2013-11-27 A Crazy Idea Gains Momentum!
Post date: Nov 28, 2013 12:37:43 AM
I am writing this in late November 2013. Even though the ride will not begin for 7 more months, the idea to complete this ride is actually about to have its first birthday. If this ride were a book, here are the mile stones in the preface of that book.
December, 2012 - For the 2nd time in my life I begin to think seriously about riding across America. The first time was several years back but the important stuff in life kept the thought from getting traction. I have a million questions. How would this work? Where would I go? What would it take? Is this even possible? I read a bunch of internet logs of previous riders mostly from www.crazyguyonabike.com. They document the monstrous commitment that this would take. It's 4200 miles across 10 states with lots of mountain ranges along the way.
December, 2012 - My wife Teresa jumps on board immediately and offers to drive a support vehicle. Fantastic idea. I would not want to have this adventure without her. I can ride without carrying all the camping gear. I begin to look for other victims....er..umm.... I mean riders who might want to do this crazy thing with me. Jon a friend for 20+ years and a partner with me on backpacking and hiking adventures in the past quickly gets on board.
January, 2013 - Jon and I are both public teachers in Portland, OR. We have 79 days between closing down our classrooms and opening them back up. Most riders have taken between 75 and 90 days to complete the route. Most Trans American riders are much younger than us. We decide that riding the entire country in one summer would put too much focus on the calendar and not enough focus on the experience. No interest in that. We opt to split the ride across two summers. An east to west route is selected so the sun will be at our back in the morning when we will do most of our riding. It also lets us finish on one of Oregon's very own scenic beaches. Pueblo, CO is about the 1/2 point across the country. So, that becomes our target for the first summer.
February, 2013 - It's winter in Oregon and the forecast says rain followed by wet followed by rain. It's dark when I get to school and dark before I get home. My body is used to normal rides of 20 miles at a time. I increase to 25 on weekends but I can only get 40 to 50 miles of seat time on the bike a week. The ride is still 18 months out. I can take my time getting ready. However, I can tell even now that my shoulders and arms are getting more stress on them than I expected. I opt to see a Physical Therapist for a nagging left shoulder problem that seems to be my body's weakest link. Two stretching and two strengthening exercises every morning for the next 4 months correct the problem.
March, 2013 - The TransAmerican route was established by the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA). I look at the thumb nail sketches on their website, buy a road atlas, and highlight the route all the way across the country. For the first time, I see the whole route in bright yellow in front of me. Good Lord. Really? What have I committed to? This seems possible when you think about little pieces but the looking at the whole route all at once looks daunting.
May, 2013 - Increased sunlight allows for 20 mile rides after school a couple of evenings a week along with a 30 miler on the weekends. It's only 70 miles a week but that's a big increase on a percentage basis from my 20 or 25 a week 5 months ago. As I increase the miles, my body adjusts and starts to talk to me. The aches and pains are temporary and not really a concern. However, my two lowest fingers on my left hand have been tingling during the rides and it seems to be getting more intense and spreading into my hand.
June, 2013 - Jon and I sit down to decide if we are really going to do this. We have talked about it now for nearly 6 months and done some training. However, I'm not sure if this trip will really happen. I have delayed spending any real money to this point. We'll need a bike rack on top of the car, camping equipment, and maps of the route. There will also be food, camping fees, gas, hotels, and possible plane tickets. We decide is it is go. Yes! Our target is 70 miles a day - 420 miles a week. I buy the bike rack immediately and increase my miles to 90 a week. Jon and I begin to take some of the more scenic and interesting bike rides around the western portion of Oregon - the covered bridges route out of Albany, the Oregon Scenic Bikeway out of Salem, the wine tour route around Yamhill/Carlton. This ride is starting to feel real. It is a bit scary. Sorta feels like I have been chasing a tiger and now I have it by the tail. What do I do now?
July, 2013- I am working full time this summer at a technology job but my weekly mileage has increased to 110 miles a week. My legs adjust. Not a problem. But my left arm is screaming at me, the tingling is more intense and has now spread all the way up my arm. Several times after 35 mile rides, it lasted all night. I have to fix this. I had planned to try to ride my Trek Alpha road bike on the route. At 19 pounds, it's light, it's fast, and it climbs like a demon. In the world of automobiles, it's a light fast sports car. But the aluminum frame that makes it fast also creates a stiff ride. I had hoped that it would be comfortable enough but my arm says NO. I purchase a Trek 520 touring bike. The same bike Jon owns. This bike is specifically designed for long tours - a heavy but more flexible steel frame, a triple crank gear system for long climbs, and larger tires to absorb road vibration. It's a big old comfortable Cadillac of bikes designed for riding 70 miles a day - day in and day out. It's heavy at 30 pounds but it feels really solid under me. I also visit my doctor who suggests I wear a brace on my left arm for a while and see how it goes. At 110 miles a week, I'm only at about 1/4 of the miles we plan each week on the route. Physically, I still wonder if this is possible.
August, 2013 - Weekly mileage is up to 140 miles each week. Teresa, Jon, and I head out on a 3 day tour. (Good thing it was not a 3 hour tour.) We wanted to see how it feels to ride 50 miles a day for 3 days a row. The route includes a climb over the Cascade Mountains on Old McKenzie Pass Highway, a descent into Eugene in the Willamette Valley, and then north up the Oregon Scenic Bikeway to Albany. On the first day, we get the thrill of a 26 mile descent from the top of the Cascades through dense Oregon forest on a curvy mountain road. Wow! That was fantastic. Best stretch of riding that I have ever had. By the 3rd day, we are both hurting. It is more difficult for me that I had hoped. But critical lessons were learned. Getting an early start every day is critical to avoid punishing afternoon winds. Never wear cheap bike shorts. I can barely sit on the seat by the end of the 3rd day.
October, 2013 - It has taken this long but my left arm has gradually improved on the new bike. I quit wearing the brace last month and things seem much improved. Despite school starting up in September, I continued to keep my miles up at 140 a week with the biggest week being 182 miles. That required a 30 mile ride 4 out of 5 school nights and a 60 mile ride on the weekends. Teresa is not complaining but I think she has become a bike widow. When riding the new bike, I am consistently averaging 14 mph so I'm out on the bike 10 - 12 hours a week. My bike odometer tells me I've ridden 2200 miles since the middle of June. Perhaps for the first time, I am feeling confident that I can actually ride 2200 miles over next summer.
November, 2013 - In a brain fade moment, I do what I swore I would never do. I attempt to drive into the garage forgetting that my new touring bike is on top. Something had to give. While the bike took the impact with the face of the garage, the bike rack and the top of the car took all the damage. I suppose this is a testament to the quality of Trek's flexible steel frame. Portions of the rack bent like an accordion, the rack dented and bent the top of the car, and the back window disappeared into little bitty pieces. This biking habit just got a whole lot more expensive.