8/11 Epilogue – The Final Blog

 

David Lamb, in Over The Hills, reflected on his journey a year after it was over and I completely agree with him:

“The most extraordinary aspect of the trip was that it was pretty ordinary. In three thousand miles, nothing truly unusual happened. I just got on my bike and went. The fact is, almost anyone could do it. --- So all the things I dreaded – the Rockies, the rain, my own vulnerability – turned out to be threats that did not exist. At some point, I realized that my apprehension of the unknown was as unfounded as the fear of fear itself.”

I'm not going to wait a year to reflect: here are my thoughts a day after the ride is over.

The most surprising thing is not that I rode 3,751 miles, but that I existed for seven weeks and didn't lose a thing! Usually I lose my keys, wallet, cell phone, sun glasses, etc. – and have to call on Brenda to find whatever is lost. But I did it all by myself! I didn't lose anything!

THANKS

• To Brenda who not only allowed me to go, but encouraged me. As I was thinking about going on the ride, she started telling everyone I was going, so then I had to.
• To Jim Erickson, “my coach” in Winthrop, Washington, who gave me a training program and, more important, encouragement. Photo of Jim in the blue jersey on the right.
• To Lady Luck. We were extremely lucky with the weather (average temperature was probably 75 and it may never have gotten to 90, and only a couple of light rains). I was lucky with no accidents, no injuries and no mechanical breakdowns. We were lucky to have a good group. Will Rogers said “There ain’t no better way to find if you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” We traveled to 50 days and I don’t think anyone hated anyone else.

STATISTICS

• Number of miles: 3,751 (my certificate says 3,629 but it be wrong)
• Hours per day in the saddle: 5.7
• Number of flats: 4 + one bad tube
• Number of bike repairs: None, although I replaced the chain after Casper and the rear tire after Niagara Falls.
• Number of turns (estimated): 750, maybe more
• Number of turns missed: 1
• Number of close calls with an automobile: none
• Number of really angry drivers: one
• Number of dogs that chased me: None. A couple thought about it but were cut off by cars.
• Number of dogs that I chased: 1. He was standing in the road, looking at cyclists he had chased; I rode up behind him and shouted – he ran for the hills.

Was I stirred like America The Beautiful?

• O beautiful for spacious skies,
• For amber waves of grain
• For purple mountain majesties
• Above the fruited plain!

No. I thought the Tetons were fantastic. So was Mount Rushmore (my favorite day) and Niagara Falls. But most of the United States that I saw was either desolate or boring. This is a vast and unoccupied land. How unoccupied? The table below shows the population density (people per square mile) of selected countries

• CHINA             1650
• NETHERLANDS 1020
• JAPAN             870
• ITALY              500
• AFGHANISTAN  120
• THE WORLD    117
• UNITED STATES 80

We have fewer people per mile than Afghanistan? Amazing!

“If you don’t follow up on your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable.” - Anthony Hopkins playing New Zealand'er Burt Munro in The World's Fastest Indian

Was it like I expected?

• It was much easier than I expected and therefore I don't feel like a hero. I’ve been on more difficult tours (End-to-End across the UK and the Lafayette Cyclists tour in Colorado) – maybe I was better prepared for this ride.
• Other than saddle sores, I was never had pain or injury. An hour after a day's ride, I had recovered and my body had forgotten that I’d just ridden 80 miles.
• It was more like a bike event (e.g. pay ride) than a tour. The objective of each day was just to finish the ride.
• I had envisioned home-made cinnamon rolls and cappuccino each day mid-morning. But I only stopped twice at bakeries (until the last day) and they were terrible (mostly donuts). No cappuccino except in the bigger towns; maybe I had half a dozen on the entire trip, which is my weekly allowance in Dallas.
• I had envisioned lunch at Mom & Pop restaurants in small towns but most of my lunches were at SUBWAY and usually at the end of the day's ride.

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." – Benjamin Disraeli

Is this the way to do it? Definitely. And I certainly recommend America By Bicycle (ABB) and the North Route.

How do I rate America By Bicycle?

