This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8527
Longitude:-89.1543
Nearest Location: E Frontage Dr, Wiggins, MS, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/22/2008 14:00:18 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8527,-89.1543&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Monday, December 22, 2008
Day 30 - Sunday, December 21
Description: Finished the 83 mile ride in Franklinton Louisiana. Tomorrow, the target will be Wiggins Mississippi with a solid 70-75 mile ride.
Bad news - I have come down with a cold and suffered some today with my nose and a sore throat. Got some good drugs and hope to kick it tonight. I think I got it the day we went without stopping at a Donut Palace:-(
We all got up early today, grabbed some light breakfast snacks (I had a Smores Luna bar) and hit the road at 7:15. Kevin lost the coin toss again and reluctantly agreed to be the Sherpa for the morning. He took off north with the van to drop it off at Chipola and then ride back our way to join our party. Teresa, Carl, and I headed north out of Baton Rouge to look for a Donut Palace for some good Community coffee and some sugar bombs to fuel our day. From the beginning, Teresa charged to the front of the pace line and broke wind (I guess that could have been worded better) all morning for us 2 guys. The wind was very fierce and blowing at 15-25 mph straight into Teresa's face which she fought for the first 27 miles of our day. After about 5 miles, we found Mary Lee's Donuts & More shop and immediately hit the breaks. We could smell the grease and sugar from the road. The apple fritters were just coming out of the oven so all 3 of us snagged one and some Community coffee to wash it down. It was great and hit the spot. We then zipped up and charged into the wind knowing we would be turning east at our 27 mile marker and hoped for some wind relief. After about 20 miles, Kevin caught up with us and he helped Teresa out in the breaking wind duty. Kevin is great at breaking wind and if you have ever ridden behind him, you know what I mean. We stopped in Clinton for an early brunch at T-Man's Downhome Cafe and Bar-B-Que. This place was real proud of Obama as there were pictures, posters, and printed shirts of him all over the place. I was going to ask if they had a McCain shirt but was advised to shut my trap. We warmed up with more Community coffee (this is a local brand that is very smooth and in my opinion, much better than Dunkin Donut's coffee) and placed our orders. Carl went with a shrimp po-boy and a salad. Teresa had a bar-b-que chicken sandwich and fries (that I ate). Kevin and I had the breakfast special with 2 eggs, sausage, grits, and a biscuit. The food was excellent. Outside we went and into the cold again as we were on a mission We finally got rolling and made our turn east and out of the wind god's breath. It ended up being a cross wind for the remainder of the day and we were happy with that. We rode another 15 miles up to Kevin's parked van at just over 40 miles into our day. Teresa loaded up her bike and then took over Sherpa duty. The record will note that she rode extremely well today in very difficult conditions (A+). She then jumped in the van and blasted 45 miles east to Franklinton to secure lodging, purchase snacks, and beverages. Kevin, Carl, and I had a long and difficult ride ahead of us. I was excited as it looked like it would be a good race with the sun to the motel (which I love doing). Carl said for Kevin and I to go on ahead as he planned to have a slower pace and to take a number of pictures - remember that he is retired! We passed large plantation homes, big pine woods, small dairy farms and rode on some very hilly roads (almost Texas like) which surprised us. We rode through the small towns of Easleyville, Tangipohoa, Bolivar, and Richardson before ending our day in Franklinton. In Tangipohoa, Kevin and I ran into a young couple who were also touring. They were stopped a lady's house who was offering them (and then us) some hot chocolate which was cool. Their names were Ben Becker and Christine Compton (I will call them BB & CC) and they were from Baltimore Maryland. They have been riding for 2 months and were heading west and then south to Argentina - can you believe that? Also, CC had the exact bike as my Mean Green Machine but without the dents. BB was riding a classic Schwinn. Their web site is www.lettherebmorebikes.com. I also just put their link and Carl's on my web page link list. Back to riding again, Kevin and I had a bad dog encounter. As we were going up a hill, a big Pit Bull came running from the front porch of a house next to the road. This guy was bounding so fast that his front legs and his back legs would all be stretched out at the same time with nothing on the ground on each stride. It was wild looking and I wish my camera was available. He came within inches of getting his teeth into my rear wheel or from biting my rear bags. I pulled away just in time. From here, we rolled into town and made it to the hotel just before dark so we beat the sun today. Carl came in about a half hour later and lost to the sun as he had to use his lights. Carl had a tremendous ride today and this was one of the longer rides of his entire trip. Carl also saved the day by noticing and then finding Teresa's computer that had fallen off of her bike plus he notified me when my Spot device and Wilson almost fell off my bike. The roads were rough at times which is why stuff was falling. I must also give Kevin kudos for a job well done today as he was a great Sherpa plus got in close to 90 miles of riding himself with a lot of pulling against the strong winds. I just don't understand why he does not ride this well on his normal weekend rides where he regularly bonks after just 30-35 miles. After cleaning up, hydrating, and snacking, we hit the town for dinner. We ate at the Grand Buffet which had one of the best all-u-can-eat spreads I have seen in a long time. Tons of fresh local shrimp, crabs, and every other Chinese food item you would ever want. Kevin and Teresa just shook their heads as Carl and I gorged ourselves with 4 or 5 plates each. Then we went to a Win-Dixie to get breakfast supplies and finally back to the room to plot out tomorrow's ride. Everyone is crashed now. Our Sherpas looked very tired and worn out from their long day of babysitting Carl and me.
Good night.
Weather: Cold, overcast and strong winds in our face for most of the day. Some sun peeked through the clouds for about an hour but it never warmed up. It was not a bad temp for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 2,215
Total travel time: 9:30 Trip: 229:00
Bike Riding time: 6:34 Trip: 177:46
Avg speed: 12.57 Trip: 12.68
Max speed: 28.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,094 Trip: 53,193
Avg pedal RPMs: 85 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,604 Trip: 130,004
Weather Statistics:
High temp 48 Trip: 77
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: mostly against and hurt bad at times
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 19
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 1
Mechanical failures: 1
Hotel or camping today: hotel
Total hotel nights: 1
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 96
Pints: 3 Trip: 53
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25. The wind was real tough today plus I have come down with a cold - haaachoooo. Overall, I continue to be in a great mood and still love the adventure and friends.
Bad news - I have come down with a cold and suffered some today with my nose and a sore throat. Got some good drugs and hope to kick it tonight. I think I got it the day we went without stopping at a Donut Palace:-(
We all got up early today, grabbed some light breakfast snacks (I had a Smores Luna bar) and hit the road at 7:15. Kevin lost the coin toss again and reluctantly agreed to be the Sherpa for the morning. He took off north with the van to drop it off at Chipola and then ride back our way to join our party. Teresa, Carl, and I headed north out of Baton Rouge to look for a Donut Palace for some good Community coffee and some sugar bombs to fuel our day. From the beginning, Teresa charged to the front of the pace line and broke wind (I guess that could have been worded better) all morning for us 2 guys. The wind was very fierce and blowing at 15-25 mph straight into Teresa's face which she fought for the first 27 miles of our day. After about 5 miles, we found Mary Lee's Donuts & More shop and immediately hit the breaks. We could smell the grease and sugar from the road. The apple fritters were just coming out of the oven so all 3 of us snagged one and some Community coffee to wash it down. It was great and hit the spot. We then zipped up and charged into the wind knowing we would be turning east at our 27 mile marker and hoped for some wind relief. After about 20 miles, Kevin caught up with us and he helped Teresa out in the breaking wind duty. Kevin is great at breaking wind and if you have ever ridden behind him, you know what I mean. We stopped in Clinton for an early brunch at T-Man's Downhome Cafe and Bar-B-Que. This place was real proud of Obama as there were pictures, posters, and printed shirts of him all over the place. I was going to ask if they had a McCain shirt but was advised to shut my trap. We warmed up with more Community coffee (this is a local brand that is very smooth and in my opinion, much better than Dunkin Donut's coffee) and placed our orders. Carl went with a shrimp po-boy and a salad. Teresa had a bar-b-que chicken sandwich and fries (that I ate). Kevin and I had the breakfast special with 2 eggs, sausage, grits, and a biscuit. The food was excellent. Outside we went and into the cold again as we were on a mission We finally got rolling and made our turn east and out of the wind god's breath. It ended up being a cross wind for the remainder of the day and we were happy with that. We rode another 15 miles up to Kevin's parked van at just over 40 miles into our day. Teresa loaded up her bike and then took over Sherpa duty. The record will note that she rode extremely well today in very difficult conditions (A+). She then jumped in the van and blasted 45 miles east to Franklinton to secure lodging, purchase snacks, and beverages. Kevin, Carl, and I had a long and difficult ride ahead of us. I was excited as it looked like it would be a good race with the sun to the motel (which I love doing). Carl said for Kevin and I to go on ahead as he planned to have a slower pace and to take a number of pictures - remember that he is retired! We passed large plantation homes, big pine woods, small dairy farms and rode on some very hilly roads (almost Texas like) which surprised us. We rode through the small towns of Easleyville, Tangipohoa, Bolivar, and Richardson before ending our day in Franklinton. In Tangipohoa, Kevin and I ran into a young couple who were also touring. They were stopped a lady's house who was offering them (and then us) some hot chocolate which was cool. Their names were Ben Becker and Christine Compton (I will call them BB & CC) and they were from Baltimore Maryland. They have been riding for 2 months and were heading west and then south to Argentina - can you believe that? Also, CC had the exact bike as my Mean Green Machine but without the dents. BB was riding a classic Schwinn. Their web site is www.lettherebmorebikes.com. I also just put their link and Carl's on my web page link list. Back to riding again, Kevin and I had a bad dog encounter. As we were going up a hill, a big Pit Bull came running from the front porch of a house next to the road. This guy was bounding so fast that his front legs and his back legs would all be stretched out at the same time with nothing on the ground on each stride. It was wild looking and I wish my camera was available. He came within inches of getting his teeth into my rear wheel or from biting my rear bags. I pulled away just in time. From here, we rolled into town and made it to the hotel just before dark so we beat the sun today. Carl came in about a half hour later and lost to the sun as he had to use his lights. Carl had a tremendous ride today and this was one of the longer rides of his entire trip. Carl also saved the day by noticing and then finding Teresa's computer that had fallen off of her bike plus he notified me when my Spot device and Wilson almost fell off my bike. The roads were rough at times which is why stuff was falling. I must also give Kevin kudos for a job well done today as he was a great Sherpa plus got in close to 90 miles of riding himself with a lot of pulling against the strong winds. I just don't understand why he does not ride this well on his normal weekend rides where he regularly bonks after just 30-35 miles. After cleaning up, hydrating, and snacking, we hit the town for dinner. We ate at the Grand Buffet which had one of the best all-u-can-eat spreads I have seen in a long time. Tons of fresh local shrimp, crabs, and every other Chinese food item you would ever want. Kevin and Teresa just shook their heads as Carl and I gorged ourselves with 4 or 5 plates each. Then we went to a Win-Dixie to get breakfast supplies and finally back to the room to plot out tomorrow's ride. Everyone is crashed now. Our Sherpas looked very tired and worn out from their long day of babysitting Carl and me.
Good night.
Weather: Cold, overcast and strong winds in our face for most of the day. Some sun peeked through the clouds for about an hour but it never warmed up. It was not a bad temp for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 2,215
Total travel time: 9:30 Trip: 229:00
Bike Riding time: 6:34 Trip: 177:46
Avg speed: 12.57 Trip: 12.68
Max speed: 28.48 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,094 Trip: 53,193
Avg pedal RPMs: 85 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 153 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,604 Trip: 130,004
Weather Statistics:
High temp 48 Trip: 77
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: mostly against and hurt bad at times
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 19
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 1
Mechanical failures: 1
Hotel or camping today: hotel
Total hotel nights: 1
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 96
Pints: 3 Trip: 53
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25. The wind was real tough today plus I have come down with a cold - haaachoooo. Overall, I continue to be in a great mood and still love the adventure and friends.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8454
Longitude:-90.141
Nearest Location: Washington St, Franklinton, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/21/2008 15:06:58 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8454,-90.141&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.8454
Longitude:-90.141
Nearest Location: Washington St, Franklinton, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/21/2008 15:06:58 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.8454,-90.141&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 29 - Saturday, December 20
Description: Finished the ride in Baton Rouge LA after a light 54 miles. Tomorrow the target is Richardson LA and a longer 85+ mile ride.
