We Did It!!!

On Sunday September 30, we finished our bike trip across the country. I put the bike in the Atlantic ocean as planned about 12:30. It was a bright and beautiful day. I was so glad to finally be done.
We got started from Groveland. I got there about 10AM. I wasn't even out of my car yet when a biker rode up the hill. I waved and didn't think anything about it until he headed toward me and skidded to a stop. Lo and behold, it was my coach from Dallas, Larry Hart. You can't know how I felt when I saw him there. That got the ride off to a great start. He had been setting this up with my boys for a few days and it was a complete surprise.

Larry, Matt, Josh and I took a quick trip into Newburyport where we met up with Jack MacSwan, another buddy who rode with us the rest of the way to Plum Island. We stopped in the 'port and took our time because several friends were running late and we wanted them there when we dipped the bike in the ocean. Everyone got there and we had the ceremony, followed by a pull on the bubbly.

After we were through at Plum Island (Damn, that water was cold!!)
, we went back to Michael's Harborside restaurant where we spent the next several hours with a raft of friends. Yes, we partied pretty hard and well into the night.

It is great to be done, but the re-entry has been a shocker. I have kept busy. On Monday we cleaned out the van, our home for 4 months. It was a bittersweet farewell. I will trade it in sometime next week

I plan on getting out on the bike for the first time today. am very stiff and sore, I think my body misses the bike. It should be fun to actually ride a loop today rather than a straight line from point A to point B. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sorry I haven't updated the blog with the news of the finish. I have been somewhat confused how to do this. What do I say? My reflections of the trip have barely begun. I found no secrets to the meaning of life along the way.

I need to thank you all for your support. I know I couldn't have done it alone. Thanks to one and all.

Where do we go from here? I wish I knew. I will have to become gainfully employed soon. I'll let you know what I will be when I grow up. If I decide not to grow up, I'll let you know where the next adventure will take place.

Till then...

The Last One

This is a big one. Back in Oregon, I tried to imagine this and I couldn't do it. Here it is. I am not saying I am done. Far from it. I rode some big hills today coming out of the Hudson River valley in Eastern NY. We crossed the state line after about 25 miles of the last of NY. We may have about 200 miles or so left. Sometime this week we will be done.
After the next couple days we should be more exact. The Berkshires (hills or mountains?) are an unknown to me and the Conneticut River valley still stands between me and the coast. I'm sure I will see my share of hills yet, hey just don't seem so big anymore. They are work and I am grateful the weather is perfect. I don't think the temp got over 80 today and it is comfortable during the day, not too cold or hot.
Only did about 40 miles today. The legs felt good after a day's rest but we got on the road late today coming back from Amherst. Tomorrow should be better if the fog lifts before 10.

Massachusets Here We Come

Last week was a great effort that covered the whole state of New York. I must admit, I was intimidated by the almost 400 miles that the state covered. Then there was the Catskill Mountains to consider. Well, it was probably the most beautiful, bike friendly state so far. The weather was beautiful, sunny every day after the fog lifted. It was a great week.
I wanted to get all the way to Massachusetts before the end of the day Saturday. However, I got a flat at about 4:30 and called it a day about 20 miles from the border. The boys wanted to visit some friends at their college town of Amherst. I needed a break, so we checked into a motel with a hot tub and I relaxed today. The legs are ready for the last week of biking.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures lately. I downloaded some from the top of the Catskills, but they were too hazy. It was an impressive sight. I got so far up the mountains that you could see 5 states from the summit. Take my word for it, it was impressive. I couldn't believe I was up so high. I was in the zone and the hill just disappeared. That happened several times last week. There was even a day where the road appeared downhill all day, even though I knew it was rolling hills. I finally got into my rhythm and became oblivious to the wind and the slope I was riding.
Anyway, we will be in Massachusetts first thing tomorrow. We now have about 200 to 250 miles left in the trip. I think we are all ready for this to end. After I get over the Berkshire mountains at the beginning of the week, we can be very exact about when we will hit the ocean at Newburyport. I want it to be Thursday, but it will probably be Friday. More on this later.

A Quick Update

I know I haven't posted for a few days, so I will get something up here before I get on the bike this morning. I have a little time because the fog doesn't lift lately until about 10 AM.
Other than that, the weather has been great. It has been a little cool, but I am getting used to that. It took some getting used to because 2 weeks ago, I was riding in 90 degree weather. Now it is in the 60's. It was even 58 when I started a couple days ago.
I have been making pretty good progress since I got back from Boston. I've been doing 50 mile days and now am very close to Binghampton. I figure there is only about 140 miles left in NY. I should be crossing my last state line sometime this weekend!!
The route has been wonderful. I am riding one of three bike route designated across NY by the NY dept of Transportation. It basically follows route 417 across the southern border of NY. The path winds along the Susquehanna River. Very beautiful. I took a couple pictures yesterday, but I don't have them downloaded yet. I got a flash yesterday of biking along the Snake River in Idaho, another favorite route along the way. A lot of territory covered since then. It's hard to believe we have come so far.
As the journey nears it's end, I am getting flashes of the trip along the way. I'm sure the reminisces will be stronger when I am done. Most of the trip is a kind of blur right now. Thank God I have written this blog to remind me of what went on. I am really ready to get off the bike. It's been a long 3+ months, but I am also sorry to see it come to an end. I don't really know how I will feel about the end of something I have wanted to do for 30 years. Relief? You bet! Sadness? Probably. It will be a mix of emotions that I am starting to experience already.
However, the bike calls again today. Maybe the next time I write, I will be in Massachusetts!!
Till then...

The Final Push

I am just getting back to New York after a quick trip to Boston.
We took off Thursday after a great bike riding day. I don’t know exactly what it was, but I had a good day on the bike, pedaling about 60 miles. That was more than I had done in a long time. Maybe it was the weather, crisp and cool. I was dressed well for it, so I wasn’t cold and I wasn’t sweating from too much clothing. That happened the day before.
I think it was probably getting back to basics with my cadence and road psychology. I got into my rhythm that I haven’t been in since Columbus almost two weeks ago. The hills of PA were just a bit too close together and too steep. I would coast down the hills and fight the uphills. When I am in my cadence rhythm, I am not really aware I am going up a hill. I hope it carries over tomorrow.
The trip back to Boston was good motivation for concluding this trip. It was exciting to see the place again. The people were just enjoyable to visit. I miss them. Whereas the trip has been the trip of a lifetime, it is coming to an end. The bike has been tuned up and so has my head.
I figure I have between 400-500 miles left. Most of it will be hills and mountains. I want to say I will take 10 more days of good hard riding to get done. That’s not to say I will be done in 10 days. I figure there will be several days off for weather or breaks, but I want to be done in less than 2 weeks.
There – I have said it out loud (or in print). Two weeks. I want to be done by September 29th. Anybody want to ride the last few miles together?

Only One More

Well, I have finally crossed the state line into NY. Only one more state line to cross. I will soon be in Massachusetts. I went east in PA longer than I thought. I am actually east of Buffalo, but I still am not moving as fast as I want.

It has been 5 days since I left Ohio. 2 of those days have been rain-shortened. 1 was a complete washout. That was the day we went to the baseball game. Only 2 were good for biking. One of those was windy with a high of 60 degrees. Quite a shock to the system when I have been used to 90.

Today I am sitting in the hotel room at almost 8 AM because it is too foggy out there to bike. The weather is driving me crazy. Today is the last day to bike for a couple days. We are off to Boston after today's ride. The boys have tickets to the Red Sox vs Yankees in Fenway tomorrow night. I was going to stay here and do some more miles, but my bike is injured. The bottom bracket, which is the bearing cage that attaches the pedals to the frame is busted. The bike shop here would have to order the parts and wouldn't get them for a couple days. I called my shop in Boston and they have the parts and will fix it while I wait on Friday. I can actually get it done faster by driving a few hundred miles. Also, it could completely fail while the boys are gone. Then I would be really in a mess.