• Overall: A
• Guides: A
• Routes: A+. I was amazed that day after day ABB got us out of and into the motels on side roads with minimal of traffic.
• Route sheets: A+. I missed only one turn (on the bike path on day one) in over 3,700 miles. The maps were pretty worthless but they were not needed. Ibid the elevation profiles. These were probably the best (most accurate) route sheets in over 70 tours I've taken.
• Sag stops: A-. Good but mostly the same things day after day and it got boring. Also I don't like powdered Gatorade.
• Motels: A. They used a lot of chains; America's Best Inns and Suites, Best Western, Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, Ramada Inn, Super 8, Travelodge , and others. Best Western motels were, in general, better than the others.
• Meals: B
• My biggest complaint: luggage. Many times, a dozen or more riders were at the hotel, the rooms were ready and “box” (the truck carrying the luggage) was there but unloading of the luggage was delayed for a long time – I don't known why. Others had the same complaint.

What about the west to east vs east to west issue? I expected strong Westerly winds in the wide open western states but don't think we got it very much (remember the 120 miles with headwind going into Casper). But in the later parts of the ride, we definitely had many days of tailwind which helped a lot. So, maybe there's truth in the belief that the way we did it is best.

Was this the time for me to do it? Yes, but either earlier or later in life would work too. I thought that nearing age 70 I needed to do it soon; but now that I've seen Jon Damiano do it at age 80 maybe I have more years left than I thought! Photo at right is 18 year old Vivian and 80 year old John, three miles from the end.

Did I bring the right bike? Yes, The Seven Ellium SG (shown on Atlantic coast) was great but the IF would also have worked fine.

What bicycles did the others ride? Quite a variety, mostly high end and mostly pretty new. Most popular was Specialized Roubaix followed by Trek Madone. Custom bikes included 5 Rorak’s (4 owned by ABB staff), 3 or 4 Davidson’s, 2 Serotta’s, 1 Rodriquez, 1 Seven (mine), 1 Moots. There were a couple of older Trek’s, a couple of Specialized S-Works, 2 Cannondale’s, two Trek Hybrids (FX 7.3) and a recumbent – no tandems. The most popular saddle was the Selle An-Atomica.

Did I have the right gears (30-40-50 triple with a 12-29 cassette)? Yes. In the last couple of days we had 14% grades, but they were short, and I could handle them.

What was the worst thing about the trip? Having to hand-wash my cycling clothes every night.

What was the best accessory I brought? My review mirror. Other useful things were spare chain, spare tire, an insulated water bottle for Gatorade and my rear fender.

What was the most useless thing I took? Rain gear, but I wouldn't go without it. Second most useless thing was my supply of Power Bars; they weren't needed with the ABB sag food.

How much weight did I lose? I don't know; but if any, not much. How has in impacted my riding?

• Am I faster? --- I doubt it.
• Am I stronger? --- Probably but I don't know how to measure it. Well maybe I can stand longer when going up a hill.
• Can I ride further? --- Absolutely, but not sure how long this will last.
• Do I feel different on the bike? --- Yes, but I'm not sure I can explain it. I feel more competent; I feel I can ride anywhere - on any city street, any county road or state road or any interstate – go up any mountain – go anywhere I want! Being on the bike seems to be a way of life.
• Maybe I’ll do a better job of stopping at STOP signs. (Mike Monk really emphasized safe riding practices.)

Has it profoundly impacted my life? No, not as far as I can tell.

Will I do it again? No, but the ride down the west coast is interesting. Brenda, are you interested?

Final thought: It was no big deal. But I'm glad I did it.

    

Pacific Coast June 21, 2009 ----- and ----- Atlantic Coast August 10, 2009

John McManus -- R.E.F.I. Q.E.D. -- 11 August 2009 -- Aboard AA1573, heading home.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."-- Lin Yutang

This will be my last blog, al least for a while.

8/10 Manchester to Portsmouth, NH. (end of the trail)

 

“Great joy in camp!”: Meriwether Lewis, when the Corps of Discovery came within view of the Pacific. (Remember, it had taken them 554 days!)

Last night's program wasn't over until 11:00 and breakfast was at 5:30 this morning so it was a short and somewhat sleepless night. The morning weather looked pretty good and it was much warmer than the past few days. This resulted in fewer jackets – I don't think even the guys from Trinidad, who are always cold - wore jackets. So there were 50+ America By Bicycle jerseys, an impressive sight.

Our route was mostly on rural roads and most of these were lined with houses on large country lots; they looked fairly new. I noticed that none of them have brick veneer construction like we have in Dallas. They all have some sort of siding and many are painted. -- I expected the route to the coast to be downhill but this is New England and there was more climbing than anticipated. But, like everyone else, I was pumped; I rode fast and even caught a group faster than I usually ride with.

