It's down to less than a week until the anticipated launch date, 6 days to be precise. And it's been over a week since I've updated the blog. I anticipated that keeping a blog updated would require deliberate effort, at least prior to departing, and it seems that I was right.
That's enough random thoughts for now. I don't want to lose my two readers; even my own mom has limits to what she is willing to tolerate...
In regard to the actual ride: I am very disappointed with the smart phone so far. It's not that it isn't functioning properly, but I'm disappointed with what I can actually do with it. My first desktop computer was purchased used in 1995. I did not jump on the personal computer bandwagon very early on, but still, it wasn't exactly a Commodore 64 or a Tandy. I think that it had a 486 processor and I know that it had a 100 megabyte hard drive. The new phone has 8 gigabytes of memory; I don't know if that's built into the hardware or is in combination with the memory card, but it is billed as 8 gigs. That's 80 times more memory, and presumably about 80 times the processing power. Why oh why, then, can I not use a bluetooth keyboard with it? That's just plain stupid! The search goes on for a good way to regularly blog on a self-supported tour.
I have been reading some blogs from other cross-country rides and I have noticed 2 things: The riders who are supported have the time/opportunity/equipment to update pretty regularly. Those on self-supported tours tend to update irregularly. This is probably because of the gear that they are able and willing to take, and the availability of electricity.
Keeping with the topic of electronics for the trip, here is the list of devices going along: 1 smart phone; 1 stupid phone; 3 iPods; 2 USB rechargeable headlamps; 2 USB rechargeable tail lamps; Also maybe 1 point and shoot digital camera and 1 HD video camera. I'm not sure what charging the two cameras will require, other than a 120 volt outlet, so they are in the 'maybe' category. As for all of the other items, they can all be charged via USB. The power source for the trip will be the Goal Zero Guide 10 Adventure kit. I got one about a month ago. The solar panel appears to perform as advertised, however the battery pack seems finicky. I don't really know if it's properly holding its charge and I don't have the time and opportunity to do any type of quantitative analysis. We'll see what happens... I plan to get another kit for Riley to use. The plan is to attach them to the top of the load while riding. This isn't the ideal placement for solar collecting, but based on what I've observed so far, I believe that it will work. Even if the battery pack isn't working quite right, the panel does charge an iPod, phone or headlamp directly, so again, I think that it will do. I do not want to spend time sitting in some store, restaurant or visitor center while I wait for my electronics to charge. I'll plug in when I have the chance, but I don't wan't to have to plan anything around a need for electricity.
How on earth did Columbus find his way? At least I know for sure that Lewis & Clark had GPS units.
That's enough for now.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Two Weeks To Go!
Our anticipated departure date is just 2 weeks from today. My how time flies when you're busy!
In my last post I told of breaking my elbow in November. The elbow is doing pretty well, although I don't know if I'll ever have the full range of motion again. Overall, breaking an elbow is a very bad thing, but there was a small upside to the event.
After the surgery, I was told that I was not cleared to ride until further notice. What's a boy to do? I started hanging out at Bike-N-Bean a lot. And by a lot, I mean basically every day. About a week after surgery, I began wearing a flexible brace instead of a cast, to help minimize the loss of motion. I could use my arm enough to be able to work on bikes. My hanging out wasn't simply a means of killing time; I became the volunteer mechanic because I'm pretty competent with tools and using my hands. Because I was helping out so much, I became eligible for some pretty substantial discounts on new parts, and also had a bunch of used parts donated for the Saga. I also have a shop that I can work in to do maintenance on our bikes, plus I've learned a few things about mountain bikes to boot. Plus I've made a bunch of new friends. I'd still rather have my elbow the way it used to be, but at least there has been some benefit.
In my last post I told of breaking my elbow in November. The elbow is doing pretty well, although I don't know if I'll ever have the full range of motion again. Overall, breaking an elbow is a very bad thing, but there was a small upside to the event.
