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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 22
Today's Route: GPS Details 97 miles from Farmington to Eminence, 91 degrees, 6,900 feet of climbing...on a 3 speed bike!
My rear derailleur shifter cable snapped early in the ride. This is the second time it's snapped this year. There's no bike shop for at least another 150 miles. I tried to have a replacement cable FedExed - thanks for the assist, Jim! - but it would not have arrived until late afternoon Fri. I want to ride tomorrow AM. My work around for tomorrow: disengage chain from rear derailleur, shorten chain, and leave it in a large ring in the rear cassette. That'll make it easier to climb the Ozark hills. Hopefully it can all be put back together properly when I get to a bike shop.
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Please donate to Pedals for Progress: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w043522
Day 21
Photo: Al's Place. Nice!
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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Day 20
Today's Route: GPS Details Rest day, sorta. Rode about 50 miles from Chester, IL to Farmington, MO.
I was going to stay in Chester, at the Stone House Inn, to rest my knee and get some work done. I was way backed up on work. The SHI looks like a nice place, with lovely views of the Mississippi River. However, Edward, an eastbound TransAm rider who I met at the FOE, told me of a great place to stay about 50 miles west: a beautifully renovated former jail in Farmington, MO. I went for it, and was glad I did.
Clearing another state - IL into MO in this case - is always uplifting. But crossing the Mississippi was truly a thrilling milestone. And arriving at Al's Place, the converted jail, was a relief. Great place, and a perfect town to stop & get some work done: it had a good coffee shop w/ wifi, and a good restaurant/bar, also w/ wifi. What more could I ask for? Oh, and there was a WalMart too...
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Clearing another state - IL into MO in this case - is always uplifting. But crossing the Mississippi was truly a thrilling milestone. And arriving at Al's Place, the converted jail, was a relief. Great place, and a perfect town to stop & get some work done: it had a good coffee shop w/ wifi, and a good restaurant/bar, also w/ wifi. What more could I ask for? Oh, and there was a WalMart too...
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Day 19
Today's Route: GPS Details. Rode about 90 miles from Harrisburg, IL to Chester, IL, on the banks of the Mississippi and the MO border.
Today was...adventurous. It was at different times frustrating, satisfying, sublimely beautiful, nerve wracking, and exciting. It was a lot of other things too, but all in all, a memorable day!
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Today was...adventurous. It was at different times frustrating, satisfying, sublimely beautiful, nerve wracking, and exciting. It was a lot of other things too, but all in all, a memorable day!
Frustrating: I stopped in a bike shop in Carbondale - the last bike shop until Kansas, to change my chain, a 20 or so minute undertaking. 6 hours and three bike shops later I was on the road! The new chain chain caused all sorts of drive train problems; I ended up putting the old one back on. No more proactive drive train maintenance until I'm back home.
Satisfying: Longbranch Coffee in Carbondale. I'm eating everything in sight, and LB had a great menu w/ lots of vegetarian options...and smoothies! Throughout the course of the day I had coffee, a scone, two smoothies, hummus and a sandwich. Yum! Probably the best food I'll have 'till I get to CO.
Sublimely beautiful: A dramatic, seemingly 360 degree sunset.
Nerve wracking: Getting a flat as darkness fell, with a pump that didn't seem to be working and an untested headlamp. Turns out only the gauge on the pump was not working...and the headlamp worked great!
Exciting: Riding in the dark on unfamiliar country roads!
Oh, and I stayed in what would have been a tool shed were it not outfitted w/ bunks for TransAm riders. Accommodations were courtesy of the Chester, IL, Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was perfect because it was free, and I had access to a shower. The FOE is the place to be in Chester. A volleyball match was underway when I arrived. Sarah, the barkeep, told me I missed the following FOE sponsored events: mud truck show, and bikini bull riding. I did see Leno w/ musical guests KISS on the tube @ the bar, though. KISS?! Not every act s/ try for a comeback.
Oh, and I stayed in what would have been a tool shed were it not outfitted w/ bunks for TransAm riders. Accommodations were courtesy of the Chester, IL, Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was perfect because it was free, and I had access to a shower. The FOE is the place to be in Chester. A volleyball match was underway when I arrived. Sarah, the barkeep, told me I missed the following FOE sponsored events: mud truck show, and bikini bull riding. I did see Leno w/ musical guests KISS on the tube @ the bar, though. KISS?! Not every act s/ try for a comeback.
Leslie, the Crab Orchard Lake picture is for you of course! I hope it brings back great memories. Thanks for all your encouragement! :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day 18
Today's Route: GPS Details. Rode 143 miles today, from Falls of Rough, KY to Harrisburg, IL.
