned to the sub and that was interesting.
I've had it- going to bed. May write more tomorrow, but I doubt it. We have a century ride tomorrow in a plus size- think it's 115 miles. Oh boy.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Day Thirty Five-Angels of Mercy
Day 35- (57 Miles)- Sunday, July 22, 2007- Fond du Lac, WI to Manitowoc, WI (595')
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,635 miles (82% of the total), climbed 80,492'. I have 572 miles/7 days left to go.
Today's ride was uneventful, pleasant enough and short- just 57 miles. The route took us through rolling hills and corn and dairy operations as we polished off what remained of eastern Wisconsin. At the end of the abbreviated day (and following a civilized 9:00AM start time) we were deposited in Manitowoc- on the western shores of Lake Michigan.
We actually hit the lake shore about 10 miles south of town and skirted along the edge of the lake-still a ways in the distance.
The riders were anxious to get started this morning as there was an hour delay between the end of breakfast and load time. So by 9:00, the horses were ready to leave the barn and polish off the "junior" ride we had in front of us. The weather was a carbon copy of yesterday- mild temps, 90% sunshine, low humidity- just plain perfect.
Following a 300' climb at mile 5, the Millers and I did the rollers and then I noticed that Mike had ridden off and I decided to find him. After passing several riders and small groups I found that he was drafting Jim and Dotties tandem and with some considerable effort, I finally caught them. After hanging on behind Mike, I found out why it took an effort to get to them- these fools were storming- especially on the downhills. The tandem would crest a hill and then like a runaway dumptruck, it would accelerate downhill. I had to work to get the early jump going downhill and then had to put some effort into staying on their tail going downhill- but man we were scootin'.
After a rest stop, the Millers reformed with Joel, Allison, Gary and me and we proceeded to catch a tailwind, use it to our full advantage and to drop Gary, who was a) back among us, and b) sick. At the sag at mile 30, I suggested that we help Gary and with all in agreement, we slowed the motors down and the Angels of Mercy pulled him into Manitowoc. Gary declined our offer of Meals on Wheels.
Tomorrow, technically a rest day, is the end of Wisconsin, our ferry ride across Lake Michigan and our entry to Michigan. We'll ride about 7 miles and start late at that, but access to bike shops, laundry facilities and the like are nil. The ferry ride will be interesting, but I suspect I'll be bored to tears. The following day, the start of my final full leg, will be a long one- 117 miles and our last century. The climbing is over for me, so headwinds and heat are the only boogie men I need to worry about.
I continue to feel great- no health issues at this point and I am confident that, barring a mishap, this ride is in the bag.
Ride Update: I have ridden 2,635 miles (82% of the total), climbed 80,492'. I have 572 miles/7 days left to go.
Today's ride was uneventful, pleasant enough and short- just 57 miles. The route took us through rolling hills and corn and dairy operations as we polished off what remained of eastern Wisconsin. At the end of the abbreviated day (and following a civilized 9:00AM start time) we were deposited in Manitowoc- on the western shores of Lake Michigan.
We actually hit the lake shore about 10 miles south of town and skirted along the edge of the lake-still a ways in the distance.The riders were anxious to get started this morning as there was an hour delay between the end of breakfast and load time. So by 9:00, the horses were ready to leave the barn and polish off the "junior" ride we had in front of us. The weather was a carbon copy of yesterday- mild temps, 90% sunshine, low humidity- just plain perfect.
Following a 300' climb at mile 5, the Millers and I did the rollers and then I noticed that Mike had ridden off and I decided to find him. After passing several riders and small groups I found that he was drafting Jim and Dotties tandem and with some considerable effort, I finally caught them. After hanging on behind Mike, I found out why it took an effort to get to them- these fools were storming- especially on the downhills. The tandem would crest a hill and then like a runaway dumptruck, it would accelerate downhill. I had to work to get the early jump going downhill and then had to put some effort into staying on their tail going downhill- but man we were scootin'.
After a rest stop, the Millers reformed with Joel, Allison, Gary and me and we proceeded to catch a tailwind, use it to our full advantage and to drop Gary, who was a) back among us, and b) sick. At the sag at mile 30, I suggested that we help Gary and with all in agreement, we slowed the motors down and the Angels of Mercy pulled him into Manitowoc. Gary declined our offer of Meals on Wheels.