After the surgery, I was told that I was not cleared to ride until further notice. What's a boy to do? I started hanging out at Bike-N-Bean a lot. And by a lot, I mean basically every day. About a week after surgery, I began wearing a flexible brace instead of a cast, to help minimize the loss of motion. I could use my arm enough to be able to work on bikes. My hanging out wasn't simply a means of killing time; I became the volunteer mechanic because I'm pretty competent with tools and using my hands. Because I was helping out so much, I became eligible for some pretty substantial discounts on new parts, and also had a bunch of used parts donated for the Saga. I also have a shop that I can work in to do maintenance on our bikes, plus I've learned a few things about mountain bikes to boot. Plus I've made a bunch of new friends. I'd still rather have my elbow the way it used to be, but at least there has been some benefit.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Here is the first sample post from the cell phone.
Now this paragraph is from the laptop. Hey, it worked. Send a text message, and it gets posted automatically to the blog, so updating will be easier than I would ever have imagined, but there is a problem... Text messages (at least those sent from my phone) have a limit of 160 characters, and that ain't much. Personally, I wouldn't be wanting type in much more than that using my fat fingers on that little touch screen, but it is good to know that I can very easily post something if I need to.
That's enough for now, but 3 days in a row? Amazing! June 5 is the target for departure. That's just 16 days.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
My Recent Crash.
The second post in as many days, I'm certainly feeling my oats.
Anyone who has ridden more than, oh 500 miles or so, has probably had at least one noteworthy, over the handlebars, or other similarly spectacular crash. These may or may not have resulted in a significant injury. I know that I've had my share and then some. The Big Man Upstairs has spared me serious injury or even death on multiple occasions, and I have simply rode away, or picked up my mangled bike and walked away.
All that changed on November 12, 2011. On that day, I didn't have a crash at all, I simply tipped over. I won't go into the details because it's almost downright embarrassing how it happened, but I was travelling zero miles per hour and tipped over. Instinctively, I put out my arms, elbows locked, in preparation to meet the pavement and the radial head of my right arm popped off. I wasn't able to just get up and walk away. I needed assistance to get my bike up on the roof rack, then I drove myself to the E.R. Two days later I had a new titanium component!
That little incident put the kibosh on a ride to San Diego during Christmas break. How does the old adage go, Like father, like son? Riley went over the bars a few weeks later, giving him a minor fracture in his left radius!
We're still hell-bent on going. I don't believe that I have mentioned a start date for the tour. That's because I don't know what it is myself. School is out on May 31; June 1 is a teacher workday. We will be free to depart any time after that. I think that we'll need a couple of days for staging and last minute preparation, so the estimated date of departure is looking like June 5, give or take a day or two. Is that muddy enough. But hey, by the time that you read this, we will probably have left, unless you are one of the random 3 people on the planet who have somehow stumbled across this, probably as a result of hitting the next blog button and magically came to mine!
Anyone who has ridden more than, oh 500 miles or so, has probably had at least one noteworthy, over the handlebars, or other similarly spectacular crash. These may or may not have resulted in a significant injury. I know that I've had my share and then some. The Big Man Upstairs has spared me serious injury or even death on multiple occasions, and I have simply rode away, or picked up my mangled bike and walked away.
All that changed on November 12, 2011. On that day, I didn't have a crash at all, I simply tipped over. I won't go into the details because it's almost downright embarrassing how it happened, but I was travelling zero miles per hour and tipped over. Instinctively, I put out my arms, elbows locked, in preparation to meet the pavement and the radial head of my right arm popped off. I wasn't able to just get up and walk away. I needed assistance to get my bike up on the roof rack, then I drove myself to the E.R. Two days later I had a new titanium component!
 |
| My new elbow. |
We're still hell-bent on going. I don't believe that I have mentioned a start date for the tour. That's because I don't know what it is myself. School is out on May 31; June 1 is a teacher workday. We will be free to depart any time after that. I think that we'll need a couple of days for staging and last minute preparation, so the estimated date of departure is looking like June 5, give or take a day or two. Is that muddy enough. But hey, by the time that you read this, we will probably have left, unless you are one of the random 3 people on the planet who have somehow stumbled across this, probably as a result of hitting the next blog button and magically came to mine!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
What are we riding? What are we riding for?
