Ron & Mike's Excellent Adventure
Ron & Mike have now completed their trip of a lifetime cycling across
the USA from Los Angeles to Boston in 32 days, from April 25 to May 26
with America by Bicycle.
Here is the Pioneer Press Newspaper Article!
Here is the NSP News Article!
Here is the Braille Monitor Article!
Here is the Burnett County Sentinel Newspaper Article!
Here are the Pictures!
We had compiled a list of e-mail addresses of our families, friends, and
co-workers. We sent e-mail "updates from the road" during our "Excellent
Adventure" about every 2 or 3 days to this list. The following is the
complete set of e-mail's that we had sent.
Our First e-mail
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WHAT are they doing?
Ron Burzese and Mike Beadles are riding across the USA by tandem bicycle starting April 25th in Los Angeles, and ending May 26th in Boston. This is a "dream trip" for both. Neither one has attempted anything of this magnitude before! Both are avid cyclists.
WHY a tandem bicycle?
Ron is legally blind, riding as the stoker. They have ridden many rides together since they met for the first time on Labor Day 1999. Mike had decided in May 1999 to do the ride, and asked Ron if he was interested in joining him on a tandem in Fall 1999. They have ridden Ron's Rans Screamer "recumbent" tandem plenty, but they decided that an "upright" tandem will probably be better for the mountain ranges that they will be crossing during the ride. Their backsides may feel differently about this after a week of not riding the recumbent!
WHO is organizing the ride?
"America by Bicycle" is organizing the ride. The main reason this company appealed to them is because they will be put up in Motel rooms every night. No Camping! WooHoo! "AbB" will provide breakfast, lunch, stops with food and water, mechanical support, SAG vehicles, and haul luggage bags from motel to motel. The ride website (with itinerary) is at http://abbike.com/fastit.html There are currently 44 other riders signed up to do the trip with "America by Bicycle".
DON'T these guys work?
Mike has enough vacation saved up to get paid time off. Ron will be taking the time off unpaid.
WHAT about Mike's townhome and Ron's cats?
Mike will be having a co-worker staying at his home for the month, in even exchange for getting the mail and watering the plants! Ron's cats (the boys) will be housed and cared for by a bike club friend, Darryl.
HOW will Mike's co-workers follow his progress?
Mike has a huge USA map posted outside of his office at work, with white pins showing the overnight locations. Dave V has volunteered to relocate the "They Are Here" pin every day showing the progress.
HOW will Ron & Mike keep in touch with us?
They are carrying a Sharp TM-20, which is the size of a checkbook, upon which they will enter their "updates from the road", then send those updates using service from "pocketmail.com". It is the coolest thing, after you type in your e-mail message, you close it, dial an 800 number, then press a button on the TM-20, and hold it up to the phone receiver, sending and receiving via the accoustical modem speaker and receive on the back of the unit. Cool stuff!
WHAT about Mike's bike club webmaster tasks?
Phil has volunteered to assist in Mike's absence.
WHAT about pictures?
They will be carrying an inexpensive camera that uses regular film. Thinking they might get rained on, would hate to break a nice camera... They will post their pictures on mrbikey.com when they return from the ride.
HOW many miles per day?
The shortest day is 83 miles, and the longest is 146, for an average of 110 miles per day. They wanted a challenge!
HOW many rest days?
Only one. Right in the middle of the ride. In Topeka, KS. That will mean 15 days of riding, then one rest day, followed by 15 days of riding.
WHY are they doing this?
Because it's there! :) :)
The Goal.
The Challenge.
Reflection.
Make new friends.
It's time to do it.
The belief that we can do ANYTHING that we set our minds to.
Thanks to everyone for help in assisting us to make this trip a reality,and for the good wishes for a safe, happy, and successful trip!
Getting Ready!
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Greetings from Mike & Ron!
While I am taking a break from gathering all my trip needs into a humongouspile in my den, thought I would take a minute to describe what Ron & I havebeen up to these last few days before our trip...
On Saturday, we packed up the Cannondale tandem in a 30-pound box that wassaved for us by Jamie from Freewheel. We left it at Freewheel for pick up by Danzas Shipping Company (the same company that Santana Tandems uses to ship all of their tandems, and coincidentally the same company that SUN uses to ship computers to NSP) on Monday afternoon. We received confirmation thatthe box was picked up Monday at 4:00 PM, and now we pray that the bike willmake it to California in one piece, undented, and unscathed. We protected as much of the beautiful purple paint job with pipe insulation that we could.Oh gosh, knowing the bike is in someone else's hands makes me feel very uncomfortable, but oh well, it is insured!
On Tuesday evening, I led a TCBC ride for 30 miles, just enough to keep the joints and muscles working, and the seat reminded of what it's liketo be on a bike seat. We rode Ron's "Tandemania", and it truly was"MANIA!", we broke 3 spokes on the rear wheel during the ride! Forme, it was good to know what "breaking a spoke" sounds like. We willbe carrying extra spokes on our Cannondale, but hoping that it willbe unnecessary as we have 48 spokes on each wheel (most bike wheels have 32 spokes per wheel - we have 50% more!).
A student and friend of Ron's named Will created a "Press Release", and now we seem to be basking in our "few moments of fame". We held a "seminar" on Monday, 4/17 at Blind, Inc - presenting an hour-long talk and then a question/answer period in which 30 people were in attendance. Most of the audience was legally blind, and Ron spoke a lot about how cycling has positively impacted his life. Then on Tuesday, Minnesota Public Radio conducted an interview. Today, there were voice mailmessages from Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Saint Paul Pioneer Press,and KARE-11 news. We're not sure if/when a story will be broadcast/published, but if we find out, we will send an update!
In the meantime, Ron and I finished up our shopping for bike stuff (rain jacket especially!) tonight, cleaning up our respective homes, creating a packing list, and making sure all "loose ends" are tied up before we fly out of here on Sunday, April 23rd!
