Day 22 – July 8th

Pedaling in rhythm with the amphibian chorus that was cheering me on, I departed Fremont and began another voyage upon my always enthusiastic Trek. Having received another inch of God’s tears, the water soaked land was once again saturated beyond capacity and I knew there was more hanging out there. With storm cells north and south of the route today, I wondered how many miles it would take before the cells converged on me and turned my pleasant ride into a treacherous misery. However, fortune was with me as the cycling gods took mercy and today’s ride was dry start to finish. Even a bigger surprise was in store for my dual wheeled trip; that damnable wind took a turn for the better! Instead of berating me incessantly, as it has done on so many days of this endeavour, it decided to help propel me on these Iowan roads. A tailwind; it’s a cyclists biggest dream. While the wind wasn’t blowing overly hard, to have it at my back was a welcome change. Joyous tears once again stream down my face as I write these words; I still can’t come to terms with this reality.

The 125 mile ride today was quite possibly the easiest ride of the trip; there were no big climbs, no vicious breeze, and the temperature remained under 82 for the rides entirety. What are the odds of getting that much fortune on one roll of the dice? Though the little pessimist which resides in us all, the one I had hoped was buried deep, can't help but whisper “Use all your luck now, and you may come to regret it…..” For the present time I’ll ignore that demon and count my blessings; tomorrow and its tidings will come in due course.

The scenery today was akin to the last couple of days; anther paddle of pedals across Iowa’s land ocean of green. Corn and soybean dominated the landscape as usual, with the infrequent farm and cattle ranch. Quite a few times today, when passing hog farms or being passed by cattle trucks, a whiff of dung beetle heaven wafted my way. While it’s a scent familiar to me from childhood, I’m not nearly as fond of it as it seems to be of me. I wish we could cease our encounters and both go on our happy way; as long as I remain in the Midwest I fear that longing will end in futility.

The highlight today came after the bike had been put away, and I was unwinding at Bob Loch’s beautiful abode. For the last week I have been praying to the stars above that one of the hotels we stayed in would come equipped with a hot tub or Jacuzzi; my prayers have gone unanswered so far. Upon arriving in Bettendorf, Iowa I was informed that Bob had a whirlpool that I could use if I so desired. I figured my legs deserved the reward, so I partook in the tub and got to relax the muscles a bit. Oh but it gets better; did I mention that Bob has a TV in his bathroom and not too far away is a fridge stocked with beer? So not only did I get to soak my road weary legs, but I did it while sipping some barley nectar and watching the Tour De France. Heaven you say? Well, who am I to argue...

Day 21 - July 7 a Rest Day - Gear and Food information

While on the bike yesterday I pondered this blog; when you’re in the saddle for 5+ hours there is plenty of time to ponder. I came to the realization (20 days after starting, what can I say, I’m quick like that.) that some of the people reading this may not be very familiar with cycling; especially an endurance event like this. I thought I would take a few minutes to go over some of the gear we are wearing, the bikes we are riding, and the food and fluids we are constantly consuming.

• CLOTHING - Most cyclists wear a cycling jersey and cycling shorts; commonly called a kit. The jersey generally has a zipper in the front (to open for ventilation) and three pockets in the back that are easily accessible and serve as great places to store food. The material of the jersey has a wicking property to it; to help pull the sweat away from the body. The shorts are a spandex type material that has a chamois pad to help protect your glutimus maximus. The shoes have a solid sole with a cleat attached which allows the cyclist to clip into the pedals so that they get both a down-stroke and an up-stroke, thus increasing their pedaling efficiency. The sole is usually a hard plastic or carbon fiber. The shoe I am using is a carbon fiber sole and I am wearing it for a couple of reason; the carbon doesn’t flex which allows me to get more power into my stroke and the carbon fiber keeps its rigidity longer than plastic; generally they can last up to 5 years before they start to flex and need to be replaces.

• FOOD and FLUIDS - While in the saddle, it’s hard to eat solid food. Therefore, I have reverted to eating easily chewable foods that contain carbohydrates, protein, and sugar. Over the course of this ride we have consumed Gu, which is an energy filled gel consisting of a mere 110 calories, Clif Blocks, a gummy-bear type food that has about twice the calories of Gu and similar nutritional properties, and Clif bars (a soft type candy bar with about 250 calories). When we stop for a break at the support vessel, we eat either a peanut butter sandwich, a banana, or a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with a little mustard. These foods are our staples while actually in the heat of riding. We do mix it up a bit, by stopping at burger joints from time to time to enjoy a burger versus the mundane turkey sandwich.

In regards to fluids, we actually drink a variety of different products. I have been using Accelerade in my water bottles, for its mix of protein, carbs, sugars, sodium, and potassium. I also will occasionally use regular water. When stopping for a quick bite off the bike, I enjoy V8’s for their powerful accumulation of sodium and potassium. I have also begun drinking soda, which I generally drink less than a can a month, for the sugary charge it can give on really long rides or very hot days. Basically, I try to satisfy my thirst with whatever I seem to be craving at the time. For the most part, V8 has been the answer to my fluid needs when off the bike at a pit stop.

