My Summer Bike Ride With Bike The US for MS
Welcome to my site. I'm joining a 62 day, 9 state, 3,785 mile bike ride this summer to help raise money and awareness for MS. Bike The US For MS is a local group in Blacksburg that helps raise funds for MS research and treatment through cross country cycling trips. Their goal is to combine an important cause with an incredible experience. In addition to funding research, cyclists volunteer for MS patients as they pass through communities. A portion of the funds are used to fund projects like accessible ramps and bathrooms.
Throughout the trip, I'll update this page with photos and videos of the ride. The map above will show up-to-the-minute data of my current location, speed, distance traveled, and altitude. On the far right is the final destination each day and the mileage.
You can learn more about Bike The US For MS on their website at biketheusforms.org or visit my pledge page.
Days 23-38 - Farmington, Missouri to Salida, Colorado
June 23 - July 8, 2016
Wow - I haven't updated this in a while - sorry to all my followers. Most of the time when I get to camp, all I really want to do it set up my tent/sleeping area and go to bed. I'll hit some of the highlights of the trip.
June 23 - Eminence I had to stop riding halfway through the day. My knee was getting really tight. We stayed in the gym at the local high school, but the local church hosted us for dinner.
June 24 - Hartville I woke up in the morning and my knee was still sore, so I rode in the lead van to our next camp site. Along the way we stopped at a mill that has 81 million gallons of water flowing through it. I probably would have missed it if I was riding. Scroll through my Twitter feed on the right for some photos. The midway point on the day was in a town named Houston, in the county of Texas, but we're in Missouri still. Go figure. Our camp site was in a small park on the edge of town. While we waited for the team to arrive, we were greeted by Tommie Johns. Tommie is a Bike The US for MS legend that lives a few miles away. He comes by every year and says hi to the riders. He even bought us all diner!
June 25 - Ash Grove I had another mental breakdown, but one of the fellow riders calmed me down and helped me get through the day. It was a 74 mile ride to Ash Grove. Our first rest stop was 26 miles away in Marshfield. Boy was it worth it. Everyone stoped at the Uptown Cafe and I had some of their famous stuffed French toast for second breakfast. Along the way we passed by Fairgrove where Tommie Johns lives and he was outside greeting us as we rode by. Our stop for the day was at the city park that had a random house in the middle of it. We got to sleep inside.
June 26 - Pittsburg, Kansas We were awakened to the smell of pancakes being cooked in the kitchen by the route leaders. The ride went well. I hit the Kansas state line at mile 63 and then it was a short ride into town. We got to stay at the Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium. It was a small venue with a large downstairs banquet area. We got to sleep anywhere we wanted. Some people found a side room downstairs, while others slept in the lobby area outside the auditorium. I was about to sleep in the lobby area when I noticed the lights were all on motion sensors. I found an entrance into the auditorium where it was dark and cool. I set up my sleeping bag on a side ramp to the stage right by an electrical outlet. The next morning, everyone talked about the lights coming on whenever someone turned during the night.
June 27 - Pittsburg Today was a rest/service day. We split up into two groups. One group - including me - went to a house and pulled weeds from the bricked driveway, mowed the lawn and painted the wheelchair ramp with sand in the paint to help give it some traction. The other group went to another house and painted the outside window sills. Both days we were in Pittsburg, the local community fixed us breakfast, lunch and dinner. They're truly an amazing group of people lead by Angie Peake - a local person with MS that hosts the group every year. She even has a hospitality award named after her that Bike The US For MS awards each year to one of the hosts.
June 28 - Chanute Whomever said Kansas was flat (and I think it was me) was wrong. After the Ozark's in Missouri - which I hadn't counted on - Kansas has the Flint Hills. I wasn't too happy when I saw a sign on during the ride that said "Experience the Flint Hills" ... Oh I am! We stayed at the city park which was a really nice area. Lots of baseball/softball fields, a dog park, bike/walking trails and a few lakes. We camped near one of the softball fields and watched a game from the outfield. Chanute's claim to fame is that when you open Google Maps on a Mac, it's centered on Chanute. The software engineer responsible for deciding the center grew up in Chanute. Windows versions center on Lawrence, Kansas and Lebanon, Kansas has a marker designating it the center of the 48 contiguous states.
June 29 - Eureka I FOUND IT! 64 miles of more hills and another city park. We all got to watch another ball game. This time it was little league baseball. The game lasted an hour then I went to bed.
June 30 - Newton Today was our first time dealing with headwinds in Kansas. I was struggling going up a hill and two riders passed me. I got to the top where they were waiting and they got me in between them in a pace line. This was my first time in a pace line. I gripped my handlebars tight and just stared at the rear tire of the bike in front of me - which was about 6 inches away from mine. The highlight of the day was supposed to be at the end at the Newton Bike Shop. We had heard a lot of great things about the shop and I was in need of a new trip computer. Mine would work in the morning, but in the afternoon it wouldn't show my distance or speed. It's quite annoying when everything on the maps is based on miles - and it's nice to know when you're close to your destination. The bike shop was a little disappointing. There wasn't a big selection, but I was able to get a new trip computer and a nice t-shirt.
July 1 - Larned Today is the day - the longest milage day of the trip. 104 miles (which ended up being 110 miles). We had rest stops at 29, 47 and 77 miles. Seven hours after I started (not counting resting at the rest stops), I arrived at the camp site. It was a great feeling knowing I knocked out my first century ride. We stayed at a church and we all pitched in for a home cooked family meal cooked by one of the riders.