Why did we load and leave so early when we only had a 48 mile ride to the Rye Junior High School? I'm sure this is part of the ABB plan; they really know how to conduct these rides, both logistically and socially. So it was more than coincidence that 10 miles before the Jr High we find the best bakery of the entire ride. Everyone stops here, even though it's only been 9 miles since the sag stop. But we realize we only have 12 more miles to the Jr. High and we have a lot of time.

         

         

Our group, 51 people of all ages from all walks of life, most of whom didn't know anyone else on the ride, first met 50 days ago. Gradually, some small groups formed, even the individuals who did not ride in a group developed relationships and sometimes rode with each other. By the end, the groups and non-groups knew each other and their quirks, and we seemed a fairly cohesive group overall. But today everyone was much more friendly to everyone else, beginning at the bakery. For instance, I walked out of the men's room, and for no reason (that I'm aware of) got a big hug from 21 year-old Jane (reenacted in photo); we hadn't been close the entire ride. I guess the pressure to finish the ride was over and accomplishing the mutual goal fostered more community.

The camaraderie continued, even accelerated, when we got to the Jr High staging area. Everyone was congratulating everyone else; there was hugging and photos, and remembrances and promises to meet again.

         

Then the police arrived and the 3 mile escorted caravan to the Atlantic began. First down tree lined residential streets for maybe a mile and a half, then we turned left and were on a road paralleling the coast. At the final right hand turn into the state park, I could see a small seawall, but couldn't determine how many sunbathers there were (and there were hundreds of them, even on a Monday) and how many were there to welcome us. All sorts of people were cheering. I was surprised to discover that hundreds of them were family and friends there to cheer us, even a detachment from the US Navy with a big banner (Jeanie's charity is Operation Life Transformed, which helps disabled military vets). Walking over the seawall, picking up my bike and carrying it over the loose sand and trying to observe the best bikinis without falling, I believe I was the first rider to put my wheel in the Atlantic.

Here's the most amazing thing about this ride: 51 people started in Astoria, Oregon with the intent of riding the entire distance and THE SAME 51 FINISHED THE RIDE! Usually, on a ride like this, there is a 10 % attrition rate. Not us: EVERYONE OF US COMPLETED THE RIDE!  Our last group photo, 3 miles from the Atlantic!

"The journey not the arrival matters." -- T. S. Eliot

Day 50, 53 miles, 1,744 feet climbing, 3.6 hrs. 3,751 miles so far

Ride complete.

8/09 Brattleboro, Vt. to Manchester, NH.

 

Once again it’s chilly this morning. It’s also cloudy and foggy. We see the sun for only 5 minutes as we leave town and never again during the day. -- Soon after we leave the hotel we cross the Connecticut River, which separates Vermont from New Hampshire.

Yesterday I commented on climbing 400 feet in the first 12 miles. Well today we climbed more than twice that amount in the first 10 miles. -- Both yesterday and today were 79 miles with over 4,500 feet of climbing but I felt more tired today. My quads are tight. Maybe I didn’t fully recover from yesterday. It seemed that we climbed a lot in the first 30 or so miles and the last 20. But in between, we had a couple of short, but very steep (14% grade) climbs. -- At about mile 40 there were a series of rollers (look like a roller coaster and, if they’re the right height and length and if you find the right gears, you can use momentum to coast or pedal easily uphill at 20 miles per hour). These were particularly nice since they had a downhill component. They would have been even better on a tandem.

         

I think it was mile fifty I had a flat tire – actually a blowout, hssssssss –bang. It blew the tire off the rim. I couldn’t find anything wrong but when I replaced the tube, my spare tube was bad. The other spare tube was fine and I soon got a replacement from the mechanic’s van. So this was flat number 4, or is it 5? I have a theory about the blowout. Remember I replaced the (rear) tire after Niagara Falls. I’ve recently noticed, on some smooth roads, a bump, bump, bump feeling. I figured my wheel was out or round – visual inspection didn’t reveal anything. So my theory is that, when I put on the new tire, the tube got somehow twisted and that was the bump I was feeling. Why it waited 450 miles to blow, I have no clue.

The part of Manchester we’re staying in tonight reminds me of industrial, urban New England. The houses are all multi-story, multi-family and close together. This is quite different from the New England village (tree-lined streets, large lawns, parks and town squares, white churches and town halls) which I mentioned yesterday.

