Done!

The riding part of the tour came to an end today as we rode to the beach in St. Augustine and dipped our front tires into the Atlantic. We have a celebration dinner at a restaurant near our hotel tonight to say our goodbyes and then tomorrow morning we all go our separate ways. For me endings and goodbyes are always a challenge. All the hoopla seems a bit too much to me. While I feel extraordinarily lucky to have had the opportunity to make this journey and have enjoyed so many aspects of it.....the comaraderie, the day by day close up views of the southern part of the US, the exhilaration of feeling such confidence in my strong body.....I hardly feel heroic. Lucky! Just really lucky!
And I am ready to go home and reclaim my daily life, build up my gardens for the coming season, get my grill set up on my deck, reconnect with family and friends, and yes....head out on my bicycle to enjoy some of the challenging rides in the Bekshires that I have not done for the past few years. Life is good!

One more detail I forgot....on our entire journey across the US we never rode in the rain! Amazing!

Hose clamp and duct tape

Just when you think you've got it in the bag life offers you a different option! Stopped at the SAG at the 40 mile point to fill up my water bottles. All was going along just fine. But when I cleated in to ride the last segment my chain jammed. Looking down it was totally obvious that something was wrong with my front derailleur. Walked back to the SAG to get an allen wrench to reposition and tighten it and discovered, with the help of Lisa (our SAG driver), that the clamp that attaches the derailleur to the down tube had snapped. Uh oh! Not an on the roadside fix. So we racked up my bicycle and I rode in to our nightly accommodation. There our trip guide rummaged through their tool kit and found a hose clamp that she attached under the derailleur clamp and then duct taped the whole thing together to the down tube. So I am now fixed gear in front with my middle chain ring but still have gears in the back. In flat Florida that will easily get me through the police motorcade into St. Augustine tomorrow on the final miles of the tour to the beach. What's amazing really is that my original Campy equipment has lasted through the thousands of miles I have put on my bicycle until today. I can hardly complain! It may mean that I will have to buy some new components when I get home....
Tomorrow is going to be hectic with the motorcade (about which I have little excitement), a picnic at the beach for the riders and who ever has come to welcome them and then a final celebration banquet for riders only in the evening. Then Friday morning a shuttle to Jacksonville airport for my flights home. The adventure is coming to an end!

Wild flowers

The ride today was 78 miles as I did it...which did not include a side trip into a state park with a spring fed pool. Several riders took that option, but I have learned that on a ride of more than 60 miles if I don't get into town and find real food I will be struggling at the end. So I headed directly to our motel, arriving around 2:00, and immediately ran to the diner across the street for lunch. Phew!
The first 45 miles of the ride were more of what we have been riding.....a two lane state highway with a shoulder and some traffic....and so flat that passing cars disappear into the horizon. These miles were rescued from tedium by the presence of glorious wild flowers....pinks, yellows, pale blues. Most of the morning the sky was overcast so the heat and humidity didn't begin to rise until closer to noon. The second part of the ride followed a bike path for a while and then some less traveled roads before putting us back on a state route for the final miles into town. Who knew Florida was so flat?!
More on fried pickles.... I have it on good authority that while it may not be considered a vegetable it is definitely considered a staple! Sorry for us in the north!

A one gear ride

Those of us who come from parts of the US that have terrain have a hard time imagining that one could ride for over 50 miles and never need to change gears....but that is what we did today. Not even a bridge or overpass to disrupt the cadence. It isn't the ride I would choose for everyday but today it was fun. Just sitting and spinning and watching the road go by. Very Zen!
We are all aware that our adventure is coming to an end and that this group of women who have become "family" to each other over the past eight weeks will be separating to go back to our normal lives. While there is much positive anticipation attached to returning home there is also now an under layer of subdued sadness at something so amazing coming to an end. Shared experience is such a powerful connector!
Three days of riding left to reach St. Augustine and the Atlantic. San Diego and the Pacific seem so long ago......

The beauty of fog

There was fog again this morning when we headed out for our 48 mile ride. Within the first few miles the fog was on my glasses as well as in the air so I stopped to remove them. The beauty of riding in the fog is that you can only see a short distance down the road in front of you. Not seeing what lies ahead you are forced to ride in the present moment. If there is a hill or a section with heavy traffic or no shoulder you don't know it until you get to it. So you just ride it and don't waste energy fretting over it. I loved the ride today. Even though the fog lifted about half way through the tone for the ride had been set and stayed with me to the end.
Tomorrow is our last rest day on this journey across the country. Although there is excitement about finishing most of us are also pretty tired from the past 8 weeks of sustained effort. We need this day off our bicycles and off the road. Four more days of riding and we will be in St. Augustine! I wonder what that will be like?

Who let the dogs out??