Some have asked about our girlfriends. Ron has a couple of possibles on theline and hopes to have a relationship in which spirituality is an importantpart. I've been dating the same woman for three months now, and we are getting along wonderfully. It's going to be difficult for Ron & I to takeoff right now, especially when our respective relationships are so new.
We are going to attend one last TCBC ride on Friday at 1:30 PM, then that'sit. We will have done everything that we can possibly do, and it's time to hit it!
Trip Itinerary
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On another note, there are many (especially those that may be in cities nearthe route) that wanted to know the actual itinerary of the ride, here it is!
| | Overnight | Day's | Total | Day's |
| Date | City | Mileage | Mileage | Climb |
| 24-Apr | Irvine, CA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25-Apr | Thousand Palms,CA | 122 | 122 | 3820 |
| 26-Apr | Blythe, CA | 109 | 231 | 2360 |
| 27-Apr | Wickenburg, AZ | 117 | 348 | 3850 |
| 28-Apr | Cottonwood, AZ | 101 | 449 | 8150 |
| 29-Apr | Winslow, AZ | 104 | 553 | 5500 |
| 30-Apr | Gallup, NM | 126 | 679 | 2660 |
| 1-May | Albuquerque, NM | 146 | 825 | 2860 |
| 2-May | Las Vegas, NM | 131 | 956 | 6440 |
| 3-May | Tucumcari, NM | 110 | 1066 | 3030 |
| 4-May | Dalhart, TX | 96 | 1162 | 1330 |
| 5-May | Liberal, KS | 113 | 1275 | 540 |
| 6-May | Dodge City, KS | 83 | 1358 | 750 |
| 7-May | Great Bend, KS | 85 | 1443 | 180 |
| 8-May | Abilene, KS | 127 | 1570 | 840 |
| 9-May | Topeka, KS | 106 | 1676 | 2120 |
| 10-May | Topeka, KS (REST DAY) | | | |
| 11-May | St. Joseph, MO | 89 | 1765 | 2970 |
| 12-May | Kirksville, MO | 141 | 1906 | 4850 |
| 13-May | Quincy, IL | 75 | 1981 | 2360 |
| 14-May | Springfield,IL | 105 | 2086 | 1530 |
| 15-May | Champaign, IL | 88 | 2174 | 790 |
| 16-May | Crawfordsville,IN | 80 | 2254 | 700 |
| 17-May | Richmond, IN | 131 | 2385 | 1750 |
| 18-May | Marysville, OH | 105 | 2490 | 1780 |
| 19-May | Wooster, OH | 105 | 2595 | 3840 |
| 20-May | Niles, OH | 92 | 2687 | 1440 |
| 21-May | Dunkirk, NY | 137 | 2824 | 1480 |
| 22-May | Batavia, NY | 83 | 2907 | 2140 |
| 23-May | Syracuse, NY | 113 | 3020 | 2520 |
| 24-May | Amsterdam, NY | 127 | 3147 | 1940 |
| 25-May | Greenfield, MA | 107 | 3254 | 5410 |
| 26-May | Boston, MA | 114 | 3368 | 4710 |
Local TV News!
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Could it be? Yes, it is!
Ron & Mike were interviewed by KMSP (Channel 9) news todayabout our upcoming bicycle trip across the USA! Wow, toocool! WooHoo!
We were informed that it will be broadcast Sunday evening, 4/23(channel 9 has two news shows in the evenings - one at 9PM,and one at 10 PM). Tune in and check it out! We were proud to be wearing "Minnesota" jerseys during the interview!
Unfortunately, we will personally miss the broadcast, as we are flying out to Los Angeles departing Minneapolis at 2:55 PM on Sunday! If you watch 9-news and see us, send us an e-mail at"mrbikey@mrbikey.com" and tell us what you saw/think/felt!
Day 1
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Our first day on the bike.
125 miles of bliss!
We saw a lot - bike trails, busy roads, roads no longer maintained, city traffic, country roads, mountains, dry rivers, desert, and an ocean.
We started the day riding to the Pacific ocean and dipping our wheels.
Then we rode the Santa Ana river trail, and there was not actually a river there at times, mostly dry. All of the river banks are concrete. The trail runs under all the cross-streets so we kept a pretty fast pace.
After the first rest stop at 38 miles, the temperature started to rise. We heard 99 degrees, and one of the rider's bike computers said it was 108.
There were a couple of good climbs today, one was a very busy high-speed four lane road that I did not like riding upon very much, but like the ride leader says to ride across America it's going to have some hairy roads.
The other climb was a 4 mile UP named Jack Rabbit trail, this was an unmaintained road and we did not encounter anyone on this. There were potholes big enough to lose your bike in, and boulders the size of bowling balls. The views from the road were of cliffs and hills that seemed to stretch forever.
One stretch of the ride today was an 8 mile straightaway with no traffic upon which Ron and I maintained 35 MPH for the whole time, can you say 'tailwind'? ;-)
On that road, we were surrounded by mountains and also passed about 7 fields ofwind generators, the big white 3 bladed ones. In one field, I counted 54.
I'm pretty toasted tonight from riding so far in the high temps.
I drank 250 ounces of water today, along with a stop at DQ for a cone and a Sprite. The SAG lunch was cold cut sandwiches, I had two ham and cheese.
To sum up the last three days, one word for each day
Day 2-4
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HOT! HOT! Hills!
Tuesday to Thursday was at least 105 degrees each day. One of the rider's bike computers indicated a high of 111 as we rode through the desert. Oh did we say desert, oh yes, this is the real thing.
Wed. was 111 miles from TwentyNine Palms, CA to Blythe, CAThurs. was 115 miles to Wickenburg, AZ
Today was 99 miles to Cottonwood, AZ.