July 2 - Ness City Our first rest stop was in Rush Center. I stopped at a local diner and had some food. There was a lot of TCU items around so I finally asked why. Turns out the owner's uncle is the head football coach of the Horned Frogs. Today's highlight came 45 miles into our 64 mile day. It marked the midway point - 1892.5 miles - in Alexander (which happens to be my middle name). During the first rest stop there was some chatter that the camp site we were scheduled to stay at was a muddy mess due to heavy rains the night before. I went ahead and booked a hotel room at the only place in town. Later during the day we got word that I generous alumni donated rooms to the rest of the team. I stayed with my king bed room. When I finally got to the hotel, checked in and got to my room it ended up being a suite. There was a nice sitting area with a bar when you walked in, then to the left was the bed room. Off the bed room was a full bath with shower and separate Jacuzzi tub. Needless to say, I headed straight for the tub and turned the jets on. Later that afternoon while watching TV a tornado warning came on. There was a touchdown in Rush where we had been earlier in the day. I went outside and you could see storm clouds all around. There was also a low rumble of thunder that never stopped. We got a break in the rain and we all headed down to the local Mexican restaurant for dinner. Getting Mexican food has been a common occurrence on the trip. Walking back from dinner we saw a double rainbow.
July 3 - Tribune This is our second century ride - 102 miles. The first 31 miles into Dighton was foggy/misty. It was nice to get out of the heat wave we've been having since Kentucky. We stopped at the Diner/Bowling ally where I got second breakfast. The second rest stop was in Scott City - 55 miles into the day. Now if you haven't been keeping track - I've gone since June 24 without riding in the van, made it through a 110 mile day and Kansas head winds. Today I had a problem I just couldn't fix. There's no other way to put this - my ass hurt. The points where my butt bone hits my saddle are SORE. The route leaders suggested putting on some chamois butter - it's a lotion that is supposed to help keep things smooth. I applied some and made it about 500 feet, but knowing how sore I was and that there was still another 45+ miles to go, I had to call it quits for the day. I signaled for the van as the rode past and got a ride to our camp site. We were staying at a church, but we couldn't get in until after 8pm because it was Sunday, so we went to the local pool and sat around there until it was time to move to the church. Something I haven't mentioned yet is the fireworks. The Fourth of July is quickly approaching and Kansas as very loose fireworks laws. Every night, and even during the day, the local kids have been setting off fireworks like it's their job. Tribune was no exception and while I tried to sleep through them, others went outside and watch the neighborhood kids show.
July 4 - Haswell, Colorado - State number six and Fourth of July! I had ordered a special USA cycling jersey and shorts for today and the day before found some nice flag socks to wear. Everyone commented on the outfit! It was a short 16 miles and another pace line to the state line. We had a nice flat two lane road with corn or wheat fields on either side. While we were riding, I'd look back in my mirror and call out if cars were approaching. I wasn't expecting to make this call - "Wide load - REALLY wide load - we need to pull off." There was a fully loaded John Deere combine coming at us. It took up both lanes and both shoulders. There were two of them on the road and one pulled off ahead of us, only to pass us again a few minutes later. We got to the border and waited for everyone to arrive and took a group pic. Our day ended in the small town of Haswell - so named because it has a well. Now when I say small - I mean it. The listed population is 22. Add the 21 of us on this trip right now and a few self supported cyclist that joined our camp site and we doubled the population. Haswell is also home to the smallest jail in the US. The outside dimensions of the building are 12 feet by 14 feet and was located next to our camp site. Our wonderful route leaders called ahead to the mayor of Haswell - who doesn't even live in town - and got permission for us to launch our own fireworks! They also cooked up a 4th of July feats - burgers and dogs! Unfortunately, I was so tired from the ride that I fell asleep early and missed the show.
July 5 & 6 - Pueblo - Today was the first day really experiencing the dry heat everyone talks about on the west coast. The temps were near 100° F. The strange part is that you don't really sweat - it evaporates so quickly and all is left is the salts on your skin. It's 89 miles from Haswell to Pueblo. I made it about 50 miles, 10 past our second rest stop and 20 miles before the next, when the rest stop van passed. I was close to running out of water - I had about half a bottle left from my two water bottles - and I was just not feeling good. I got a ride to the third rest stop and then to the hotel we were staying at. At check-in - around 3pm - we were told that the water was off in the rooms but would be back on in an hour. If there was a time I was looking forward to a shower, today was it and this was not the news I wanted to hear. The local news came on at 4 and I wanted to watch the weather report for the next few days. At 4:30 I went to take a shower and the water was still off. I made a call to the front desk to find out that when it was turned back on another leak was found and it should be back on soon. I headed down to the hotel bar where several other riders were hanging out. Finally around 8:30 the water was back on. I quickly went to my room and finally got a nice long shower. The next day was truly a rest day. I stayed in bed until around noon when a friend of mine was coming by. He was in Denver for a convention and drove the two hours down for the afternoon. We went to Chipotle for lunch then hung out in the hotel catching up. After he left I watched the latest X-Men movie in my room before doing some laundry and heading to bed.