Theme song of the day: Who let the dogs out? Chased by all manner of dogs today...and my record of not having met a dog I couldn't outrun remains unbroken. I will say though that there were three large dark brown athletic looking dogs that I was very grateful to observe were securely inside a fence. They looked like they could have given me a good run! You think you're pedaling along at a good clip but when confronted by a dog it's amazing how much faster you can ride. Spontaneous interval training.
It was somewhat misty when we left this morning but it didn't take long for the sun to burn through and take the humidity and temperature up. By midday I had completed the 54 mile ride and was at the hotel and out of the sun. Yesterday I had some trouble with sore elbows and numb outer fingers (not my usual carpal tunnel stuff) but today, being more aware of flexing my arms and reducing the weight on them, I did fine.
I'm really struggling with the food at this point. I walked into the hotel provided breakfast this morning and knew immediately that I was out of luck. Lucky Charms or premixed waffles with HFCS syrup were the main options. A banana was the only thing available that I was willing to consume. So I rode 54 miles on a banana and a small can of V8. For lunch I managed to find a package of tuna and crackers at a convenience store next to the hotel, gave the crackers away, and ate the tuna with another V8. I'll be starving before dinner is served but I'll survive. Lean protein and veggies don't seem to be on the dietary map in major parts of this country. Are fried green pickles considered a vegetable???!

Humidity!

Today we rode 64 miles through some rolling terrain, working our way inland from the coast. Not a particularly long or difficult day in most regards. But today we got hit with the humidity factor and by the end of the ride most of us were depleted and very happy to arrive at our hotel in Crestview. It looks like the humidity will be with us for the next few days. No shortage of challenges on this ride! Seven riding days left......

Last state line crossing!

Our ride today started with a 45 minute ferry ride from Dauphin Island to the Alabama shore. The rest of the ride we hugged the coast, crossing into Florida and ending up in Pensacola for the night. The roads were excellent....most of the route either had a dedicated bike lane or a smooth shoulder. Although there was a headwind most of the day it didn't seem like much of a factor. Pleasant riding. Stopped in at a bike shop on the way into town for a little preventative maintenance on my bicycle (clean and lube the drive train, adjust the brakes, check things over) for which I was charged $7.53!!! I really thought I had misheard the guy. So I should be good to go until St. Augustine. All and all my 18 year old, much travelled and much loved touring bicycle has performed really well. Happy about that!

Alabama

After an easy 40+ miles yesterday we arrived at Dauphin Island off the coast of Alabama. Today is another day off our bicycles. Went out for breakfast this morning and then walked back to our lodging along the beach with three othes from our group. Lovely fine white sand. No evidence of the oil spill but several oil rigs visible off shore.
As the end of our ride approaches I find myself increasingly ready to return home. I feel as if I have accomplished what I set out to do....rebuild my physical stamina, see parts of the country I hadn't seen in a long time, enjoy time on my bicycle. Now with gardening season arriving I am eager to get my hands in the dirt and enjoy the late afternoons on my deck. And have time with my family and friends, all of whom I have really missed. I am not so charmed by either the physical or social environment of the deep south. And I am absolutely craving good food. The local options are often limited and involve choosing between no food and food I would never eat at home.
I am sure there will be enjoyable aspects of the nine riding days remaining. I will look for them. But once again I will be returning home with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the Berkshires and for my family.

Another detour

With the weather forecast for the local area predicting strong winds, thunderstorms and possible tornadoes we rode out early yesterday. Less than 20 miles into the ride we encountered another detour and had to spend an hour by the side of the road waiting for our tour leaders so approve an alternate route in the van. After we got the go ahead I found the directions for the reconnect to our designated route ambiguous and ended up spending another hour and an extra 10 miles trying to get back on track. By this time dark clouds had invaded the sky overhead and wind gusts were accompanied by splatterings of rain....and I still had 35 to 40 miles to go. With one eye on the sky over my right shoulder I continued on, never getting drenched but a bit apprehensive. I had my eye out for places to take shelter if a real storm seemed imminent. At times the wind blew in strong gusts, pushing me around on the road, but in the end the weather passed off to the north and I finished the ride dripping with sweat due to the humidity but not soaked by rain.
Last night was another of those nights when despite being bone weary (or maybe because of being bone weary) I was unable to sleep. I got up this morning intending to make the 68 mile ride but realized I was too tired to be out there on a bicycle. So I saw this leg of the ride through Mississippi through the window of the van instead of from my perch on my bicycle. Tomorrow we ride out to Dauphin Island where we will have an official rest day. The weather for the days ahead looks beautiful so we should have a fun time at the beach!

99!!