There were times that we had great doubt after only the halfway point with the day's ride (for example, the very first day we rode 65 miles and yet had 60 to go in that heat), and yet we had many miles to go, with no shade in sight, our drinking water was hot, reapplying sunscreen often, a few people have heat rash. About 7 of the 41 people have been picked up by the support vehicles (called SAG vans) and some have had to skip a day of riding to recover.
The group, including three other tandem teams, appear to be experienced riders. There are 6 women, 35 men. A guy from Australia, one from Germany, and one from South Africa. One of the tandem teams is using this trip to fulfill the honeymoon they never had after 25 years, one couple is trying again after having an accident on last year's tour. One guy, a grad student, is touring with us because of the experience his mother had doing a cross-USA ride 10 years ago.
There seems to be a lot of positive energy and high morale among the group. Our fellow riders jump in during breakfast helping the servers feed the troup.
Typical day -
Wake up at 4:30 (Ron's been waking up at 4:00 without the alarm!)
Apply sunscreen, get dressed, fill water bottles, check tire pressure, inspect bike, gather up stuff.
Drop off luggage at truck at 5:15.
Breakfast at 5:30, usually consisting of hotcakes, eggs, bacon, cereal.
On the road by 6:30.
Though we have been averaging pretty good speeds, we are getting into the next hotel about 8-10 hours later.
There are usually 3 rest stops per day, about 30 miles apart, the first stop usually includes snack items and water and gatorade. We've been averaging 6-8 liters per day. The second rest stop is lunch, cold cut sandwiches, chips, fruits are the normal fare.
Once into the next hotel, sign-in, get luggage, park bike in room, a quick shower, and important to eat dinner within 45 minutes.
7:00 PM the leader talks about the next day's route (called 'Route Rap')
The SAG vans have also been stopping as necessary to provide cold water.
The support staff has been excellent.
Extremes? Here's a few..
Heat - had to find shade to take a little rest, the only spot we could find was a dry irrigation ditch under US-60.
Dry - made a sandwich at the lunch stop, and by the time we sat down, the bread outside was already getting hard and dry.
Hills - climbed a total of 8,100 feet in 25 miles. How steep? We used our lowest gear, and normally, it is so easy to pedal that you would have thought the chain came off, right? Well, today, that gear did not feel low enough, it hurt. We would pedal along 6-7 MPH for what seemed like an hour, taking turns standing on the pedals to stretch also while topping out at 10 MPH, then it would drift right back to 6-7 MPH. Of course, the payoff has been sensational descents. Imagine riding 30-45 MPH for 10 miles at a time. Because the roads are unfamiliar, we are playing it safe, and working the brakes often.
To sum up the last three days -
Beautiful, Low Morale, Long Distance
Day 5-7
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Day 5 - 4/29
Cottonwood, AZ to Winslow, AZ
107 miles
17.3 average speed
42 max speed
Started with a slow easy roll into Sedona, beautiful with the sun rising on the Red Rock canyons and mesas. Then onto Flagstaff where magically the temperature seemed to have dropped 20 degrees, and it sure didn't seem like Arizona with the pine tree forests. There was a real nice climb just before with lots of switchbacks. Then we rode on Interstate 40 at speeds of 35 plus for most of the 45 mile length because of the tailwind.
There was an accident that day, a guy from Canada named Rene was reaching for his water bottle when his front tire hit a rock and pinch-flatted, he was thrown and broke his collarbone, he is done and flew home.
Day 6 - 4/30
Winslow, AZ to Gallup, NM
125 miles
average 16.0 MPH
max 36 MPH
Started the day riding to 'the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine site to see...', then onto the interstate for the rest of the day. We ride the interstate because it's the only way to get from point A to point B, and the tour organizers have cleared it with the State Patrol for our trip. We ride as far to the right on the shoulder as possible, and when encountering an exit/entrance ramp, actually follow the ramp for a bit, then quickly cutting back to the shoulder after the ramp so as to only be in the actual ramp as short a time as possible.
Stuff seen today:
Dinosaur Park
Painted Desert
Petrified Forest Nat'l Park
Unusual roadkill:
Rattlesnakes
Coyote
This was a low morale day for Ron and I because we finished riding about 7:30 PM, and everyone else was in by 6:00 PM. We know we are strong riders, with a good average speed, we took too many breaks for too long we think, it was just demoralizing to be that late. I was reminded though to think positive and 'What am I grateful for?' I am grateful that we were able to finish the day's ride.
Day 7 - May Day
Gallup, NM to Albuquerque, NM
142 miles
avg 16.9
max 45
Rode on Route 66 most of the day, with a stop at the Continental Divide, then the last 40 miles on Interstate 40 again. A lovely long downhill into Albuquerque at the end. We were able to ride with a group most of the day, so our morale is back up, we were not last! A few people SAG'ed today because they were sick.
We are starting to get to know some of the other people better. Most of the others have nicknamed us 'the Gopher Boys' because we wore Minnesota Gopher bike jerseys one day. Tomorrow is the last day for two of our riders, they only chose to do 7 days of the tour (and hellish 7 days it was - triple digit heat, lots of climbing, total week miles of 826), one is Ruth who has nine children ages 2 to 24, and the other is her family friend Tom. They live close to the finish and plan to ride with us the last day to Boston. Ruth's husband (Sam) is doing the whole trip and will remain with us. We will miss them, they are positive attitude people.
Day 8-10
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Day 8 - 5/2
Albuquerque, NM to Las Vegas, NM
127 miles
avg speed 14.4 MPH
max 43
Ride started with a cruise through Albuquerque on the Camino Real, then a long slow climb to Santa Fe, also this was our last day of riding on the Interstate (92 miles of I-25), not our favorite thing to do... Although the shoulders were rather smooth.
Day 9 - 5/3
Las Vegas, NM to Tucumcari, NM
109 miles
Average speed 18.7 MPH
max 46
A most beautiful day to ride in New Mexico, rode on state road 104 the whole day. Took quite a few pictures of a box canyon that we entered from the north right after Trujillo.
