"I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way"

Quote from Carl Sandberg  (courtesy of Glen Miller)

Jack was really worried about how the bikes would survive the trip on the back of our van, so he went out to Lowe’s and bought what I would describe as a mini storage shed that we can cover the bikes with.  Technically, it is a grill cover, but you could store quite a lot of lawn equipment under it, or maybe a whole T-ball team, and Sue and I may need to use it as a storm shelter out here in the Great Plains.  Anyway, Jack, you are a genius.  It is working out great.  Only problem was, the bike seats stuck up so high it was blocking the rear view out the van, so I took off all the seats – but not to worry, I marked them with our initials so we wouldn’t mix them up. 

We hit the road yesterday around 9 am, stopped at Reality for a coffee and a muffin,  and headed west.  The wind was fierce most of the day, with some rain.  We made it to  Iowa City and decided to camp at Coralville Lake, to get set up before the storm rolled in.  It was a nice place, except for bugs, lightning, thunder, and rain.   But the free hot showers were a bonus.  So, today we are back on the road, with a brief stop at Lowe’s to buy some grommets for the Storm Shelter, to be able to secure it a bit better.  I don’t know why the didn’t think to put them on.  So today we finish Iowa, and cross Nebraska, maybe into Wyoming.  
    So, the journey begins.  We don't know what mysteries, adventures, or challenges may be ahead of us, but we are on our way.

Addendum:  we entered a storm zone near North Platte, Nebraska, and pulled off into a rest area.  Then Sue said, "Isn't that hail?" and sure enough some small hail was falling.  Then came the pea sized hail.  Then the navy bean size hail.  Then the lima beans.  Then the golf balls started coming in.  Quite an experience.
So, here is a picture of the bikes on the back of the van, with our tent in the background.

Like a kid in a candy store...

Jack and I (Jerry) did a ride on Sunday morning, to continue our urgent preparations for the Big Ride, which is coming up on us like a tsunami roaring across the Pacific.  And of course Jack needed to show off to me his brand spanking new flashy wheels that he had just acquired.  It was a beauty, shiny and new, fast as a cat chasing a bird, and Jack was dancing down the road ahead of me.  My poor old bike, which has been wonderful to me for six good years, became disheartened after about 15 miles down Route 8, and I heard and felt some noise from the rear wheel.  A year or so ago I had a problem and had to replace the balls and cones, but it had been ok since and I had fully intended to ride it across country.  But this was a very timely signal to me that the bike was tired, and not able to go the distance.  Sooo...what to do?  Rebuild the wheel?  Get a new wheel?  Take a chance on a bike with 10,000 miles on it and hope other components didn't fail halfway across the country?  Or...take it as a sign from above that it is time for a new bike?  Well this is hard for me because I really become committed to a bike.  It is like a partner on the road, and I can really get bonded to the machine.  It's a little like a backpack that you spend six months carrying, it becomes emotionally attached.  But, after some contemplation and soul searching, and encouragement from Sue, I realized that if we are going to be successful on this trip, having a new bike will increase the odds significantly.  So, I went around to various bike shops to survey the field of possibilities and in the end decided to go with the same choice Jack had made.  Today I went to Oakley Cyclery, with my consultant (brother in law Dave) and made the plunge.  Tough decision, but the right one I think.  Once I bought into the idea, I got really excited, looking at all the bikes.  I truly was like a kid turned loose in a candy store, going wild with excitement.  The new bike rides great, and I am looking forward to bonding with it on the open road.
     Jerry

Mini Road Trip

Sue and I did a drive today down to Berea, and followed the route of the TransAmerica for awhile, maybe about 50 miles, through Big Hill, Sand Gap, and McKee. I am happy to report that the weather along this part of the route is perfect, with mild temperatures, gentle sunshine, and moderate winds.  There is a lot of downhill - about half, I'm guessing.  No dogs bothered us, and only a few coal trucks and logging trucks were encountered.  The road was pretty well paved and not much traffic, except it picked up a bit around the towns.  There was a DQ at the top of every hill, as I recall.

Also, I went to a talk at REI this evening by two ladies who did a cross country trip and wrote a book - "Across America by Bicycle", which I bought a copy of.  Don't know that they had anything profound to pass on, but some basic advice such as be sure to use a rear view mirror and be prepared to get off the road when you see trouble coming up behind and be sure to communicate assertively with your fellow riders when safety is threatened.  That said, they did not have much in the way of road trouble, but they were careful.  They said be sure to stop to let your rims cool off on long downhills so you don't have blowouts due to heat buildup.  Carry lots of water, there might be long stretches with no water available and when it is hot that can be a problem.  They have a website, aliceandbobbie.com  and they recommended another site, crazyguyonabike.com that has lots of cross country stories from other's experiences.

Keep riding!

    Jerry

It's getting Closer....

The second meeting of “The Coaster”* took place on May 6^th.  We tried to look at as many details as we could think of;   airport connections, food, safety, transporting bikes, gear – both biking and camping, place to stay the first night before the ride begins, route, map, etc.  We talked of goals and objectives, dreams and hopes for the trip.

Speaking of which – let’s talk about the blog for a moment.  The purpose of this blog is to inform family and friends (those sane enough to stay) back home of progress, events, points of interest – anything to do with the trip.  Since this trip will be seen from four different viewpoints there will be four people contributing to this blog.  “The Coasters” (Jeff, Jack, Jerry) +1 (that would be me).   

Posts will be sporadic.  It will depend on when someone has the energy and is inspired write and also when we have access to Wi-Fi.  Don’t look for perfect grammar or spelling – that just ain’t gonna happen.  Hopefully, though the blog you will be able to get some flavor of what is happening with us and that will remind you to send positive thoughts or prayers our way, whichever you prefer.  Thanks for your interest.  Feel free to leave (positive) comment on the blog.  That way we’ll know someone is out there reading it.

*name chosen because we are traveling coast to coast – so we are The Coasters (+1).   (Thanks to Clair for that insight.)

Meet the Coasters +1

Something Big This Way Cometh...

When I asked Jerry when the idea was conceived he said 1973 (really?- oh come now!). The idea really started to take form the summer of 2012. Over a couple too many beers – probably.

Last month those involved came together over a breakfast meeting and over a series of maps. Maps that will lead us from Astoria, OR to Portland VA. Jerry, Jeff and Jack will be on their bikes, supported by myself (Sue -Jerry's wife)who has sense enough to be in the van. Their duties will be to get on the bike each day and peddle east, hopefully following the maps. My job…everything else. I’m not sure what that means exactly just yet but we’ll fill in those blanks as we go along.

So what else is there to say at the moment….train, train, train. 

The Men and Their Maps