Monday, July 23, 2007

Saturday, July 21, 2007

cracked wheels

So I get my bike back from the bike shop last night and they tell me that the reason I was getting so many flats in the end of the trip was because the spokes were pulling through and had actually cracked the wheel! Yes the wheel was cracked in several places...

So I wanted to update my repair list. a new wheel is in order... (I still rode the bike last night for a small ride... I crave the exercize!)

So here is the equipment that needed repair on my bike during the whole trip and in my return...

8 inner tubes (all the back wheel)

spoke tape was replaced on the back wheel

2 chains one in Pueblo, CO and the second once home

5 tune ups... the one in pueblo was the best... they pulled off the sprokets on the wheel and the cranks and cleaned the bike up all for $19! most of the others just checked the bike and wiped the chain off...

The airline bent the post that holds my front break on, but they were able to bend it back... ( a scary proposition for a custom welded fork!)

I already mentioned in a previous post my displeasure with my NIKE shoes... grrrrrrrrrrr!

Things of note.... I did not need to replace the break pads on the bike... (maybe I am too much of a dare devil on the down hills)

Again... ask questions... it helps with the memory

and I'm sorry about the pics... they are going up soon!

much love
t

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Brooksie's question

First off. Brooksie, thank you so much for all of your support. You have been a mainstay and wonderful source of support for me during and now after the trip. Thank you, thank you, Thank you.

As far as total lbs I am guessing I have lost 50 lbs. It has not just been the weight loss, but a re distribution of the weight. My waist is much smaller. my thighs and hips are tiny. My calves are huge compared, but are about the same size as before. I am not ripped by any stretch of the imagination, but part of it is that it will take quite some time for my body to absorb the extra skin and stuff... ick that sounds so gross, but I am guessing its true.

I am hoping to get pictures up on another source so everyone can see them all. Blog spot has limited bandwith for pictures... maybe later today if it keeps raining here in the poconos.

I would love to do this trip again. I think there is a way to attach a bike to mine so Sofia can ride with me and then have Mercedes ride solo... or maybe a tandem built for three? But yes... it is my hope to do this again. I was also thinking of crossing europe. They are well suited for touring by bike. So do you and Stewart want to join me or us?

I am hoping to paint alot. I am also hoping to work on marketing my work a little more. I have had this question posed by more than a few people and I thought maybe I am supposed to do something big for an encore... like take on world peace or cure cancer... but for right now... I'm just going to be an artist, a father and friend... If you have any suggestions... let me know.

My beard is not very long... mercedes says three inches, but how do you measure that sort of thing. It is dark red with two patches of gray. They are in two patches that make them look like I have white horns from my chin. My hair is long and wavy... So I look like I just came from the mountian. (or 3700 miles on a bike if you will.)


Liz... I have tons of info on gear if you want... I am not sure what interests you... so either e-mail me or write your interests here.

Thank you again Brooksie and everyone who wrote. I will be posting pictures soon.

Much love
t

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

equipment on the trip

several stats for those who like these things...

I wore only one pair of socks to pedal in the whole trip. They are still in great shape. The Earth,Wind, Rider people gave me a pair and told me they would be my favorite sock ever and maybe I wont go that far, but they sure held up... and btw I washed them out almost every night... for those who were worried.

I did not use several items I brought, like bike tools and extra bungee chords, but I would say my list was kind of spartan, but I didnt miss anything. (except my bed) I would have brought a smaller sleeping bag for after the rockes if I had thought of it, but the extra weight just made me stronger.

My bike: what can I say... for what I paid for it... it was perfect. The tires Bruce Gordon sent with it were dry rotted and needed to be replaced in telluride, and I replaced the chain as a precaution, but the bike worked flawlessly. It needed very little maintence. I would suggest this kind of bike to any one considering the trip.

The Brooks Saddle: if you get one. Expect it to take a while to break in... or maybe your bottom to break in. (I'm not sure which it was in my case) the springs on the seat were invaluable... I was very satisfied. Again... buy it early and ride with it as much as you can before you take off for a cross country trip.

The Gordon bags and racks: they worked great. One of my pannier bag developed a rip along the way, but I am not sure if that was user error or poor materials... I am guessing it was my fault...

