Day 50 The Finish. All Good Things Come to the End!!!!

My last blog post....

I made it!  A dream that I have had for 40 years was now a reality.

Like the beginning of the ride where we dipped our wheels in the Pacific Ocean, we rolled into Portsmouth and carried our bikes to the Atlantic Ocean and dipped our wheels into the waters of the East.

It was a moment of celebration!  We had been escorted by the police for the last three miles of the ride and to be honest with you it was hard to push back the tears.   I can honestly say this was the hardest thing I have ever done - so the emotions were pretty heavy at the end.  With each turn of the crank I went from happy to sad, happy to sad, happy to sad.

It was a roller coaster of a ride for the last mile.  And when we turned into the beach for the last 100 yards - egads.  But I made it and headed in a beeline to the ocean.

We joked as a group about knocking off items from our bucket list - and I actually got one off the list!   And it was a big one - a three and a half thousand mile bike ride.  Mountains, Plains, Great Lakes and the Green and White Mountains of the East.

It was a thrill to wake up each day, get on your bike and experience something new and spectacular about America, each and every moment of the ride.  The sights and sounds of America pushed you, and motivated you, through the pain and soreness.   It has created a memory that will be with me for the rest of my life.

Amazing.

So one last look at the statistics..

The ride was touted as a 3,667 mile ride.  I ended up doing 3,683 miles (got lost a couple of times).

We averaged 75 miles per day and the ride took 50 days (with 4 rest days included).  My total ride time was 284 hours, 8 minutes and 17 seconds.  I averaged 13.0 miles per hour and my average heart rate for the entire ride was 96 BPM (my heart rate stayed the same for the ride but my speed picked up significantly).

I burned 118,672 calories during the ride according to my Polar watch and I lost somewhere between 20-25 lbs during the ride.  Alison's wedding is less than a month away so I have to go buy a new suit and some casual clothes as everything I own is now too big - like watching the Biggest Loser on the last day when they hold up their original clothes.

So the ride has ended - but the memory will be there forever.

As I mentioned I knocked one off the bucket list - but picked up a couple new ones.  I want to go back and ski Grand Targhee (Steve B - I see another men's weekend in our future).

And I am hoping that Cathryn and I can go back to Jackson, WY and hike and bike the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks next fall.

As for the bicycle ....  there is always the Ride the West ride next year (23 days and 1300 miles).  Love to get Alison, Ellen and crew to join me (my treat of course).

One final note..   I want to thank all my friends and family for the continued words of encouragement that I received during the ride.  Notes of cheer and best wishes from friends I had not heard from in 20, even 30 years.  They really helped!

And of course, a big thanks and shout out to Cathryn for encouraging me to do the ride.  Love ya!

In closing, all I can say is pursue your dreams.

And keep on biking.

Day 50 - Ocean to Ocean. Pre-finish blog entry.

Monday afternoon we rolled into Portsmouth and completed our ride across America.  Wow, what a feeling having achieved this accomplishment!

It was a happy and sad day at the same time.  Happy in that we completed our objective; sad in that we were done and would leave the friends we had made along the way.

The end started with a banquet the Sunday night in Manchester NH where we had a bunch of skits and awards.  For me, I decided to "award" my bright yellow rain helmet cover to Brian Thompson from Australia.  Brian is the bloke that is riding around the world on his bike.

Of course there is a story behind this.  Brian and several of the other riders were the fastest people in the group.  There were also a set of people like myself that you could call the "slow riders".

To make it easier for the staff to keep us all together they would load the "slow riders" luggage between 1/2 and 1 hour before the rest of the group (we like to call ourselves the "elite early loaders" versus "the slow riders").

Somewhere around the 25-30 mile mark (or the first sag stop) the fast team would pass us "elite early loaders".  They were always polite and gave us words of encouragement.  Now being the fast group, they could stop for coffee, lunch and ice cream - so I generally got passed 3 times each day.  Again they were always polite when they re-passed me - and when I passed their bikes in front of a coffee shop or ice cream shop, I would think about the "tortoise and the hare" tale (it was my motivation each day).

