Cycling from LA to Boston

Day 31 (last): Keene, New Hampshire to Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean, 128 miles. It is finished! (to coin a  phrase, oops, I guess J.C. already used that one). The day started with a 1300' climb and 47 degrees, but with little to no wind. By 9:00 the temperatures got to just over 60 degrees and 70 by 11:00, nice temperatures to ride in when it is dry. Then about 1800' downhill to the coast, with only the last 10-15 miles in Massachusetts. But, the route turned out not to be as easy as the cue sheet hinted. There were some VERY steep stretches (14 & 17% on Phil's computer) and with all the up and  down, Ken logged 7755' of climb for the day. Not what they were expecting, and Phil said he got really tired, partially he thought because he let go mentally with the end in sight. About 40 miles from the end, Phil got his first flat coming across the country. A couple of guys in a pickup stopped and helped him change the tire. I had stoppe

Day 30: Amsterdam, New York to Keene, New Hampshire, 128 miles, 7072' of climbing. Today was a long day in the saddle, with not much wind to contend with, but with lots of climbing, rain off and on, and lots of little towns and turns to slow you down. They rode along portions of the Erie Canal, and crossed the Hudson River, then into Vermont at about mile 59, and into New Hampshire about mile 108. There was some great scenery. Beautiful granite church White marble church in Proctor, Vermont we didn't see :) There were some long hills up with good descents. But the theme of the day was one rain shower after another, with drier spells in between. With warmer temperatures (high 62's and low 70's, except at the summits of the climbs), the rain was not as chilling as yesterday. The roads were decent for the most part with long stretches of smooth, wide shoulders, other than 15 miles of construction during the longest climb, where the road had been scored to he

Day 29: Liverpool to Amsterdam, New York, 120 miles? Well, maybe 46. or 56. Again out of the hotel at 5:30, to 52 degrees and a slight headwind. Dry so far.. Then it turned nasty. It was raining before mile 25 where we stopped for a break. An earlier quick stop had Phil taking off some clothes as being too warm, but the temperatures were dropping and the rain intensifying. Phil added a garbage bag under his florescent jersey. Shortly thereafter, I stopped to see how they were doing in the rain, and Phil added my waterproof rain jacket over it all. By the time we got to mile 46, it was really raining and was now 45 degrees. Ken had had enough, with cold feet and shivering. Phil was warmer with his rain pants so decided to push ahead. We got Ken's bike in the back of the truck and moved ahead to about mile 58. We waited and waited for Phil, wondering what was taking him so long. Finally I looked at my cell phone and found Phil had called me 7 times, left 3 voice mail messages

Day 28: Batavia to Liverpool, New York, 125 miles. A 5:38 start, with light winds in their faces, 48 degrees. This was a "grind her out" day for both of them. Each chose their own speed which would minimize the stress and pain for their bodies. Ken was a bit ahead after 30 miles where they stopped for some grub. There was some good scenery, as we passed some of New York's famed "Finger Lakes" that stretched far to the south. But the theme was "just git 'er done".  I stayed in the motel to finish the 4th of the textbooks I had brought to read, to take a walk, and then drove to the town of Geneva at the 65 mile mark (at the north end of Seneca Lake). When I didn't find either of them, and not knowing whether they were ahead or behind me, I drove on, but received a call from Ken, saying he was in Geneva. We arranged to meet at the 76 mile mark for something to eat, As we exited the restaurant, we spied Phil biking on past. so Ken took off

Day 27: Westfield, New York to Batavia, New York, 108 miles. Yawn, another 100 mile day, winds not much of a factor. (Yes, it is getting to be routine, but going this many miles per day for 25 days without a day of rest is really quite something.) Ken wanted to push faster than Phil, so they separated. I could not track them on Life 360, so they rode the route unsupported. Phil made a stop at Tim Hortons for a late breakfast (getting to be a habit). :) Four more days to go, all 120+ miles, so about 490 total to go.