Today we were tired of coming in last, spending so much time out on the road on previous days because we were taking so many breaks, riding alone most of the time, with no other riders to talk with, even though our average speed was comparable to the the other riders. Last night, we arrived at the destination hotel at 7:30 PM because we were just beat from a long, lonely ride.
So, this morning, we had everything together, and were ready to stay with the lead pack.
We had a few incentives to just stoke the fire today. We knew that there were strong riders ahead and behind us, we would chase those we could see ahead of us, catching everyone we saw. And we knew that we could not let off, lest those behind would catch us.
Nobody will admit it, but yet there is a friendly competition that makes us all ride harder than we would by ourselves. Mike Munk, the leader of the tour and former road racer, was one of the people we caught, he passed us on an uphill as we were doing about 25, which made us push a little harder, we passed him doing about 30, and held that speed for the next 20 miles over rolling hills, with about 7 of the strongest tour riders riding in the slipstream behind our bike. At one point, we moved to the outside to allow the next person in line to take his turn at the front, and we heard 'I can't pull this pace'. :-)
To our surprise, we were the first to arrive at the destination hotel by about 1:15 PM (started at 6:30 AM). Many thanked us for a well-paced ride at our first dinner immediately following the ride.
Since we arrived so early, we had time to eat two complete suppers tonight (one at 2 PM and one at 5 PM), another bonus!
Ron's brother, Rich (48 years old), passed away last Tuesday, on day 1 of the tour, and Ron dedicated today's ride in his memory. Days before his death, Rich signified his encouragement for Ron to do this tour with a 'Thumbs-Up'.
Day 10 - 5/4
Tucumcari, NM to Dalhart, TX
95 miles
average speed 20.7 MPH
max 35
We rode all day on US-54, a lot like Highway 3 in Rosemount that Mike L and Marian S like to use for the club rides that they lead, a wide shoulder and fairly flat, easy to get a good pace going for a long way.
We rode into Texas today, and Mike couldn't help but have a little fun with it, Mike annoyed every one at the first Texas SAG stop with comments like (said at the top of his lungs), 'We're In Texas Now! Yee-Hah!', got a smile from most of the other riders, they really can be 'too serious' sometimes, snap out of it! Yee Hah!
The main change in the landcape is that the desert has now changed to scrub grassland and there are cattle everywhere. By the way, there's no such thing as a dirt road in Texas, everything is paved! Passed by a 'feed-lot' just outside of Dalhart, if you haven't seen one, it's quite a sight, imagine hundreds of cattle pens, each holding about 50 cattle, and pens from horizon to horizon. So many cattle, that it looked like rock formations at first glance. Oh yeah, the aroma is something too.
Day 11-13
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Day 11 - Cinco de Mayo
Dalhart, TX to Liberal, KS
112 miles
average speed 18.8 MPH
max 31
The day started (and stayed) muggy, humid, and welcome overcast (first time for that - all other days have been sunny and dry so far). We cruised through 3 states today on US-54 - Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The leaders called it our 3 star day. We did see our first lake today.
Unusual roadkill:
Owls
Oriole
Mike has been collecting a 'rock-a-day' just for fun on the trip. A nice collection so far, yet it seems that red is a favorite color.
We went to visit 'Dorothy's House' from the Land of Oz in Liberal, KS but were too late, we did get a chance to pose as Munchkins however.
Tomorrow a few of us will be wearing temporary tattoos. Mike will be wearing an Eagle, Ron will be wearing a Tiger.
We had finished with the top riders again on both days, the riders are getting to know each other better and are riding together more. People are riding together in groups more as the friendships are developing.
Among most of the riders, 'saddle sores' are becoming a regular topic of conversation. Even after 11 days, Ron is still adjusting his saddle and is even considering a mid-tour switch to a new saddle (Terry Fly) and misses his recumbent tandem dearly, even though he still enjoys the Cannondale we are currently using.
We have not had a flat for 5 days. Ron came up with an interesting idea to put one tire inside another on the rear, since it is a perfect fit, it's doing a great job!
There was an annoying creaking noise that we've been analyzing for 4 days now. It sounded like it was coming from the front pedals (bottom bracket). One day, Ron tightened everything on the bike. Then the next day the creak came back, so he removed the captains seat and regreased the post, but yet still squeaky. It was messing with our peaceful country rides, riding for hours listening to that drove us both nuts, so last evening, he removed and regreased the captains bottom bracket. This problem appears to be solved now. On this ride, maintenance is an on-going task. Since Mike has been concentrating on guiding the ship daily, he is more than happy to have Ron, as on-board mechanic, perform this labor of love.
Day 12 - May 6
Liberal, KS to Dodge City, KS
83 Miles today
16.4 average speed
30 max speed
1,354 Miles to Date
The day started with a leisurely breakfast, knowing that we only had 83 miles to do, we ate slow, one of the other riders took a picture of Ron's plate because it was piled so high, and darned if he didn't eat it all. We let our breakfast settle, finally finishing about 8:00 AM, the tour leader Mike Munk jokingly mentioned 'There's a Bike Ride Today...'
Rolling across the flat Kansas grasslands, there was not much to see except the occasional Oil Derrick, farmhouse, and cattle.
There was a chance to visit the Dalton Gang's hideout just before the lunch stop. There is a 95 foot tunnel between the house and the barn that allowed them to escape the law.
The ride started out leisurely, everyone rolling along at a comfortable pace, then the wind made it a little tougher than anticipated. By the time we got to the motel, we were glad it was over.
We went to the KFC buffet, and made three trips each. Mike fell promptly to sleep back at the room, as Ron joined Ottmar (our German DQ GPS man), Annette, and Lynn to seek out ice cream. Ron woke Mike up from his nap with a Buster Bar in hand, as Mike requested.