This went on every day - with the fast group being polite each time.  Except for one day.

That was the day we experienced rain.  On that day, I decided to stay dry and put on my rain gear (jacket, pants, shoe covers) and of course my yellow, fluorescent helmet cover.  Well, did the fast group rip into me (Brian leading the charge).  "Real bikers don't wear rain covers";  Where the hell did you buy that";  "Is this an American thing?".

And because it was early morning, I had to put up with this abuse 3 times (as well as long after I had removed my rain gear).  This went on into the evening including Brian coming up to me with his smart phone and showing me a website called "What real bicyclists don't wear riding their bike.com".

Of course all was in good fun but Brian needed payback.  So just before the last dinner I got a felt pen and wrote on my rain cover - Brian's World Bike Tour, America, 2013, presented by Streamer Mike (there were several "Mikes" in the group so the staff had nicknames for each of us - mine being taken from the streamers Ellen and David gave me and that adorned my bike for the entire ride).

I knew he would throw the cover away; so to prevent this I had each of the other riders in the fast group sign the cover (without Brian knowing) with wishes of encouragement for him completing his ride next year (Brian goes to Turkey for the last leg next spring).

I had his roommate sneak Brian's helmet out of his room and I put the rain cover on it and gave him "his award" and the collective group wished him well - to complete his personal goal.

Of course I made him put on the helmet in front of the group - so we could get photos that will hopefully haunt him for the rest of his life.  Not one to bust chops (yea right), I have already emailed him the photo and in several communications with the rest of the group I continue to include this photo.

I have added a calendar reminder for next spring before he starts his last ride - and of course I will email him the photo and remind him to take "his rain cover" with him!!  Revenge is so sweet!!!

But the story does not end there....

Each of us received a certificate for completing the ride and we got a chance to thank the staff and say a few words.  I got up and of course thank the staff and Alan (my roommate for putting up with me for 50 days).  In reflecting back on the ride I recounted the best part of the ride (climbing the mountains to get to Mount Rushmore - the climb was as spectacular as Mount Rushmore itself) and the worst part of the ride (going through all the little towns and seeing the closed up stores and factories - as a country we have to do something about this).

When Brian got up he talked about how it was (unknowned to the rest of us) the fast group's objective to be the first team to complete each day's ride and to motivate themselves - they would "click off" passing the "elite early loaders" one at a time - until the passed me (I was the fastest of the elite early loaders).  It seems they did this for 49 days - always beating us!

So the next day (the last day), Alan and I started off causally and when we got to the first sag stop - we realized they we had got there before the fast team.   They had not passed us - so I wrote on the sign-in sheet "you have been beaten by the slow team to the sag stop".

At about 40 miles there was a bakery that people were encouraged to stop in.  Again Alan and I arrived first.  So I asked the clerk for a piece of paper and stuck the following on the door:

I bought a bagel and was about to eat it when Alan says "Put that in your pocket and let's go".  "We have a chance to beat the fast group to the end".  So off we went - and did we crank our pedals!   Our normal speed is 13 mph and we were pushing 20-23 mph for 10 miles (of course the tailwind helped).

We actually got to the staging area (end of the ride) and beat the fast team!!!

Of course they did not know we were racing them - but hell it still felt good.  As the other riders came in - they had been reading the notes I had left - and they gave Alan and I a big shout-out and congratulations!

And did we let the fast riders know it when they showed up.  Their reign of terror had ended!!!!  We had prevailed.

I will finish the ride in the next blog entry - my last blog entry .....

Day 49 - Live Free or Die

We reached New Hampshire today.  Leaving Brattleboro VT., we crossed the Connecticut River and immediately entered NH.  Home of the Live Free or Die.

The ride was 77 miles long and had about 4500 feet of climbing.  Right after this sign we started climbing - did not even get to warm up my legs - at 6:30 am.    But we prevailed.

The weather was great and there was no wind.  It was fun being back in NH having lived in Hollis and having worked in Nashua.  We were heading to Manchester - home of Loon Ale.

For those of you that do not know I invested in one of NH first microbreweries - Loon Ale.  Unfortunately we were ahead of our time and the brewery did not succeed.    But we had fun trying.