I'll address the latter question first. While looking at blogs from other people who are riding, or have ridden cross country, I've noticed that many of them seem to have a cause in mind; some are raising funds for cancer research, to raise awareness of M.S., or in memory of a lost loved one. While these are all good and noble causes, we are riding primarily to have an epic adventure. If you can be persuaded to do anything to support our cause and sending us LOTS of CASH isn't what you have in mind, then I would simply ask you to become a regular blood donor. Donate 3 or more times each year for as long as you remain eligible.
I suppose that I could call this ride the Relationship Recovery Ride. I was a rather brash and somewhat rebellious teenager, and wouldn't you know it, my son is a lot like me in that regard. This ride is a great opportunity to spend time together, to learn from one another, and to grow closer. If I manage to maintain the blog throughout the journey, as I hope to, then you may hear some commentary about how that is going, but I don't intend to get too sappy and bore anyone with the stuff of chick-flicks or tender coming of age movies. Hey, hold that thought. I can see a screen-play with movie rights. Brad Pitt can play me and for Riley, I know he won't approve of Justin Bieber, but we're talking about box office appeal and royalties. A fat check in the mail once a month for life - it would be like winning the lottery!
Now for the first question, what are we riding? Riley will be riding a Jamis Aurora, which is stock except for the Brooks B17 saddle. I will be riding a Soma Saga. The Saga is named Celia. I don't think that Riley has named his bike, but he does have a nice talisman that will be mounted for the trip. How or why did we select these particular bikes, you might ask? There is a bit of a story to each...
About 2 1/2 years ago, a small bike shop moved into a spot across the street from where we live. The shop is California Bike-N-Bean. A shameless plug for Bike-N-Bean is warranted, so here it goes: California Bike-N-Bean is hands down, the best shop in Marin County, if you are into mountain bikes. The shop is small, so they don't have too many shiny new bikes on the floor to dazzle the eyeballs, but the ones they have are top notch, and they can order just what you want. Hey, if you're going to spend the cash to get a first class bike, then you'll probably be ordering it anyway, so that you end up with just what you want. But the thing that really seperates Bike-N-Bean form the rest is the service. Geoff is the man! He knows how to fix any bike out there, and he doesn't try to sell you any more service than you need. If you want a new mountain bike, go see Geoff before you buy anything, and if you have a quality bike that needs service, then you must go see Geoff.
Now about the Jamis. If you're shopping for a high end mountain bike, Bike-N-Bean sells Pivot, Niner and a few other high-end brands. If you are looking for a beach cruiser, a first bike for your child, a decent road bike, or an entry level mountain bike, then Jamis is the 'house brand'. Jamis makes high end mountain bikes and road bikes as well, but they also make a complete line of everyday bikes at very good prices. So when Riley told me that he would make the commitment to go on the trip I asked about what Jamis had in a touring bike, and the Aurora was the choice - pretty simple and straight forward. How I came to get the Soma Saga, is another story altogether.
Never buy a used bike of any kind from a guy named Loren in Santa Rosa CA!!! I did just that, and regretted the decision almost immediately.
On my previous tours I rode an SR in 1979 and my beloved Fuji Del Rey in 1988 & 1989. I still have the Fuji and would probably have been perfectly content and successful riding it this summer as well. But I got to thinking, which in my case can be a dangerous thing. In 88 & 89, the terrain was mostly flat, so the gearing on the Fuji was acceptable. It is a recreational road bike with 12 speeds, none of which are very low. (Being a math teacher, I could very well calculate the inches for you, but I never have. If someone asks, maybe I will.) It has something like 42-52 chainrings and a 13-28, six speed freewheel. Well, I got to thinking that I'd like a triple chainring so that I would have a couple of climbing gears for going over the Sierras and Rockies. That desire for a triple, led to more thinking, and I ended up on craigslist, where I found an old Cannondale touring bike for sale.