Day 26: Niles, Ohio to Westfield, New York, 129 miles The guys headed out shortly after 5:00, with lights blinking prior to the 6:04 sunrise, to get out of town before the traffic got heavy. The breakfast in the room avoided having to wait until the 6:00 breakfast. They were quickly out of town and onto a great country road with minimal traffic. After a quick SAG stop for water at the Old Covered Bridge on Graham Road at mile 47, they were eager for a lunch, which they finally reached around the 60 mile mark south of the town of Conneaut. From there, they headed NE along Route 5 E., all the way to Westfield, crossing the Pennsylvania border at abut the 64 mile mark and the New York border near mile 111. Lake Erie We are staying at a locally owned old style motel so we could cut 20 miles off the 138 mile day on the cue sheet, but the mileage for the day still ended up being 129. The guys had wind in their faces most of the day, about 5-6 mph early, but over 10 in the afternoo

Day 25: Wooster to Niles, Ohio, 97 miles. The day started with some hills and light winds. The guys started with little or nothing to eat, thinking they would stop at some local place for breakfast. After an early SAG stop around mile 32 to check in, they pushed on, thinking there would be a restaurant in a small town of 3000 people at about mile 40. I went ahead with the truck, and after checking out the town, discovered that there was no restaurant there. so hoped there would be one before Limaville around mile 50. I scoured the route and side streets, and found nothing open. I pushed to Limaville and found nothing there either. Oops, the guys were surely going to run out of gas. So, I drove back to meet them to have them eat whatever little was left in the cooler and food bin. Looking at where they were on Life360, I saw they were stopped in one of the little towns I had driven through, so found them at a restaurant that had been closed when I checked it out. It opened at 10:00,

Day 22:  Marysville to Wooster, Ohio, 96 miles. The guys headed out early today, skipping breakfast at the Super 8 after the morning desk clerk went ballistic when Ken tried to get coffee earlier than the announced 6:00 breakfast start and Phil got chased out for trying to bring his bike inside the lobby. The clerk threatened to put us on "the no rent list". It was something we laughed about the rest of the day and which earned the hotel a bad review (our "don't rent" comeback). Anyway, they stopped about 15 miles into the ride at Tim Hortons, which earned a gorgeous photo of their donuts - yes, true excitement on the ride. We were following a route we made out due to a lack of a second page of the cue sheet and all started out well. I drove ahead, intending to go wait at a bike shop at mile 53. I noticed that part of the route planned was just not suitable for the guys to ride safely - little or no shoulders and quite a bit of traffic. Luckily, I noticed

Day 23: Richmond to Marysville, Ohio, 103 miles. Today was one of the easiest 103 miles on the bikes, the guys said. They headed north out of Richmond to catch a State route (36) at mile 12.6, then followed that all the way to Marysville. There was a bit of navigating to do in Marysville, but not too much. We had selected the route using MapMyRide.com the night before, as we did not have a cue sheet. It worked wonderfully, and was much better than the route would have been using the "bike" option using maps.google.com, with the turns every 2-3 miles. So, they spent to day on Route, 36, with decent roads, and a mostly helpful wind (and in some stretches, a VERY helpful wind). The route was dotted with small towns which the guys loved. They stopped for breakfast in one small town and had a great time with the locals. Others, they stopped in for drinks or snacks. I parked in St. Paris and rode back about 10 miles to meet them, than back to the truck with them for a total

Day 20: Lebanon to Richmond, Indiana, 110 miles Today involved a lot of suburban Indianapolis traffic in the morning, so pretty slow travel, but with decent winds. The rest of the day the wind helped, not like the 208 mile day, but it was all good. The road went through pretty rural country with several small towns along the way. It was not a hard day for anyone. Today is the last day we have Jerry with us, as he needs to return home. I will drive him to the Columbus airport for a 11:15 flight. We will miss him. At age 71, he is an inspiration, and being able to tell people about these guys is one of the reasons I agreed to support them on this trip. Tomorrow we go 103 miles to Marysville, Ohio along a route we had to make up, as we had no cue sheets from prior rides. It looks easy, so we hope for the best. The winds are forecast to be favorable, with a possible thunderstorm around 10:00. Wish us the best!