Day 13 - May 7
Dodge City, KS to Great Bend, KS
85 miles
18.8 average speed
27 max speed
1,437 miles to date
Started the day with breakfast at a Chinese restaurant with specialties listed on the white board - 'oatmeat' and 'crambled eggs'. The food was awesome and the service was excellent.
The ride was uneventful, flat terrain with a hint of a tailwind. The 33 mile SAG stop was in Kinsley, that had a sign that indicated the half-way point between New York and San Francisco (1361 miles to each city). Our actual half-way point for this bike trip will occur a couple of days from now at mileage point 1685.
Tonight there was a 40 person Jacuzzi and pool with water at the motel (the water has been missing since Albuquerque at the evening's hotels). After using the hot tub and pool, a little sidetrip to Walmart and prairie dog companions in the field next door. Really, there was probably 50 prairie dogs chirping at us as we walked by. A hot fudge sundae at McDonald's and we were set for the evening.
Day 14-16
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Day 14 - May 8
Great Bend, KS to Abilene, KS
127 miles today
1564 miles cumulative
15.2 avg speed
29 max
A tough day, the wind was out of the north at 20 MPH, gusting to 35. We started the day riding directly East for 75 miles (crosswind), the gusts from the passing cattle trucks were severe at times... Then guess what, yep then we turned left and did 50 miles into that headwind, ugh.
The farm fields we passed look just like we are in Minnesota, except that there are these little oil derricks pumping away at the edges, with a constant 'tick, tick, tick...' sound like a loud cuckoo clock.
On one of the quiet roads, there was a cow walking down the middle. An Abilene reporter took a picture of us riding past a stone bridge, asking for our names at the next SAG stop. Ron decided to change his saddle today, he knew he was in trouble the 1/2 mile to the restaurant for breakfast, thinking it was feeling like a block of wood. During the last 30 miles, he would hold himself off the seat by placing his hands on the top tube and lift himself off the seat. By the grace of God, he made it the entire distance. Needless to say, he changed it back to the original saddle before the next day's ride.
That evening, we went for the triathlon - bike 127 miles, 120 minute buffet, 60 minute hottub.
Day 15 - May 9
Abilene, KS to Topeka, KS
111 miles today
1675 total miles
16.2 avg speed
max 37
Today's themes: Cows and Rolling Hills
If you told us that Eastern Kansas was all rolling hills, we would not have believed you, but after today... Wow, what a fun day! Roll down a hill, spinning our gears to carry as much momentum into the coming uphill, then Ron and Mike taking turns standing on the pedals to get the tandem to the next downhill. It was a gorgeous day! Winds out of the north again - strong 20-25, but the rollers made the day fun so that we didn't really notice the wind that much.
Mike 'moo'ed' at some cattle in a field that we rode by, and they started to run with us, cool!
One mailbox was a 4 foot concrete cow, with a sign above 'Beware of Cow'.
Passed a dirt place - 'Dale's Dirt - Done Dirt Cheap'.
In one town, there was an apparent artist that is anti-cyclist. There was a huge hay bail next to the road with a bike mashed into it, then a bike smashed into a toilet, then a bunch of bike parts mashed together. All these pop-art items just inches from the road making their silent 'Bikes Not Welcome' message clear. Yikes, wonder what made this person so angry?
Now, we have a rest day in Topeka, going to a bike shop in the morning, then maybe the zoo this afternoon.
Day 16 - May 10
Topeka, KS
Rest Day
Big breakfast, went to the bike shop, hung out.
It's interesting how we feel off the bike. Do you know the feeling the day after you come back from a vacation on a cruise ship? Some call it 'sea legs'. A strange feeling, like walking on air, like slightly off-balance...
It was a good day for eating, relaxing, and making friends with the other riders.
Day 17-19
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Day 17 - May 11
Topeka, KS to Saint Joseph, MO
87 miles today
1,762 miles total
average speed 20.6 MPH
max speed 44
Our fastest day yet, last ones to leave the hotel in the morning, and yet we finished with the top five bikers. We did the ride in just over 4 hours total (not much time at the rest stops - we were feeling too good to stop for long - the tailwind was truly awesome!)
This tour's "official total half-way point" was crossed today at the 17.0 mile mark. This seemed to be of no significance to the riders, since it was on a busy road just SW of Atchison, KS, there was not a good photo opportunity.
We rode on SouthWest Parkway just before St Joseph, a fun twisty, turny, shady, fast curves - an ideal road for cycling.
At the evening's motel, we were playing at the swimming pool, when a TV news camera-person sought us out for a brief interview. We donned our 'stars and stripes' jerseys, and brought our bike as a prop. Later, at a motel reception for our group, almost all of the other riders were in attendance for the 6:00 PM local news. Just before it came on, there was a lot of 'shooshing' as the TV took center stage, a quick intro by the news anchors 'Cyclists are coming through our town today, on their way from Los Angeles to Boston with America by Bicycle', then a short clip of Ron talking about being a legally blind cyclist. When the bit was over, everyone applauded, then some pats on the back for Ron. Then, a few of us went to Sizzler Steakhouse, as we were walking up to the entrance, a gentleman in a group of four stopped to ask us, 'Didn't we just see you on TV?' Small world...
Day 18 - May 12
St Joseph, MO to Kirksville, MO
Today's mileage - 140
Total mileage - 1,902
Avg speed - 16.9
Max - 42
The themes today - Rollers, Rain and Wind
The day started with a warning at breakfast from our tour leader that at 1AM the tornado alarm had gone off, we slept right through it, yep.
This part of Missouri is beautiful with it's rolling hills and curvy roads through scenic farm country and small towns.
We passed an Amish area named Jamesport, and actually had the right-of-way while a horse and buggy had to stop at a stop sign for us. Amish sweet rolls were served at a SAG stop today, yum.