So, we will cross into Mass for the first time in 3 months. It will be weird in that we will be there, but our journey is not over. Maybe that will give me some incentive to get moving on ending this trip. I certainly am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed!!

Pedaling Thru Pennsylvania

We left brother Jack’s house late on Saturday. I woke up that day with a few chores to do before we left, including the blog about the brothers’ ride. It was tough to write with the instant review from the participants. For instance, they couldn’t understand why that day wasn’t rated Number 1 day on the ride instead of just the Top 10. I decline to specify my top day. It was a private moment.
Anyway, we got off and made our way to PA. I started riding, but it was cut short by a tremendous rainstorm. I only rode about 20 miles that day. I think I needed the light day anyway to compensate for the late nights and rich food at Jack’s house.
Sunday was our trip to Pittsburgh to see the Pirates play the Chicago Cubs at their new PRC Park.

The home team won 10 – 5. It was a fine stadium, but not our favorite on this trip. That honor (for me anyway) would be Milwaukee’s Miller Stadium. The home teams have won 5 of the 6 games we have seen on this trip. That is the last ballpark of 5 we will visit on this trip. The boys will be going to Fenway later this week to see the Red Sox play the Yankees.
We got a chance to see Jim and Dianne Hall again as they (OK, Jim) wanted to see the new park.

It was nice to see them again and Jim is so knowledgeable about the game that you see more with his commentary. It was raining but we were situated under an overhang from the seats above us, so we stayed nice and dry the whole game.
We got back to Meadsville, PA, had dinner and got to bed. Today (Monday) I got up and left from the hotel. I biked all day, but only rode 30 miles. The hills were HUGE. I rode some grade 8 slopes that were steeper than any I faced out West. And now we are only in the foothills of the Appalachians. I am not looking forward to the real thing. I did have a great moment. The brothers know what I mean as we did it on Friday too. We are pedaling through Amish country and I passed a horse and buggy. I know that may sound silly, but I pass few conveyances while riding and I take pride in every one. Of course I don't know which was breathing harder me or the horse, but I won!!
I have also made a decision to change the route toward the end of the trip. I originally planned to end in Kennebunk, ME and now I want to end in Newburyport, MA. There are several reasons for the decision, mostly because I want to ride the roads I have ridden around our old house in Groveland, MA, so we will probably roll in there sometime around September 25. We’ll keep you informed of the target as we get closer to home.

Rolling Roche Brothers Ramble 50 Milles

September 7th was an amazing day on this trip. My 3 brothers decided to support me by taking a day to ride with me. There was a wide range of athletic fitness and familiarity with the bikes, but there was a unanimous sentiment of competitiveness. "I will not not be the first to get off the bike" "I can do anything for a day."
We got started from a point just northeast of Aurora, where my brother Jack lives. We all arrived Thursday and we looked at the map and found a road where traffic wasn't too bad and the terrain was rather flat. We started early in the morning and made exceptional progress. Brothers Jerry and Jack set the pace. Jack had a minor problem learning how to use toe clips, but the fall wasn't too bad.
I really thought that 2 to 3 hours would be the limit, however, when we took a break for lunch at the 30 mile mark, they realized that they could get me out of Ohio with about another 20 miles. We took it easy in the afternoon and stopped every 5 miles or so for drinks (and smokes) and surprisingly made it all the way to the PA border.

The effort was well rewarded by beer at the ending point followed by a great feast at Jack's house later that evening. We were 3 hours late for cocktail hour, but we soon caught up with the rest of the people at Jack's house that had come down to hail the conquering heroes.

It was a marvelous time, just what I needed to get me charged up for the final push into home. The brothers all did an excellent job. 50 miles is magnificent. And what is even more magnificent is that they are all walking around pretty well the day after. Although none of the brothers has offered to bike with me again today. This was a highlight of the trip, one that will rank up there in the top 10 days we had during the 3+ months.

Thanks Bros!!

Blog On

I have gotten several complaints that I haven't written my blog since Sunday and here it is Thursday. Well, it's not that I am getting bored with doing this. I have been just too tired to write this at night. I have been working really hard to make almost no progress on the road during the day. The last few days have been low mileage and I am disappointed with my results. I called my coach, Larry in Dallas and described the situation. He assured me that it was the little things. Am I getting enough sleep (probably not). Am I eating right both on and off the bike (again probably could do better) We'll see if I improve.
Sunday we left the Hunzikers and got back to where we left off East of Columbus. I found out that my cell phone had died and had to stop off and get a new one. Got off late and made the ride through my old home town of Newark. Since we had all seen the town on Friday when we played golf at Moundbuilders, the ride through town went pretty fast. On to Mount Vernon where I met up with an old friend, Jim "Moe" Hall. Moe and I haven't seen each other for 39 years, since I was just out of high school. We talked for a while on the town square, then went to dinner. He graciously invited us to spend the night and we accepted. We took pictures of he and his lovely wife. but I haven't downloaded them yet. I promise to include pictures in a later blog, because they will be joining us this weekend when we see a Pittsburgh Pirates game. Moe was a ballplayer at Ohio University (baseball and football), so it will be nice to see the game with a player.
Monday morning after a wonderful breakfast, we headed off to Wooster. I am biking back in hills again. Gone are the flatlands of the Midwest. We are approaching the foothills or the Alleghenies. I encountered the first of my bad days, only making about 30 miles. Tuesday, after another tough day, we went to my brother, Jack's house. Again, no pictures, but I promise we'll have some on the next blog. Jack is a great cook and we had a wonderful dinner followed by a huge breakfast the next day. It was Jack and Phylis's 37th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, so we wish them all the best.
We will be back there later today when the other two brothers, Jeff and Jerry roll in. We are planning to all ride together on Friday. Plenty of photos will be taken then.
Yesterday I felt better on the bike. It's just that the bike wasn't feeling well. I had 3 flat tires in about an hour. The third one blew out the tire too, so I quit for the day. After fixing the bike later that day, we had dinner and fell asleep.
It's 8 Am and I am not in a hurry to get on the bike. I left off in downtown Akron, so I want to let the rush hour subside before I get going. I plan on getting a bit further North to Amish country, which will be a better ride with the brothers.
I do have to get a few things done before the ride, so I have to sign off. I promise the next one will have pictures, and the content will be more exciting. Sorry I haven't kept up the frequency. I'll do better next time.
Till then

Goodbye Columbus

Well, it's Sunday morning and we have had a great time in central Ohio, but now it is time to get this blog done and head out for the next adventure. It will be hard to top what we have been doing here.
Friday we biked a couple hours and then went to Moundbuilders Country Club so the boys could play some golf. I rode around the course with them and it was a trip back in time. It was a beautiful day, sunshine in the low 80's and no humidity. The course was somewhat different than I remember. They changed a couple holes and the trees have gotten taller, but it is basically the same course that I spent so much time on in my youth. The boys loved the course. It was the best one they played so far. Too bad they didn't play their best games. Oh well, they'll have to come back and play it again.
Saturday morning I got a call from my brother Jeff and his good friend, Rick had a couple tickets to the Ohio State football game. we piled in the car immediately and got into Columbus. Matt said it felt like he was visiting Mecca. There really is nothing to say to describe the feeling of being with 105,000 rabid fans rooting for the Bucks. I got a scalped ticket and got into the stadium, just barely. I was in the top row, the last seat in the horseshoe. It was OK though. It was Alumni band day and the music was wonderful. They even had a 93 year old man twirling the baton in front of the alums. The highlight of the halftime show was Script Ohio. The band plays while writing out "Ohio" and then they stop and sing the fight song a cappella. Well, they had 4 scripts going at once. When they stopped to sing, I got chills up my spine.
The game was pretty sane. They played Youngstown State and weren't seriously challenged. However the crowd went wild when they heard the Michigan score. After our game was over, many of us stayed at the stadium and watched Michigan get upset by Appalachian State. It was wild!! That had to be the best combination of football for the day - a Buckeye win and a Michigan loss.
After we negotiated the traffic out of the campus, we visited a dear family friend, Father Mario Serraglio. Mario met our family in 1958, just after he was ordained a priest. He was from Italy and he had come to the US to study. He met mom and dad at the seminary and they invited him to Christmas dinner. He has been a part of the Roche family for almost 50 years. He married us all, baptized most of our children and buried Dad two years ago. He is a great friend and pastor of this flock. He is retired now, but he is active and in good health. It was great to catch up