So I set out to ride 70 miles today, and ended up riding 143. I didn't even tear a tendon. I arrived at my day's target destination, Sebree, at 11:30, and felt it was too early to stop riding. During lunch in Clay, KY, about 20 miles outside of Sebree, I ran into a group of four other riders traveling East. While waiting out a storm, one of the riders encouraged me to consider a shortcut that would shave about 50 miles off Adventure Cycling's route to Carbondale, IL. The shortcut was flat, to boot. I couldn't resist. I felt up to it, and was psyched to save 50 miles and ride another 50, the distance to the nearest hotel on my new route. I was told the route was as flat as Kansas, and that I s/ complete it in just three hours considering the single pannier I was carrying. I figured six hours w/ time for eating, picture taking, bike adjustments, etc., but did manage in a little over 3. **Thank you Doug, Alex, Jacob(?), etc!**
So I arrived in IL a day early, via a bridge over the Ohio River. Crossing this large body of water was an exciting milestone. Next river crossing: the Mississippi!
Oh, I need to vent just a bit: the food is remarkably horrible in this area. No wonder Americans are so obese. Solving our nation's healthcare crisis requires little more than changing what we eat. Everything on the menu at today's lunch spot seemed to be meat, or fried, or both. That's right, fried meat. The days' special was fried steak. Seriously. As if feed lot fattened beef won't kill you quickly enough!? I ordered okra, breaded cauliflower, and a baked potato, food I generally enjoy. I shouldn't have been surprised when the okra and cauliflower arrived cloaked in a jacket of fried something or another. Fortunately it pealed off easily!
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So I arrived in IL a day early, via a bridge over the Ohio River. Crossing this large body of water was an exciting milestone. Next river crossing: the Mississippi!
Oh, I need to vent just a bit: the food is remarkably horrible in this area. No wonder Americans are so obese. Solving our nation's healthcare crisis requires little more than changing what we eat. Everything on the menu at today's lunch spot seemed to be meat, or fried, or both. That's right, fried meat. The days' special was fried steak. Seriously. As if feed lot fattened beef won't kill you quickly enough!? I ordered okra, breaded cauliflower, and a baked potato, food I generally enjoy. I shouldn't have been surprised when the okra and cauliflower arrived cloaked in a jacket of fried something or another. Fortunately it pealed off easily!
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Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 17
Today's Route: GPS Tracks. Rode 85 miles today, from Bardstown, KY to Falls of Rough, KY.
Today's ride began at 5:50 AM, before sunrise. My front and rear flashing LEDs provided visibility to motorists, but were not powerful enough to improve my visibility of the road. There was enough light to allow me to ride safely, but I do plan on rigging out a more powerful headlamp tonight. Riding in the morning is sooo much better than in the blazing heat of day. It's cooler, of course, and very peaceful. If a headlamp allows me to begin earlier in the day, I'll do so for sure.
Today's highlights include stumbling across a bourbon barrel factory. One of the workers let me in to poke around and take pictures. I also met another cross country rider, Christian. British, it seemed from his accent. What a difference from my April riding, when I hadn't met a single xc rider. Now I'm seeing several a day, a number of whom are traveling westbound. It's gonna be *hot* biking across the the NV desert. Most everyone seems to be carrying more panniers than I, and camping. I'm down to just one pannier, and I'm warming to the idea of camping. I plan on buying a tent in Carbondale, IL, the next sizable town through which I'll travel.
Today's 'kindness of strangers' events: a free ice pop at Lucy's convenience store, and a $9 cyclists' discount on my motel room.
Falls of Rough, where I'm staying tonight, is a lake resort. Lacking a boat and not wanting to bike miles to the lake or elsewhere, I'm left w/ little of interest to keep me occupied. I arrived at my decidedly run down motel at 12:30, benefiting from a time zone change. I've exited Eastern Std Time and now set my watch to Central Time. I'm feeling increasingly confident I'll reach Pueblo, CO; my Achilles are feeling fine so far. I hope it lasts. I'd enjoy being home, but I want to finish this trip w/o being forced off my bike due to injury. Pueblo's my near term objective. Now that my journey's been interrupted, there's no magic to completing it w/o further breaks. Unless the spirit moves me beyond Pueblo, I'll head back to Jersey from there, returning to CO later this year to finish the last 1,500 miles.
Please donate to Pedals for Progress: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w043522
Today's ride began at 5:50 AM, before sunrise. My front and rear flashing LEDs provided visibility to motorists, but were not powerful enough to improve my visibility of the road. There was enough light to allow me to ride safely, but I do plan on rigging out a more powerful headlamp tonight. Riding in the morning is sooo much better than in the blazing heat of day. It's cooler, of course, and very peaceful. If a headlamp allows me to begin earlier in the day, I'll do so for sure.
Today's highlights include stumbling across a bourbon barrel factory. One of the workers let me in to poke around and take pictures. I also met another cross country rider, Christian. British, it seemed from his accent. What a difference from my April riding, when I hadn't met a single xc rider. Now I'm seeing several a day, a number of whom are traveling westbound. It's gonna be *hot* biking across the the NV desert. Most everyone seems to be carrying more panniers than I, and camping. I'm down to just one pannier, and I'm warming to the idea of camping. I plan on buying a tent in Carbondale, IL, the next sizable town through which I'll travel.