My clothes: I wore a long sleeved wool sweater by EWR for the whole trip. I brought two and washed one and wore the other every day. Not only did it save my skin from sun damage, save money on sunblock, but it provided a steady tempurature whether it was 19 degrees at the top of Monarch Pass in CO or 100 in the humids sections of Virginia. When I was hot it got wet from sweat, but the wind that was genenrated by riding at ten miles and hour+ gave me a cooling effect that made it feel nice. OK it was 100 degrees and it would have been hot no matter if I were naked or in my sweater, but the wool gave me the sensation that I was cool... That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I brought three bike shorts with me... I basically used two. The third was a cheap pair and mas kind of uncomfortable so I kept it to wear while I washed the other clothes at the laundromat.

Bike gloves: they didnt do squat, but make my hands smell and polish my palms to a shiny leather look. I bought an expensive pair in Missouri and they promptly fell apart. My hands still got numb from the hours of riding huntched over. so wear them to save your bar tape from smelling too.

My nike SPD shoes... besides being very comfortable... NIKE sucks... my shoes started to fall apart the first week and after several e-mails to NIKE they informed me that they were doing nothing to help me and that I was SOL... the good thing is that they held up long enough to finish the ride, but I will never buy another NIKE product if I can help it!

what else? ask away.

much love
t

Some reflections

OK 3,700 miles was a lot of pedaling... a plane would have been much faster.

the trip was filled with so many amazing stories. I will try to remember and post them as they come to me. One of my favorite examples of "its a small world" was the houston Hotel. Eya, who is one of the hotel's owners, used to live in Delaware County PA. She graduated from a local highschool and knew many of the people I grew up with in Valley forge. We frequented many of the same places as a kid and as an adult growing up on the main line. But here is a freaky small world happening...

she was given up for adoption as a baby. She had recently met her biological father for the first time... (last year) she had gone and visited him at his home in.... yep lake naomi in the poconos. I have been playing golf with him for years in the Friday men's league here in our pocono house development!

so how weird is that? I ride all the way across to Houston, Missouri and meet someone like that.

Several people have asked me how much weight I lost... well I have no idea the number of lbs, but I lost six pants sizes and two shirt sizes.

I hope as you have questions you ask.... It will help me remember and stay focused...

much love
t

Friday, July 13, 2007

So it took 70 days

Today was a bittersweet day. I finished the ride in Yorktown around 5pm. Mercedes and Sofia drove down Wednesday to cheer me on for my last ride Thursday... I rode in from Ashland to Williamsburg by noon and we spent the day walking around colonial Williamsburg... then it was time. Time for me to finish what I started. I had received several congratulatory calls already and the last few miles seemed all but academic... Well they were some of the hardest thirteen miles of the trip. Not because of the terrain. in fact it was down hill most of the way, but because it was the end.

I will post more later today or maybe even over the next few days, but I made it!

Thank you all. Thank you for your love and support and most of all thank you all for being in my heart and head over these past 70 days. You should be proud of yourselves... you worked hard for me on my trip.

Anyway...

It will be my pillow tonight.

Much love
t

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Blackberg, VA today... Cookie lady on Monday...

So the double riding days accomplished two things... The first was I did big miles and with the help of several nice gas station attendants I was able to advoid several big hills by riding some major roads at night...

The second is the body needs rest... So today no evening ride planned. I will ride on another ten miles to an off route motel, but the craziness is over.

So it looks like thursday will be when I get to assateague island... So if any of you want to make the trip...? I think it will be early afternoon at the latest. Call me or write me if you need an update?

Anyway...

I'm off to finish this day.

Much love
T

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Gay's Creek post office hatched a new idea

So I was sitting in the Gay's Creek post office this morning with bike problems and the idea came to me... I'm not very tired any more, nor very hungry... I prefer to ride in the morning when it's cool and then it came to me... bike 14 hours a day and rest 10! I get up and ride at 6 am until 1pm and then sleep or rest until 6pm and then ride until 1am... I figured if I can get 100 to 140 miles in a day I can make it home sometime early next week. I am in Hazard to get out of the rain and then I'm off this evening to try this crazy idea... Who knows I may even like it.

Kentucky has been tough... Rain today made it scary, but it cooled things off... My goal is to get to Damascus, VA tommorow evening/morning if I can. Well I have to rest or this will never work.

Much love all.
t

Monday, July 2, 2007

Bardstown, KY

Kentucky has been quite nice. Lots of little towns and rolling hills. The heat seems to have broken today and I am looking forward to the ride in the coolness. I wish I had more exciting things to report... like the otters and the birthplace of Lincoln, but who the heck wants to hear about that?

The trip is winding down... The approach to assateague is getting closer and closer. It is my hope to see lots of you as I push my bicycle down the beach and finish this adventure.

I will keep you all informed as the date gets closer so you can start planning... Hint... think two weeks or maybe a little less.