He took us to his favorite restaurant in Columbus and he was greeted like a brother. everyone who worked there knew him along with half the diners. It was very good food and the conversation was excellent.
As I said, central Ohio was great, but it's time to move on. We bike through Newark today and then on to Cleveland. It's good weather and the trip should go well.
We'll update you there later.

OH--IO

The sign says it all!!

This is one of the milestones that I have been pointing to for my whole trip. Having grown up in Ohio, there are many sights and memories that I want to reminisce about and show the boys.
Tuesday morning, I pedaled the last 20 miles of Indiana and crossed into Ohio at Fort Recovery about 30 miles above I 70. Another 25 miles brought me into Greeneville where I stopped for lunch. Again, it was hot, over 90 degrees. I decided to let the heat of the day subside, so I got a haircut. The barber asked a leading question "So, how far have you ridden that bike?" I was off and running. Remember, I don't have to spend a long time in the barber chair. After he heard my (short) story, he said I should go down to the local paper for an interview.
By then, the boys had arrived after a round of golf (check Indiana off their list) and they convinced me to do the interview. It hasn't been published yet, but the experience was interesting.
Josh wanted to go back to Dayton that night, so we went down the road to find a motel where I could stay the night. We put all my stuff in the room and then went back to Greeneville. There I found out an unsettling fact. I had about 2 1/2 hours of pedaling to do and only about 2 hours of daylight. I put the pedal to the metal and got done with 25 miles in about 1 hr 40 minutes. I have gone faster than that before, but not the last 25 miles of a hot 70 mile day. The temp was still 95 when I started the last leg. I was worn out.
Wednesday showed my low energy. I got started on my nostalgia trail. I biked through Vandalia, where I passed an apartment where I lived while teaching in New Carlisle. Not much to see, so I went on to the school. Talk about disappointing. I knew there would be very little chance of seeing anybody I taught with. It had been over 33 years and most teachers retire after 30. I was right. The only familiar name was an old student who was now on the school board. The biggest shock was that the school was gone too. Apparently Ohio won a huge settlement against the tobacco companies a while back and the money was earmarked for new schools. The district found that it was cheaper to build new schools that repair the old ones, so they tore down every school in the district and built new ones. So, let's see. I don't know anyone there. The building is gone. Not much for memories, I moved on.
I only made it as far as Springfield that day. It was not as far as I wanted, but it was hot and I was still tired from the day before. I knocked off and went to friends, the Hunzikers in Kirkersville, Ohio.


Steve is a longtime friend who lived across the hall in Freshman year of college and we lived in the same area for 4 years. His parents owned a farm close to Columbus, so we went there regularly all through school for good food and good times. Steve's mom, who had MS for all the time I knew her died a few years ago, but Bob, Steve's father is still alive and kicking. It was good to catch up.
Steve and his wife Deb live on the farm now in a house they just built last year. They fixed a wonderful, home-cooked meal and offered to put us up for the time we will be in the area. It was great to catch up and the boys didn't hear too many damaging stories of my past. Deb is a photo nut too and she took a picture of the 3 of us.

We got up the next day way too late. I think I must have needed the rest. We went back to Springfield and biked into Columbus. We had lunch, toured the campus and bought some Buckeye paraphernalia. We then went shopping and made dinner for our hosts that night.

I'm up early today. I couldn't sleep because I am so excited about today. I will bike a short trip into my boyhood town of Newark, then the boys will play golf on the course where I caddied and played my high school gold, Moundbuilders Country Club. It is an interesting course that is situated around Indian burial mounds. Something like that would never be allowed today, but it is a fascinating course for such a unique siting.

So, we have so much more to do and see. Golf today, then we will try to scalp some tickets to see the OSU football game tomorrow, maybe see a Newark Catholic football game tomorrow night. It has been 40 years since my senior year. Our team was the first undefeated team in school history. Since then, they have become a powerhouse in the state. Of course, I attribute it all to our fantastic beginnings.

Anyhow, much to do and so little time. I'm sorry about not keeping up the regular posts to this blog, but there is time here later in the trip, probably New York, where I promise to do better.

Till then.

Not Much Progress

We did some biking on Friday, but the weather turned foul on Saturday, so we took the day off. Josh has friends in Dayton and there was a beer fest in town, so I dropped the boys in Dayton and drove to see my brother Jeff and his family in Cincinnatti.
I did not take any pictures, so I thought I would put in a picture that most of you haven't seen before. It was taken on my trip to Tibet last Fall. It has nothing to do with this blog, but I put it in here for the benefit of people like Hammer, who won't read anyhing without pictures.
Anyhow, we had a nice relaxing time with Jeff. He fixed a wonderful dinner and that combined with excess exercise, and I fell asleep pretty early. We got up and had a great waffle breakfast, then we called our other brothers and set up a ride with all 4 of us next week up by Cleveland. It should be an awesome time. I promise we'll take plenty of pictures. I am very grateful that they are willing to do this, because they haven't done much riding in the last few years. I promise we'll keep it flat and short. It's a grand gesture. Thanks, Guys.
Got back to Indiana late last night and almost finished the state today. Since there wasn't much of a headwind, I elected to get south instead of straight east. I am almost down to US 40, which will take us through Columbus and Newark.
Called my friend Steve Hunziker who lives east of Columbus. we will stay with him and his family when we get to the city. It will be good to see him. His father is still alive and it will be good to see him again. I just hope he keeps the stories of my college exploits to a minimum around my boys!!
Anyhow, it's late and I have to get up and get out of this state and into my home state of Ohio.
Till then.

Indiana - When will it be over?

OK, I said we were going to get through Indiana in two days. It is taking a little while longer than expected. The first day this week, Tuesday, I was still in Illinois. I did about 75 miles to Kankakee. However, the next 3 days have been tough, only averaging 50 mile per day. In short, the weather has been horrible. 90 degrees plus with 90 percent plus humidity.
Wednesday, I got sick on the bike. I don’t know if it was something I ate for lunch or a symptom of something to do with the heat. For whatever reason, I got off the bike around 4 o’clock. The next day, Matt was having a tough time. Again, we only did 50 miles or so.
Today it was my turn again. We didn’t get out too early today and I didn’t last more than 7 hours out there, only going 45 – 50 miles. We are approaching the border, but it has been tougher than expected. Ask Matt what it’s like to battle the sun, humidity AND a headwind. I think he will always sympathize with my complaining in the future.
Actually, I think he is beginning to appreciate what I have been doing on a daily basis for 2 ½ months. This is tee first time he has gotten on the bike on consecutive days since we stated the trip. He is making good on his goal to ride across a whole state. If the weather cooperates, he will cross the Ohio border sometime tomorrow.
Best wishes to my Cobra39 teammates from RAGBRAI who are riding tomorrow in the “Hotter Than Hell Hundred” in Texas. Gary, Larry and Hammer will ride over 100 miles with temps about 100 degrees. They are just as crazy as I am, only they will be doing it with a whole lot of other crazy people.
Sorry, there are no pictures today. I know Hammer can’t really read this without pictures, but the camera is still broken. We haven’t gotten to Best Buy to get another. I didn’t get a picture crossing the Indiana border. We rode to several border crossings and couldn’t find a welcome sign. Indiana must have budget problems.
Also, I know we need to get a better picture of me on the bike. My sister, Monica, still doesn’t believe I’m the one on the bike crossing the Mississippi. She swears it’s a stunt double. I figure I will get all these pictures when I get to Ohio. I’ll shoot a picture of the Ohio sign, then turn around and take a picture of the Indiana sign. All these will be done when I am riding a bike. Will that satisfy all requirements?
Anyhow, it’s getting late and I have to roll in the morning. I’ll try to do better with updates in the future.
Till then…

