We successfully completed our trip on Tuesday as we arrived at the Church Center in NYC to a rousing welcome. It was exciting riding across the George Washington Bridge and then navigating the busy streets of NYC to our destination. We even worked in a ride through Central Park.
Everyone was in high spirits as we approached the center, but we still had one more challenge to overcome. Kelly's bike had a major mechanical failure two blocks from the center which caused her to fall. Her handlebars literally broke away from her bike making it impossible to ride. So after crossing over 4000 miles, she lost her wheels. She was very lucky not to be injured.
But just as we conquered every other challenge we overcame this one as well. I gave my bike to Kelly to ride across the line and I walked her bike the last two blocks. It was only appropriate that she have the honor of leading us in.
We enjoyed a very nice reception at the center which was attended by the Presiding Bishop. The ERD staff wrote a song for the occasion and there were plenty of cameras and a TV camera. After all the interviews and congratulations, we loaded our bikes on to the Prius and drove back to Christ Church Hackensack to load up to head home.
Steve, Michael, Daniel and I jumped in a rental car about 4 PM and drove back to Ohio. I am writing this from the screened porch at home after a good night's sleep in my own bed. I must admit, I it was pretty nice.
I was told there will be a copy of the video of our arrival on the Episcopal News Service website, but I have not had time to check it out.
I am very glad to have been a part of this life saving fund event. Thank you for all your support and interest. I am already looking forward to our next adventure.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
We are almost there!
I apologize once again for not keeping up with the blog, but given the riding schedules, etc. it has been hard to find time.
Since my last entry, we have already crossed Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and PA. and are now near the border of New Jersey. We will stop this evening just across the river from Manhattan and make our triumphant entrance into the city across the George Washington Bridge tomorrow morning (Tues).
Carl and I have had quite a few great rides over the last couple of days. We did most of Illinois taking the team to the Indiana border. We drew a great shift in Ohio as we rode about 100 miles on a bike path from Cincinnati to London. It was clearly the easiest ride of the trip.
However, Pennsylvania has been a little more dramatic. Just as we started our riding shift in New Castle, Carl had a mishap with a car. First and foremost, Carl is fine and was not injured at all. A car made a left hand turn into a parking lot just as Carl was passing going the opposite direction. The car hit Carl's front wheel and destroyed the wheel. It is amazing what he will do to make me ride more miles!!
Carl, Mark and I stayed behind to meet with the police as the other riders moved on. I am sure there will be more to the story before it is all over.
Since my last entry, we have already crossed Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and PA. and are now near the border of New Jersey. We will stop this evening just across the river from Manhattan and make our triumphant entrance into the city across the George Washington Bridge tomorrow morning (Tues).
Carl and I have had quite a few great rides over the last couple of days. We did most of Illinois taking the team to the Indiana border. We drew a great shift in Ohio as we rode about 100 miles on a bike path from Cincinnati to London. It was clearly the easiest ride of the trip.
However, Pennsylvania has been a little more dramatic. Just as we started our riding shift in New Castle, Carl had a mishap with a car. First and foremost, Carl is fine and was not injured at all. A car made a left hand turn into a parking lot just as Carl was passing going the opposite direction. The car hit Carl's front wheel and destroyed the wheel. It is amazing what he will do to make me ride more miles!!
Carl, Mark and I stayed behind to meet with the police as the other riders moved on. I am sure there will be more to the story before it is all over.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
It is important to ride FAST
Things can get very dangerous out here if you don't ride as fast as you can!!
Newton Boys Part II
Here are a couple of picture so of the Newton Boys I mentioned in an earlier blog entry. We should have taken a picture of the policeman who stopped to check on us, but we were too busy sweet talking our way out of a ticket because we had a headlamp out on the Prius.
Illinois was ours
Carl and I rode through most of Illinois late yesterday. Steve and Kelly entered the state in the west before handing off to us. Since we were crossing at the southern end of the state, Carl and I thought we could make it all the way across during our shift. We rode hard for our five hours and Carl finished it off by crossing the bridge into Indiana about 20 after 10 last night.
The roads in Illinois were pretty good, but I must admit I would prefer the rolling hills of Missouri to the flat roads of Illinois. They are a lot more fun and breaks up the monotony of just spinning away all day.