July 7 - Westcliffe - Today was are first climb over the Rockies. It's also the day we say goodbye to Bike Route 76 and start our journey on the Western Express to San Francisco. The first rest stop was 30 miles into our 59 mile day. The landscape is unbelievable. I keep finding myself wanting to stop and take pictures. There were a few small climbs to the first rest stop, but the worst was yet to come. Between rest stop 1 and rest stop 2 was 15 miles - all up hill. Before the trip started I was told the Virginia and Kentucky mountains were worst than the Rockies. Boy were they RIGHT! While it took me three hours to go 15 miles, and I ran out of water but was saved by our V&T van heading down the mountain giving water refills, it was still manageable. In the Appalachians, the grade of the climbs was more than I could handle most of the time. Very steep inclines that no matter how hard I peddled, I was barely moving and afraid I'd tip over. Not so much here in Colorado. I was able to maintain a constant, yet slow speed and finally made it to the top. After a little rest I went down the mountain and into camp at the city park. During the day, before the first rest stop my left contact popped out. I stopped and tried to get it back in, but a gust of wind felt otherwise and blew it away. During the big downhill at the end of the day, I lost my right contact. Thankfully the road signs are big enough that I didn't miss any turns into camp.
July 8 - Salida - Today was a short 48 mile, mostly downhill, day. A bunch of us went to a local bakery for some breakfast before heading out. I quickly found myself with our route leader intern who has only biked 3 or 4 days on the trip. I didn't want to leave her out by herself so I spent the day with her making sure she did alright. We stopped a bunch of times to take pictures. The cliffs and the Arkansas River along our bike route today were amazing. Tomorrow brings our biggest climb of the trip - up to over 11,000 feet and to the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass.
Day 22 - Chester, Illinois to Farmington, Missouri
June 22, 2016
Usually everyone will leave camp on their own schedule, but before the scheduled depart time for the rest stop van and V&T. Not today. We all left in a big group and headed a few miles down the road to the Mississippi River. There's a long bridge that crosses the Mississippi River into Missouri so we had to arrange for a police escort with the Chester PD. Once we crossed the river we all stoped at the Welcome to Missouri sign for a group photo. The road was flat for the first few miles with farm land on either side. Then we started climbing. Our final destination was in Farmington about 47 miles for the day. We staying at a very nice bike hostel. There were several rooms with bunk beds, but I opted for the couch.
Day 21 - Carbondale to Chester
June 21, 2016
Today was scheduled to be a short 49 mile day, but we managed to find a way to make it even shorter. Looking at our maps, there was an alternate route that took us down to the Mississippi Levee. After talking to our hosts the night before, they suggested another alternate route that skipped most of the levee because of recent flooding that has turned the road to pea gravel. The best part of the route was that is was mostly flat. I made it to Chester by about 12:30 pm. Chester, Illinois is home to E.C. Segar, the creator of Popeye The Sailorman and the town embraces it to the fullest. There are statues all over the town with all the characters, and even the local police and fire departments have Popeye on their patches. There was even a Popeye store and museum. I walked down to the store and got a small Popeye figurine (it's actually a Christmas ornament). I've decided that when I'm done with the trip, I'm putting my BTUS4MS jersey in a shadow box with a small memento from each state. For Virginia, I'm going to try and find the Yorktown Monument which is the start of Bike Route 76. In Kentucky, we went by the Makers Mark distillery and a fellow rider picked me up a shot glass dipped in the red wax. So Popeye was a fitting tribute to Illinois. We spent the night at the local Fraternal Order of the Eagle so it was time to test out the new tent. It was great! A two person, dome tent with LOTS of space. After setting it up I joked on Twitter that all I needed was a mint on my pillow and my fellow riders didn't disappoint.
Days 19 & 20 - Cave In Rock, Illinois to Carbondale
June 19-20, 2016
Another tough day for me. Each day we're given the total milage to our ending destination and each rest stop planned for the day and the milage to each. Our first rest stop was scheduled for 22 miles. Usually they can be off by a mile our two which I mentally take into account. Today was different. We'll get a tweet via text with the exact location of each rest stop once our fabulous route leaders find a good spot to set up the van. The text never came. I got to the location and there was nothing around. I ended up going another 6-8 miles before finally finding the rest stop. I don't blame the route leaders, there was nothing at the planned area and nothing at the actual area. Today was a big day with no services - gas stations, food, etc. I made it to the third rest stop, about 58 miles, before I had to hang up the towel for the day. With the limited services and the moving rest stops, I was just physically and mentally worn out. I rode in the rest stop van for the last 30 miles into Carbondale - Home of the Southern Illinois Salukis. The van went a little off route to get to our camp site, so we got to drive through part of the campus. We got to stay at the parents' house of a BTUS4MS Alum - Brian Green.
Carbondale was also home to our second rest day of the trip. The Green's were so gracious to cook us dinner and breakfast each day. Let us take over all the available floor space, shower and do laundry. This was also our second mail drop location. I've been having tent envy since my tent has been like a coffin, so I had ordered a new tent with Amazon Prime and had it shipped to the Green's house. I also got two cards from Blacksburg. One from Danielle Bartelstein, the Senior Director of Football Operations, and one from the H2OKIES, the Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving team. It was so great to receive them and a big boost to my emotional state.
In the afternoon a large group of us went to a local movie theatre to enjoy some good air conditioning and watched Finding Dory.
