Friday, July 28, 2006

Day 52, Manchester, NH to Portsmouth, NH

The last day of the Cross Country Challenge was much like the last day of the Tour de France--more fun and smiles than push and work. While the ride was 62miles and there were a few climbs in the first 20 miles, we all ambled along and exchanged our normal morning pleasantries as we approached the first rest stop at around 30 miles. The rest stop was near some historic buildings that included a structure with the sign "Tramp House" attached. Of course I took a picture with Tim "sneaking" into this house.

Since the "cinnamon roll" place was just 4 miles down the road in Exeter, NH, most of us did just a touch and go at the SAG stop and pedaled in search of baked delights. As we rolled into town, the nationally known preparatory Exeter Academy was on the left. While I can't recall any specific names, I know that many of the prominent leaders in our country's history have matriculated at this prestigious high school. We quickly found the bakery and enjoyed the best cinnamon roll I've had in years! We all enjoyed our treats in the chairs and umbrellas along the main street of quaint, charming Exeter. We camped here and enjoyed the cool crisp temps until it was time to depart for the town of Rye to meet our 11:30 am time on target.

The group rendezvoused at Rye Junior High School just as requested and the local sheriff pulled into the parking lot to provide an escort for the last 3 miles to the beach. We took plenty of photos and exchanged hugs and high fives before receiving our final instructions from Mike.

The only thing missing from the last miles to the beach was champaign from the chase vehicles! The local folks were out on the side walk waving to us, and the sunny conditions and flat road with the biggest tailwind we'd seen in days made it a splendid finish. We rolled into Wallis Sands Beach Park and dismounted for the walk to the beach.

The beach was covered with local beach goers and they seemed quite curious and friendly as we meandered past their towels, beach blankets, pale and shovels and bikinis. We literally strolled though their territory and they could not have been more kind, encouraging and hospitable. One by one we dipped our front wheels into the Atlantic just as we had dipped our rear wheels 52 days earlier in the Pacific. It may sound hokey, but it was genuinely thrilling and a moment I'll always remember.

We hugged one another, held our bikes over our heads and took photos in many different formations. Linda poured the water we'd carried from the Pacific into the Atlantic and completed this ceremonious mission. Alan Penman and I exchanged congratulations and I pulled out another flag I'd carried in Afghanistan and unfurled it for lots of pictures with our riders. After having seen this marvelous country one turn of the crank at a time, I felt a love and admiration as I held this flag that I'd not felt before.

I ended this great event with hugs and kisses from my lovely wife, Arlene, who provided unbelievable support and encouragement from my first discussions of this challenge to mission completion. It was a wonderful time to celebrate the finish of a lifetime adventure.

Slowly but surely, we all departed the beach. Some rode in vehicles to the hotel to ship their bikes home while about 10 of us rode the six miles to Maine to visit our 14th state. Bob, David, Tim and I found our way to Kittery, Maine in about 30 minutes while our other buddies took the "long way home" and used a little more time. After this "touch and go" in Maine, I pedaled to the hotel in Portsmouth, readied my bike for shipment back home via UPS, and had a last milk shake with Tim Trelfa and Arlene.

Later in the evening, about 20 of us went to Warren's in Kittery, Maine to enjoy a fabulous meal of fresh lobster and other seafood. Bill made the reservations and we had a great room that overlooked the water and was cooled by a modest sea breeze. There was true joy and admiration in the air as we laughed and chowed down together one last time. Near the end of the evening, David's wife Jan, arrived after having flown from the UK throughout the day.

And to top things off, Bill presented Larry and me with a coin that commemorated his police organizations 150th anniversary back in England. This presentation on behalf of Bill and Alan was an act of gratitude for the US Air Force Academy gifts that Larry and I have these two gentlemen. Friendships are priceless.

Well friends, it's over. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I had more fun than I could ever have imagined, and yes, I would absolutely do it again. Steve Pulley, this blog was your great idea and I thank you for this smart suggestion and your tremendous surprise visit in Springfield. And Bill Bergen, the "Butt Buttr" was the best retirement gift you could have ever given me! I loved the physical challenges, cherished the friendships, and thanked my God every day for the blessings. In the days ahead, I expect to follow the words many of you have heard me say before--"The older I get the more I remember details of things that never happened."

Stay healthy and give me a holler when you have a moment. Most Sincerely, Steve King

Day 51, Brattleboro, VT to Manchester, NH

The countdown to the end continues at a fast and furious pace. The excitement and anticipation is palpable and there is now the realization that our merry band of bikers is soon to disperse and move back to their separate camps. The 86 miles from Brattleboro, VT to Manchester, NH was full of "fun" and surprises. Our hotel in Brattleboro was a mere .7 miles from the Connecticut River Bridge, the border between Vermont and New Hampshire.

With a slightly overcast sky and cool temperatures, I rolled out of the hotel parking lot with my underarmor shirt on beneath my jersey. Mike had briefed us that today would be a challenge because of the 6000 feet of climbing and the overall distance on the heels of yesterday's tough day. As I crossed the Connecticut River, I felt an emotion I can barely describe.

New Hampshire is my birth state and the home of my true roots. I have many cousins in NH and I have thousands of memories that my parents planted in my head over the years of this land of "Live Free or Die." My paternal grandfather was a logger in Vermont and my maternal grandfather worked in a paper mill and on the farm. I've always thought that key parts of my makeup today came from these hearty citizens who worked hard every day to make ends meet. And of course I recalled the stories and the pictures that my parents shared with me as I grew up. These and a thousand other thoughts were racing through my head as I pedaled toward the "Welcome to New Hampshire" sign.

Right after I took a couple of photos near the sign, I started pedaling up the hill and noticed that my rear wheel felt funny. I rode about another 100 yards and decided to stop for a better look. Long story short, my rear wheel axel and bearings were loose and the wheel was moving left and right about 1/8th inch. I called Mike in the van and he made it back to my position in about 15 minutes. He took a careful look at my wheel and decided to give me the loaner wheel for the ride to Manchester. Since my original rear wheel only had about 1500 miles on it (this is the one Arlene picked up in Fairview Heights, IL and drove to Quincy, IL when my first rear wheel broke near the rim), it should not have failed, but I figured I could take that up with Trek at a later date. I was just happy to get back on the road. Mike put the spare wheel on my bike and then discovered that the tire on this wheel had a bulge on the side and was about to explode. We quickly took this wheel off the bike, changed the tire, and remounted the bike.

It was now 7:36 am and all my friends were at least 36 minutes down the road (some left as early as 6:45), but I was just happy to be sitting on a bike seat instead of the seat in the green van! The state of New Hampshire is full of hills and mountains that climb reach over 6000 vertical feet. In Colorado, the base of the mountains are often around 5000-7500 feet above sea level and the tops stretch to above 14,000 feet. Here in New Hampshire, the bases are near sea level and stretch to above 6000 feet, making them just as imposing and grand. And because the mountains here are covered with thick evergreen firs and white birch trees, they have a "plush" feeling I've not experienced elsewhere. I relished every climb and tried to stay patient and measured as I trailed my teammates down the road to Manchester. The roads were very good and the clouds from the mountains kept us cool and efficient as we edged closer to the New Hampshire capitol.

Eventually, I found all my fellow cyclists and after carefully descending down a steep 2 mile dirt road (nicely hard packed), I saw Tim walking his bike along the side of the road. Turns out he had a flat and a whole in his tire and decided that with just a couple miles to the SAG stop, he was going to walk it in and get a new tire and tube. I thought 2 miles was a long way to walk myself so I raced to the rest stop, picked up a new foldable tire for him and went back to his position down the hill and around the corner. We changed the tire together and got him back on the road and up to the stop.