Yesterday we left the old plantaion after a day of rest and headed out for what was meant to be an 87 mile ride. About mid way we ran into a detour. Sometimes bicyclists can get thru even if the road is closed to vehicles but, in this case, they were replacing a bridge so we were forced to take an alternate route. This added a few extra miles. Then at the end of the day I misread a route cue which added a few more miles. By the time I completed the ride my odometer read 98.9 miles. I was tempted to ride around the parking lot to make it a true century but figured 99 was close enough to count.
For dinner our tour chef prepared a meal in honor of my birthday (this has certainly been the longest birthday celebration in my experience).....shrimp jambalaya, corn bread, green salad and bread pudding with candles for dessert. Delicious! I declared my birthday officially over with the blowing out of the candles. But not quite. I received a birthday gift from our leaders of Mardi Gras beads....four strands in purple, green and gold. Definitely my style!
Today's ride was a mere 55. Even after yesterday's long ride it wasn't that difficult.
Tomorrow we ride into Mississippi. The end of the tour seems suddenly not so far off.

Crossing the Mississippi

We were all up early for the ride out of town yesterday, hoping to beat the Monday morning rush hour traffic and get in a bunch of miles before the heat of the day was upon us. By 6:30 many of us were on the road. Conditions turned out to be more favorable than the day before. Although it got hot we were not batling the wind hour after hour. The weather forecast included the possibility of strong thunderstorms, a bit worrisome, but they passed to our north and we didn't even get rain until late in the afternoon when all of us had arrived at our B&B. By that time I was sitting on a covered porch with a glass of wine in my hand! The ride itself was almost 90 miles, but without the wind it was not overly taxing. Near the end of the ride we crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry boat and then rode a few more miles to our accommodations. We are now officially in the East!
The place where we are staying is an old plantation that has been turned into a B&B. Several cottages have been built on the lovely grounds, each unique, some accommodating two or three guests, and a couple of singles. I am staying in a charming little single. Shortly after I arrived there was a knock on my door and the owner presented me with a vase of lovely purple tulips.....a birthday gift from Sara, Kelly and Lucia :-).
This trip has been such an amazing and challenging experience, and I am waking up this morning to a 68th birthday where I am feeling joyful and strong and very fortunate. Many thanks for the well wishes of friends on this day. I am grateful for your friendship and look forward to our shared experiences in the years ahead!

Louisiana: first impressions

Louisiana is flat, hot and windy.....but it definitely isn't Texas. There are swamps and bayous along the roads, and today we rode past crawfish farms and rice paddies. The wind has been strong and relentless, making a 70 to 80 mile ride seem much longer. Tomorrow we are riding to St. Francisville and staying at an old plantation that is now a B&B for a rest day. We are all ready!!! Longer post on my day off.

Last days in Texas

Our last two days of riding after a day off our bicycles in Navasota have shown us yet another aspect of Texas. As we approach the Gulf area of the state the terrain in flatter and greener. We are also experiencing high temperatures and a definite increase in humidity. Previously at the end of a day's ride our bodies were covered with a fine layer of salt from evaporated sweat. Now we have rivers of sweat running off of our bodies. No evaporation happening anymore. The road surfaces have been smoother as well, though we did have one stretch of exhausting chip seal at the end of our ride today. Guess we're not out of Texas yet!
One new feature of the ride today was the presence of logging trucks on the road. Some of the country we rode through was forested on both sides of the road. Other sections were clear cut. We had a head wind pretty consistently today for our 64 mile ride. It was most intense in the sections which had been clear cut. Nothing to stop the wind! Even though there was little "terrain" to speak of I finished the ride tired. Hadn't eaten much since breakfast so I was also hungry. Didn't even take time for a shower before running next door to Whataburger for a bite to eat. (I have been forced to eat a fair amount of really lousy food on this trip. Although our dinners are excellent and healthy we are on our own during the day as we ride and have to make do with whatever we can find. Sometimes it a choice like today between Sonic, Subway, McDonalds and local chains like Whataburger. I'm going to need a couple of weeks to "detox" when I get home!)
Tomorrow we ride into Louisiana and we are all looking forward to our state line margaritas as we enter a new state!

Perfect!

Everything about today was.....PERFECT!!! It wasn't obvious that that would be the case as we organized ourselves to ride in the morning. It was only 37 degrees when I woke up at 6:30. And the temperature had only risen a few degrees as we headed out around 8:00. But as the sun rose we were treated to a day of pure blue skies, gentle breezes and temperatures in the low 70s. Most of the roads were easy riding and the terrain was rolling hills through green farmland. Seventy miles slipped away quickly. No dogs, no crosswinds, no aggressive drivers, no thigh burning hills. We have had many memorable days of riding, but conditions could not get much more perfect than today.
Our amazing good fortune of not having to ride in the rain continues. I know that at some point in the future I will be writing about our first day of rain, but it does not appear to be coming up in the immediate future.
Tomorrow is a day off our bicycles. I plan to sleep in, get my hair cut, find an ATM, read and eat :-) !