Tomorrow, technically a rest day, is the end of Wisconsin, our ferry ride across Lake Michigan and our entry to Michigan. We'll ride about 7 miles and start late at that, but access to bike shops, laundry facilities and the like are nil. The ferry ride will be interesting, but I suspect I'll be bored to tears. The following day, the start of my final full leg, will be a long one- 117 miles and our last century. The climbing is over for me, so headwinds and heat are the only boogie men I need to worry about.
I continue to feel great- no health issues at this point and I am confident that, barring a mishap, this ride is in the bag.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Day Thirty Four- A Nice Saturday Ride
Day 34- (84 Miles)- Saturday, July 21, 2007- Wisconsin Dells, WI to Fond du Lac, WI
Ride Update: I've now ridden 2,588 miles (80% completed), climbed 79,182' and have 8 more riding days remaining.
Today's ride was a pretty one. Nothing breathtaking about it, but pretty decent roads, no climbs worth discussing. We were on rural county roads with decent shoulders and light traffic. There were several cutsey small towns like Packwaukee ( hey Wisconsin, you came up with one good town using the "aukee" ending- isn't that sufficient?), and Monticello. Monticello had a really cute falls- and they didn't try to oversell it like those people in Sioux Falls did either- and one of the busiest convenience store/gas stations I've ever seen. For chrissake, the line to the toilet was 20 people. Fortunately, there was a porta john out behind the store, but man, the smell was a doosey. The store had a pretty good donut selection and the smart riders doubled down on those bad boys.
The weather was right out of the Chamber of Commerce brochure again. Absolutely gorgeous day- high around 80, 95% sunny, light winds and no humidity at all. Man, somebody on this trip did something right. I have never seen a string of great weather days like this.
At lunch today, I was thinking about my ride today and the kind of physical condition that I've gotten into. Our pace today was varied- sometimes we'd poke along and other times we were sprinting uphill or to a town limit sign. What's cool is how rapidly I recover now from a serious output like that- just a minute to catch my breath and do it again. I have no muscle soreness and can pretty much just ride all day- easily 6 to 8 hours. We've ridden now for six days since our day off in Sioux Falls and have covered about 560 miles since Monday- an average of 93 miles a day. And I feel great.
Tomorrow will be a short day- I think under 60 miles and then we'll have a quasi-rest day and a ferry ride across Lake Michigan. That sets up my last full leg across Michigan and Ontario and into Niagara Falls. After that, one day into Henrietta and I get off the train. Good news/bad news.
Now I've been debating on whether to include this last entry, but since I know Mike Miller will beat me to it, I guess it can't be avoided. The Millers and I stopped for lunch at an Arby's today. There was a family seated behind us and Mike noticed that they had a wedding veil hung over one of the seats and was giggling like a third grader about what the story might be. Try as I might to stop him, he asked them what was going on. As I'm trying to get out of the store, he says "Hey Bob, look at this".
The woman is standing next to him with a T-shirt that had been hand printed with these words, "I was engaged to a psychopath and all I got was this t-shirt". Turns out that she was supposed to have gotten married today, but she'd found out that he was a nut case and called it off. I decided that it would be fun to pose with her. Lot a laughs, she thought it was fun, Mike put it up on his web site. End of story. Honest. Really.
Ride Update: I've now ridden 2,588 miles (80% completed), climbed 79,182' and have 8 more riding days remaining.
Today's ride was a pretty one. Nothing breathtaking about it, but pretty decent roads, no climbs worth discussing. We were on rural county roads with decent shoulders and light traffic. There were several cutsey small towns like Packwaukee ( hey Wisconsin, you came up with one good town using the "aukee" ending- isn't that sufficient?), and Monticello. Monticello had a really cute falls- and they didn't try to oversell it like those people in Sioux Falls did either- and one of the busiest convenience store/gas stations I've ever seen. For chrissake, the line to the toilet was 20 people. Fortunately, there was a porta john out behind the store, but man, the smell was a doosey. The store had a pretty good donut selection and the smart riders doubled down on those bad boys.
The weather was right out of the Chamber of Commerce brochure again. Absolutely gorgeous day- high around 80, 95% sunny, light winds and no humidity at all. Man, somebody on this trip did something right. I have never seen a string of great weather days like this.