The next miles were so interesting and classic New England. Streams lightly singing in the background as I grunted and pushed down the road. To keep things light and all the riders on the right course, Mike posted more than the normal number of spray painted directions to include "AB (America by Bicycle) and Tim this way". Heh, heh, heh. The miles went quickly and the second SAG stop was at another spot in the road in the rural New Hampshire countryside. With just 20 miles to go and one serious climb, I was ready to get to the hotel. The climb was up "Joe English" Road and was really not nearly as tough as we had all expected. After climbing the Sierras in CA, Monarch Pass in CO and a few other hills, we were more than prepared for a very steep but half mile climb. With the help of a local lady's directions, I went up the hill and knocked the last day's challenge out of the way. As I cooled off and picked up the pace, I downshifted to get a little more push in my pedals. After I got my chain moved to the smallest sprocket on my rear cluster, I needed to shift it up to ascend a roller coming up fast. Unfortunately, my right shift lever that is combined with my right brake (one integral lever) would not move. I glanced down at my chain and even looked aft at my rear cluster of gears and I couldn't detect any obvious problems. After playing around with my left shift lever that controls the front derailleur, I realized I now had a 3 speed bike instead of a 27 speed bike. With about 10 miles to go, I hoped that the remaining hills were moderate because I had very few gears to go up a hill. The remaining terrain was slightly rolling and I was able to keep the bike moving smoothly by standing up just three or four times. As we inched closer to Manchester and civilization, the traffic also increased, but most appeared friendly and cyclist savvy. As I rolled into the hotel, I had one of my biggest sighs of relief in the last 3800 miles. I was now just one ride away from the Atlantic!

The hotel staff at the hotel was fantastic! They had a tent set up for us with rags and a hose ready to help clean our bikes, and they also had a bucket full of ice and drinks. And before I had the chance to buy beer for my buddies, the manager told me that "a lady from Alabama" was already on her way to do the same thing (friend of Johnny). Moments later, Kathy Terpstra and Scott's cousin, Shirley, walked into the hotel and hugs were exchanged all around! After getting this lay of the land, Tim and Marc rolled up and we decided to walk across the street and buy the Little Caesar’s $5 large pizza. As we ate and relaxed on a bench, we watched our fellow cyclists roll up and all faces were beaming. As the pizza, sodas and beer flowed, it was obvious that the troops were getting excited as we were now on the cusp of mission completion. About 3:30 pm, Mike rolled in with the van and requested we bring any maintenance issues to him now, so we could rest and get organized for our evening rap/dinner/presentation ceremony. Mike suggested I take my wheel that had the axel problem at the beginning of the day to the nearby bike shop and see it they could pull it apart and figure out what the problem was.

I'll make this short: the Manager of Naults Bike Shop, Dave O'Connell, looked at my wheel, immediately called the Trek District Manager, and got permission to pull a new wheel off a bike on his show room and handed it to me in about 30 minutes. This guy and his staff was so customer focused I nearly fell over. I had to laugh as Dave was describing my situation of riding across the country along with my problem with the wheel. He even tossed in ". . . and the guy is standing here wearing Lance's (Armstrong) Yellow Discovery/Trek Jersey!" Timing is everything! I left owing Dave O'Connell a thank you note down the road and a new wheel to get me the last few miles of the ride. The evening festivities were a hoot with Larry and the Clydesdales (David, Bill, and Scott) presenting themselves as the "Team Flomax" (Scott's small bladder was the inspiration here). Mike presented Slo' Joe with the map that tracked our progress over the last 52 days and he also gave Scott and Darryl the awards for most flat tires (headdresses made of tubes with punctures). As we each received our certificates of completion for making the journey, we expressed thanks to the staff for incredible support and had a moment to address our peers. I took the opportunity to give our 3 Brit friends small American flags I'd carried with me on my combat flying missions into Afghanistan while I flew C-130s for the US Air Force. I wanted them to have a small piece of America to take with them back to the UK.

Suffice it to say, we were all grateful for our experience and humbled by the opportunity.

I left the festivities and picked up Arlene from the nearby bus station following her trip to Endicott, NY for her niece, Jenna's wedding reception. We drove back to the hotel and began to organize for the last leg of this 52 day adventure.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Day 50, Troy, NY to Brattleboro, VT

And now we go to Vermont! Even having peddled every darn mile and then some, it is astounding to me that we are so far down the road. I must tell you all that more than 99 percent of the ride has been incredible and more than I could have ever asked for. I love this country even more than when I left and the sheer fun of riding the bike day after day still has not dampened my enthusiasm or spirits.

The 78 mile ride leaving NY for Vermont was billed as a hard a day because of the mountains and hills of the Green Mountain State. All in all, the climbs were somewhat long, but not as steep as we saw in Colorado. Our total climbing today was around 5100 feet and I "spinned" most of the way and saved a lot of energy for tomorrow, the last hard day of the trip.

All of our team was happy to have a mostly dry ride from beginning to end. Because we climbed some of the way through the clouds, we did get some precipitation, but it was not rain per se. I wore my overboots and my underarmor shirt under my jersey and was warm going up and down the mountains.

The highlight of my ride was coming down one of the passes when I went 50. 5 mph and felt very controlled and confident. The downhills into historic Bennington and then Brattleboro were fantastic. Around every corner are England like settings and wonderful wooded mountains. The maple trees, white burch and ever greens are so gorgeous!

With just two days to go, there is real excitement in the air. We will have a going a way dinner tomorrow night in Manchester, NH and then spread to the winds after our wheel dip in the Atlantic on Tuesday. Hold on to your hats!

Day 49, Little Falls, NY to Troy, NY

This was the wettest ride for the team thus far. It was raining the entire way and definitely challenged our group throughout the 84 miles.

Since there was no lightening or thunder when I left, I imagined I was doing something else I enjoy--swimming in the rain. Of course this requires you proceed a little slower and more carefully, but the temperature was warm and the rain was actually refreshing and cool yet comfortable.

Along the way I saw a Shrine to St. Mary Tekawitha, a Native American Saint, near Fonda, NY. I also smiled as I saw about the 1,000,000 big blue inflatable swimming pool, thinking how much fun every one of those generates for zillions of kids. And as the rain came down in buckets at Amsterdam, NY, I smiled loudly as I saw the sign honoring the "Rugged Rams" of Amsterdam.

Almost thirty percent of today's ride was on a quiet, protected bike path. The only down side of these paths is that they are not easily navigated using only the provide queue sheet. Because the paths often amble around a park and community, they pose a significant navigation challenge. As I was moving around one of the nearby parks, I watched some blindly optimistic parents and 14 year old baseball players hope upon hope that their state playoffs would happen. No way on this rainy day!

The ride ended in downtown Troy, just blocks from the internationally famous Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI). Since the rain continued to pour, many of our folks ordered pizza and sandwiches for lunch instead of going out. We were all drowned rats by the end of this ride and unfortunately, one of our riders, Jen, fell and will be out for a few days with a forearm injury.

Day 48 Syracuse, NY to Little Falls, NY

It's Arlene's birthday!! We started our morning together with a big Denny's breakfast (yes, I am a BIG spender!) and Arlene bought the coffee for three of us since it was not included in our meal. Grouch!

It was really humid and foggy as we pulled out of the parking lot for this 85 mile trek. Tim and I were almost the last ones to leave and we enjoyed the good roads and calm wind. The road had lots and lots of turns on the queue sheet and wouldn't you know it, one of the turns was at the top of the next page which I didn't flip fast enough. Oh well, a couple extra miles never hurt anyone! Tim and I rode together along the Erie Canal--"I got a mule and her name is Sal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal . . ." What a fantastic piece of American history to see!

After the first SAG stop, I put my head down and enjoyed the tail wind and level roads and even missed the next SAG stop as I was "feeling it." After rolling into the Little Falls Best Western, I sat quietly against a wall outside and enjoyed the sun that was finally appearing from the broken clouds.

A shower and a shake later, I headed to the Laundromat to do five days of dirty clothes for Larry and Steve. Whooooooooo! While the laundry got cleaned, Tim and I went to a local drinking establishment (dive bar) and had a cold beer and some great discussions with the locals. The guys in this place were really curious and interested in our ride and even bought us a round before we returned to our drying duties.

With our clothes cleaned, Tim and I went to the locally famous "Lock 17", a canal lock that raises and drops 46 feet. We also explored the nearby Moss Island watching some novice climbers scale the nearby cliffs. Later, the hotel had a reception for us (free food and drink) and almost all our group gathered for some fun and good cheer. The crowd was happy and excited about the days ahead. We ended the day with a quick trip to Stewarts, a gas, tobacco, coffee and ice cram store. Yum, yum!