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well, in my last post, I said I was going to get out on the bicycle and make the Indiana border. What I didn't realize is that it was raining heavily outside. Biking was cancelled for the day. Not much else to do in Ottawa, IL, so we started our ballpark trip earlier than expected that day. We had a quick stop in Dunkin' Donuts. That was a first for us in over two months!! We are definitely on the right side of the country now!
Headed up north to Milwaukee during the afternoon. It was raining and had some construction around, so it was slow going. We drove directly to the ballpark to get tickets for the next day and we scored big. 3 tickets 3 rows up from the visitors dugout!!
We saw a movie later that day "Superbad" It was funny in a guy sort of way about teen ager angst. It wouldn't have been the movie we chose to see, but the Bourne movie was sold out. Miller Park (named after the beer) was the neatest park we have seen so far. It has a retractable roof which we needed. It was raining really heavy outside and we were nice and dry. I have never seen so much beer in a ballpark in all my life. We weren't 10 steps from our car when a Brewers fan asked if we were from Boston (what tipped him off? see picture above) He promptly offered us a beer. Since it was 11 AM we politely declined. There was more than enough for us inside the park.
The game was exciting. It was a 7-6 ballgame with 5 home runs. The home team lost so it wasn't as loud and boisterous as other parks have been, but it was probably the most enjoyable time we have had in any of the 4 parks we have visited this summer.
When I took the picture above, I realized that the camera was broken. Matt's point and shoot dropped out of my bike bag a couple days ago and the LCD screen broke. Also, the camera doesn't take all the pictures it's supposed to. I must have pushed the button 20 times and only 4 pictures showed up on the download. I guess I owe him a new camera.
Anyhow, today is the day for the boys to play golf in Illinois, if the rain holds off. I see some friends from Chicago tonight and then we are back biking tomorrow. I am ready. I have only biked 2 days in the last 7 and am feeling it. The rain may continue for a few days, so I may be biking in it for a while. I think it will probably feel better than the 90/90 days lately(that's 90 degrees with 90% humidity- a Midwest killer)
Anyhow, that's all for now,

Riding The Right Side Of The River

We got going again on Thursday. We got away from our friend Bob Loch's house a bit late, had breakfast and then drove for over an hour to get back to Bellevue, IA around 11 AM.
We had about 25 miles to go down the Mississippi until we got to a town that had a bridge across the river, Sabula IA. It is actually an island in the Mississippi and the road to the bridge was almost a swamp that was teeming with beautiful birds like blue heron and snowy egrets. It was very enjoyable.
OK, here is the picture that people have requested. Joe on a bike.
Matt recorded the auspicious moment when I crossed the big river. I am now on the right side of the country. We have been on the left side for too long. The bridge surface was treacherous. A grid design that is very slippery for bikers, so I didn't relax and enjoy the moment. In fact, I didn't enjoy the next few hours. The ride in the first miles of Illinois was really tough. The road was old concrete that was broken and sometimes patched, poorly at best. There was no shoulder, heavy truck traffic. Need I say more? Oh yeah, the drivers were the most obnoxious of any I faced so far. Several couldn't pass me as I was going up a hill, so they started honking. I got some attitude going, mostly obscene and they backed off. I'm not Lance Armstrong, so I don't move as fast as he does, but I am also a lot bigger that he is, so they think twice before trying to bully me around. Well, some of them think twice. I had a truck blow by me so close, he actually put me into the gravel and took me off the bike. Not a fun experience.
However, that day was followed by a positively glorious day yesterday. It was cool. I don't know if it reached 80 degrees all day. It was sunny and the road surface was smooth with plenty of shoulder most of the time. I did 80 miles and biked a good chunk of Illinois. I think there is only about 50 more miles to go before Indiana. I will stop there today, because Matt wants to bike the entire state and he and Josh are going golfing today. They have to get their round of golf in before we leave Illinois.
I have been looking at the map and now figure we will be in Ohio much sooner than we thought. The states east of the Mississippi are much narrower than the west. Illinois in 2.5 days and Indiana in two. We will be in Ohio before the end of the week. The miles are going just as fast (or slow). It's just that the distances are shorter. As Matt once commented "Those states in the West are Huge!!"
After today's ride, we'll get going to Milwaukee for a baseball game. We are just south of Chicago and it is only about 2 hours north of there. It should be an easy drive. We'll take our time coming back on Monday and stop and see some friends on Monday afternoon.

Here is a picture of the boys and I in Kansas City. I finally downloaded the pictures, so this is catch up. I have taken a similar picture of the boys in all the ballparks, but few of all of us. Thanks to the fan who volunteered to take the picture. We always get a lot of comments about wearing the Boston gear, even though Boston isn't playing at the time. We wear our colors proudly!!
Well, it is 8 AM and time to get ready to get riding again today. We'll write more probably from Milwaukee.
Till then.

Time To Get Back On The Bike

Well, the time off has been relaxing. I haven't taken three days off in a row since the trip started.
The baseball game in Kansas City was wonderful, got up the next morning and shopped at a number of stores, notably Wall Mart and a bike shop. We had a lot of little things to get that had been building up for over a week as we were in such isolated areas of Nebraska and South Dakota. We needed tires for the bike (I have already worn out two since we started). I needed a new pair of bike gloves (which I wore out within two states), I had to get parts for my glasses, both the ones I wear on the bike and my regular pair. This trip has been hard on a number of things. The laptops are showing the wear, we need to get a new cooler. Of course we already lost one tent and are surviving on the generosity of GaryFriedman, our riding teammate from RAGBRAI.
We then drove up to see my good friend Diane Arant in Fairfield, IA. We had a bunch of things that we needed to order through the mail. I needed a new pair of bike shorts, Josh needed a biking jersey. I wanted a book on medicine for biking (my feet are numb from the riding) and we needed GU (our nutritional supplement for on the bike energy). Well, we haven't had a mailbox for the last 2,000 miles, so Diane offered to be our drop point.
We had a wonderful home cooked meal and Diane and I showed the boys that we were superior at Euchre. We had a great time. Thanks, Diane
This morning I did the maintenance on the bike. I changed the tire, re-wrapped the handlebars, general lube of chain, derailleurs, brakes etc. Nothing too drastic, but it needed to be done. Actually, I may have stripped a bolt on my chain ring, but I won't know if it's a problem till I start to ride tomorrow.
Did laundry and went out to lunch with Diane, then drove to Bettendorf, IA to stay the night with Bob Loch, another teammate from our Iowa RAGBRAI week. Bob works for John Deere in their international audit department, so he is on the road a lot. We were fortunate to catch him at home. We went out for a great Italian dinner and now we're back here looking over maps for our route tomorrow.
We are planning to go south of Chicago and through Illinois in 3 days or so. It is only 200 miles wide. Indiana is about the same, so we plan on being in Ohio late August or early September. We'll let you know exact dates soon.
Well, I'm tired and it will be a big day tomorrow. Time for bed.
Till later.

