Jim's Orient Express Ride

Istanbul

2008-07-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Day After: 4000 km, 39 ride days, 50 total days, and eight countries.

What a great way to end this trek. Last night we had a harrowing taxi ride to and from a beautiful outdoor restaurant for the final meal, a fantastic slide show, and farewell to the team. It is with mixed feelings we ended this adventure, but all agreed it was time. Eight are continuing on for an additional four months to Beijing…thankfully not me.

This morning, our Turkish guide arranged a city tour for 15 of us that showed what an amazing place this is. Istanbul is a modern city of officially 14 million and unofficially 20 million. Building a Mosque is one of the ways to get to heaven, so the city has 4000. We found it to be modern, very clean, busy, and friendly.

We got a tour of the ancient city cistern, the Blue Mosque, Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar (comprised of 4000 shops making it the largest tourist trap in the world). Interestingly, we all seemed to just take it in, but were already maxed out with 50 days of images and experiences. Istanbul is fantastic, but I am in overload. I’ll have to return with Sandra and do the city justice.

On this quest I found that America is still a great country, but Europe and the European Union are rapidly catching up. Americans are still well liked, but not so with the American government. Change is in the air everywhere. The simple things in bring happiness and contentment.

So I end this saga…4000 km along the Orient Express and I rode EFI (Every Fantastic Inch) and the second continent I’ve crossed.

July 20, Tayakadin to Istanbul, 46 km, Day 50

2008-07-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

Finish Line! Yea!!

This was the last ride day. It was supposed to be a scenic Sunday morning country ride to the Bosporus, and then a 20 km group ride along the waterway to the hotel in downtown Istanbul. However, the road was closed for construction and we had to take the main highway through an industrial part of town. We found out that Sunday is a busy work day in a Muslim country, but the shoulders were wide and drivers courteous.

The Bosporus is a strategic 20 mile long waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and separates Europe from Asia. Istanbul is built up on both sides of the one to two mile wide waterway. When I arrived it was quite dramatic, with bright blue sky, clear green water, and ships cruising past. We did an obligatory group photo shoot, and boarded a ferry for the 20 km boat ride to our hotel. After being in what seemed to be wilderness, the views from this waterway were stunning. We passed under two Golden Gate suspension bridges, and saw what is reported to be the most expensive water view property in the world - $5 million to $500 million homes.

All 40 of us thought this was a fitting end, but a bitter sweet moment. It was wonderful to check into a first class hotel in a world class city, and not be thinking about getting prepared for the next leg of the bike ride!

July 19, Saray to Tayakadin, 90 km

2008-07-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

Bush Camp!

This was our last long ride and was over hilly back roads with 3200 feet of climbing. Most of the scenery was forrest, but along the way, three of us stopped in a farm village for a coke. The owner of the small grocery store gave us drinks and brought up chairs, insisting we sit and rest. Unfortunately, we didn’t speak Turkish and he only knew a little German. These Turks are amazingly friendly people. My ride group didn’t want me to wear any USA jerseys and even gave me a Canadian flag to fly on the back of the bike. I have not seen any hint of anti-Americanism. The word from our , Cim, is American tourist are great, Pres Bush and the American government is terrible, with the mess created in Iraq.

Our last night out is camping on a scenic hill top that looks out over a farm valley and the Black Sea. However, it doesn’t have a shower and the toilets are squatters. The staff, being quite resourceful, rigged up tarps with buckets of water for us to use with our water bottles and have an improvise shower. It was wonderful getting the sun block and salt off. Some of the riders that traveled across Africa said they got used to not showering, so this was not a big deal. The shower was essential for the rest of us.

We had quite a barbeque feast and watched a great sunset from our hilltop vantage point…a fitting final night.

Kirlclarili to Saray, July 18, 77km

2008-07-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

What a Friendly Country!

This was a good ride day on good roads. The drivers are the best anywhere, giving bikers plenty or room, and a friendly toot when passing or approaching. The towns folks wave and cheer when we pass through. It doesn’t get any friendlier.

I stopped and took a picture of several towns’ people milling wheat on a town street. They insisted I retake the picture with them waving and posing. The country side is rolling hills with fields of sunflowers and wheat. Most farmers have modern American tractors.

Several of us went to the city park and sat with the locals and people watched for several hours as we drank tea. It was interesting to watch a Gypsy mother work her two young boys. She would send them off to stand by people ordering snacks and look hungry. The unsuspecting patrons would invariably order for them too, and the boys would bring the booty back for mom to stuff in a bag. In two hours she had quite a haul.

The hotel was worthy of mention. Just down the street was a Mosque that we could listen to prayer calls. The Saray Hotel had cable TV in each room and one of the ten channels was the Hustler Channel with continuous porn movies. This country is sure one of color and contrasts.

July 17, Kirklareli Rest Day, Day 47

2008-07-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Three More Ride Days to Istanbul

Today Cem offered to take us on a day trip of an ancient Turkish capital. I know it would have been informative and entertaining, but we declined. Most of us need just a relaxing rest day with minimal information or excitement.

I had a leisurely two hour breakfast with the group, where we rehashed and solved world problems. Then we explored the town, a bazaar, had Turkish coffee (exceptionally strong espresso), a lunch with locals, and a Turkish haircut (first in six weeks). Some one really appreciates the simple life.

We learned from Cem that the new conservative Muslim government has imposed a sin tax on beer and wine, which has driven up the price and frustrated many of the locals.

July 16, Malko Tarnovo to Kirklareli, TURKEY, 50 km

2008-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Bulgaria, Welcome Turkey!

Today the ride was short, but very hilly, with some rain and cool temps. The border crossing was on a forested mountain top. This crossing was like the old days where one has to wait in lines for an hour and pay for a visa - $20 for me. It is clear we are in a different world from Eastern Europe – all the towns have mosques, the older women are covered and only kids wear shorts (young people are in jeans and T-shirts). There are lots of stores that sell everything, but the price of beer and food has doubled.

We picked up a great Turkish guide, Cim (pronounced Jim) who gave us a walking tour of the city, and showed hundred year old Greek homes that are being restored. We seem to be somewhat celebrities to the city fathers who arranged a wonderful dinner for us at a Turkish restaurant. The city is starting to promote itself as a tourist stop, and we appear to be an international group to carry the word to the outside world. Kirklarili is a fun little city with very friendly people. The mayor has promised to personally ride with us out of town and provide a police escort!

July 15, Aheloi to Malko Tarnovo, 105 km

2008-07-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

A Night in an Old Hospital

After a long, hot, and hilly ride, we made it to our hotel – an old town hospital that has been converted to a hostel. Three of us stayed in a room with hard cots and five shared a bathroom. The bathroom was a little primitive, there was no A/C on a hot night, and all night the local dogs barked. It was a fun stay, though.

The ride was inland on a secondary road, so we felt much safer today, where we could look at the country side and visit with each other. We stopped at a small farm town for a Coke, and shared a three litre bottle that cost $1.20. During the break, we were entertained by and accordion player who thought we were French going to Istanbul, so he played French songs.

July 14, Varna to Aheloi, 107 km

2008-07-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

A Day Full of Excitement!

This was a hot and hilly day for all of us, with 4000 feet of climbing as we rode up and down Black Sea coastal mountains. There were lots of memories today.

Leaving Varna, we were greeted by a beautiful hooker standing on the side of the road. On down the road I even came across some wild pigs rooting around a fruit tree.

About an hour out of town, I pulled ahead of the group I was riding with, only to find that they had become a part of a spectacular car accident. A car pulled off the road and without checking proceeded to do a U-turn in he highway, only to be T-boned by an approaching car. It was in-between a gap of bikers. There was a huge crash with smoke and flying glass. Both cars one car went in the ditch and the driver of one was unconscious with a propane bottle leaking. The guys were heroic in stopping traffic and extracting the hurt driver. Instead of being local news, they hit the road as soon as an ambulance arrived, with traffic was backed up over a kilometre in both directions.

I found the Romanian drivers to be on the wild side. Many of the Black Sea towns we rode through were booming with high-rise development and lots of new luxury cars on the road. These drivers had a burning desire to pass in all kinds of conditions. It was quite unnerving to be biking on the edge of the road and have someone in oncoming traffic pull out in front of me to pass, and take up my lane too. Several times I had to bail off the road and into the dirt.

We stayed in a small coastal village, that is being rapidly converted into a seaside resort, where we stayed in three small family run hotels of about a dozen rooms each. It was quite a treat, in that there was a swimming pool, and restaurant with cheap food and drink. That evening, two talented musicians came and played Romanian and old American songs until late.

July 13, Varna Rest Day

2008-07-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

A Day at the Beach

Last night a group of us ate at a local Turkish restaurant. We had a sampling from the menu and it was excellent...cheap too. The local beer is Zagorko, which is magnificant and a dollar for half a liter. The promenade was packed with young people cursing, people watching, and hitting the restaurant/bars. As a bunch of camping bikers, we feel like we have gone to heaven.

This morning we had the hotel breakfast on the 17th story, with a magnificent panoramic view of the city and Black Sea. During breakfast, we watched a cruise ship pull into the port.

The sandy beach is not very large, but is packed with swimmers and sunbathers. The Black Sea water is relative warm and not quite as salty as the ocean. Many of the women sunbathe topless, which is quite a surprise for the Americans and Canadians. The European members say this is quite common, and around the Mediterranean, a larger proportion of the women are topless. Wow!

For my Canadian friend, Don, who had to leave the ride midway because of a fall: You had a quest to find European women with hairy legs and armpits, which we understood was a key reason for doing the ride. I am sorry to inform you that after surveying the beach, even this part of the world has progressed and these women don't appear to exist.

July 12, Shumen to Varna, 95km

2008-07-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

A Black Sea Resort!

Today everyone was excited about riding hard and getting to the beach. It turned out to be another hot and hilly day, with everyone arriving dehydrated.

This is quite an impressive seaport and resort town on the Black Sea. In the Communist era it was developed to reward the Party members with an exotic vacation.

Our hotel is a relative modern 17 story building right on the main walking plaza to the beach. It reminds me of South Beach, Miami. The plaza and beach front are packed with young people. One really takes notice of all the tall and thin young women in their short-shorts. This has been somewhat of a surprise because we are starting to transition into the Muslim part of the world. The town has been discovered by Western Europe because there are lots of tourists and inexpensive ocean view property advertised.

July 11, Ruse to Shuman, Bulgaria, 134 km

2008-07-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hilly, Hot, Hard

This was a tough ride day with 5000 feet of climbing country roads. I got a good look at Bulgarian farming and found it to be a huge change from Romania. Here, the farms are Mid-West USA size with modern US farm machinery. From horizon to horizon, we rode past large fields of wheat being harvested and sunflowers tracking the sun. The small farm villages did have some peasant farmers with donkey drawn carts, but these villages were mostly deserted. Apparently, the rural population is leaving the country side and moving into the cities. The other big change from Romania is there are fewer stray dogs, and all those have been friendly. The roads are a marked improvement over Romania too, so I can travel faster and look at the country side instead of threading around potholes.

Tonight we are in a hotel again, because the campsites are reported to be primitive. The Shuman hotel is relatively modern…especially by the old Soviet standard. I did note the bathroom had a pale of water by the toilet, so there must be a problem with water pressure.

Another big change in Bulgaria is the writing in Cyrillic, which is noticeably different from the English alphabet. Most of the riders rode right past our hotel because they couldn’t read its name, which was given to us in English and posted in Cyrillic. Many, but not all, of the road signs are in both Cyrillic and English. Most of the young people have studied English, so the country is quite English friendly. Food and drink are excellent and cheap!

July 10, Buchorest to Ruse, Bulgaria, 104 km

2008-07-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Romania, Hello Bulgaria…Almost Camped in Brothel

We got our much appreciated police escort out of this bustling city during rush hour. Three hours later, we were at the Danube River, for the last time, and across into Bulgaria, where my passport was checked and stamped. Ruse is a river port city and appeared to be a dumpy place, dominated by rundown Soviet era apartment flats. However, I went into town to get money exchanged and found the city center is had a wonderful park and walking mall…another city in slow transition.

Today we were scheduled to camp on the grounds of a motel and restaurant about 8 km out of town. The staff said it was OK for us, but had us wait until the owner arrived after noon, before setting up. Well, the owner arrived and said this would not work out. The motel rooms had been rented to road construction crews and they were followed by prostitutes (some of which were already there). When the sun went down, the guys liked to get drunk and fight, so he didn’t want a bunch of camping bikers in the middle of it. Rats!

So off we went to a lake side park about 15 km down the road. This was bush camping, with no showers and a primitive hole in the floor toilet. I managed to find a spring and got a sponge bath, so it worked out. Another adventure.

Bucharest Rest Day, July 9

2008-07-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Another Milestone – 3000km

We now have completed ¾ of the ride. Tomorrow we are into Bulgaria and the next rest day is on the Black Sea. We are all starting to look toward the end. I have also dropped 10 pounds, though not from a lack of calories.

This city of two million is an interesting study in a communist capitol city in transition. Many of the buildings are stately, but either in disrepair or being demolished. Our hotel overlooks the parliamentary palace, but the down town is mainly government offices and banks. There seem to be few tourists visiting, so there are few services like markets, internet, call centers or even restaurants. Last night a group of us looked for an hour for a place to eat. We settled into a park restaurant and ordered a beer, only to learn they had stopped serving food. Another hour later we found an Indian restaurant. Strange.

Today, Sebastian arranged for us to tour the National Palace, which happens to be the second largest building, after the Pentagon. It took us an hour to find a gate that we could enter, and then wait in line to purchase tickets. There seems to be little interest in making money.

The Palace was based on the French Versailles, and had opulent halls with huge chandeliers. The communist president had it built in the 1990s, which consumed a large part of budget during a time the country was going bankrupt and people starving. 20,000 craftsmen worked 24/7 for five years to complete it. At the end, in 1989, the communists were thrown out of office and the president executed after a quick trial.

The capital is a work in progress. It is full of young professionals and lots of BMWs.

Tomorrow…Bulgaria.

Dragoduna to Bucharest, July 8, 80km

2008-07-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

Police Escort into Bucharest! Yea!