We were up, packed, and at The Palace Cafe for breakfast by 7:20. This is the same place we had dinner last night. They had the best Community brand coffee to go along with a great breakfast. Kevin, Teresa, and I had sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and Carl had a plain biscuit and hash browns. I also had a double stack of pancakes to ensure the tank was full. All of our food was excellent. We plotted our route to take a ferry over the mighty Mississippi and end up in St Francisville. Kevin lost the coin toss to Teresa and agreed to be the Sherpa today. His plan was to drive up to the ferry, drop the van, and then ride back to us to join the party. Teresa, Carl, and I started rolling at around 8:15 in perfect riding weather. There were no shoulders leaving Olpelousas but it opened up once we got on Rt 190 heading toward Baton Rouge. Carl (feeling spunky without all of his packs) jumped out front and did most of the pulling in the morning. Eventually, Teresa took over the "pull" position and led the way for the rest of the day. She is a very strong and consistent rider, unlike her husband. Shortly after leaving the Opelousas city limits, a car passed us, waived hi, and then pulled over to talk with us. At first, I was not sure what was going on. It was Gordy Heitzman who is a biker and wanted to know where we were going. He is from Minnesota but is temporarily working on a local FEMA project. He is also a regular in the Iowa RAGBRAI event which Kevin, Teresa, and Carl have all done multiple times. After exchanging web and email info, we rode on. Then we spotted a cajun night club called Bada's Bar which had a sign that said "Biker's Welcome". We wondered if they ment motorcyclists or cyclists. We met the owner, used his facilities, and got the grand tour of his bar including his huge rear deck on the bayou. Off we rolled again with Teresa pulling and the wind at our back. We stopped for lunch at a place called Lottie for some good home cooking. Kevin was supposed to meet us there on his bike but instead arrived in the van. It turned out that all of the ferrys were shut down today and there was no way to cross the mighty Mississippi river by boat. During lunch, we had to recast our plans for the day. The lunch was good as Kevin and Teresa shared a big shrimp po-boy, Carl had a grilled cheese with pickles, and I had a Shrimp sandwich with pretzels. Sherpa Kevin also provided a chocolate milk to me from the support van to help with my recovery. We decided to change course and set sail for Baton Rouge instead of going north. We agreed to stay on Rt 190 which had a good shoulder but was full of garbage and had heavy traffic. Kevin drove toward Baton Rouge to scout out the road and to find us a cheap motel. We rolled on and continued to maintain a great (14-15 mph) pace. Then Kevin called and said there was a 4 mile bridge over a big swamp that had no shoulder and would be a problem for us. He drove back to meet us and the plan was for him to ride behind us with the van with his flashers on for protection. We felt very special with this "escort" service and were glad to reach the other side. Then Kevin raced on to Baton Rouge for a hotel. After 4 miles, we stopped at a gas station for a bio break. As we were mounting our bikes, we spotted another cross-country biker and flagged him down. His name was Tom and he was riding west to San Diego solo. He is riding to raise money for MS. His web site is http://myspacetimebicycle.blogspotcom. I advised him to get better tires and liners to protect against the goat heads in New Mexico and Arizona. After a few pictures and chit chat, we rolled on again. We saw numerous farms, some donkeys, and also some sugar cane fields. One sugar cane field was on fire! There was also miles and miles of road work where they were clearing lots of big trees out of the swamps for a road expansion project. We also saw miles of cool swamps and lots of wind damage from recent hurricanes. Then we called Kevin for an update and he informed us of good news and bad news. The good news was that he found a cheap motel that it was a step above the dirtbag lodging we had last night. The bad news was that he did not recommend crossing the Mississippi river bridge due to heavy traffic and zero shoulders. For the day, we tried to cross the river by 2 ferrys and then by bridge. Eventually, we finally submitted and threw in the towel. We loaded our bikes into the van and got shuttled across the bridge which deeply disappointed Carl and me. However, we lived to tell this story so I guess that is good. We checked into our motel, showered up, hydrated ourselves, and gorged on snacks that Teresa provided. We then headed into town for a good meal. We found a great Cajun/Mexican restaurant called Superior Grill which was packed. They were able to quickly squeeze us in and we had a huge meal. Kevin and Teresa had fish tacos, Carl had a shrimp quesdillia with beans & rice, and I had the Superior Mexican Platter. We also ate about 5 lbs of chips and salsa which was washed down by a few margaritas and Modelos. It was a hopping place and we had a great meal. We then headed back to the motel to settle in, plot out tomorrow's route, and crash.
Kevin gets gold stars for his Sherpa role today as all he did was drive all over the place in the van with the dog. He was not able to turn the cranks at all today. I know it must have been frustrating for me. He said he was anxious about our safety with all of the bad bridges and traffic. This was probably good as I am sure he was sore and tired from the whooping Carl and I put on him yesterday.
Good night!
Weather: Overcast and warm all day with a good 5-10 mph wind at our back all day - the Smit's are good luck! There was a rain cloud just ahead of us most of the day and but we never had any rain. It was very comfortable riding today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 54 Trip: 2,133
Total travel time: 6:30 Trip: 219:30
Bike Riding time: 3:44 Trip: 171:11
Avg speed: 14.32 Trip: 12.69
Max speed: 26.99 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 174 Trip: 51,099
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 94 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 132 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,382 Trip: 125,400
Weather Statistics:
High temp 77 Trip: 77
Low temp: 64 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Vel Rose
Total hotel nights: 27
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 93
Pints: 3 Trip: 49 - plus 2 bonus margaritas
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I really enjoyed the day even though the Mississippi river beat me today! Kevin, Teresa, and Carl were a lot of fun and we did move east.
We were up, packed, and at The Palace Cafe for breakfast by 7:20. This is the same place we had dinner last night. They had the best Community brand coffee to go along with a great breakfast. Kevin, Teresa, and I had sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and Carl had a plain biscuit and hash browns. I also had a double stack of pancakes to ensure the tank was full. All of our food was excellent. We plotted our route to take a ferry over the mighty Mississippi and end up in St Francisville. Kevin lost the coin toss to Teresa and agreed to be the Sherpa today. His plan was to drive up to the ferry, drop the van, and then ride back to us to join the party. Teresa, Carl, and I started rolling at around 8:15 in perfect riding weather. There were no shoulders leaving Olpelousas but it opened up once we got on Rt 190 heading toward Baton Rouge. Carl (feeling spunky without all of his packs) jumped out front and did most of the pulling in the morning. Eventually, Teresa took over the "pull" position and led the way for the rest of the day. She is a very strong and consistent rider, unlike her husband. Shortly after leaving the Opelousas city limits, a car passed us, waived hi, and then pulled over to talk with us. At first, I was not sure what was going on. It was Gordy Heitzman who is a biker and wanted to know where we were going. He is from Minnesota but is temporarily working on a local FEMA project. He is also a regular in the Iowa RAGBRAI event which Kevin, Teresa, and Carl have all done multiple times. After exchanging web and email info, we rode on. Then we spotted a cajun night club called Bada's Bar which had a sign that said "Biker's Welcome". We wondered if they ment motorcyclists or cyclists. We met the owner, used his facilities, and got the grand tour of his bar including his huge rear deck on the bayou. Off we rolled again with Teresa pulling and the wind at our back. We stopped for lunch at a place called Lottie for some good home cooking. Kevin was supposed to meet us there on his bike but instead arrived in the van. It turned out that all of the ferrys were shut down today and there was no way to cross the mighty Mississippi river by boat. During lunch, we had to recast our plans for the day. The lunch was good as Kevin and Teresa shared a big shrimp po-boy, Carl had a grilled cheese with pickles, and I had a Shrimp sandwich with pretzels. Sherpa Kevin also provided a chocolate milk to me from the support van to help with my recovery. We decided to change course and set sail for Baton Rouge instead of going north. We agreed to stay on Rt 190 which had a good shoulder but was full of garbage and had heavy traffic. Kevin drove toward Baton Rouge to scout out the road and to find us a cheap motel. We rolled on and continued to maintain a great (14-15 mph) pace. Then Kevin called and said there was a 4 mile bridge over a big swamp that had no shoulder and would be a problem for us. He drove back to meet us and the plan was for him to ride behind us with the van with his flashers on for protection. We felt very special with this "escort" service and were glad to reach the other side. Then Kevin raced on to Baton Rouge for a hotel. After 4 miles, we stopped at a gas station for a bio break. As we were mounting our bikes, we spotted another cross-country biker and flagged him down. His name was Tom and he was riding west to San Diego solo. He is riding to raise money for MS. His web site is http://myspacetimebicycle.blogspotcom. I advised him to get better tires and liners to protect against the goat heads in New Mexico and Arizona. After a few pictures and chit chat, we rolled on again. We saw numerous farms, some donkeys, and also some sugar cane fields. One sugar cane field was on fire! There was also miles and miles of road work where they were clearing lots of big trees out of the swamps for a road expansion project. We also saw miles of cool swamps and lots of wind damage from recent hurricanes. Then we called Kevin for an update and he informed us of good news and bad news. The good news was that he found a cheap motel that it was a step above the dirtbag lodging we had last night. The bad news was that he did not recommend crossing the Mississippi river bridge due to heavy traffic and zero shoulders. For the day, we tried to cross the river by 2 ferrys and then by bridge. Eventually, we finally submitted and threw in the towel. We loaded our bikes into the van and got shuttled across the bridge which deeply disappointed Carl and me. However, we lived to tell this story so I guess that is good. We checked into our motel, showered up, hydrated ourselves, and gorged on snacks that Teresa provided. We then headed into town for a good meal. We found a great Cajun/Mexican restaurant called Superior Grill which was packed. They were able to quickly squeeze us in and we had a huge meal. Kevin and Teresa had fish tacos, Carl had a shrimp quesdillia with beans & rice, and I had the Superior Mexican Platter. We also ate about 5 lbs of chips and salsa which was washed down by a few margaritas and Modelos. It was a hopping place and we had a great meal. We then headed back to the motel to settle in, plot out tomorrow's route, and crash.
Kevin gets gold stars for his Sherpa role today as all he did was drive all over the place in the van with the dog. He was not able to turn the cranks at all today. I know it must have been frustrating for me. He said he was anxious about our safety with all of the bad bridges and traffic. This was probably good as I am sure he was sore and tired from the whooping Carl and I put on him yesterday.
Good night!
Weather: Overcast and warm all day with a good 5-10 mph wind at our back all day - the Smit's are good luck! There was a rain cloud just ahead of us most of the day and but we never had any rain. It was very comfortable riding today.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 54 Trip: 2,133
Total travel time: 6:30 Trip: 219:30
Bike Riding time: 3:44 Trip: 171:11
Avg speed: 14.32 Trip: 12.69
Max speed: 26.99 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 174 Trip: 51,099
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 94 Trip: 111
Max heart rate: 132 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,382 Trip: 125,400
Weather Statistics:
High temp 77 Trip: 77
Low temp: 64 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13.30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Vel Rose
Total hotel nights: 27
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 93
Pints: 3 Trip: 49 - plus 2 bonus margaritas
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I really enjoyed the day even though the Mississippi river beat me today! Kevin, Teresa, and Carl were a lot of fun and we did move east.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.508
Longitude:-91.1408
Nearest Location: N Foster Dr, Baton Rouge, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/20/2008 12:53:19 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.508,-91.1408&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.508
Longitude:-91.1408
Nearest Location: N Foster Dr, Baton Rouge, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/20/2008 12:53:19 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.508,-91.1408&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 28 - Friday, December 19
Description: Finished the ride today in Opelousas Louisiana after 61 miles. We plan to shoot for St. Francisville tomorrow but had to modify our route due to a lack of "acceptable" lodging. I found out that Kevin requires silk sheets, down pillows, and gourmet food and we could not accommodate that with the official Adventure Cycling route plan so he made us change directions to meet his personal needs:-)
We all started stirring around 6:45 this morning and the plan was to be packed and ready out in front of the motel at 8:00 sharp. We could not wait to go next door to the Donut Cafe to fill our tanks with pure energy. Bad news - the cafe owners must have heard we were coming and figured they could not supply enough sugar and fat for us so they closed their doors for the day - ouch. Not a problem as our new Sherpas directed us across the street to a Shell gas station for coffee and Bear Claw danishes which were not bad but not the same as the Donut Palace. Eventually, we were ready to roll at 9:00. Kevin drove the van (with Eve - their dog in the back) ahead to Mamou to scout out a lunch spot and then rode back toward us to join the group. Teresa, Carl, and I headed out into a warm, overcast, and breezy day. The Smit's must be in good standings with the wind gods as we had an excellent tail wind all day. Kevin, on the other hand, had to fight a strong head wind all the way back to meet us but that is OK because he needs the exercise. We had very smooth roads with good shoulders and Teresa was quoted as saying "this is perfect, I could ride all day with conditions like this". Carl and I agreed as we had unloaded several of our bags into the Smit's van earlier and our bikes were feeling light and fast. Teresa rode strong and we could hardly keep up with her fast pace. We stopped several times to take pictures of the many rice fields which also raised crawfish. What a great combo ehh? The fields were all flooded and ditches along the roads were full of standing water. We were afraid to stop too long for fear the mosquitos would carry us off. Later in the day we saw numerous cattle and horse farms which looks to be the local business. Man is this area flat! For the first 50 miles, we only climbed 40 feet of total elevation. After a while, Kevin caught up with us and we all rode together toward Mamou for lunch. Shortly after Kevin arrived, we came across a 3 legged dog (I think his name was Skip) who had just chased Kevin a few minutes ago. The angry dog took skipped into the street in an attempt to eat all of us. This guy had a big bark and could really move with only 3 legs. Since Kevin is the slowest rider, he was the one most at risk of getting caught but somehow, he out paced this monster for the second time. After recovering from the dog, we breezed into Mamou which was a really neat little town with a population of 2,711. We stopped for some pictures on the downtown streets and then entered Maxie's Cajun Diner for some real home cooked bayou food. Kevin, Teresa, and Carl all ordered the Shrimp Etufe and I had the grilled shrimp with pasta and an awesome cajun cream sauce. Carl and I also had a side orders of fried mushrooms and french fries. They were very nice and even gave us a free dessert of a white cake with cream cheese icing - em em good. After saying our goodbyes, Teresa loaded up her bike and rolled forward in the van as she had a work conference call. Kevin, Carl, and I walked the streets some more and enjoyed the local color before mounting our bikes. Back on the road, we rolled through Ville Platte, Grand Prairie, and then arrived at our targeted destination of Washington. The tall stories and trash talking was significant as we often road 3 abreast on the country roads. We also were chased by rain clouds all day long but never were rained on - wow were we lucky. Teresa did not get off of her conference call before we arrived in Washington so we started looking for housing options. We consulted with a bunch of locals at a gas station and they all said the only place in town was a dump and even dangerous. After a group discussion, we agreed to ride another 5-6 miles to Opelousas to check out a cheap hotel recommendation. After paying for a couple of rooms, we found out this place was a dive. The rooms looked as if they had no maintenance for many many years - especially Kevin and Teresa's. Carl summed it up best by saying it was better than camping and it was fairly cheap. We did not feel like looking anymore so decided to gut it out. We unloaded, cleaned up, and then smacked on crackers & cheese, celery, carrots, and a beverage or 2 while planning out the route for tomorrow. Then we got hungry and walked up the street to The Palace Cafe for dinner. This was a Greek/Cajun place and it looked like it was frozen in time from the early 60s. Teresa had a stuffed eggplant with crawfish (not so good), Carl had the deluxe seafood stuffed eggplant (very good), Kevin had a Greek salad and chicken gumbo (very good), and I had the crawfish bisque which was most excellent. With the meal, we had salads and rolls to help replenish the carbs from the day's ride. For dessert, Carl and I had root beer floats from the Dairy Queen that was between the restaurant and our flea bag motel. We tried to find some Zydeco music but they told us there was none on Friday nights. We thought that was strange as this place claims to be the Zydeco capitol ot the country! We did have an option however, Cherl (our waitress for dinner) said she would dance Zydeco style at our table for $5. Carl offered her a buck and she stood firm on the five. Cherl was "real local" and we had fun with her. Earlier, Carl had asked about some Greek options and she said "this ain't no greek restaurant - it is Cajun. I have been here 33 years and it ain't Greek!". We tipped her well.....
We all enjoyed the ride, the local food, and most importantly the people in the small towns we visited today. It was a lot of fun!
Good night.
Weather: Warm but very comfortable all day with a good breeze and overcast skies. It showered all around us but we were spared!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 61 Trip: 2,079
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 213:00
Bike Riding time: 4:59 Trip: 167:26
Avg speed: 12.29 Trip: 12.63
Max speed: 19.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 85 Trip: 50,925
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 86 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 127 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,800 Trip: 122,018
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 68 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 10
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Townhouse motel
Total hotel nights: 26
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 91
Pints: 4 Trip: 46
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - lots of fun today with great riding, weather, company, food, and the local people.