We crossed over I-35 and wondered how long it would take us to ride home to Minneapolis if we just...
The first 75 miles were in the rain. Then it became sunny, however, the temps were 65-70 all day. Tomorrow the prediction is 40 degrees in the morning.
One note about the motels - they provide 'receptions' for us (well, the past three days anyways) - we have had sandwich trays, sodas, sometimes beer and wine, more snacks and cookies provided. These motels go all-out so that AbB will come back on the next tour.
It's time for bed, we're exhausted after this long-mileage, wet, windy day. But it's all good.
Day 19 - May 13
Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL
75 miles today
Total Miles 1,977
Average speed 22.0
Max 41
What, we're done riding already today? What?! We started our day with a humungous breakfast at Pancake City. The winds were in our favor, we caught the lead group, we all worked together to keep the speeds higher than we would on our own. By the time we finished, we had dropped three of the six riders in the lead group. The scenery itself was largely forgettable, except at the end, when we crossed the mighty Mississippi River on a narrow two-lane metal frame bridge, and stopping at the hotel immediately after crossing into Illinois, checking the bike computer we were amazed to see our average at 22.0!
We ate our second supper at 'The Pier', a restaurant that juts out over the river. One of the other people we ate with is named Paul, a retired CFO that has participated in the Hawaiian Ironman triathlon. Listening to his story was inspirational (retiring after 30 years of being a work-a-holic, being an overweight, smoking, drinking, self-proclaimed couch potato, not knowing how to swim, bike or run - he sought out a personal trainer as the first step of fulfilling his goal to do the Ironman. He had watched an Ironman competition on TV and told his wife, 'I want to do that), made me feel like I could train to do it as well, he is a very positive person.
There is a classic car show a couple blocks away tonight, and I hope the cold weather keeps their wildness to a minimum so that we can sleep in peace tonight.
Back at the hotel early, wht to do? It was the first day of the Giro D'Italia (Tour of Italy - Italy's premiere road racing cycling event of the year).
Day 20-22
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Day 20 - Mother's Day
Quincy, IL to Springfield, IL
107 miles today
2,084 miles total
Avg speed 19.0
Max 40
Mike called his mom from the lunch stop, and said that he wouldn't be able to make it for the Mom's day picnic in Minneapolis. She said she understood.
It was a perfect day for riding, with great cool, sunny weather, and hardly any drivers on the road on this glorious Sunday.
Today, we watched Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia on the Outdoor Life Network. It's interesting to think they are racing for 21 days, while we are riding for 32 days, with similar mileages.
Day 21 - May 15
Springfield, IL to Champaign, IL
99 miles today / Total Miles 2,183
17.2 average speed/32 max
Rolling through Illinois farm country- the corn just planted and starting to grow - the iris flowers in bloom - the leaves on the trees (rememberingthat when we flew out of the Twin Cities that the leaves had yet to come out!) - the baby calves and horses. A good part of the route was on country roads that were only one-lane wide.
Today was to be a 88 mile day by the literature, but the touring company put together a new route for this year, with the route guide saying 92 miles. As the day went on, the mileage became longer and longer, eventually finishing up at 99. Not that we minded, the route was absolutely beautiful! Following the 'Lincoln Heritage Trail' for a ways, which took us by Lincoln State Park a few miles out of Springfield. The site of Lincoln's 3-sided log cabin could be seen in the park, all that remains now is a rock (and a plaque).
Every rider on this trip has a story. Today, we rode some time with Syd and Cort. They are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on this tour. Syd has a muscular disease, and her muscles are atrophying. But she and her husband are here doing the trip in style, great attitudes and easy-going. They are riding a Santana tandem.
Lunch today was in a cemetary, but it was nice because the sun was out.
There was an accident today in which a rider had to be taken to the hospital. A group of people were riding in a 'paceline'. This is where one cyclistfollows a few inches behind anothercyclist taking advantage of the'slipstream' created by the first.By pacelining, the front rider worksharder against the wind while the onesthat follow enjoy a 30-40% savings ineffort. Usually the paceline leaderwill pull for a certain distance, i.e.a mile, then rotate off allowing thenext person to do a 'pull'. Thoughthere is great benefit, much skilland concentration are required toprevent mishaps caused by touching ofwheels. When wheels do touch, it'susually the rider behind that goesdown. This is what happened today.We have chosen to ride in only a fewpacelines, and when we do, only at the front. It is difficult for a tandemto ride in the middle of a pack becauseof differences in maintaining momentum, a tandem tends to keeprolling once in motion. For example, going downhill, a tandem has twice theweight and would require riding thebrakes to maintain the speed of the pack. We were not around when theaccident happened, thank goodness. The rider that was hurt had to ride in the SAG van today - doctors orders - even though he wanted to bike. He's resuming cycling tomorrow.
Day 22 - May 16
Champaign, IL to Crawfordsville, IN
79 miles today / Total Miles 2,262
17.0 avg speed / 35 max
Odd day. Low miles, yet, there was no hurry to get done today. I think the accident yesterday scared a few people, and concern about burning out before tomorrow's 131 mile ride. Most riders had similar average speeds today, staying together and relaxed pace.
There is a gas station across from the hotel tonight with all the individual state fridge magnets. Time to go shopping! Wanna get one for all the states that we've ridden through...
Day 23-25
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Day 23 - May 17
Crawfordsville, IN to Richmond, IN
130 miles today / Total Miles 2,392
18.4 average speed / max 37
Started today with a 30 % chance ofrain, on Indiana farm roads. Rodethrough Eagle Crest Park (50 centsadmission for cyclists) north of Indianapolis, then through the citystopping at the east end of town at DQ for a blizzard before the thunderstorm(well, actually only 30 miles oflight rain).
Rode with Andy from Lake Elmo,Minnesota today, nice guy. He wasover 300 pounds at one point in his life, but looks pretty good now.
