So it is time to scrape off the new rust and start a new adventure. This time it is 1800 miles and two countries... please go to my journal at: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/summer2013pacificcoast. Please send Eli and I your love as we pedal south... and don't forget Mercedes and Sofia who are the wind beneath my wings.

So I'm kind of sad...

Highway 50 'Shoe Tree' Cut Down
Posted: Jan 03, 2011 12:00 PM PST
Updated: Jan 11, 2011 10:49 AM PST

The decades old Cottonwood tree is located about 50 miles east of Fallon just beyond the old Pony Express stop at Middlegate Station. "On New Year's Eve, some patrons came in here and they said, 'hey, did you notice the shoe tree got chopped down' or actually cut down with a chainsaw with what one guy said. And everybody is in just disbelief. We went and looked out (the window). It's not there anymore," says Greg Del Pepozzo.

Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter says they are looking into the incident. They say a report was filed, but deputies are determining if a crime was committed. Since it's not on private property, it's likely not a crime, but they are looking into whether it was vandalism. No suspects have been identified.

The Nevada Tourism on Commission says the tradition started following an argument between newlyweds, during which one tossed the other's shoes in the tree. When they reconciled, the other reciprocated, and people threw shoes into the tree ever since.

It was 2007

So the other day Mercedes and I were on the phone and she could hear a tension in my voice about what it was she was talking to me about... She kindly suggested that I go cross country again. I knew it was out of love... (lol... for those who thought she wanted to get rid of me! You know that flashed across your mind!)

Well I thought about it for a few hours and came up with the right amount of justification to decline her generous offer! So why write today? Well the anniversary just past of the 2007 bike trip and I started to read the Crazyguy bike blogs and got all sentimental. What an amazing experience. I will do it again. I am sure of it!

My hope for those out there now that the voices in their head that may say to quit are thanked and then told that this is an amazing adventure and nothing will get in their way! My hope is for enough... enough weather to keep them thankful for the perfect, sunny days. Enough breakdowns to remind to keep things well oiled and well maintained. Enough homesick to make those reunions that much sweeter... Enough of everything so that the sweet moments are cherished and the rough ones are delt with grace and ease!

For those of you who read and followed our journey a few years ago... I hope you never forget those few months because without all of you I would not have made it... or at least it would have been a little less or different!

I also wanted to remember Jennifer Alexis Taddeo... She was one of the women who I was riding for. She lived with cancer until this January and now she is living with the lord. I still have her pink bracelet and crystal bracelet that she gave me to ride with... She was my first friend that my memory allows me to remember... and she was the first of my close friends to go... There is a stone memorial in the salt flats of Nevada with her initals on it... hopefully in a million years someone will look down and be present to Jennifer and our time!

Wow... how dramatic! lol whew!

keep the tires down and the pedals movin!

much love
T

3 Years ago... My bike was being assembled!

It is hard to believe that the trip was three years ago! Time sure does fly. I am killing time waiting for the woman who poses for me to show up. I have been thinking of doing another grand adventure... Maybe cross country solo? I know the fellas are talking about burning man, but that is only softly calling me... where as the bike is calling me hard.

Maybe this time I would start in Seattle, ride down the coast towards LA and do the southern tier... 70 days again, but a different route?

My bicycle sits in the living room a victim of the ice and snow and a flat rear tire... I have a bundle of sage sitting on the back rack with the hopes that it clears any bad mojo... This spring I will try and ride again... I have been invited to a two day cross PA trip and a few smaller rides... So back in the saddle I go.

I'd love to hear memories people had from the trip? Something that you remember that you thought funny, odd, sad, exciting, etc... something that maybe you forgot to say at the time? What you really thought? lol

anyway. Thanks

Much Love
Thomas

Two months... reflections

Well this weekend I realized it had been two months since Erik and I finished our biking adventure. Our lives have crept back into breakneck routines and the easy days of 70 miles are behind us, but I thought that I would tell you a few things we have done.

First off... I just got my bicycle fixed! Yes the cracked wheel took almost two months to sort out. Needless to say Bikeline and I have become quite close... As I was riding to my studio this morning, I thought maybe I will perform a smudge to clear out any residule mojo and make it all new again.