Day 18 - Sebree, Kentucky to Cave In Rock, Illinois
June 18, 2016
After reseting up at the church in Sebree the day before, I was ready to start over. I got on the bike and started my trek to Illinois. It was a short 55 mile day. There weren't many steep hills and I was looking forward to the ferry ride across the Ohio River into Illinois. Apparently everyone in this part of Kentucky has a three wheeled motorcycle. I couldn't keep count of how many I saw on the road today. I finally made it to the Ohio River and waited for the ferry to arrive from the other side.
Once we crossed it was a short ride to our camp site at Cave In Rock park. Cave In Rock is just what you'd expect - there's a cave, in a rock. I opted not to walk or bike to the cave and instead relaxed at our camp site for the rest of the day.
Day 17 - Rough River Dam to Sebree
June 17, 2016
As good as I felt yesterday morning, I felt the opposite today. My stomach was in knots and I had zero energy. A few of the riders think it might be a little bit of heat stroke from yesterday. As much as I didn't want to, I had to take the day to gather my strength. I rode in the lead van today and went straight to our camp site for the night. We're staying at the First Baptist Church in town. On a scale of 1-10 this place is an 11. Lots of space, showers, kitchen, laundry, couches, side rooms everything we could ask for and more. They're even fixing us dinner tonight.
Day 16 - Hodgenville to Rough River Dam
June 16, 2016
I'm back in the saddle! I got up and left camp at about 7:15am. Today was a 55 mile day and the temps have been in the mid-90's all week. I did a few laps around the parking lot to make sure everything felt good. I was a little nervous since I hadn't ridden in almost a week, but you know what they say - it was just like riding a bike. I headed out and found myself doing really well. I had fresh legs and was averaging about 15 mph. The landscape has been a lot of farm land. The past two days have been in and out of Amish areas. I went by several horse drawn carriages with Amish families on them. There weren't many hills, just a few rollers and before I knew it, I came up to the first rest area. There was one small problem, no one was there. Out side of one of the riders who we've dubbed 'The Unicorn' because he's always the first to leave - way ahead of everyone - and usually the first to camp so no one ever gets to see him on the road. I had just passed a group of riders saving a turtle in the middle of the road, so I waited for them to arrive to make sure this would be the rest stop. Our maps showed this intersection was the only place near by with any kind of place to get food. We called the rest stop van that arrived shortly thereafter. The timing couldn't have been any better since it was almost 9:30 and I wanted to hop on a monthly conference call with the ACC and the digital/web folks.
After the call, I refilled my water bottles and continued on to camp. The next leg was going to be about 30 miles and the temps where heating up. In the middle of the leg we crossed into Breckenridge County, but more importantly, we went back in time an hour and into the Central Time Zone. About 10 miles before camp there was a gas station with a little diner inside that a lot of us stopped at for lunch. I refueled and headed to camp. About a mile out we rode over the Rough River Dam. I don't know if it was because I pushed myself too hard, if it was the heat (105° F according to my bike computer) or a combination of everything, but let's just say I left a little of my lunch on the dam. Our tandem bike team of Kip and Bryn came up behind me and followed me to camp. We were camping out again, but thankfully there was a little waiting area for a small airstrip. I went straight there and cooled of for a few hours. We also had use of a really nice shower next to our camp site at the airstrip. The park has a lodge just down the road that we all ate at.
Days 12-15 - Hindman to Hodgenville
June 12-15, 2016
Since I didn't get to ride these days, I'm going to condense this into one post.
June 12 - Hindman to Booneville - Another day in the rest stop van today. We went through lots of rural eastern Kentucky. Today is Mike Platania's 25th birthday. Mike's our route leader and mechanic and former Virginia Tech cheerleader. He's been a big help to me keeping my bike going. We had a small cookout for him at our picnic/camping area in Booneville. Today we all got to learn about 'Dry', 'Wet' and 'Moist' counties in Kentucky. Dry counties are counties that serve no alcohol of any kind. Wet counties are just like most other places outside of Kentucky - they sell everything in stores and restaurants. Moist counties don't allow the sale of alcohol except by the glass in a restaurant. There are some exceptions to all of this, but that's the basic summary. Must to our dismay, Booneville was a dry county so Mike didn't get to enjoy a beverage except for the small few we had saved up in the van.
June 13 - Booneville to Berea - Yet another day in the rest stop van. As we got to Berea there was a spectacular downhill leg with rock ledges on either side of the road. I wish I had been on my bike to get a picture of this, it was breathtaking. Berea his home to Berea College, a small NCAA Division III school. In lieu of paying tuition, the students work while they go to school, building various items that are sold in the college's store in town. We pulled into the local fire station that hosts riders traveling Route 76, but we were a bit more than they could handle. The fire chief took our route leaders to the city park and found us a nice area next to the tee ball field where we could camp out. A large group of us headed into the downtown area to a nice Italian restaurant - Papa Lido's. They were not ready for what was headed their way. It turns out that Berea had recently become a moist city and Papa Lido's was the only place in town that served beer and wine - it was their third day selling. Needless to say, our group drank EVERYTHING they had.
June 14 - Berea to Harrodsburg - We stayed at the Old Fort Harrod Park in the center of town. There was a small old church as you entered the park where Abraham Lincoln's parents were married. The fort is closed on Monday's and Tuesday's so we didn't get to look inside. Today's highlight was that my new cleats and covers arrived. Just one more day until I can ride again.