This was a welcome easy, though very hot, day. We needed to bike 68 km to the outskirts of Bucharest, and rendezvous for a police escort to our hotel in the city center. Being creatures of habit, we still got up at first light and had breakfast at 6:30. Then it was leisurely ride to the meeting point, but before long it turned into a race – I came in fourth – and a two hour lunch and wait in 100 deg temps for a motorcycle police escort.

Along the way we got to see potatoes being harvested by hand and loaded into carts. In the towns, individual home owners stacked bags of potatoes in front, along with watermelon and tomatoes, for sale.

As we neared Bucharest even our secondary road started getting busy with truck traffic, so it was a welcome relief to get off the highway. At 12:30 we linked up with the police escort and a 12 km ride into the city with a blue light flashing and sirens blowing through red lights. The locals must have thought it was a parade and waved at us like we were celebs. It was fantastic!

Romincia Valcea to Dragoduna, July 7, 110 km

2008-07-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

A Ride through Hell!

We woke up this morning to lions roaring at the adjacent zoo. Dogs barked throughout the night, but I slept reasonably well in my tent.

Again, we were on the road at sunrise to climb over several passes before getting into the flat plains. However, this was Monday morning rush hour traffic over a busy highway that goes to Bucharest. The previous two years this segment had been on a Sunday morning. This road was packed with semis carrying big loads, and they were in a hurry. The highway shoulder varied from a foot to nothing, so one had to share the road with the traffic…scary. For the first 50 km all I did was try to get as close to the edge or the road as possible and watch my mirror for upcoming trucks. Several time I had to bail out in the dirt. No fun! Everyone had tails of “and there I was…” In the end, the staff said today caught them by surprise and was a mistake. Oh well…we asked for an adventure. At least everyone arrived safe.

Tonight we are at a motel, camping, and renting several rooms for showers. After a stressful day, I laid down for a one hour nap, only to have several of my friends set beer bottles around me and take a compromising picture. This is, unfortunately, published on Terry’s blog: terrysspokereport.blogspot.com

Targu Jiu to Rominca Valcea, July 6, 130 km

2008-07-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

Mountain Biking on Sunday Morning!

On the road at sunrise and on to a country road for a long hot, hilly ride, over beater roads that some local bikers said were only suited for mountain biking. The scenery was fantastic, but several times I had to ask what I was doing on this rough road with my road bike. Some of the potholes were so bad that my camera got knocked out of its Velcro bento box and on the road…Kodak makes them tough though. The first half of the ride was steep climbs of 8 – 12% followed by equally steep descents where I had to stay on the breaks and bounced through potholes.

I did get a close look at early morning farm life in the foothills of the Carpathian foothills. There were lots of stray dogs in the villages that decided this was the time to bark and chase me, before the heat of the day. I saw women were out drawing water from community wells and carrying two buckets to their homes. A local baker was driving around in a truck and selling loaves of bread to households. Cows were getting milked. Later in the morning, older villagers gathered for Greek Orthodox church services, and the younger ones headed to local restaurants for midday gatherings. Again, time appears to have stood still for hundreds of years.

Tonight we are in a camping on the grounds of a motel and restaurant, next to a water park and zoo. Large cold drinks are a dollar, which is heavenly on this long hot day! For showers, the staff rented several rooms and we used those bathrooms. It does work. We also had a dozen stry dogs wondering through the camp.

Baile Herculane to Targu Jiu, July 5, 105 km

2008-07-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

Cold Mountain Movie Set

For my Independence Day meal, four of us took Sebastian out to dinner for a typical Romanian meal…two big beers, sausage, fries, and salad. What a deal at $6 each! We got to solve some of the world problems with Sebastian saying he likes George Bush and the national Romanian hero is Ronald Regan, who freed them from communism.

The ride today was tough with 4000 feet of climbing through the Carpathian Mountains. We learned that this is the area where the movie Cold Mountain, with Nicole Kidman, had been filmed several years ago. There were lots of switchbacks, stray dogs, farmers cutting hay, and stunning views.

In Targu Jiu, we stayed in another Soviet era hotel, which had not been remodelled in fifty years. We did have hot water, but no A/C on a very hot day, and mosquitoes at night.

July 4, Baile Herculane Rest Day

2008-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day from Hercules Bath!

Today we are in a resort spa with hot springs baths. The town is located in a stunning valley that looks a lot like Yosemite. There are a dozen large hotel resorts that have been here for most of a hundred years, and they look like old palaces. However, on closer inspection, many are abandoned and falling apart. The word from Sebastian, our Romanian guide, is that the communists leaders took some of the hotels and kept the profits for themselves until the places fell apart and had to close, or the property is in court to assign the rightful owner. Our conclusion is that in 10 years this should be a world class resort with MacDonald’s and casinos.

Prices are dirt cheap with only Romanians visiting. Here, vendors are selling a two litre bottle of beer for $2 and a kilo of cherries go for $1.50. Massages at the hotel are $14 for an hour. I checked on one earlier and it is hard to get an appointment, because, seemingly, the hotel is disorganized and the staff doesn’t care about working too hard. I did manage to schedule a 25 minute massage that was wonderful on my tight muscles...only cost $7.

This is a fascinating country in slow transition. We can be thankful for what we have on this Independence Day.

July 3, Resita to Baile Herculane, 128 km

2008-07-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

A Day of Climbing the Carpathian Mountains

We are out of plains and into the mountains. Since this was to be a long hot day, we left at sunrise and started climbing over stunning mountains and dense national forests. The farms were now in the fertile river valleys, but maybe even poorer looking than the plains. Today it seemed like the older women were out doing the field work, with few men or young people in sight.

The first half of the ride was smooth road that was quite smooth. The second half was a beater road that kept the speed down – especially on the descents. One section of concrete road had some steep sections broken up and washed out, so it was like riding on a riverbed. Since most of us are not riding mountain bikes, we had to dismount and walk part of it. I am sure grateful for my larger touring tires, but some of the roads needed mountain bike tires.

When we arrived the temps were in the low 90s, our legs were spent from the climbing, and upper body sore from the jarring. My Roubaix bike is holding up well, thought.

July 2, Timisora to Resita, 99 km

2008-07-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

A Day of Contrasts

Randy, one of our tour leaders, told me an interesting story this morning. He said when he checked out of the hotel the reception said he owed for parking the vans in their hotel lot. He said he had paid the attendant when he checked in the day before, to which the hotel said there is only a night guard, who does not collect for the hotel. Randy still had to pay.

We did another group ride to get through rush hour of this city of 600,000. It was a little scary at times, being on the road with the trucks and cars that didn’t want to give way to each other, let alone forty bikers. We made it through the city and then some 30 km down a busy highway with no shoulder. Needless to say, the only sightseeing was the edge of the road and the wheel in front of you. What a relief to turn out on country roads…even if they were a little rough.

The country side was beautiful with farmers working their fields by hand with tools that could have been a hundred years old. Rarely did I see a tractor, and then it was an antique clunker. The fields have gotten progressively shrunk in size to around 5 acres. Most of he road traffic was either large road trucks, or wagons pulled by a horse or cow.

Tonight we stayed in an old Soviet high rise hotel. It was listed as two star, but had no hot water until night, a primitive bathroom, and no A/C on this hot day. We opened up the windows, only to find that the room filled up with mosquitoes in the evening…but we signed up for the experience. This is an old steel town with closed factories. Our hotel is on a new plaza with an impressive fountain...an attempt to draw tourist.

Day 31, July 1, Timisoara Rest Day

2008-07-01T04:10:00.000-07:00

A New Month and a New Time Zone

We now have less than three weeks to the finish and I am ten hours ahead of Pacific Time Zone.

We are in a hotel right off the old town plaza in a wonderful location. People in the city appear to be doing much better than the country folk. There are lots of new cars – some luxury – and everyone is well dressed. The Victory Plaza, off where we are staying, has been transformed into tourist attraction with tons of outdoor cafes, and pigeons. I am happy to say McDonalds has the prominent position on the Plaza.

We picked up a Romanian guide, Sebastian, who gave us a tour and talked about the country and its transformation. He is quite a colourful character and will be with us for the next ten days. I learned the country is still quite poor and a work in progress, but everyone seems to be happy that they are out from under communism... and those who are not happy about it have been killed. One of the Romanian expressions is that if you want to live like the Germans then you have to work as hard as Germans.

Romania has Europe’s largest population of Gypsies – 1 ½ million. Sebastian said they migrated from India a thousand years ago, and they are good people, but don’t fit into the modern world because they don’t believe in education and intermarry. From here on we have been reminded to keep an eye on our wallets and bikes.

We will be entering Transylvania, but were told that with garlic harvest underway it should ward off the vampires.

Day 30, Szeged to Timisoana, Romania, 128 km

2008-07-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Hungary, Hello Romania!

Timisoana was an interesting study in communist cities in transition. Outside town were old deserted heavy industry factories, and down the road from them new high tech industrial parks. There are lots of Soviet high rise apartments, with some being converted into condos, others look like slums or are abandoned. The old down town has been converted into tourists walking streets with parks, art, and outdoor cafes.

We had an interesting ferry boat ride across the river to get into Romania. As usual, the ferry boat operator could have cared less about customer service and let us stand around for better part of an hour before he was ready to cross. Part of my quest is to learn patience, so I am chalking it up to part of the adventure.

What an interesting day! Romania is a different world. I finally got my passport stamped after six of us waited 20 minutes for the border agents to inspect our documents on a quiet country road. This country side is like Kansas – flat with fields of wheat, corn, sunflowers, and oil wells, but in Mexico with dirt poor peasant farmers, beat up farm equipment, beater cars, dusty towns with the highway being the only paved road, weeds, litter, and lots of stray dogs. The people and dogs are friendly, and food is cheap!

I biked through the town of Sandra, Romania. It was blistering hot with road temps approaching 100 deg so we stopped for a cold drink at an outside cantina, shared by a construction crew having a cold beer. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of a pretty young lady standing on the highway soliciting her wares, almost in the shadow of the church. What contrasts!

The ride was long, hot, and hard. We are now on main highways and have to share the road with traffic, but there is no shoulder, so we have to ride as close to the edge as possible…not much fun, but the pace is much faster than bike paths.

Three people went off the road and fell, including out tandem couple, resulting in some cuts and bruises. I am staying vigilant and keeping my eyes on the road!

Day 29, Kesckemet to Szeged, Hungary, 105 km

2008-07-01T04:01:00.000-07:00

Finally a dry hot day!

We stayed in a great campground, right next to a water park, but everyone keeps their cloths on here. Next to us was a German Bushotel – a touring bus with 20 seats and 20 births for overnight sleeping. I checked it out and it looked like sleeping accommodations on a submarine. I asked the tour guide and he said “ja ja, a U-boat.”

For the first time in a month I got to pack up dry camping gear!

I managed to pickup my summer head cold, so a three hour afternoon nap helped a bunch. I checked with Dr Wynn, our local doctor, and he said to take it easy. I started out easy and after an hour got caught up in a fast pace line, which turned into a race, which I barely hung on to. It felt good, though. I have found that initially I was in better shape than most and would consistently be in the top six. After a month, everyone is in good shape and I have to work hard to stay in the top dozen. I guess that is what age does to you.

I had a great discussion with a Hungarian biker that stayed with us for the evening. He is publishing a new Hungarian magazine on adventure travel around the world. I asked about how the country had transitioned from communism to capitalism. He said the communists were peacefully removed in 1989 and land restored to the previous owners. The transition went relatively smooth, but people are still learning about customer service and hard work.

Today’s country side was picturesque vegetable farms and vineyards. Wheat harvest is just getting started, but is small potatoes compared to Kansas.

Day 28, Budapest to Kecskemet, Hungary, 100km

2008-07-01T03:57:00.000-07:00

Damn Communist!

Well, I had been warned that you had to be careful of being ripped off in former communist countries. I could not find call centers in Hungary or figure out how to use the public phones, so decided to use my calling card in the hotel. I checked at the front desk and was told it would be 200 Hu FL per local call ($1.30). I made the local call for my calling card to call Sandra. Next morning the desk clerk said I owed 1760 HU FL ($12). I ask for the manager and he said the hotel charges 120 HU FL per minute for local calls. When I protested that it was not what his desk clerk had said, and was outrageous, he just laughed and said I owed him 1760. Maybe it was a cheap lesson learned. My tip off should have been the hotel wanting to charge $40/day for WIFI hook-up!

We left the hotel in caravan for a 20 km guided ride out of town, which wasn’t bad for Saturday morning and not scary like the ride in, Thurs afternoon. The country side reminded me of the US Midwest, with small farms and 1950s era farm equipment, and horse drawn wagons. Life is much cheaper here too, where a dollar will buy you a cold beer or coke, a pound of cherries, or a whole watermelon. The good life!

A first…a Mercedes garbage truck!

Day 27, Budapest Rest Day

2008-06-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Time for touring. Terry and I signed up for a two hour city bus tour and got a free river boat tour. This was a little more than we bargained for at 3 ½ hours, but learned a lot about this city where Europe and Asia start to meet. Parts of the city are quite elaborate and it advertises 233 museums. Other parts are rundown, and there is major redevelopment underway.

Budapest seems to have been occupied by just about everyone over the years - Romans, Huns, Austria, Germany, and Russia – but have managed to maintain their identity. The city seems to be quite happy they have rid themselves of the commies.

We went through our first large shopping bazaar, with the world’s largest to come in Istanbul. Any and everything is for sale with McDonalds, fresh fruits and vegetables, antiques, and jewellery at the top of the list.

Tomorrow we leave the Danube and its bike paths after 1400 km. It should be an adventure.

Day 26, Day 26, Esztergom to Budapest, 55km

2008-06-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

2000km and 2000 km to go! First flat.

Last night we had a huge thunder storm at the camp site, but everyone weathered it well…more wet gear to pack, though. The news showed the European Soccer Simi-finals with Germany defeating Turkey in Vienna and a huge thunder storm dumping on a crowd of 100,000. We were part of the same weather system.

Terry made a good recovery and was able to ride today. This ride was cross country again, through a beautiful rain forest. I was delayed with my first flat…a metal filing in my flat resistant Armadillo tires. We rolled into lunch at 10:00 and spent an hour eating and gathering up the group. Then we were off into Budapest in two convoys. We sure needed the help. This was 20 km of riding through rough roads and crazy traffic that would intimidate the most seasoned biker. There are very few bikers here, and I can see why. Bike paths are almost nonexistent. Budapest is a beautiful old city on the Danube that has the look and feel of Paris, but being communist, it hasn’t been maintained. Plus, it has the feel of a South American city with too many cars and many drivers aspiring to be racing pros.