We should enter Ohio later today (Saturday)!!
The roads in Illinois were pretty good, but I must admit I would prefer the rolling hills of Missouri to the flat roads of Illinois. They are a lot more fun and breaks up the monotony of just spinning away all day.
We should enter Ohio later today (Saturday)!!
Pictures from Grandma's house and the family grave site
As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, we made a quick detour of about 15 miles so I could stop by and visit the gravesites of my father and my paternal grandparents. I also was able to see my Grandma's house. The brought back wonderful memories of summer visits to Kansas. Here are the pictures.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Roller Coaster Hills of Missouri
Carl and I had another night shift (we seem to be the night riders) last night as we tackled the roller coaster hills of Missouri. They are awesome. Carl and I were both a little off the night before, but we were in top form last night.
We both were very strong and able to attack the hills to maintain speed. We covered about 100 miles during our 5 hour shift and were still very fresh and strong. We could have easily gone another couple of hours but they pulled us off the road and put us in the RV.
Our next riding shift will be late Friday afternoon when we should be near the western border of Illinois. Based on the maps, it looks like about 120 miles to cross the state. If we get favorable tail winds and decent roads, we are hoping to take the state from border to border. I will let you know tomorrow how it worked out.
We both were very strong and able to attack the hills to maintain speed. We covered about 100 miles during our 5 hour shift and were still very fresh and strong. We could have easily gone another couple of hours but they pulled us off the road and put us in the RV.
Our next riding shift will be late Friday afternoon when we should be near the western border of Illinois. Based on the maps, it looks like about 120 miles to cross the state. If we get favorable tail winds and decent roads, we are hoping to take the state from border to border. I will let you know tomorrow how it worked out.
The Newton Boys and the police
I forgot to mention in an earlier blog that as we rode through Newton, Kansas around 1 AM we were joined by the local BMX biking boys on Main St. I was riding at the time and they yelled out to me 'Are you going cross country?'. I yelled back that we were going to NYC and they promptly jumped on their bikes and tried to catch up.
As Janet will attest, my competitive nature took over and I decided they were going to have to catch me even though I had already been on the bike for an hour. Let me just say, they were toast!
However, we stopped to make a rider switch and they rolled up to talk. We took a great picture of them along with Carl and me. They warned us that we had a headlight out on the car and we better get out of town as soon as possible or we would be stopped by the police. They seemed to be very familiar with the local police as one of the young men said the town just loves to take your money. In fact, he had been in court every Thursday for over a month!
They were really fun to visit with and then we were off into the night.
As Janet will attest, my competitive nature took over and I decided they were going to have to catch me even though I had already been on the bike for an hour. Let me just say, they were toast!
However, we stopped to make a rider switch and they rolled up to talk. We took a great picture of them along with Carl and me. They warned us that we had a headlight out on the car and we better get out of town as soon as possible or we would be stopped by the police. They seemed to be very familiar with the local police as one of the young men said the town just loves to take your money. In fact, he had been in court every Thursday for over a month!
They were really fun to visit with and then we were off into the night.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Hello Missouri
We now have Kansas in our rear view mirror. Carl and I rode the night shift again last night and are getting pretty comfortable with night riding. One good thing is the lack of traffic and all of the 'critters' we see along the way. I had a large buck prancing along side me in the ditch as I rode by. He was with me for about a quarter mile and it was quite a sight.
Everyone has commented on the 'flatness' of Kansas, given that it seemed we were always riding up a slight grade with no down hill treat on the other side. So much for a break. However, it still was a lot easier than Colorado and what we are expecting ahead in Missouri.
I was very pleased that we able to make a stop in Elsmore, Kansas and visit the gravesites for my father and grandparents. We stopped to take a few pictures and Steve Sedgewick, said a blessing and prayer. Everyone enjoyed my directions as we found the cemetary and then went on to Savonburg, Kansas to take a picture of me standing in front of my grandmother's house. I appreciated everyone's willingness to take the time to stop.
Carl and I will be back on our bikes in a few hours and will ride from 7PM until midnight. Given our 5 hours shifts and rotation, we will ride in daylight tomorrow. The riding pattern is working out well giving everyone enough time to rest and eat between shifts. However, Carl and I both are feeling the effects of the riding. We each are able to start out strong on our rides, but by the end of our shift our power level is certainly diminished.
