Letters from the Road: 7/13/08

My Story

.....On March 22, 2008, I begin my self-contained bike tour across the southern part of the United States from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida along the Southern Tier Route. This is a trip I've wanted to undertake for many years and now it's finally happening. I will be riding with a group of 17 people orgainzed by the Adventure Cycling Association. The tour will take 65 days ending May 25th. We ride on average 57 miles per day for a total of about 3,082 miles with rest days about once a week. I will attempt to keep this blog site updated as we progress across the U.S. on this great adventure. Energy and access to a computer will be key factors. Wish me (us) luck. It's a long journey.

Shirl's Poem

In San Diego, our starting place
We gathered together
and came face to face.
Then Andy Mac came and took the chair
With baggy shorts and a face full of hair.

He spelled out the rules and left no doubt
That here was a man
with strength and clout
He said, “We’re going all the way;
You’re a real good group, just do what I say!”

“On busy roads, if you get stuck,
Please don’t make a cluster f***
If it’s sex on the road, well that’s ok,
But do it quick and get on your way.”

And so, without much further ado
The circus left town, a motley crew,
To see this fine and beautiful land –
Over hills and through the desert sands.

Up near the front is a man of steel.
He’d like to have meat
every lunch time meal
But every day Aede’s heard to utter,
“Oh no, not again – it’s peanut butter.”

Matty, lovely Matty,
goes faster than the wind,
He gets to camp each day
before we’ve hardly beginned (!)
Not only that, but on the way,
He drinks umpteen Starbuck every day!

Nick, from Frisco, brings a touch of class
He cycles with individual panache,
“Life is good,” he’s heard to say
About a hundred times a day.

“Oh crap, I see another hill,”
Says Jan, “I’ve really had my fill –
That Andy must be taking the p***
I sure never signed up for this!”

This trip would be dull
if we didn’t have Frank
Who started out built like a tank,
But three thousand miles of steady crank
And now his tum is as flat as a plank.
(Well nearly!)

Kristina rides with finesse and grace
But downhills doesn’t like to race.
All day she keeps a steady pace –
And never a hair out of place.

On recumbent is fine Dick Beeman,
Patriotic and brave, he’s a former seaman.
“Awesome” is what
you’ll hear him screamin’
As he rides that machine like a real demon.

And then there’s Eileen
Our hill country queen
Always quick with a witty remark
A great sense of humor, a vital spark.

Steve Shapland’s a name
that clearly denotes
A man who needs his carbs and oats
His brain is full of information and facts
But tell him there’s no shower
and watch him react!

Doug’s a guy that we all dig
Tall and strong – he rides a fine rig.
But when a dog made him go ar** over tit
He hurt his bike and body a bit.

There’s a chap who’s quiet
and goes like a bomb
He’s well put together, his name is Tom
He rides like a rocket or a bird on the wing
Is sharp as a knife and doesn’t miss a thing.

Dave’s added a splash of color to this trip
His vivid tie dye makes him really hip.
On his recumbent, he’s striking and lean,
But, Dave, what do all those hand signals mean?

Herb speaks with a voice
that’s dignified and calm
He’s won our hearts with his quiet charm
He has a great eye for a quality photo
And rides his bike as though it has a motor.

Dee has a heart as big as the sun
She lavishes love on everyone.
She’ll help everyone to cook and then….
The very next day, she’ll do it again.

Andy’s a cool leader,
resourceful and inspired
Always helping with our bike stuff
although he must be tired.
He’s been real hardworking
and, besides that, funny –
We’ve sure had good value for our money!

So thank you, Andy, it’s been a blast,
Our trip has gone by real fast
We wish you luck
as you follow that (North) Star
Pleasant tailwinds be at your back
wherever you are.

Finally, I’m bequeathing you
this little parcel (a deck of card)
Do try hard not to always be the a******!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Link to New Blog

With the ending of this tour, I've decided to create a new blog to share stories and pictures with family, friends and whoever may be interested. I continue to stay active with cycling, hiking, birding, and just general travel both locally and afar when possible. On any given day and more often than not, I may just be out cycling the central valley region. I also enjoy photography so a blog is the perfect medium to show pictures. Go to Herb's Blog

Some Notes from my Southern Tier Tour

It's better late than never so here are some notes from my tour:

The question most often asked by people we encountered was: “Why are you doing this?”

Use a bicycle that is made for touring when doing a loaded tour if you don’t want bike problems.

Adjust your bike so you are more upright (touring position) rather a low racing position. Comfort is the key to enjoyment.

Carry extra spokes and learn to replace a broke spoke if you plan to tour. The Kevlar spoke replacement kit is a great quick fix and don’t forget the cassette removal tool.

Best panniers for rain protection while touring are the Ortlieb.

Handlebar bag are indispensable on the road for quick access to items such as camera, maps, food, sun block, etc.

Be simple with your clothing. You can make with a lot less than you might think: Two set of riding cloth and one set of walking cloth with a few essential extras. Use layers to stay warm on the bike and off. Make your garments serve double-duty.

When touring, you can actually survive on peanut butter and jam sandwiches and instant oatmeal if you can’t find anything better.

Touring is more enjoyable when you are fit and ride your own pace.

Riding with 17 people made our arduous trip more fun. This, however, would only be true if you are lucky enough to get a good cohesive group.

One of the funniest moments occurred when several people drank a hummingbird mix thinking it was a new drink.

A bad moment: Realizing that I had caught the flu just two weeks before the end of the tour.

My favorite drinks on the road were Gatorade, V8, and chocolate milk.

My favorite treat at the end of a day’s ride was ice cream.

For scenery, the best campgrounds are the State parks.

For facilities and services, the best RV parks are the KOA’s.

My favorite city along the Southern Tier route was Austin. Second was St. Augustine.

For me, Texas was the friendliest State.

Hardest Day was the 80-mile day to Seminole Canyon. The last forty miles was into a strong headwind. That evening, Tom and I also had to prepare the dinner.

Worst dinner during the tour was Marconi and cheese with dried beef jerky.

Coldest morning temperature encountered was 27 degree.

One of my favorite regions was the Gulf Coast from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Pensacola, Florida.

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