Day 19: Tuscola, Illinois to Lebanon, Indiana, 121 great miles. With a longer day ahead of them, the guys were on the road shortly after 5:00, with sunrise at 5:42, Within 2 miles, they turned north on narrow, quiet country roads, on which they for about 44 miles. The about 10 mph winds were from the east, so much of that was right in their face, with the few stretches to the north serving as breaks. The winds swung around to the south, and then southwest as the day wore on, so the last 40 miles was with a good push from behind. All in all, they all had a pretty good day, despite the work at the start. Ken said he thought that was the easiest 120 he had every done, but he must have been forgetting the day in 2016 when we did the 120 miles with the stiff tailwind the entire day, instead of just part of the day. The pre-sunrise and sunrise were again gorgeous. We went past farm field after farm field, with the farmers busy getting their crops in. We went through many very small to

Day 18: Springfield, Illinois to Tuscola, Illinois, 77 miles, flat, calm, nice temperatures.... What's not to like? Yes, Greetings from Tuscola "Oh, I hate these D__n hills", (said nobody) Today was about as good a day as you can get on a bike. The guys were rewarded for their efforts in the hills of Missouri to enjoy the flats of Illinois. With decent temperatures (they were done before noon, so it didn't get a chance to get hot before they were done), the miles flowed past. We were trying to figure out what direction the low wind was coming from, but were unsure, it was that light. All we knew was it was not working against us - perhaps only our own blazing speed creating the wind. Right! The route led through farmlands on relatively narrow, poorly maintained but decent roads with minimal traffic. A good rest day for tomorrow's 121 mile ride to Lebanon, Indiana that looks like little climbing. The wind early is for a light headwind, but swinging

Day 17: Quincy to Springfield, Illinois, 107 miles, a MUCH better day A thunderstorm was forecast for 6:00, so we weren't anxious to get going today. However, the storm came earlier, and rain had stopped, so, off they went by 6:30. Ken got a flat within the first 5 miles, but that was the last of the mechanical trouble for the day. The winds were favorable at first, then as the guys turned SE, they headed into the wind for about 13-15 miles. When Jerry reached me where I waited about the 20 mile mark, he was not a happy camper, as it was too reminiscent of yesterday. Fortunately, the route turned east again and the wind shifted a bit to the west, and all of the rest of the day was awesome. The last 40 miles were particularly great with the stiff wind pushing them on. I had a chance to ride today, by parking at the SAG stop in Jacksonville at mile 67 and rode back 11 miles to meet them. The shoulder was wide and smooth, and the winds, while strong, were mostly from the side,

Day 16: Kirksville, Missouri to Quincy, Illinois, 97 miles, with winds and hills The idea was that after the hard 145 mile day yesterday, the 97 mile day would feel like a rest. It was not. The day started as usual, early and cool. And, with a lot of up and down on a narrow country road without shoulders. Thank goodness there was little traffic. Interestingly, there were seven one lane bridges along the way, which gives you an idea how lightly traveled it was. That was the story for all but the last 25 miles. The road was not very smooth, but not too bad. The bad part was that here they do not make any cuts in the hills to reduce the grade, they just pave over them, and some of the grades were STEEP. And, the winds started in their faces and increased throughout the day. This photo shows wind speeds over 20 miles an hour, and it was never any help all day. We were planning on crossing the Mississippi River by way of a ferry, as listed on the 2007 cue sheet. Well, I went

Day 15: St. Joseph to Kirksville, Missouri, 145 miles, LOTS of up and down, 6800' of climbing, with some headwind With a long day ahead, the guys wanted to get a jump on the day, so started with headlights at just before 5:30. The route looked simple enough - get on Route 6 all day. A slight 7-9 mile headwind was forecast, so that would make the day harder. It was a gorgeous day and quite picturesque as the sun rose. It was one hill after another all day, and bigger than rollers. The wind also picked up as the day progressed, right into their faces. And it got over 80 degrees in the afternoon. All said, this was a tough day. The downhill stretches just do not make up for the extra effort expended on the uphills. The guys were out there from 11 hours to  11 hours and 45 minutes - a looooonnnnnggggg day. At mile 109, Jerry was whipped. He had a chicken dinner at the truck stop and rested a bit, then was recharged and finished the ride. Ken said he was getting a bit spa

Day 14: Topeka, Kansas to St. Joseph, Missouri, 85 miles Another early cool start. Rode through the town of Topeka a bit to get out of the country, including through a construction zone. Then up and down, up and down, most of the day on decent roads. Nothing too remarkable to tell about, until Phil suggested they take a short cut along Hwy. 59, instead of following the cue sheet. In contrast to many of my "long cuts", this ended up cutting about 4 miles off the route, and missed a LOT of up and downs along the planned route. The short cut joined the cue sheet route in St. Joseph and along the bike route along the Southwest Parkway for about 6 miles, so getting through the city was not as bad as it looked like it would be on the map. So, getting ready for a long day tomorrow, 145 miles with a lot of ups and downs, and forecast a slight headwind all the way. Whooeeeee!