Romp in the park

Our ride today started out with a 16 mile romp through Bastrop State park....a lovely wooded area with a smooth road that went up and down and wound around. It did include three steep but relatively short up hills which taxed the best of us, but there was little traffic. Great fun to ride.
The weather when we started out was threatening rain and there were thunder storms off to the west. It was warm and quite humid. As we rode through the park we could feel the temperature dropping and the wind coming up. We had a few sprinkles as well, so I broke out my rain jacket for the first time. As it turned out we never got rained on but the strong gusty winds remained for the rest of the ride. We had a 2 or 3 mile stretch where the cross winds were so intense that it was hard to keep our bicycles on the road. We then turned a bit toward the south and had the winds more or less behind us for the rest of the ride. A blessing because it was really blowing! The changing conditions actually ended up adding interest to the day's ride....something I probably wouldn't be saying if it had been a head wind!
Tomorrow we ride to Navasota where we will have a rest day. Only two more days of riding in Texas after that.

Why Texans think that.....

...it's the only state in the union? Because you can ride for days and days and still be in Texas! Our last state line crossing was a long time ago and we still have a few more days to ride before crossing into Louisiana. This is not to say that all of Texas is the same. The western part was dry, sparsely vegetated and relatively flat. The last few days we were in the hill country of Texas which was greener with trees and grass (rather than sagebrush) and definitely not flat. Now we are riding between San Antonio and Austin where there are rolling hills ands more population with ranches and cultivated fields and livestock visible along the ride. Also a noticeably high humidity (which will likely be with us for the rest of the ride).
Yesterday I rode 65 miles through nice countryside, although we did have two long stretches of particularly nasty chip seal. Today I felt tired before I even got on my bicycle but rode out as always. Sometimes after a few miles of warm up you find your stride and the fatigue vanishes. Today that was not the case. I rode 25 miles of a 92 mile day and knowing I was not good for 90 took the SAG in. Tomorrow's ride involves some lovely rollers and I hope to be refreshed and ready to enjoy them. (I've come to think of the riding in more urban areas as "junk miles" and don't feel particularly attached to riding them, especially if I'm tired.)
So tomorrow it's back on the bicycle. The weather for tomorrow may include some strong gusty winds (up to 45 mph) and the possibility of a thunderstorm. Could get interesting!

Hill Country

Today is a rest day and we are in Kerrville, TX....the half-way point in our ride. My bicycle is in the shop for a cleaning and tune up, and some work on the brakes which started to squeak on the descents the past two days of riding. Our first day in the hills was a totally wonderful day of riding with three separate climbs of moderate grade. Very fun riding with lovely views. Yesterday's climbs, although only two in number, were steeper. The first one I made it up and over. The second one, with grades around 15%, I partially walked. It is the first time I have ever walked my bicycle uphill, even when I was riding loaded! From here on out there are no more major climbs. I think our challenges will be junk yard dogs and humidity. Looking forward to hitting the road again tomorrow. Rest days are necessary on a tour like this but for me they are restless days. I prefer the days on the road!

Easy = only 50 miles

When I am riding at home in Berkshire County a 50 mile ride would be considered "long"....a half century for heaven's sake! But now, approaching the mid point of our ride across the country, a 50 mile ride falls into the category of a recovery day. And truly, if you were to remove the annoyance of the chip-seal road surface, the last two days have been pretty easy. I know for sure I am getting stronger. And that's good because the next two days in the Texas hill country west of Kerrville we will be doing some climbs that involve grades of 10%. Tomorrow we ride only 39 miles but pretty much all of those miles are either up or down...no level stretches to spin out your legs. These are the last days we will be doing any significant climbing as once we reach Louisiana the remainder of the ride is pretty flat. The challenge then will have more to do with heat and humidity.

This morning when we rode out it was misty and overcast and we couldn't see much more than the road surface a few feet ahead because of the mist on our glasses. But after an hour the clouds lifted and visibility improved. By noon there were breaks of sun and we had a pleasant and relaxing afternoon in a tiny town called Camp Wood. The town had two essential items: a laundromat and an ice cream shop. I now have a suitcase full of clean clothes and got to enjoy a traditional chocolate malted milkshake....the kind made with real ice cream and milk. Yum!

We won't have cell phone or Internet service tomorrow where we are staying so I won't be able to post again until we get to Kerrville on Thursday.

Annoying "bump" in the road...

Eighty happy strong miles into my century ride when a stomach bug hit and ended my ride after 82 miles. Disappointing as I know I had it in me to finish. It had finished its task of cleaning me out by late last night and I was back on the road riding today.

We are becoming vey familiar with a road surface here in Texas known as "chip seal"....a tar surface embedded with crushed rock that apparently hold up well to traffic but is hell for cyclists. It's so rough you get no "roll" from your pedal stroke so it's like riding through glue. It also causes perpetual vibration that numbs your wrists and punishes any part of your body that has contact with the saddle. Unfortunately Texas is a big state and we will be riding here for another couple of weeks!

