Tag: Itsallaboutthebling

 

 

Hi again – I get to relax in the RV on the way back to California, so I am taking some time to reflect on my month of cycling across our great country. I hope you had fun tagging along and getting a glimpse into what it was like. The following are some retrospective thoughts about the experience.

TRIP STATS

• Start – Finish: San Francisco, California to Plymouth, Massachusetts
• Days Riding – 32.5 plus prologue
• Rest days – 0
• Miles – 3569
• Most miles in one day – 146.5 (Austin, NV to Ely, NV)
• Feet climbed – 102,450
• Highest point – 8062 feet (Colorado)
• Most feet elevation gained in one day – 8288
• Number of states touched – 16
  • CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, NE, IA, IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, MA, CT, RI (ended back in MA)
• Dogs giving chase – 36
  • Dog deterrent air horn used – 4x
• Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Comfort Dogs met – 12
  • Aaron (send off from home), Cubby, Moses, Eddie, Joy, Katie, Gracie, Shami (early morning send off in Illinois), Barnabas, Anna, Lydia, Obadiah – And they are all looking out for us on the way home!
• Mechanical Issues – SAG Actual got really good at fixing/maintain things!
  • Flat Tires – 5 (I had one the day before the last ride – slow leak found at camp)
  • Brake pads replaced – 1 set
  • Rearview mirror replaced – 1
  • Chain dirt and grime cleaned – daily
• Times caught in rain – 3
• Highest temperature on road – 104.6 degrees (according to Garmin)
• Weight lost – 12 lbs.

OBSERVATIONS/LEARNINGS

• I have a GREAT SAG Team!
• The sweet spot for riding is between 6 and 10 am.
• I don’t like riding in the wind (especially head wind)!
• I don’t like rumble strips!
• I am directionally challenged.
• Biggest Surprise – that I liked Nebraska
• I have the best supportive friends ever!
• Best ride – day 15 – Gothenburg to Grand Island, NE – nice smooth road, flat, slight tail wind, moderate temperature (100 miles in under 6 hours).
• Hardest ride – day 12 –  Fort Collins, CO to Sterling, CO (103 miles) – lots of wind!
• Prettiest scenery – California for awe inspiring, dramatic views and New York for absolute, serene beauty.
• Best barns – Iowa
• Friendliest state – Nebraska
• Best RV Park – Streetsboro, OH KOA (and then Dayton Ohio KOA after the ride)
• Best bike path – Des Moines, IA
• Best road – Route 6 in IL from Marseilles to Joliet
• Worst road – Service and frontage road along Union Pacific Railway West Wendover, NV to Salt Lake City, UT
• Coolest experience – riding along prancing Antelope on the way to Laramie, WY
• Dogs love to chase bikes.
• This was a one and done adventure.
• The vastness of this country is incredible.
• Riding across the country 100 miles at a time was easier than I thought and harder than I imagined (hard to explain).
• When I asked for a sign along the way…
• You get to take a new road/go in a new direction only at the top of a hill – never happens at the bottom – you must climb first!
• Descents are the best!!! (This is what it was like coming down from Spooner Pass)
• Scoobert is a dog that is too big for an RV!
• Reconnecting with friends and family is great! Don’t wait to do it.
• Downshift before you stop. No, really. Downshift BEFORE you stop!
• America is not flat (except for parts of Nebraska)
• Even Iowa has hills, lot’s of hills!
• My faith in humanity has been made stronger.
• There are a lot of good people out there!
• Respect the checklist! We learned early on that I needed a checklist to make sure I remembered everything. I forgot things every day! (Things forgotten: tail light, Camelbak, sunglasses, food, sunscreen, helmet, more…)
• Respect the SAG team! They have a different vantage point and are extremely helpful!
• Cycling gets you a great tan. LOL

This is likely my last post for a while. There will be more adventures/goals coming up and I may write about them as well, but I’m pretty sure nothing will be as epic as this one was! Apparently, this is the end of the path for now. 😉

God is good! Ride on!