We all started stirring around 6:45 this morning and the plan was to be packed and ready out in front of the motel at 8:00 sharp. We could not wait to go next door to the Donut Cafe to fill our tanks with pure energy. Bad news - the cafe owners must have heard we were coming and figured they could not supply enough sugar and fat for us so they closed their doors for the day - ouch. Not a problem as our new Sherpas directed us across the street to a Shell gas station for coffee and Bear Claw danishes which were not bad but not the same as the Donut Palace. Eventually, we were ready to roll at 9:00. Kevin drove the van (with Eve - their dog in the back) ahead to Mamou to scout out a lunch spot and then rode back toward us to join the group. Teresa, Carl, and I headed out into a warm, overcast, and breezy day. The Smit's must be in good standings with the wind gods as we had an excellent tail wind all day. Kevin, on the other hand, had to fight a strong head wind all the way back to meet us but that is OK because he needs the exercise. We had very smooth roads with good shoulders and Teresa was quoted as saying "this is perfect, I could ride all day with conditions like this". Carl and I agreed as we had unloaded several of our bags into the Smit's van earlier and our bikes were feeling light and fast. Teresa rode strong and we could hardly keep up with her fast pace. We stopped several times to take pictures of the many rice fields which also raised crawfish. What a great combo ehh? The fields were all flooded and ditches along the roads were full of standing water. We were afraid to stop too long for fear the mosquitos would carry us off. Later in the day we saw numerous cattle and horse farms which looks to be the local business. Man is this area flat! For the first 50 miles, we only climbed 40 feet of total elevation. After a while, Kevin caught up with us and we all rode together toward Mamou for lunch. Shortly after Kevin arrived, we came across a 3 legged dog (I think his name was Skip) who had just chased Kevin a few minutes ago. The angry dog took skipped into the street in an attempt to eat all of us. This guy had a big bark and could really move with only 3 legs. Since Kevin is the slowest rider, he was the one most at risk of getting caught but somehow, he out paced this monster for the second time. After recovering from the dog, we breezed into Mamou which was a really neat little town with a population of 2,711. We stopped for some pictures on the downtown streets and then entered Maxie's Cajun Diner for some real home cooked bayou food. Kevin, Teresa, and Carl all ordered the Shrimp Etufe and I had the grilled shrimp with pasta and an awesome cajun cream sauce. Carl and I also had a side orders of fried mushrooms and french fries. They were very nice and even gave us a free dessert of a white cake with cream cheese icing - em em good. After saying our goodbyes, Teresa loaded up her bike and rolled forward in the van as she had a work conference call. Kevin, Carl, and I walked the streets some more and enjoyed the local color before mounting our bikes. Back on the road, we rolled through Ville Platte, Grand Prairie, and then arrived at our targeted destination of Washington. The tall stories and trash talking was significant as we often road 3 abreast on the country roads. We also were chased by rain clouds all day long but never were rained on - wow were we lucky. Teresa did not get off of her conference call before we arrived in Washington so we started looking for housing options. We consulted with a bunch of locals at a gas station and they all said the only place in town was a dump and even dangerous. After a group discussion, we agreed to ride another 5-6 miles to Opelousas to check out a cheap hotel recommendation. After paying for a couple of rooms, we found out this place was a dive. The rooms looked as if they had no maintenance for many many years - especially Kevin and Teresa's. Carl summed it up best by saying it was better than camping and it was fairly cheap. We did not feel like looking anymore so decided to gut it out. We unloaded, cleaned up, and then smacked on crackers & cheese, celery, carrots, and a beverage or 2 while planning out the route for tomorrow. Then we got hungry and walked up the street to The Palace Cafe for dinner. This was a Greek/Cajun place and it looked like it was frozen in time from the early 60s. Teresa had a stuffed eggplant with crawfish (not so good), Carl had the deluxe seafood stuffed eggplant (very good), Kevin had a Greek salad and chicken gumbo (very good), and I had the crawfish bisque which was most excellent. With the meal, we had salads and rolls to help replenish the carbs from the day's ride. For dessert, Carl and I had root beer floats from the Dairy Queen that was between the restaurant and our flea bag motel. We tried to find some Zydeco music but they told us there was none on Friday nights. We thought that was strange as this place claims to be the Zydeco capitol ot the country! We did have an option however, Cherl (our waitress for dinner) said she would dance Zydeco style at our table for $5. Carl offered her a buck and she stood firm on the five. Cherl was "real local" and we had fun with her. Earlier, Carl had asked about some Greek options and she said "this ain't no greek restaurant - it is Cajun. I have been here 33 years and it ain't Greek!". We tipped her well.....
We all enjoyed the ride, the local food, and most importantly the people in the small towns we visited today. It was a lot of fun!
Good night.
Weather: Warm but very comfortable all day with a good breeze and overcast skies. It showered all around us but we were spared!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 61 Trip: 2,079
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 213:00
Bike Riding time: 4:59 Trip: 167:26
Avg speed: 12.29 Trip: 12.63
Max speed: 19.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 85 Trip: 50,925
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 86 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 127 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,800 Trip: 122,018
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 68 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: favorable
Total good wind days: 10
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Townhouse motel
Total hotel nights: 26
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 91
Pints: 4 Trip: 46
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - lots of fun today with great riding, weather, company, food, and the local people.
Friday, December 19, 2008
We have been in rough territory today.
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OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5333
Longitude:-92.0864
Nearest Location: Opelousas, United States
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/19/2008 13:57:48 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5333,-92.0864&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5333
Longitude:-92.0864
Nearest Location: Opelousas, United States
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/19/2008 13:57:48 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5333,-92.0864&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 27 - Thursday, December 18
Description: Today was an awesome day. I finished the ride in Oberlin Louisiana after 80 miles. Not Texas - this is not a typo. The plan for tomorrow is an easy 50+ ride to Washington Louisiana.
Carl and I began stirring at 6:30 this morning and grabbed our own breakfast as the motel did not provide any. We had yogurt, bananas, tangerines, Pop Tarts, and cheese sticks. No coffee and this almost was a major mistake as we both are used to the morning jolt. As we loaded up our gear, we noticed it was still raining outside - crap. By the time we were ready to ride at 8:30, the rain had stopped but it was quite foggy. We had an 80 mile ride planned and knew we had to get moving and soon. We actually rode right past a Donut Palace without stopping - can you believe that? We left Kirbyville and rode through Bleakwood before stopping in Bon Wier for some coffee and some chow at a gas station. I opted for some Nekot peanut butter cookies while Carl jumped on a large bean and cheese burrito - he must have heard that Dayn recommends these. I typically do not do burritos this early. Shortly after getting back on the road, we achieved a major milestone - we exited Texas! That is correct, we escaped the border patrol and had a clean break into Louisiana. For me, I have ridden over a thousand miles in Texas and was ready for some cajun food. After some quick pictures, we rolled forward toward Florida. We then rode through Merryville and had planned to ride another 20 miles to DeRidder for a late lunch. As we came around a sharp bend in the road, Carl yelled out, hey, there are 2 bikers ahead of us. I started twitching and smelled a quick kill as they did not appear to be moving very fast. We looked closely and figured out they were not self supported cross-country riders as they did not have saddle bags. Carl said that I should go ahead and chase them down and he would catch us later. I said, there is no need as these 2 riders were moving VERY slow and we were already quickly catching them. Then Carl said they look like German riders maybe on a catered tour of the US. Then I told Carl that my friends Kevin and Teresa Smit had sorta talked about driving a van down to Louisiana to join me on my trek but then laughed it off. As I got closer, I noticed an interesting picture on the back of both of their jerseys. Then I recognized the picture - it was Wilson with an Arrogant Bastard Ale on their backs. I could not believe it as Kevin and Teresa were just riding along enjoying the countryside. I was shocked and quickly gave Teresa a huge hug and gave Kevin some high 5s. Carl was just watching this all unfold in amazement. Kevin has been planning this from the beginning of my trip and only told one other person for fear his plans would be leaked. After some quick pics to document the event, we all rolled east toward DeRidder for lunch. We stopped at a great restaurant called Cecil's Cajun Cafe. Teresa had to pack up her bike and drive to the motel in Oberlin for a conference call (she was working today) so she ordered a grilled shrimp salad to go. Kevin and I had red beans, sausage, and rice while Carl had an awesome fried shrimp Po-Boy. We washed it all down with some cold beverages and then packed up for the final 36 miles of the day. We took a break at 18 miles at a gas station and then did a time check. Kevin did not have his headlight with him and we figured that we were running out of daylight. We agreed that Kevin and I would blast off to the hotel and that Carl would take his time and come in after dark if needed as he has lights. Kevin took off like a scolded dog and it was all I could do to hold his wheel. He pulled into a head wind at over 19 mph. This type of a pull would surely make Mr Bridenbaugh and maybe Ron real proud. After 12 miles, we realized that Kevin's rear tire was going flat. There were new tires and tubes on his bike - how could this happen?! I asked Kevin who installed them and he would not answer - hmmm. In his defense, the road shoulder was full of trash. After stopping once and adding air, we finally stopped and did a tire change that would rival any NASCAR tire change in terms of speed. Back on the road again, we were racing the sun to the motel - which I love to do. We won as we arrived at the motel just as the last rays of light were hitting the street. The countryside today was surprisingly rolling and with your typical Louisiana swamps. There were a few rice farms and farm raised pine forrests as lumber industry is big around here. Carl rolled in about a half hour later as he stopped for numerous photo opportunities and he rode at a more relaxed pace - remember, he is retired. Everyone cleaned up and we eagerly headed to Roy's Catfish Hut for some home cooked local chow. We all opted for some sort of combo platters that included fried and broiled catfish, fried oysters, fried shrimp, stuffed crab, and hush puppies. The meal included a salad bar and a big bucket of peanuts that you throw the shells on the floor. We had a good and filling meal and a great time talking about our adventures.
Prior to leaving for dinner, Kevin and Teresa shared another big surprise with me - an early Christmas stocking full of goodies. He made up some BS story for our biker community and said that he had a connection on my route to ensure delivery to me. Then lots of folks brought in small gifts and handed them to Kevin for delivery. They had no idea that he was going to hand deliver these to me. Jae hand made an incredible stocking for me and also one for Wilson. There are awesome - thanks Jae!!! Then Kevin proceeded to give me 2 bags FULL of gifts from my friends AND my sister Holly (hi Ed and Nick) who was brought into this scam. I would like to thank every one of you that provided me with the thoughtful and useful stocking stuffer gifts. I also greatly appreciate everyone who has been following my adventure which I will never forget. In no particular order, below is a list of the gifts I received: stockings for me and Wilson, Starbucks Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, a Starbucks gift card, another Starbucks gift card, a Caribou Coffee gift card, Tiramisu Dark Chocolate Wedges, Beano, Santa on a bike cycling socks, a double-shot of 5-hour Energy, a mini-me Wilson soccer ball (company for Wilson), 2 Cliff 20g Protein Builder's bars, 2 Powerbar Recovery bars, 3 Powerbar Performance bars, 2 mini PayDays, 2 Espresso Love GU energy gels, 7 Mint Chocolate GU energy gels, 2 boxes of raisins, 12 large Snicker's bars, 6 large PayDays bars, a bag of Snicker's mini bars, an 8-pack of Lance Toast Chee peanut butter crackers, 11 Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape mini chocolate bars, a 2-pack of hand warmers, a 2-pack of toe warmers, a 6-pack of Stone Pale Ales, 2 large bottles of Stone Arrogant Bastard Ales, and finally.... An iron transfer sticker of Wilson with an Arrogant Bastard Ale for me to put on a riding jersey.
Thank you, thank you all.
Weather: started out warm (60s) with fog and later cleared up some with the highs in the 70s. It was really good riding weather even though the roads were wet early on.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 80 Trip: 2,018
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 205:00 - Kevin slowed us down today
Bike Riding time: 6:27 Trip: 162:28
Avg speed: 12.37 Trip: 12.64
Max speed: 21.73 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 527 Trip: 50,840
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 95 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,343 Trip: 117,218
Weather Statistics:
High temp 73 Trip: 75
Low temp: 62 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Oberlin Inn
Total hotel nights: 25
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 1 Trip: 89
Pints: 4 Trip: 42
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I have new Sherpas and lot to folks to talk to now. I am currently 2 days ahead of schedule.