Day 47 Cannondaigua, NY to Syracuse, NY

The 20 Jul 2006 ride was 63 miles of joy. By now, a 63 mile ride is an unbelievably short leg for us. Consequently, we didn't even depart the hotel until almost 8 a.m. The ride was rolling and smooth with only one SAG stop. I rode comfortably and pushed a little on the ambling hills and was happy to take photos of 3 things: 1) baby Alpacas/Llamas/Vycunas (sp) 2) A sign that said "GrandPAWS Bed and Biscuit" 3) A sign reading "Village of Sonnet-Built 1795--State Department of Education".

When I finished I relaxed with a hot cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and a maple donut. Of course I had my follow on snack with Tim and then cleaned up.

At 3 p.m., one of Tim's old neighbors, Steve Russ (USAFA 95), picked us up and took us (Tim, Scott, Larry and I) for a tour of Syracuse University. Steve is the linebacker and special teams coach for the Orangemen football team. Steve gave us the deluxe tour to include the 49,000 seat Carrier Dome used for both football and basketball. Standing on the floor of this cavernous arena you can't help be impressed--the dome itself is supported by positive air pressure and is operated on the same principle that supports the bubble at the Racquet Club in Little Rock, AR. We also saw the Syracuse Hall of Fame where names like Jim Brown, Floyd Little and John Mackey were enshrined.

After the tour, Steve took to his house for ribs, chicken, and more along with the linebackers he coaches, his wife Betsey (USAFA 94), his daughter MacKenzie (3) and his son Taylor (2). What a great bunch of young Americans and attitudes! Around 6 p.m., Arlene called and said she had arrived at Syracuse Airport after a "series of unfortunate incidents." She originally was flying to Albany and driving to Endicott to attend the reception of a niece. The alternate flight to Syracuse allowed her to rent a car, pick us up and stay the night in Syracuse and then drive to Endicott in the morning as we left on our ride.

Another wonderful day topped off with a visit by my sweetheart. Life is VERY good!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Day 46, Hamburg, NY to Cannondaigua, NY

I got up early to eat breakfast and then do a little blogging. We left the hotel and rode 8 miles to a bicycle museum that is really a trip! The museum is in Orchard Park, NY and has something for everyone who has been on a bike. From the first bikes of the 1830s to the Lemon Peel made by Schwinn, I enjoyed them all and was fascinated by the "back to the future" designs of bikes made with shocks (front and back) from 100 years ago that resemble the designs now seen on some mountain bikes. We enjoyed the tour, bought some keepsakes and hit the road for the next 85 miles.

Today's 93 mile ride is the last 90+ mile rides. and should be titled "don't underestimate your opponent." Since we really didn't start riding until about 9:30 am after the bike museum tour, this meant we were going to see more heat and be on the road until quite a bit later in the day.

The ride was fun and challenging and the roads were primo for about 88 miles. I felt strong and comfortable until I hit the stripped road and experienced four miles of hell. Now I know what a jackhammer operator working overtime feels lake near the end of the day. This was the most miserable part of the ride thus far!

I finished and warned the front desk receptionist that some roughed up cyclists were heading her way. My post ride snack was on the edge of Lake Canondaigua under a beautiful shade tree. Later after dinner, Bob, David, Larry and I took a sunset cruise on a boat around the same lake. It was a beautiful evening and we really had some relaxing fun. What a wonderful way to see the panoramic sunset of this Finger Lake.

Day 45 Erie, PA to Hamburg, NY

All the rest days are now behind us and there are only about 600 miles of biking remaining. Hard to believe that 600 miles seems like a "small" amount, but we've already covered about 3,200 miles thus far.

Although we'd heard that there was a slight possibility of rain, the skies were clear and the wind off Lake Erie was either a light cross wind or a tail wind. We rode along this beautiful body of water for most of the 81 miles, leaving Pennsylvania behind around the 30 mile mark. I biked about half the day with Darryl and Doug and a little with George.

One of the most "exciting" parts of the ride was a detour around some bridge construction. Unfortunately, my personal ride was still more "exciting" when I had yet another flat tire. Right after carrying my bike on my shoulder across a trickle of a stream, I checked my tire and, sure enough, it was soft. With muddy hands, feet and everything else, I changed the darn tire.

After the rest stop at 46 miles, I rode alone and tried to catch Tim who left the stop as the rest of us were arriving. He had a 15-20 minute jump on me so I knew my work was cut out for me to catch him. I never did track him down, but I got close as he rolled into the Comfort Inn a couple minutes before I did.

As I was checking in, I checked my voice mail and Scott Terpstra had left a message. He asked that I check into getting a rental car so a bunch of us could drive the 30 miles to nearby Niagara Falls. Seemed like a good idea. With some help from the front desk, we reserved a mini van at Budget and headed out to first drink our milk shake. From there, we rode down the highway 6 miles, picked up the van, loaded up our bikes and headed back to the hotel. Small footnote--we stopped and took our picture outside the Buffalo Bills stadium which is in Hamburg, not Buffalo.

At 3 pm, we picked up Larry, Scott, Tim, and our 3 Brits, David, Bill and Alan. With this lively crowd, we drove the 30 minutes to the falls and had a marvelous time. Since Larry is still suffering the effects of his groin injury, we walked a little and took the trolley ride all along the American side of the falls. Just exploring this side took us about 2-3 hours so we were not able to go to the Canadian side. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and saw many of the views that continue to be breathtaking even for those of us who have seen this site previously.

The ride home was a navigational challenge, but reasonably direct to our dinner location of The Olive Garden. You've never seen guys use those salad tongs so aggressively on the all you can eat salad. It was another incredible day on this incredible adventure.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Day 44 Day Off in Erie, PA

On this 17 July 2006 day, I rose at about 0700, cleaned up and headed to Starbucks for a real cup of coffee and a chance to read the paper. I walked the 5 blocks with Debbie who was heading to the Laundromat. It was great to just sit outside and read the Erie Journal and watch the world go by from a static position. While I definitely enjoy the moving adventure of the past seven weeks, this too is a wonderful way to let go.

At about 7:55, I headed back to the hotel to rendezvous with Rick, Lisa and anyone interested in touring Presque Isle, a scant 26 mile, totally flat trip along a wooded, coastline. We all peddled in a very relaxed fashion for about 5 miles and we stopped at Hyatt's for breakfast. This small hole in the wall looked like a regular breakfast hangout for the Erie locals. We all paraded in about 8:30 and I almost immediately corralled the owner and the waitress and told them of the upcoming "flyover" and how I needed their help. They were slightly perplexed at first, but as the mission evolved, they were as excited as our 15 bikers.

At 8:43, I asked everyone in our group to put their menus down and follow me for a "surprise." Hard to believe, but all complied without objection!

As we huddled in the parking lot at exactly 8:45, Larry Fariss and my USAFA classmate, Tim Fyda, overflew our parking lot in the Cessna Citation, a 2 engine business jet! Their time on target (TOT) was perfect and Larry's navigation to our location was exactly right. After overflying the parking lot at about 1000 feet (completely legal!) they circled around again in preparation for landing. Their final approach gave us an even better view and they now had the landing gear down so they were going slower. The crowd, to include our owner and waitress were thrilled. The King has returned in rock star style!

We then finished a super breakfast and had a marvelous bike tour of Presque Isle. One of the highlights was a chance to walk along Lake Erie (not too cold) and take some pictures. On the way home we also stopped at Sara's, a hot dog diner that has been there since. So many quintessential beach enterprises along the way.

After a couple hours of checking email and blogging, I headed back to the room to prep my bike for the next day and then I went over to the Seawolves (AA) baseball game just 2 blocks away. It was dollar night for beer, soda, hot dogs and popcorn, so the crowd was large. It was a lovely place to play baseball and relax with friends. After sweating like pigs for the first game of the double header ( the Seawolves lost), Larry, Bill, Tim, David and I headed for an Irish Pub for a light dinner. One salad and some lies later, we headed for the hotel and called it a day.

Our last "rest day" was complete and it's on to Portsmouth!