The ride ends tomorrow but the celebration – or a least a banquet, is tonight. Some people have prepared skits; I’m not part of any of these. (80 year old Dr. John Damiano, concert violinist and retired college professor won the “Riders Award”- truly deserved.) Tomorrow, we will all arrive at Rye Junior High School by 11:30, the police will arrive shortly thereafter and we’ll be escorted to the beach. This is where people will REALY celebrate and photos will be taken. Then, it’s over and people will scatter in many directions. Some will just disappear with their family, some will ride an extra 12 miles to say they’re ridden in Maine, some will ride to the motel and others, like myself, will get in the van and go to a bike shop to schedule my bike being shipped back home.

Day 49, 79 miles, 4,531 feet climbed, 5.9 hrs. 3,698 miles so far

1 day remaining, 48 miles remaining

8/08 Latham, NY. to Brattleboro, Vt.

 

When we start this morning the temperature is in the 50’s – I’m sure friends in Dallas don’t want to hear this. On our way out of New York state we cross the Hudson River and find ourselves on NY 2E. After all the bragging about NY roads the past two days, 2E is terrible. There isn’t 2 square feet of contiguous pavement. Add steep climbs and it’s no fun. After 12 miles and 400 feet of climbing, we turn on route 7 and the road is much, much better.

         

At mile 32.8 we enter Vermont and NY 7 becomes Vt 9. In Old Bennington, the first building is the church in the photo and Larry says, “You can tell we’re now in New England”. I think New England has the most attractive towns in America. They all look like they’re out of a movie set. They’re typically small and appear friendly. Old Bennington is also having a Moose Festival and there are 15 to 20 moose painted and decorated every way imaginable.

                    

In addition to attractive towns, Vermont is a beautiful state with mountains, forests, streams and lakes. The main mountains are the Green Mountains, part of the Appalachians.

According to my data, we climbed more today than any of the previous 47 days, even more than when we crossed Teton Pass. There were officially only two relatively small mountains to cross today but that is only part of the story. In New England, somewhat like in East Texas, you’re always climbing because the hills are constant. And then the 38 miles from Latham to the start of the first mountain was also a gradual climb. The first climb was by far the most difficult, 8 miles of 7 and 8% grade. This mountain doesn’t have a name and there was no vista at the top. The second mountain, Hogback Mountain (has a name) was much easier – less than four miles of 5 at 6% grade (I didn’t use my granny gear.) and it had a spectacular vista, “100 mile vista” according to local advertising.

It’s Saturday and you’re got to remember that New England has had a shitty summer. So with the great weather we’ve brought, everybody and their dog is out and about. Every town we go through has some type of art show, or famers market or festival – there was something at the band stand in Brattleboro which we passed on our way to the hotel. All of these people on the road didn’t help us; we had a lot of traffic on most roads today.

Last night at dinner Cindy asked which was our most favorite and least favorite state (so far). I said NY was my favorite and WY was least favorite. Russ, Cindy’s husband, said WY was his favorite and NY his less favorite. Go figure.

We all know that Vermont and New Hampshire are “skinny” states, depending how far north you are. But this is ridiculous; we’ve been in Vermont for 46.4 miles and 1 more mile tomorrow and we’re in New Hampshire. You couldn’t get from Dallas to Fort Worth in that distance. But New Hampshire is our FINAL state; the end is at hand.

Day 48, 79 miles, 4,796 feet climbed, 6.2 hrs. 3,619 miles so far

2 days remaining, 148 miles remaining

8/07 Little Falls to Latham, NY.

 

As predicted, we climb out of town gaining maybe 300 feet by mile 8. Ahhh, vistas – valleys. I didn’t realize how much I missed the hills. Maybe that’s what made the central part of the U.S. boring – no hills. --- I’m coming down a long hill on route 5S when I see some machine ahead blowing smoke or something. When I get close I realize it’s a street sweeper, clearing the shoulder. SO THAT’S WHY NEW YORK’S ROAD SHOULDERS ARE SO CLEAN – they sweep them! Can we have some stimulus money for the other 49 states? -- By the way, 5S is also NY bike route 5; we ride it a long time today through towns like Ft. Plains, Canajoharie, Fultonville, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam Junction. It’s a great cycling road.

             

         

The group comes across an Amish family having a bake sale by the side of the road. Everyone stops and shops. As I get there and park my bike, Gordon hands me a plate of cinnamon buns, 3 gone but three still there. I ate one and gave the others away. Others bought cookies, bread and pies. The family did very well by us.