At lunch today, I was thinking about my ride today and the kind of physical condition that I've gotten into. Our pace today was varied- sometimes we'd poke along and other times we were sprinting uphill or to a town limit sign. What's cool is how rapidly I recover now from a serious output like that- just a minute to catch my breath and do it again. I have no muscle soreness and can pretty much just ride all day- easily 6 to 8 hours. We've ridden now for six days since our day off in Sioux Falls and have covered about 560 miles since Monday- an average of 93 miles a day. And I feel great.
Tomorrow will be a short day- I think under 60 miles and then we'll have a quasi-rest day and a ferry ride across Lake Michigan. That sets up my last full leg across Michigan and Ontario and into Niagara Falls. After that, one day into Henrietta and I get off the train. Good news/bad news.
Now I've been debating on whether to include this last entry, but since I know Mike Miller will beat me to it, I guess it can't be avoided. The Millers and I stopped for lunch at an Arby's today. There was a family seated behind us and Mike noticed that they had a wedding veil hung over one of the seats and was giggling like a third grader about what the story might be. Try as I might to stop him, he asked them what was going on. As I'm trying to get out of the store, he says "Hey Bob, look at this".
The woman is standing next to him with a T-shirt that had been hand printed with these words, "I was engaged to a psychopath and all I got was this t-shirt". Turns out that she was supposed to have gotten married today, but she'd found out that he was a nut case and called it off. I decided that it would be fun to pose with her. Lot a laughs, she thought it was fun, Mike put it up on his web site. End of story. Honest. Really.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Day Thirty Three-Ridin' the Rails to Trails
Day 33- Friday, July 20, 2007- (92 Miles)- La Crosse, WI to Wisconsin Dells, WI (899')
Ride Stats: 2,452 miles ridden (77% completed), 76,592' climbed, 9 days/730 miles remaining.
The days are melting away and in a very short period of time I'll be sitting on my couch wondering what happened to June and July. In the meantime, when the alarm went off this morning at 5:00AM, I nearly jumped the fence and went AWOL. Did not want to ride. I felt OK, but the routine is starting to get a bit tedious. I'm sure you've all seen "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray- well I keep expecting to hear Sonny and Cher signing "I Got You Babe" every morning. This week has been a real grind for us as we've ridden 472 miles since Monday and thats an average of nearly 95 miles per day for five days in a row. While we didn't get our fourth consecutive century in today, you get the picture.
Today's ride was 92 miles long and the weather was beautiful
(temps around 80, low humidity, blue skies) until about 2:00PM when the wind kicked up and about half the time it was running straight at us. We started the ride in very cool temps-low 50's- and clear skies and rolled over the farm country hills until about mile 30 when we dropped onto a very nice "Rails to Trails". For you non-riders this is a bike and running path that is a converted rail line. The surface was crushed limestone and it was in good condition. This surface is very ridable- not as nice as smooth asphalt- but it beats the hell out of some of the highways we've been on. The other benefits are that the grade rarely exceeds 3% and the path is usually shaded. So its a nice, albeit slow, way to cover some ground- about 30 miles in our case today. 
Since trains don't do hills so well, they often are the beneficiaries of tunnels. We rode through three significant tunnels from .25 mile to .75 miles in length. We'd have to dismount and use flashlights to find our way thru the tunnels- thought my claustrophobia would turn me into a quivering mess, but I cowboyed up and walked on through. These tunnels were big enough for a single train- fairly wide, but really tall. The ceilings were dripping water continually and there were trenches on both sides of the path to channel the water out. They also had huge doors on the ends- for what reason I cannot say for sure, but I heard a local talking about how those doors used to be manned and opened when a train approached.
The local folks put on a sag for us at one of the depots still standing along the path. There was a guy named "Ben Bikin"
dressed in period costume, riding a big wheeled bike than several riders got on and wheeled around. Theyy had a US map and invited us to stick a push pin in our hometowns. Got one dead centered on Toccoa, GA.
Our friend Gary's wife drove from their home in Madison to La Crosse last night. This morning she appeared at a road crossing on the trail at about mile 40 and we all stopped and had ice cream in various forms at a local sandwich shop. Gary had planned to ride a good bit further before heading home for a party. He got that far away look in his face as we were eating and I asked him if was planning to do what I would do in his place (bail out immediately) and he said, "Yeah, I think so". So Gary went AWOL and headed for civilization. I am very jealous. I don't think we'll ever see Gary again- man I miss him.