More tomorrow.
Everyone has commented on the 'flatness' of Kansas, given that it seemed we were always riding up a slight grade with no down hill treat on the other side. So much for a break. However, it still was a lot easier than Colorado and what we are expecting ahead in Missouri.
I was very pleased that we able to make a stop in Elsmore, Kansas and visit the gravesites for my father and grandparents. We stopped to take a few pictures and Steve Sedgewick, said a blessing and prayer. Everyone enjoyed my directions as we found the cemetary and then went on to Savonburg, Kansas to take a picture of me standing in front of my grandmother's house. I appreciated everyone's willingness to take the time to stop.
Carl and I will be back on our bikes in a few hours and will ride from 7PM until midnight. Given our 5 hours shifts and rotation, we will ride in daylight tomorrow. The riding pattern is working out well giving everyone enough time to rest and eat between shifts. However, Carl and I both are feeling the effects of the riding. We each are able to start out strong on our rides, but by the end of our shift our power level is certainly diminished.
More tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Some more pictures
Erin (one of the drivers) is doing a great job of taking pictures. You should check out her blog at http://ohionets4life.ning.com/ to see them.
I understand some people have had trouble getting to that blog site. If so, you can find a link to it on the www.er-d.org site.
Feeling strong
I am really pleased that I am feeling so strong as we enter our 5th day of riding. As I expected, the miles are not really a problem. However, it has taken some time to settle into a routine inside the RV in terms of sleeping, eating, and showering.
I feel I am finally getting enough sleep and eating ok, but it is very dependent on the time of day and if the RV is moving or sitting for people to sleep. If you have to sleep with the RV in motion, it is extremely hard.
Eating is also a challenge since everyone is on different schedules. We have lots of fruit, whole wheat bread, bagels, turkey, peanut butter and of course energy bars. I have taken advantage of a few gas stops to find a nice cold bottle of milk. A cold drink is quite a treat!
Showering is somewhat sporadic, but I am happy to report I have taken 3 in 5 days. That seems to be about the average. As you can imagine, the quarters are tight and the schedule is demanding so finding time to shower is at a premium.
All and all, everyone seems to be in good spirits and feeling like we covered the toughest part of the trip. Now we need to just put our heads down and keep moving.
I feel I am finally getting enough sleep and eating ok, but it is very dependent on the time of day and if the RV is moving or sitting for people to sleep. If you have to sleep with the RV in motion, it is extremely hard.
Eating is also a challenge since everyone is on different schedules. We have lots of fruit, whole wheat bread, bagels, turkey, peanut butter and of course energy bars. I have taken advantage of a few gas stops to find a nice cold bottle of milk. A cold drink is quite a treat!
Showering is somewhat sporadic, but I am happy to report I have taken 3 in 5 days. That seems to be about the average. As you can imagine, the quarters are tight and the schedule is demanding so finding time to shower is at a premium.
All and all, everyone seems to be in good spirits and feeling like we covered the toughest part of the trip. Now we need to just put our heads down and keep moving.
Crossing Kansas
Carl and I rode a shift early this morning from 1 AM to 6 AM crossing the last 80 miles of Colorado and taking us to the Kansas border. There was no moon last night and the sky was clear so the stars were an amazing site.
We have settled into a new riding pattern now that we have successfully conquered the Rockies. We have 4 teams of 2 riders, Mark & Isaac, Steve & Kelly, Daniel & Michael, and Carl and me. Each team takes a 5 hours shift of riding, so there is 15 hours of rest between shifts. Depending on the wind and conditions, each shift is covering between 75 to 90 miles.
We feel we are pretty much on pace for 10 days to arrive in NYC, but it is very hard to tell. We won't really get a good idea until we reach Ohio
We have settled into a new riding pattern now that we have successfully conquered the Rockies. We have 4 teams of 2 riders, Mark & Isaac, Steve & Kelly, Daniel & Michael, and Carl and me. Each team takes a 5 hours shift of riding, so there is 15 hours of rest between shifts. Depending on the wind and conditions, each shift is covering between 75 to 90 miles.