June 15 - Harrodsburg to Hodgenville - We continued our Abraham Lincoln tour today. The first rest stop was at Lincoln Homestead Park. We were there early in the morning, so nothing was open. The park features the original home of Lincoln’s mother, as well as replicas of the 1782 cabin and blacksmith shop where his father was reared and learned his trade. Our destination of Hodgenville had a large roundabout in the center of town with an Abraham Lincoln statue in the middle. Hodgenville is the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. We were supposed to camp out at the county park, but with storms heading in, they allowed us to stay indoors in the community building. The best part about today was that my rear derailleur hanger arrived!
Day 11 - Breaks to Hindman, Kentucky
June 11, 2016
When it rains it pours. I got up in the morning and was getting ready to head to the breakfast buffet on the way out of the park. I started on my way, shoes clipping in great - and on my first uphill as I shifted down to my lower gear the chain came off and I fell over, to the left side this time. I just stood on the side of the road debating do I put the chain back on, and get dinner or do I go back to camp. I decided to go back and on the way the chain came off again. I found our trusty mechanic and it turns out I had bent my rear derailleur hanger. Mike tried to fix it, but it's made out of cheap aluminum and snapped off. So now I'm out of commission until I can get a new. I started searching Amazon and calling my bike shop back home. The consensus was to order from Amazon Prime and get it shipped to our destination on Tuesday. I couldn't find the exact one I needed on Amazon so I put my mom to work. I sent her a picture of what was left of the derailleur hanger, the Trek part number and the kind of bike I had - a Trek 1.2. She went around town and found the part I needed and is overnighting it to me. The bike shop is ordering more so I can have some back ups down the road.
So I spent the day in the rest stop van and meeting the riders along the way. Throughout the day I noticed my right ankle slowly getting bigger. Right now it's about the size of a baseball and hurting when I walk on it. We have a doctor, Nick, doing the ride and he has it diagnosed as some tendonitis. I've put my limited training room knowledge to work, put some ice on it and trying to keep it elevated. It's time for our grilled cheese dinner fest. Libby, who was driving the rest stop van, and I stopped at a grocery store in town and picked up some food for the group after several of the riders suggested having grilled cheese night at the second rest stop.
Even though I didn't get to ride today, I did get my picture in front of the Welcome To Kentucky sign.
Day Ten - Rosedale to Breaks
June 10, 2016
I should have known that our destination was an omen. I left the church in the morning and as I started off, I couldn't get my left foot clipped in the pedal. I circled back to camp and one of the other riders took a look and made a few adjustments to the pedals. I started off and got about 3 miles before our first small climb of the day. On the way up, with not much of a shoulder my left foot came off the pedal. This was a very uneasy feeling especially going up hill when having the pulling motion of both feet helps with the momentum of going up the hill. I made it down and to a gas station where the V&T could easily pick me up when everything went wrong. I started to stop and got my left foot out of the pedal, but couldn't get my right foot out. I tipped over to the right, got a small gash on my upper right side and put a small hole in my chamois. The van finally arrived and I rode with them to Breaks Interstate Park.
Our trusty mechanic finally arrived to camp, he was riding his bike today, and took a look at my pedals and even took my bike for a spin around the camp site and didn't see any problems. Then I showed him my shoes and said my cleats were worn out. I got on Amazon and got some new cleats ordered to be delivered to our destination on Tuesday. Thankfully one of the other riders had the same problem and had just changed out his cleats. His old ones weren't as worn as mine, so I should be good for tomorrow's ride.
The lodge and restaurant was about a mile away from our campsite so a large group of us walked over for dinner. The view was spectacular. Several of the riders decided on the buffet, but I went with the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fried okra. It was great to have a semi-home cooked meal. We made the trek back to camp and I went to my tent and got some sleep.
Day Nine - Rural Retreat to Rosedale
June 9, 2016
Today started out well. I was looking forward to the day's ride in finally some unfamiliar territory. Up until now, even through we have been travel back roads, I've known the areas pretty well and the towns we've been going through. I left the gym early and started the 20 mile ride to Troutdale. There were more climbs, but some great descents. I was looking forward to getting to our second stop of the day in Damascus to meet up with SID extraordinare A.J. Henderson. He just happened to be visiting his family in the area and stopped by to visit. I finally made it to Damascus, but it wasn't easy. I found myself at the back of the pack, no cell service, and trip computer on the fritz so wasn't sure of my milage. I finally stopped at a house along the way to ask for directions and as soon as I did, I saw my next turn. Thankfully I was still on route. It wasn't much longer the the second stop. I quickly got a Subway sandwich and caught a ride in the van. There was a big climb ahead, I was running way behind the group and after thinking I was alone and lost in the Jefferson National Forest around Mount Rogers, I was emotionally spent.
We waited at the top of the next climb for the riders to get there and set up a nice snack and drink station for them which turned into a little party. Once the last set of riders made it to the top, we headed to camp at Elk Garden Church. A lot of our stays have been in churches that open their doors to riders on Bike Route 76. It's really strange just rolling out a sleeping bag in the middle of the pews and sleeping.
Day Eight - Blacksburg to Rural Retreat
June 8, 2016
Today was not a good day for me. The day started with Don and Cassie, the organizers/founders of Bike The US For MS, fixing us all a great breakfast sandwich. Don lead the group from the church through the Huckleberry Trail to Christiansburg to get them back on route. I left ahead of them since I knew my way around town and I needed the extra head start.