The city has lots of energy and is full of young people. It looks and feels a lot like Manhattan, with graffiti and many of the old building crumbling. There is lots of construction and cranes too, so it is a city on the move.

I’ll try to do a city tour tomorrow. Budapest was originally two cities: Buda was south of the Danube and Pest was north. Today it is a single city of three million with many bridges joining the two.

Day 25, Gyor to Esztergom, Hungary, 108 km

2008-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Half way point!

Today we turned the corner and half done with the trip.

It rained on us again last night, so we packed up wet gear again. Today we left the Danube and rode cross country. The villages were small, roads primitive, and road signs few and far between. At one point we got hopelessly lost and had to ask a farm wife for help. She was quite helpful, though she didn’t speak a word of English or German. She got one of her teenage kids to help, who was studying German.

Another time Joc said he spotted marijuana and we had to investigate. Jon, our gourmet chef was able to clue us in - it was wild hemp and not the real stuff.

We found a lot of the heavy industrial factories had shut down and abandoned…moved to China. Many of the towns had new industrial parks with electronics factories moving in. The country side is a lot like Germany and France, just smaller farms. The big castles and cathedrals we saw in Germany and Austria are mostly gone. Also gone are the smooth bike paths...I really need a mountain bike for many of the beater roads and paths.

Coming out of a town after our lunch, four of us were going over a rough section of road and Terry bumped a curb and did a fall into tall grass. Since he is a big guy, he hit hard on his elbow and knee. For a moment we feared this was our fourth accident with broken bones. After five minutes, Terry shook it off and insisted on finishing the ride. He was lucky, getting only bruises and hurt pride…a tough guy who is determined to ride every inch.

Day 24, Day 24, Bratislava to Gyor, Hungary, 87 km

2008-06-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Slovakia, Hello Hungary

Today was a fast ride along an elevated Danube levee. It reminded me of Holland. It was exceptionally hot and humid with temps reaching 95 deg. Yea, warm at last! But, not dry! We had lunch at 10:00 at a large dam and locks on the Danube, which is now taking on the look of a large industrial river…a lot like the Mississippi.

The border crossing into Hungary was also interesting. The border crossing buildings were deserted. Hungary and Slovakia are not yet apart of the European Union and they have already removed their border controls. Anyone in these countries can move to another country. The young kids are leaving the town and moving to the big cities where the money and action is.

Hungary is a beautiful country, but many of the roads are beat up and the towns are in disrepair. It is another country on the move with lots of construction underway, but it needs 20 years to catch up from 50 years under communism.

We had a great campsite with hot water and toilet paper, but the bathroom looked like it was out of a prison…really seedy.

No one in the group speaks Hungarian and we all get lost because road signs are not consistently placed. The locals have been quite friendly and helpful. Prices are coming down.

Day 23, June 23, Vienna to Bratislava, 78 km

2008-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Austria, Hello Slovakia

The ride out of Vienna was memorable. I left mid-morning to help Terry get some new tires. A group of six of us rode about 20 km along the Danube bike path and since it was a sunny and hot morning, the park was filling up with nudists wanting to soak up the rays. Amazing stuff! I failed to get a picture, since most of the men and women really needed to be clothed. This contributed in us missing our first turn.

We cruised along the river levee for some 70 km until we crossed the border into Slovakia, which was deserted…no passports, no stamps, no visa, no nothing.

Bratislava is the new capital of Slovakia, the other half of the Check Republic that divided in 2003. It is a pretty former communist town that is now attracting river boat tourists. For the first time I recognized lots of Americans, because prices are about half that of Central Europe, or comparable to the US. This is a country that is on the move, but about 50 years behind the rest of Europe.

The owner of Tour d’Afrique, Henry, joined us and made arrangements for us to spend the night in a botel, a river boat hotel, and he treated us all to a traditional Slovakian dinner of goulash, fried pork, and potatoes. It was a great evening.

PS Yesterday afternoon Jos, from New Zealand, had his pocket picked and lost about 500 Euros. He was checking out of a grocery store when a woman asked him questions on bagging as he was putting his wallet in his pocket. Before he got it zipped up someone bumped into him and the wallet was gone. We lost two wallets in Vienna during the European Soccer Championship.

Day 22, June 22, Vienna

2008-06-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Rest Day, Summer Solstice

What a grand city and a great day. The skies are clear and temps are forecast to be 90 deg. We should be biking today instead of in a hotel. If the bed was a little hard, I didn’t notice. It was heavenly. We are in a ultra modern hotel with plastic bathrooms made for cruise ships. Word is that hotel and campsite quality will start to go down hill as we move eastward.

First things first…must wash cloths, so I have clean biking outfits for the next two days. The hotel only had one machine and there are no laundry mats in the neighbourhood. I gave up at 11:00 pm, so I got up at 5:30 am only to find I was second in line. Apparently some were washing all night. It is hard to compete with a group of Type As.

I went with part of the group to Catholic mass and concert at Stephan Cathedral in the old town. The only word I understood during the entire 1 ¼ hour service was “amen.” The rest was either German or Latin. However, the service was awesome with a world class choir and organ. The acoustics in the huge cathedrals are amazing – like a concert hall.

The downtown was packed with soccer fans. The place had the feel of the Olympics. Italy is playing Spain tonight, so the streets were filled with fans all dressed up in their team colors. Of course, there were lots of police around too.

I visited with several Scottish gentlemen who are in town for the European soccer championship. They said that in the old section of town is a huge tourist zone where there are bands, and beer/food tents. They wore their kilts and stayed out until sunrise partying. Last night Russia beat Holland in overtime.

Today is the first day of summer. Yea…hot weather. Along yesterday’s route we found huge piles of wood and signs advertising “fire party”…a Pagan ritual that is a perfect excuse for a beer party!

I met Don and Terry coming back from town on the subway. Don was managing with the broken collarbone, but his bad karma continued…he had his pocket picked on the subway and lost his wallet. Now he has to get home in several days and we have to figure out how he pays for his hotel and travel. Live can be complicated.

Tomorrow is a new week and time for a new country…on to Slovakia.

Day 21, June 21, Emmersdorf to Vienna, 122km

2008-06-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

Disaster! Third Biker Down

We camped in a small town right on the Danube River, so are watching lots of river traffic. I woke up to another damp morning with showers around us. Since it was a relatively long day, we got up before 6:00 and were on the road before 7:00. The scenery was out of a postcard through the river valley and thousand year old terraced vineyards. For some 30 km we rode in and out of small cobble stone villages every 5 km with quaint restaurants and wine tasting. Since we were in a hurry, we didn’t stop.

Terry managed to have three flats, so that slowed us down (I have not had my first). At about 80 km Terry, Don, and I decided to swing into a McDonalds for a quick snack(Mac Attack). While turning onto a bike path from a bridge, Don didn’t see a section of pipe sticking up six inches above the ground and managed to hook it with his peddle. He took a hard crash to the ground and lay stunned for several minutes. Terry and I got him up and we walked to a service station where I ask the attendant for help. This Austrian gentleman let me use his cell phone to contact Shanty, our tour leader, and then called for an ambulance. In several minutes we had the police and ambulance there. After we gave them a report they took Don off to the hospital. Shanty had me lock up Don’s bike and it was picked up by the van several hours later.

Don got right into the hospital and was told that he had a broken collar bone. They put him in a collar brace and told him there would be no biking for a month. Don rejoined us at the hotel and is making arrangements to fly back to Calgary. He was the life of the party and will be missed.

This makes three bikers down and three broken bones. The Orient Express staff said this is unprecedented. All I know is my good Viking friend gave me a lucky stone for my safe journey. I continue to carry it and it has taken good care of me.

I have been invited to attend a church concert tomorrow…I should probably do it.

Day 20, June 20, Linz to Emmersdorf, 113 km

2008-06-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

A Sober Day at a Concentration Camp

I woke up to another wet, but warm morning. The sun came out and temps were back in the mid-80s. Today we had an opportunity to stop and tour the Mauthausen Nazi Concentration Camp. To reach it we had to climb up a ridge overlooking the Danube Valley, involving a 1 km climb up a 14 % grade. My group of guys decided it was a good time to race again to see who was the girly man…I didn’t loose.

The camp was built like a castle and had a million dollar view of the Danube Valley. The Austrian government has made it into a showcase. Other than a few tourists like us, there were several hundred school kids touring. To say the experience was distressing was an understatement. There were lots of room depicting man’s inhuman treatment to his fellow man…gas chambers and crematoriums. All of us were troubled by this place where over 130,000 souls were exterminated by civilized people that many of us had descended from. Again I have to pause and be grateful for my good fortune!

Day 19, June 19, Passau to Linz, 102 km

2008-06-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Germany Hello Austria

A new week and a new country. Austria has the best bike paths along the Danube. They are paved, smooth, well marked, and fast. It is much more like cruising on the road, except when you are diverted into a small town with narrow streets and cobblestone roads. We woke up to a foggy day, but after I packed my wet camping gear for the umpteenth consecutive time, the sun came out and we had a day in the mid-80s. Yea!

The ride was again great with lots of river, castles, and churches…more than I can remember. The memorable part was camping on a lake in Linz and being able to go for a swim. It was fantastic to cool off instead of trying to stay warm and dry. However, we noticed the local folks also came to the lake and many had no concerns about taking off their cloths and sunbathing. Joco, my swimming partner, and I swam across the lake and found a huge section of the beach that was a public nudist beach. Surprising stuff! The bad news was that with very few exceptions, we concluded that these bathers looked better with cloths on. The adventure continues.

Day 18, June 18, Straublin to Passau, 98 km

2008-06-22T05:33:00.001-07:00

Disaster! Second biker down.

It rained on us last night, but the skies were clear and temps finally getting in the upper 60s. I rode with five and then seven guys who decided it was a race day. It was fun riding fast. Passau is a beautiful university city on the Austrian border. It has the distinction of having the world’s largest organ in St Stephens Cathedral. These churches never end and each seems to outdo the others. This is also a port for river cruises, so the docks were full of luxury boats and tour busses.

Today we passed Neil, our 80 year old biker form Eugene, Oregon, who had been driven out 50 km to ride in by himself. We passed him at about the 80 km point and waved as he waived back. Later we learned that he had somehow hit a farm trailer and been run over. There were no witnesses other than the German farmer, who summoned an ambulance and the police. Poor Neil, who had biked around the world in 2000, has broken hip and internal injuries. He was to be sedated for several days and had to remain hospitalized for a month. The plan was for a family member to come to Germany and fly home with him when he is ready. I really feel sorry for him…an 80 year old in a German hospital with no friends or family. I had to take pause and count my blessings.

Day 17, June 17, Regensburg to Straublin, 51 km

2008-06-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Easy Day

This was a very easy day after a rest day. The Orient Express staff had a good campground staked out and Straublin is another interesting medieval town. Terry, Don, and I left mid-morning and by noon we were at the campsite. To our surprise, the largest bike store I have ever visited was next to the campsite – 100,000 square feet. The town was quite manageable, and we were able to find good deals on cheap Bavarian beer and one Euro bottles of German wine. It turned out to be a enjoyable day. Weather was damp but warming!

Day 16, Regensberg Rest Day

2008-06-16T01:37:00.001-07:00

This is fabulous medieval town near the Austrian border. We are staying in the old downtown in a 700 year old hotel with our bikes locked up in their courtyard. The hotel is on a narrow alleyway. Last night Terry, Curt, Clare, and I ate at a 300 year old Bavarian restaurant/brewery. I must say there has been no bad German beer or food. We walked to the train station and found it is a part of a large two story modern shopping mall. McDonalds and Burger King are kept out of the old town, but are a prominent part of the new.
A passing observation is that we see lots of people in the restaurants and on the street, but have seen no really fat people…a stark difference from America.
The big event last night was soccer…Turkey came from behind and beat Portugal. There must be a lot of Turks in town because there whooping and hollering for several hours on the town square. Tonight it is Germany vs Austria. We expect the place to go crazy.

We had a two hour tour of the city and learned it is a World Heratige Site with one thousand old buildings...the largest medievel city. This is also Pope Benedict's home town, which the city is proud. Thirty years ago the old center was a slum where one could buy a home for nothing. Today it is quite expensive and trendy.

Tomorrow we are off for Vienna where we have five straight days of biking/camping.

Day 15, Kipenburg to Regensberg, 106 km

2008-06-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

Father’s Day

Today we got up to another cool morning, but the sun was shining and the birds were singing. It doesn’t get much better. Today we finished up the ride through the Altmuhl River Valley and rejoined the Danube. Sunday the bike paths were full of bikers and strollers, like riding through a park. Everyone is friendly and most say “hello” when passed. One has to be extra vigilant to avoid the traffic. I am going to have to buy a bell.
About a third of the trail was gravel, but it was reasonably fast. My Armadillo touring tires are taking good care of me…no flats or spills. At one of the rest stops on the trail we came across a “bikehaus” a vending machine that dispenses bike tubes.

Today makes two weeks…out of seven. I feel like I am in a cruising mode of riding and taking in the sights without much effort. This international group is quite an entertaining component. One of the women, Al from Jackson Hole, rode around the world in 2000 and just climbed Kilimanjaro in Feb. I got all the info on how to do that. Wynn, talked about two attempts to sail solo around the world, but had to give up when his boat was damaged by storms.

I hope everyone had a good Father’s Day. I couldn’t do much checking in because most stores were closed and I couldn’t get to a call center.

Day 14, June 14, Eggelstetten to Kipenburg, 107 km

2008-06-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

Went over 1000 km

Camp was great…clean and quiet. Got up to 48 deg cool weather again. I wonder when summer arrives. Today we did an excursion off the more industrial part of the Danube and up the Altmuhl River Valley, a tributary. This was a great ride through canyons and castles on cliffs overlooking the towns.