We feel we are pretty much on pace for 10 days to arrive in NYC, but it is very hard to tell. We won't really get a good idea until we reach Ohio
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Dealing with adversity
We had our first encounters with adversity, other than weather. In an unfortunate accident, the RV was backing up and backed into something. We had three bikes on a rack on the back, including mine, and all three were damaged. We found a bike shop in Pueblo and have everything in working order again.
We also had our first fall. Bishop Hollingsworth went down on his bike last night coming down one of the mountain passes. The good news is both the Bishop and his bike are ok. However, we did pick him up a new helmet today at the bike shop as the one he was riding took a good shot. There is a reason we wear those helmets!
We are looking forward to making up some time going across the plains. Let's just hope the wind is out of the west.
We also had our first fall. Bishop Hollingsworth went down on his bike last night coming down one of the mountain passes. The good news is both the Bishop and his bike are ok. However, we did pick him up a new helmet today at the bike shop as the one he was riding took a good shot. There is a reason we wear those helmets!
We are looking forward to making up some time going across the plains. Let's just hope the wind is out of the west.
Out of the desert and on to the mountains
We finally escaped the heat and have traded it in for mountain climbs. Carl and I started the climbing in Utah and immediate ran into foul weather. Carl got soaked with a rain storm before we pulled him off the road due to lighting in the area. We had to wait an hour or so for the storm to clear before we started again.
Carl had already covered about half of first climb before I took over and had the joy of a great down hill run in the middle of the night. It is amazing to fly down a mountain at night. The team is doing very well and everyone is riding strong. No mishaps or difficulties so far, only weather delays.
Carl had already covered about half of first climb before I took over and had the joy of a great down hill run in the middle of the night. It is amazing to fly down a mountain at night. The team is doing very well and everyone is riding strong. No mishaps or difficulties so far, only weather delays.
I have a signal again!
I am sorry I have not been able to update everyone, but we have not had any good cell signal for quite a while. We are settling into a nice pattern and are making great time.
We cleared the Rockies today and are now ready for a great tailwind to cover Kansas. As we all expected, Carl is a beast on the climbs although everyone has done a great job. I climbed one summit (about 6 mile climb) and was rewarded with a great downhill run.
Yesterday we enjoyed some marvelous scenery going through Glen Canyon although the temperatures up around 104. Obviously we are going through LOTS of water and staying hydrated. However, it is hard to keep your body temperature under control. We shortened our riding segments and switched every 30 minutes instead of an hour. The air conditioning in the Prius is a real treat.
It is hard to get pictures taken and loaded but I will try to get a few more.
We cleared the Rockies today and are now ready for a great tailwind to cover Kansas. As we all expected, Carl is a beast on the climbs although everyone has done a great job. I climbed one summit (about 6 mile climb) and was rewarded with a great downhill run.
Yesterday we enjoyed some marvelous scenery going through Glen Canyon although the temperatures up around 104. Obviously we are going through LOTS of water and staying hydrated. However, it is hard to keep your body temperature under control. We shortened our riding segments and switched every 30 minutes instead of an hour. The air conditioning in the Prius is a real treat.
It is hard to get pictures taken and loaded but I will try to get a few more.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Eat, Sleep and Ride
Many of you have expressed interest (and concern) over what we will eat to fuel our bodies. So far I have been eating plenty of fruit and drinking lots of fluids. I am still working on a good eating schedule and plan for the other basic food groups. So far I am just eating small amounts throughout the day consisting of fruit, salted snacks and sandwiches. At least I have my peanut butter!
Sleeping is another story. It is very difficult to sleep in a moving RV under the best conditions. However, sleeping space is at a premium. The picture below is self explanatory.
Hotter than 'you know what'
We had to modify our riding plans today as the temperatures are approaching 120 degrees and it is even hotter riding on the asphalt highways. We are out side of Las Vegas and decided to stop riding for the day to pick up again when things 'cool down' this evening. It is just too dangerous to ride in that kind of heat.
We are all staying hydrated with plenty of water and energy drinks, but with this heat it is impossible to keep your core body temperature down to a safe level. Obviously, it is hard to be sitting and not moving forward, but it is the right thing to do.
We did experience some wonderful people who stopped to offer some of our riders water and support if needed. Not everyone is in a hurry!