I bought the Cannondale for $200 from Loren and figured that I would tear it down completely and put it back together, so that I knew that it was ship-shape. The wheels were inadequate, because if you've ever broken a spoke, especially on the rear wheel drive side, when you're in the middle of nowhere, then you know that is a situation to avoid at almost any cost. Enter the Phil Wood 40 spoke rear hub, 14 gauge straight gauge spokes and Velocity Dyad rim for the rear. Years ago, I built a 40 spoke wheel on a Phil hub for the Fuji and have never broken a spoke on it. I also built a 36 spoke front wheel around an WTB hub and Sun Rhyno rim. Not wanting to steal the Brooks saddle from the Fuji, I bought the B17 that is on Riley's bike. After finding out that dear Loren had put a rear wheel with the wrong spacing on the Cannondale, I had to change the spacing on the Phil Wood hub; fortunately, that is a very well made product and the job of changing the end cap and re-dishing the wheel was a piece of cake, but still cost another $35 for the part. The rest of the parts were a mixture of mostly used parts from the Cannondale or donations to and from Bike-N-Bean. Once I got it all put together, I took it out for a couple of test rides. It actually was a pretty sweet ride on level to moderate terrain. Unfortunately, when I was pushing hard in the lowest gear to climb a very steep hill (still without any touring gear on the bike) the chain would jump, telling me that the derailleur hanger was bent. Because this was an aluminum frame, fixing this problem was not possible.
So there I was with a complete bike that I couldn't use because the frame was no good. What's a boy to do? Geoff pulled out the Merry Sales catalog and I selected the Soma Saga. I think that it was the pump peg on the head tube that sealed the deal for me. After getting the Saga together, and before putting the racks on, she was just the prettiest bike you could imagine. I knew right away that the black B17 just wasn't going to look right, so I got a honey Brooks Professional. It was there on the wall at Bike-N-Bean, and I had tried to sell it to about a hundred different people who had come in because I am a believer (the Fuji has a black Brooks Pro). I had finally found a buyer, and it was me! When I saw how good she looked with the honey saddle and the vanilla and gold paint on the down tube, I made the decision to pull the trigger on the brass fenders. She might not have a talisman for the ride, but Celia's got some serious bling with those fenders. Sadly, the addition of racks and panniers do not further accentuate her beauty. Why doesn't anybody make brass racks?
If I knew then what I know now, I might have had Geoff order us a pair of Surly LHTs, but maybe not. The Saga is so much prettier, and looks count for something when you're rolling into Coney Island after crossing the continent!
I suppose that I could call this ride the Relationship Recovery Ride. I was a rather brash and somewhat rebellious teenager, and wouldn't you know it, my son is a lot like me in that regard. This ride is a great opportunity to spend time together, to learn from one another, and to grow closer. If I manage to maintain the blog throughout the journey, as I hope to, then you may hear some commentary about how that is going, but I don't intend to get too sappy and bore anyone with the stuff of chick-flicks or tender coming of age movies. Hey, hold that thought. I can see a screen-play with movie rights. Brad Pitt can play me and for Riley, I know he won't approve of Justin Bieber, but we're talking about box office appeal and royalties. A fat check in the mail once a month for life - it would be like winning the lottery!
Now for the first question, what are we riding? Riley will be riding a Jamis Aurora, which is stock except for the Brooks B17 saddle. I will be riding a Soma Saga. The Saga is named Celia. I don't think that Riley has named his bike, but he does have a nice talisman that will be mounted for the trip. How or why did we select these particular bikes, you might ask? There is a bit of a story to each...
About 2 1/2 years ago, a small bike shop moved into a spot across the street from where we live. The shop is California Bike-N-Bean. A shameless plug for Bike-N-Bean is warranted, so here it goes: California Bike-N-Bean is hands down, the best shop in Marin County, if you are into mountain bikes. The shop is small, so they don't have too many shiny new bikes on the floor to dazzle the eyeballs, but the ones they have are top notch, and they can order just what you want. Hey, if you're going to spend the cash to get a first class bike, then you'll probably be ordering it anyway, so that you end up with just what you want. But the thing that really seperates Bike-N-Bean form the rest is the service. Geoff is the man! He knows how to fix any bike out there, and he doesn't try to sell you any more service than you need. If you want a new mountain bike, go see Geoff before you buy anything, and if you have a quality bike that needs service, then you must go see Geoff.
 |
| Jamis Aurora with new panniers |
Never buy a used bike of any kind from a guy named Loren in Santa Rosa CA!!! I did just that, and regretted the decision almost immediately.