The high point was riding into Eichstatt, a large medieval university town that had a weekend renaissance festival underway to celebrate their 1000 years of existence. The town center was roped off and town’s people dressed up in period costumes to perform and demonstrate their crafts. My biking group had the obligatory stein of beer. I visited with the local Viking, Thor, who proceeded to teach me about axe throwing…I hit 3/6 targets. He gave me a lucky stone to keep me safe on the remainder of the journey. As bunch of bikers on their way to Istanbul, we got a lot of looks and questions from the locals.

We had another great camp and had time to climb up a steep cliff to visit a castle and museum of the Roman Limes Wall, which was built in 300 AD and went across Europe to keep out the Barbarians. It evolved into a smaller version of the Great Wall of China, but must not have worked since the Barbarians settled into Bavaria. I got to dress up in the linked armour suit, with Terry and Clare…it was really heavy. I would have been wielding a really slow sword. There is a lot of history in these parts.

Day 13, June 13, Ulm to Eggelstetten, 105 km

2008-06-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a cold morning after a heavy rain had fallen. I had to get out my cold weather riding gear and bundled up, with morning temps around 48 deg. It turned out to be a good riding day that was dry with overcast skies. We saw lots more medieval towns with castles and onion domed churches. I must be becoming more native because I am taking fewer pictures of the old buildings, even though they are still amazing.

Today we did a lot of cruising on gravel roads along Danube levies and through dark wooded forest…all a far cry from riding in the western US. We even rode through a heard of sheep.

At camp Al talked me into throwing the Frisbee…his primary college pass time. I thought I had a good backhand, but he wound up teaching he how to get more spin with an overhand throw. He is in a different league. I’ll have I have a lot to work on to keep up with this new Harvard grad.

By the way, the European soccer championship is in full swing and Germans have their flags flying on their cars and out windows. Last night the Germans lost to Croatia. The whole town erupted when Germany scored, but they lost and the restaurants and bars cleared out. A number of Croatians were in Ulm and raced around town waving their flags and honking for an hour. The European Union must be working in that these countries are getting along.

Sigmaringen to Ulm, June 11, Day 11, 107 km

2008-06-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

After three days of riding we made it to Ulm, Germany, for a two day hotel stay and a rest day. Last night we had a large thunderstorm at the camp site, so everything was wet when we got up. I am noticing that if we are not vigilant in getting the gear completely dry, you have trouble with mildew. When we got into the hotel I showered and then got the hotel to let me setup my tent in their back yard to dry out.

Today it was overcast, but good riding weather. To navigate, today, I marked some two dozen towns and villages we would bike through. I started out with my group of five friends as we cruised along, taking in the country side, and even stopping for coffee. The bike path is mostly flat and paved, but there are many sections of gravel and surprisingly very steep short climbs…more like mountain biking. On one surprise climb I wasn’t prepared and dropped my chain. Thirty seconds later, my group had made a turn and was out of sight. I made a different turn with another biker and that was the last I saw of my group for the afternoon. That is the way some of the days go. I did have a good visit with Manon, a young Dutch woman living in Sidney, Australia, who is biking to Bejing.

At the hotel we got a bit of bad news…we had our first causality. Marylyn, a Canadian, had run into the back of a biker and fallen. This is a fairly common low speed accident we have to be very careful to avoid. Her bike fell on her and hurt her leg. Luckily, she was in a town and a support vehicle was able to pick her up and take her to a hospital. X-rays reviled she had broken a bone that would have to be operated on and pinned. She and her husband are packing up and flying back to Toronto. We’ll miss them. Our group is now 40 riders of which a third are women.

Ulm, Day 12, Rest Day

2008-06-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

A welcome day to sleep in, wash cloths, and sightsee. We have a great hotel right on the Danube, looking across into the old town center. The landmark is the Ulm cathedral which has the world’s tallest steeple – 530 feet. For 4 Euros one can climb up 768 steps to the top, but I have decided I have too much at stake to risk that much stress on my knees. I must be slowing down. This is also the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

I had an interesting visit with Al, one of the Harvard MBA grads who is biking to Beijing. His family left Vietnam from Danang when the communist took over the country. We had a good discussion of world economics and the advantages of different economic systems. He thought communism was working well for Vietnam and China, today, but it stifles creativeness, and that is the key to future economic success.

The Danube has dramatically changed from a small slow stream to a very large fast flowing river. We are due to start seeing more river traffic and industry.

The weather is forecast to get wet and cool again for the next week. Wish me luck.

Donaueschingen to Sigmaringen, June 10, Day 10, 90 km

2008-06-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Today was another perfect day as we cycled on the pathway. This upper part of the Danube is through dramatic canyons with monasteries built on the cliffs.

One would think this is ride a no brainer, but the pathway is a lot like the country roads – lots of intersecting paths and inconsistent signs. To stay on the bike path and not take one off to another village takes a lot of navigation vigilance and luck. We all got lost at various times and had to backtrack. Terry, Don, and I even got on the wrong side of the river and went 4 km before out trail ended and we had to backtrack.

Most of the path is paved, with a lot of twist and turns, so our biking speed is reduced. Because we are going to be averaging 100 km a day (62 miles) we want to keep the speed up, but we have to navigate, and watch out for other bikers and walkers too. I am learning to just slow down and take it all in.

Freiburg to Donaueschingen, June 9, Day 9, 70 km

2008-06-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Source of the Danube

We got up to a beautiful day in Germany with the sun shining and spring in it’s fully glory. The ride took us through the Black Forrest region, over a mountain range that took us out of the Rhein River valley and into the Danube valley. The country side could have been right out of Sound of Music, with huge Bavarian country homes and pastures of cows wearing bells. Germany has become the world leader in photovoltaic electrical power, and many of the farmers have gotten into the electrical business and have the south side of their barns covered solar collectors.

The ride was the most fun because of the warm weather and colourful country side. I had a strong ride up the mountain and a fast descent, as I rode with different groups. Donnaueschingen is the official source of the Danube, that comes from a spring in the town. Today there is a large park built around the spring and it is a huge tourist attraction. The fact that we rode 20 km down a mountain pass with a rushing stream that connects in the park just past the spring seems to have been overlooked by the town fathers. The Danube is 678 meters above sea level and 2840 km from the Black Sea, its end.

This is the official start of the bike path, the “Donnauragweg”, which we will follow for the next 1400 km into Budapest. There are lots of tourist biking the path and hotel/restaurant services about every 10 km.

Freiburg Rest Day, June 8

2008-06-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

What a welcome sleep in a quiet dry hotel room. We had a leisurely breakfast and cleaned the bike. I am ready to go tomorrow when we go through the Black Forrest and spend the night at the head waters of the Danube. After that, we are 1400 km on the Danube bike trail.

Day 8, Munster to Freiburg, June 7, 72 km

2008-06-08T03:54:00.000-07:00

Goodbye France, Hello Germany

This was one of our shortest and easiest days – no rain, but clouds covering the hills. We cruised into Colmar, France, and checked out the old center of town. On the way out, several fire trucks raced by, and a few minutes were witnessing a spectacular house fire with lots of smoke. We watched for five minutes as two French firemen rolled out a trailer on wagon wheels with the hose reeled on it. They ran it a block up the street and connected it to a fire hydrant, and then ran it back to the house. To say they were slow is an understatement, but we were just visitors taking in a different culture. A comment was made that in Germany we could count on a speedier operation.
The German/French border was the Rhine River, which was no border – just flags of France, Germany, and the European Union. Since both countries use Euros, we have no money to exchange! What a change.
We rolled into Freiburg and have a very nice hotel for two nights! Yea. I got my wash done and camping gear all dried out. Terry and I explored the old medieval town, which is a mile square of stone buildings and narrow cobble stone streets. It is quite picturesque, which I can remember driving through some 25 years ago. Today McDonalds and Starbucks have arrived inside the walled entrance!
I should add that we picked up two young riders, who are our fastest, named Dan and Al. They are committed to ride to Beijing over the next five months. They left Paris ahead of us and rode on their own to Colmar, where the left their bikes. Then, they hopped on a train to Paris and flew to Boston for their graduation from Harvard Business School. I ask them what they were going to do with their new degrees, and they said they were making this trip to figure out what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. Wow! I couldn’t resist asking Al what his parents thought of this, and he said “get a job”. There are a lot of stories in this group.

Day 6, Xertigny to Munster, June 6, 88 km

2008-06-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning to a dark foggy sky. At least the rain had stopped. Everyone donned their rain gear. My newly purchased rain jacket turned out to be a lifesaver, although all I have done is store it in Las Vegas. Today we had a big mountain, LeHohneck, to climb - 1160 meters. We only got 20 km out of town and it started raining on us. Oh well, so much for the beautiful scenery. This eastern part of France starts transiting to Bavarian style architecture. Our climb up the mountain was fun. I couldn’t see anything in the thick fog, but I stayed warm. We passed a bunch of ski slopes and I wondered if we were going to get some snow, but we didn’t. I was part of the first group to make the summit and we were greeted by Duncan, our tour leader, with hot coffee and tea. The fog was so thick he had trouble seeing the riders go by.
The decent into Munster was a blast – 18 km of all down hill. Since the roads were wet and the fog was thick, it wasn’t too fast. We passed several scenic overlooks into the valley, but could see only clouds.
Our camp site was first class in the town municipal park. To celebrate, Terry and I explored the town and brought back a small keg of beer to share. Dinner was a superb meal of leg of lamb, beans, and potatoes. I and three others had KP duty and spent an hour after dinner cleaning up the huge pots Jon used to cook with. By 8:00 it was raining again. Though it doesn’t get dark until 10:00, I was in my tent by 9:00. It rained off and on all night, but my trusted REI tent kept me dry.

Chaumont to Xertingy, Day 5, June 5, 128 km

2008-06-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

Fog, Rain, and a Night in an Auditorium

To finish the story of our rest day, Curt made a reservation for us in a little back alley French restaurant that was quite small, seating a dozen people on the first floor. I had Gattolomont which turned out to be a crepe which was folded over ham, potatoes, and egg. It was quite good. The waitress and chef were quite entertaining, without speaking English.
The next morning we got up to fog and drizzle…a good day for ducks! The roads out of Chaumont had a bunch of roundabouts with inconsistent signs. Several of us stayed with the Australian rider with a Garman GPS. What a lifesaver! By the end of the day there would be riders scattered all over the country side because the road signs didn’t agree with the map. The GPS did have problems when we came to a bridge that was closed and had to do a cross country detour, but picked up the route when we got going.
I am sure the country side was beautiful, as we were riding through rolling hills and small farm villages. It didn’t make much difference in the fog. Six of us stopped for coffee, which is a small shot of espresso unless you can get the server to give you café Americana. After 20 minutes there were 20 bikers there.
After we got underway, the fog turned to drizzle, and 20 km out of camp it turned to rain. The group of six of us were some of the first in camp, which was a mowed cow pasture about two blocks from a school. Two of the staff women stet up canopies and had hot drinks and snacks for us when we arrived. They wanted us to get our tents pitched in the rain and get in our sleeping bags to warm up. We stood around for an hour in a torrential rain storm, after being on the road for eight hours, and only two tents were up. More bikers were coming in tired and cold. We found there were only four hotel rooms available in the whole town. After prodding by me and others, the staff was able to get the town to agree to let us spend the night in the school auditorium. The staff argued that we had signed up for an adventure and we needed to deal with the elements. I don’t think we were up to hypothermia. What a welcome relief to sleep on the stage floor…like my days from Biking Across Kansas. The last lost riders, Curt and Clare, came in at dinner time after being on the road lost for 12 hours. Dinner, by the way, was an excellent seafood medley over pasta. What a memorable day!

Chaumont Rest Day, Day 4, June 4

2008-06-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

This was a welcome rest day to get our laundry dry and explore a medieval town. It is foggy today, so we had to find a laundry to dry our cloths. The forecast is for showers and cool temps the next four days and then warm dry weather. I am not looking forward to four more wet days, but you appreciate the dry weather all the more. We have been warned that the second half of the trip will be hot.

Internet cafes are hard to find in the small French towns. This McDonalds is the best deal yet…buy a cup of coffee and get unlimited internet. The only commercial internet we found charged $6 an hour and you had to use the French keyboard…really slow.

Tonight we have reservations in a small French restaurant and we move on tomorrow. So far the body is holding up well.

Troyes to Chaumont, Day 3, June 3, 108 km

2008-06-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

It rained on us again last night, but cleared up for a bright sunny morning. Breakfast was cereal and fruit. Today we headed out on a 20 km ride on a bike path around a canal and lake. Much of the path was tree covered with moss and snails on it. I was riding with Clare, one of the US ladies, and as we went around a 90 deg corner she slipped and fell. It was all I could do to avoid hitting her. She was OK, but had a good road rash on her leg. Several km down the trail we came across one of the Canadian men who had hit a snail and gone down. He had a big shiner on his face. We learned not to mess with French snails!! The rest of the ride was through rolling hills and vineyards, a lot like where we lived in Germany. This was the Champaign region, but we were out of season for tasting.

Lunch was French cheeses and ham on a French roll. I am really getting more than my quota of cheese, but it was tasty.

Our campsite is nice and in town, but next to a busy highway, so the noise is a problem for sound sleeping. I understand that this is fairly common and one has to get used to it.

Provins to Troyles, Day 2, 90 km

2008-06-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

It rained quite hard during the night, but my trusted new REI tent kept me and the gear dry. The rain stopped at sunrise, so we were able to pack up and eat breakfast without getting wet. I headed off with my Canadian partners, Terry and Don, and the skies opened up. For the next two hours we rode in showers and driving rain. Yuck! Mid-morning we joined up with three other riders and stopped for coffee. One of our riders spoke fluent French and told one of the gentlemen in the café about our trip. This older French man complemented us and paid for all the drinks. And who says the French are all rude?

Our campground in Troyles was exceptionally clean with unlimited hot water showers. I spent several hours washing and drying my cloths at the campground laundrymat, but used the time to visit and trade stories.

Paris to Provins, Day 1, June 1, 118 km

2008-06-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today is my rest day in Chaumont and I am at McDonalds using their WIFI. Internet and even phones are nonexistent at the campgrounds, so it will be a challenge to keep this current.