Ride Stats: 2,452 miles ridden (77% completed), 76,592' climbed, 9 days/730 miles remaining.
The days are melting away and in a very short period of time I'll be sitting on my couch wondering what happened to June and July. In the meantime, when the alarm went off this morning at 5:00AM, I nearly jumped the fence and went AWOL. Did not want to ride. I felt OK, but the routine is starting to get a bit tedious. I'm sure you've all seen "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray- well I keep expecting to hear Sonny and Cher signing "I Got You Babe" every morning. This week has been a real grind for us as we've ridden 472 miles since Monday and thats an average of nearly 95 miles per day for five days in a row. While we didn't get our fourth consecutive century in today, you get the picture.
Today's ride was 92 miles long and the weather was beautiful
(temps around 80, low humidity, blue skies) until about 2:00PM when the wind kicked up and about half the time it was running straight at us. We started the ride in very cool temps-low 50's- and clear skies and rolled over the farm country hills until about mile 30 when we dropped onto a very nice "Rails to Trails". For you non-riders this is a bike and running path that is a converted rail line. The surface was crushed limestone and it was in good condition. This surface is very ridable- not as nice as smooth asphalt- but it beats the hell out of some of the highways we've been on. The other benefits are that the grade rarely exceeds 3% and the path is usually shaded. So its a nice, albeit slow, way to cover some ground- about 30 miles in our case today. 
Since trains don't do hills so well, they often are the beneficiaries of tunnels. We rode through three significant tunnels from .25 mile to .75 miles in length. We'd have to dismount and use flashlights to find our way thru the tunnels- thought my claustrophobia would turn me into a quivering mess, but I cowboyed up and walked on through. These tunnels were big enough for a single train- fairly wide, but really tall. The ceilings were dripping water continually and there were trenches on both sides of the path to channel the water out. They also had huge doors on the ends- for what reason I cannot say for sure, but I heard a local talking about how those doors used to be manned and opened when a train approached.
The local folks put on a sag for us at one of the depots still standing along the path. There was a guy named "Ben Bikin"
dressed in period costume, riding a big wheeled bike than several riders got on and wheeled around. Theyy had a US map and invited us to stick a push pin in our hometowns. Got one dead centered on Toccoa, GA.
Our friend Gary's wife drove from their home in Madison to La Crosse last night. This morning she appeared at a road crossing on the trail at about mile 40 and we all stopped and had ice cream in various forms at a local sandwich shop. Gary had planned to ride a good bit further before heading home for a party. He got that far away look in his face as we were eating and I asked him if was planning to do what I would do in his place (bail out immediately) and he said, "Yeah, I think so". So Gary went AWOL and headed for civilization. I am very jealous. I don't think we'll ever see Gary again- man I miss him.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Day Thrity Two- A Triple Lindy
Day 32- (100 Miles)- Thursday, July 19, 2007- Rochester, MN to La Crosse, WI (640')
In the movie "Back to School", Rodney Dangerfield's character performs a dive from the 10 meter board he calls the "Triple Lindy". It's a thing of pure athletic beauty, the fans go wild and he wins the dive meet for his school.
Today, the ABB riders performed a similar feat by completing our third century ride in as many days- something this old boy has never done. Now, gentle readers, get this- tomorrow we have a ride scheduled for 92 miles. With the least little detour- and we've had those every day this week- we could rack up our fourth back to back century ride. You people who ride single centuries and metric centuries amuse me. Now get out of here.
Today's ride was incredible on so many levels. I could fill pages (and put you to sleep, I'm sure), but to summarize: wonderful weather again (blue skies, 70's, no humidity) except for a headwind throughout much of the day, a bike trail for 20 miles that was shaded, smooth and mostly flat, an encounter with a rattlesnake on that trail which two of our riders ran over, a
one mile climb that ran 10-12% and featured a 20-30 MPH headwind the entire length, a bridge that took us over the Mississippi River and into our sixth state- Wisconsin and beautiful country roads through the Minnesota Bluffs country.