Carl and I began stirring at 6:30 this morning and grabbed our own breakfast as the motel did not provide any. We had yogurt, bananas, tangerines, Pop Tarts, and cheese sticks. No coffee and this almost was a major mistake as we both are used to the morning jolt. As we loaded up our gear, we noticed it was still raining outside - crap. By the time we were ready to ride at 8:30, the rain had stopped but it was quite foggy. We had an 80 mile ride planned and knew we had to get moving and soon. We actually rode right past a Donut Palace without stopping - can you believe that? We left Kirbyville and rode through Bleakwood before stopping in Bon Wier for some coffee and some chow at a gas station. I opted for some Nekot peanut butter cookies while Carl jumped on a large bean and cheese burrito - he must have heard that Dayn recommends these. I typically do not do burritos this early. Shortly after getting back on the road, we achieved a major milestone - we exited Texas! That is correct, we escaped the border patrol and had a clean break into Louisiana. For me, I have ridden over a thousand miles in Texas and was ready for some cajun food. After some quick pictures, we rolled forward toward Florida. We then rode through Merryville and had planned to ride another 20 miles to DeRidder for a late lunch. As we came around a sharp bend in the road, Carl yelled out, hey, there are 2 bikers ahead of us. I started twitching and smelled a quick kill as they did not appear to be moving very fast. We looked closely and figured out they were not self supported cross-country riders as they did not have saddle bags. Carl said that I should go ahead and chase them down and he would catch us later. I said, there is no need as these 2 riders were moving VERY slow and we were already quickly catching them. Then Carl said they look like German riders maybe on a catered tour of the US. Then I told Carl that my friends Kevin and Teresa Smit had sorta talked about driving a van down to Louisiana to join me on my trek but then laughed it off. As I got closer, I noticed an interesting picture on the back of both of their jerseys. Then I recognized the picture - it was Wilson with an Arrogant Bastard Ale on their backs. I could not believe it as Kevin and Teresa were just riding along enjoying the countryside. I was shocked and quickly gave Teresa a huge hug and gave Kevin some high 5s. Carl was just watching this all unfold in amazement. Kevin has been planning this from the beginning of my trip and only told one other person for fear his plans would be leaked. After some quick pics to document the event, we all rolled east toward DeRidder for lunch. We stopped at a great restaurant called Cecil's Cajun Cafe. Teresa had to pack up her bike and drive to the motel in Oberlin for a conference call (she was working today) so she ordered a grilled shrimp salad to go. Kevin and I had red beans, sausage, and rice while Carl had an awesome fried shrimp Po-Boy. We washed it all down with some cold beverages and then packed up for the final 36 miles of the day. We took a break at 18 miles at a gas station and then did a time check. Kevin did not have his headlight with him and we figured that we were running out of daylight. We agreed that Kevin and I would blast off to the hotel and that Carl would take his time and come in after dark if needed as he has lights. Kevin took off like a scolded dog and it was all I could do to hold his wheel. He pulled into a head wind at over 19 mph. This type of a pull would surely make Mr Bridenbaugh and maybe Ron real proud. After 12 miles, we realized that Kevin's rear tire was going flat. There were new tires and tubes on his bike - how could this happen?! I asked Kevin who installed them and he would not answer - hmmm. In his defense, the road shoulder was full of trash. After stopping once and adding air, we finally stopped and did a tire change that would rival any NASCAR tire change in terms of speed. Back on the road again, we were racing the sun to the motel - which I love to do. We won as we arrived at the motel just as the last rays of light were hitting the street. The countryside today was surprisingly rolling and with your typical Louisiana swamps. There were a few rice farms and farm raised pine forrests as lumber industry is big around here. Carl rolled in about a half hour later as he stopped for numerous photo opportunities and he rode at a more relaxed pace - remember, he is retired. Everyone cleaned up and we eagerly headed to Roy's Catfish Hut for some home cooked local chow. We all opted for some sort of combo platters that included fried and broiled catfish, fried oysters, fried shrimp, stuffed crab, and hush puppies. The meal included a salad bar and a big bucket of peanuts that you throw the shells on the floor. We had a good and filling meal and a great time talking about our adventures.
Prior to leaving for dinner, Kevin and Teresa shared another big surprise with me - an early Christmas stocking full of goodies. He made up some BS story for our biker community and said that he had a connection on my route to ensure delivery to me. Then lots of folks brought in small gifts and handed them to Kevin for delivery. They had no idea that he was going to hand deliver these to me. Jae hand made an incredible stocking for me and also one for Wilson. There are awesome - thanks Jae!!! Then Kevin proceeded to give me 2 bags FULL of gifts from my friends AND my sister Holly (hi Ed and Nick) who was brought into this scam. I would like to thank every one of you that provided me with the thoughtful and useful stocking stuffer gifts. I also greatly appreciate everyone who has been following my adventure which I will never forget. In no particular order, below is a list of the gifts I received: stockings for me and Wilson, Starbucks Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, a Starbucks gift card, another Starbucks gift card, a Caribou Coffee gift card, Tiramisu Dark Chocolate Wedges, Beano, Santa on a bike cycling socks, a double-shot of 5-hour Energy, a mini-me Wilson soccer ball (company for Wilson), 2 Cliff 20g Protein Builder's bars, 2 Powerbar Recovery bars, 3 Powerbar Performance bars, 2 mini PayDays, 2 Espresso Love GU energy gels, 7 Mint Chocolate GU energy gels, 2 boxes of raisins, 12 large Snicker's bars, 6 large PayDays bars, a bag of Snicker's mini bars, an 8-pack of Lance Toast Chee peanut butter crackers, 11 Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape mini chocolate bars, a 2-pack of hand warmers, a 2-pack of toe warmers, a 6-pack of Stone Pale Ales, 2 large bottles of Stone Arrogant Bastard Ales, and finally.... An iron transfer sticker of Wilson with an Arrogant Bastard Ale for me to put on a riding jersey.
Thank you, thank you all.
Weather: started out warm (60s) with fog and later cleared up some with the highs in the 70s. It was really good riding weather even though the roads were wet early on.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 80 Trip: 2,018
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 205:00 - Kevin slowed us down today
Bike Riding time: 6:27 Trip: 162:28
Avg speed: 12.37 Trip: 12.64
Max speed: 21.73 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 527 Trip: 50,840
Avg pedal RPMs: 84 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 95 Trip: 112
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,343 Trip: 117,218
Weather Statistics:
High temp 73 Trip: 75
Low temp: 62 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 18
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Oberlin Inn
Total hotel nights: 25
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 1 Trip: 89
Pints: 4 Trip: 42
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I have new Sherpas and lot to folks to talk to now. I am currently 2 days ahead of schedule.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Just to Clarify... The Smit's are Now My New Sherpas....
Yup, Kevin and Teresa Smit totally shocked me today by "letting" me catch then on the road just past the Texas line. It looked like 2 riders on a break away and I reeled them in. What a coincidence to run into them on the same little road in Louisiana:-) They drove for over a thousand miles and through the night from Raleigh to participate in my trek. More info to come in my blog post.
Steve
Steve
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6195
Longitude:-92.7621
Nearest Location: 9th St, Oberlin, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/18/2008 15:24:33 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6195,-92.7621&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6195
Longitude:-92.7621
Nearest Location: 9th St, Oberlin, LA, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/18/2008 15:24:33 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6195,-92.7621&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Day 26 - Wednesday, December 17
Description: Finished the 32 mile ride today in Kirbyville TX (yes, still in Texas) at 2:30. The plan is to ride to Oberlin LOUISIANA tomorrow.
Note: I have lots of new pictures on my camera to post to but have not been near a computer for the upload. Will do as soon as possible....
Carl and I woke up fairly early at 6:30 to load up our bikes and be ready for breakfast at our hotel at 7:30 and hoped to roll at 8:00. However, the hotel staff must have overslept as there were no lights in the office and breakfast area. Bummer - so we decided to make a quick dash to The Donut Palace to carbo load. While feasting on donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee, it started raining and then pouring. We decided to delay our start and wait for the storm cloud to pass as there was only a 30 percent chance of rain today. I checked the radar on the Bberry and there was only one small storm cell and it was right over us. After a while, we decided to go for it and hopefully ride right behind the rain. WRONG! Our pace ended up being exactly the same pace as this one storm cloud so we got dumped on the entire day. It was raining so hard that we could hardly see the road and we got soaked to the bone. After 10 miles, we stopped in Buna at a hardware store (Orange County Building Materials) where Carl had the bright idea to buy waterproof concrete gloves to keep his hands dry and warm which worked until he left the store. The folks in the store were bored from a slow day and had a lot of fun talking to us, taking pictures with us (posted on my site), and pumping us full of coffee as we tried to dry out and warm up. They were great folks and we enjoyed their company. We then layered up, mounted our war machines, and pressed on into the driving rain. Our goal was to reach Kirbyville (17 miles) by lunch and then look at our options. It continued to dump on us but we did not care as we were about to escape Texas. In Kirbyville, we found a great little coffee shop called Dave's Java Cafe. We dripped into the place and made a heck of a mess on the floor as the water drained from our clothes and shoes. We looked like a couple of drown rats. We were just about the only ones in the place and the owner and his staff had a lot of fun listening to our sob stories and tales of misery. After some discussion (Wilson was not included), we decided to call the day a washout and to seek shelter after lunch. We then ordered some hot coffee and a big lunch. Carl ordered a tuna fish cressent and spicy fries and I went for a Mexican blowout (yes, I am trying to get off of Mexican) that included a tortilla wrapped taco, a bean and cheese burrito, and a meat and bean tostada. Carl said I should have just ordered the whole menu. The food was awesome and everyone was a lot of fun. They insisted on us eating some of their homemade desserts which we "reluctantly" obliged to. Carl pounded the strawberry iced cake while I hammered a huge piece of chocolate cake. Then they broke the bad news to us that the county was "dry" which we thought was a joke. Carl, like me, believes that several pints per day helps recovery and enhances performance. We were devastated and asked how far to the county line. They said it was not far but that with the pouring rain, it would not be worth it. We reluctantly agreed and then said our goodbyes after taking (and posting) pictures to my blog site. We then rolled about a mile down the road and grabbed a room at the only motel in town. Carl talked the woman at the front desk into drying our wet clothes which was great. We then had to lay out everything else to dry and covered up the entire room. It looked like a big flea market. Then Carl realized that he left his backpack out front of the coffee shop or the gas station next door to the coffee shop. Since I was still in my wet riding clothes, I offered to roll up the street to find the bag. I blasted up the street without all of my heavy bags and could not find the lost bag. We think someone took it! It did not contain anything major, just food, drinks, "medicine", and other stuff. After striking out, I asked the girl at the gas station how far to the county line so that I could get a few pints and more "medicine" for Carl. The girl said not far and gave me directions. I rode and rode and rode into the driving rain thinking the store would be just around the next corner. It ended up being just about 5 miles - ouch. I bought some Fat Tire Ales and some stuff with the number "07" on it. Then I rode as if on a time trial all the way back to the motel. After drying up, we walked up the street to a grocery store and bought some dinner to cook in the room. Carl went for a salad, Creole Shrimp Fricassee, and some cheese sticks. I opted for the extra large Stouffer's Lasagna Italiano and a cheese stick. We also each ate a bag of popcorn before finally backing off from the table. The plan tomorrow is to get up early and get the heck out of Texas. The planned ride is just over 70 miles.
Good night.
Weather: Nasty, nasty, nasty. Chilly temps and heavy rain all day. There was one very small storm cell that hovered over us all day. It was as it the cloud was following the same adventure Cycling route map as us!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 32 Trip: 1,938
Total travel time: 5:30 Trip: 196:00
Bike Riding time: 2:50 Trip: 156:01
Avg speed: 11.20 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 17.53 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 118 Trip: 50,313
Avg pedal RPMs: 79 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 80 Trip: 113 - wow was it low today!
Max heart rate: 117 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 1,643 Trip: 112,875
Weather Statistics:
High temp 49 Trip: 75
Low temp: 47 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 5:30 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 17
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Gateway Inn
Total hotel nights: 24
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 88
Pints: 3 Trip: 38
Mood rating (1-10): 9.5 - nasty day but I had a great time meeting some really good people along the road.
Note: I have lots of new pictures on my camera to post to but have not been near a computer for the upload. Will do as soon as possible....
Carl and I woke up fairly early at 6:30 to load up our bikes and be ready for breakfast at our hotel at 7:30 and hoped to roll at 8:00. However, the hotel staff must have overslept as there were no lights in the office and breakfast area. Bummer - so we decided to make a quick dash to The Donut Palace to carbo load. While feasting on donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee, it started raining and then pouring. We decided to delay our start and wait for the storm cloud to pass as there was only a 30 percent chance of rain today. I checked the radar on the Bberry and there was only one small storm cell and it was right over us. After a while, we decided to go for it and hopefully ride right behind the rain. WRONG! Our pace ended up being exactly the same pace as this one storm cloud so we got dumped on the entire day. It was raining so hard that we could hardly see the road and we got soaked to the bone. After 10 miles, we stopped in Buna at a hardware store (Orange County Building Materials) where Carl had the bright idea to buy waterproof concrete gloves to keep his hands dry and warm which worked until he left the store. The folks in the store were bored from a slow day and had a lot of fun talking to us, taking pictures with us (posted on my site), and pumping us full of coffee as we tried to dry out and warm up. They were great folks and we enjoyed their company. We then layered up, mounted our war machines, and pressed on into the driving rain. Our goal was to reach Kirbyville (17 miles) by lunch and then look at our options. It continued to dump on us but we did not care as we were about to escape Texas. In Kirbyville, we found a great little coffee shop called Dave's Java Cafe. We dripped into the place and made a heck of a mess on the floor as the water drained from our clothes and shoes. We looked like a couple of drown rats. We were just about the only ones in the place and the owner and his staff had a lot of fun listening to our sob stories and tales of misery. After some discussion (Wilson was not included), we decided to call the day a washout and to seek shelter after lunch. We then ordered some hot coffee and a big lunch. Carl ordered a tuna fish cressent and spicy fries and I went for a Mexican blowout (yes, I am trying to get off of Mexican) that included a tortilla wrapped taco, a bean and cheese burrito, and a meat and bean tostada. Carl said I should have just ordered the whole menu. The food was awesome and everyone was a lot of fun. They insisted on us eating some of their homemade desserts which we "reluctantly" obliged to. Carl pounded the strawberry iced cake while I hammered a huge piece of chocolate cake. Then they broke the bad news to us that the county was "dry" which we thought was a joke. Carl, like me, believes that several pints per day helps recovery and enhances performance. We were devastated and asked how far to the county line. They said it was not far but that with the pouring rain, it would not be worth it. We reluctantly agreed and then said our goodbyes after taking (and posting) pictures to my blog site. We then rolled about a mile down the road and grabbed a room at the only motel in town. Carl talked the woman at the front desk into drying our wet clothes which was great. We then had to lay out everything else to dry and covered up the entire room. It looked like a big flea market. Then Carl realized that he left his backpack out front of the coffee shop or the gas station next door to the coffee shop. Since I was still in my wet riding clothes, I offered to roll up the street to find the bag. I blasted up the street without all of my heavy bags and could not find the lost bag. We think someone took it! It did not contain anything major, just food, drinks, "medicine", and other stuff. After striking out, I asked the girl at the gas station how far to the county line so that I could get a few pints and more "medicine" for Carl. The girl said not far and gave me directions. I rode and rode and rode into the driving rain thinking the store would be just around the next corner. It ended up being just about 5 miles - ouch. I bought some Fat Tire Ales and some stuff with the number "07" on it. Then I rode as if on a time trial all the way back to the motel. After drying up, we walked up the street to a grocery store and bought some dinner to cook in the room. Carl went for a salad, Creole Shrimp Fricassee, and some cheese sticks. I opted for the extra large Stouffer's Lasagna Italiano and a cheese stick. We also each ate a bag of popcorn before finally backing off from the table. The plan tomorrow is to get up early and get the heck out of Texas. The planned ride is just over 70 miles.
Good night.
Weather: Nasty, nasty, nasty. Chilly temps and heavy rain all day. There was one very small storm cell that hovered over us all day. It was as it the cloud was following the same adventure Cycling route map as us!
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 32 Trip: 1,938
Total travel time: 5:30 Trip: 196:00
Bike Riding time: 2:50 Trip: 156:01
Avg speed: 11.20 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 17.53 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 118 Trip: 50,313
Avg pedal RPMs: 79 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 80 Trip: 113 - wow was it low today!