         

We’re on bike paths twice today but they’re all paved. Mostly they go along the Mohawk River. We’ve been following the river since mid-day yesterday, probably a total of 125 miles. Most of the time we can’t see the river, which is part of the Erie Canal. We did stop today to watch the operation of one of the locks on the canal.

Today is probably the most significant day of the tour; the last day I have to wash clothes!

Day 47, 75 miles, 2,112 feet climbed, 5.2 hrs. #,540 miles so far

3 days remaining, 227 miles remaining

8/06 Liverpool to Little Falls, NY.

 

Little Falls established the first cheese industry in America in 1861. Herkimer (County) cheese was sent to New York and Europe. In 1866, 380,000 pounds were sent by rail. Today, it looks like an old industrial town, although one keeping up with the times. There is a river festival this week with many activities.

We had a pleasant ride in the country today. And even though we’re on country roads, there are many turns. I counted 44 intersections where we had to make a decision. This is another change as we move east. --- Our route sheets point out and caution against every railroad crossing we encounter. So if you ever need an inventory of north-south railroad tracks in the northern US, get a set of ABB maps.

                    

Have you figured out the photo in the upper right corner? It’s of the World’s Smallest Church (floor 51 x 81 inches – seats 2 people) in Oneida, NY. It is in a swamp called Mason’s Pond. And since boats aren’t allowed in Mason’s Pond, if I wanted to go to church, ‘guess I’d have to walk on water. But I don’t want to show off.

         

The hotels along the way have been nice to us. It is very common to arrive and find a cooler of bottled water and rags to clean the bike. We’ve had cookies on several occasions as well as pretzels, bananas, ice cream, donuts and even a cooler of beer. The local motel here in Little Falls is tonight giving us a wine and cheese party before dinner.

We’re aware that our days of easy cycling – almost no hills and tail winds – is about to end. Saturday and Sunday’s itinerary shows as much climbing as in the mountains out west. In fact, Sunday’s elevation gain is the highest of the entire trip. And we know that the grades on the Appalachians are much steeper than the Rockies. -- Tomorrow, however, is still supposed to be pretty flat. But it doesn’t look like it. It looks like the we’ll have to climb out of town no matter which way we go.

Day 46, 81 miles, 1,236 feet climbed, 5.6 hrs. 3,465 miles so far

4 days remaining, 310 miles remaining

8/05 Henrietta to Liverpool, NY.

 

Today was a good ride. Miles 6 to 26 were on the tow path along the beautiful Erie Canal. The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway in New York that runs about 363 miles from Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. First proposed (by a prisoner) in 1808, it was under construction from 1817 to 1832 and officially opened on October 26, 1825.

                    

It was the first transportation system between the eastern seaboard (New York City) and the western interior (Great Lakes) of the United States that did not require Portage, was faster than carts pulled by draft animals, and cut transport costs by about 95%. The canal fostered a population surge in western New York state, opened regions further west to settlement, and helped New York City become the chief U.S. port. It was expanded between 1834 and 1862. In 1918, the original canal was replaced by the larger New York State Barge Canal. Today, it is part of the New York State Canal System. Mainly used by recreational watercraft in the recent past, the canal saw an upsurge in commercial traffic in 2008.

         

Most of the tow path was not paved and the gravel slowed us down. No one seemed to mind, even though we had a long day ahead of us. Riders were stopping for pictures and to read signs – acting like tourists for once. -- After the tow path we got on NY31, undoubtedly the best road we’ve been on this trip. We’re on 31 for 53 miles; it has a wide shoulder which is very smooth and has almost no debris or broken glass – a cyclist’s dream. Oh yes, we also had a tailwind! -- We saw more swampland today. Bill Borland, who I rode with much of the day, said it looked like Louisiana; I agreed. And as we came into Liverpool, a suburb of Syracuse, we came across a one-lane bridge. When is the last time you saw one of those? I should have taken a picture but at mile 90 your only objective is to get to the motel.

As we get further and further east, we notice towns are closer and closer together. -- I commented on ABB’s excellent route sheets and how most of us never get lost, but I haven’t mentioned that they occasionally paint arrows on the road; only when the turn is difficult to find but when it’s needed, it’s usually there.

Day 45, 96 miles, 1,408 feet climbed, 6.5 hrs. 3,384 miles so far

5 days remaining, 389 miles remaining