When we started the brewery you had to buy your equipment and all your ingredients from Germany.  Big equipment that brewed a lot of beer and imported ingredients - so we could not get our fixed costs down given our volume.    For example, our bottling line could have handled 20 times the number of bottles that we needed to cap after we finished a brew batch.

Today you can buy small brewer systems built in the USA.  And you can get great hops (et al) grown right in America.  Perfectly sized systems to start off with.  Far cheaper than what we had to work with.

When we arrived at the hotel several of the riders (Steve and Bill) had some beer waiting for us - all of which was brewed in NH (loved the Tuckerman's Ale brewed in North Conway).  Oh well - it's fun saying you owned a brewery.  Even if we did choke.    They say you can "tell the pioneers from the settlers - by the arrows in their back".

The ride went quick - it was 77 miles long.  Riders were having fun on the last real day or riding.  Don pulled out the greatest bike shirt I have ever seen.

This was a real bike shirt.  Pockets in the back and all!  Don was the rider that had to go to the hospital the other night - so he is wearing the white compression socks to help resolve some leg swelling.  But they made a perfect compliment to his "tux" riding shirt.  Got to get one of these for Alison's wedding!!

We have one last riding day left.  It is a 50 mile ride from Manchester to Rye NH.  We get escorted to the beach by a police cruiser.  So it is going to be a fun day.  Plus get to see Cathryn for the first time in 50 days (if you get my drift)!!!!

Once I get home on Tuesday and get to reflect on the experience I will blog one more time.  With final ride statistics and some thoughts about the ride.

On to the Atlantic Ocean!!!!

Day 48 Out of New York and into Vermont

We rode 79 miles today and ended up in Brattleboro, Vermont - our next to last state.  Only two rides left!

We are now in the Green Mountains and did we ever climb hills today.  One hill was 10 miles long with a 4% grade with a couple of 6% climbs thrown in.  I was averaging 4 mph on the climb and I hit 39 mph on the way down.  We had a second climb that was a little steeper - but only 3.5 miles long. 

My guess is that they could have routed us around these hills - but wanted us to experience pain the last couple days of the ride!  We ate it up!

On one of the hills we saw the strangest thing.  A barn that was built on top of silos...

I have no clue why this was built - sure was weird.

On the second climb we climb a hill called Hogback Mountain.  It wasn't till I was at the top that I remembered this was a ski area that I use to go to when I was in high school.  I didn't have a lot of money and I could not afford Mount Snow - so we would go to Hogback - it was a little ski area with 12 runs!!!

It was a strange ski area.  The building above was the lodge.  You put your boots on in the lodge and then skied down the mountain.  Then you took the ski lift back up the hill.  Completely the opposite of most ski areas.  Today the area is defunct but the lodge is now a tourist site - when you are on the top you can see three states - Vermont, NH and Mass.

After the climbs I thought I would be pretty sore - but I must be getting stronger.  As I mentioned we have two rides left.  Tomorrow we head to Manchester, NH and the following day we end at the Atlantic Ocean in Rye, NH.

Here is a map of the ride as of the end of today.

We have done about 3600 miles and have another 150-160 to go.  

Wow almost done!!!1

Day 47 - Flying Through New York

Today we had a 75 miler that we flew through.  My legs are getting stronger and I am carrying less weight.  Averaged about 15.1 mph which is well above my normal speed.  We had a tailwind, some uphills and some great downhills.

We stayed in Little Falls, NY.  It used to be a huge town with all kinds of manufacturing.  For example it use to be the world's largest manufacturer of bicycles - all done under the Montgomery Ward name.  But alas all the industry has left and the town is but a shell.  The downtown is all vacant stores.  There is a bar of course and you could get a draft beer for a buck.  Had to try a couple of course.

We stayed in the best hotel in town - the Knights Inn.  Oh it's the only hotel in the town.  But the people were great and they sponsored a wine/beer reception before dinner.  First hotel to do this on the trip.  Good buffet dinner that was well balanced.