Today's 'kindness of strangers' events: a free ice pop at Lucy's convenience store, and a $9 cyclists' discount on my motel room.
Falls of Rough, where I'm staying tonight, is a lake resort. Lacking a boat and not wanting to bike miles to the lake or elsewhere, I'm left w/ little of interest to keep me occupied. I arrived at my decidedly run down motel at 12:30, benefiting from a time zone change. I've exited Eastern Std Time and now set my watch to Central Time. I'm feeling increasingly confident I'll reach Pueblo, CO; my Achilles are feeling fine so far. I hope it lasts. I'd enjoy being home, but I want to finish this trip w/o being forced off my bike due to injury. Pueblo's my near term objective. Now that my journey's been interrupted, there's no magic to completing it w/o further breaks. Unless the spirit moves me beyond Pueblo, I'll head back to Jersey from there, returning to CO later this year to finish the last 1,500 miles.
Please donate to Pedals for Progress: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w043522
Friday, July 16, 2010
Day 16
Today's Route: GPS Details. Berea, KY -> Bardstown, KY.
I'm back in Berea, KY! Actually, I'm writing this from Bardstown after a day's ride. Great seeing Nick, Paul & Chynna at BC&T yesterday!
So my bike journey was delayed a few months due to what I first thought was tendonitis, but what turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon. Torn, not severed, so an operation was not necessary. It healed in a little over 6 weeks, but it took me 10 weeks to resume my ride because I was having so much fun back home. Parties at 220 11th, Dan & Mindy's E Hampton weekend, Jack Johnson concert, great night at MAD, and w/ few exceptions a fun something or another going on every day. It all became a bit exhausting, though, so I returned to where I paused my cycling odyssey, and I'm back on my Cannondale to San Fran. I arrived in Berea yesterday. My mother, Jim and I drove down together. Nice hanging w/ my mom yesterday evening, riding w/ Jim for ~ 15 miles this AM, and having company for the long car ride! Thanks mom & Jim!!
I had a great ride today. Met my first two fellow cross country bound riders this morning, Chelsey - not Chelsea - and Rita. Two cool grad students headed to San Fran. We rode together for about 10 miles and enjoyed comparing cycling notes. I met Matt a bit later in the morning. He was traveling solo, Eastbound. He's got the right outlook for a cross country ride - keep your schedule flexible and when faced w/ the decision to ride, or to stop riding and explore whatever it is that's piqued one's interest: get off the bike. Right on! Much of what's piqued my interest is back home, though.
Some of my fondest trip memories are in Berea. In a sense, I'm glad my Achilles tore. Had it not I'd have passed through far too quickly. So will I take Matt's advice and hang in Bardstown tomorrow, maybe for a distillery tour? Nope. I'll ride about 95 miles tomorrow, then dial back to 70 on Sunday. I expect to be in IL by Monday, and MO by Tues or Wed! Can hardly wait to get to Kansas - flat as a pancake.
Please donate to Pedals for Progress: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w043522
I'm back in Berea, KY! Actually, I'm writing this from Bardstown after a day's ride. Great seeing Nick, Paul & Chynna at BC&T yesterday!
So my bike journey was delayed a few months due to what I first thought was tendonitis, but what turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon. Torn, not severed, so an operation was not necessary. It healed in a little over 6 weeks, but it took me 10 weeks to resume my ride because I was having so much fun back home. Parties at 220 11th, Dan & Mindy's E Hampton weekend, Jack Johnson concert, great night at MAD, and w/ few exceptions a fun something or another going on every day. It all became a bit exhausting, though, so I returned to where I paused my cycling odyssey, and I'm back on my Cannondale to San Fran. I arrived in Berea yesterday. My mother, Jim and I drove down together. Nice hanging w/ my mom yesterday evening, riding w/ Jim for ~ 15 miles this AM, and having company for the long car ride! Thanks mom & Jim!!
I had a great ride today. Met my first two fellow cross country bound riders this morning, Chelsey - not Chelsea - and Rita. Two cool grad students headed to San Fran. We rode together for about 10 miles and enjoyed comparing cycling notes. I met Matt a bit later in the morning. He was traveling solo, Eastbound. He's got the right outlook for a cross country ride - keep your schedule flexible and when faced w/ the decision to ride, or to stop riding and explore whatever it is that's piqued one's interest: get off the bike. Right on! Much of what's piqued my interest is back home, though.
Some of my fondest trip memories are in Berea. In a sense, I'm glad my Achilles tore. Had it not I'd have passed through far too quickly. So will I take Matt's advice and hang in Bardstown tomorrow, maybe for a distillery tour? Nope. I'll ride about 95 miles tomorrow, then dial back to 70 on Sunday. I expect to be in IL by Monday, and MO by Tues or Wed! Can hardly wait to get to Kansas - flat as a pancake.
Please donate to Pedals for Progress: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w043522
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