Day 43 Niles, OH to Erie, PA

This was definitely one of our easier rides. Still a bit humid, but not nearly as bad as the previous days. As we left Ohio, the roads became flatter and flatter and 70 miles later, we found ourselves in the state of Pennsylvania. I ambled along the first 20 with Tim again and then put my head down and cruised all the way to the rest stop at Richardson's Rootbeer stand just this side of the Ohio/Pennsylvania line.

Richardson's was your classic outdoor, next to the road rootbeer concession. I had a marvelous milk shake (of course!) and got a great picture taken with Tim. This area is a very popular vacation area and is really a well kept secret. There are cabins all along the lake and it appears tourism and farming are the primary industries.

The last 20 miles into Erie were relatively easy except miles 15-17. We were routed on a road that had just been stripped to be repaved and it felt like we spent 30 minutes on a jackhammer! Those 2.5 miles were absolutely the most painful of the trip and yes, we did consider moving a block over, but most of us kept thinking, ". . . it can't go on much longer." We were all wrong!

When we arrived at the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie, we were greeted by Rick and Lisa, ABB bikers who departed with us from San Francisco and biked to Pueblo, CO. Rick and Lisa live in Pittsburgh and drove over to welcome us with beer, soda, cheeses, meats, and fruit. And although it was an easy 91 miles, the treats were very much appreciated by all.

After a few treats, I headed to the Erie Public Library, just 10 blocks down the street and on the Presque Isle Bay. This beautiful building is shared with a Maritime Museum and is next to a sailboat harbor. The head librarian was very kind to me and helped me lock up my bike inside the library since I did not bring a lock with me. She also helped me get into the queue to use the computers (20 of them) in the library.

Larry continues to heal in Ohio and will join us tomorrow morning. Tim Fyda will fly him from Columbus to Erie on his corporate Cessna Citation jet. Larry and I are coordinating for a "flyover" sometime on Monday morning. Let's hope all works as we hope!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Day 42 Wooster, OH to Niles, OH

Hard to believe it is now 15 Jul 06. The time is flying by and I know it is because we are having the time of our lives.

The day started off with a sad note as we said goodbye to Herb. Yesterday, he fell while coming down a big hill during a detour around some construction. He and I both hit the same gravel coming down a 35 mph hill that turned right at the bottom. When Herb felt his wheel slide, he decided he couldn't make the turn and headed for what he thought were some tall grasses. What he didn't see was the culvert in front of the tall grass. Consequently, he hit the trench and went flying over his handlebars, landing on his shoulder. He has some bruised ribs and a cracked collar bone and will have to come back another time to complete the journey.

Since I still without an odometer/speedometer, I rode the entire ride with Tim Trelfa. The weather was drastically improved, with comfortable temps and much lower humidity. We rode a relaxed, talking pace and still moved along at 19-20.

This 91 mile journey found me taking only 1 photo--Longhorn steers and more Longhorn calves than I've ever seen. They were obviously contented as they barely gave us a glance as we blew by. The terrain was much flatter than yesterday and the roads were good most of the way. I finished strong and was ready for much more and in sharp contrast to my humbling day yesterday.

Larry Fariss injury update: Larry continues to heal outside Columbus, OH and is resting at the Fyda's house. He has his bike fixed (new frame) and is going to meet us at Erie, PA on our day off, Monday, 17 Jul 06. Keep those prayers coming!

I am very thankful for Karen's assistance with new batteries for my bike computer. I swapped out both the computer battery and the sending unit battery and I'm now back in business. What a great creature comfort the bike computer has become.

Day 41 Marysville, OH to Wooster, OH

What was supposed to be a 104 mile day turned into roughly a 115 mile day for me. After staying up to about 11, I arose at 6 am for a light breakfast and said goodbye to Larry who yesterday had a fall and was still suffering the effects of the pulled groin. Tim and Mary Anne Fyda would now take care of Larry while he recovered at their house on the northeast side of Columbus, OH.

I left the house about 6:45 am and after about 1 mile I had no odometer/speedometer. Usually this is no big deal but for this ride it would have helped as I was leaving from a different location than my biking group. Last night I studied a hand drawn map and a regular map to rendezvous with the group at about 38 miles. Without my odometer along with the morning rush hour traffic through Columbus, I was BUSY!

It was warm when I started and humid again and I was riding with my hand drawn map in my hand the whole way. I rode almost 2 hours before I just couldn't be sure I was going the right direction and I forced myself to buy an Ohio map and I also asked directions. And yes, sportfans, I did surrender my "Man Card" for both of these offenses. Ugh!

To my surprise, I was only about 2 miles south of joining the route. Unfortunately, I joined the route at a point just past the scheduled rest stop. The earlier challenging conditions coupled with missing the "refueling locations" spelled pain and suffering for me later. The course was filled with the same kind of rolling hill seen in Missouri earlier--500 ft up and 500 ft down for miles and miles.

With about 25 miles to go, I joined Clarence and rode with him all the way to the hotel. The last mile was up hill and into the wind and one last reminder that if you combine challenging terrain, heat, humidity and lack of hydration, any ride will be an above average challenge. Humbled and dehydrated, I slurped up that chocolate shake and cleaned up as fast as I could. I was proud of accomplishing this 115 mile beast, but I received no style points given my judgement errors along the way.

After I cleaned up, I got directions to the local CVS Pharmacy to pick up a pair of flip flops since I'd intentionally left my only pair of shoes with Larry at the Fyda's. As fate would have it, this trek was three miles out and back each way, down a monster hill and up another. After this journey, my T-shirt and gym shorts were ready for the toxic waste bin, and another shower was mandatory.

All in all, another great day, although my humility/mortality factor was definitely elevated. I've always had great admiration for our riders who are spending over eight hours on the bike seat day after day, but having just done this myself, I have even more respect for their efforts. There are some really hard constitutions on this trip and I take my hat off to each of them. My "seat" has greatly improved on this trip, but I still have much to learn and earn.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Day 40 Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH

Will catch up here from the Erie, PA Library in just 24 minutes!

Day 40 was the best of times and the worst of times. This 105 mile journey was hot, foggy, humid and had its share of hills and good roads. The first 30 miles were really foggy yet traffic was light. I road alone and felt like I was sometimes feeling my way through the mist.

I cruised into the first rest stop and experience spitting rain as I woofed down some crackers and refilled my water bottles. I put my overboots on my shoes to keep the dirt and crud out of them, but decided not to wear my rain jacket because it was already 80+. As I was signing in and foraging for food at the refreshment table, Barb Munk gave me some bad news. She said that just 10 miles outside of Richmond, IN, my buddy Larry Fariss and another of our riders, Paul, had fallen while riding in a pace line. I later learned that Larry bumped into the wheel of the rider in front of him (Darryl) and Paul in turn ran into Larry. Consequently, Larry fell broke his helmet and pulled in groin. Paul cut a gash in his hand that required stitches and hit his head hard enough to require a short hospitalization/observation. Needless to say, I was distressed and wanted to help but realized that I was over 20 miles away and without the resources to assist.

While Larry was struggling to ride his miles with his strained groin, I strolled along some lonely country roads until I got to the next rest stop at a church. Since the SAG wagon was a long ways away, I knocked on the church door and met Rev Jim and his 4 year old daughter, Hannah. The both looked at me like I was a large alien from Mars, but were kind enough to refill my water bottles and inquire about my adventure. After a short explanation, I called Barb for clearance to motor on down the road and I told her I had water, something to eat and the Pastor's blessing! She cleared me to roll on down the road to the hotel in Marysville.

Larry continued to ride to mile 100 before he heard a snap on his bike. Upon examination he realized that his frame had broken near the attachment point of the rear axel. One of our vans hauled him to the hotel where I rendezvoused with him.

I arrived at the hotel about an hour before the next rider and the hotel staff helped me with a hose and some rags to clean up my very grimey bike. I also spread out all my wet gear and began drying it out. When the second rider, Doug, arrived, I asked to use his shower and clean up just a bit. Larry and I were going to the house of one of my USAFA classmates, Tim Fyda, and his wife, Mary Anne, was supposed to pick us up at about 3 pm.

To make a long story short, Mary Anne arrived about the same time that Larry drove into the parking lot in the van. By now all my stuff was clean and ready for the next day and I rode my bike to the Dollar General Store to get Larry an Ace Bandage for a little support.