We woke up to a glorious spring morning in Paris for our 20 km tour of the city and ride out of town. Since it was Sunday, the traffic was very light, which was ideal for a group of 40 bikers. We convoyed to Notre Dame for the obligatory group pictures and then down the Scene to the Eiffel Tower for another photo opportunity. There were already two lines of hundreds of tourists lined up , before opening, to tour the tower. Then we were off to ride around the Arch dTriumph, which was scary, even with light traffic. We finally cruised down Champs Elysee and followed the river out of town.

The ride through the French countryside was out of a postcard with manicured farm fields and medieval towns. The country roads were two lane with very narrow shoulders, but all the French drivers gave us plenty of room…much more so than in the US!

I was one part of the first group that arrived in Provins to find our reserved campsite had not opened for the season. One of the staff gave us instructions to a dairy/horse farm 12 km away, and we divided up to warn other bikers. I proceeded to get lost in the narrow streets, but a Frenchman stopped and gave me directions.

Our dinner was prepared by our biker chef, Jon, and was a gourmet meal of pasta with a tomato based sausage, asparagus, and vegetable sauce. Before dinner we were treated to wine, cheese, and French bread…what a welcome treat!

This riding group is quite friendly and worldly. Most have already done this kind of long tour, and six have done the one year around the world odyssey tour! I can not imagine doing this for a year, since 50 days is already passed my comfort level.

May 31 - Paris

2008-05-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

I made it to Paris, after flying through nine time zones. I am still adusting to to the jet lag, but half a sleeping pill does wonders getting me through the night.

Paris has been great, but quite different from my last visit in 1984. The people are predominately young with a large proportion beinng African or Mideastern. The most notable change is everyone knows English and they will speak it. The next big change is how expensive Paris has become...about double US prices. The Holiday Inn room Terry and I share costs 300 dollars a night, and breakfast is 25 extra. Gas is 9 dollars a gallon, a beer is 6 - 12 dollars. We are looking forward to getting out in the country side.

I am at an internet cafe slowly typing this because the French keyboard has moved the a,m,q,and w letters, and symbols...really slow going. As I look around the Cafe, most of the men are typing in Aribic...interesting local color.

Yesterday Terry, Don, and walked down to the river and toured some of the sights. We stood in a line of leveral hundred people to get into Notre Dame, which was packed with tourists. It is still a beautiful cathedral. Next was the Louvre museum, which was spectacular with the new pyramid visitors center. We wondered around it for three hours, taking in treasures from around the world until we became brain dead. By the time we got back to the hotel we had walked for eight hours and had reqlly tired feet.

The two pictures are at the Louvre courtyard and in front of the Mona Lisa, which turned out to be more people watching than art viewing.

My riding group is quite worldly. Several are just coming off a four month ride from Egypt to South Africa. Six are continuing on from Istanbul to Bejing and will finish in November.

Tomorrow we hit the road. We do an early Sunday morning so we can tour the city and then head out into the country.

More later

May 2008 Preparation

2008-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

This has been a challenging year to prepare for a cross country ride. Ideally, I would have been riding 150+ miles a week to toughen up my legs and develop callouses on my backside, in preparation for riding 500 - 600 km a week.

Sandra and I have spent about half of 2008 traveling the US, South America, and Hawaii. When at home, it seems like half the other days the weather has been unusually cold and blustery. Las Vegas had a record cold winter with 34 straight days being 10+ degrees below normal (and yes I know I get little sympathy form my Canadian and Northern colleagues). In spite of this, I have managed to get to the gym several days a week for spinning classes and have participated in four organized centuries. So, maybe I'm ready. The picture is my finish at the Solvang, California, century in March.

This promises to be a trip where one can spend a lot of time checking out the castles and sights along the route, sampling the expresso in the morning, and local beer in the evening.

It should be fun.

Below is the blog from last summer's grand adventure...riding 3500 miles from Los Angeles to Boston.

June 29 Day 43 ATLANTIC OCEAN!

2007-06-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

We did it! After a leisurely 19 mile ride from the Boston hotel to Revere Beach, we had a ceremonial wheel dip in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a crowning morning for 43 days of biking across this magnificent land of America. Mission complete!! Rode every rideable inch (EFI)!

Sandra was there at the beach to participate, which was great since she saw me off from the Pacific almost two months ago.

Tonight is a tough farewell dinner, where we say goodbye to near and dear friends. We have already been talking about possible new challenges..biking the Orient Express, hiking in Tibet, riding the Rockies, etc. Not many of us feel the need to repeat the cross country, but will cherish the memories. Kim awarded me the puffer fish helmet cover that she wore during part of the race. See picture of group.

We had a weigh-in last night and the average person lost about 10 pounds. I managed to drop 12 pounds...my lowest weight since college. Terry lost 20 pounds. The trick now is to reduce the calorie intake from 5000 a day to about 2000. This may be tough.

Today's stats: 19 miles, 12 mph avg, 200' climbing, temp 65 deg, light winds.

Overall stats: 3500 miles ridden, 81,000' of climbing, 43 days on the bike, 12 pounds weight lost, ten centuries.

June 28 Day 42 Brattleboro to Boston, MA WE'RE HERE!

2007-06-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

We made it to Boston!! Tomorrow is the ride down to the Atlantic for the tire dipping ceremony. I wasn't sure this day would ever come, but it did!

Today was great...hot, very humid, and very hilly. We had two state line crossings and a ride through marvelous New England forests and valleys, and a ride over a wooden bridge. It rained last night, so we broke the stifling hot temps, but humidity was 100% and we were all dripping wet after some early steep hill climbing. One hill was especially memorable...1/2 mile long and topped out at 14% grade. I had to go into the granny gear and stand on the pedals to make it up. The country side was wonderful riding, but within 30 miles of Boston there was lots of traffic on the the country roads, which are know for being 300 year old paved cow trails. We were relieved to get off those congested roads with no shoulder.

All but one made the 87 mile ride into Boston, and everyone felt strong. Fran, who fell yesterday and is recovering from bruises, plans on making the 18 mile group ride to Revere Beach for the final act.

Sandra and I are already making plans to visit our grandson on Sunday in Long Island and go to Niagara Falls for July 4th.

Stats: 87 miles, 16mph avg, 4100' climbing, light winds, 70 - 85 deg temps.

June 27 Day 41 Albany to Brattleboro, VT

2007-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Great day...very hot (a record 97 deg in Brattleboro), very humid, very hilly (Green Mountains), hazy, and buggy. I was dripping wet an hour out of the motel, and we hadn't even started climbing the mountains. It was another one of those unusual mornings where the air was dead still, the sun was obscured in haze, and humidity was out of sight. I did well and was the fourth into the motel. Some riders wilted under the heat and sun. One of the riders, Fran, got her wheel caught in a road crack and took a fall, hitting a guardrail. She is a little scraped and bruised.

This was our 11th state crossing! Vermont is quite scenic with dense national forests and mountains. The towns are vibrant and full of 200 year old stately homes...right out of a Hollywood movie set.

Tomorrow is our last long day to Boston. It should be a relaxed day.

Sandra made it to Albany yesterday and drove to Brattleboro today. Ride was scenic and slow - lots of curves in road, trucks on the road, and shops and antique shops along the way!

Stats: 80 miles, 15.4 mph avg, 41 mph max, 5500' climbing, winds light and variable, temps 72 - 97 deg.

June 26 Day 40 Little Falls to Albany, NY

2007-06-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Another hot, humid, and hilly day through Up State NY. Today we cruised the Mohawk River Valley, which also has the Barge Canal...quite picturesque. I had to wonder what part of the world I was in when I rode through Amsterdam and Schenectady.

We had a slight helping tail wind, so were able to make good time. I did arrived dripping wet with perspiration. Tomorrow will be a bigger test because we have to climb 5500, over the Allegheny Mountains into Vermont on another hot day. Rumor has it that tomorrow will be a race day.

The country side is starting to look like New England with rolling hills, forests, rock cliffs, and stone walls. The corn field I checked out was full of rocks up to 4" in diameter. I am sure it is tough plowing and planting here.

I'm looking forward to Sandra arriving latter from Pittsburgh.

Stats: 69 miles, 18 mph avg, 1300' climbing, 0 - 15 mph tail wind, 70 - 91 deg.

June 25 Day 39 Syracuse to Little Falls, NY

2007-06-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Another great ride through 78 miles of Up State NY country side...hot, humid, and hilly. We knew it was going to get hot, so most decided to ride hard and get in early. I rode fast, stopped only once, and arrived at noon.

Part of the ride today was along the old Erie Canal and the newer Barge Canal. The old canal has a great bike trail along it, and the Barge Canal is used primarily for pleasure boats. We saw many yachts plying the water ways.

The town of Little Falls is a great study of evolution. It was founded in the late 1700s and became a key part of the Erie Canal. The Mohawk river flows through town, so it was used for power generation. In the 1800s Little Falls had factories that lead the nation in cheese manufacturing, shoes, textiles, paper, and hammers. It is a beautiful town with stately stone buildings. Today the town is primarly restaurants, bars, banks, and gift shops...no manufacturing.

Tomorrow we're off to Albany where temps are forecast to top 96 deg. Sandra also joins me for the final leg into Boston! Yea!!

Stats: 78 miles, 17.4 mph avg, 1500' climbing, 70 - 90 deg temps, 0 - 10 mph crossing tail winds.

June 24 Day 38 Canandaigua to Syracuse, NY

2007-06-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Tour Day! It was a picture perfect day with a relatively short distance - 70 miles - so we got to sleep in an extra hour and have a leisurely sight seeing ride to Syracuse. NY has some of the best roads we have ridden with wide and well maintained shoulders. Sunday morning traffic can't be beat too.

First stop was the Finger Lake at Geneva, which looked like a Swiss resort. Then it was Waterloo, the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Next the beautiful town of Seneca Falls, where we visited the birthplace of the Woman's Rights National Park (woman's rights started in 1840). Finally, we had a boat tour on the Erie Canal. Interestingly, the canal was built in 1824 and resulted in the industrialization of northern NY. The canal was a boom for 20 years, but then the railroads came in. By the 1850s the canal was in decline. Probably a lesson on how long a profitable industry lasts. Today the canal is being taken over by volunteers and the NY State Parks for biking, walking, and kayaking.

The ride was easy, today. I had some cords starting to show on my tires, so replaced them after 3600 miles and 10 flats. They were good to me. These northern roads seem to be much easier on the tires.

Tomorrow is a 77 mile ride to Little Falls.

Stats: 70 miles, 15.6 mph avg, 2200' climbing, winds 0 - 10 variable, 61 - 80 deg temps.

June 23 Day 37 Hamburg to Canandaigua, NY 3000 Miles!

2007-06-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning to cold temps...we could see our breath for a while. It was a great day for riding through central NY country side...rolling hills, corn and hay fields, dairy farms, forests, and maple syrup for sale. Tonight we are at the Finger Lakes, a picturesque resort area of water activities and vacation homes. A big change from the mid-West is towns were founded in the late-1800's; in NY the the towns were founded in the late-1700's. The country towns we rode through appear to be prospering and have old stately mansions...the result of "old money".

Another milestone...we passed 3000 miles and have 400 to go! We are all starting to see the end!

Tomorrow we ride to Syracuse where we pass through more Finger Lakes, which are a series of glacier lakes about a mile wide and 20 miles long.

Stats: 95 miles, 17.1 mph avg, 3200' climbing, 55 - 67 deg temps, 10 -20 mph cross and crossing tail winds.

June 22 Day 36 Erie to Hamburg, NY

2007-06-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

We cruised into NY today, our 11th state crossing. What a fabulous day! The sun was shining, it was cool and the route was all along Lake Erie. We had a brisk crossing head wind, but managed to push through it. The lake shore looked a lot like the Northern California coast line with trees, cliffs, and lots to vineyards (no corn)...quite spectacular. The locals say we picked a good day because it is often overcast and wet.

For lunch we got off the beaten path and stopped at Sunset Beach, which could pass for any ocean side beach park. The beach was full of college kids soaking up the sun and playing ball...not many in the cold water. For a little excitement, Terry decided to show the construction workers and college kids how his bike handles over soft beach sand. He crashed in front of a big crowd, all of which were thoroughly entertained after they determined only his pride was hurt. How embarrassing! I had the restaurant speciality, a seaweed steak sandwich and a regular coke...great! It powered us the 20 miles into town.

On a sad note, my friend Frank gave up the ride today. He was the one that hurt his knee on the cattle guard, had a root canal, and then saddle sores. He had not been riding the past week because of acute saddle sores...no skin. His back side wouldn't heal, so he decided to head home. Frank was a great guy and a strong rider. We'll miss him.

Tomorrow we have a hard day going 93 miles and climbing 3200' to Canandaigua.

Stats: 82 miles, 1600' climbing, 15.6 mph avg, 10 - 20 mph crossing head winds, 54 - 66 deg temps.

June 21 Erie, PA Rest Day

2007-06-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

What a welcome rest day...our last one. This time next week we'll be pulling into Boston!

Erie, PA, is an interesting city. We are staying in an old hotel down town and today I got to do some exploring and research it's history. Erie was quite an industrial town in the late 1800's. It was the world's largest fresh water fishing port, the largest builder of rail road steam locomotives, one of the nation's largest electrical generation plants, and a ship builder. Today, this is all gone and many of the down town buildings are vacant and for sale. The population has gone from 140,000 to less than 100,000. This seems to be a standard story for these old rust belt industrial cities. The city does have lots of stately old homes, schools, and churches.

I included a picture of the bike Michael has been riding around the world. I picked it up and it must weigh 80+ pounds with all his gear. By comparison, my bike and gear is about 20 pounds.

We had a great tour of the rebuilt naval ship Niagara, that Admiral Perry use to win the 1812 battle of Lake Erie. It was amazing how technical the construction and rigging was. Fran, our woman biker from Salt Lake City, toured it with us and I learned she was a US Navy Captain and commanded a sub supply ship.

Tomorrow we are off to Hamburg, NY, and our 11th state line crossing.

June 20 Day 35 Niles to Erie, PA

2007-06-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

We had a big storm pass through Niles last night and today it was cool with head winds. Our ride was all through remote country roads with lots of Amish farms and families. It great ride, but some work because of the winds. A real treat was stopping for lunch at an old time outdoor root beer stand for floats.

We had our tenth state line crossing, coming into Pennsylvania at Lake Erie, which looks like an ocean. We also crossed I-90, the most northern interstate, which goes from NY to Seattle.

