Well, since Bob doesn't have the capacity (one could argue that it's not just a technical obstacle) to post updates while on the road, he's asked me, his son Gregg, to do so on his behalf.
Bob left NJ on Monday the 25th of June after a very busy and tiring weekend. As of the Sunday night preceding his departure, he hadn't even finished packing his gear nor the suitcase that Mom is expected to bring with her when she meets him in LA in August. He wound up leaving in the early afternoon rather than in the morning as was previously planned.
Almost immediately, he ran into mechanical problems. He had flats, drivetrain issues (poor gear shifting), and challenges simply staying upright given the odd physical properties of pulling a trailer behind a light aluminum road bike frame. Fortunately, he found helpful people in almost every town he visited. At one point, while disabled on the side of the road talking to a police officer, a good Samaritan offered to put Bob's gear in his compact car and take him to his home overnight since the bike shop was closed for the evening. Bob accepted and enjoyed their hospitality (dinner and an ice cold beer), their dog, and a surprisingly pleasant teenager son. The couch worked fine; he was safe for the night.
Bob's major problems, however, aren't confined to the many flats and stretched cables; it's the hills! He's reported walking up 4 out of 5 hills even if the gradient is modest. Without the trailer, he strongly believes that he'd be up them in no time. During his training, he put a number of heavy bricks on the trailer and drove around town to simulate the conditions he'd face while on this trip. If it helped at all, it certainly does not seem to be evident as even pushing the bike up some of the steep hills has been a challenge! As such, his goals for an average daily distance of between 70 and 100 miles are way off, but as the trip progresses, he believes his strength and endurance will increase and that he'll make up the lost time.
On Thursday night (I think), Bob was trying to figure out where he could camp for the night. He found this park and was considering all of the logistics involved with setting up camp, but wound up speaking with a young girl (maybe 19 or 20) who had just finished her shift at a local diner. She offered the home she shares with her boyfriend (in his 40s) for Bob that night, and he gladly accepted. His relief at having found safe and warm accommodations were quickly dashed as he arrived at what was described by him to be "Appalachia." It was the equivalent of a shanty-house in the middle of the woods; by his account, it was messy ... something straight out of the movies. Whie there were a toilet and a sink, the tub did not work. While he showed his gratitude to them, he was pretty startled at the bleakness of their circumstances, and yet their generosity. They made coffee the next morning and he went on to reclaim his bike and get back o n the road.
Eventually, Bob made it up to his alma mater, Hobart College, in Geneva, NY on Saturday (after waiting a rainstorm for about an hour). His plan was to hook up with a gentleman (possibly a former classmate who lives in the area) with whom he had been sharing correspondence, but didn't have the number to dial to reach the guy. Insert the world of technology; he called me Saturday in the early afternoon and asked if I was near a computer so that I could get to his e-mail and find the guy's number. I was in Central Park and without computer access, but I was able to use my buddy's Treo smartphone and after a few minutes, I found the number. That's the good news; the bad news is that when Bob dialed, the guy wasn't around. Somehow though, he managed to find the College President and when the President learned of Bob's adventure, Bob was invited to dinner as a virtual guest of honor at the President's home with his wife and another couple. They served pasta; Bob was VERY happy about that. Thereafter, he was offered a clean, albeit absolutely bare, condo-like suite for the evening and again, he accepted. The condo was newly built and had not been put in service yet, so only bedding was available, but no glases, silverware or cookware in the kitchen. But the A/C worked! And the shower was winderful! Bob's comments about this were entertaining to say the least; he just couldn't get over the contrast of being in the most primitive setting in Appalachia earlier in the week to dining with his College President in a near-regal element thereafter.
He was told that Sunday's ride route would be pretty flat but as usual, the information was bogus and Bob struggled again with hills. On Monday, however, he made pretty good time thanks to much gentler terrain and sure enough, his trip became an international one as he crossed the Peace Bridge connecting the US to Canada. He spent the night in Crystal Beach, Ontario on Monday night in a nice motel room with heat, cable TV, and vending machines. He was a happy man.
His original goal, before running into so many mechanical and topographical delays, was to arrive in Ann Arbor, Michigan to visit his brother Jesse by July 4th. This posting is dated July 3rd and Bob's message to me this morning was that he believes that he's about 200 miles from Windsor/Detroit. He expects to get halfway there today and if so, he'll likely arrive in Ann Arbor on Thursday. Thereafter, he's hoping that Jesse's U. of Michigan colleagues, who happen to include at elast one cyclist, will help him map out a flat-as-possible route to LA. Bob originally wanted to go through Denver to visit his son/my brother Michael, but it's unclear if those plans have changed. I get the feeling that most of his decisions at this point are going to be made on the fly.
Please note that all of the information in this post and future posts are subject to the inconsistencies of my memory or Azar's intepretations of Bob's stories, and while inaccuracies are very likely, the sentiment remains constant... that he's a loon who is undeterred in this amazing adventure. Please leave comments to this and future postings. Bob has been calling me a few times a day, and I'm sure he'll want me to relay your comments/questions/criticisms/support to him.
Gregg
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
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
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5 comments:
Thanks Gregg for the update. Tell Dad that due to the time differences, if he nees anything at all to call me or Corinne and we will do what ever needs to be done. We await his arrival, hoping it will be before the wedding in august.
Gene
Bob still believes that he'll be in LA before the wedding in August, but pray for healthy tailwinds to help this come to fruition.
Gregg
Thanks, too, for the entertaining update! I work with Bob at BCA -- and have been eager to hear what I knew would be some great stories from the road. Gregg -- you are a true raconteur in the mold of your father, but we still eagerly anticipate Bob's version of the night in Appalachia in the faculty room come September.
GG - I'm enjoying reading about the adventure - please pass along my best wishes to you dad and by the way, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree :) (just thought I'd mention that!)
We met Bob at PanderaBread in Canandaigua, NY, - enjoying a cup of soup together. Glad to hear he unloaded his trailer-- hope the lighter equipment, makes this travels more safe and enjoyable!
Mack and Sharon Baxter, from the Fingerlakes region of New York State. We will be thinking of you, and following your reports!-- ENJOY!
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