Soon after Larry arrived, Mary Anne took us in her van to their house just outside Columbus, OH while Larry simultaneously ran the wickets with his home bike shop and the Felt Factory (biker maker) to try and get new frame. In short order we made it to the Fyda palace and then headed to the nearest Felt dealer who promised to help Larry's need for a new frame.

We then dashed to the Fyda's and had a wonderful meal while meeting John (USAFA 78) and Beverly and all their sons. We had a marvelous time and I hit the rack about 11 pm knowing I had another 100 mile day ahead. Whew!

Larry's hurting and needs a new bike but he'll stay at the Fyda's until both issues are resolved.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Day 39 Indianapolis, IN to Richmond, IN

Drip, drip, drip . . . Yes friends, the weatherman finally caught up with the America By Bicycle Team on the 72 mile ride today, 11 July 06. As we loaded our things on the trailer, the rain began lightly and continued for about 30 miles. There was no lightening, thunder or scary winds, so the continual drizzle was actually soothing and kind of fun. With the temp around 80 degrees, the rain kept us cool and relaxed. I wore my new booties that are essentially overshoes to keep your biking shoes dry. They are extremely light and worked perfectly. I'll just use that blow dryer in my room and get the humidity out of them and they'll be good for another rainy day.

With my attention focused clearly on the road and surrounding traffic, I didn't see a whole lot of things on this ride. It only takes a very few seconds of distractions to completely ruin your day on a bike (i.e. crash!).

At the rest stop, I found Barb trying to get the local community center open for bathroom access. Seems that we normally use the local volunteer fire department for those purposes, but all the volunteer fire department folks are on vacation. Only makes sense that a fire department guy/girl would take a vacation on a rainy day!

When I arrived at the hotel, I immediately received that "you're not supposed to be here now and no, we don't have a room for you" look. Eventually I got them to give me a towel to keep the nice furniture from getting soiled and of course, I did get access to this computer.

I'm using the Snickers approach this morning, ". . . not going anywhere for a while."(a line from their recent commercial)

The only other interesting thing I can add is that this hotel lobby has an interesting motif--framed men's ties hanging in separate frames that line a circular room. And standing in the entrance to the hotel is a five foot stuffed bear wearing a flag like hat and waving a flag in his left hand . . . make that paw!

Have a wonderful day and stay tuned for our exploits in Ohio starting tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Day 38 Day Off in Indianapolis, IN

Last nights therapeutic massage from Mike's daughter, Mickey, helped me sleep wonderfully on the hardest bed I've ever seen in a hotel!

Nevertheless, I got up early for breakfast at 7 am, read the paper and then met our newest rider, George, and learned from him that his son is a brand new Air Force Academy cadet! Pretty small world, huh? From there, I retreated to my room to watch the Tour de France and enjoyed seeing the big boys do it throughout the French countryside.

And just before the Tour's stage end today, my friend John Ohnemus stopped in to say hello to Larry and watch the end of the race. John and I then went out to lunch together at the Indy 500 Speedway restaurant and relaxed over some great conversation with the Indy Golf course in the background.

We then took a wonderful tour of the Indy Museum and saw more incredible racing cars than I've seen in my life. I saw enthusiasm and joy in the faces of both young and old alike in this classic gallery of motor cars.

We then headed to a nearby Starbucks for a little afternoon pick-me-up, following which John headed to a Chamber of Commerce meeting while I quietly read the paper and edited my photos. Very relaxing indeed with the rain falling gently outside.

After a quick stop at John's office in Carmel, IN, we headed to his house to rendezvous with Carole, his wife, and Evan, the newly crowned 8 year old. John and Carole kindly downloaded all my ride photos onto a disk for safe keeping and then we headed to dinner.

The four of us enjoyed the finest Steak and Shake fare you can imagine and talked of Carole's travels and my bike ride. We all left full and happy.

I've now spent about 90 minutes catching up on this blog at the high school library while John has been studying for an insurance exam the State of Indiana requires of him. Needless to say, I am having much more fun than John.

Hope you all are happy, healthy and smiling. The adventure continues and is a marvel every day. The only thing that compares with this is your friendship and support. Happy Trails!

Day 37 Crawfordsville, IN to Indianapolis, IN

This 10 Jul 06 ride was a mere 65 miles and appeared relatively easy from the outset. Having just experienced my easiest day yet on the ride into Crawfordsville, I was feeling relaxed and enthused about today's "tour." Most of the rode would be extremely flat, have great roads, and included a slight tail wind. With perfect weather and a song in my heart, I was ready for the ride a tour of the Roark Bike Factory, my first trip to the Indy 500 speedway and a few laps around the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indy.

I rode the first 30 miles cruising at 19-20 mph with Tim Trelfa. We solved all the world's problems and relished the chance to roll on a glass like pavement surface. We strolled into the rest stop and then moved about three more miles down the road for a cappacino at the local BP gas station while we waited for the other riders to arrive for the Roark Bike Factory tour.

Since Mike Munk, our ride leader, rides a Roark bike, he arranged a factory tour that was informative and fun. Within this machining factory is both a bicycle manufacturer and an aircraft engine parts manufacturing plant. Kind of cool to see both finely machined bicycles and B-2 afterburner sections in the same area!

The Roark bike is made of titanium, an ultralight yet strong, durable material. Since this company custom makes each bike, they strive to emphasize the word "customer" in customer service. The certainly impressed me during this one hour and thirty minute tour.

We then departed for the world renowned Indy 500 speedway, just 15 miles away. Just riding up to this famous place got me fired up. As we approached the oval on Georgetown road, we could hear the roar of a few cars and see the tops of these machines zoom by. Pulling under the track and into the far end of the oval was like driving into the center of any mega stadium. At full capacity, this place holds 400,000 crazy fans. We watched about 30 different NASCAR racers turn practice laps and tire test laps at about 175 mph. As 8-10 cars zoomed by multiple times, I felt a rush of adrenaline and a smile stayed plastered on my face (and no, alcohol was not a factor!).

The next step on the tour was about 10 miles down the road at the major Taylor Velodrome. This was my first ride at a velodrome with its steeply banked turns and I took about 20 laps around this 1/3 kilometer concrete track. We all enjoyed the chance to experience this unique cycling experience that most of us had only seen during televised Olympic events.

We made the last 10 mile push to the Days Inn via bike paths that wound around Indy. While I almost ruined the day of a 12 year old girl camped on the bike path, one of our riders, Mary, faired even worse when she fell and fractured her shoulder. Sure hate to see her go, as I greatly admired her dogged determination.

After hitting a quick shower at the hotel, Tim and I enjoyed a refreshing shake at the Chocolate Cafe in Indy town center. The magnificent war memorial that commands this area is surrounded by a plethora of shops and eating establishments. Later, Larry Bob and Bill peddled by and stopped for some lunch as Tim and I sat outside watching the world pass by.

Dinner was at the Spaghetti House and then I introduced Alan and Debbie to Jillians, an indoor adult amusement park. They were excited to see that kayaking, skiing, and skateboarding can be accomplished with no risk of injury while playing these state of the art video games. I think they'll give them a shot on Wednesday.

Day 36 Champaign, IL to Crawfordsville, IN

We awakened to a cloudy sky and puddles in the parking lot of the hotel. The heavy rains came earlier in the morning although our first 10 miles were under light showers. Thereafter, the skies brightened and our ride was very pleasant all the way to on the 85 mile to Crawfordsville, IN.

The fields (and farmers) were gleeful for the rain, and the corn and soybeans looked even more green with every mile. I rode solo almost the whole way, enjoying the smooth road, cool air and tranquil countryside. Sometimes the solitude of biking is a pleasure that is overlooked. I thought deep thoughts for a few moments and periodically blended that with no thoughts. And in between, I said, "Thank you, God!"

Today I enjoyed the simple things: a cup of French Vanilla cappacino at the Casey's Store near the first rest stop; a funny sign on the way into Hillsboro, IN--"Home of 600 happy people and a few sore heads!; smooth, winding road leading into Indiana; five friendly dogs that rapidly responded to the command, "No!".