We are heading into the Texas hill country tomorrow for a couple of days. It's supposed to be beautiful there and we are all hoping the bluebells will be in bloom!

We had a spritz of mist this morning and overcast skies. A relief from yesterday's heat!

Getting Ready

Today's 54 miler was much like yesterday....an easy romp and into the town where our 50's style motel is. Arrived before noon. Most everyone is relaxing and mentally prepping for a long 111 miles tomorrow into Del Rio. It's going to be hot, which can make for a long ride even when the terrain is a gradual downhill with some rollers (according to the elevation chart). This is our only day with a century ride so I am hoping to make at least the first one hundred miles!

Joyful!

Our 60 mile ride today from Fort Davis to Marathon, Texas was pure joy. Rolling hills through open landscape with mountains in the distance and a gentle tail wind. Not a lot of gears needed and a wonderful easy cadence. Little traffic. Riding into Marathon after 30 miles of nothing I passed a freight train headed out of town and gave it a big wave. The engineer gave the tradition short toot of the horn in response. I remember this from my previous tours in the west. Fun!
The Gage Hotel where we are spending the night is utterly unexpected. Here in a tiny town way out yonder is a fabulous hacienda style resort hotel with green manicured gardens, shady verandas and all the amenities in the rooms. After checking in I went to a hamburger and ice cream place next door for lunch and had the best chocolate milkshake I have had in years. (I would never order a milkshake if I were going to continue riding so today was the perfect day to indulge.)
My Charlie horse from two days ago did not make a reappearance today so I am hoping that is history. All is well.

Charlie horse and a rest day!

We rode out at dawn yesterday into a steady head wind and a long gradual climb. Shortly before the first SAG stop I got a Charlie horse in my right thigh. Although I was able to continue riding until I reached the SAG it took me off the road for the day. And that might have been for the best as my body was feeling tired after several consecutive days of riding. Today we have a rest day and the bit extra will probably be good for me. The challenge of this kind of a ride is not only the daily mileage but the cumulative effort as well. We have a century coming up in three days (111 miles) which I would love to be able to complete. We all need to rest up for that.
The place where we are staying is a lovely 1930s built lodge at a state part next to the MacDonald Observatory. Many of you may know of it from NPR. They have night time programs a couple of nights every week but unfortunately not on the nights that we are here. So we are whiling the time away going into town to do laundry, doing necessary bike maintenance, and catching up on things like emails and blogs. I might even throw in a little nap :-) .
Life goes on as we ride each day.... Several of us have had unexpected unhappy news to deal with. Family members who have become ill or passed away unexpectedly. Or, as in my case, household problems of sizable proportions.....flooded basement, dead furnace and hot water heater in a basement with no previous history of flooding. Thank goodness for my daughter who has stepped in to manage the necessary repairs. Without her help I would have had to return home to do it myself. I am grateful to her for every day I ride. (I confess to having times when I really miss my family and friends and home though.)
Our good luck with weather continues to hold. Looks like the next several days will continue to be sunny and pleasant. Hope to be riding strong again tomorrow!

18 miles per hour uphill?

Must be a tailwind!
Yesterday we rode 47 miles and were struggling with a crosswind much of the time. Tractors were out in the fields plowing creating big furls of dust that we often found ourselves riding through. Although the mileage was not long many of us arrived tired and ready to be off of our bicycles. The motel where we stayed was the only one in town and nothing to write home about. We were greeted by a new bicyclist's menace called goat heads, a nasty little grass seed with several sharp thorns protruding from it.....the sort that can work it's way through the toughest of tires and cause a flat. We carried our bicycles in and out. Our wonderful cook made us pad Thai for dinner so the day ended very well. There was also a store across the street that carried all kinds of unique specialty chile powders. I bought a few and the sales person gave me a bunch of samples to try as well. Very much looking forward to experimenting with them when I get home.
Today we rode 76 miles with a sweet 15 mph tailwind all day, except for one 2.5 mile stretch. We had a long climb in the middle of the ride and at one point I glanced down at my bike computer and noticed that I was riding 18 mph uphill! That's what a tailwind can do for you. There was a fair amount of flat and rolling terrain and although the ride was almost 30 miles longer than the one yesterday I was less tired at the end than the day before.
Tomorrow we ride 90 miles, climbing up to 6000 feet, and will be staying in a state park lodge in Fort Davis, TX. The following day is a rest day and I am sure we are all going to appreciate a day off.
Hard to believe we have already covered more than 1000 miles since San Diego!