• BIKES - The bikes we are riding on consist of a double crank (two gears where the pedals attach to) and a 10 gear cassette; effectively giving us 20 gears to choose from while battling the road. The cassette is the gearing attached to the rear wheel. The frame is carbon fiber, which makes it very light (appreciated immensely when going over the mountains) and it also helps absorb some of the shock of the road; thus sparing our hands, wrists, arms and shoulders the full intensity of the jarring the road throws our way. My bike seat is very small, flat and rock hard; this actually helps to minimize saddle sores when riding for extended periods of time as it cuts down on friction and surface area. I feel obligated to point out that it helps minimize, but as this ride has shown me, does not eliminate! My handlebars are my main point of interest on the ride, as they hold my brakes/shifters and cyclometer and heart rate monitor. During the course of the day, I will look down at my handlebars literally thousands of times to check my speed and current heart rate. Other than that, the bikes are pretty standard. You pedal, and if everything is lined up and the gods are gracious, it goes forward with little difficulty.

We have had some issues with our wheels becoming un-true (wobbly) and brakes rubbing on the tire. But Gary, with his insight, has brought along the right tools to resolve these issues; often quite quickly. The chains that we have been using will last for approximately 1,500 miles before needing to be replaced. When they begin to approach that amount of miles, the chain has generally stretched out from overuse which makes shifting less smooth and more prone to dropped chains. Last night Gary walked me through changing out my old chain with a brand new one; he had the tools and the knowledge to make the process seem almost simple. Gary, in preparing for this trip, has become quite a wrench. One of my goals for this trip has been to learn as much as possible about working on bikes, so that I may cultivate this skill once I am back home and into everyday life again. Thanks Gary for all the help and knowledge!

Day 20 – July 6th

Buzzing along the bike trail leading into Des Moines Iowa, we slowly made our way along the tree shrouded lane and towards the 20 mile point where we would disembark from the trail and once again be on the car laden roads of Iowa. Arriving at 73rd street, Gary and I crossed under the road and we made our way out of the park and saw Larry crouching hidden dragon style with his camera fluttering. Larry the Laugher also had a great surprise in store for us; how he arranged it remains one of the great mysteries of this ride. Where the bike path ended and the street began sat a long lost friend; Starbucks. Soon I was lounging in a comfy chair, engulfed in the aroma of coffee, sipping a white coffee mocha, and plotting out the details for our course today. It was a great way to start the ride.

Consuming the final drops of flavor, I left the coffee house behind and was flying over the rough shod streets of Des Moines; with each stroke coming closer to the stopping point for the next two days; Fremont, Iowa. Awaiting us in Fremont was a soft bed, a day off the bike, Gary’s lovely bride Kathy, her gracious and accommodating mother, and a delicious spread consisting of meatloaf, corn, mashed potatoes and a warm peach cobbler topped off with homemade ice cream. To say we were excited about this particular stop over point is an understatement; all of us were as overjoyed at the prospect of Fremont.

We fought a head/cross wind the entire ride of our journey today; but it was tolerable since we have dealt with worse. Along the ride I once again was surprised with the machine I call my body. My knees have both been behaving themselves the last couple of days, and my legs have felt surprisingly fresh. Not too deep, but still strong and able to maintain a steady pace during the course of the day. I was also able to thank Gary for all those times he pulled me over roads these last several years by rewarding him in kind today. I hope my limbs continue to feel as limber and solid for the next two weeks. Two weeks; WOW! To think in less than 14 days this opportunistic adventure of motion will come to its climatic finally on the shores of the eastern seaboard. Amazing to reflect on all the miles we have tallied thus far, and of the miles and scenery yet to come. While I am glad for the rest day that tomorrow will bring, I still find myself aching for the saddle and to be moving once more. I guess I’m just a vagabond with a bike.

The environment we tarried through today was yet another crossing of the green ocean that this fertile land has become through the hard and expert work of the laborers of the land. Any direction you peered, green was the answer to your searching gaze. Green upon green upon green, only occasionally broken by a small copse of humanity. What a vast frontier of food this state is! A true bread basket of a great county, and with the global markets, the entire world. The Midwest never ceases to amaze me in all its simple spectacular glory.

Rising with the road, after a brief exertion to gain the elevation the hill demanded, I found myself in a cleft between two ridges of topsoil. On both sides of the straight and narrow grew a purple array of tiny wild flowers. As I made my trek through the hundred yards of highway they encompassed, I was struck with a faint hint of a fragrance I had experienced before. This particular serenade of the senses, which merely tickled my memory, slowly brought to surface the image of freshly cleaned bedding; bedding that had been hung out to dry in a crisp early spring morning, and was just being climbed into for the first time. The flowers that generated this flash of the past were a soft hue of violet and their colors and fragrance were both mild but engaging. During the course of the day I saw these small bells of violet scattered along the ditch several times, and even now I can still smell them. Beautiful.