Max heart rate: 117 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 1,643 Trip: 112,875
Weather Statistics:
High temp 49 Trip: 75
Low temp: 47 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 5:30 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Against
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 17
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Gateway Inn
Total hotel nights: 24
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 88
Pints: 3 Trip: 38
Mood rating (1-10): 9.5 - nasty day but I had a great time meeting some really good people along the road.
OK Texas, We Give!
Carl and I tried to escape Texas today and could not! We looked at the radar this morning from The Donut Palace in Silsbee and only saw one small storm cell that was right over us. After clearing out their donut shelves and draining all of their coffee, Carl and I figured we would ride behind the bad weather. Boy were we wrong. The cloud stayed right on top of us all day and we now believe it was also following Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier map. It POURED all day as we were making a mad dash for the Texas border. We finally gave up at Dave's Java Cafe in Kerbyville Texas. Currently drying out all of our gear and enjoying some Fat Tire Ale from New Belgium that I rode 10 miles to get as Kerbyville is in a dry (far from it) county. In case you are wondering, I had no idea it was going to be that long of a ride as the locals said it was just down the road to the county line.....
Cheers!
Steve and Carl
Cheers!
Steve and Carl
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6579
Longitude:-93.8935
Nearest Location: S Margaret Ave, Kirbyville, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/17/2008 12:28:09 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6579,-93.8935&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.6579
Longitude:-93.8935
Nearest Location: S Margaret Ave, Kirbyville, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/17/2008 12:28:09 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.6579,-93.8935&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Official Rain Delay....
Carl and I are "stuck" in The Donut Palace until a heavy rain backs down just a little. We are suffering in here stuffing our faces with Croissants, donuts, coffee, and chocolate milk. If it does not stop raining soon, we will not fit out of the door. Based on the radar, it looks like we will be rolling fairly soon..... We are hoping it keeps raining!!!
Steve and Carl
Steve and Carl
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Day 25 - Tuesday, December 16
Description: Finished the 71 mile ride in Silsbee TX. Tomorrow, I plan to cross into Louisiana and end up at DeRidder LOUISIANA!
I woke up early at 6:15 today to get a jump on the expected nasty day. After a quick breakfast of Pop Tarts and bananas, I was ready to hit the road. I was a bit nervous as there was no coffee. I ended up waiting until 7:20 to start so that it would warm up a little and burn off some of the fog. It was cold and damp as I rolled down the road toward Shepherd (if it were not for Wilson, I would have been there last night). After 11 miles, I stopped in Shepherd at a donut shop (I cannot pass these) to warm my toes, grab some coffee, and enjoy a fresh ham, egg, and cheese pastry. While eating, the guy behind the counter told me there was another cross country biker in town who was also heading east - the chase was on! I blasted off into the fog and cold hoping to chase this guy down and have someone to ride with. I finally caught him outside of Romayor which was about 12 miles up the road. He was on the side of the road waiting for me as a guy in a passing truck told him (at a gas station) there was a biker just down the road and heading this way. He flagged me down and we chatted for a few minutes, admired each other's bikes, and then taking pictures. Eventually, we hit the road together and it was nice having a conversation while riding. The guy's name is Carl Barry and he left from Rosarito Beach in the Baha on September 27th. He rode south then east through Mexico before coming north through Loredo and up to the Austin area. Carl is a retired electrician from Long Beach California and has an excellent biking background. After rolling for an hour, we stopped for lunch in Honey Island (it is just a small store) where I grabbed a cheese burger, fries, and a Dr Pepper. From there it was an easy 17 miles through Kountze and into our destination of Silsbee TX. It did not actually rain all day but between the fog and heavy mist, we were both fairly soaked. We grabbed a room at the Pinewood Inn which sustained $250k worth of damage from the last hurricane. After cleaning up from the ride, we grabbed a few Shiner Bocks and then headed across the street to a local Mexican restaurant. I know that I told everyone that last light that my diet was going cajun but this sounded good and I could not resist. I enjoyed a "wet burrito", fried mushrooms, and dos Dos XXs. Carl is planning to join me tomorrow for the ride to DeRidder. Carl has not been riding near the mileage as me but is up for the challenge tomorrow. His bike and gear must weigh close to 100 lbs so he clearly is handicapped.
Weather: It was RAW out there today. The temp stayed around 40 degrees with a heavy fog and misty conditions which kept everything wet and cold.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 71 Trip: 1,906
Total travel time: 7:00 Trip: 190:30
Bike Riding time: 5:50 Trip: 153:10
Avg speed: 12.19 Trip: 12.71
Max speed: 24.10 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 429 Trip: 50,195
Avg pedal RPMs: 88 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 114
Max heart rate: 140 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,870 Trip: 111,232
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 40 Trip: 195
Low temp: 36 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 9 - fog and a heavy mist but no rain
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 2
Wind factor: Against - slight breeze in the face
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 16
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Pinewood Inn
Total hotel nights: 23
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 83
Pints: 4 Trip: 39
Mood rating (1-10): 9.5 - ugly day from a weather perspective but met a riding buddy and had a great day.
I woke up early at 6:15 today to get a jump on the expected nasty day. After a quick breakfast of Pop Tarts and bananas, I was ready to hit the road. I was a bit nervous as there was no coffee. I ended up waiting until 7:20 to start so that it would warm up a little and burn off some of the fog. It was cold and damp as I rolled down the road toward Shepherd (if it were not for Wilson, I would have been there last night). After 11 miles, I stopped in Shepherd at a donut shop (I cannot pass these) to warm my toes, grab some coffee, and enjoy a fresh ham, egg, and cheese pastry. While eating, the guy behind the counter told me there was another cross country biker in town who was also heading east - the chase was on! I blasted off into the fog and cold hoping to chase this guy down and have someone to ride with. I finally caught him outside of Romayor which was about 12 miles up the road. He was on the side of the road waiting for me as a guy in a passing truck told him (at a gas station) there was a biker just down the road and heading this way. He flagged me down and we chatted for a few minutes, admired each other's bikes, and then taking pictures. Eventually, we hit the road together and it was nice having a conversation while riding. The guy's name is Carl Barry and he left from Rosarito Beach in the Baha on September 27th. He rode south then east through Mexico before coming north through Loredo and up to the Austin area. Carl is a retired electrician from Long Beach California and has an excellent biking background. After rolling for an hour, we stopped for lunch in Honey Island (it is just a small store) where I grabbed a cheese burger, fries, and a Dr Pepper. From there it was an easy 17 miles through Kountze and into our destination of Silsbee TX. It did not actually rain all day but between the fog and heavy mist, we were both fairly soaked. We grabbed a room at the Pinewood Inn which sustained $250k worth of damage from the last hurricane. After cleaning up from the ride, we grabbed a few Shiner Bocks and then headed across the street to a local Mexican restaurant. I know that I told everyone that last light that my diet was going cajun but this sounded good and I could not resist. I enjoyed a "wet burrito", fried mushrooms, and dos Dos XXs. Carl is planning to join me tomorrow for the ride to DeRidder. Carl has not been riding near the mileage as me but is up for the challenge tomorrow. His bike and gear must weigh close to 100 lbs so he clearly is handicapped.
Weather: It was RAW out there today. The temp stayed around 40 degrees with a heavy fog and misty conditions which kept everything wet and cold.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 71 Trip: 1,906
Total travel time: 7:00 Trip: 190:30
Bike Riding time: 5:50 Trip: 153:10
Avg speed: 12.19 Trip: 12.71
Max speed: 24.10 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 429 Trip: 50,195
Avg pedal RPMs: 88 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 114
Max heart rate: 140 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,870 Trip: 111,232
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 40 Trip: 195
Low temp: 36 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 9 - fog and a heavy mist but no rain
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 2
Wind factor: Against - slight breeze in the face
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 16
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Pinewood Inn
Total hotel nights: 23
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 83
Pints: 4 Trip: 39
Mood rating (1-10): 9.5 - ugly day from a weather perspective but met a riding buddy and had a great day.
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3405
Longitude:-94.1829
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/16/2008 13:50:36 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3405,-94.1829&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3405
Longitude:-94.1829
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/16/2008 13:50:36 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3405,-94.1829&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Monday, December 15, 2008
Day 24 - Monday, December 15
Description: Finished the 64 mile ride in Coldspring TX at around 3 pm. I plan to ride to Silsbee TX tomorrow which will be around 90 miles or so. The forecast is ugly for tomorrow with the high predicted to be less than 40, winds in my face, and a good chance of rain. BTW, there was freezing rain coming down when I returned from dinner tonight - yikes. We will see......
I woke up at 6 this morning to pack up and get ready for a 6:30 breakfast. I was disappointed with the Best Western breakfast which is typically very good. I had a microwaved egg biscuit, bowl of cereal, 2 bananas, OJ, and weak coffee. I started riding at 7:30 with cold (42), overcast, and windy conditions. Well, the wind gods changed their game plan last night and switched their winds from the south to the north in an attempt to fake me out. My first 10 miles were a steady climb straight into the wind and I could only manage a 9 mph pace. I stopped at Anderson for some fresh water and to warm up my feet. By the time I got to Anderson, the temp had dropped to 38 as a front was moving through. From Anderson, my route turned more NE and I picked up a cross wind (which I rode for the rest of the day) that was somewhat manageable. I stopped again after 10 miles in Richards at a small gas station for some coffee and a pack of Nekot Peanut Butter cookies (zero trans fat!) which I love. Just after starting up again, rain started coming down which lasted for the next hour as I headed into the Sam Houston National Forest. The Mean Green Machine got a bath and Wilson scampered for cover in a dry bag on the back of the bike. The tall trees of the forrest provided good protection from the wind all the way past Lake Conroe and into New Waver which was 15 miles away. It was lunch time and I was hungry. I grabbed a big Subway sandwich in an attempt to hit the spot. Then as I started rolling out of town, I saw a local donut shop and felt compelled to stop. The owner lived in Durham for 4 years! I wolfed down a quarter dozen donuts with a coffee and was almost too full to mount the bike. Off I went into the chilly afternoon with another 25 miles to Coldspring. The whole day was full of rolling hills which was a surprise as I thought that I had exited the hills of Texas. There were mostly cattle farms in the countryside and a fair amount of traffic going to somewhere that I could not figure out. I rode through the small town of Pumpkin and could only think of Mike Daniels who loves everything pumpkin including ales, lattes, pie, etc. I figured he might retire to this place one day so I took a picture of the sign and sent it to him. At this point, Wilson and I had a serious discussion as we were nearing Coldspring. Even though the wind chill temp was near freezing, the pistons were warmed up and full of energy from all the donuts and caffeine that entered the fuel tank back in New Waverly. The pistons wanted to run and were asking for a Century (100 miler) just for bragging rights. Wilson was very cold and complaining of major shrinkage. He wanted to call it a day and reminded me that there might not be lodging at the next town of Shepherd and beyond that is nothing. It looked like more rain ahead so I reluctantly turned into the tiny (and only) motel in Coldspring. After checking in, I found out there is in fact a new motel (not on my maps) in Shepherd. I will not let Wilson forget this mistake for a long time as I wanted to go more miles. After a long hot shower and a pint, I was ready for carbo loading. Sam, the manager of the San Jacinto Inn offered to drive me to the local food establishments - think small town. The choices were Mexican (tempting), greasy burger joint (nahh), or Elaine's Restaurant (YES). This was an easy choice as my Niece's name is Elaine and I figured this would be good. Tonight marks my transition from Mexican and bean burritos to cajun food. I had the house special of spicy fried catfish, mashed potatoes with white gravy, salad bar, and an awesome hot apple crisp with vanilla ice cream (yes more dessert F). Of course, I had to have some fresh coffee with my dessert. This place was great and has broken my Mexican habit. Beans and rice, here I come as I am close to exiting (day after tomorrow) Texas. Sam came back to pick me up and now I am struggling to stay awake as my body converts all this food into stored nitro power for tomorrow's anticipated cold ride.
Even though it was cold and wet, I had a great ride today as all of my gear kept me warm and dry while the Zune MP3 player kept the tunes going through some new ear buds that my Sherpa Mom bought me a few days ago. .
Good night!
Weather: Started cold, overcast, and windy and got worse as the day went on. Temps dropped throughout the day and I got a solid hour of rain in the late morning. Was too cold to fish but not bike:-)
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 64 Trip: 1,835
Total travel time: 7:30 Trip: 183:30
Bike Riding time: 5:36 Trip: 117:20
Avg speed: 11.44 Trip: 12.73 - wind killed my pace today
Max speed: 24.39 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,064 Trip: 49,766
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 105 Trip: 114
Max heart rate: 145 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,759 Trip: 107,349
Weather Statistics:
High temp 42 Trip: 75
Low temp: 38 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 1 Trip: 9
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 2
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 15
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - San Jacinto Inn
Total hotel nights: 22
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 81
Pints: 1 Trip: 35
Mood rating (1-10): 9 - could have been a real bad day but it worked out well. Not sure about tomorrow.