Along the road we passed a biker that was touring the US by himself and loaded with self supporting camping gear. His name was Michael, a Frenchman in his mid-20s, who had spent the past two years traveling around the world. He is finishing in Montreal and flying back to France. His travels have taken him to Africa, India, Asia, Australia, South America, and the US. He said he has been chased by elephants, had malaria, and robbed in South America. But, he said people the world over have been very friendly and helpful. Even in poor countries, locals would invite him into their homes for a bite to eat and a place to sleep. What an adventure!

Tomorrow is our rest day. I'll report on Erie, a pretty city in decline.

Stats: 90 miles, 16 mph avg, 1400' climbing, 10 - 20 mph head/cross winds, 58 - 70 deg tems.

June 19 Day 34 Wooster to Niles, OH

2007-06-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Another day through the Ohio country side, and what the heck, might as well do three centuries in Ohio. This wasn't planned, but we had acue sheet with 74 mile marker instructions. Many of us missed one or more turns that added miles...just what we needed. When I got to the Niles Marriott I had 98 miles and figured I might as well ride around for two more miles. So, this makes century number ten...about one every three days on the tour, and three consecutive.

Everyone was tired today, but the weather broke and we dodged thunder storms. I got sprinkled on off and on during the day, but was able to avoid the rain. We are under a sever storm watch now. The farmers are hoping for rain.

The county side is impressive with big farm buildings, fields of corn and wheat, diary's, and huge stately homes. It looks like people are escaping from the cities and building estates in the country side. Interesting! Terry has been checking home prices and found one can purchase a nice country home for $30,000 to $100,000. A 3500+ SF large home on three acres can be had for $300,000. Deals to be had in Ohio.

We had a performance data point from yesterday. At our 75 mile rest stop, yesterday, a bunch of riders went in a convenience store and got large high energy Full Throttle/Monster Drinks...very high caffeine and sugar. I had my standard regular Coke. They all got revved up and flew up the hills. The problem for some was they couldn't revved down. Randy arrived with his heart racing and had trouble getting it down. Terry couldn't get to sleep last night. The docs think that one needs a good caffene tolerence to take those drinks that make your hair stand up.

Tomorrow we are off to Erie, PA, 89 miles, and our last rest day.

Stats: 100 miles, 16 mph avg, 2600' climbing, 10th century of trip, 0 -15 mph tail winds, 70 - 80 deg temps.

June 18 Day 33

2007-06-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today was our last century of the trip...101 miles and number nine for me on the trip. It was also a four-H day...hot, humid, very hilly, and hazy. This was one of those amazing summer days where it is very still early in the morning and there is ground fog in the low valleys and a hazy sky. An hour down the road I was dripping wet from sweat...and it was not even hot! We also encountered clouds of gnats, occasionally ingesting them and getting covered on your arms and face. But the day was memorable going down country roads and checking out the old farms. This was also in the Amish country, so saw some primitive farm houses and farm operations. I didn't sense folks were as friendly on these back roads as most places had big barking dogs, and some even chased us.

Since this was forecast to be a very hot sultry day, with lots of hill climbing, a group of eight of us formed up and rode hard to finish early. We only had two stops over the 101 miles. At the second SAG, we had 25 miles to go and lots of steep hills, so the consensus seemed to be "let's race". It was fun, but hard, and we all arrived dripping wet. I was sixth of the eight...not bad for one of the older guys. We got in just after 1:00 and it was 90 deg. People were arriving at 3:00 and 4:00 when it was really hot, and they looked absolutely wilted. I'm glad I wasn't out on the road any longer baking in the sun! Terry was afraid he was going to melt down on the road, but found and river and went for a 20 minute swim with Tom H...hat got him through the afternoon.

Tomorrow the ride should be a little easier as we go 92 miles to Niles, OH, another Amish community.

Stats: 101 miles, century number 9, 17.3 mph avg, 2900' climbing, 0 - 10 mph tail winds, temps 70 - 90 deg.

June 17 Day 32 Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH Father's Day

2007-06-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

This was a memorable Father's Day...a 110 mile hot, hilly, and humid century through picture post card Ohio farm land. The saving grace was that we did has a modest tail wind part of the way.

We were routed through farm roads with lots of corn fields, country churches, huge old barns, and an occasional Amish buggy. This was our 9th state line crossing and my 8th century of the trip. We finished up the ride in 91 deg temps on a bright sultry day. A bunch of the riders wilted on the road. I met Terry at the 77 mile SAG stop and he looked like a wet rag - soaked from head to toe. He carried on to the 91 mile point and when offered a ride into town, he jumped at it. It looks like many of the cold weather residents are at a disadvantage adjusting to this tropical weather.

And the bugs are out. Many of us have swallowed bugs and are learning that we can't ride fast and have one's mouth wide open. Yuck!

I managed to add six miles to my ride by missing three turns...just what I needed. Our cue sheet had instructions on 63 mile points. When riding fast or when tired, it is easy to miss a country road turn-especially when odometer is several miles off. It was an interesting day.

Tomorrow is another century with the forecast for an even hotter day and lots of steep hills.

Stats: 110 miles, 17.4 mph avg, 1900' climbing, 70 - 91 deg temps, 0 - 10 mph tail winds.

June 16 Day 31 Indianapolis to Richmond, IN

2007-06-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

Finally...tail winds!! This has been a long time coming and it was wonderful today. Started riding at sunrise in still air for several hours and then got a gentle tail wind. Wonderful! 84 miles of country side just cruised by.

We were met again by ten members of Lisa's bike club, who rode with us for 25 miles. At the SAG stop she had gourmet pastries from her bakery for us. Yummy! On down the road we started seeing our first Amish farms and buggies on the road.

My body and bike have been holding up well, so I have been riding up front with the faster bikers. This morning I hit a railroad crossing hard had had a flat. I was honored when my group came back for me, and at the lunch stop I had a second flat and they waited again for me. It was a great day.

Tomorrow is a 103 mile century with lots of hills. Winds are forecast to be favorable.

Stats: 84 miles, 17.8 mph avg, 1600' climbing, 0 - 10 mph tail winds, 70 - 85 deg temps.

June 15 Day 30 Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, IN

2007-06-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a tour of country roads through farm fields of corn and soybeans. It wasn't an easy 70 miles because we had moderate head winds, but tomorrow the forecast is for moderate tail winds...the first in five days!

Just before our half way SAG, we were met by about ten of Lisa's biking group, some of which were veterans of the Cross Roads tour. They were a fun bunch and talked about the great riding through the Indiana country roads.

the SAG was hosted by a dairy farmer, Mr Gentry, who has been farming all his life and just turned 60. He seemed to be well known in cross country biking because many groups stop at his farm and tell him about their adventure. I learned that he does no till farming of corn and soybeans, and if they don't get rain soon it will be a bad year. His farm is 15 miles out of Indianapolis and development is starting to come to the country side. We saw lots of huge farm homes and estates. Since there is no one in the family to take over his farm, he is putting 500 acres up for sale. The basic farm land sells for $5000 an acre ($2.5 million); however, because it is also zoned for light industrial and residential, that boosts the price to $25,000 per acre ($12.5 million). Farming is amazing business in some parts.

The next big adventure was riding to the Indianapolis Velodrome, a quarter mile banked track bikers race around. A bunch of us raced around it, starting at the bottom and working up to the top, and zooming down. It was a blast! It was spooky at first because of the steep banks, but a rush when we got into it.

The group often gets to go to the Indy Speedway, but this weekend is a Formula One race and the track is reserved.

Tomorrow is 84 miles to Richmond, IN, hopefully with a modest tail wind.

Stats: 70 miles, 15.6 mph avg, 1100' climbing, 10 - 20 mph head winds, 70 - 85 deg temps.

June 14 Day 29 Champaign to Crawfordsville, IN

2007-06-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Another state crossing - eighth - and into Indiana and the Eastern Time Zone!

All the injured rode today, except Dr Carmen, who has my head cold - the rest days have done wonders for everyone.

Last night we were joined by three new bikers, Dave from Connecticut, and Mark and Tracy from Denver. Mark and Tracy ride a tandem bike together. Terry and I had ridden with them for a week last year on the Pacific Coast ride. It was fun reconnecting.

This morning we rode through Champaing Old Town and University of Illinois, which was beautiful. Once we got out of town, Mark and Tracy bolted to the front and cruised at 20+ mph for 20 miles, with ten of us hanging on. Some of us decided to press because the forecast was for mid-90 temps and headwinds. Early morning temps were cool and light winds. After a quick stop the group reformed, and we were rolling into Crawfordsville at noon. As it turned out, the head winds and temps were only moderate, so could have I could have cruised and looked closer at the corn fields.

Today was flag day, and recognition of this, many of us decorated our helmets. Some were quite artistic...a worn out shoe on one, an old seat on another, flowers, animals, etc. Terry and I used Post It colored strips for a porcupine (Terry) and colored flames for me.

Tomorrow is an easy ride to Indianapolis, and a spin around a velodrome.

Stats: 80 miles, 17.4 mph avg, 1100' climbing, 5 - 15 mph head winds, 70 - 85 deg temps.

June 13 Rest Day

2007-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone welcomes this rest day in hot and windy Champaign, IL. Tomorrow we head out to Indiana, where the forecast is for more hot headwinds. Ugh! We are starting to look toward Boston...two weeks to go.

A quick update on health. I feel like I am almost over my chest and head cold; however, I may have passed it on to Dr Carmen, who is also suffering from acute saddle sores. Our tour director, Tracy, fractured a finger last week in the wind storm, when a van door slammed on her hand. Ray, who did a cartwheel over his handlebars a week ago, has now been diagnosed with a cracked rib. He is really disappointed that he can not ride until the pain subsides. Jerry, our 80 year old rider who hit a dog several weeks ago, took a fall in the shower last week and bruised his hip. He has been out of commission and is hoping to start riding tomorrow. Frank has recovered from his knee injury and root canal, but is still suffering from saddle sores. The rest of us are enduring aches, pains, and general exhaustion, but having fun. Overall, I am truly impressed with the resilience and toughness of this entire group. What is paramount with everyone is to stay healthy and safe the nest two weeks.

June 12 Day 28 Springfield to Champaign, IL

2007-06-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of hot head winds. Ugh! We also moved from lush green fields to the mid-West drought area. The grass is brown and corn fields are wilting. We were caked in salt when we arrived.

I seemed to have kicked the head cold and was back to almost 100%, so I ran with the fast group. It was hard work, but we shared the pulling and got into town before the strongest hot winds hit. A bunch of riders had to take the van for part of the ride. I did 87 miles with only one stop..not much time to see the country side...just kept cranking. The forecast is for hot dry days for the next week. Hopefully we'll have favorable winds. Tomorrow is a rest day. Yea! Only one more rest day to go.

Stats: 87 miles, 17 mph avg, 900' climbing, 10 - 20 mph head winds, 70 - 86 deg temps.

June 11 Day 27 Quincy to Springfield, IL

2007-06-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a four H-Day...hot, humid, hilly, and head winds...108 miles of it. Century number seven for the trip. It was a tough day, but it dried out my head cold. We were hoping for an easier day, but the head winds weren't too bad and the heat and sun were better than yesterday's rains.

Did I mention that the country side is full of corn...every where you look are corn fields. That is the enduring memory of the day. Tonight we are in Springfield, Lincoln's home.

When I arrived at the Springfield Hampton Inn, we were met by four alumni of the 2004 ride who had a hospitality suite for with beer and snacks. What a welcome sight and great guys to do this. I was part of the first 10 to visit them and had to comment that the last 10 may be just concentrating on dragging themselves to their room. I have noticed that on hard days we don't seem to have many partiers.

The fastest rider yesterday was John from Jacksonville. He got in two hours before me by riding hard through the rain and not making any stops. I decided to hook up with him early today so we could work together on the winds. Today, half way into the ride John bonked and I had to do extra pulling to get him to the SAG for snacks. A day can make a huge difference in one's performance. I was with a group of five and I decided to stop at the SAG and get a 1000 calorie power lunch at Dairy Queen - root beer float, hamburger, and fries. My group snacked on power bars and Gatorade, and left me with a 15 minute head start and 38 miles to go. I am absolutely amazed and what 1000 calories of junk food will do to ones energy level. I was able to catch them and had energy left over at the end.

Tomorrow is 87 miles of moderate hot headwinds to Champaign...and more corn.

Stats: 108 miles, 1900' climbing, 16 mph avg, 10 -20 mph head/cross winds, 70 - 85 deg temps.

June 10 Day 26 Kriksville to Quincy, IL 2000 MILES!

2007-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today was different from yesterday...AWFUL! 76 miles in rain, cool temps, and head winds. What a way to spend Sunday morning. Twice I had to stop and take shelter from a heavy downpour. Several times, as I was getting road spray up my front and back and trying to recover from a head cold, I had to ask what I was doing here. About then I had my eighth flat! I just kept cranking and made it across the Mississippi. Missouri did not look nearly as picturesque today.

At the 58 mile point I bonked (ran out of energy). I had Frank come along and draft me for five miles into a truck stop diner for a Coke and hamburger. We were quite the talk of the diner from locals amazed that we would be out in the rain and wind, biking to Boston. Interestingly, this was also the truck stop Sandra and I had stopped at about four yeas ago for gas when we were traveling to Branson.

We had several accomplishments today: passed the 2000 mile mark, and had our seventh state line crossing into Illinois.

Tomorrow is a big one...107 miles to Springfield in a crossing head wind.

Stats: 76 miles, 15 mph avg, 1400' climbing, 10 -15 mph head winds, 60 deg temps and rain, flat number 8.

June 9 Day 25 Chillicothe to Kirksville, MO

2007-06-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, a perfect biking day! Not a cloud in the sky, no wind, cool temps, little traffic, and post card country scenery.

Today was 148 roller coaster hills with 2800' of climbing 8 - 14% grade slopes over 74 miles. The name of the game was to peddle as hard as you can down hill to get going really fast(40 mph once) and then peddling as hard as you can going up hill to crest the top before your momentum was gone. It worked on half the hills, but in ether case it was work. After 100 hills the fun turned to really hard work. None the less, great memories. I was still struggling with a cold, so backed off the effort today in the hopes I can shake the bug in several days...before we do a 107 mile century.