Hello Texas

Today we rode out of New Mexico and into Texas. While Arizona got a big thumbs down on bicycle friendliness New Mexico got a thumbs up. Good road surfaces, clean and well paved shoulders, friendly people, gorgeous views. Curious about how Texas will shape up.
The first 45 miles today were basically flat with a few little rolling hills through interesting countryside. We saw lots of pecan orchards, chile farms, cotton fields and even a couple of vineyards. The winds were kind to us today....mostly of a gentle nature. The last part of the ride was through the city of El Paso, and not being fond of city bicycling I chose to ride the last few miles into the city in the SAG. It was Sunday afternoon and there was a fair amount of traffic so was happy to a be in the Subaru.
Tomorrow we leave El Paso and ride off into nowhere where no services (WiFi or 3G) are available. I should be back online in Van Horn, TX on Tuesday. The national weather service has posted damaging wind warnings (up to 60 miles per hour) for Tuesday so don't know if we'll be riding our bicycles or riding in the van that day. The forecast can change so I'm not counting on anything just yet.
My bicycle is working very well and I am a happy camper!

Over the hill and off the grid

Friday's ride was truly gorgeous. The first 40 miles were steadily uphill to Emory Pass at 8228 feet. As we gained altitude the scrubby desert terrain was replaced by evergreen forest and craggy rock outcroppings. Beautiful views seemed to appear around every corner. The only disappointment was that about a mile short of the summit I ran out of air and had to get in the SAG. I know it was altitude but didn't want to take the chance of pushing my compromised heart past it's limits. I am just so happy to be doing this at all and take delight in every mile I ride. Our accommodations last night were at a place called the Black Range Lodge....a unique former bordello transformed into a bed and breakfast. Every room was different and there were large sitting areas and porches where we could hang out. The best part was that my bed had a down puff on it, much like my bed at home. Very cozy.
Today we rode to Las Crusas, our last stop in New Mexico. We started with a nice descent and then continued on flat and rolling terrain. The biggest challenges of the day were the wind and the distance. It was an 87 mile ride and we encountered some strong gusty winds which for most of the ride were either head winds or cross winds. At about the 65 mile point the woman I was riding with decided she had run out of steam and I willing waited with her for the SAG. It was hard riding as the cross winds were constantly moving the bikes around on the road. When I started this tour I had hoped to ride every mile, but now I am determined to ride a good ride every day regardless of how many miles it is. It's hard to get up in the morning feeling trashed and feel happy setting out. I want to love my time on my bike! I suspect that I will be completing the ride on the majority of days.
I haven't written a lot about the women on this tour but they are truly an amazing group. We have gotten a rhythm going on the rides. Some are regularly at the front of the pack. Some of us ride toward the middle or the back. Some like to ride in pairs or groups and some of us are lone riders. But whatever our preference or place in the line up everyone is truly supportive and helpful, and in the evening when we gather for a beer or wine and dinner the conversation is always interesting. We also have a wonderful tour leader and a talented cook who feeds us exceptionally well. Tonight we had salmon with a raspberry - chipotle sauce cooked over charcoal, a pasta salad with pesto and a fabulous spinach salad with walnuts and raspberries. There was also a dessert (though I rarely eat dessert). Although this sounds a bit bizarre we eat dinner in the parking lot of the motel (unless the weather is bad). We set up a circle of plastic chairs and the meal is served buffet style. Our cook's kitchen is the back half of the trailer that carries our luggage and supplies. It's a wonderful part of our day and I am sure motel parking lots will never look the same to me again!
Tomorrow off to El Paso. Hopefully the winds will be kind!

The Road to Silver City

Yesterday we rode from Lordsburg NM to Silver City. While the mileage was on the short side, 47 miles, about 40 of those miles involved climbing. Most of it was railroad grade but there were a few stretches where the grade was more strenuous. We crossed the continental divide at the mid point of the ride. The weather was perfect for riding....sunny, 70ish, gentle wind. I loved the ride. We still have not really done any climbing that rivals the climbs from my previous western ride or the climbs I did in the French Alps, but I am enjoying them nonetheless.
When I arrived yesterday afternoon I took my bicycle in to the local bike shop to see if they can remedy the problem I am having with the shifter for my rear cassette. Riding will be a lot more fun when I have all my gears back. Never having had any issues with my bicycle on previous rides it's been a bit disconcerting to have to deal with them this time around. Still managing to do most of the riding however.
Today is our first day off after 8 days of riding. Good to give the body a rest! Tomorrow we will be climbing again to an altitude of 8000+ feet and then spending the night at an "off the grid" lodge in te middle of nowhere. Should be fun and interesting. No WiFi there so may not be able to post as I think 3G is doubtful as well.

Good-bye Arizona!

