I left the bike for repair in Denver this morning. I had been unable to shift onto the big front gear without derailing, and could not shift at all onto the small front ring. If I had to have only one ring to be in, at least the middle was the best of the three. They told me the front derailleur (sp?) was worn out and that they can be expected to wear out anywhere from 2,000 miles on. Then they offered me an upgraded derailleur, which I accepted.
When I came to pick it up, it turned out that my derailleur was fine - it was just missing a pivot bolt, whatever that is. Besides, the upgrade derailleur wasn't made for this particular model and would not have fit. I got out for only $15 for the fix. The Gordon finally won one!
You know, I am a compulsive editor, even if I do not catch all my own mistakes in the monthly newsletter. So I am always surprised how Gregg gets so many little details wrong, mostly because we communicate by phone, and pronunciation/cell service quality intrudes. And I rarely remember to spell out key words. So the town of North Platte came out N. Flat, and Julesburg came out Jewelsburg. Then too, I speak in a rush and probably garble the message myself. But for anyone who may actually be trying to spot these places on the map, I suppose it can be frustrating. (Sorry, Gregg, I know you try your best. It is the situation ... and my compulsiveness.)
Now that I am at my oldest son's place in South Denver, it is a good feeling to be somewhat caught up on my e-mail and to have a full set of clean clothes for when I set out tomorrow.
I have not told Michael that I need a ride back to Hudson, Colorado, to complete the trip as though I hadn't had him pick me up there last night. One advantage: I may be able to skirt much of Denver without getting much into it, assuming I head south. Ooops. Cancel that. Mike can't take me back there tomorrow morning. I will ride 20 miles out in some other direction than south (my chosen route to LA) and then back, to make up the 40 miles I missed last night.
I think I forgot to say that I got caught in a thunder/lightning/rainstorm last night, 40 miles away. I got off Interstate 76 at the first crack of lightning ... I happened to be right at an exit, and I immediately went into a Mexican restaurant, named El Faro. It had a vestibule that I put the bike into to keep it and my gear dry. I had a wonderful dinner, but there was still thunder and steady rain, so I called Mike to come and get me, after first determining that no one at the restaurant would put me up for the night.
By the way, that Interstate permits bicycles. This is Colorado after all - a big big biker state (though mostly mountain bikers, not "roadies").
Another by-the-way: El Faro was the name of a wonderful tiny Spanish restaurant in the Village, in the late 60's. Inexpensive and great paella Valenciana!
As for my route to LA: I have determined that (for cars) the route through the mountains is 1,019 miles and thru Albuquerque is 220 miles further. However, I am dreadful on the hills and I do very well in heat, and even better in dry heat. If the gods are with me, the extra 220 miles is only 2 days of extra riding, and a whole lot less draining of my energy. It could even be faster!! Yesterday I was on track to do 135 miles before 8:30 pm so it is only headwinds and thunderstorms that will defeat me (and they get those in the mountains too ... just what I need when struggling at 5mph to get up a hill).
The next posting will be from my loyal (if now abused) son.
Regards to all,
Bob
PS: I believe that I still have enough time to make it to LA for the wedding in mid-August. However, one alternative plan, if time becomes critical, is to practice bicyclus interruptus. That is, I will stash the bike at some point - interrupt the ride to attend the wedding - then go back and resume the ride where it left off. Stay tuned.
Why a Bike Ride?
Summer of 2009:
More adventure. The plan: Ride from St. Louis, MO to Upper Saddle River, NJ, via Ann Arbor (to visit my brother), then across Ontario and thru Buffalo to Hobart College (Geneva, NY), then south to the Delaware River, which I'd follow into NJ and continue southeast to home. From Ann Arbor, it is the reverse of the route I took across America 2 years ago.
With a meeting to attend in St.L., it seemed a good idea to ride back.
St.L. departure date: 6/15. Estimated distance: about 1,150 miles, or one-third my Cross-America trip. Theoretically, the wind would be at my back. The hope: a 100-miles-a-day average and 12 days in the saddle. Total elapsed time: dependent upon weather and equipment outages.
My son says it will be dry every night and drenching during the day, the other side of the road will be smooth whereas I'll ride in under-construction rubble, the wind will be in my face, and all roads will be uphill. With my luck, could happen.
No official money-raising, but if you want to contribute, the trip ain't cheap.
I will make the blog entries at sporadic points, with fuller descriptions at trip's end.
Summer of 2007:
It was a personal challenge, short and simple. I needed to prove to myself that this 70-year old man wasn't over the hill yet.
So, while I was at it, I appealed to 4 different constituencies to pledge financial support for my ride. The consitituencies do not overlap in any way. I raised money for:
The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, of which I was the President (2006-8): (http://www.ethicalfocus.org/). ECS is a caring humanist community that believes in deed, not creed, as expressed in social action.
Upper Saddle River, my home town, in support of all the volunteer services: the Fire Department; the Ambulance Corps; the Rescue Squad.