I woke up at 6 this morning to pack up and get ready for a 6:30 breakfast. I was disappointed with the Best Western breakfast which is typically very good. I had a microwaved egg biscuit, bowl of cereal, 2 bananas, OJ, and weak coffee. I started riding at 7:30 with cold (42), overcast, and windy conditions. Well, the wind gods changed their game plan last night and switched their winds from the south to the north in an attempt to fake me out. My first 10 miles were a steady climb straight into the wind and I could only manage a 9 mph pace. I stopped at Anderson for some fresh water and to warm up my feet. By the time I got to Anderson, the temp had dropped to 38 as a front was moving through. From Anderson, my route turned more NE and I picked up a cross wind (which I rode for the rest of the day) that was somewhat manageable. I stopped again after 10 miles in Richards at a small gas station for some coffee and a pack of Nekot Peanut Butter cookies (zero trans fat!) which I love. Just after starting up again, rain started coming down which lasted for the next hour as I headed into the Sam Houston National Forest. The Mean Green Machine got a bath and Wilson scampered for cover in a dry bag on the back of the bike. The tall trees of the forrest provided good protection from the wind all the way past Lake Conroe and into New Waver which was 15 miles away. It was lunch time and I was hungry. I grabbed a big Subway sandwich in an attempt to hit the spot. Then as I started rolling out of town, I saw a local donut shop and felt compelled to stop. The owner lived in Durham for 4 years! I wolfed down a quarter dozen donuts with a coffee and was almost too full to mount the bike. Off I went into the chilly afternoon with another 25 miles to Coldspring. The whole day was full of rolling hills which was a surprise as I thought that I had exited the hills of Texas. There were mostly cattle farms in the countryside and a fair amount of traffic going to somewhere that I could not figure out. I rode through the small town of Pumpkin and could only think of Mike Daniels who loves everything pumpkin including ales, lattes, pie, etc. I figured he might retire to this place one day so I took a picture of the sign and sent it to him. At this point, Wilson and I had a serious discussion as we were nearing Coldspring. Even though the wind chill temp was near freezing, the pistons were warmed up and full of energy from all the donuts and caffeine that entered the fuel tank back in New Waverly. The pistons wanted to run and were asking for a Century (100 miler) just for bragging rights. Wilson was very cold and complaining of major shrinkage. He wanted to call it a day and reminded me that there might not be lodging at the next town of Shepherd and beyond that is nothing. It looked like more rain ahead so I reluctantly turned into the tiny (and only) motel in Coldspring. After checking in, I found out there is in fact a new motel (not on my maps) in Shepherd. I will not let Wilson forget this mistake for a long time as I wanted to go more miles. After a long hot shower and a pint, I was ready for carbo loading. Sam, the manager of the San Jacinto Inn offered to drive me to the local food establishments - think small town. The choices were Mexican (tempting), greasy burger joint (nahh), or Elaine's Restaurant (YES). This was an easy choice as my Niece's name is Elaine and I figured this would be good. Tonight marks my transition from Mexican and bean burritos to cajun food. I had the house special of spicy fried catfish, mashed potatoes with white gravy, salad bar, and an awesome hot apple crisp with vanilla ice cream (yes more dessert F). Of course, I had to have some fresh coffee with my dessert. This place was great and has broken my Mexican habit. Beans and rice, here I come as I am close to exiting (day after tomorrow) Texas. Sam came back to pick me up and now I am struggling to stay awake as my body converts all this food into stored nitro power for tomorrow's anticipated cold ride.
Even though it was cold and wet, I had a great ride today as all of my gear kept me warm and dry while the Zune MP3 player kept the tunes going through some new ear buds that my Sherpa Mom bought me a few days ago. .
Good night!
Weather: Started cold, overcast, and windy and got worse as the day went on. Temps dropped throughout the day and I got a solid hour of rain in the late morning. Was too cold to fish but not bike:-)
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 64 Trip: 1,835
Total travel time: 7:30 Trip: 183:30
Bike Riding time: 5:36 Trip: 117:20
Avg speed: 11.44 Trip: 12.73 - wind killed my pace today
Max speed: 24.39 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,064 Trip: 49,766
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 105 Trip: 114
Max heart rate: 145 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,759 Trip: 107,349
Weather Statistics:
High temp 42 Trip: 75
Low temp: 38 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 1 Trip: 9
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 2
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 15
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - San Jacinto Inn
Total hotel nights: 22
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 81
Pints: 1 Trip: 35
Mood rating (1-10): 9 - could have been a real bad day but it worked out well. Not sure about tomorrow.
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5762
Longitude:-95.1407
Nearest Location: Anthony Ln, Coldspring, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/15/2008 12:55:38 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5762,-95.1407&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.5762
Longitude:-95.1407
Nearest Location: Anthony Ln, Coldspring, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/15/2008 12:55:38 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.5762,-95.1407&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Lake Conroe. Nobody fishing cause it is COLD
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Sunday, December 14, 2008
Day 23 - Sunday, December 14
Description: Finished the ride in Navisota TX after a 98 mile ride. I plan to ride to Coldspring or Sheperd (if lodging available) tomorrow.
Today was an incredible ride. Last night, Wilson and I hatched a plan to bolt early and change my route slightly to catch the wind gods off guard. We woke up at 6:00 and packed up everything. I was at the lobby door ready to eat at 6:30. But, the doors were locked as the manager overslept and then argued with me that they open for breakfast at 7:00. I told him the info in the room and the sign on the lobby door says 6:30 - this guy must have been on drugs. Anyway, I ate a quick cold breakfast of cereal, bananas, and a honey bun washed down with OJ and coffee. I launched off at about 7:20 on a warm morning with misty fog and light winds. I rode for an hour and then stopped in Smithville for a quick Snickers break and fresh water. The road crossed over the Colorado river several times and I was amazed at how small it was compared to what I was expecting. I faced increasing head winds through the town of Plum before arriving at LaGrange. At LaGrange, my route turned NE onto Rt 159 and I picked up an awesome 3/4 tail wind. It felt as if my Sherpa Mom was pushing me along and up the hills! Just after getting on Rt 159, I took a break at the Texas One Stop which was the most impressive service station I have ever seen. They had an on-site bakery and I grabbed a pair of Pigs in the Blanket and a coffee. The Pigs were in "hot out of the oven" pastries and had pepper jack cheese melted inside. Man were they were delicious and I am sure low fat. With the wind at my back, I shoved off but then quickly stopped to take a picture of a ranch sign (Sabra Ranch) that had an old tandem bicycle on top of it which caught my eye. Then I ran into the owners (Arza and Ari Funk) who are avid cyclists and ride a Santana tandem. We chatted for a while, they signed Wilson, I gave them my blog site, I took their picture and posted it, and then we said our goodbyes. They were a great couple and a lot of fun to talk with. Then I rode through Rutersville and Oldenbrg which is host to the Hammer Fest every year. Just before Warrenton, I stopped to take a picture of the world's smallest Catholic church. It was not much bigger than my daughter's play house! Back on the rode again and through some very challenging and rolling hills. Eventually, I reached Round Top which has a population of only 77. There was a very cool small village with a number of rustic looking stores. It reminded me of something you might see on a lake in Myrtle Beach. I saw the craziest car parked in front of one store and took several pictures (posted). One store in particular caught my eye - Royer's Round Top Cafe which is famous for it's pies (www.royersroundtopcafe.com). The owner is "Bud the Pie Man" and he was on the porch surfing the net and smoking a cigar next to a blow-up Sponge Bob. I did not ask! I did ask if he would take a picture with Wilson and me which he eagerly did. I went inside and was still full from the Pigs in the Blanket but felt obliged to eat something. I ordered a bowl of corn chowder and a coke. That corn chowder was the best (by far) that I have ever tasted with big chunks of chicken, potatoes, corn, and a cream sauce that I soaked up with some fresh bread. They would not let me leave without fresh pie so they handed me a mini cherry pie to go. I said goodbye to Bud and waddled down the road. It is a good thing that I am on a new exercise program. I rolled on with the wind still at my back and the miles quickly clicked away despite the challenging hills. I was planning to stay in a B&B in Burton but Wilson insisted that I go for a Century ride and said I had plenty of calories in my system to support it. Wilson is usually right but I was concerned about the route turning into the 15-25 mph winds which would turn the joy ride into a nightmare. I decided to go for Navasota which would give me just under 100 miles for the day. From Round Top, the roads remained hilly and there were lots of big horse and dairy farms along the way. I rode through the towns of Burton, Longpoint, and Gay Hill. Everything was great until I hit the town of Independence (about 80 mile marker) when the route turned SE which gave the wind gods a chance to slap me hard and laugh at me once again. It was brutal for about 10 miles and then I finally turned more north to finish the ride in Navisota. I crashed at a Best Western. After checking in, I hit the Pizza Hut next door for their Tater Tot appetizer, a baked pasta dinner, and a few pints. Then I went to a gas station and bought some vanilla ice cream to put on top of my fresh cherry pie from Bud The Pie Man for dessert. Stuffed once again, I am retiring for the evening. I hope to post some great pictures to go along with this write-up. I must say, it was more fun the prior 2 days when my meals were catered to me on the road and everything else was taken care of by my Sherpas.
Good night!
Weather: A great day for riding. Very warm early but foggy. The fog was burned off by the sun and it stayed very warm and extremely windy all day.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 98 Trip: 1,771
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 176:00
Bike Riding time: 7:10 Trip: 141:44
Avg speed: 13.68 Trip: 12.79
Max speed: 33.78 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,925 Trip: 47,702
Avg pedal RPMs: 81 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 109 Trip: 115
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,801 Trip: 103,590
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 63 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: mostly favorable
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 14
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 21
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 76
Pints: 2 Trip: 34
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - awesome day with big miles and great sites.
Today was an incredible ride. Last night, Wilson and I hatched a plan to bolt early and change my route slightly to catch the wind gods off guard. We woke up at 6:00 and packed up everything. I was at the lobby door ready to eat at 6:30. But, the doors were locked as the manager overslept and then argued with me that they open for breakfast at 7:00. I told him the info in the room and the sign on the lobby door says 6:30 - this guy must have been on drugs. Anyway, I ate a quick cold breakfast of cereal, bananas, and a honey bun washed down with OJ and coffee. I launched off at about 7:20 on a warm morning with misty fog and light winds. I rode for an hour and then stopped in Smithville for a quick Snickers break and fresh water. The road crossed over the Colorado river several times and I was amazed at how small it was compared to what I was expecting. I faced increasing head winds through the town of Plum before arriving at LaGrange. At LaGrange, my route turned NE onto Rt 159 and I picked up an awesome 3/4 tail wind. It felt as if my Sherpa Mom was pushing me along and up the hills! Just after getting on Rt 159, I took a break at the Texas One Stop which was the most impressive service station I have ever seen. They had an on-site bakery and I grabbed a pair of Pigs in the Blanket and a coffee. The Pigs were in "hot out of the oven" pastries and had pepper jack cheese melted inside. Man were they were delicious and I am sure low fat. With the wind at my back, I shoved off but then quickly stopped to take a picture of a ranch sign (Sabra Ranch) that had an old tandem bicycle on top of it which caught my eye. Then I ran into the owners (Arza and Ari Funk) who are avid cyclists and ride a Santana tandem. We chatted for a while, they signed Wilson, I gave them my blog site, I took their picture and posted it, and then we said our goodbyes. They were a great couple and a lot of fun to talk with. Then I rode through Rutersville and Oldenbrg which is host to the Hammer Fest every year. Just before Warrenton, I stopped to take a picture of the world's smallest Catholic church. It was not much bigger than my daughter's play house! Back on the rode again and through some very challenging and rolling hills. Eventually, I reached Round Top which has a population of only 77. There was a very cool small village with a number of rustic looking stores. It reminded me of something you might see on a lake in Myrtle Beach. I saw the craziest car parked in front of one store and took several pictures (posted). One store in particular caught my eye - Royer's Round Top Cafe which is famous for it's pies (www.royersroundtopcafe.com). The owner is "Bud the Pie Man" and he was on the porch surfing the net and smoking a cigar next to a blow-up Sponge Bob. I did not ask! I did ask if he would take a picture with Wilson and me which he eagerly did. I went inside and was still full from the Pigs in the Blanket but felt obliged to eat something. I ordered a bowl of corn chowder and a coke. That corn chowder was the best (by far) that I have ever tasted with big chunks of chicken, potatoes, corn, and a cream sauce that I soaked up with some fresh bread. They would not let me leave without fresh pie so they handed me a mini cherry pie to go. I said goodbye to Bud and waddled down the road. It is a good thing that I am on a new exercise program. I rolled on with the wind still at my back and the miles quickly clicked away despite the challenging hills. I was planning to stay in a B&B in Burton but Wilson insisted that I go for a Century ride and said I had plenty of calories in my system to support it. Wilson is usually right but I was concerned about the route turning into the 15-25 mph winds which would turn the joy ride into a nightmare. I decided to go for Navasota which would give me just under 100 miles for the day. From Round Top, the roads remained hilly and there were lots of big horse and dairy farms along the way. I rode through the towns of Burton, Longpoint, and Gay Hill. Everything was great until I hit the town of Independence (about 80 mile marker) when the route turned SE which gave the wind gods a chance to slap me hard and laugh at me once again. It was brutal for about 10 miles and then I finally turned more north to finish the ride in Navisota. I crashed at a Best Western. After checking in, I hit the Pizza Hut next door for their Tater Tot appetizer, a baked pasta dinner, and a few pints. Then I went to a gas station and bought some vanilla ice cream to put on top of my fresh cherry pie from Bud The Pie Man for dessert. Stuffed once again, I am retiring for the evening. I hope to post some great pictures to go along with this write-up. I must say, it was more fun the prior 2 days when my meals were catered to me on the road and everything else was taken care of by my Sherpas.
Good night!
Weather: A great day for riding. Very warm early but foggy. The fog was burned off by the sun and it stayed very warm and extremely windy all day.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 98 Trip: 1,771
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 176:00
Bike Riding time: 7:10 Trip: 141:44
Avg speed: 13.68 Trip: 12.79
Max speed: 33.78 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,925 Trip: 47,702
Avg pedal RPMs: 81 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 109 Trip: 115
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,801 Trip: 103,590
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 75
Low temp: 63 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: mostly favorable
Total good wind days: 9
Total bad wind days: 14
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 21
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 76
Pints: 2 Trip: 34
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - awesome day with big miles and great sites.
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3957
Longitude:-96.0692
Nearest Location: State Hwy 105, Navasota, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/14/2008 14:52:43 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3957,-96.0692&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3957
Longitude:-96.0692
Nearest Location: State Hwy 105, Navasota, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/14/2008 14:52:43 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3957,-96.0692&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Tyler.... I found your first car in Round Top TX
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Ari and Arzi in LaGrange
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Saturday, December 13, 2008
Day 22 - Saturday, December 13
Description: Finished the 57 mile ride in Bastrop TX around 3 pm. I considered this a rest day due to the low miles. Tomorrow, I hope to ride to Burton - wind permitting as they will be high again.