On aspect deserving attention is that Missouri is clearly the road kill capital. Rarely do we travel a mile without seeing a dead raccoon, possum, deer, etc. One of our colorful bikers has been named "Road Kill Gil." Several days ago he collected a hand full of bird feathers from some unfortunate bird and taped them to his helmet. If that wasn't enough, yesterday he stopped at one of the raccoons and managed to pull off it's tail so he could tape it to his helmet. He was smart enough to put the tail in a baggie and upon close inspection, back at the motel, found it was infested with bugs. Not to be deterred, he then proceeded to add some Clorox to the bag, which did take care of the bugs, but when he washed the tail it fell apart. I am sure there will be another chapter to this story.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi into Illinois and pass the 2000 mile point.

Stats: 75 miles, 15.5 mph avg, 2800' climbing, light winds, temps 55 - 75 dig.

June 8 Day 24 St Joe to Chillicothe, MO

2007-06-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

There are lots of hills in Missouri! It seemed like every time we crested a hill we could see the road ahead looked like a roller coaster with a big hill to climb at the end. Today was a beautiful cool day where we were either going down a hill or climbing...3000' of it.

The high point was riding together as a group into Maysville, where the town historical society rolled out the red carpet for us and served fresh baked cinnamon buns (the 1000 calorie kind), fruit, and coffee. Their claim to fame for the 1200 person town is that at the turn of the century a town's father had an English relative that biked around the world, and gave the town a replica bike. It was quite a treat, and hearting to see this town is holding it's own, as opposed to most small Midwestern towns that are being boarded up.

Today's ride was fun, but classified as one of the harder ones because of some narrow and rough roads, plus the hills. The winds were moderate, temps 20 deg less than yesterday, and sunny sky's. The country side is a lush green, and even the cows smiled at us as we rode by. I was beat at the end of ride, and am working at beating back the onset of a cold.

Tomorrow's ride to Kirksville promises to be memorable with 2800' of climbing and 148 roller coaster hills.

Stats: 86 miles, 17 mph avg, 3000' climbing, temps 55 - 75 deg, 10 - 20 mph head to cross to tail winds.

June 7 Day 23 Topeka to St Joseph, MO

2007-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Toto, we must not be in Kansas any more!

After a week of biking 500 miles, we are into Missouri, and we already miss the courteous Kansas drivers and smooth country roads. The bridge over the Missouri River was a two lane antique that was quite rough with strong cross winds. I included a picture looking over my shoulder back into Achison, KS. I also learned to take the lead over the bridges, so bikers behind me have to deal with the irritable drivers we hold up.

The news today was once again the weather. The national weather service called for 35 - 50 mph winds out of the SW, and severe afternoon thunderstorms. We were going NE, so we flew most of the morning. The weather and winds make all the difference in a fast easy day, or slow hard day. Today was an easy 86 miles, and we beat the thunderstorms.

I learned about H-days...hot, hilly, and humid. We arrived soaked in perspiration.

This was our sixth state line crossing, and I faithfully sprinkled Pacific sand at the Missouri sign...let the tail winds continue! We have also left the big western states and will be crossing states every three to four days.

Stats: 86 miles, 18.7 mph avg, 2000' climbing, temps 70 - 85 deg.

June 6 Day 22 Abilene to Topeka HALF WAY

2007-06-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

What a memorable day! Winds were 25 to 35 mph cross winds, gusting to 45 mph. Most of us have never experienced this, since we usually have a choice and better judgement prevails. This was also century number six for the trip...106 miles and one of the toughest.

The National Weather Service had lots of high wind warnings out and cautioned high profile vehicles...but no caution to bikers, so we went. Many times we all had to hang on the bikes for dear life when a big gust of wind would blow us out into the center of the road. I just slowed down and leaned into the wind. The latter part of the ride my hands were numb from the death grip I had on the handle bar. A few parts of the country road turned down wind for several miles and we flew... hit 40 several times. Some of the road turned into the wind and that was a slow hard grind. We probably would have not made it if the entire ride was into the wind.

No one got hurt, but 14 decided to take a van ride in at various points along the ride. Many got a scare from the high gusts. Temps warmed to mid 80s, and most arrived caked in salt. We also discovered eastern Kansas has many really big hills!

Tomorrow we leave Kansas and go to St Joe. Winds are forecast to be 20 - 30 mph tail winds. Yea!

Stats: 106 miles, century number 6, 16.8 mph avg, 2500' climbing, temps 72 - 85 deg, flat number 8.

June 5 Abilene Rest Day

2007-06-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a rest day after nine days of riding. Abilene is a great town to explore. We did the Kirby Mansion for lunch, the Eisenhower Library and Museum, and National Greyhound Museum.

The Eisenhower museum has been reworked since I last visited, and has modern interactive displays. It was first class.

The manager at the Greyhound Museum had a grand champion racer to have pictures with, but it was siesta time. She said we would have to lay down with the dog, which three of us managed to do.

Dr Richard had his birthday yesterday. The riding group was invited for a wine and cheese tasting party. It was fun. We also had a group of storm chasers in the motel with us, and got to check out their high tech Suburban. Hope we can continue missing the tornadoes.

Tomorrow is a 108 mile day to Topeka. The weather forecast is hot and very windy 25 - 35 mph and gusting higher. Should be an adventure!

June 4 McPherson to Abilene, KS

2007-06-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight we're in Abilene, the home of Dwight Eisenhower. The ride was 63 miles along country roads, clear skys, warm temps, and headwinds. Today we simply got into groups and ground out the miles with only one 10 minute stop. I must have just zoned out watching the back tire in front of me, or taking my turn pulling a group of nine for a mile. The time just flew by.

The great news is that the three bikers that crashed yesterday all made the ride, though they were sore and a little slower than normal.

Last night, Dr Richard took a poll during dinner on saddle sores. About a dozen people said they were suffering from some significant rearend ailment, and most of these were the women. A conclusion was the state of the art for saddles has not advanced for women as much as men. So far I have avoided this painful affliction.

Stats: 63 miles, 16.4 mph avg, 1100' climbing, 20 mph head winds, temps 65 - 80 deg.

June 3 Day 21 Great Bend to McPherson, KS

2007-06-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today was an easy 64 mile Sunday morning ride through the Kansas country side, with bright skys, moderate temps, and some cross winds. I had a welcome visit with Sandra last night and got to introduce her to the group at dinner. Since the day was relatively short, we slept in an extra hour and I saw Sandra off for Garden City before breakfast.

Today we started moving out of the flat prairie and into rolling hills. We saw lots of flooded fields, overflowing streams, and bright green countryside.

Everyone agreed to make this an easy ride, because we would not be able to get into motel rooms before 1:30. I arrived early and had a welcome buffalo burger, but to the disappointment of many, no beer is sold here all day Sunday. Bumber!

All of us became painfully aware that we need to count our blessings every day...especially on easy days. In a pace line ahead of me, one of the ladies was in a pace line and bumped a wheel of a lead biker, who was moving away from the road for a rear approaching truck. Joanna lost her balance and fell out into the road just as the semi passed...on the far side of the other lane. She wound up with some road rash and bruises, but is thankful the truck driver missed her. Included is a pic of Joanna, our type-A Ironman triathlete, showing off her bruses (the huge one is on her hip).

For blessing two, a big group was riding behind me in a pace line and passing some other bikers, when one moved out into the pace line and caused a collision. Two men flipped over their handle bars. Tom landed on his helmet, and managed to do a perfect somersault, resulting in minor scratches. Ray landed flat on his back and had the wind knocked out of him. Fortunately there was a doctor in the group. He was bruised and and went to the hospital to get X-rayed. Hopefully he will rejoin us tomorrow. Safety is really paramount with everyone.

Along the way we did stop to save another turtle crossing the highway.

Tomorrow we head north to Abilene and a welcome day's rest. Unfortunately, the winds are forecast to be out of the north.

Stats: 64 miles, 17 mph avg, 400' climbing, temps 60 - 75 deg, 10 -20 mph cross winds.

June 2 Day 20 Dodge City to Great Bend, KS

2007-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Finally a beautiful Kansas day with bright skys, light winds, moderate temps. Today the ride was just cruising across the prairie and taking in the wheat fields. Many of the fields were flooded and the streams were full from all the heavy rains. The time just flew by...88 miles of it.

We had a photo op at Kinsley, which is the geographical center of the US...two more days before we are half way from LA to Boston.

Everyone was in reasonable health this morning. Lisa had her allergies under control with medications, and Frank was doing better with his tooth ache. Everyone is getting stronger...and thinner.

Everyone is interested in talking to Sandra, this evening.

Stats: 88 miles, 18 mph avg, 400' climbing, 55 - 75 deg, 10 - 20 mph crossing winds, flat number 7.

June 1 Day 19 Liberal to Dodge City, KS

2007-06-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yep, we must be in Kansas...rain, wind, lightning, and even hail. This was one of our tougher days at 84 miles, three flats in the group, crossing headwinds, and rain. I fixed one flat for Lisa in a hail storm, and another for myself in a driving rain. The best part of the day was finishing and taking a hot shower. I had flat number five on the road and number six in the motel room.

Along the way we had a great SAG stop at the Dalton Gang Hole in the Wall, where it started to rain. Then we stopped at a country store to wait out a rain shower and I met Slim, a contract cowboy...quite colorful. He thought a bunch of bikers dressed in spandex and riding in the rain on their way to Boston was amazing.

I rode some with Frank, my friend from Salt Lake, who had hurt his knee and had the root canal. His tooth was still bothering him, so I called my dentist sister, Jill, who was able to give Frank a telephone assessment of his tooth ailment. Jill said he had a "hot tooth" and if the antibiotics didn't kick in in another day to move to a stronger prescription. I know this put Frank's mind at ease because Terry has been offering to pull the tooth with some of his bike tools.

Dinner was at a Kansas Tex-Mex restaurant, and was like our Wizard of Oz tour by Dorothy. It took 30 minutes to get chips and drinks, and an hour to get dinner, with everyone starving and grumpy. To top it off, Lisa is on a special diet because of food allergies. She ordered a special meal and of course it came with foods she was allergic to. After a couple of bites she had to jump up and rush off to the hotel to get her allergy meds. There is some concern she may be sick and grounded for three days.

Two of the bikers have decided the rides were just too hard and have left the tour. It was really disappointing to see them leave.

Tomorrow the forecast is for a warm day with light winds. I meet Sandra in Great Bend. Yea!

Stats: 84 miles, 800' climbing, 15.4 mph avg, 20 mph cross/head winds, rain and hail, 57 - 61 deg.

May 31 Day 18 Guyman to Liberal, KS

2007-05-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

We must be in Kansas...at the moment we are under a tornado watch and experiencing a severe thunderstorm. Exciting! Earlier a troop of tornado chasers motored through town.

The ride today was a piece of cake... 40 miles, flat, and 20 mph tail wind. We slept in , got up late, and cruised into Liberal in two hours. Tomorrow will be more of a challenge...83 miles and a forecast head wind.

We did our fifth border crossing. A high point was the Wizard of Oz Museum, next door to the motel. A group of us got to meet Dorothy and got a guided tour of the movie set by her. The museum was well done, but Dorothy was so cheesy, she was a hoot. This poor sixteen year old was dressed up in period cloths and pigtails, and was mortified when eight of us wanted our pictures with here and had endless questions about the Wizard of Oz. We all had a great laugh.

My brother-in-law and his wife, Bob and Jean, drove down from Garden City and gave Terry, Ian, and myself a tour of Liberal and took us to dinner at the Cattleman's. It was great to visit with them.

Stats: 40 miles, 20 mph avg speed, 300' climbing, 55 - 75 deg, 15 mph tail wind.

May 30 Day 17 Dalhart to Guyman, OK

2007-05-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Another day and another state...the fourth. The wind really blows in Oklahoma! After a fantastic day yesterday, we got up to cool temps and a strong wind out of the north. We had a 73 mile ride to the NE...big time head winds. It was flat as a pancake with only 200' of climbing. I survived by getting in a pace line of six and spending over 4 1/2 hours grinding out the miles while looking at a back tire in front of me, when I wasn't leading. Bumber! Really glad this day is over. A number of riders decided it was just too much work and got a van ride into town along the route.

Frank, who just recovered from a knee injury, got up this morning with a tooth ache. We have five doctors and no dentist. He got driven to Guyman and spent the morning having a root canal. Hopefully the ride will settle down for him now.

We also experienced our first injury from a fall. Dave and Richard were finishing up their ride and when Richard braked and Dave didn't see it. Dave hit the bike and fell on his face. OUCH! He hopes to be on the road tomorrow, but will surely get the stares from the locals.

A great treat we had today was from a couple from Oklahoma that had done the ride some years ago, who had drinks and brownies for us at one SAG, and beer and wine at the end of the ride. It was a class touch for a hard day.

Tomorrow is a short 40 mile ride to Liberal, KS. We are almost in Kansas and the Wizard of Oz Museum!

Stats: 73 miles, 14.7 mph avg, 15-25 mph head winds, Temps 55- 70 deg, 200' climbing.

May 29 Day 16 Tucumcari to Dalhart, TX

2007-05-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

May 29 Day 16 Tucumcari to Dalhart, TX

2007-05-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

Another state crossing and we're into big country. Today was supposed to be a recovery day, but we had a tail wind most of the morning and good roads, so I went for a personal record century...and did it...100 miles in 4:45 and a 21 mph avg! Century number 21.

What can we say about Dalhart, TX...the feed lot capital of the world. Several of the ladies are vegetarians and had to ride several miles through the down wind of these huge feed lots. One tried to hold her breath with only limited success. The other said she was traumatized and felt ill after seeing the thousands of cattle penned up (she quickly recovered over lunch after a salad and Fat Tire beer). We also noted a big sign on the resturant door that said only licensed fire arms were allowed inside...what a relief!

I talked to Harry, from Boston, on the road this morning, and ask him if it were true that he had run 20 Boston Marathons. He said that not only had he done 20, but they were twenty consecutive marathons. Again I am humbled.

I also rode with Frank for 50 miles, who had hurt his knee after falling through a cattle guard. He was strong and did well, but is dealing with saddle sores. Randy gave us a vivid description of his saddle sores, which he said is black and yellow, and looks like hamburger. He consulted with the docs and is grounded until it heals up.