We are all staying hydrated with plenty of water and energy drinks, but with this heat it is impossible to keep your core body temperature down to a safe level. Obviously, it is hard to be sitting and not moving forward, but it is the right thing to do.
We did experience some wonderful people who stopped to offer some of our riders water and support if needed. Not everyone is in a hurry!
Day 1
We left Anaheim with a great send off, including TV coverage and lots of photographers. All 6 riders rode out together and covered the first 8 miles before settling into our biking plan of 2 person teams for 6 hour shifts.
Carl and I started our shift at midnight in Victorville, Ca. I rode the first set and enjoyed my first real night ride. I was very glad I did my research and purchased a good lighting set. It provided me plenty of light and allowed me to cruise over 20 miles/hour. Our plan was to switch riders every hour to cover our 6 hour shift. We made our first change over without incident but that ended abruptly about 10 minutes later when Carl hit a pothole and locked up both of his wheels rendering his bike useless. I jumped back on my bike while Carl waited for the RV to come and rescue him. I rode all the way to Barstow (about 40 miles) where Carl was able to rejoin me with his bike back in operation.
Carl then rode for about an hour before his light fell off his bike and crashed to the pavement and again became left him destined to ride in the car as I took over again and rode another hour. With about 2 hours to go on our shift, I mounted my bike light on Carl's bike and he rode the last 2 hours. All and all it was a very successful shift as we covered about 125 miles during our shift, even with the mishaps. There is nothing like a great tailwind!!
We ended our ride as dawn broke over the horizon and we jumped back into the RV. It was a great end to an evening that treated us to a cresent moon and morning star.
Carl and I started our shift at midnight in Victorville, Ca. I rode the first set and enjoyed my first real night ride. I was very glad I did my research and purchased a good lighting set. It provided me plenty of light and allowed me to cruise over 20 miles/hour. Our plan was to switch riders every hour to cover our 6 hour shift. We made our first change over without incident but that ended abruptly about 10 minutes later when Carl hit a pothole and locked up both of his wheels rendering his bike useless. I jumped back on my bike while Carl waited for the RV to come and rescue him. I rode all the way to Barstow (about 40 miles) where Carl was able to rejoin me with his bike back in operation.
Carl then rode for about an hour before his light fell off his bike and crashed to the pavement and again became left him destined to ride in the car as I took over again and rode another hour. With about 2 hours to go on our shift, I mounted my bike light on Carl's bike and he rode the last 2 hours. All and all it was a very successful shift as we covered about 125 miles during our shift, even with the mishaps. There is nothing like a great tailwind!!
We ended our ride as dawn broke over the horizon and we jumped back into the RV. It was a great end to an evening that treated us to a cresent moon and morning star.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Preparation in LA
Everyone arrived in LA safe and sound, although thanks to a few minor flight delays, a little later than expected. The morning has been full of preparation as we unpack and reassemble the bikes. Daniel and Michael made the initial grocery run. Looks like we have plenty of chips!!
We will be leaving the convention around 6PM tonight (7/17). All of us will be riding as we pull out to a large send off organized by ERD. The riding schedule has been established for the first couple of days. We have 6 riders (and will pick up 2 more near Vegas) that will be broken into 3 teams of 2 riders each. Carl Petterson and I make up one of the teams and have already been designated as the mountain climbing team.
Our first shift will be from midnight to 6AM which is a blessing since we will miss the heat of the day. The temperatures here in Anaheim were in the low 90s today with light winds. But we will be heading into the dessert and facing temperatures over 100 for the next several days.
We will be leaving the convention around 6PM tonight (7/17). All of us will be riding as we pull out to a large send off organized by ERD. The riding schedule has been established for the first couple of days. We have 6 riders (and will pick up 2 more near Vegas) that will be broken into 3 teams of 2 riders each. Carl Petterson and I make up one of the teams and have already been designated as the mountain climbing team.
Our first shift will be from midnight to 6AM which is a blessing since we will miss the heat of the day. The temperatures here in Anaheim were in the low 90s today with light winds. But we will be heading into the dessert and facing temperatures over 100 for the next several days.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Off and 'Running'
The day has finally arrived and it is time to head to LA. Packing was not too hard as all I really need are bike shorts and jerseys. Although I did make sure to include plenty of Advil and some energy bars.
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