I was real lazy today and slept in until almost 7:30 as the down pillows, soft comforter, and warm fireplace made it hard to get up. Breakfast at the Inn was at 8:30 and I was hungry. They served a nice spinach and brie quiche with baked pears, fresh fruit, homemade granola cereal, pumpkin/nut bread, hand squeezed OJ, and fresh coffee. It was a little better than the 3 Pop Tarts I had a few days ago while camping. Have I told everyone that this Inn (http://www.innaboveonioncreek.com/) was awesome yet? Knowing this would be my last day with my Sherpa parents, I took my time loading up and did not get on my bike until 9:40. In fact, I got a call during breakfast from my father-in-law in Staunton VA who was concerned that I was not on the road yet. My in-laws (Joe and Maria) have been religiously tracking me and frequently calling me for personal updates. They are having as much fun on this trip as me. Well, I hit the road on a warm sunny morning (shorts and no jacket) but was quickly greeted with guess what? The angry wind gods. There was a major wind advisory in effect all day with 15-25 mph sustained winds with gusts over 35. I rode through the town Kyle, then flat lands with lots of cotton farms. The winds for the first 25 miles were unbelievable and at times, I could hardly move forward. My parents were looking at their watches and wondering why I was taking soo long. My parents flight was heading out of San Antonio in the late afternoon and they were hoping we would all make it to Bastrop to say our goodbyes. Then my Mom had a great idea. She suggested them driving 25 miles ahead to grab a room for me and drop my bags so that I could travel light and go after those Dam winds. Just before they took off, we pulled through Lockhart which has the coolest (see photo album) city hall with a Santa out front taking pictures on an old red fire truck. Of course, Mom snapped a picture of me with Santa. After feeding me some peanut butter cookies, the Sherpas blasted off to secure my lodging. Then great news as my route turned to more of a NW direction and I finally picked up some tail winds. The route also became very hilly again but I did not care as I was riding the wind now. An hour later, my parents came back and had grabbed a room for me in Bastrop. We exchanged our final hugs and goodbyes and then the Sherpas were off to the races to catch their flight. I chugged on knowing I was on my own again with only Wilson to chat with. Then the road turned SE for the last 5 miles and that Dam wind fought me all the way in. Once in town, I stopped at Quiznos for a Meatball Sub to recover some calories. I checked into my motel, grabbed some local Shiner Bock, and then relaxed in the hotel room. Finally, I ordered and ate a medium pizza from Dominos to top off my fuel tank. However, I did find a way for some dessert - Mom's homemade peanut butter cookies!
Good night
Weather: Warm, sunny, and extremely windy. Some clouds moved in after lunch. A great day for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 57 Trip: 1,673
Total travel time: 5:30 Trip: 167:00
Bike Riding time: 4:20 Trip: 134:34
Avg speed: 13.21 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 28.53 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,576 Trip: 44,777
Avg pedal RPMs: 82 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 104 Trip: 115
Max heart rate: 135 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,320 Trip: 97,789
Weather Statistics:
High temp 72 Trip: 75
Low temp: 55 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: mostly against - brutal at times!
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 14
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Motel-8
Total hotel nights: 20
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 73
Pints: 2 Trip: 32
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - a little let down as my Sherpas are gone but I am now well rested!
I was real lazy today and slept in until almost 7:30 as the down pillows, soft comforter, and warm fireplace made it hard to get up. Breakfast at the Inn was at 8:30 and I was hungry. They served a nice spinach and brie quiche with baked pears, fresh fruit, homemade granola cereal, pumpkin/nut bread, hand squeezed OJ, and fresh coffee. It was a little better than the 3 Pop Tarts I had a few days ago while camping. Have I told everyone that this Inn (http://www.innaboveonioncreek.com/) was awesome yet? Knowing this would be my last day with my Sherpa parents, I took my time loading up and did not get on my bike until 9:40. In fact, I got a call during breakfast from my father-in-law in Staunton VA who was concerned that I was not on the road yet. My in-laws (Joe and Maria) have been religiously tracking me and frequently calling me for personal updates. They are having as much fun on this trip as me. Well, I hit the road on a warm sunny morning (shorts and no jacket) but was quickly greeted with guess what? The angry wind gods. There was a major wind advisory in effect all day with 15-25 mph sustained winds with gusts over 35. I rode through the town Kyle, then flat lands with lots of cotton farms. The winds for the first 25 miles were unbelievable and at times, I could hardly move forward. My parents were looking at their watches and wondering why I was taking soo long. My parents flight was heading out of San Antonio in the late afternoon and they were hoping we would all make it to Bastrop to say our goodbyes. Then my Mom had a great idea. She suggested them driving 25 miles ahead to grab a room for me and drop my bags so that I could travel light and go after those Dam winds. Just before they took off, we pulled through Lockhart which has the coolest (see photo album) city hall with a Santa out front taking pictures on an old red fire truck. Of course, Mom snapped a picture of me with Santa. After feeding me some peanut butter cookies, the Sherpas blasted off to secure my lodging. Then great news as my route turned to more of a NW direction and I finally picked up some tail winds. The route also became very hilly again but I did not care as I was riding the wind now. An hour later, my parents came back and had grabbed a room for me in Bastrop. We exchanged our final hugs and goodbyes and then the Sherpas were off to the races to catch their flight. I chugged on knowing I was on my own again with only Wilson to chat with. Then the road turned SE for the last 5 miles and that Dam wind fought me all the way in. Once in town, I stopped at Quiznos for a Meatball Sub to recover some calories. I checked into my motel, grabbed some local Shiner Bock, and then relaxed in the hotel room. Finally, I ordered and ate a medium pizza from Dominos to top off my fuel tank. However, I did find a way for some dessert - Mom's homemade peanut butter cookies!
Good night
Weather: Warm, sunny, and extremely windy. Some clouds moved in after lunch. A great day for riding.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 57 Trip: 1,673
Total travel time: 5:30 Trip: 167:00
Bike Riding time: 4:20 Trip: 134:34
Avg speed: 13.21 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 28.53 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,576 Trip: 44,777
Avg pedal RPMs: 82 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 104 Trip: 115
Max heart rate: 135 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 3,320 Trip: 97,789
Weather Statistics:
High temp 72 Trip: 75
Low temp: 55 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: mostly against - brutal at times!
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 14
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Motel-8
Total hotel nights: 20
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 73
Pints: 2 Trip: 32
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - a little let down as my Sherpas are gone but I am now well rested!
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.1047
Longitude:-97.2909
Nearest Location: Industrial Blvd, Bastrop, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/13/2008 13:05:41 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.1047,-97.2909&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.1047
Longitude:-97.2909
Nearest Location: Industrial Blvd, Bastrop, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/13/2008 13:05:41 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.1047,-97.2909&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 21 - Friday, December 12
Description: Finished the challenging 105 mile ride just West of Kyle TX at an awesome B&B called The Inn Above Onion Creek. Tomorrow, I am planning to sleep in late and then take a light recovery 50 mile ride to Bastrop TX where I will say goodbye to my Sherpas (parents).
First, I need to set the record straight on a couple of things being debated with recent posts. I have not drafted the rental car but the rental car has drafted off of me. I have ridden the whole way and not been towed. I have not been in a golf cart in months. Aliens have not abducted me for any period of time during my trek. I must admit that Texas is a little bigger than Wake County. I see nothing wrong with being pampered while hammering on my bike with hot meals, homemade cookies, and Starbucks coffee.
Now for today's write-up. My parents and I started stirring around 6:30 this morning and then hit the buffet breakfast at 7 sharp. I pounded it with a big Spanish omelet, hash browns, sausage, biscuits with gravy, yogurt, OJ, coffee and a big piece of carrot and walnut cake for dessert (eat your heart out F). I then loaded the Mean Green Machine up and started rolling at 8:30 for the planned 88 mile ride. It was chilly but the winds were calm. My parents stayed to check out and then stock up on lunch items as we were heading into the deep country. I made great time and flew the first 20 miles through the towns of Center Point and Comfort. From there I crossed under I-10 and hit the back woods towns of Waring and Sisterdale which is where the serious rolling hills began. My parents caught up with me (they got lost trying to find me) in Sisterdale at the Sister Creek Vineyard for a huge fiest. We dined on roast chicken, macaroni salad, a Subway sub, homemade peanut butter criss-cross cookies, and a Starbucks Double-Shot to wash it down. I could hardly move. I rolled on as my parents stayed to sample the local wine. From there, my mom kept a close eye on me (like a mother hen) as she would go to the top of each hill or around corners and then wait to ensure I made it safely. Then my Sherpas rolled forward to Blanco which was 65 miles into the ride to find some bottled water and a good place to rest and eat more cookies. At this point, we discussed the possibility of extending the ride beyond Wimberley and onto Kyle which was another 20 miles. I could hear the muffled voice of Wilson in the car trunk yelling to go for Kyle and seize the miles and the glory. Against my mother's wishes, I decided to race the sun (which I love to do) to our new targeted lodging in Kyle. As my Sherpas raced forward to check out Wimberley (fallback lodging) and to our new target resting point of Kyle, I put the hammer down as I had another 40 miles to cover in a little over 2 hours. The traffic picked up big time, there were no road shoulders, the hills were brutal, the sun was setting, and the wind was killing me. I knew Wilson was counting on me to beat the sun so I pressed on at break-neck pace (as if Dayn were chasing me). As I was nearing Kyle at a 20 mph pace, I saw my parents on the side of the road flagging me down. To our surprise, they found no lodging in Kyle but they did find an awesome Inn right here 4 miles short of town. We took the last room and boy is this place deluxe and plush! My dad talked then down to a great rate and we quickly checked in before they changed their mind. A quick shower and then some homemade coconut cranberry and chocolate cookies (desserts all day F ha!) from the Inn's kitchen kept my hunger at bay until my dad arrived back with a Mexican fiest from a local cantina. This might have moved into my number 1 slot for Mexican meals as the chicken burrito, enchaladas, chips, and red hot salsa was simply outstanding. We then settled down next to the fire and enjoyed the pictures taken over the last few days. I will tell you that if I could train on these rolling hills with 100 mile days (like today) for a few weeks, I would be ready for Lance who also trains in these parts.
Weather: Awesome day with cool temps early and then warm sunshine and Carolina blue skies. The wind picked up as the day went on and was a factor.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 105 Trip: 1616
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 161:30
Bike Riding time: 6:59 Trip: 130:14
Avg speed: 15.01 Trip: 12.72
Max speed: 38.22 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 3,837 Trip: 43,201 - now that was a lot of little cutting hills today.
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 116 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 164 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 6,558 Trip: 94,469
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 64 Trip: 75
Low temp: 48 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Mostly against - strong side winds and some straight on
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 13
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - The Inn Above Onion Creek
Total hotel nights: 19
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 70
Pints: 0 Trip: 31 - the Inn is "dry" - grrrr
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - Momma was happy today and when Momma is happy, everyone is happy. A perfect day!
First, I need to set the record straight on a couple of things being debated with recent posts. I have not drafted the rental car but the rental car has drafted off of me. I have ridden the whole way and not been towed. I have not been in a golf cart in months. Aliens have not abducted me for any period of time during my trek. I must admit that Texas is a little bigger than Wake County. I see nothing wrong with being pampered while hammering on my bike with hot meals, homemade cookies, and Starbucks coffee.
Now for today's write-up. My parents and I started stirring around 6:30 this morning and then hit the buffet breakfast at 7 sharp. I pounded it with a big Spanish omelet, hash browns, sausage, biscuits with gravy, yogurt, OJ, coffee and a big piece of carrot and walnut cake for dessert (eat your heart out F). I then loaded the Mean Green Machine up and started rolling at 8:30 for the planned 88 mile ride. It was chilly but the winds were calm. My parents stayed to check out and then stock up on lunch items as we were heading into the deep country. I made great time and flew the first 20 miles through the towns of Center Point and Comfort. From there I crossed under I-10 and hit the back woods towns of Waring and Sisterdale which is where the serious rolling hills began. My parents caught up with me (they got lost trying to find me) in Sisterdale at the Sister Creek Vineyard for a huge fiest. We dined on roast chicken, macaroni salad, a Subway sub, homemade peanut butter criss-cross cookies, and a Starbucks Double-Shot to wash it down. I could hardly move. I rolled on as my parents stayed to sample the local wine. From there, my mom kept a close eye on me (like a mother hen) as she would go to the top of each hill or around corners and then wait to ensure I made it safely. Then my Sherpas rolled forward to Blanco which was 65 miles into the ride to find some bottled water and a good place to rest and eat more cookies. At this point, we discussed the possibility of extending the ride beyond Wimberley and onto Kyle which was another 20 miles. I could hear the muffled voice of Wilson in the car trunk yelling to go for Kyle and seize the miles and the glory. Against my mother's wishes, I decided to race the sun (which I love to do) to our new targeted lodging in Kyle. As my Sherpas raced forward to check out Wimberley (fallback lodging) and to our new target resting point of Kyle, I put the hammer down as I had another 40 miles to cover in a little over 2 hours. The traffic picked up big time, there were no road shoulders, the hills were brutal, the sun was setting, and the wind was killing me. I knew Wilson was counting on me to beat the sun so I pressed on at break-neck pace (as if Dayn were chasing me). As I was nearing Kyle at a 20 mph pace, I saw my parents on the side of the road flagging me down. To our surprise, they found no lodging in Kyle but they did find an awesome Inn right here 4 miles short of town. We took the last room and boy is this place deluxe and plush! My dad talked then down to a great rate and we quickly checked in before they changed their mind. A quick shower and then some homemade coconut cranberry and chocolate cookies (desserts all day F ha!) from the Inn's kitchen kept my hunger at bay until my dad arrived back with a Mexican fiest from a local cantina. This might have moved into my number 1 slot for Mexican meals as the chicken burrito, enchaladas, chips, and red hot salsa was simply outstanding. We then settled down next to the fire and enjoyed the pictures taken over the last few days. I will tell you that if I could train on these rolling hills with 100 mile days (like today) for a few weeks, I would be ready for Lance who also trains in these parts.
Weather: Awesome day with cool temps early and then warm sunshine and Carolina blue skies. The wind picked up as the day went on and was a factor.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 105 Trip: 1616
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 161:30
Bike Riding time: 6:59 Trip: 130:14
Avg speed: 15.01 Trip: 12.72
Max speed: 38.22 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 3,837 Trip: 43,201 - now that was a lot of little cutting hills today.
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 116 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 164 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 6,558 Trip: 94,469
Weather Statistics:
High temp: 64 Trip: 75
Low temp: 48 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Mostly against - strong side winds and some straight on
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 13
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - The Inn Above Onion Creek
Total hotel nights: 19
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 70
Pints: 0 Trip: 31 - the Inn is "dry" - grrrr
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - Momma was happy today and when Momma is happy, everyone is happy. A perfect day!
Friday, December 12, 2008
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.0497
Longitude:-97.9357
Nearest Location: , , TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/12/2008 15:19:33 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.0497,-97.9357&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.0497
Longitude:-97.9357
Nearest Location: , , TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/12/2008 15:19:33 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.0497,-97.9357&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Huge Feast for Lunch.....
Big roast chicken and mac salad feast plus a grande Double-shot with my parents in Sisterdale TX. They are awesome Sherpas!
Gotta Roll....
Steve....
Gotta Roll....
Steve....
Problem with Spot Solved...
Several of you noticed no end of day OK Spot posting 2 days ago and my route yesterday was cut short. I replaced the batteries and all is good now - I hope!
Steve
Steve
GoSteveGo Yelled From Jeep....