The days are clicking down and I am still enjoying each day of this life adventure. One of our segment riders, Mike G+11, leaves tomorrow and we pick up another rider at Indianapolis.

Kudos to Mike, our leader, for changing our dinner location to something other than a Chinese buffet (3 of last 4 nights!)

Day 35 Springfield, IL to Champaign, IL

We all left the State House Inn after a great, extremely fast serviced breakfast. Before we left, most of us tossed in a dollar to play "bicycle poker" where we each received a card at subsequent rest stops. At rides end, the player with the best hand would win the pot. With a 7 of clubs in hand, I hit the road for this 103 mile ride!

Saturday morning in Springfield is VERY quiet but our departure route out of town had us hit no less than 15 red lights. Talk about a momentum breaker! Eventually we got rolling and at about the 10 mile point I caught eight of our middle speed riders. Since I was still waking up, I joined their pace line and eventually sat up front for a while as we tried to catch Bob Shaw who was about a mile in front of us. As our group motored along at 20 mph, we inched to about 1/2 mile behind Bob before his testosterone kicked in and he began pulling away again. My challenge as the lead was to hold this group together without losing anyone and, somehow, catch Bob. While we never did catch this sly rascal, we had lots of fun pulling some of our team members a little faster than they normally ride.

Our rest stop was at a Lincoln Trail Memorial Park, the site of President Lincoln's first Illinois home. Imagine building a 16 x 16 log cabin after a six month wagon trip and then living in this cabin in sub zero weather for a LONG winter. Not exactly the same as a "no HBO" hotel, huh?!

After receiving my second card, a 6 of diamonds, I realized I was not going to win the poker hand and hit the road again!

I departed this SAG with ride leader Mike and Clarence, and we kicked it together most of the day. Riding corn field/soy bean roads with surfaces that varied from smooth to rough gravel, we pushed each other for long periods at 24-28 mph. By rides end, we were definitely tired.

The three of us cleaned up slightly and headed to Bob Evans where an ambitious waitress named Tabitha made us homemade milkshakes (not even on the menu) and fed my friend Tim an omelet that disappeared in three minutes. Yum, yum!

The "animal of the day" was the Japanese beetle. On several occasions I was glad I had goggles and a helmet on as I came in close contact with these BIG pests.

The highlight of the day occurred after the second SAG stop when one of our riders, Alan, with a bicycle cap on his head (kind of like a small baseball cap) departed the rest stop without his helmet. In his tired state and with that small hat on his head, he genuinely thought he had his helmet on. He rode into the next town before we stopped him and asked him if he always rides his bike this way. He was quite chagrined and enjoyed the laugh.

After yet another Chinese buffet, our bicycle poker winner, Bob Shaw, treated us all to a drink at Chili's.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Day 34 Quincy, IL to Springfield, IL

Whew! I am finally catching up and making all those waiting for this computer mad! I will be brief after yesterday's diatribe.

Great roads, 100 miles of light/no wind and miles of corn and beans. I was again feeling great with my new wheel (thanks again Arlene!) and had no mechanical issues.

I heard a big dear running in the corn field that did not want me to see it!

I met some great Americans in Berlin, IL and then pushed for home. I beat the SAG wagon to stop #2 and enjoyed a delicious cinnamon roll and Nestle's chocolate milk.

About an hour after I arrived here at the State House Inn, located in the shadow of the IL state capitol, Sara and Adam arrived. They looked great and we relaxed by looking at my photos via our TV in the room. Lots of stories to share with them and they had a few laughs too.

We took Tim and Paul for a quick Subway Sandwich and then we dashed off to see a little of the capitol before our evening Rap at 4:45 pm. The capitol is gorgeous in ways I cannot describe. Go see it soon!

At the Rap, I introduced Sara and Adam and then Mike asked me to introduce some guy standing near the door. I turned and was stunned to see my great friend, Steve Pulley standing there. Steve is an Air National Guardsman who I worked with on the Inspector General team. Steve drove up from Belleville to surprise me, and that he did.

With a surprise under my belt, we headed for the Old Country Buffet, told a few lies, and then came back to the hotel for some goodbye photos and bear hugs.

Laundry is almost done and now it's time to hit the rack again.

Day 33 Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL

This July 6, 2006 ride of 97 miles had LOTS of excitement. In fact, I was excited before the ride ever started. Larry Fariss started talking about crossing the Mississippi a few days ago and the impact finally registered on me last night. This was going to really be cool!

I woke up feeling absolutely great. I'd stretched the night before and a little in the morning and I almost felt giddy before we got started. I couldn't wait to pedal the 71 miles to the ferry that would take us across the mighty Mississippi to my current home state of Illinois.

The ride to the first rest stop around 30 miles was fast, quiet and uneventful. I pushed out of the rest stop even more excited than when I started. My bike was working perfectly and I had more strength and energy than the day I left California.

At about the 50 mile mark I started hearing a sound that was new to my bike. As I listened more intently for the next couple of miles, the sound grew in size. At first I thought it was coming from my front wheel and at about 54 miles I stopped and checked all the spokes. Nothing. I peddled a little more and then sound continued to irritate me. At 56 miles I again stopped and now thought I'd isolated it to the rear wheel. When I picked up the bike and checked the true of the rear wheel I discovered that it was rubbing my bike in three places--two different places on the frame (bottom bracket) and both of my brakes. And when I checked the spokes, each was as taught and tight as when I left this morning.

Since I've never been much at truing a wheel on the run, I elected to try and "adjust" the brakes and the rear wheel in the hopes I could milk it to the ferry where I figured our support vehicle could lend more help.

In short, I was wrong. Ugh!

I've had some rubs before but this was down right painful. I had elected to press forward as is because I figured I was not even close to either support vehicle--literally out in the boonies.

With the noise sounding like the little engine that could and my optimism waning, the tire exploded at the 68 mile mark, just a couple miles short of the ferry I was trying to make. Fortunately, the hill I was riding down was not too steep and my speed was only about 16 miles per hour at the time. Had either been greater, my blog would likely have had reports of more blood and less humor.

After dismounting my wounded steed, I tried to walk and drag her along, but the rear wheel was now almost frozen in it's distorted shape. Realizing that I was not going to portage the bike very far, I stuck my thumb out and hoped a passing motorist would lend a hand to a crippled cyclist. In about 30 seconds, a truck passed me, turned around and stopped to ask if I needed help. A sign from above!

I tossed my bike in the back, and introduced myself to a gentleman named Mr. Joe Stevenson. Joe offered to drop me at the ferry and inquired where I was from. When I told him "Fairview Heights, IL", he smiled and said his brother lived there too. He went on to say that his twin brother Cecil lived in a Jack Nicklaus golf community and lived on the 8th fairway.

I almost swallowed my tongue. Arlene and I live in the same development on the 7th fairway! Later Arlene reminded me that Cecil's wife Pat had been a member of the neighborhood book club and that Pat had recently passed away. Arlene sent Cecil and his family a sympathy note and subsequently, Cecil had sent the note that I'd seen laying on my desk at our house for a couple months.

Another message from above, "Yes, Steve, it is indeed a VERY small world and, I am looking out for you." Thank you, God.

As I sat at the SAG wagon with Barb Munk I smiled and quietly accepted the fact I'd be riding in the van for the last 27 miles after the ferry crossing since there were no more spare wheels available--I and my teammates had used the 3 that the company provides as emergency backups.

Barb offered to open the luggage van so I could change into my shorts and regular shoes versus my sweaty biking gear and cleated shoes. I found my bag among the 50+ in the trailer, pulled out some comfortable clothes and my book (Flag of our Fathers), changed inside the trailer, and proceeded to wind down as the other riders pulled into the rest stop.

I also decided to try and improve my position by asking Arlene for an emergency delivery of a wheel from my hometown bike shop, the Touring Cyclist. Arlene kindly rearranged her schedule and picked up both a wheel for me and a wheel for fellow biker, Scott Terpstra and would deliver them later in the afternoon. At least I was going to go down fighting!