The Interact Club, at the Bergen Academies (a county high school with competitive admissions, where I am a substitute teacher). The club helps the hungry and homeless, and also pays the fare for children from the 3rd world to come to the US for medical treatment.
And last but not least (they are all equal in my mind), I hoped to kindle the giving for my alma mater, Hobart College, so we could present them with a sizable class gift in June, 2008, at our 50th reunion.
So you now have both the real reason ... and the good reasons.
And while I was at it, I wanted to try to show up those who said I wouldn't make it on the (ambitious) schedule I set for myself. I didn't, making an average of only 81 miles per day, when riding. I was done in by the steeps, the weight I carried, some bike problems, headwinds and afternoon thunderstorms. Color me humbled.
And now that the ride is over, I slake my need to write by adding occasional longer-view essays based upon the experience.
To summarize the trip, I covered 3,467 miles, solo. My route ran from home, in Upper Saddle River, in northeastern NJ, to Buffalo, across Ontario, then through Michigan to Wisconsin, across Minnesota, Nebraska, and into Colorado at the northeastern corner. I went southwest from there to Denver, then south to Albuquerque, and due west to L.A., across the Mojave Desert.
I lost approximately 4 days to weather, 3 days to visits en route with my brother in Michigan and my oldest son in Denver, and about 3 days to various bike issues. That leaves 39 days for being in the saddle. Never had a leg issue. Ate like a pig and lost weight.
A great experience. Read on.
Bob
More adventure. The plan: Ride from St. Louis, MO to Upper Saddle River, NJ, via Ann Arbor (to visit my brother), then across Ontario and thru Buffalo to Hobart College (Geneva, NY), then south to the Delaware River, which I'd follow into NJ and continue southeast to home. From Ann Arbor, it is the reverse of the route I took across America 2 years ago.
With a meeting to attend in St.L., it seemed a good idea to ride back.
St.L. departure date: 6/15. Estimated distance: about 1,150 miles, or one-third my Cross-America trip. Theoretically, the wind would be at my back. The hope: a 100-miles-a-day average and 12 days in the saddle. Total elapsed time: dependent upon weather and equipment outages.
My son says it will be dry every night and drenching during the day, the other side of the road will be smooth whereas I'll ride in under-construction rubble, the wind will be in my face, and all roads will be uphill. With my luck, could happen.
No official money-raising, but if you want to contribute, the trip ain't cheap.
I will make the blog entries at sporadic points, with fuller descriptions at trip's end.
Summer of 2007:
It was a personal challenge, short and simple. I needed to prove to myself that this 70-year old man wasn't over the hill yet.
So, while I was at it, I appealed to 4 different constituencies to pledge financial support for my ride. The consitituencies do not overlap in any way. I raised money for:
The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, of which I was the President (2006-8): (http://www.ethicalfocus.org/). ECS is a caring humanist community that believes in deed, not creed, as expressed in social action.
Upper Saddle River, my home town, in support of all the volunteer services: the Fire Department; the Ambulance Corps; the Rescue Squad.
The Interact Club, at the Bergen Academies (a county high school with competitive admissions, where I am a substitute teacher). The club helps the hungry and homeless, and also pays the fare for children from the 3rd world to come to the US for medical treatment.
And last but not least (they are all equal in my mind), I hoped to kindle the giving for my alma mater, Hobart College, so we could present them with a sizable class gift in June, 2008, at our 50th reunion.
So you now have both the real reason ... and the good reasons.
And while I was at it, I wanted to try to show up those who said I wouldn't make it on the (ambitious) schedule I set for myself. I didn't, making an average of only 81 miles per day, when riding. I was done in by the steeps, the weight I carried, some bike problems, headwinds and afternoon thunderstorms. Color me humbled.
And now that the ride is over, I slake my need to write by adding occasional longer-view essays based upon the experience.
To summarize the trip, I covered 3,467 miles, solo. My route ran from home, in Upper Saddle River, in northeastern NJ, to Buffalo, across Ontario, then through Michigan to Wisconsin, across Minnesota, Nebraska, and into Colorado at the northeastern corner. I went southwest from there to Denver, then south to Albuquerque, and due west to L.A., across the Mojave Desert.
I lost approximately 4 days to weather, 3 days to visits en route with my brother in Michigan and my oldest son in Denver, and about 3 days to various bike issues. That leaves 39 days for being in the saddle. Never had a leg issue. Ate like a pig and lost weight.
A great experience. Read on.
Bob
Sunday, July 29, 2007
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3 comments:
Feeling abused and unappreciated, but the ego will heal and I'll remain incredulous at the fortitude and youth of my father.
Gregg
Bob, as I mentioned at the Friday dinner of the AEU assembly, you're living my fantasy. The words best describing what you're doing are INSPIRING and the ubiquitous AWESOME!
If you're planning to summarize your postings for an article, I'd like to use some or all of it in Dialogue.
Just wanted to let you know we are avidly following your travels and cheering you on. No doubt at all that you will meet your goal. Sounds like you will make it to LA with enough time...
Take good care,
Bea and David
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