While I do not want to indulge in negativity I have to say that I am not unhappy to be leaving Arizona. We have ridden a lot of poor roads with minimal shoulders, aggressive drivers, hostile law enforcement and the dreaded rumble strips (like Route 7 toward Williwmstown). I can only hope that New Mexico will be an improvement in that respect. All of us in the group seem to be tired. We've been riding for 12 days now, the point in a tour where the miles begin to wear on your body and mental negativity starts to set in. Fortunately we have a rest day coming up on Thursday in Silver City which will give us a chance to rejuvenate ourselves. I am also hoping to be able to get my bicycle issues remedied there and get back to being able to ride full days. There's some climbing again tomorrow which I am hoping to be able to do most if not all of. We will be crossing the continental divide, which will make at least 6 times I have done that on a bicycle. That's it for now. I need to take some time to organize my things for an early start in the morning.

Last full day in Arizona

I had a plan for doing the ride today in my three gears and it worked pretty well. At times I was spinning faster than my usual cadence and at other times I was pushing a bigger gear than I wanted to but I managed to do 45 of the 60ish miles. The last part was virtually flat and I definitely did not have the gear for that so I took the SAG for the last 15 miles. Turns out there is a bike shop in this town and my bicycle is there now with one of our guides being checked out. Hopefully they will be able to adjust it. Tomorrow we have a lot of miles with a couple of nice climbs and I want to be able to ride them well.

Weather has been so ideal. Sunny but not too hot. Had a bit of a headwind today but it didn't interfere all that much. Vistas of mountains with snow capped peaks. Nice! Nice!

Life is good!

6% Grade

Yee haw! Two lovely long climbs today..... The first was about 4 miles at a moderate grade. The second was a georgeous 6 to 7 miles at a lovely 6% ....the kind of climb that is doable but challenges you as well. The weather was perfect. The sceney was amazing. The legs were ready to go. The only down side was that there was a lot of traffic and not much shoulder for a lot of the climb, so we always had to have one eye on the traffic coming up behind us. Still it was wonderful and totally reminded of how much I love a good climb. We have a few more ahead. Happy about that! We are eating out at a Mexican restaurant tonight. Hope it's a good one because I love Mexican cuisine.
Before I started on this tour I was worried about my physical capacity. Interestingly my body has far surpassed my expectations. All my problems have been with equipment....a problem with my rear cassette, a flat tire from road debris and now I have a problem with my right shifter. Apparently the mechanic in the shop in Phoenix where my bike went to get the casette issue tken care of decided to adjust the tension on the shifter. He made it so tight I can barely manage to operate it so was riding today with only two gears.....vey low and medium low. That's pretty much what I will have until I get to Silver City in a couple of days where there is another bike shop. The funny thing is that those gears are fine for climbing but harder on the flats where big gears are helpful. I'll make it though. Would hate it if I couldn't climb!
Time for a beer!

News from Apache Junction

Sixty-some long flat miles today through urban and suburban sprawl. Tomorrow we ride out of it and do some serious climbing....about 4000 feet with a 6% grade. Let the fun begin!

Oh, and I got my first flat tire....in my motel room! I'll fix it in the morning :>( .

On the road to Phoenix

Interesting day today. We all headed out early to beat the afternoon heat. (Yesterday it got into the upper 80s in the afternoon.) We were traveling out in town on a divided two lane road
with a shoulder that had a rumble strip and was full of evil stuff....loose gravel, broken glass, strips of blown tires, broken pavement.....all bad news for cyclists. So, we were riding the white line to the right of the righthand lane. A policeman passed us and then pulled in and flagged us down. How long have you been riding in Arizona? he asked. And then proceeded to tell us we were riding illegally. That we should be riding on the far right of the shoulder. Now anyone who is a cyclist knows that by federal law bicycles are vehicles and we are allowed to ride to the right of the right hand lane. None of us said anything however. Then the guy went on to tell us that he knew a guy who always insisted in riding in the road. He's now dead. OK. Yes sir officer. Whatever you say officer. We onlys had two miles to go until we turned off onto another road. About a midle further on after crossing the rumble strip to avoid a bush in the middle of the breakdown lane my chain jammed. After trying and failing go get it righted I ultimately had to rack my bike up and ride with the SAG into Phoenix to a bike shop. The mechanic there fixed my problem, checked over the rest of my bike and charged me a very reasonable fee. I'll be back on the road tomorrow. Yippee!

Good-by CA, hello AZ!

We have been so lucky with the weather. Today was another clear sunny day that reached the low 80s by the afternoon. A lot of gentle uphill riding with the total for the day at 64 miles. Felt easy after a rest day yesterday. Tonight we are staying at a motel that must have been built in the 1950s.... A long line of rooms stretched out by the roadside in a sleepy little town called Salome. Our tour leader made us a pitcher of margaritas to celebrate the crossing of our first state line. I guess that margaritas are a tradition each time we enter a new state. Beginning to fall into the rhythm of riding everyday, feeling like I can do this!