About 10 minutes later, Mike, our fearless leader, drove up and examined my wheel. For the second time he found a giant crack about 1/2 inch long extending along the rim near a spoke. Another wheel gone. Since this was a "community/emergency spare" wheel, there was really no way of knowing how many miles were on the wheel. All any of us knew was that it was not repairable. Technical note--it appears my 210 lbs coupled with some serious torque up and down the hills of America are placing an inordinate amount of stress on these wheels. That said, I may need to buy a high tech, $900 set to make sure this doesn't happen again. Please send all donations via my Wolfrun Trail address.

No sooner had Mike made his discovery than he offered to let me use his very own personal $450 rear wheel. He immediately took it off and put my rear gear cluster on his wheel while I did the Superman change #2 in the back of the trailer. Ten minutes later, I was peddling toward the ferry and alternately thanking God and Mike for the assistance that would enable me to cross the Mississippi like a man and ride the last miles into the next stop.

The ferry ride was nothing short of euphoric! This Mississippi is actually beautiful, placid and tranquil in this area. While it remains muddy and opaque, it's banks are grass and tree lined and it almost has the appearance of a lake. The ride happened way to quickly and was over in about 12 minutes.

In my elated state, I tromped on those pedals and raced down the winding country road for about 7 miles, proceeded to make two wrong turns that added about 3 miles to my ride and found myself quite a distance behind my buddies who were riding in a pace line headed for the hotel.

Reorienting myself, I put my head down, stayed aerodynamic on my aero bars and caught them about 20 minutes later. I eventually linked up with Karen, one of the ride leaders, and alternately drafted with her for over 15 miles while battling a 10 mph headwind.

As we inched closer to Quincy the sights became more and more interesting. Quincy has 2 really cool bridges, one for east traffic (old bridge) and one for west traffic into Missouri. As we peddled into town we also saw some world class early 1900 houses on Maine Street. These homes were breathtaking and would wow even a seasoned traveler.

About an hour after Karen and I had the mandatory milk shake at Steak and Shake, Arlene arrived with the previously mentioned two wheels. Thanks Dawn at the Touring Cyclist for coming through when we really needed your help!

After a little dinner at a Chinese buffet, Arlene and I went together to see the houses on Maine Street and also stopped by the park down near the river. Finally, we visited the site of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debate and felt a sense of history that doesn't always strike us. It was so nice just to relax together on a cool, comfortable evening.

On to Springfield!

Day 32 Chillicothe, MO to Kirksville, MO

While some of our folks heard a few firecrackers on the 4th, it was definitely not a roaring holiday for us. With the rain now out of our forecast, our 5 Jul 06 plan required us to ride about 80 miles across Missouri.

For all of us who thought that climbing was peculiar only to Colorado, Missouri gave a spirited wake up call. We actually climbed more vertical feet today 9~6000) than the day we ascended Mount Rose and the Sierras!

I rode about 40 miles today with Tim Trelfa as the two of us battled a 10 knot headwind and lots of hills. Tim is a strong biker and great coversationalist which helped in our fight with the hills.

Today was a wonder to behold with herds of horses and cows living large in verdant pastures. There has obviously been a lot of rain and sun here with fields full of crops--corn, wheat, beans, and other things which I cannot identify.

Along the way I saw two young deer playing tag, two giant eagles dining on a roadkill victim, a fox running for a culvert and some assorted dogs.

This countryside is genuinely inspiring. What a land of plenty we have with so many possibilities and opportunities. I feel so positive and optimistic just meandering through this blessed country.

After checking in, Tim and I headed a couple of miles into town for a milkshake and a little exploring. We saw a classic town square/courthouse with all the shops surrounding the town center. We then rode over to the campus of Truman State University and saw a school with a tremendous atmosphere for learning. Beautiful grounds and surroundings.

With dinner at the hotel at 6 pm and 100 miles to ride tomorrow, we continue to savor this grand adventure.

Day 31 St. Joseph, MO to Chillicothe, MO

Happy 4th of July America and friends! To celebrate, out riders knocked out 89 miles with ominous skies in the background and puddles all around the parking lot. I'm told (I was sleeping soundly) that it rained and stormed from about 4-6 am. We departed about 6:45 and all the fireworks were over (so to speak!) However, since we were all sure it was going to rain more, we were dressed for the worst--rain jackets, rain pants, fenders, booties, and more.

After saying goodbye to Arlene, I carefully moved down the road expecting to get wet. As it turned out, the skies became just clearer and bluer as we proceeded east. After riding about 12 miles with my rain jacket on in the 70 degree temps, I was soaked all right, but on the inside, not the outside of the jacket. I stopped for a moment and wadded it up and put it in my jersey pocket.

I rode with Doug to the first rest stop and after refueling, was ready to move out. For some reason, I took the time to pick up my bike with the front wheel off the ground and spun the wheel to make sure it wasn't rubbing on my brakes and was still basically round. Checked good. I did the same thing to the rear wheel and . . . it was rubbing against my brake. No matter how much I opened my brake, the rear wheel kept rubbing.

About this time, one of our ride leaders, Barb Munk came over and said, ". . . why don't you let Mike (her husband and our ride leader) take a look at that?" I heard her, but I was thinking, ". . . it really isn't that bad and I'll just ride it to the end." Then I spun the rear wheel again and for the second time Barb very quietly said, ". . . why don't you let Mike come look at that?" Well this time the thought registered that if maintenance is available, USE IT! Kind of an old airplane kind of thinking.

About 15 minutes later, Mike pulls up, takes off my rear wheel, puts it in a truing jig and as he is examining the wheel, he discoveries a one inch crack that straddles one of the spoke holes. Essentially, one of the spokes was pulling away from the rim. This meant the wheel was trashed and I'd need to use the spare wheel the team carries in the van. Mike took my cluster of gears off my rear wheel and put it on the temporary/borrowed one and I was rolling about 10 minutes later.

Since my 30 minute repair put quite a few folks in front of me, I had plenty of reason to try and ride faster. About 10 miles down the road, I caught a group of about 8 of our guys that included Larry. I moved to the front of the group and had a blast pulling them for the next 20 miles until a Scott Terpstra flat tire slowed us down. After a quick flat fix, we motored to the rest stop.

The rest stop was right in the middle of an Amish community. We saw multiple carriages, buggies, and horse drawn wagons moving about. On the way out of town, I stopped and took a picture of 6-8 wagons and horses hitched up as their owners participated in an auction.

I rode the last 20 miles with Bob, a former US Marine. We had a great time riding and talking in the quiet countryside. When we arrived in Chillicothe, the hotel staff had cold water, watermelon, fruit and orange juice on hand for us. Sure made us feel welcome!

The normal routine had us cleaning our bikes, hitting Golden Corral for dinner, and then we all sat outside in some shade and traded lies. Yes, another great day!

Monday, July 03, 2006

Day 30 Day off in St. Joseph, MO

We all enjoyed a well deserved day off, 3 July 2006, here in metropolitan St. Joseph, Missouri, located about 35 miles north of Kansas City. I "slept in" until about 0800 and found about half our bikers in the lobby eating the Drury Inn breakfast while vicariously riding in the Tour de France via HD television.

With about 25 miles left in the second stage of the tour, the rain began outside and I think we were all glad we weren't riding today. While I'm sure we all have the rain gear to ride in precipitation, our first choice is to stay dry. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Around 1030, Arlene and I ventured out to Best Buy to get a new digital camera since my current one is on the fritz. We found the one we were looking for and we are now back in business.

We then headed to the "Tour de Museums"! In just a scant four hours we saw Jesse James birthplace, the Partee (i.e. "party") Museum, the Black Archives Museum, and the Glore Psychiatric Museum. Whew! Without a doubt, riding a bike 5 hours a day is much, repeat much easier!