A Rest Break

I was amazed when I didn't have to get up and get on the bike yesterday. Today it feels positively decadent. I downloaded some pictures, but they seemed to be old news. We'll have to take some new ones.
We left Iowa and went to Kansas City, about 275 miles away. We saw the home team Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2. It was a really nice stadium, but the weather was HOT! It was 94 degrees at game time and the humidity was oppressive. Then I remembered, I have been biking in heat just as bad and I shake my head. I guess I get more of a breeze on the bike or I just expect to sweat there and it isn't a big deal.
We enjoyed our time at the ballpark and afterwards, we began our discussion of our timetable for getting to Kennebunk. No published date yet, but it just seems an amazing topic. too far in the future when we were in the West.
Over the next couple days we will do some fun and a little work. I have to work for a few hours on bike maintenance and the boys want to play a little golf. We plan on riding over the river on Thursday morning. By the way, I think I want a picture taken of this event. Brother Jerry says that I have not had a picture of myself actually riding a bike on this blog. There was some insinuation that I just cart the bike around to various locations to have my picture taken. I must silence the sceptics.
Got to go back and wake the boys. We'll post again in a couple days.
Till then.

News Flash – Team Roche Reaches the Mississippi

On Sunday August 12 at 7:30 PM CDT, Team Roche crossed the line at Rock Raids, IA to complete a major milestone, crossing the entire Western US from Florence OR to Bellevue, IA. They are on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.
On the road since June 4, the team has covered over 2,200 miles and 6 states. We truly persevered in making it to the Mississippi. “If it wasn’t for us, Dad would have quit in Oregon. We had to kick him in the butt constantly” said Josh. Matt chimed in with “We have been extremely patient with the old guy. I have never heard a grown man complain so much in my entire life”.
Joe was unavailable for comment as he was unable to be awakened, although still breathing. The team agreed to let him take the next two days off to heal. They will cross the bridge into Illinois on Wednesday and the pace picks up. “Since RAGBRAI, we have been able to cover more than 800 miles. We won’t be pushing the old man quite that hard over the homestretch, but I don’t see why we can’t do an average of 65 per day, even at his age. After all, we have to get to Ohio soon to see more ballgames and maybe an Ohio State football game”, said Josh.
Check out their website and blogs at http://www.the-trip-of-our-lives.com/

Joe Does A Century

This will be very short. Today I rode for 100 miles. I am exhilarated and exhausted. I started out at 7:30 and didn't get off the bike until 9 PM. This is a badge that I have been aiming for on this whole trip. Most long distance bike riders have done a century.
The boys played golf today, so I was without support. I ran out of water several times because I took a state route here in South Dakota that had no stores. I had to stop at several farms along the way to replenish my water supply. At the first stop, the thermometer read 99 degrees. So I was hot and sweaty most of the day.
I took plenty of water and I was not in danger of sunstroke or heat exhaustion. I know the signs and took it easy. That's why 100 miles took all day.
I am happy, but I have to get back on the bike again tomorrow. I have about 60 miles to go to Rock Rapids, Iowa. That is where we started RAGBRAI several weeks ago. When I cross the line in Rock Rapids, I will have covered all the ground from Florence, OR to the Mississippi. YEE HAH!!
We'll take a couple days off to celebrate and then I will do a better job of posting to his blog.
Till then.

Musings from Nebraska

I left Nebraska today and rode into the first couple miles in South Dakota (obligatory photo to follow) I think I matured a lot as a rider in this state. I also had plenty of time to think.

For Instance:

Where do they get these grasshoppers in Nebraska? I think that the Nebraska football team stopped taking steroids several years ago, so the science Department fed the leftovers to the grasshoppers in an experiment. They escaped and bred with the local grasshopper population. They are HUGE, about the size of frogs. If you get hit by one of them, it can knock you off the bike!!

Expansion joints may be good for the road, but it is hell on the butt.

I must be getting closer to home. I have gone through Bridgeport (CT?), Newport (RI?), Hyannis (MA?) and today Atkinson (NH?) If I go through a Kennebunk the trip is over, even if all these towns are in Nebraska.

There is a new set of road kill here. Turtles for god sake!! And birds (big ones!!)

I haven’t seen much corn. Biking through the corn is like riding a stationary bike. You can pedal for a long time and the scenery doesn’t change.

Actually, the Sandhiils of northern Nebraska is the most beautiful scenery that I have biked through. I think I would recommend those 250 miles to anyone, just at another time of the year. It is too hot in August!!

I think that motorcycles are a pain. They are everywhere as the annual Harley festival in Sturrgis S. Dakota. They are too loud and too smelly. I think it is like the problems sailboaters have with powerboats. They call them stinkpots, for the same reason I do the motorcycles!!

That's all for now. Later.

Nebraska II

I have been over 200 miles in Nebraska and I haven't seen any corn. I think that's a good thing.
The only problem is that it isn't flat either. I am riding in the Sand Hills, a semi arid area that runs through Northwest Nebraska. It is hot too. It's very beautiful, but the hills and the heat have taken their toll. We rode 300 miles in the last 5 days. That includes today, where I could only ride 45 miles before I just hit the wall. I spent the afternoon doing laundry and sitting in a whirlpool.
Tomorrow is another day. If we are going to get a chance to see the Royals in Kansas City, I will have to get to Iowa by Sunday night. It could be close.
People have asked some interesting questions in the last two days One farmer was amazed I was doing the trip - "How many miles do you ride a day 10 Miles?" No It only seems like it. Actually i's about 10 miles per hour.
One lady in a grocery store "How many bikes have you gone through so far?" What? Do I look like I would be hard on bikes? Actuallt just one. I politely answer any and all questions. It makes me feel like some celebrity.
It's late and I have to get up early tomorrow. I'll write more next tme.
Later.

On to Nebraska - On and On and On

Well, I have to put the obligatory picture of the state line in the blog. It’s not a big deal anymore, so the boys weren’t there to take my picture. Trust me, I don’t just cart the bike around to each state line. I actually ride there.
As I said before, I ain’t crazy about riding this state. It’s 600 miles, about the distance of Cleveland to Boston, with nothing in between but corn.. I started the ride on Saturday and the first 22 miles were BEAUTIFUL!! There was a slight tail wind. It was slightly downhill . The road was a country backroad, a real blessing after I-80. I was in heaven and I poured the muscle to the pedals. I did that 22 miles in about an hour, close to double my usual pace. It was a west to east route and so we were still coming down from the Rockies.
Well, then I turned north for the next 25 miles and all of a sudden I was going uphill into a headwind. I will never believe another person who says a state is flat. They discovered 500 years ago that the world wasn’t flat and I feel I am re-discovering that all over again. So I will state emphatically - Nebraska ain’t flat.

I took this news rather badly. In fact, I soon found myself screaming at the shear unfairness of my route. I believe I was having an experience that all long distance people get over time. I believe it was the beginning of a breakdown. The monotony and exertion were doing me in. Most days, I wake up grateful to be where I am. I thank god for the opportunity. There are some days when I can’t believe I was stupid enough to commit to something like this. What the hell am I doing here?
Well, Saturday was one of those days. After I did 70 miles, I knew I had to grab my camera and get away by myself for a while. The camera has been neglected on this trip. I have a little point and shoot that I carry on the bike, but the boys have taken most of the pictures with the big camera. I love photography and it replenishes the spirit. I took off for parts unknown. There are some neat rock formations in the area, so I took off for Chimney Rock. It is a unique formation that was a major landmark on the Oregon trail. I wandered around the back roads taking pictures. An older gentleman rode up in a 4 wheeler and asked what I was doing on his property. When I showed him the camera, he told me to follow him. He had to corral some cattle that got out and I could catch the sunset right over the rock. He knew what he was talking about and I got some nice pictures, not perfect because the light was too low for the best but it was good enough.