We headed off to bed only to be woken up by the freight train that seemed to run right though our room.  I assumed that once it got to midnight the trains would stop and we could get some sleep.  Unfortunately the freight trains ran through the village ever 30 minutes.  And because there was a street the trains crossed right next to the hotel they had to blow their whistle.  This went on all night.

In any case we woke up (from our restless night) to a great day.  Perfect temperatures and winds at our back.  We headed out of town and I was able to capture the town in all its glory.

The town is also on the Erie Canal and has a lock that apparently is one of the biggest locks in the world relative to the height it has to raise a boat to the next level of the canal.

I was told it took 30 years to build the canal.  It was all done by hand in the 1800's.  Look at the granite walls they had to chisel through to create this waterway.

Once we were out of town we had about a 10-14 mile hill to climb.  Nothing better than a hill climb at 6:30 in the morning.  Ug.  But we got some great shots of the valley below once we go on top.

What goes up - goes down so we had a great downhill that we flew down.  Here is a shot just before we headed down.

We are getting close to home, close to New England.   you can see the difference in the scenery as we get closer to Vermont.

Tomorrow is our last day in New York and we should cross into Vermont midmorning.  Looking forward to the next state.  Not looking forward to the hills.  If I remember correctly the next 3 days of riding (about 210 miles) contain about 10% of all the climbing for the entire trip.    Pretty close to what we did at the beginning of the ride. The difference though is that the climbs out West were tall and long. Here I think that in Vermont and NH we are in for a lot of medium size rolling hills - and lots of them.

So three more days and 210 miles to the end of my journey.

Onto Brattleboro....

Day 46 Rochester to Little Falls - A Wet One!ould no

Could not post yesterday.  We got to the hotel early enough - but they would not allow luggage unload until 3pm.  So with all the daily chores I ran out of time.

Yesterday we rode along the Erie Canal on a great bike trail.

The first six miles were paved and after that (about 15 miles) it was hard packed gravel.  The canal has lots of locks to raise the boats that are heading upstream.

There were a bunch of little towns along the way.  It appears that there are a lot of little boats that go up and down the canal doing tours.  Might be fun to come back and board one for the tour.

After the paved bike trail we decided to jump off and take the road - the gravel does a job on your bike.

It was a really nice day with little wind so we cruised the 92 miles to Rochester.  

About 5 miles from the end we stopped at Heidi's which seems to be famous for the hot dogs and coney's.  I am a sucker for a good dog - so despite my goal of not eating junk food on the ride - I had to stop.  Sure glad I did because the dogs were special.  

Reached the hotel and like I said before we were not able to unload our luggage.  No bid deal but just ran out of time to get everything done.

Today we had a short 79 mile ride to Little Falls, NY.  The weather forecast called for rain and thunderstorms so a bunch of us left early trying to beat the rain.  Got about to the 55 mile mark and the sky opened up.  Wet, very wet ride for the remaining 35 miles.  Had my rain gear with me but it is still uncomfortable riding.  

Luckily when we got to the hotel there was a laundromat right across the street.  So it was able to accommodate 40 wet riders with wet clothes all at the same time.  

While I waited I noticed there was a nail place - Rosa's so I jumped over and had a nail job!  My hands are shot so I really needed some professional help.  Poor Rosa I wonder what she was thinking when she saw my hands.  It seems that the dye from my gloves have stained my hands and that I have a sun tan lines on my hands where the gloves end.  

But $10 bucks - you can't beat it.  Even thought about a pedi - but I think Rosa would have fainted given the state of my feet.  I have not had hot spots in a week or so - but I can' feel the last 3 toes on my right foot.

Tomorrow is our last day in NY and we head to the hills of Vermont and NH.  Four riding days left.  250 miles in total.  Hopefully the rain will clear out so we can really enjoy the rest of the tour.

Cheers

Day 44 - Niagara Falls to Henrietta NY

Had a great day off in Niagara Falls.  Got a full body massage at the Casino Spa.  Followed by a sauna, steam and hot tub.  Body really needed the time off the bike.  And of course our favorite pastime...