On my previous tours I rode an SR in 1979 and my beloved Fuji Del Rey in 1988 & 1989. I still have the Fuji and would probably have been perfectly content and successful riding it this summer as well. But I got to thinking, which in my case can be a dangerous thing. In 88 & 89, the terrain was mostly flat, so the gearing on the Fuji was acceptable. It is a recreational road bike with 12 speeds, none of which are very low. (Being a math teacher, I could very well calculate the inches for you, but I never have. If someone asks, maybe I will.) It has something like 42-52 chainrings and a 13-28, six speed freewheel. Well, I got to thinking that I'd like a triple chainring so that I would have a couple of climbing gears for going over the Sierras and Rockies. That desire for a triple, led to more thinking, and I ended up on craigslist, where I found an old Cannondale touring bike for sale.
I bought the Cannondale for $200 from Loren and figured that I would tear it down completely and put it back together, so that I knew that it was ship-shape. The wheels were inadequate, because if you've ever broken a spoke, especially on the rear wheel drive side, when you're in the middle of nowhere, then you know that is a situation to avoid at almost any cost. Enter the Phil Wood 40 spoke rear hub, 14 gauge straight gauge spokes and Velocity Dyad rim for the rear. Years ago, I built a 40 spoke wheel on a Phil hub for the Fuji and have never broken a spoke on it. I also built a 36 spoke front wheel around an WTB hub and Sun Rhyno rim. Not wanting to steal the Brooks saddle from the Fuji, I bought the B17 that is on Riley's bike. After finding out that dear Loren had put a rear wheel with the wrong spacing on the Cannondale, I had to change the spacing on the Phil Wood hub; fortunately, that is a very well made product and the job of changing the end cap and re-dishing the wheel was a piece of cake, but still cost another $35 for the part. The rest of the parts were a mixture of mostly used parts from the Cannondale or donations to and from Bike-N-Bean. Once I got it all put together, I took it out for a couple of test rides. It actually was a pretty sweet ride on level to moderate terrain. Unfortunately, when I was pushing hard in the lowest gear to climb a very steep hill (still without any touring gear on the bike) the chain would jump, telling me that the derailleur hanger was bent. Because this was an aluminum frame, fixing this problem was not possible.
 |
| Soma Saga |
So there I was with a complete bike that I couldn't use because the frame was no good. What's a boy to do? Geoff pulled out the Merry Sales catalog and I selected the Soma Saga. I think that it was the pump peg on the head tube that sealed the deal for me. After getting the Saga together, and before putting the racks on, she was just the prettiest bike you could imagine. I knew right away that the black B17 just wasn't going to look right, so I got a honey Brooks Professional. It was there on the wall at Bike-N-Bean, and I had tried to sell it to about a hundred different people who had come in because I am a believer (the Fuji has a black Brooks Pro). I had finally found a buyer, and it was me! When I saw how good she looked with the honey saddle and the vanilla and gold paint on the down tube, I made the decision to pull the trigger on the brass fenders. She might not have a talisman for the ride, but Celia's got some serious bling with those fenders. Sadly, the addition of racks and panniers do not further accentuate her beauty. Why doesn't anybody make brass racks?
 |
| Have you ever seen a fender like that? |
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Very Beginning of the Story.
I remember as a kid, while I lay in bed at night waiting for the sweet slumber that would carry through until morning, I used to fantasize. I would call it daydreaming, except that it occurred at night. One of the most frequently recurring fantasies that I would have was to take long trips on my bicycle. This appealed to me because it was an adventure that I was able to imagine could actually happen, even at the age of 10 or 12. I could load up a bicycle and just go. I wouldn't need a car or drivers license, just a bike. I already had a sleeping bag because when I was a kid my family went on a lot of camping trips. I mean a lot. So I also already had a lot of the know-how that would be required. What I did not have was the drive and resources to make it happen. Maybe what I really didn't have was the courage to ask my parents if I could actually go and do it. Whatever the case, I never did take that long trip, at least not as a 12 year old kid, but the idea was planted.