The camera did it’s job and I feel sane (relatively) today. Sunday I did 65 miles in some really hot weather. When I got off the bike for lunch around 2 PM, the bank clock said 100 degrees. I didn’t know it was THAT hot!! After lunch and a break, I went out and did another 20 miles to finish up my quota. I called Josh to come pick me up, as I was exhausted. I was walking down the road on the shoulder of the road and half asleep, I never saw the rattlesnake that was lying there. When he gave the ominous rattle that I have only heard in the movies, I knew exactly what it was. I saw the coil come up and I didn’t wait around to see the rest (no, I did not stop to take a picture). I thought I was exhausted, but I must have covered 30 feet in record time. In fact, I think it was in one big leap. I think the adrenaline kept me up for over an hour. That is when I finally stopped shaking. OK that’s another first. I have seen grizzly bears and now rattlesnakes on this trip. Quite an experience for a city boy.
Anyhow, got back and did some laundry and fell asleep. It is now Monday morning and raining. Raining!! I haven’t seen rain since Oregon. Oh yeah, I have seen some thunderstorms, but no gentle rain. I will ride anyway as the temp will be real nice. It will be pretty flat today, so I shouldn’t need the brakes. I got to roll, so we’ll catch up again (again and again) further into Nebraska.
Till then.

Wyoming is Done!

Friday, I started I started here in Buford, WY. As you can see from my picture it is a bustling town of 2 people. In fact, I caught half the population out mowing the lawn.
It is just West of Cheyenne, WY where we have stayed the past couple days. I got caught in a good storm on Wednesday that continued into Thursday. I didn’t complain too hard about not riding because I was still worn out from the rides early in the week. We chose a motel with a real nice hot tub and I spent a considerable amount of time there. I also did a few chores that I have been meaning to do for a while, such as backing up the photos on the portable hard drive and updating the iPod. It was nothing that had to be done, but it was nice to scratch those chores off my list.
Got out of Cheyenne and up to Buford around 9 AM and took of downhill for the next 25 miles. I don’t know the elevation of Cheyenne, but I went down 3,000 feet in altitude over the 70 miles I rode yesterday. I don’t think I pedaled much all the way to Cheyenne. Plus, it wasn’t so steep that I had to ride the brakes either.
Add to that the tailwind and cool (70’s) temperatures and it was almost heaven. I say almost because you have to remember I was riding on I-80. The trucks were still a problem and the shoulder had a rumble strip every 20 yards. So the ride was not perfect, but I made good time. It took me about 5 hours to do 70 miles. I even did a few extra miles when I got off the interstate on a side road and got pretty well lost. I finally got to Pine Bluff, WY on the border of Nebraska about 2 PM. The weather was sunny when I went into the deli, but ominous clouds were coming in as I finished my meal.

I called the boys who were just finishing up their golf game in Cheyenne. By the time they got to Pine Bluff, the weather was going crazy. There was a lot of lightening and hail, but we heard tornados were expected too. Scratch camping out. The only motel in Pine Bluff was sold out, so we went to Kimball, NE about 20 miles away. Not much else to report. We showered and had dinner and crashed pretty early.
I got up this morning prepared to do this blog and check my email, but the wireless connection isn’t working. The motel office isn’t open till 6, so I don’t know if I will post this today or not. I want to get out early today and get the miles in ahead of the thunderstorms that seem to be happening every day around 3. We will bike some very flat areas, so if the wind is down, we should make some good time. I just want to make it through Nebraska as quickly as possible. I have seen the Mississippi, and I am already there in my head. Nebraska is just detail. It isn’t technically difficult and the scenery isn’t unique. It’s just a blip on the radar and we are running late in the overall schedule.
We have now been on the road 2 months. We have biked across 4 states and if you take out the days we played (baseball, Yellowstone and the back and forth to Iowa, we have only been biking about 6 weeks. I am biking longer days and once we cross the Mississippi, we should make good time - on the road anyway. There will be more baseball and friends to visit. We could string this out for quite a while. I think we are getting ready to get to New England. Two months on the road and my own bed sounds pretty good.
The network isn’t up and I have to get rolling. Maybe we’ll get this going in the next town.
Till then…

Back in the Saddle Again

OK, we are back in WY after our trip to RAGBRAI. Since we want to get to the Mississippi as quickly as possible, I decided to take a couple long days and get into Nebraska.
Well, the first day went well. We got up a little late and got out to our starting point about 9:30 AM. That's a little late and I knew I would be biking in the heat of the day (about 90). Did close to 80 miles and didn't get to the hotel until dark. Showered and had a quick pizza and went to bed.
I knew the next day would be tough. I had to get back to I 80 and climb my highest pass to date. I have the picture, but it is still in the camera. Anyhow, I waited until 8AM until the solar glare was over. I wanted those truckers to see me. Got started on the uphill and things just weren't working right. I was pedalling very slow and it was really tough. I decided to give my coach, Larry Hart a call and check in. I described my problems and wanted to know if this was all in my head. He assured me that I was exhausted. I believed him. He told me to get off the mountain, have a nap and some GU (a high energy gel) and relax for a couple hours and try again.
Lo and behold, I fell asleep in the van on the way back to the motel and slept another hour when we got there. I guess I did not re-charge fully after the long ride the day before.
Got back on the bike about 1PM and what do you know? I got a good headwind( about 30 MPH) to accompany the trucks and the hill. It was probably my roughest climb to date, but also my last big hill. I went over 8650 feet, climbing about 1600 feet in 4 miles.
Finally got over that after 2 PM, and started the downhill. Got another 15 miles down the road with the headwind blowing me one way and the trucks blowing me another way. Still it was downhill and I didn't have to pedal hard. However, the wind turned ugly and a thunderstorm developed, so I called it quits after 25 miles at about 4 PM.
We went into Cheyenne and found a hotel with a hot tub (really needed that). We had dinner at a nice brew pub and did laundry. Fell asleep around 11.
Now it is 6:45 and time for me to get ready to bike again. There is about 50 more mile, mostly downhill to go today then we will be out of WY. Nebraska is next and I saw a mileage sign that said 525 miles to Omaha, so that state should take a while. One day, one pedal at a time.
Not much else to report.
Later.
PS, Thanks to Diane for the title of today's blog. Yes, back in the saddle and it is tender going.

RAGBRAI

I’m sorry we haven’t updated the blogs for a while. We have been at RAGBRAI, a collection of cyclists who wanted to ride bicycles across Iowa. There were so many of us that we overloaded cell phone towers and internet service. We are done now and able to report our tale of adventure.
This acronym stands for (Des Moines) Register Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. That is the official name. THE RIDE, THE PARTY, there are many ways the participants refer to this event. I have heard of this for years (this was the 35th). My friends in Texas have been doing this for about 10 years and they have been telling me what a great time this was. They were right.
We arrived last Saturday to Rock Rapids, IA, in Northwest Iowa. The town is small about 2700 people that was overrun by over 10,000 bikers and another 15,000 support people that are along for the party. When we arrived, we saw an amazing sight. The high school lawn was wall-to-wall tents. There was an excitement and anticipation that was thick enough to cut with a knife. You have to understand, we have just been biking for 6 weeks as a solitary pursuit, often to the scorn of truckers and disbelief of the local people. Here we had found our fellow compatriots who understood us completely. Everyone there either has ridden across the country or has it as their goal in the future. The people appreciated my equipment. For instance, no one has commented on my bicycle till Iowa. I got probably a dozen comments about how much they liked the bike. One woman even hopped on the seat and wanted to take a ride. The whole atmosphere was electric.
Our team, Cobra 39, arranged to stay at people’s homes along the way. We pitched our tents in their yards and used the bathroom/shower facilities as needed. Some hosts fixed us huge breakfasts and everyone of them wanted to hear our stories of our journey. They were proud of their state and very gracious to host such a collection of crazy people. Here is the backyard view from one house.
We bike through some really pretty countryside. The Amish were out with their good eats along the way. They don’t like their picture taken, so I didn’t get but one picture of them in the hay fields. Boy was that primitive. Machines do the task now with hay bales that are about the size of the Amish’s whole wagon.