We had to sneak into the Day's Inn to do laundry as our hotel did not have any facilities.  Day off and the hotel has no laundry - just another dumb decision by someone at ABB.

Had two great meals.  One at the Culinary Institute and one at a little wine bar called Wine on Third.  Perfect day off.  They gave us dinner cards to Denny's (again) and everybody headed to real restaurants and used the Denny credit for breakfast the next morning.

I did go back to the Falls for some more sight-seeing.  I got up close and personal and took some more shots of the Falls.  I could literally reach out and touch them.

What scared me the most though was the lack of tall railings to protect anybody from falling off the bridges and walkways and going down over the falls.

I mean you lean the wrong way and bam! you are over the Falls.  When I walked over this bridge some young teenagers were joking around on the bridge - and it scared the bejeezus out of me.

The Ride...

Today we had an 88 mile ride between Niagara Falls and Henrietta, NY.  Weather was great and the wind was with us again.  I averaged 15 mph and was able to keep up with one of the fast rider groups.

No pictures - nothing of interest.  And after the Falls everything else was anti-climatic.

Everybody is getting a little sad.  Most are now trying to cut down on the daily calorie intact to get re-acclimated to "civilian life".  I have been careful on what I have been eating - so this won't be too big an issue for me - I hope.

Tomorrow we head to Liverpool, NY and there are only 6 days of riding left.

Day 42 - I think Back in the USA

I have totally lost track of days.  Can't tell you if it is Sunday or Monday.  Can't tell you if it is July or August.  Totally clueless - as the only important time items are when do we wake up and when do we load our luggage so we can start the next ride.

After a quick 65 mile bike ride (where I got lost again so for me it was a 70+ mile ride), we arrived in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and saw the splendor of the falls.

Now there is a stark contrast between the Canadian side and the US side of the falls.  It is like visiting Vegas (on the Canadian side) and Reno (on the US side).  Both have views (and gambling) but one side is glitzy (Canada) and the other side (NY) is raw and poorer.    In either case both sides are quite the tourist trap - where you can buy anything you can think of with the Falls imprinted on it. (Luckily I still have a 35 lb luggage limit or I would have bought some stuff for the family).

We have a day off today so we have time to do the tourist things..   One suggestion is to take a boat to get a closeup of the falls.

Included in the price is a blue rain poncho.  The boats get quite close to the falls - so you are bound to get wet.

Not sure this is my thing - but will give some thought about it later - after a couple of naps.  I did manage to get my pic taken at the Falls.

Once we took in the views on the Canadian side it was time for the team to cross back into the USA.   As we had to go through customs it required us to get on the bridge along with the cars and wait our turn.

When we reached the Custom checkpoint they started out looking at each of us one at a time.  When the car line backed up as they checked 40 passports one at a time - the Custom official gave in and checked us in as one large group.  We survived, and all riders were allowed back into the States where we were greeted by our next State.

When we arrived at our hotel one of the riders, Rick who lives in the Finger Lakes region and his wife (who came down for the day) greeted us with sparkling wine from their home town.

It was quite the reception.  I can tell you though, after a 65 mile ride (70 for me), this stuff goes right to the head.   But of course I had to have a couple of glasses - strictly to eliminate any chance of dehydration.

They say the view of the US side is not as good - but I disagree.  On the Canadian side everything is concrete.  On the US side, you walk through parks and greenier to get to the Falls edge.

In either case the Falls are spectacular.  Never thought I would have enjoyed coming to the Falls - but glad I got the chance to see them.  My last picture was splendid.

Most riders stayed up to see the Falls at night all lite up - plus a fireworks display.  But Alan and I were exhausted and headed off to bed at 9pm - after having a great dinner at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (plus more wine).

We had a choice for dinner - a $15 gift card to Denny's or the Culinary Institute.  Duh....

So this morning we will get our Grand Slam and then take in the sights and sounds of Niagara Falls - after we do our wash.  Then some more sleep and start our last 7 days of riding to reach the Coast.

Getting closer to my goal every day....

Day 41 Heading to Brantford ONT

It was pouring when we started out today.  So the nice staff said they would put our bikes in the vans and bring us to the next hotel.  NOT!!!