Two weekends ago Erik and I did a bike ride in Wilmington. It was the return of professional bicycling in Wilmington and they were trying to break a world record. So Erik, Mercedes, Sofia and Precillia Rakestraw and I adorned ourselves with Pink BreastCancer coalition shirts and did the 2.1 miles. Erik had brought some water he had frozen from the cookie lady's house and we all drank some to lift our energy, luck and spirits. I signed us up as a team and wouldnt you know it we were called to the start line first. This ment that we were the first to talk with the press! When they asked our names I said forget us! we are with the delaware breast coalition and that is all you need to know! Well we had fun. We did not break any speed records, but we all made the finish line. I joked with the several reporters who found out that Erik and I had ridden across the country, that we had ridden 3,700 miles as our training for this. I never saw if we made the news, but hopefully Precillia go some good press.

This past weekend I did a sweat lodge with a few friends of mine. They had allowed me to sweat with them before I took the trip and this was a post trip celebration/what the hell is next, kind of thing. As I was packing my towels and things I could not find an empty back pack. so I went to the basement and pulled out a small overnight bag... Well when I opened it, there was a business card from June Curry.... yep some of you may have guessed it... the cookie lady! Well I figured she needed me to find the card, so I brough her into the sweat with me. I also thanked the many others who's generocity and spirit had helped Erik and I accomplish our ride. So hopefully it will bring good things to you all.

the 28th of September is bike to the bay. Both here in Delaware and in New Jersey. I havent signed up for either, but I still may... so expect me to hit you all up for money if I choose it.

I still havent retreived all of my pictures from my camera and I havent listened to the tape recording I made, but eventually I'll get to it... (nor have I fully unpacked at home... sorry Mercedes) So keep a look out for updates.

Thank you all again for all of your support. If something pops into your head about the trip... ASK! and hopefully this will not be the end.

Much love

T

PS ask me about Sofia and my amazing adventure!

I'm still trying to post pictures

here is one ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Kentucky for a few more days... we hope

Well it has been a while, but we are safe and sound. We made it out of Missouri, through Illinois and are now into Kentucky! Yes we skipped a whole state of blogging. Illinois was the friendliest state in that we were given places to stay every night in the state, but the worst for Internet in that they wanted $5 per hour for access.

It is hard to remember all of the places and names, but out of Houston we rode through the hills of the ozarks and saw lots of historical places... from the bike. You get so focused that you often miss out on sights that you might stop at in the car, but then again you see places in a way you can't in a car. We camped in several national and state parks. We got our first significant rain while riding. We ate great BBQ and sat in a river, under a bridge while it poured around us. Missouri was fun.

Illinois was great too. You could feel the difference in culture right away. The history of who settled what and where shaped that. We cruised across the Mississippi into Illinois and made our first stop the 17th street grill in Murphysville. They have won national championships for BBQ a few times and I could see why. We met a very nice man at the grill who asked us to join him for some conversation... Well several hours later we were sleeping in his parents house in town. it was a nice blessing.

The next day we made it like 45 miles when the sky opened up. We were lucky in that we were sitting in a cafe eating lunch. A local man named John sat with us for a while and discussed our trip... little did we know that several hours later we were still pinned down by the weather and john came to our rescue. We had a blast with him. He is a very interesting man who I think enjoyed us as much as we did him. Well he drove us back to the spot where we last had pedaled from and off we went for Kentucky.

We got the river ferry last night and cruised into Kentucky like two guys who have almost 3000 miles under their feet. (maybe because we do!)

Thank you all for the comments and well wishes. Keep them coming they help.

Houston was a blast

So after repeating the six miles out of Marshfield, we pedaled off to Houston, MO... The ride was awesome in that just when the Gatorade or water ran out a gas station appeared. It was blazing hot with hell like humidity, but it didn't seem to be a bother. Missouri has hills. They require you to think and stay on the gears. Nothing yet like the rockies, nevada, california or Utah!, but still there and still requiring the legs to work.

Well last night as we pulled in to Houston we had heard of a must stop at the Houston Hotel... The Owners are PonyBoy and Eya... We had been hearing about them since Kansas... so we made a direct course for the hotel...

Well as it has been the whole trip our luck worked its mojo. There were 14 or so riders all about to sit down for dinner in the front lawn of the hotel... We were greeted with a huge cheer and then handed a bottle of water (beer for Erik) and asked to join them...

They place was a lot of fun... lots of conversations about how hard the east was and we shared how hard the west will be for them... needless to say, we had a blast and will remember Houston for a long time...

Oh and btw... Eya is from Delaware county and knew lots of Conestoga people... how crazy to be in Houston, MO and meet someone who grew up travelling though Wayne and KofP? crazy...