Here's a few of the revelations we learned on our museum trek:
- Jesse James married his first cousin, and died while straightening a picture in his house here in St. Joe. The Governor Crittenden of Missouri promised the Ford brothers $10,000 if they brought Jesse in "Dead or Alive". After the Fords shot Jesse in the back, the governor not only refused to pay the $10,000, but had them arrested, tried for murder and then sentenced to death. The governor then commuted their sentences and kept the money.
- The Partee Museum was previously a hotel that the Pony Express riders used before they departed on their 1966 mile ride. Today it houses museum artifacts that were a potpourri of things that would make you smile and sometimes shake your head at the same time. We learned a few things and had quite a few chuckles along the way. Did you know that the 3 guys who founded the Pony Express lost $500,000 in this operation that only lasted 19 months and was made obsolete by the telegraph and automobile?
-The Black Archives and the Glore Psychiatric Museum were housed in the same building together along with a Native American exhibit and a tribute to Ruth Warrick, a local TV star from All My Children fame. Imagine reading the story of the slave trade and viewing a pair of handcuff-like restraints hanging on the wall and then turning around and seeing a large photo of Ruth Warrick's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Eeegh! I'm not trying to belittle or be exceedingly critical but in these museums and the previous Partee Museum, there were really a lot of "non sequitars"--things that didn't seem to fit. Again, we just kind of nervously smiled and kept moving.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed a little local color and were happy to have a little time together. Tonight we are headed to Boudreax's, a Cajun restaurant down by the Missouri river. We'll take Larry, Scott Terpstra, and Tim Trelfa for something a little different than our standard buffet dinner.

I'll stretch a little tonight to get some of my muscles loose and pray for clear skies.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Day 29 Topeka, KS to St. Joseph, MO

Our ride this morning was a real treat. Over 89 miles of rolling, twisting, turning roads through corn and wheat fields. We crossed from Kansas into Missouri at about 33 miles and I've already heard some of my buddies comment on the difference in the roads. Unequivocally, Kansas has the best roads/shoulders thus far.

I saw several things on the ride that caught my attention. A sign said "A Kansas farmer feeds 128 people and YOU!" The other thing that kept reverberating in my head was the word "abundance."

I was so excited that our 3 Brit riders would have a chance to see this unique, land of plenty area of our country. On every side of the road for 80+ miles was food to feed so many and so well. The corn was literally waving in the fields, already 8 feet high and really healthy. The wheat made me sing America as the "amber waves of grain" surrounded me.

At about mile 80 on the outskirts of St. Joe, I met a cyclist who had ridden with America by Bicycle two different times. We talked for a couple miles and then he headed home. For the next 5 miles, we would through a parkway that is such a blessing for this community. It is surrounded by trees, grass covered hills and seems to be right in the middle of the town.

As I was stumbling to read the second page of my cue sheet, another rider pulled up beside me and asked where I was going. When I mentioned the Drury Inn, he guided me the next 5 miles and enabled me to shove the barely readable (sweat, grime!) into my back pocket and enjoy the end of the ride versus navigating and riding at the same time. This local physician brought me to the front door and then peddled off into the . . . heat!

After checking in today, I met a new rider who will join us for the St. Joe to Indy leg. He is a beer distributor from Philly and is excited to join us. While his bike has arrived and is ready to go, his bags are still "flying the friendly skies" somewhere between here and Kansas City.

With a day of rest now upon us, I know most all the group is ready for a little extended downtime. I'm definitely in that group and am excited to have Arlene arriving this afternoon.

Thanks for reading and have a joyous, happy 4th of July.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Day 28 Abilene, KS to Topeka, KS

On the 1st of July, we had a long, hot ride that was literally over the river and through the woods. We peddled 108 miles on our second to last day in Kansas and a strong tail wind made the adventure still more pleasurable.

I started off riding alone and eventually joined up with Sue, a PE teacher from Florida. About the time we joined up, we encountered a "Road Closed" sign and began to call our ride leaders for suggestions. While the call was taking place, a local farmer was coming from the other direction around the closed signs and told us we could make it and what we could expect. Suffice it to say, there were 2 bridges out, but we were able to walk around them since there was no water to contend with.

Along the way I had a cluster of 20 cows run to the far east fence line with me and about 10 minutes later, 10 horses did the same thing. Something about my sweaty jersey and wind direction I guess.

Sue and I solved all the world's problems in about 10 miles and then I rode with Doug and Darryl for a while. We were racing down some nice hills, but they kind of trailed off when the uphills appeared.

The rest stop at 72 miles was a welcome sight indeed (especially since I initially missed it and road 2 extra miles to find it!). By now the temps exceeded 90 degrees and the heat from the reflecting road made it seem much hotter. The rest stop had all the normal treats plus some extras provided by an America By Bicycle Alumni, Jeff Unruh and his family. Cold, seedless watermelon and a popsicle on a really hot day with 36 miles to go are literally "priceless" refreshments.

Refueled and ready to go, I roared out of town for the final push. Mother Nature was very warm but gave me a great push on the tush with a 15 knot tailwind. And the road was so much fun with its turns, twists and rolling hills. I love this kind of terrain.

At about the 80 mile mark, I saw Momma deer and two of her fawns. I think they had wandered out of the woods and were heading for a nearby firecracker tent before I shooed them back into the woods. Hope they still get those sparklers!

After arriving at the hotel, I had the pleasure of meeting Tim Trelfa's daughter, Tasha, a news reporter for one of the local TV stations. She was doing a story on our group motoring through Topeka and asked to interview me and one of our female riders, Linda. The spot is supposed to be on tonight at 10 pm on local channel 9, so I know you won't want to miss it.

We just finished up yet another in a series of spaghetti and lasagna dinners. Great food topped off with chocolate mousse and the team was happy. Breakfast is tomorrow at 0600, so the march to Portsmouth continues.

We are headed for St. Joe, MO tomorrow and will enjoy a rest day. I'm definitely excited to have Arlene stop in for another visit. She is flying to KC tomorrow afternoon and should arrive in my neighborhood about 3 pm.

Happy 4th holiday to all. Let freedom ring!

Day 27 McPherson, KS to Abilene, KS

Hard to believe it is the last day of June! With good weather, a healthy body and a great bike, this has been one enjoyable day after another. Pure fun!

Having been corrected on the departure city (McFurson is correct, not McFearson), I was ready to take my bike and head east to friendlier confines. The 64 miles to Abilene was as easy as it gets. We had a near direct tailwind for 50+ miles and the road was again first class.

Sights seen along the way included the symbolic 1/2 way point of the trip. We all stopped and mugged for a few photos next to the spray painted point on the road identified by our leader just 10 minutes earlier. Hope that Krylon paint wears off quickly of the Kansas DOT may have a beef with America By Bicycle.

The next highpoint was the beautiful gazebo in the middle of "downtown" Gypsum, KS. A local marquee read "Welcome Bike Across the USA." It didn't take long for all the seats inside the gazebo to fill up and it looked like a bunch of birds perched upon a 2 x 6, waiting for something to happen. It was REALLY a comfortable setting.

And the final notable sight along the way was the National greyhound Museum (No Randy Larsen, not the bus--the dogs!) I waved as I went by and I heard at least 500 barking dogs smell my salt stained jersey from over 100 yards away. Even Arlene makes me drop this things in the wash before I cart around the house.

I road most of the way with Tim the retired teacher and Clarence, the Auburn University retired professor. After we rolled into the hotel together, we got cleaned up, drank our required milk shake, and headed for the Eisenhower presidential Center. In 3 hours we toured his burial place, the world class museum, saw a wonderful movie and viewed his boyhood home. This was one of the greatest exhibits of its kind I have ever seen. I strongly recommend it for all!

For dinner we had Mexican food from the restaurant attached to the hotel. Although we were told we could have any of the 30 combinations listed, the ordering and delivery looked like a comedy of errors. Our bikers had a very difficult time remembering what number they ordered and the wait staff seemed to call every plate they served "#26". After a while, the team figured out that if they wanted to it they better start raising their hands and take whatever the server delivered.

Just another day of hearding cats.

Day 26Great Bend, KS to McPherson, KS

On the 29th of June, we journeyed 66 miles down the straightest highways you'll ever see. I call it "watching telephone poles step to heaven." The ride was relatively easy with a tailwind pushing us most of the way.

I must admit that one sheer 5 minutes of joy was a draft behind a cattle truck (anybody can pedal and hold their nose, can't they?) that had me cruising at 35 miles per hour with literally no effort. This adds a new meaning to the phrase, "cooking with gas."

There is definitely some heat in the forecast and we'll be challenged with more miles and humidity in the days ahead. I hope our folks are just as savvy with these elements as they were with the mountains and headwinds.