Thanks Bob and Beth for clarifying a mystery for me with your post yesterday. When I was crossing the Amistad Reservoir bridge a few days ago, someone yelled from their car at me and I THOUGHT they said GoSteveGo but figured how in the heck would anyone out here know me???? Well it was Bob and Beth who were my hosts the previous night at an RV park. Mystery solved!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Day 20 - Thursday, December 11
Wow, my parents from California shocked me today..... Plus, I am officially at my half-way point!
Description: Finished the 88 mile ride in Kerrville TX. Tomorrow, I am targeting another 88 mile ride to Wimberley which will have tons of short and steep hills - looks like death from a million cuts plus the wind does not look favorable.
A couple of quick answers to important questions. I cary both Snickers and PayDays and feel the chocolate PayDays gave me the most energy but I prefer the taste of Snickers. Also, my heart rate calculations are only when I am on the bike but not necessarily riding. I wear a belt and it sends signals to the GPS so if I am sitting at a stop light, it is recording.
I got up early today knowing it would be another Ironman type of day. No buffet in the small motel so I had 3 Pop Tarts, 2 bananas, and coffee to get jump started. Started rolling at sunrise and it was cold. From the motel door, it was straight up for the first 10-15 miles. The big pistons were groaning as they were not warmed up yet. After the big climb, I stopped in a small town call Leakey to take a "leak" and grab a real breakfast to stoke the furnace. I was referred to Hill Country Barbecue. I wolfed down a 3 egg omelet, hash browns, toast, and coffee - um um good. Then I rolled on and was looking at 3 major steep climbs over the next 30 miles. The scenery reminded me of the Blue Ridge mountains with tons of steep hills, and mountains all around. Along the entire route, there was one hunting ranch after another. The motel owner gave me the scoop last night. He said that cattle farming was no longer profitable and that deer hunting was. So, the farmers all put up high fences to trap the deer in their property and then feed them growth hormones, tons of food, and even breed them to be larger. Then rich city slickers pay tons of money to basically sit on the front porch of these places and shoot them down. It is like fishing in a barrel (or like fishing up in Canada). I do not get this but am sure Joe M. and his hunting bandits would love it here. Anyway, back to the ride which reminded me of Smit's weekly "attack and recover" rides except Slow Todd was not trying to nip at my heels. After the 3 climbs to Vanderpool, I turned North (dead into the wind) onto RT 187 for a massive 18 mile climb past Lost Maples State Park. About 3 miles into it, I saw a blown down sign on the road that said "Starbucks 1 Mile Ahead" which I thought was strange. Then a second blown down sign said "Free Starbucks 4 Bikers". I was thinking Hmmmmm. Then on the left side of the road in the middle of nowhere was a motorcycle museum and cafe and I figured that was were the coffee was. But, the place was closed for the winter - drats. Then I saw a tan Toyota car with an arm sticking out with a grande can of Starbucks Double-Shot. I thought that this was very very strange but decided to take it. To my shock, it was my mother and father who flew to San Antonio, rented a car, and then set me up with the help of my brother tracking me on my GPS. They really got me good. After chatting for a while, I off-loaded some gear and pedaled on up the massive climb (it was easy) and completed the final 40 miles into the wind while my parents grabbed a hotel. I rolled through some major hills and then along the Guadalupe river which had some very nice lodges, camps, and homes all along this perfectly clear river. I will bet the fishing is awesome here! I rolled into Kerrville and the Inn of the Hills hotel which is very nice. A quick shower and my parents treated me to an awesome Italian supper at a local restaurant. I had spaghetti and meatballs, salad, rolls, and a pint. I then finished off my mom's lasagne. The tank was full with no room for dessert - sorry F.
Weather: Very cold in the morning with no wind. Then sunny but cool and a growing North wind as the day went on.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 88 Trip: 1511 - half way.
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 152:30
Bike Riding time: 7:38 Trip: 123:15
Avg speed: 11.48 Trip: 12.61
Max speed: 36.11 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 4,517 Trip: 39,364 - lots of climbing today
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 113 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,368 Trip: 87,911
Weather Statistics:
High temp 60 Trip: 75
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 12
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Inn of the Hill
Total hotel nights: 18
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 66
Pints: 1 Trip: 31
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - got my parents providing support for a couple of days and Starbucks Double-Shots - it does not get better than that!
Description: Finished the 88 mile ride in Kerrville TX. Tomorrow, I am targeting another 88 mile ride to Wimberley which will have tons of short and steep hills - looks like death from a million cuts plus the wind does not look favorable.
A couple of quick answers to important questions. I cary both Snickers and PayDays and feel the chocolate PayDays gave me the most energy but I prefer the taste of Snickers. Also, my heart rate calculations are only when I am on the bike but not necessarily riding. I wear a belt and it sends signals to the GPS so if I am sitting at a stop light, it is recording.
I got up early today knowing it would be another Ironman type of day. No buffet in the small motel so I had 3 Pop Tarts, 2 bananas, and coffee to get jump started. Started rolling at sunrise and it was cold. From the motel door, it was straight up for the first 10-15 miles. The big pistons were groaning as they were not warmed up yet. After the big climb, I stopped in a small town call Leakey to take a "leak" and grab a real breakfast to stoke the furnace. I was referred to Hill Country Barbecue. I wolfed down a 3 egg omelet, hash browns, toast, and coffee - um um good. Then I rolled on and was looking at 3 major steep climbs over the next 30 miles. The scenery reminded me of the Blue Ridge mountains with tons of steep hills, and mountains all around. Along the entire route, there was one hunting ranch after another. The motel owner gave me the scoop last night. He said that cattle farming was no longer profitable and that deer hunting was. So, the farmers all put up high fences to trap the deer in their property and then feed them growth hormones, tons of food, and even breed them to be larger. Then rich city slickers pay tons of money to basically sit on the front porch of these places and shoot them down. It is like fishing in a barrel (or like fishing up in Canada). I do not get this but am sure Joe M. and his hunting bandits would love it here. Anyway, back to the ride which reminded me of Smit's weekly "attack and recover" rides except Slow Todd was not trying to nip at my heels. After the 3 climbs to Vanderpool, I turned North (dead into the wind) onto RT 187 for a massive 18 mile climb past Lost Maples State Park. About 3 miles into it, I saw a blown down sign on the road that said "Starbucks 1 Mile Ahead" which I thought was strange. Then a second blown down sign said "Free Starbucks 4 Bikers". I was thinking Hmmmmm. Then on the left side of the road in the middle of nowhere was a motorcycle museum and cafe and I figured that was were the coffee was. But, the place was closed for the winter - drats. Then I saw a tan Toyota car with an arm sticking out with a grande can of Starbucks Double-Shot. I thought that this was very very strange but decided to take it. To my shock, it was my mother and father who flew to San Antonio, rented a car, and then set me up with the help of my brother tracking me on my GPS. They really got me good. After chatting for a while, I off-loaded some gear and pedaled on up the massive climb (it was easy) and completed the final 40 miles into the wind while my parents grabbed a hotel. I rolled through some major hills and then along the Guadalupe river which had some very nice lodges, camps, and homes all along this perfectly clear river. I will bet the fishing is awesome here! I rolled into Kerrville and the Inn of the Hills hotel which is very nice. A quick shower and my parents treated me to an awesome Italian supper at a local restaurant. I had spaghetti and meatballs, salad, rolls, and a pint. I then finished off my mom's lasagne. The tank was full with no room for dessert - sorry F.
Weather: Very cold in the morning with no wind. Then sunny but cool and a growing North wind as the day went on.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 88 Trip: 1511 - half way.
Total travel time: 9:00 Trip: 152:30
Bike Riding time: 7:38 Trip: 123:15
Avg speed: 11.48 Trip: 12.61
Max speed: 36.11 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 4,517 Trip: 39,364 - lots of climbing today
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 113 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,368 Trip: 87,911
Weather Statistics:
High temp 60 Trip: 75
Low temp: 40 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 12
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Inn of the Hill
Total hotel nights: 18
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 66
Pints: 1 Trip: 31
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - got my parents providing support for a couple of days and Starbucks Double-Shots - it does not get better than that!
Wow - My parents met me on the road today.....
Did they ever shock me.... They were on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere handing out Starbucks Double-Shots - can you believe that?
More awesome details later tonight on my daily blog write-up after a big Italian feast!!!!!
Steve
More awesome details later tonight on my daily blog write-up after a big Italian feast!!!!!
Steve
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.0568
Longitude:-99.1645
Nearest Location: Plaza Dr, Kerrville, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/11/2008 15:24:09 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.0568,-99.1645&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.0568
Longitude:-99.1645
Nearest Location: Plaza Dr, Kerrville, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/11/2008 15:24:09 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.0568,-99.1645&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 19 - Wednesday, December 10
Description: Finished the 81 mile ride in Camp Wood TX.
When I went to be bed last night in Del Rio, there was a major storm outside with high winds, heavy rain, and some flurries. All night long, I was awoken by the wind howling which made me nervous. I slept in until 6:30 to let the storm pass and then quickly hit the breakfast buffet for a western omelet, sausages, bacon, biscuits, OJ, and coffee. After breakfast, I bundled up with all of my winter gear and hit the road at 8 sharp to a frosty and windy 38 degrees. The wind was very strong coming out of the NNW which gave me a 3/4 tail wind for the first 30 miles to Brackettville. There was heavy traffic and very little shoulder getting out of Del Rio on RT 90. Just East of town, I passed the Laughlin Air Force base. Then there was nothing until Brackettville where I stopped for a quick coffee and a donut at a gas station. Then I turned North East onto RT 334 which gave me a strong side wind which mostly helped me out but not a lot. On occasion, the road would go north and I would pay the price. I rode on RT 334 for another 32 miles through rolling but mostly uphill roads. There were a lot of ranches and wastelands and I saw my first Armadillo although he was dead on shoulder. Then at mile 62, I took a 90 degree left (straight North) onto RT 55. It was like the wind gods were angry with me as they punished me with an 18 mile climb directly into 20-25 mph winds with no relief! It took at least 4 times the energy to ride the last 18 miles as the first 62 - seriously. The ride went from rolling hills to a mountain climb as I passed through the small town of Montell and then through several campgrounds on the Nueces river. The river was quite large and it looked like Daniels could throw one of his famous rattletraps in there for a couple of quick catches as he is quite lucky. I finally arrived at my motel at the top of the hill in Camp Wood. Other than the last 18 miles, the ride was very easy. I cleaned-up and hit a local restaurant (Sister's - only thing open) to do some re-fueling as I did not eat lunch today. They had the best appetizer I have ever had called Texas Straws which were deep fried Jalepeano and onion strips with a spicy ranch dipping sauce. I followed that up with their fried burrito supreme special and a baked potato with sour cream. Some fresh coffee and an ice cream sandwich completed the meal. The food was excellent and cheap but the service was slow - I was in no rush.
Tomorrow will be a brutal day of climbing to include 5 major steep ascents plus another 4-6 minor bite you in the butt ones. I hope to ride close to 85 miles and finish up in Kerrville TX.
Good night!
Weather: Very windy, cold, but lots of sunshine. It was really quite comfortable in the bike with all of my gear.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 81 Trip: 1,423
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 143:30
Bike Riding time: 6:54 Trip: 115:37
Avg speed: 11.67 Trip: 12.67
Max speed: 26.06 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,619 Trip: 34,847
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 115 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,496 Trip: 82,543
Weather Statistics:
High temp 53 Trip: 75
Low temp: 38 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Mostly favorable
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Woodbine Inn
Total hotel nights: 17
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 61
Pints: 1 Trip: 30
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - the wind wore me down but the climbs look exciting for tomorrow.
When I went to be bed last night in Del Rio, there was a major storm outside with high winds, heavy rain, and some flurries. All night long, I was awoken by the wind howling which made me nervous. I slept in until 6:30 to let the storm pass and then quickly hit the breakfast buffet for a western omelet, sausages, bacon, biscuits, OJ, and coffee. After breakfast, I bundled up with all of my winter gear and hit the road at 8 sharp to a frosty and windy 38 degrees. The wind was very strong coming out of the NNW which gave me a 3/4 tail wind for the first 30 miles to Brackettville. There was heavy traffic and very little shoulder getting out of Del Rio on RT 90. Just East of town, I passed the Laughlin Air Force base. Then there was nothing until Brackettville where I stopped for a quick coffee and a donut at a gas station. Then I turned North East onto RT 334 which gave me a strong side wind which mostly helped me out but not a lot. On occasion, the road would go north and I would pay the price. I rode on RT 334 for another 32 miles through rolling but mostly uphill roads. There were a lot of ranches and wastelands and I saw my first Armadillo although he was dead on shoulder. Then at mile 62, I took a 90 degree left (straight North) onto RT 55. It was like the wind gods were angry with me as they punished me with an 18 mile climb directly into 20-25 mph winds with no relief! It took at least 4 times the energy to ride the last 18 miles as the first 62 - seriously. The ride went from rolling hills to a mountain climb as I passed through the small town of Montell and then through several campgrounds on the Nueces river. The river was quite large and it looked like Daniels could throw one of his famous rattletraps in there for a couple of quick catches as he is quite lucky. I finally arrived at my motel at the top of the hill in Camp Wood. Other than the last 18 miles, the ride was very easy. I cleaned-up and hit a local restaurant (Sister's - only thing open) to do some re-fueling as I did not eat lunch today. They had the best appetizer I have ever had called Texas Straws which were deep fried Jalepeano and onion strips with a spicy ranch dipping sauce. I followed that up with their fried burrito supreme special and a baked potato with sour cream. Some fresh coffee and an ice cream sandwich completed the meal. The food was excellent and cheap but the service was slow - I was in no rush.
Tomorrow will be a brutal day of climbing to include 5 major steep ascents plus another 4-6 minor bite you in the butt ones. I hope to ride close to 85 miles and finish up in Kerrville TX.
Good night!
Weather: Very windy, cold, but lots of sunshine. It was really quite comfortable in the bike with all of my gear.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 81 Trip: 1,423
Total travel time: 8:00 Trip: 143:30
Bike Riding time: 6:54 Trip: 115:37
Avg speed: 11.67 Trip: 12.67
Max speed: 26.06 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,619 Trip: 34,847
Avg pedal RPMs: 87 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 115 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,496 Trip: 82,543
Weather Statistics:
High temp 53 Trip: 75
Low temp: 38 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Mostly favorable
Total good wind days: 8
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Woodbine Inn
Total hotel nights: 17
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 61
Pints: 1 Trip: 30
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - the wind wore me down but the climbs look exciting for tomorrow.
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