Day 13: Abilene to Topeka, Kansas, 107 miles, lots of up and down. Another early (6:15) and cool (51 degrees) start. The guys were quickly out of town, heading east on Sr 43 until Woodbine at mile 17. Smooth sailing with little traffic. They whizzed by me at mile 23, still cool enough not to need to shed clothing, and anxious to keep taking advantage of the tailwind. We had quick SAG at mile 35, and they were off again. (Well, they did take time to amaze the locals with what they were doing, which is always a "Wow" for the listeners.) This next stretch was particularly delightful, with lots of rollers (and some up and down bigger than rollers) that created wonderful scenery and the miles passed quickly for the guys until a lunch stop at mile 76 in the town of Eskridge at Big Bertha's Diner. The road had no shoulders, but smooth pavement and few cars. From there, it was only about 30 miles to the Super 8 in Topeka. Vern headed out ahead of the rest so he coul

Day 11: Dodge City to Great Bend, Kansas, 86 miles Day 12: Great Bend to Abilene, Kansas, 105 miles These were two relatively easy days. Day 11 (Thursday) was great with tail winds pushing them along, except for about 10 miles early on. That headwind was the opposite from what the weather forecast said. Nonetheless, the rest of the day was great with the guys were really enjoying the ride. There was about a 1000' feet of elevation loss during the day, and temperature were comfortable. On Day 12 (Friday), we took an alternate route from that on the ABB cue sheet. We looked at the forecast winds, and thought the last 70 of the 129 miles planned would be right into the teeth of a headwind. There appeared to be an alternate route that was actually shorter, but with unknown road smoothness, shoulders and traffic amount. But, it appeared that the alternate route would avoid the headwinds, taking the winds at the 9:00 or 10:00 position. So, the decision was to go for it. It turned

Day 11: Liberal to Dodge City, Kansas, 83 miles, less than 400' elevation gain or loss high to low. A little later start today than yesterday, at 6:30, which was first light with the time change, at a decent 54 degrees. They left with the idea of riding the 83 miles to Dodge City and seeing how they felt, and what the weather was like. From there, the decision would be made whether to push on the the next town with motel rooms available (Larned - 60 miles down the road) or to stay in Dodge City. Well, the first 10 miles traveling NE on Hwy. 54 went by pretty well, with a little help from the wind. Then the wind changed, and the next 30 miles to the SAG stop was done at 12-14 miles an hour, in other words, work. That tired out some of the team, and the decision was made - Dodge City was far enough for today. A cold front had moved in and the temperature had dropped into the 40's. About 20 miles later, they turned north on Hwy 283 and had the wind behind them, so the last 2

Day 10:  Tucumcari, NM to Dalhart, TX, 96 miles for the day, 2078' up, 2221' down, with less than 500' from the highest point to the lowest point. AND Dalhart, TX to Liberal, Kansas, 113 miles, with an elevation drop of about 1200'.  Total: 208 miles, done in less than 11 hours total elapsed time, average speed - 22.6 mph, starting in New Mexico, going through Texas and Oklahoma, and ending in Kansas. Wow! What a once in a lifetime day for the team! The guys were off and riding at 5:30 - first light. The winds were favorable right from the start, but grew increasingly so during the day, with winds from the southwest, ideal when you are riding northeast. The plan was to at least go to Dalhart, and play it by ear from there. They reached Dalhart in less than 5 hours, so were off again, with a potential stopping point in Guymon, Oklahoma at 170 miles. But, the winds kept pushing them on to Liberal. At one stop, Jerry said, "You only have to pedal if you wan