Well to day we are off and hopefully we will be telling you about the BBQ in emminance!

Much love
t

Tough time leaving the Plaza Motel

Well today is our second attempt to leave Marshfield. Yesterday we were about six or so miles out of town, on our way to Houston, when Erik's chain snapped again. We were some fortunate pups... After sorting out that the operator had given us numbers to bike shops in Springfield, Ill instead of Missouri... We were picked up by the Sunshine Bike shop in Springfield, MO... Kay the owner was the perfect hostess. She fed us, gave us gatorade and had her efficent staff fix our bikes... And then Kay drove us back to our home away from home at the Plaza in Marshfield!

We also would like to thank the #2 fire house for giving us dinner. One of Kay's people made a few calls and we were all hooked up. the food was almost as good as the stories and company.

So today we are off to Houston... MO! We are rested... well as much as a half day in Springfield could offer and raring to ride home... (Hopefully before the 12th)

I guess I am sounding like a broken record, but it is the people that we meet that have made this trip amazing. The land is spectacular, but it is the generocity and friendlyness that makes it worth the ride. Everyday is an adventure and a new person to meet.

Good luck to Allison and the group she is riding with... I will try to make links when I have a few more minutes at the computer. (So jonathan... get your Yahoo map going again... the people miss it... I miss it)

Much love
t

Marshfield, MO

So here we are in Webster County... Missouri has been blessed with hills... not the kind that are kind to bikers, but hills that require you to be fast on the gears... its 30 seconds down... and then two minutes up and then down then up then down and then up.... over and over in a mind numbing repitition...

Last night we got into camp around 7ish... there were 12 riders from univ. of Illinois there in town riding to LA... They are riding with van support... that is good for them, becasue the section of the western express they are taking will be brutal in the July heat.

It is Erik's goal to make it home in time for the 12th... So if you are thinking of meeting us at the atlantic to see us finish... get your travel plans started... We still have Ill and Kentucky and Virginia left... oh yea and the rest of Missouri.

We still havent decided to take Chrissy's plan or Jerry's plan or the Trns Am maps to the sea, but I recon we will have to decide in the next few days... or weeks as it were.

Well off to find a place to sleep for the night and something to eat...

Much love
t

ps someone call dad and tell them we passed the sign for rt 44 to Rolla!

Golden City, MO

Last night we decided we needed one more day in Kansas so we stopped in the home of the Pittsburgh State University... Pittsburgh Kansas that was.

We have met many west bound bikers the last few days... Many of them are 26 days out from Virginia! so.... maybe we are less than a month away from home! Wow that would be a treat!

Kansas was a great state... flat and warm... not to much rain, not to much wind, not to much of anything... except nice people... Well not to much, but just enough... Like the guy who, told us a story about how, when he was born, the only incubator available was one for raising chickens... and being the youngest of four he was teased into not liking eggs for fear of eating a brethren... or the small cafe that was closing, but kept open to feed us... we got fed! it was a good thing we liked everything they fed us, but that is just how it is...

So far MO has been pretty much the same, except Cooky's cafe was closed... we have been hearing about it for days and now its closed...

Well we are off to the grocery to find some lunch and then... well does it really matter? the important point is, it is a few more mile closer to home.

Thank you all for the well wishes for my birthday... I got lots of great calls and Father's day was great too...

Much love all and keep the comments coming.

Almost out of Kansas

Well Kansas has been good to us... Last night we stayed in a city park... the weather held and we slept like babies... The night before we stayed at Jerry and Shirley Smiths... they are an amazing cycling couple... He has done over 200k miles in his bicycling career and she has done a lot with him. They fed us and washed our clothes and sent us on our way... thank you for the hospitality and the prayers.

Well today I was awakened by a rousing rendition of HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! yes 41 years young today... I am not sure how I will celebrate it today, but I bet there will be some pedaling involved... same with tomorrow and Father's Day... I bet pedaling will be involved... maybe a new state tomorrow!!! now that would be a great gift...

Well we have blown way past the half way mark... We are around 2000 miles and are blasting towards home... I have been instructed that I am to keep the playoff beard and not cut my hair until we roll into Wilmington... I am sure it will be a sight!

Jennifer... the bracelet is fine... I currently have it tucked in my bag for safe keeping... it would rot off if I didn't the sun screen has that effect on rubber. I look at it every night and think of why we ride almost hourly.

Well keep the comments coming... keep the questions and suggestions going... We love it and excitedly check the blog when ever we get a chance.

Much love all
t