Most of the group caught up to me as I got into downtown Radford. We all got a little lost at Bisset Park, but finally found our way up to Route 11. Our rest stop was "slightly" off route back in town. Upon arriving I had a mental breakdown, mainly from leaving "home" and thinking if I wanted to stop, this rest stop or the next one in Draper would be my last two chances. One of my fellow riders, Debbie, gave me a GREAT pep talk and then rode with me most of the way to our next stop. I can not tell you enough how nice the fellow riders have been on the trip.
After getting myself together I continued on to the Draper Mercantile. It wasn't long before I caught up to the group at the Pulaski County line. They have a nice sign welcoming bikers on BR 76 and we all stopped for photos. This was the best rest stop for the day. For those of you that haven't been to the Merc, it's a nice little restaurant/store in the middle of nowhere, but has GREAT food and live music from time to time. Think of it as like a Cracker Barrel, but WAY better food. Someone in the restaurant saw one of the riders in her BTUS4MS jersey and mentioned seeing the story on WDBJ the night before and gave us a donation! I had a great club sandwich for lunch and picked up a Bike Route 76 sticker. It's crazy to think that I was at the Merc just 11 days ago for my friends Sarah and Melissa's wedding rehearsal dinner - seams like much longer than that.
The Merc was at about mile 40 on the day. The weather was great - if you don't count the wind. No humidity, low temps, but the wind was KILLER. There were times I felt like, and probably was, riding at an angle from the cross winds. This made going up hills very difficult for me and by the time I got to Fort Chiswell my body was shutting down. I went into a McDonald's on the route and waited there for one of the support vans to pick me up. While I was there the local sheriff walked in to give one of the cooks a summons to appear in court tomorrow. Shortly after that a guy walked in looking for the owner of a truck parked in the lot because he wanted to buy it. And I thought all the roadkill I've seen was the crazy part of this trip.
Tomorrow is another 80 mile day to Rosedale, which means an early morning wake up and departure for me.
Day Seven - Blacksburg Rest/Service Day
June 7, 2016
Today we got to sleep in a little before our Noon service project. I walked over from our base camp at Luther Memorial Church to my office to visit with some people and get a few things done. I restocked up on my Gatorade supply and brought some extra goodies for the rest of the group.
At Noon we headed up to Laurel Ridge to do some yard work and planting for a woman in the community with MS. She wasn't able to come talk to us, but her husband told us about her symptoms and she had made us some nice snacks. WDBJ 7 was also there to do a few interviews.
After the service project, we had a BBQ at a local brewery/farm in town - then the defecation hits the oscillating motor (I guess I need to keep this blog semi PG rated). My roommates called that my hot water heater was leaking. I was able to catch a ride home (thankfully this happened while I was in Blacksburg and not in the middle of Kansas) and take a quick look at it. Then it was back to the church and bed.
Day Six - Troutville to Blacksburg
June 6, 2016
I left camp extra early so I could make it to Blacksburg as soon as I could. We had a meal waiting for us at Hokie House from 1-3 and there was a Senior Staff meeting at the office at 1:30 I wanted to try and make a surprise appearance. We took more back roads into Catawba. I've always considered Catawba as a valley, but today's ride was more uphill than down. It was 20 miles from the camp in Troutville to the rest stop just past The Homeplace. Today's ride seemed longer that it probably was because I didn't have any music to listen to and the closer I got, the more the area looked familiar. Just like the Simon and Garfunkle song says - You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away. The last 5 miles took me a while to push through. My knees were aching and I ran out of water. I stopped at a house that had a nice tree to get some shade and noticed the owners were outside on their porch. I asked them for some water and they gladly filled up my bottle with nice cold well water and ice cubes. Once I got to the rest stop, I knew I was done for the day. My knees were hurting and I knew getting up Harding Road would be a task that would not be one I could do. I got a ride to the top and was able to then get back on my bike and ride into town.
I made it to Hokie House and met up with some of the faster riders. It was getting close to the senior staff meeting starting time so at the urging of one of my co-workers I made the ride up to the office. As I come up over the hill on Washington Street to Cassell Coliseum I could see a large group of people outside. They had signs and pom-poms and it just took me by surprise. I rode up to them and just became overwhelmed by all the support they have given me.
After the welcome, I rode into the Senior Staff meeting, said hello, went over the calendar of events like I usually do, then headed back to Hokie House. Later on I met up with some coworkers at a local dive bar while I also did some laundry next door before heading back to the church for the night. Tomorrow is our first service project which means it's a much needed rest day.
Day Five - Vesuvious to Troutville
June 5, 2016
After having patched my flat when we got to the church the night before, I woke up to it being flat. I changed out the tube with a new tube and started on my way. Our first rest stop was in Lexington at the edge of Washington & Lee University. On the way we were still coming out of the mountains so the morning consisted of riding through fog/drizzle which wasn't as bad as I though it would be. We rode through VMI on the way to the first rest stop. A lot of the riders went to a local diner that only had one cook, so I went down the street to a nice bagel shop that wasn't as busy. I got a bite to eat and continued on to our next stop at Natural Bridge. I've been riding most of the time by myself. A lot of the riders are veterans of Bike The US For MS or have a lot more experience than I do, so I'm not able to keep up with them yet. They usually pass me throughout the day, but are always checking on me and making sure I'm doing alright.