Blythe, CA

What a fabulous ride today was. We started out with a tail wind heading out of town and just cruised along a relatively flat section for several miles. Then after a gradual climb rode into an area of sand dunes where a cross wind was blowing sand across the road in wide ribbons. A bit like being sand blasted on one side of your body. This was followed by a long stretch of rolling hills and dips that were glorious to ride....fly down one side, hammer a few strokes in a big gear and roll over the top of the next. Almost effortless. The final 20 miles were flat and as the direction of the road changed sometimes we had a tailwind and sometimes a cross wind but rolled into town in good shape by mid afternoon. Ninety miles my fourth day on a bicycle since Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is a day off to do laundry, clean our bicycles and rest up for 8 days of consequetive riding starting on Wednesday.

I heard there was a snow storm in New England. Is it true?

Brawley, CA

We did a little climbing at the start of the day and then had a long descent through canyon like twists and bends to bring us back down to sea level again. Beautiful as the scenery was it was hard to enjoy because we were assaulted by strong gusty winds. It took focus and determination just to stay on the bicycle. Then we had a long relatively flat ride through desert which was wonderful. Brought to mind an old Woody Guthrie song called Way Out There that involves some yodeling so I amused myself by singing it at the top of my lungs for several miles. Later in the ride we hit a 20 mile stretch of very rough road surface which left me with hands and feet that were completely numb....so I got in the van for the final 6 miles. Tomorrows ride is a 90 miler to Blythe. Our last day in CA.

Day 2

Another day with beautiful riding weather. We rode just under 50 miles and climbed over 4000 feet. Demanding but I was not trashed when I arrived. I'm amazed. Only the second time this season that I am on my bicycle. Tomorrow has a major descent where we lose all those feet we climbed and then is mostly flat....but we will be riding 67 miles in all. The challenges just keep coming, but so does the fun. Great group of women to ride with! I am so happy to be doing this!

Day 1

Day 1..... Perfect weather. Sunny and 70 degrees. Two thousand feet of elevation gain. Forty miles. Never used my clinging gear. The girl and the bike are good to go!

San Diego

I have arrived in San Diego to sunny skies, green grass, palm trees and warm temperatures. A far cry from the weather I left behind in western Massachusetts. I collected my bicycle from the shop yesterday and had a chance to do some riding. My ride from the shop to my hotel was over a steep San Ferancisco-like hill. Both bicycle and rider made it up and over. Happy to have my butt back on a real bicycle rather than a spinning bike and to hear the lovely sound of click-click as my cleats lock in. I'm ready to ride!

Members of the group have begun to arrive, including our group leader and our chef de tour. They both seem great. Our first official function is an introductory gathering at 1:00 this afternoon and then our send-off dinner tonight. Let the fun begin!

Tomorrow is our first day of riding which includes 2000 feet of elevation gain. Wish me luck!

Final preparations

So now I am seriously trying to pack, which is difficult because while my body is in western
Mass my head has already left for San Diego! Who knows what all I'll find in my suitcase when I arrive!

More poetry for the road....

Challenge

I’m obsessed with high mountain passes,

With snow-capped peaks and alpine grasses,

Grazing sheep and diluted air,

Marmots whistling everywhere.

The longer the climb the better I like it.

Point out something that’s steep and I’ll bike it.

When things are flat I’m bored and antsy.

It takes a challenge to suit my fancy.

Forget all the lightweight shit you can buy.

Pack up your panniers and give it a try!

Do it in rain or better in snow.

Pray for a headwind before you go.

Why do I do these ridiculous things?

Perhaps for the endorphins exercise brings.

Perhaps it distracts me from things that I fear

And I get to feel brave in my climbing gear.

(Hope the sentiment of this poem, written after several challenging and exhilarating climbs in the Rockies and Cascades a few years back, will resurface as we ride east from the Pacific Coast.)

Number 1 Fan

Me and my number 1 fan!  She's used to my "adventures" but still her comment was "Two months, Meme?!"  I hope that when she is my age that her adventurous spirit will be alive and well.

Mantra

So the title of this blog (and my cycling mantra) comes from a short poem I wrote during a long solo tour out west in 1996.  Here it is.

Bicycle Tourist

This

mountain 

is not the sum

of all the obstacles

I have faced in my life.

It's just a hill!

When I first returned to cycling in my 50s I was afraid of every hill I came to.  I had no confidence that I had the capacity to ride over anything bigger than a bump.  But the more I rode the stronger I got and the "bumps" I was riding over got bigger and bigger.  But I still faced each climb with fear.  Then one day on a long loaded tour in the Rockies I met another cyclist and told him how every climb seemed like a battle to me.  He suggested that I practice relaxing as I climbed.  It seemed like a silly idea but I decided to try it.  And that's when I figured out that my fear had very little to do with the hill in front of me.... and wrote the poem.... and found my mantra.  I have no doubt it will be useful as we head east from San Diego!