We biked almost 500 miles that week. If you have been keeping up with the math, you know that that is a lot more than I have been doing on a daily basis. There were two days when I biked 80 miles. My biggest day prior to RAGBRAI was 62 miles, so I was pushed to do better. I was exhausted at the end of every day. It was a different type of weather than I had been biking in too. The humidity caused me to be more aware of how much I sweat. In the desert, the white salt marks would be on my clothes by the end of the day, but I would not be sure how much I sweat. Well, in Iowa, I knew I was sweating because I sat in it all day. The moisture caused new rash problems and I was back to using vast quantities of Butt Butter to keep things fine down there. I haven’t really had a sore butt since Idaho. The dew in the morning soaked shoes and everything before I even got on the bike. I guess we’ll have to get used to it because that will be the way it is all across the Midwest.

So, it was hot, muggy, long and arduous. That is not to say that I lost any weight in Iowa. Every 10 miles or so, there would be a town that catered to the riders. Every morning there would be breakfast burritos, homemade cinnamon rolls, pancakes and sausage or waffles. Lunches were barbecue or some local delight. For instance, every day we would pass the Pork Chop Man. His call can’t be described, but it is on U Tube if you want to listen. For $6 you would get about a pound of pork, a chop about an inch thick. He retired the last day, so I finally got one. I had to wait in line for an hour, but it was worth it. The locals had homemade pies and cookies at every stop and if you got thirsty, there were smoothies or root beer floats. It was a gourmand’s heaven.

When the boys said that they now expect me to make 80 miles per day going forward, I said OK as long as they had my breakfast burrito at 20 miles, a pork chop at 50 miles and a root beer float at 70 miles. Their response is unprintable, but it starts with ‘Bull”
The parties at night were huge too. I wish I knew how much beer was consumed there during the week. I even drank some (OK, more than some) and I haven’t had beer in years. It just tasted soooo good after sweating so hard all day. My sons went out a couple times with the youngest member of team Cobra 39, The Hammer. He showed them the ropes and I think they want to come back for the party. The women were healthy and in shape, with great legs!!!

The party went 24 hours a day. During the ride, the teams put on a real show. The more flamboyant ones wore outrageous costumes and they all had great advertising tag lines. For example, the Donner Party from California = Tag Line “We eat the slow ones” Another team described themselves as drinkers with a biking problem. Every where you look, it was a spectacle.

I met a lot of neat people. I met a woman who graduated from the high school I taught at almost 35 years ago. She graduated the year before I started teaching there, but she remembered some of the teachers and students I knew. I ran into 3 people from Exeter, New Hampshire. One of them actually knew my good friend Bob Thompson. I biked for two days with a neat guy, Greg Rochon, from Montreal and Philadelphia (dual citizenship). He had a heart attack (at 60) last January and took up biking that he hadn’t done since he was a kid. The second day, he knew who I was before he even saw me because he recognized my huffing and puffing coming up the hill. I guess I am my own spectacle.

I also connected with an old friend one night. Diane (Fening) Arant went to college with my former wife and my sister. I hadn’t seen her in over 30 years. When I found out I was going to Iowa, we made plans to get together. She has been a resident of Iowa for quite a while with a marriage of 25 years and two children. She now lives in Southeastern Iowa. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of Diane. She is a beautiful woman, but my request for a photo was followed by a groan or a snarl. I didn’t know which, but I did not press the issue. I had a really enjoyable time catching up and remembering the times of our youth.
The last day of RAGBRAI was the shortest mileage but it was probably my toughest day. We rode to the Mississippi and the hills got very steep. The headwinds that were tough all week were blowing stronger than ever. Plus I was exhausted after the 500 miles. I needed a day off!! By the way, don’t let anyone tell you that Iowa is flat. It is rolling hills at it’s tamest and pretty steep at it’s worst. But it was a great experience. I learned a lot that will improve my ride the rest of the way across the continent. I met some great people. I want to come back and do this again. I think both boys enjoyed themselves and want to come back. They both rode one day and both rode for more than 70 miles. That’s quite a change from the beginning of the trip.
We went to see a ballgame in St Louis on Sunday. It was a great game with the Cards coming from behind to beat the Brewers. Now we are in the car going back to where we left off. We have probably two days left in Wyoming, then Nebraska. I’m charged up to get through these states and get to the Mississippi, in a little over two months. Then we can begin visiting some of you blog readers.
More later.

On To RAGBRAI

One of my friends complained that my photos weren’t artistic enough, given my passion for the art, so here is one for the books. More later, but I only carry a point and shoot in my bag on the bike. Can’t get really artistic with that.
I’m in the van speeding across Nebraska on our way to Iowa. I say speeding because Josh knows I am having trouble with this car speed as opposed to bike speed. However, I know we’ll never get to Rock Rapids, IA before the start of the ride on Sunday if we go the speed that’s comfortable for me. So I sit in the back seat and hide my eyes and have my headphones on. I am in sensory deprivation for a couple hundred miles.
The biking was tough these last couple days. We are back into the mountains as we approach the Rockies. I made good time when I could get into a rhythm, but when the hills go up for 6 or 7 miles, I get tired and lose my pace. My head gets going negative and I suddenly don’t enjoy what I am doing. Yesterday it was OK because I already had 48 miles in before I got an attitude. We went looking for a campsite and didn’t find anything for miles. We are literally in the middle of nowhere.
We stopped for lunch in a little town called Hanna, WY, a population of less than 200. The waitress directed us to the town hall and they let us set up our tent in the town park. Then they let us use the town recreation center for free. Very nice, generous people. The rec center was fabulous. This town is poor, one of those boom or bust towns we have seen all over Wyoming. It was mining country (coal) aand only one mine is still open. The rec center was donated to the town wby one of the mining companies during a boom. Now, the mine is closed and the town has a hard time keeping the center open. It was once a fabulous facility that is still respectful. I had a whirlpool and sauna after my ride and had another this morning before the ride. Jerry, the director, Faith and Beth were just too happy to extend their hospitality. Sometimes it seems like the people with the least to give are the most generous. It was really cool.
The hills got to me this morning after 20 miles, so we started to Iowa for the ride across that state.
So here we are on our way to Iowa. I am up early Saturday morning. We got in to Lincoln, NE about 2 AM. I have to do some laundry and get the boys up for the final lap of the journey. I just called our ride team and we are about 250 miles from our destination.
More later.

Over The Hump

I dedicated my ride today to Dad (John B Roche 7/18/22 to 7/5/05). It’s appropriate that I crossed the continental divide on Dad’s birthday.