When it rains - you ride!  Full rain gear required.  Jackets, pants and helmet cover required.  WET was the word for the day.

Quick ride of 65 miles on nice quiet roads.

Best part of the day was Cathryn's cookies at the SAG stop.  Thanks hon.

Could not take any pictures due to the weather.

Just got some pictures of us crossing the bridge...

Should get more exciting tomorrow for pictures and stories as we head to Niagara Falls..

Back to the USA

Day 40 Heading into Canada

Today was the day for entering Canada.  Clearly with about 45 people, , 5-7 people with non-US passports, 3 vans with luggage and bike equipment - the crossing of the border was going to take some careful planning.

But ABB has been doing this for so long - they have thought of every detail.  First, as I mentioned yesterday, they prescreened all of our passports.  Second, they have over the years worked out a deal with the Bridge Authority to shut down the bridge to traffic so that we riders can cross safely.

This is not something easy to do.  This is like shutting down one of the NY bridges.  In order to make sure we are all together they have us line up at the bottom of the bridge.

They put the slow riders up front (me included).  Then they have a truck that escorts us over the bridge. Here is the side view of the bridge again.

It actually is a big hill climb to get up and across the bridge.  When we were on the bridge, the ABB crew shot pictures of us crossing as a group.   As I was in the front, I am hoping they got a couple of pictures of me riding on the bridge.  If so, I will post tomorrow.

Once we were over the bridge, we had to go through Canadian Customs.  They reviewed our passports one at a time.  Again the bridge is still closed - so I suspect the people in the cars were steaming.

I am happy to report we all made it into Canada.  We put Bill ("wounded warrior project") up front with his American Flag and Canadian Shirt - to warm them up.

So we have now officially left the USA.  And contrary to my friend Rich Luciano who said I have now been disqualified on my ride because we left the USA, I reminded him this is America by Bike - not the USA by Bike - and the last time I looked Canada was on the North American continent!   Phew!

But just in case there was one last chance to turn around...

In any case once we left the border, we had an 83 mile jaunt to London, Ontario.  Again the miles this week are racking up (113, 90, 90, 78 and now 83).  Hopefully we get a short one soon as my body is really sore (more on this later).

About 3 miles into the ride the group heard a loud train whistle.  The fast riders quickly beat the gate going down.  Us slow riders got up to the train gate and saw this freight train coming from about 1/2 mile away.  A couple of us wanted to go under the gate as it was clear that this train was poking along.
But a couple of riders objected and for the good of the group I stayed back.   BAD MISTAKE!!!!

The train ended up being about 600 cars and it took at least 20 minutes to pass by.  To make matters worst another freight train came through from the other direction (equally as long) and the total wait time was about 25 minutes.  Never saw trains this long...

Here we are waiting for the train to pass.  Not much you can do but relax (which is still damn near impossible for me)....

The train finally passed and we headed out on our ride.  One of the Canadian riders swore up and down that the winds would be at our back.  WRONG AGAIN.   The headwinds were moderate and were strong enough just to make the ride hard.  

About half way through the ride, Jim (the mechanic) can riding by (each staff member gets to ride every other day).  I told him I was looking forward to the next rest day in Niagara Falls as I was going to get  full-body, sports massage.  

He said you don't have to wait this long - as there was a massage place right next to the hotel we were staying at in London.  This was great news as I could really use some work on my back and neck.  

Unfortunately he was pulling my leg as this is what I encountered when I reached the hotel...

I gave some serious thought to going there regardlessly.  How bad could it be?  Even an XXX rated message has got to do something with the back and neck - don't you think?

But the better part of me said no - so I will have to wait until we get to New York State.

Terry one of the Canadian riders called ahead and had a case of Labatt's beer waiting for us.  I will have to reciprocate in NH.  

Nothing better after a 83 mile ride than a beer.  Or a massage.   

We head to brantford, ONT tomorrow and finally a short ride of 75 miles (never in a thousand years before this trip would I have ever considered 75 miles to be short).   Forecast is 60% chance for thunderstorms.   Ugggg.

Check