When I was about 18, I did do several short weekend trips around San Diego County, sometimes alone, and sometimes with a friend or two. Then came the eventful summer of 1979. I was in college and 21 years old. Sometime in late April or early May, I realized that I needed to get a summer job, and I also decided that I didn't want to spend the summer in Escondido, my hometown. There is a story behind that as well, but you will have to ask me to tell you the details in person. The previous summer of 1978, I had been on an adventure with my friend Donald, and one of our stops was Jackson Wyoming. I noticed that there was a help-wanted sign in the window of what seemed like every business in town, so when I decided to seek summer employment out of town, Jackson was a logical choice. I talked with my younger brother Greg and my good friend Jam Eddy about going to Jackson with me and they were both game, so the cast of characters was set. The next decision to be made was how to get there, and that's when the fantasy of an extended bike tour finally became a reality for the first time.
To hit on the major points of that summer tour/adventure, I will say that we needed complete outfitting with cycling specific gear. Jam Eddy and I were avid backpackers at the time, so we already had virtually all of the camping equipment, but my brother and I both needed bikes, and we all needed panniers, shoes and the like. After scrambling to earn a little money here and there, which included one very long day of labor where we all went to an egg ranch with about 8 or 10 other kids (all younger than us, as I recall) loading 10,000 chickens onto a diesel truck, we were finally ready to depart in late June. We got some very good advice from the owner of the shop where I bought my bike and panniers, but he left out one key piece of information - don't ride north up the coast! Maybe he didn't really know, or maybe he never thought to tell us, or maybe we never told him our intended route, whatever the case, we set out riding north up the Pacific Coast Highway from Escondido to the Bay Area. You may be wondering why you shouldn't ride north up the coast? The answer is the prevailing wind. We rode into headwinds all day, every day from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. By the time we got there we were beat, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. So we hopped aboard Amtrak, next stop Ogden Utah; we had planned to go to Eureka before turning east. With the ride back to Salt Lake City 2 months later, where we caught a plane to fly home, I think that trip amounted to about 1200 miles, not including whatever commuting we did in the interim. We camped out all summer by the Snake River. That was a grand adventure!
I have taken 2 other noteworthy tours since then. On one solo tour in 1988, I rode from Boston to Bar Harbor Maine, took a ferry to Yarmouth Nova Scotia, then rode back to Boston. That was another 1200+ mile trip. Once I landed in Nova Scotia and got a decent map, I realized that I had to average 100 mile a day to catch my fight home from Boston. My third noteworthy tour was with my good friend Tom Reitmann in 1989. We rode from Boston to New York City, via Martha's Vineyard. That tour covered about 400 miles.
I never have been able to tell the story of the trip to Wyoming without feeling just a little apologetic about taking the train. I think that ever since then, I have really wanted to ride coast to coast, both for the adventure and to redeem myself. A few years later, when I was in college at San Diego State, my friend Bob Kern took a semester off and rode coast to coast. I had already wanted to do that for some time, Bob did it on a lark. If Bob could do it, then so could I. I just needed the opportunity. I don't know if the opportunity has truly presented itself, but I do believe that the time is now.
So that, in a nutshell, is the genesis of this trip. Our departure day is looming; about 3 weeks from now. If anything, it's approaching too quickly, or at least that's how I feel today.
Dale
I remember as a kid, while I lay in bed at night waiting for the sweet slumber that would carry through until morning, I used to fantasize. I would call it daydreaming, except that it occurred at night. One of the most frequently recurring fantasies that I would have was to take long trips on my bicycle. This appealed to me because it was an adventure that I was able to imagine could actually happen, even at the age of 10 or 12. I could load up a bicycle and just go. I wouldn't need a car or drivers license, just a bike. I already had a sleeping bag because when I was a kid my family went on a lot of camping trips. I mean a lot. So I also already had a lot of the know-how that would be required. What I did not have was the drive and resources to make it happen. Maybe what I really didn't have was the courage to ask my parents if I could actually go and do it. Whatever the case, I never did take that long trip, at least not as a 12 year old kid, but the idea was planted.