He got me over a few bumps in the road growing up. Sister Canisius’ Latin class comes to mind.
Actually, the divide was somewhat confusing. For you who have been following the blog, you know that I have crossed higher passes. I always pictured the great divide as the highest peak with everything to the east going to the Atlantic and everything west going o the pacific. That is somewhat true. Here in WY, the divide actually splits in two. They are about 40 miles apart and west of the west goes to the Pacific and east of the east one goes to the Atlantic. The water in the basin in the middle flows nowhere. It stays in the middle of the basin.
I thought a lot about Dad on my ride today. Several people have asked me what I think about on my rides. Well, it brings up the old blond joke:
A blond walks into a beauty shop wearing headphones and listening to an iPod.
The beautician says, “Honey, you have to remove those headphones or I can’t do your hair.
The blond says, “I can’t or I’ll die”
The beautician says ‘OK, Goodbye”
Well, the blond wants her hair done, so she takes off the headphones and immediately faints. The hairdresser is puzzled and picks up the headphones and hears: “Breathe in, Breathe out, Breathe in, Breathe out”
Sometimes my rides are like that, just breathe. Check the road, check the gear, breathe. Kind of Zen in it’s focus.
The last few miles have been hard. I am biking on I-80 and it ain’t a whole lot of fun. It’s just miles that I have to get past to get to the good roads. We are halfway through WY at this point. We are flying, averaging over 50 miles per day, 61 yesterday. We could be finished in about 4 more days if we were doing it back to back. However we must be in Iowa Saturday for the big cross state rally called RAGBRAI. There will be over 10,000 bikers doing about 50 to 70 miles per day. Each town along the way is planning feasts and entertainment. It should be a great break. We all need a wider social outlet. I think we all love each other, but too much of a good thing can be hazardous to our mental health. OK we are arguing a lot, OK?

Anyhow, we have more bad news to report. During the heat of the day yesterday, we put up the tent and then went back to do more biking. On the way back to the campsite a torrential downpour hit, demolishing the tent. We lost a close family servant here. I bought the tent for Matt’s 5th birthday. It has seen us through many an adventure. Matt is devastated.

However, there is hope and rainbows after the storm. After talking to Larry Hart who is riding in Iowa, he told us of another rider, Gary Freidman has a tent that he would be willing to part with. The Roches may not be homeless after all. Had a great meal tonight. Haven't had a budget buster since Eugene OR at the star of the trip. Very good food and wine. it's late and I'm sleepy. Got to get up early to get on the bike.

Till later.

Friday the 13th

We got back from Yellowstone late Thursday night and woke up late on Friday. I had been trying to get a haircut when we were in Bozeman MT the day before with no luck. I went out to get a quick cut before staring the ride that morning. As luck would have it, the barber completely shaved my head. I haven't been this shaved since China last year. At least the excuse for the Chinese barber was they couldn't understand English. This barber understood English. In fact we had a normal conversation about baseball while he proceeded to shave my head against my expressed wishes. Now my makeover is complete. When I started this trip, I had (some) hair on the top of my head and I was clean shaven. Now I have a goatee (a first for me in all the years of beards) and no hair up top. I really look like a biker now (Just where is that Harley?)
We got out on the road a little late. Not more than 2 miles down the road, Josh got a flat. I stopped to fix it and pinched the new tube putting that on and that tire was flat too. Finally fixed the second flat and got Josh on his way. I took no more than one pedal on my bike and MY back tire exploded. (now 3 flats) I fixed that one and I was carrying the tire back to my bike and THAT tire exploded while it was still in my hand. My guess is that the heat of the road must have done them in. However, we were now out of tubes. The nearest place to get another was in Kemmerer, WY over 50 miles away.
We hiked there and found our tubes (I bought 9 of them) in a Radio Shack/bike store/furniture store in this little town. The motels were full so we pitched our tent on some dirt (no grass in this desert) by the town hall.
The next day we went back to the border and I biked back to Kemmerer and slightly beyond. The terrain is quite flat with some hills, but no mountains. We are getting up there in altitude. Kemmerer is over 6900 feet. So it seems every time I climb a hill, the downhill is somewhat shorter, gradually ascending to the continental divide. With a bit of luck (and no more flats) we will cross that this week. Then I hear it's all downhill from there.
Yesterday, I did another 60 miles (Josh rode for 40) and we are now in Green River along I 80 and US 30. I woke up this morning with bad knee pain, probably the worst since the trip started, so I will take it easy today. I will get on the bike, but probably only for a few miles.
Our task today is to explore how to ride along the interstate without riding ON the interstate. There are some frontage roads, but I have had my problems with them - back in Idaho. I bought a DeLorme map of Wyoming and we will scout out some roads today. DeLorme is a neat company based in Freeport Maine. They make detailed maps of the different states. When we lived in Freeport years ago, the only map they had was Maine. They are a much bigger company now with great maps. Check them out. Between the maps and Goggle Earth, we should minimize Interstate Highway travel.
So there you are. Not much happening beyond the biking. We are making good progress and if the knee holds out, we'll cross the great divide before the end of the week. Not much between here and Laramie, WY, so we may not be updating the blog for a couple days.
We just keep plodding along.
Till then...

Yellowstone and Beyond

Wednesday we got the formalities out of the way and made it all the way out of Idaho and into Wyoming. That was all the riding we did that day.
We got in the car and headed north to Yellowstone, which was over 200 miles away. We stopped for lunch in Afton, home of Rulon Gardner, the US wrestling gold medal winner a few Olympics ago. We then stopped for groceries in Jackson, WY. We finally got to Yellowstone and into a campsite before dark. The campsite was 85 miles from the entrance to the park. We were almost out the north end. We were told not to take out our food for dinner as a bear was close and would probably take the food. After we set up the tent, the ranger came by and told us we could cook, as long as we put everything away into our car immediately after dinner. We went to bed shortly thereafter.
Sometimes I curse the fact that I wake up early, then sometimes like yesterday, I realize what a gift it is. I was up before dawn, and it felt I had the whole Yellowstone park to myself. I went to Norris, where I had the whole geyser area to myself for a whole hour.

This was an extremely different landscape than anything I have encountered before on this planet. The early morning outside the crater was cold, probably 50 or so. Going into the crater was like entering a steam bath. The temp went up and the sounds were just like steam pipes going on and off. It was eerie. I walked around like some survivor in a post apocalyptic world. The only remaining human. Then I spied a couple walking in another part of the crater.

They were a couple from Texas who have been coming to the park for over 25 years. I promised them I would send them the picture. They were the first people to shatter my solitude, but they weren't the last. Families with loud children began to invade the site and my reverie was over.

I made my way back to the camp, passing bison and elk along the way. The bison was too far away in too low a light to get a good shot and the elk bolted before I could get the camera going. We have more shots of the animals, but we haven't downloaded them, including some grizzly bears. people just stop along the road to photograph the bears and cause minor traffic tie-ups. The first one we came across, a man was walking toward us at a trot. We asked him what was up and he told us a bear was there - headed this way. He obviously didn't want a close encounter. Telephoto lenses are the way to experience that wildlife.

We packed up the campsite and headed north to Montana. We had never been in that state, so we added another to the list(I now have only North and South Dakota to complete the lower 48). We had lunch in Bozeman (I called Dan Cleary, resident of Bozeman now working in San Diego for the restaurant suggestion, Thanks, Dan). We shopped for a few things, then headed back to Yellowstone.
We saw Old Faithful. I guess everyone should see it. It was impressive, but we couldn't get real close and the crowds were huge, nothing like the experience in the Norris Crater. We headed back toward the border crossing to begin today's ride. It's almost 7AM and the day will get hot. Although, last night while coming back from Yellowstone, we had rain. That's the first time in over a month, since w e left the Cascades in Oregon. Maybe it cooled things off for today. We can hope.
Now our goal is to get through as much of Wyoming as we can this week, then it's off to RAGBRAI in Iowa for a week of riding there. More on that later. 10,000 bikers going across Iowa for a week. Anything we don't finish this week will have to be done when we backtrack from Iowa when we resume our route.
Anyhow, things are going well here. More later.