Twenty miles out of Tucumcari, we came across a guy dressed in a tux walking down the highway. Terry pulled over visited with a him, who is named Antonio, and is walking from San Diego to Washington DC to visit Pres Bush. His message is "Wake Up America", we need to be spending money on cancer research and not Iraq. He has no money and is successfully living on the generosity of people along the way. Again I feel humble comparing my journey to his.

We are starting to see more wildlife along the road. One of the locals at the resturant warned me to stay away from the ditches because the rattle snakes were out. He also warned us to watch out for severe weather, and if it hits to take cover. The tour director said if there is no cover (which is almost always) then we were to go lay down in a ditch. Help!!

Stats: 100 miles ( including 4 extra), 4:45, 21 mph avg, 1500' climbing, 10-20 mph tail winds, temps 60 - 80 deg.

May 28 Day 15 Las Vegas to Tucumcari, NM

2007-05-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

We passed the 1000 mile mark today and are 1/3 of the way to Boston!!!

Here is Ian showing off his Sahara Desert biking outfit. He is so bright you have to wear sun glasses with him.

One of the East NM canyons we rode through. You can see into Texas.

May 28 Day 15 Las Vegas to Tucumcari, NM

2007-05-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Monday, so it must be race day! This route was 110 miles through desolate grass lands and valleys of Eastern NM...the views were spectacular! Century number 20 for me! It was all county roads where we only had a vehicle passing every half hour, and no services for 76 miles.

It was a perfect sunny day with light cross winds and temps starting at 50 deg and warming to 82. Since this was billed as the second hardest ride, many of us decided to work together and knock it out. We started with 12, and by the first SAG there were 10 at the second SAG, and eight at the third. At the 67 mile point the three veteran Jim's decided we needed to race, so we had a race up a .7 mile hill called the wall. I took 4th. Then they decided we should race the next 9 miles to the SAG. I managed to take second on that, but it was not a good strategic move. When we reassembled and started riding in to Tucumcari, I bonked at the 99 mile point while climbing a hill. I must have dehydrated because my legs started cramping. The remainder of the group, being merciless, left me and I limped into town, finishing 7th. I guess there is a lesson somewhere, but it was fun. I hope I don't pay a price tomorrow.

Another news flash. At dinner, last night, I learned from one of our Iron Man women competitors, that to get the best times, one does not stop to relieve themselves. While biking, you just go in your shorts and after some minutes, they are dry. This is the kind of insights you never read in a book. So now I know what to do if I am desperate to save a minute!

Tomorrow is Dalhart, TX... 96 miles and another possible century. Hopefully the winds will be with us, but we'll sprinkle some Pacific sand at the state line to help.

Stats: 109 miles, 4500' climbing, 18.7 mph avg, 40.1 mph max, 10-20 mph cross winds, 50-82 deg temps.

May 27 Day 14 Santa Fe to Las Vegas, NM

2007-05-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a perfect spring day for cruising through the Pecos Wilderness. The sky was clear, temps cool, and winds light. We had to do about 5000' of climbing, and crested our highest point of the tour, Glorieta Pass at 7500'. We only had 5 miles of I-25 riding, which was easy on Sunday morning. We are now finished with Interstate Highway biking after a reported 300 miles of it!

I ran with the leaders for the first 20 miles and felt great. However, riding fast doesn't give you much opportunity to visit or sight see. Outside of Pecos I had flat number 4. After that I backed off and cruised with several friends. We had an unusual SAG stop at a country bar that was open Sunday morning and had a dirt floor.

The last 30 miles I rode with Ian, and we watched the clear sky turn cloudy and then black. We decided to race in to Las Vegas and try and beat the thunderstorm...we were close, but didn't make it. First we took refuge at a couple of farm homes four miles outside of town. Thank goodness the Rottweilers were friendly. The rain let up after 15 minutes and we were off again, but two miles out it started pouring again and we took refuge in a country church. A kind lady took us in and after visiting for 15 minutes, she said she would pray for our successful journey, and we were off again. A mile out of town we got caught in another downpour and took refuge under an overpass, with three local bikers and we got to visit. After that, Ian and I sought out a restaurant, where we waited out the remainder of the showers over a bowl of hot green chili.

Tomorrow is the second longest ride, 108 miles over remote country roads, to Tucumcari.

Stats: 75 miles, 16 mph avg, 5000' climbing, light winds, temps 55 - 70 deg.

May 26 Santa Fe Day of Rest

2007-05-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

We had our second welcome day of rest in two weeks, and got to sleep past 6:00 am. I got my cloths washed and bike tuned up. Terry decided, again, that he wasn't getting enough excerise, so did an hour run at 6:00 am.

Last night six of us rode the bus into the Santa Fe Plaza for a farewell dinner at La Fonda for Boris of Chicago, who had to leave (32 of the 42 that started in LA are planned to finish in Boston). We had a grand dinner and enjoyed Alien Beer from Roswell, NM. On the bus ride we met some colorful locals. One in particular, a Navajo we called Chief Red Hat, took a liking to us and in the end proposed to Kim, one of the lady bikers. I know it was the highlight of her evening.

We feel rested and ready for nine days of riding before we reach Abilene, KS, the third rest stop and 1500 mile point. We have only reached 900 miles out of 3400. This is really a big country we live in!

May 25 Day 13 Albuquerque to Santa Fe

2007-05-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today was a picturesque ride down the Turquoise Trail on a beautiful NM day. After two weeks of riding, biking 68 miles and climbing 5500' didn't feel too hard. We must be finding our biking legs and toughening our butts.

The hardest part of the ride was the first 17 miles, riding uphill on Central Ave and then through the Tejaris Canyon into a 25 mph canyon head wind. We rode by Four Hills, the old neighborhood, but between the rush hour traffic and strong head wind, I didn't get to do much sightseeing. What I did see looked about the same as when we left seven years ago, this month.

The Turquoise Trail was a great biker's road, with little traffic, endless views, and two ghost towns. Overall, the weather was great...several hours after I got into Santa Fe, the sky turned black and we had torrential thunder storm. Again, I am grateful not to be camping.

Tomorrow is a much welcome rest day for washing three days of riding cloths and servicing the bike. Tonight we go to the Plaza for a local beer and say farewell to Boris, our colorful connection with George W Bush.

Stats: 68 miles, 15 mph avg speed, 5500' climbing, 64 - 70 deg.

May 24 Day 12 Grants to Albuquerque

2007-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

We got up to a beautiful New Mexico morning where it was clear, cool, and light winds. The desert was green and flowers in bloom along the road.

In one of the little communities along old Route 66 we got chased by a big dog, which seemed to be good sport as the group of five of us raced to make sure we were not last in line for the dog to get. Later, Jeff, the 80 year old, biked by and he got tangled up with the dog. He took a fall, and skinned up his arm and leg (the dog took off). The biking docs fixed him up and he thinks he will be good to go tomorrow.

Another challenging part was a 35 miles of I -40 we had to ride. A five mile section was under construction with both lanes of traffic squashed into the east bound lanes. Our normal 8' shoulder with a rumble strip was down to two feet and no rumble strip. At least the trucks were only going 45 mph instead of 75 mph. It was unnerving, but with care we all got through. Some people elected to stop and be SAGed through. We are almost done with interstate highway travel.

After we got into Albuquerque, Terry and I got to have drink and trade stories with some long time friends, Dee and Ruth Friesen. We had a great meat meal at Applebee's, which was a welcome relief from pasta of the past two nights.

Tomorrow is down the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe.

Stats: 80 miles, 2500' climbing, 15.7 mph avg, temp 40 - 70 deg, 5-15 mph head winds.

May 23 Day 11 Gallup to Grants NM

2007-05-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe we were in scorching desert our first week. This morning we got up to 44 deg temps, rain, and 15 mph headwinds. Most folks didn't have winter cloths or rain gear, so it was lots of layers. I had on arm and leg warmers, two jerseys and two jackets. Terry loaned me a pair of winter gloves. We also had shower caps over our helmets...quite a sight.

What an awful morning! A group of struggled through Gallup in the rain at 11 mph, and I got a flat before we left town. What a start. The rain stopped after an hour and the wind swung to the side, so that helped a bunch. After two hours we were getting a quartering 30 mph tail wind. It was a life saver. We arrived in town windblown and covered in dirt.

Conditions were so bad that a hand full of folks decided to shuttle in. At dinner tonight, Joc a doctor from Guatemala, said he looked at the faces of the bikers as he being driven out of town and he said all he saw was anguish, and he knew he made the right decision.

Frank from Salt Lake, one of guys I was riding with yesterday, decided to walk his bike over a cattle guard instead of riding when we stopped at a SAG. His foot slipped and he fell through, hurting his knee. He shrugged it off and we rode on for several hours. Last night his knee locked up and he couldn't ride today. The good news is that he has five doctors tending to him, but he doesn't know when he will be able to ride, and is disappointed.

Tomorrow we are off to Albuquerque, where the forecast is afternoon showers.

Stats: 68 miles, 1500' climbing, 16 mph avg speed, temps 44 - 70 deg, 15 - 30 mph head/ crossing tail winds, early rain. Flat number 3.

May 22 Day 10 Holbrook to Gallup NM

2007-05-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

A day of flying down I- 40. I said goodbye to Sandra for another two weeks and got on the interstate highway, peddling hard with the morning sun in my face, and not quitting until it was overhead. The winds were 15 - 25 mph to our backs, we climbed 2500', and temps were in the 60s. I managed to do the 87 miles in just over four hours, averaging 21 mph. This is the way to travel! We did note that if we were going the other way, it could have been a hard 10 hour day. As usual, this started out to be an easy day and evolved into a race for some - I couldn't resist and arrived 7th overall.

We stopped at our second border crossing and sprinkled Pacific beach sand at the base to ensure continue favorable winds. Tomorrow should be an easy 60 miles to Grants.

Stats: 87 miles, 21 mph avg, 2500' climbing, temps 50 - 70 deg, 15 - 25 tail winds. It doesn't get better than this!

May 21 Day 9 Flagstaff to Holbrook AZ

2007-05-21T16:27:00.001-07:00

A few pics from the day's ride: Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona (from hit Eagles song); watching a 100 car Army troop taking equipment to the port; the Wigwam Motel, where my sister and I spent the night in the '50s.

May 21 Day 9 Flagstaff to Holbrook AZ

2007-05-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

The wind gods were with us today with 25 mph quartering tail/cross winds. We started out at 7:15 with temps about 40 deg, so today we had to wear jackets. After getting lost in Flagstaff for a half hour because of construction, we got out on I-40 and cruised most of 100 miles. There were times dust and tumbleweed blew across the interstate, but we flew. Today, when I checked the speedometer it seemed like we spending a lot of time going 25 mph on the flat. I finished my 19th century, and fastest, averaging 19mph and peddling 5 1/4 hours. It is good to have that behind us. Sandra will be joining me tonight in Holbrook, and I can pass off my desert gear. Then she will be making her way to Kansas. Tomorrow is a 95 mile day to Gallup, NM. Then we will start asking "are we in Kansas yet."

Stats: 100 miles (cruised several miles around town to reach it), 19 mph avg speed, 20-30 mph quartering/cross winds, temps 40 -84 deg.

May 20 Day 8 Flagstaff Rest Day

2007-05-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

A welcome rest day to service the bike, wash cloths, and rest for a near century tomorrow. Most were tired from the previous week. It was also a day to sleep in, but habits are hard to break...most were up at 6:00 am. Terry was also up at 6:00 and decided he was not getting enough exercise, so went off for a one hour run around town. Go figure!

This was also an opportunity to meet my fellow bikers and trade stories over a beer. Kim, one of the women, told us that over her athletic career, she had competed in 115 triathlons! Ian, the Brit, told us he started out as a guitarists with a rock band in the 1960s in Manchester, and then switched to bike racing centuries where he completed one in just over four hours, and did a 12 hour race where he covered 228 miles! Terry and I were wondering what we were doing in this group! Then there was Boris, a veteran cross country rider, who graduated from Harvard Business School in 1975 with George W Bush (who he was unimpressed with).

I have another 40 stories to go. I'm just an ordinary retired guy biking cross country!

Now for a flash back. In 1956 my parents took my sister and I to Flagstaff to visit a memorial to the 128 people killed in a TWA/UAL midair collision over the Grand Canyon - the worst aviation accident then. Here is a pic of the memorial, a mile down the road from the hotel. It is amazing what impressionable children remember. Kim and here brother Scott (the German also biking with us) said their parents drove them to the Grand Canyon in a motor home and tied them to the roof as they drove around the canyon tosee the sights.

Yep, this trip is turning out to be stranger than fiction.

May 19 Day 7 Cottonwood to Flagstaff

2007-05-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Standing on the cliff wall overlooking Oak Creek Canyon. A lady tourist ask to stand by me and have her husband take a picture to prove that she had truly met some crazy bikers going from LA to Boston.

May 19 Day 7 Cottonwood to Flagstaff

2007-05-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

This was the ultimate day of biking - cool temperatures, calm, and breathtaking scenery. It was one of our shorter days, although a huge climb day of about 7000'.

We rode from Cottonwood up a steady climb through high desert with bright red rocks in the background to Sedona, where we stopped at a bakery and had a coffee. It was a great break just taking in the sights of downtown Sedona. Then we started the ride and climb out through Oak Creek Canyon. It was a magnificent ride along the creek and down in the bottom of a thousand foot deep canyon. There was lots of weekend traffic and the road was somewhat narrow, but all the cars drove slow and gave the bikers plenty of room. At the end of the canyon we did the thousand foot climb with lots of switchbacks out to the top of the canyon, and it was exhilarating. At the top we were met by our SAG and a large Indian market underway. All of us were quite the curiosity of the tourists, who can't believe we would be biking coast-to-coast.

Flagstaff was an easy cruise, where it is 7000' high and cool temps. Now it is time to get out the jackets and warm cloths.

Sunday is a rest day and an opportunity to clean the bike and do wash, before we start spinning out the big distances over Route 66.

Stats: 47 miles, 11.5 mph avg, 7000' climbing, temps 60 - 70 deg, winds calm.

May 18 Day 6 Prescott to Cottonwood

2007-05-18T20:44:00.000-07:00