Today also was Andy from Albuquerque'sbirthday. He is into homeopathicmedicine and is also a vegetarian,it's been difficult for him to getenough protein. He has hummus andtofu and refried beans that he is morethan willing to share. He received 9birthday cards in the mail at thehotel.
Mike from South Africa today was sayingthat we all need to have our headexamined at the end of the tour. Hesaid that he had a tune going throughhis mind all day today, and realizedthat when he got to the hotel andturned on the TV that it was the'Weather Channel' theme music.
We also rode with Sam and Steve fromNew Hampshire. Steve is originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Wepulled them for 50 miles todaybetween 22-24 MPH. It was fun to havethe comraderie as we rode through therain together.
Day 24 - May 18
Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH
Today's miles 105 / Total miles 2,497
average speed 19.6 MPH / 36 max
Crossed into Ohio soon after the start.There were 52 turns today, but noone got lost. At the lunch stop,our leader Mike Munk, advised allthe riders to make it a short stopas foul weather was fast approaching.Severe Thunderstorm Warnings had been declared and have been in effect formost of the evening.
Ohio has a 'Cardinal Trail' bike routethat we have been following most of theday. It is made up of sceniccountry backroads.
Our last time change occured today.We are now in the Eastern (our fourth)time zone. We cannot believe the tourwill be over in 8 more days.
We rode with Christopher from New Hampshire most of the day today. He isan Episcopalean Priest with a wifeand two children. We saw him about50 miles into the ride with a flattire and we assisted him in the repair. Then he stuck with us for the rest of the day, enjoying conversationand getting to know each other.
Family and friends of the riders haveregularily been providing baked goodsas we tour near the towns in which theylive. It seems we have a 'Thank You'card to sign every day.
We had four kitty sightings today.If we didn't know better, we would havethought that Ron's boys' - Jericho andNicco - had field agents keeping an eyeout for us.
Nora was our hostess tonight at the hotel. She welcomed us with juiceand snacks and later a bottle of wine.She is 82 years old and goes to the gymevery day. About 20 of us took herrestaurant recommendation for thePhiladelphia Bar and Grill.
Well, it's 9:20 PM right now and breakfast is at 5:30 AM tomorrow,so this concludes today's update.Stay tuned...
Day 25 - May 19
Marysville, OH to Wooster, OH
104 miles today / Total Miles 2,601
17.8 average speed / 42 max
Two Hour start delay today due toThunderstorms which stopped justbefore we started riding. Then when we pumped up the tires, we noticedcracks in the rear rim. We doctoredit to make it work.
There were quite a few steep uphillstoday. I (Mike) was not feeling verystrong, and I was grateful that Ron was feeling his oats today, as everyhill was ours, with Ron pushing everyuphill, we crested every one in styleand no other bikes were able to catchus.
Chris from Australia finally achievedobtaining a speeding ticket for going65 in a 55 on his bike. There was apolice officer at the lunch stop andhe obliged by giving Chris a ticket. He's been wanting one sincethe start of thetrip. He wasn't really going that fast, it was just for a joke.
Day 26-28
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Day 26 - May 20
Wooster, OH to Niles, OH
93 miles today / Total Miles 2,694
17.3 avg / max 40
The day started with drizzle and coldtemps, as long as we were rolling, wewere warm. Stopping at the lunch stopsome were shivering, and it was importantto get back on the road quickly togenerate warmth. A nice touch at lunchwas a neighbor lady that made a pot ofcoffee to warm us.
Something quite ironic occurred today.There was a detour sign that only Ronnoticed. So we took it withoutincident. However, everyone else didnot, and there was a circus act as they all tried to walk an I-beam balancing their bikes as they crossed a few feet above a rushing stream.
That night, our dinner choice was at Alberini'swhich reminded us of an authentic family Italian restaurant. It wascandlelit, the chairs cozy, and theatmosphere warm and friendly.The owner came out to visit with us,and treated us with pepperoni bread.He made us feel welcome, almost likebeing family, spoiling us in trueMediterranean style.
While we were at dinner, our brokenrear wheel was repaired by what seemed like'elves' although we knew it was MikeMunk. He had arranged to get the wheel fixed for us, but could not findus, so he went 'above and beyond'by getting in to the room, getting thewheel and to the shop to have it rebuilt before the shop closed. This is onlyone example of how the first-class 'America by Bicycle' staff has bentover backwards so that we, the riders,could focus on enjoying the tour.
Day 27 - May 21
Niles, OH to Dunkirk, NY
138 miles today / Total Miles 2,832
19.0 avg / max 40
Our only other three-state day (Ohio,Pennsylvania, New York).
Today we rode through Erie, PA.For miles along the highway, therewere numerous vineyards (we were toldthey were Welch's). Along the shoreof Lake Erie we rode and rode, passingalso an historic lighthouse, and piers.
We pulled the Bermuda triathletes, Jimand Steve, for at least 40 miles today.They too are riding for a cause, likemost of the other riders. We happilytraded our slipstream for a chance to get to know them better.
We saw a man and his wife, each withtheir own fully-loaded touring bikesand radio communication heading west.They are doing their own cross-countrytrip from Portland, ME to Portland, OR.
We had a rest stop at a historic covered bridge, another photo opportunity!
We are now in the home stretch withonly a few days before Boston. Youre-mail replies are encouraging.
Day 28 - May 22
Dunkirk, NY to Batavia, NY
88 miles today / Total Miles 2,920
18.9 avg / 41 max
The highlight of the day was our lunchstop and tour of the 'Pedaling History Bicycle Museum' in Orchard Park, NY. The tourwas presented in chronological orderstarting with a 'Running Machine' in1817 to Velocipedes (Boneshakers) from1866-1871 to Highwheelers (Ordinaries)from 1870-1892 to Hard-tire SafetyBikes from 1886-1892 to Pneumatic Safety Bikes from 1892-present. Alsoin the collection are military bikes(one of which folds in half to be used bya paratrooper), an impressive collectionof Schwinn's from the 50's and 60's andrecumbents. It was surprising to learnthat the 'League of American Wheelmen' (Now L.A.B.) lobbied forpaved roads and street signs longbefore the automobile was introduced.
