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.