There were lots of hills on the day, which looking at the elevation profile was a little intimidating. I was about to head up a steep hill and my iPod must have sensed it and "Enter Sandman" came on. I've played/listened to this song at 1000s of Virginia Tech sporting events, but it never has pumped me up like it did today. I was able to find extra energy from the song and make it up a few hills along the way.
The ride from Natural Bridge to Buchanan, our third stop of the day, was a short ride on frontage roads alongside I-81. It's really strange riding along the Interstate knowing I've seen a lot of the area from my car, but now I'm riding by a lot of the same area. Just before getting into Buchanan was a nice set of rolling hills. Coming up to the start of it, I wasn't sure I would be able to make it up. Then as I got to the top, I could see more up hills coming. I was able to get enough speed on the downhills to care me over the next uphills. It was very satisfying knowing I could get past this - until I lots my headphones. On the last downhill I was going over 20mph (not sure my exact speed because my trip computer has been going in and out). The earbud fell out and flew behind me, got wrapped up in the back tire and ripped off.
I got about 2 miles from camp and hit a wall. The "sweeper" caught up to me and helped me get through the last two miles. The sweeper is one or two of the route leaders that leave last and make sure the last people either make it to camp or get a van to them to pick them up if it gets to late. We were going up the last hill of the day and I had to stop several times going up to catch my breath and give my legs a rest. At almost the top of the hill I was getting back on my bike and just didn't have enough energy to start going and fell over. My right foot was still clipped in to the pedal and I was pinned under my bike. Kaylyn who was sweeping today helped me up and got me over the hill.
I got to camp, showered and my tent set up just before some rain hit so I called it an early night and got some sleep.
Day Four - Charlottesville to Vesuvious
June 4, 2016
Today was not a good day. I new it would take me a while to get up Afton Mountain and along the Blue Ridge Parkway so I got up early and was one of the first riders out of camp. The route took us towards Crozet, but we took the long way around. Our routes are based on the Adventure Cycling Association maps. We went riding through a lot of small neighborhoods and wooded areas. There was a little drizzle/fog through the early parts of the ride, which actually felt very nice.
The first pit stop was 23 miles away at Chile's Peach Orchard. The photo above was just before the turn to the store. I had a great slice of homemade mixed berry pie and continued on my way. I made it another 12 miles or so before my legs finally gave out. I was on a short flat straight stretch and had to stop a few times to rest. There was a general store close by that I made it to only to realize my front tire was flat. I was about to start changing it when the rest van passed by. I flagged them down and rode with one of the route leaders the rest of the way to Vesuvious.
We were hosted by a local church that made us a great spaghetti dinner. We got to stay next door at a house that looked brand new and had no furniture. We spread out around the house and slept in our sleeping bags.
Day Three - Mineral to Charlottesville
June 3, 2016
Today's trip took us from Mineral to Charlottesville. We had a few stops along the way. The last two days have been through small town Virginia. Lots of farm land and back roads. I made it to 15 miles out of Charlottesville which was the last rest stop of the day before I had to stop. I was near the back of the pack and just completely exhausted. We had to be in town by 3pm for a check presentation. I got a ride into town on the van and then had to bike a mile back to Maya Restaurant for the presentation. From the money our team has raised, we were able to present a check for $15,000 to the MS Clinic at the UVA Medical Center. We also got to meet Angela Shaw. She told us her story of running track in high school and biking only to be diagnosed with MS and is now in a wheelchair. We each got a MS bracelet to remember her and everyone else with MS that we are riding for. We spent the night at a local church near the grounds and the Rotunda.
Day Two - Glendale to Mineral
June 2, 2016
Today was an early morning wake up to start the 80 mile ride to Mineral. It was an interesting ride crossing over parts of I-64, 295 and 95. The trip was long, 81-miles, going through Mechanicsville and Ashland. We're getting closer to the mountains so the terrain is getting a little tougher. I finally made it to camp just ahead of a line of storms. We're staying behind the Mineral Fire Department in a field so we had to set up our tents for the first time. I got some advice from one of the other riders, Kip, on getting mine set up. Kip is riding with his daughter Bryn. They're doing the full TransAm ride to San Francisco on a tandem bike. It's always interesting watching Bryn in the back on her phone checking directions while they're riding. The storms hit shortly after I got all set up, so I just got in my tent and let the falling rain hitting my tent put me to sleep.
Day One - Yorktown to Glendale
June 1, 2016
Today was the start of my cross country bike ride to support MS. The day started at 8am getting all my stuff in the trailer and making final tweaks to my bike. At 9am we all went down to the beach to dip our tires and start the day. Our first rest stop was 20 miles away in Jamestown. We traveled the Colonial Parkway from Yorktown through Colonial Williamsburg. The bike route goes off the parkway in Williamsburg to avoid a tunnel. I made it to a group of five other riders just before the tunnel and we attempted to follow the map around only to find ourselves making a big circle and deciding to just go through the tunnel. The tunnel was a nice cool area and smooth road. If you haven't been on the Colonial Parkway, it's a cobble stone type roadway which leads to some very bouncy riding. There were a few small rolling hills that I was able to push through with no problems. I finally made it to the Jamestown Welcome Center and took a 30-minute break to refill water bottles and have a few energy bars.