Tonight we had our T-shirt swap, a neatway to trade with this truly international mix of people.Mike has a new one from 'Bermuda' butgave up his 'Jesse Ventura forGovernor'.
We rode a good part of the day withAmos, an upbeat Christian guy fromNew Hampshire, who we wanted to getto know better. He's always the firstat the end of a hard day's ride to giveus a 'High Five'.
Day 29-31
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Day 29 - May 23
Batavia, NY to Syracuse, NY
114 miles today / 3,034 total
18.4 avg / 40 max
The roads were wet all day, no rain onus though. There were lots of flattires today. Two people each had four.The water tends to hide road debris,and seems to lubricate small rocksmaking them bite into the tires.
Part of the area we rode through wasthe Finger Lakes region, which includesLake Seneca.
4 people fell today, including one ofthe tandems. Most of the falls weredue to a deceiving 1/2 inch granitecurb between the driving lane and theparking lane. Minor abrasions werethe extent of the injuries. They allfinished the day's mileage, no oneused the SAG van.
Still, other riders have had variousequipment failures. The staffmechanics have continued workingdiligently to keep their bikes on theroad.
Day 30 - May 24
Syracuse, NY to Amsterdam, NY
128 miles today / 3,162 total
19.7 avg / 41 max
It seemed the rain was just ahead ofour little group all morning. Theroads were very wet from fresh fallenrain. When we got to the first SAGstop at 52 miles, we found out that thegroup just ahead of us was had riddenthrough a downpour while we remaineddry.
Then we rode with the 'Evil Empire', asmall group of riders who seem to insiston maintaining a hard pace and pullingaway from the other riders. Theyare almost always the first to arriveat the destination hotel. Tostay with them means that youcontinuously ride near your limitsand have good paceline skills.
We started the ride along the Old ErieCanal, and later along Highway 5. Thishilly portion brought us pastwaterfalls over the rocky hillsides onour left and a valley with a swollenriver on our right.
We momentarily went off course tovisit Fort Klock. It was erected in1750, and is preserved in it'soriginal condition.
Until today, there have been threepeople who had not yet experienceda flat tire on this tour. Aftertoday, there is now only one.
With only two days left to ride to ourdestination, we eagerly await Boston'sAtlantic coastline. However, we aretrying to make the most of our newfoundfriendships and savor every last mile.
Day 31 - May 25
Amsterdam, NY to Greenfield, MA
114 miles today / Total Miles 3,276
17.1 avg / 43 max
Writing postcards last night, it finallyhit us, this tour is coming to an end.Wow, mixed feelings! Glad to see ourgoal in sight, yet sad to realize that our new 'family' of 45 people will neverbe together this way again.
So riding today was bittersweet, werode with many different people, andat one point we were pulling a trainof about 12 people, collecting otherriders as we rolled on by like a giant snowball...
A surprise today as the route took usthrough an unexpected state - Vermont - for 6 miles. Beautiful 'GreenMountain State' with road signs for 'THICKLY SETTLED' areas and our only 'BEAR X-ING' sign.
As we began a steep 4 mileclimb out of North Adams, MA, it began to rain on us steadily. Duringthe climb, the temp dropped from 71to 47. When we reached the top, the rain let up, the wind was strong, we ate our lunch huddled at the side of an abandoned building'protected' from the wind.
That evening there was a banquet tohonor the staff and riders. Everybodyhad an opportunity to speak to the group as achievement certificates werepresented by our trip leader. Andy fromAlbuquerque regaled us with a song thathe wrote about the tour to the tune ofJanis Joplin's 'Me and Bobby McGee'.
There was a USA map that was posted in themotel lobby everyday that showed our daily and accumulated progress. Manypeople have been asking the tour leaders for that map at the end of theride. However, to our surprise,it was presented to Ron for being the'Most Inspirational Rider'. Ron wasreally caught off-guard and humbledby the honor.
Day 32
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Day 32 - May 26
Greenfield, MA to Boston, MA
114 miles today / Total Miles 3,390
16.1 avg / 43 max
We began the day with a flat tirethat we noticed as we rolled thetandem from the motel room. A new tube fromthe Mechanic van, and we were on ourway, although quite a ways behind.We did catch people by the first SAGstop and had some company. We said afew good-bye's there as some of theriders were not going to Boston but rather to the home of one of the otherrider's (Greg) instead. Now, the realityof the end of the tour was reallyhitting home...
Later, at lunch, it was set up at lakeside,Ron finally got the 'relax by a lake'that he's wanted the whole trip.
At this point, the ride turned somewhatugly for us. Each of us had a right pedal that was starting to go, mine fell apart so that I could only use one side of the two-sided pedal. Ron'sworn-out pedal bearings had started to click and squeal. Mechanical failure seemed imminent.
Then, only 20 miles to our destination, wemet 17 year-old Angela driving a Volvo as she came up next to us and decided to take a right turn. RIGHTINTO US! We were not badly injured.A couple of scrapes, but we did call911 just in case something happened.Nothing did. We made a quick call tothe mechanic van reaching our leaderMike Munk. He met with us and verifiedthat we and the bike were o.k. to complete the ride, then we were back on the road on our quest for the beach.
More nerve-wracking congested cityriding... We reached our destinationat Revere Beach amid congratulations,applause, hugs, and handshakes...Another honor when Ron was asked topour the 32 day old Pacific water intothe Atlantic as the rest of the riders, staff, and friends looked on.
Thanks for following along with us,and once again for your many kindand encouraging replies!
Updated Mar 18 2002 by MrBikey