When I was about 18, I did do several short weekend trips around San Diego County, sometimes alone, and sometimes with a friend or two. Then came the eventful summer of 1979. I was in college and 21 years old. Sometime in late April or early May, I realized that I needed to get a summer job, and I also decided that I didn't want to spend the summer in Escondido, my hometown. There is a story behind that as well, but you will have to ask me to tell you the details in person. The previous summer of 1978, I had been on an adventure with my friend Donald, and one of our stops was Jackson Wyoming. I noticed that there was a help-wanted sign in the window of what seemed like every business in town, so when I decided to seek summer employment out of town, Jackson was a logical choice. I talked with my younger brother Greg and my good friend Jam Eddy about going to Jackson with me and they were both game, so the cast of characters was set. The next decision to be made was how to get there, and that's when the fantasy of an extended bike tour finally became a reality for the first time.
To hit on the major points of that summer tour/adventure, I will say that we needed complete outfitting with cycling specific gear. Jam Eddy and I were avid backpackers at the time, so we already had virtually all of the camping equipment, but my brother and I both needed bikes, and we all needed panniers, shoes and the like. After scrambling to earn a little money here and there, which included one very long day of labor where we all went to an egg ranch with about 8 or 10 other kids (all younger than us, as I recall) loading 10,000 chickens onto a diesel truck, we were finally ready to depart in late June. We got some very good advice from the owner of the shop where I bought my bike and panniers, but he left out one key piece of information - don't ride north up the coast! Maybe he didn't really know, or maybe he never thought to tell us, or maybe we never told him our intended route, whatever the case, we set out riding north up the Pacific Coast Highway from Escondido to the Bay Area. You may be wondering why you shouldn't ride north up the coast? The answer is the prevailing wind. We rode into headwinds all day, every day from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. By the time we got there we were beat, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. So we hopped aboard Amtrak, next stop Ogden Utah; we had planned to go to Eureka before turning east. With the ride back to Salt Lake City 2 months later, where we caught a plane to fly home, I think that trip amounted to about 1200 miles, not including whatever commuting we did in the interim. We camped out all summer by the Snake River. That was a grand adventure!
I have taken 2 other noteworthy tours since then. On one solo tour in 1988, I rode from Boston to Bar Harbor Maine, took a ferry to Yarmouth Nova Scotia, then rode back to Boston. That was another 1200+ mile trip. Once I landed in Nova Scotia and got a decent map, I realized that I had to average 100 mile a day to catch my fight home from Boston. My third noteworthy tour was with my good friend Tom Reitmann in 1989. We rode from Boston to New York City, via Martha's Vineyard. That tour covered about 400 miles.
I never have been able to tell the story of the trip to Wyoming without feeling just a little apologetic about taking the train. I think that ever since then, I have really wanted to ride coast to coast, both for the adventure and to redeem myself. A few years later, when I was in college at San Diego State, my friend Bob Kern took a semester off and rode coast to coast. I had already wanted to do that for some time, Bob did it on a lark. If Bob could do it, then so could I. I just needed the opportunity. I don't know if the opportunity has truly presented itself, but I do believe that the time is now.
So that, in a nutshell, is the genesis of this trip. Our departure day is looming; about 3 weeks from now. If anything, it's approaching too quickly, or at least that's how I feel today.
Dale
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The biggest problem with a blog, in my opinion, is that you've got to keep it updated regularly. Because I created this blog for the purpose of keeping friends and loved ones up to date on the progress of the ride, updating it over the past week or so hasn't been a high priority because I've been preoccupied with finishing up my master's thesis. That is now done and out of the way!
But the next problem becomes how do I update the darned thing once I'm out on the road? Introduce, my first smart phone.
If I stop right now, I can actually post this. Estimated departure date: 28 days or less.
But the next problem becomes how do I update the darned thing once I'm out on the road? Introduce, my first smart phone.
If I stop right now, I can actually post this. Estimated departure date: 28 days or less.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)