The next leg took us on the Capital Trail. This was a nice smooth paved trail that follows Route 5 from Jamestown to Richmond. There were some nice wooded areas that provided shade and also had several farms along the way. This leg was pretty uneventful and about another 20 mile ride to the next rest stop at a local gas station. I took a little more time to relax here and grabbed what might be the best $1.59 hot dog I've ever had.
The final leg of the day was another 20 miler that took us further down the Capital Trail. I followed the trail just within eye sight of a few riders in front of me. About 16 miles in, Bike Route 76 which we are taking all the way to Colorado turns off the Capital Trail and onto a regular road. There was a great County Stow (that's how it's spelled - yep, I'm in rural America already). I got a quick ice pop and refilled my water bottle that was on empty for about 2 miles. It was a short distance from the store to our final stop of the day - Willis Church in Glendale, Va. It's amazing how when you see the V&T (van & trailer) the extra energy that you get knowing the destination is near. The church has been welcoming bike riders since 1976 when the bike route was founded. They provided us with a shower, places to sleep inside - although a few riders are going to camp outside - and a home cooked spaghetti dinner.
I just want to take a minute now to thank everyone that has sent me a text, Tweet, Facebook post today. Knowing everyone is following along was a big help today.
It's Go Time!
May 31, 2016
Tomorrow's the big day. We had team orientation today and received our team jerseys. We got our packet of maps, set up our phones to receive tweets from our route leaders as text messages and learned how to change out the tubes in our tires. I ended up with my first flat due to a pinched tube, so I had to do it again. I got a nice pair of headphones for my iPhone only to find out there's something wrong with the connection in my phone so it only works on the left ear - which I can't use due to state laws when riding a bike. Thankfully I have my iPod to listen to.
The start of the trip starts off at 9 am at Yorktown Beach with the tire dip and team photo. Then it's off to Williamsburg and Jamestown on the Colonial Parkway en route to our first stop 60 miles away in Glendale.
The Ride Home
May 30, 2016
I met up with the route leaders for the trip today in Blacksburg and caught a ride with them home. During the trip I got to talk with Brian and Olivia who have both done the TransAm in the past. It was great to hear about their past adventures and get some advice on must see places along the way.
We got to Yorktown at 5pm and I met up with my mom. We quickly headed to Norfolk to get a new iPhone, I busted my display four days ago. Once we got to the Apple store, they talked her out of giving me her upgrade and just getting the screen fixed. So I walked out with a new screen and she walked out with a new iPhone 6S Plus.
We have a team meeting at Noon tomorrow and then it's some final packing and an early night's sleep.
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Use the form below to help me reach my goal of $3,785 - that's $1 for every mile of the trip.
The Schedule
| Date | Destination | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| May 31 | Yorktown, Virginia | 0 |
| June 1 | Glendale | 60 |
| 2 | Mineral | 81 |
| 3 | Charlottesville | 55 |
| 4 | Vesuvius | 63 |
| 5 | Troutville | 65 |
| 6 | Blacksburg | 41 |
| 7 | Blacksburg | 0 |
| 8 | Rural Retreat | 80 |
| 9 | Rosedale | 80 |
| 10 | Breaks Interstate Park | 44 |
| 11 | Hindman, Kentucky | 69 |
| 12 | Booneville | 67 |
| 13 | Berea | 50 |
| 14 | Harrodsburg | 46 |
| 15 | Hodgenville | 84 |
| 16 | Rough River Dam | 55 |
| 17 | Sebree | 70 |
| 18 | Cave In Rock, Illinois | 55 |
| 19 | Carbondale | 86 |
| 20 | Carbondale | 0 |
| 21 | Chester | 49 |
| 22 | Farmington, Missouri | 47 |
| 23 | Eminence | 89 |
| 24 | Hartville | 79 |
| 25 | Ash Grove | 74 |
| 26 | Pittsburg, Kansas | 68 |
| 27 | Pittsburg | 0 |
| 28 | Chanute | 58 |
| 29 | Eureka | 64 |
| 30 | Newton | 75 |
| July 1 | Larned | 103 |
| 2 | Ness City | 65 |
| 3 | Tribune | 100 |
| 4 | Haswell, Colorado | 79 |
| 5 | Pueblo | 89 |
| 6 | Pueblo | 0 |
| 7 | Westcliffe | 59 |
| 8 | Salida | 48 |
| 9 | Gunnison | 66 |
| 10 | Montrose | 65 |
| 11 | Telluride | 67 |
| 12 | Telluride | 0 |
| 13 | Dolores | 60 |
| 14 | Blanding, Utah | 82 |
| 15 | Hite Recreation Area | 76 |
| 16 | Caineville | 72 |
| 17 | Boulder | 62 |
| 18 | Panguitch | 84 |
| 19 | Cedar City | 58 |
| 20 | Cedar City | 0 |
| 21 | Milford | 56 |
| 22 | Great Basin Nat Park, Nevada | 83 |
| 23 | Ely | 60 |
| 24 | Eureka | 81 |
| 25 | Austin | 71 |
| 26 | Middlegate | 64 |
| 27 | Fallon | 48 |
| 28 | Carson City | 61 |
| 29 | Silver Lake, California | 60 |
| 30 | Folsom | 85 |
| 31 | Winters | 66 |
| Aug 1 | San Francisco | 46 |
| 62 Days | 9 States | 3,785 Miles |