Our bikes rolled into Bonnie’s homestead of humanity, our first link to reality in weeks, a little before 2:00 pm. Our machines had accumulated another 97 miles in their desire to cross from coast to coast. After a sweaty hug (poor Kathy) Gary, Larry, and I were sprawled in lawn chairs with a cold friend in our paws. It was another beautiful day on the bike, with the gift of a day off awaiting us. The day off will do us as much good mentally as physically. A day to relax, read, write, and just take in life with the absence of a saddle is definitely in order.

Day 19 – July 5th

Our cyclist adventure today began in Blaire, Nebraska a little after 6:30 am and within only a couple of miles we had left yet another state behind and were rolling into Iowa prairie. The first few miles of the ride were iron-board flat and we made great time in flying over those empty roads. At 10 miles in, however, we began to climb the first of a long, long series of rolling hills. Soon my world consisted simply of pedaling up a hill, down the hill, up a hill down the hill. I found myself stuck in a sick Hollywood film in which I lived in a world of never ending cycle roller coasters; in reality it only lasted for the next 90 miles but at the time I thought an eternity had elapsed. It was exhausting dealing with the constant motion; almost like an angry sea that lifts and drops a boat; only it was on land. I would huff and puff my way up a hill, cranking with as much power as I could muster, only to gain the summit and see three or more hills in the distance coming straight at me. The site was anything but encouraging to my fatigued body and mind.

As the day progressed Gary and I found ourselves separating often due to the fact that we have different climbing and descending cadences. For much of the day I was an isolated cyclist, with nothing but a trusty support vehicle keeping me connected to humanity and the small shred of sanity I had remaining. Much of my morning and afternoon was spent on a lonely, bumpy road, spinning at a decent revolution, all the while defending myself from the territorial red winged blackbirds. Every couple of hundred yards I would wheel into another bird’s territory and apparently they deemed it necessary to flutter overhead and scold me for my un-welcomed violation of their land. The little black buggers were hostile no matter how sweetly I talked to them; though I tried to coo them for hours with niceties. Soon after my failed attempts at diplomacy I found myself fantasizing about a Browning 12 gauge and a few latent shells. I have a sneaking suspicion that would have altered their attitudes and their assessment of me and my Trek.

The scenery along the route today consisted mostly of those golden kernelled homing beacons, growing row upon row, and scattered pasture; intermingled amongst this landscape was the occasional cash crop. The one picture that stands out most in my mind may ultimately be a delusion; as neither Gary nor Bob witnessed it. At one point in the ride, when the head/cross wind was really starting to pick up, I peaked a long climb and as I prepared my body for its well deserved descent I caught a sight of something both Patriotic and Iowan. Standing tire to tire, lined up in a horizontal row facing the highway, proudly sat four generations of tractors; all waving the American flag. The oldest of the tractors was the smallest, and as their age decreased their size increased. The really great thing was that the flags were all sticking straight out as the wind buffeted into them. I couldn’t help but smile at this farmer’s rendition of patriotism. Those four dormant machines each had a story to tell about the men and women they helped to turn these fallow grounds into prosperous land for a growing nation. It was the essence of what this country stands for.

Another sight, not nearly as pleasant, was the slow moving clouds of mist that I viewed repeatedly along the route. The festers of cyclist gnats had a field day as even slower creatures, Gary and I, made our way across their domain. With all the water that Iowa has been bombarded with over the last month, the population of gnats and mosquito’s has grown exponentially. The next several days should be interesting, as we attempt to make it across the saturated countryside with our limbs and blood in tact.

Speaking of the Iowan Ocean, we have been quite fortunate in the roads we have selected thus far; as they have been bike passable and quite friendly to two wheeled machines. We pray we have secured a solid route that will see us safely across the state without encountering washed out roads and bridges; stay posted as further updates on this challenge will be forth coming.

The last 20 miles of our ride tonight took place on a paved bike path from Panora to Alder, Iowa. Aside from Gary’s flat tire (which is becoming habit with him), and nearly being taken out by a Fred, the route was great and we had little trouble crossing it. We ended the day 120 miles closer to the vast waters that are calling us, and of course enjoyed a frosty brew. I would like to thank Brock for the delicious Sam Adams that wet our pallets after a long day in the saddle. Gary, Bob, and I wanted to send our deepest appreciation for this contribution to the ride in the only way we knew how; by emptying them happily and quickly. Thanks bud!

In parting, I would like to send my deepest and warmest appreciation to Bob Loch. Tonight was the final chapter in Bob’s career as support driver for our quest to cross America by bike. Over the last 8 days Bob has been nothing short of a blessing; his hard work to keep us fed, hydrated, and on track have proven invaluable. Bob, thank you for taking part in this crazy bike adventure; it has been an honor and a privilege to spend the last 1,000 miles in your company. You will forever be an integral member of RAA 2008, and I am in your debt. Thank you!!!!!