We rolled kinda late today- some time after 7:00AM I'd guess. The group was large (Millers, Gary, Max and Mark), as we zigged and zagged our way out of Rochester and onto various two lane county roads. Road surfaces were better than what we'd been experiencing, but we quickly found that the flat terrain was yielding to serious rollers. Many of these rollers were long and had faces that were 7-8%, so we began accumulating some vertical feet in excess of anything we'd seen since Mt. Rushmore- somewhere around 3,500-4,000 feet by day's end. By mid day we were really into some beautiful country-
I saw it referred to as "Bluff Country" in one town- with lush green hill sides and very fertile valleys. Still a lot of corn being grown, but at least there was some relief from the laser leveled flatness of western Minnesota. We also gave thanks to the little baby Jesus for delivering us from the gaggingly evil odors of the hog farms or whatever the hell they had going on for the last two hundred miles. That stuff ain't funny. Smells so bad it hurts to breath it in.
One of our riders (he goes by Badger Bill in these here parts) had a visit from his wife yesterday and as a treat for the riders she brought three monstrous boxes of donuts, from a small, family owned bakery in Eau Claire, WI. These things were fantastic. I cannot describe how good they were. we had them after dinner, for breakfast and at two sags today. God almighty they were tasty. Thank you Mrs. Badger Bill- you're a good person.
Ride stats: I've now ridden nearly 2,400 miles (about 75% of the total). In the last four days I've ridden about 380 miles, an average of 95 miles per day. I have ten days of riding and about 800 miles remaining- it's going fast.
I'd like to write about the climb, the bike path and the rattlesnake, but it's getting late. Maybe I'll fill in the blanks on those gems later. For now- it's lights out.
In the movie "Back to School", Rodney Dangerfield's character performs a dive from the 10 meter board he calls the "Triple Lindy". It's a thing of pure athletic beauty, the fans go wild and he wins the dive meet for his school.
Today, the ABB riders performed a similar feat by completing our third century ride in as many days- something this old boy has never done. Now, gentle readers, get this- tomorrow we have a ride scheduled for 92 miles. With the least little detour- and we've had those every day this week- we could rack up our fourth back to back century ride. You people who ride single centuries and metric centuries amuse me. Now get out of here.
Today's ride was incredible on so many levels. I could fill pages (and put you to sleep, I'm sure), but to summarize: wonderful weather again (blue skies, 70's, no humidity) except for a headwind throughout much of the day, a bike trail for 20 miles that was shaded, smooth and mostly flat, an encounter with a rattlesnake on that trail which two of our riders ran over, a
one mile climb that ran 10-12% and featured a 20-30 MPH headwind the entire length, a bridge that took us over the Mississippi River and into our sixth state- Wisconsin and beautiful country roads through the Minnesota Bluffs country.We rolled kinda late today- some time after 7:00AM I'd guess. The group was large (Millers, Gary, Max and Mark), as we zigged and zagged our way out of Rochester and onto various two lane county roads. Road surfaces were better than what we'd been experiencing, but we quickly found that the flat terrain was yielding to serious rollers. Many of these rollers were long and had faces that were 7-8%, so we began accumulating some vertical feet in excess of anything we'd seen since Mt. Rushmore- somewhere around 3,500-4,000 feet by day's end. By mid day we were really into some beautiful country-
I saw it referred to as "Bluff Country" in one town- with lush green hill sides and very fertile valleys. Still a lot of corn being grown, but at least there was some relief from the laser leveled flatness of western Minnesota. We also gave thanks to the little baby Jesus for delivering us from the gaggingly evil odors of the hog farms or whatever the hell they had going on for the last two hundred miles. That stuff ain't funny. Smells so bad it hurts to breath it in.
One of our riders (he goes by Badger Bill in these here parts) had a visit from his wife yesterday and as a treat for the riders she brought three monstrous boxes of donuts, from a small, family owned bakery in Eau Claire, WI. These things were fantastic. I cannot describe how good they were. we had them after dinner, for breakfast and at two sags today. God almighty they were tasty. Thank you Mrs. Badger Bill- you're a good person.
Ride stats: I've now ridden nearly 2,400 miles (about 75% of the total). In the last four days I've ridden about 380 miles, an average of 95 miles per day. I have ten days of riding and about 800 miles remaining- it's going fast.
I'd like to write about the climb, the bike path and the rattlesnake, but it's getting late. Maybe I'll fill in the blanks on those gems later. For now- it's lights out.
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