Posts by Jaik S.

the conclusion

November 10, 2015 0 Comment read preparation

these are a collective bunch of notes that i have taken over the past six months, since i completed my trans-america ride. this wasn’t the conclusion of the ride that i wanted, but it does go through some of the feelings that i have had about it.

i’ve been back in chicago for a week and a half now. i’ve cleaned most of the things that i had taken with me. i’ve repaired the ones that needed attention. i’ve been welcomed back to innerworkings. i’ve settled in.

i know things have changed while i was away and i know i’ve changed as well. the city is ever evolving and when you miss something, it comes as a surprise to find out about it a few weeks later. i had tried to keep up with the chicago area news, but really, that didn’t do much for me. i like to see things. i like to be a part of them. there are new restaurants, expansions, parks, they even moved stuff around inside the target by my house. i have rode around the city a little, and for the first week it seemed sort of surreal. like i had something that didn’t belong here. i really don’t know how to describe the feeling, but i’ll try.

when people hear about what i did, for how long i did it, for as many miles as i’ve traveled, sometimes they become concerned. i don’t think it’s a concern for me, but more of a concern for themselves. like they wouldn’t be able to do what i’ve done and they don’t understand how i did it. i still can’t grasp that it was a big accomplishment. others don’t know how to grasp how big it was. i think anyone could have done it, so it doesn’t seem that huge to me. i don’t understand how they don’t understand. you ride, then when you don’t feel like riding, you push yourself harder, then you camp, then you do it again. you feel alone, you feel great when you talk to people, you feel refreshed some days, you feel like you should stay in the tent on others. the big thing is that you can finish and overcome the fear of not having all the things we “need” on a day to day basis.

coming back to work was different. i don’t know what i was expecting. things changed, but things change all the time. there were a few organizational changes, different processes and me not doing the work that i do for two months definitely made me less able to recall certain things. i became frustrated the first week back. i wanted to be able to do things as easy as i had before i left. i couldn’t. i couldn’t do things the way they used to be done. i couldn’t recall how things were processed in some ways. after having my one on one with my supervisor, i apologized for my lack of speed and efficiency that i had prior to leaving. he laughed a little and said there was no need to apologize, that he understood it would take a little time for me to readjust. it made me feel much better.

the times that i was alone were the loneliest i’ve felt. the times that i spent with people that i had met while riding impacted me. i have thoughts and memories of these people from around the world that i had met, and i wonder about them and what they’ve been up to.

i miss being wild. yes, i miss having to just ride and keep riding. maybe it was having a goal to get somewhere, maybe it was the constant hard work that i had. i definitely miss having less body fat. how can i burn thousands of calories in a day and continue to work…and still have free time and eat/drink whatever i want.

i took a transfer for work. i’ll be leaving the city and going west to portland. i’ve been with the company for less than two years, i’ve invested a lot of time and energy with them and they’ve shown me nothing but appreciation and reward for all of my hard work. i’ve never been to portland, but i had a great time out west when i was rolling along. i miss the people that were kind for no reason other than to be nice. they didn’t need anything from you, they didn’t want you to like them, they were just polite and nice. definitely a bit different from chicago. now that i am settling down, i am ready to uproot and move.

i’ve been neglecting my bicycle. it definitely needs some attention. after the sea-key ride, i wanted to replace a few things and get everything back in working order. i know the tires are ripped up. i’ve been riding on the original tires for a while, because the tires were so bad. i know the cables are stretched. i know the chain is stretched. i know the brake pads are wore out. i know my seat makes noises. i know that because the chain is stretched, it’s also wore different areas on my chainring and cassette. those will probably have to be replaced too. my rotors are bent. my chainring is bent. my rear rack is cracked in two places. basically, i took a beautiful, brand new bicycle that was in perfect shape and rode it hard. with extra weight. for thousands of miles.

eventually, i’ll slowly replace everything in the order i feel is wearing the most. brake pads first. i’ll have to see if i can straighten the rotors.

there are days that i miss riding and feeling free. days that i miss the countryside. i heard about the guy who broke the record for most miles in a calendar year and i had two feelings. one: jealousy. mostly because he got to spend a year doing the thing i had only two months to do. i could go for a year. two: competition. i’m competitive. not like a boisterous competitive, more like a quiet “i can do better” competitive. it pushes me and sets goals above the sets of others. so yes, i heard about the guy who did that thing and i think i could do it with more. i don’t plan on doing it so i probably shouldn’t even mention it. just so you know, i’m not going to ride for a year and get +70k miles under my belt. at least it’s not in the outlook. (but i could)

i miss having fresh air every morning. trees around me. rain, sunshine, weather that shakes me with views that move me. the feelings that i get about the feelings that i have had…they pang. i want more adventure.

i got to see Stefan. i had first met him on the day before my ride. he picked me up from the airport, waited patiently because one of my bags missed the flight, showed me around seattle and accompanied me for the first twenty miles. Patrick had rode with me that morning as well, but he had to cut short the ride to get into the office. Both are amazing people and work hard to promote riding and the Livestrong foundation. Stefan lives just north of portland and offered to(once again) pick me up from the airport when i had arrived. it was good to recollect things and talk about the trip with him. i showed him some photos, talked about the effects of the ride on me and my life, and we enjoyed a few drinks. i can hardly wait to do some more riding with him.

now that the holidays are passed and portland living is feeling like a normal, everyday thing, i’m yearning more. the hills here are good. they have added some other muscle structure to my legs, not that they need it. i signed up for a ride with the office, in june. i had clicked on the century ride, to push myself a bit. i haven’t rode over a hundred miles in a day in months, since my sea-key ride. as it turns out, the office probably won’t do the century and was leaning more towards the other rides that are shorter. i’ll probably join them on that ride, rather than rolling out on my own for a while. i’m not sure of the terrain or route, so sticking with a shorter ride may turn out to be better than trying to navigate mountains and time. the office here is great and very healthy. in the future, i’ll probably be participating in most of the activities for both social and health reasons. i want to ride out and get some miles done, but i’m just being lazy. i can’t seem to get motivated.

sometimes i dream about my bicycle tour while riding my bike…i just close my eyes and pedal, thinking about where i’ve gone. i wonder if i’ll ever be the same as i was.

the full camera dump

September 29, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

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day 51

September 16, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

i had been trying to picture my last day for the entire ride. i don’t know what i was expecting. after riding for 51 days i had finished. i knew there were no crowds of people waving ribbons and screaming at me. it was me finishing and it was like most of the ride was: quiet.

i got up at 5:30 and as i was making coffee, i decided there really wasn’t a need to rush out on the road. i could relax and wake up. no hurry. normally from wake up to bike, it’s usually about a half hour. today i didn’t leave for an hour and a half. i think part of it was knowing that that would be the last time on my tour that i’d be cleaning up camp and i was trying to put it off. i took my time. i cleaned everything up as nice as i could, then i noticed that my first tent pole repair tube had ripped. i have two, and brought them both just in case. it’s good that i had one to work with, it’s better that i had two. i know the tent is great quality. it’s an awesome tent. i don’t think it was designed for as much rugged use as i’ve given it, but that’s okay. i wouldn’t have wanted any other tent for the trip. being able to sit up and move around was a big bonus. i saw a few people touring that had bivvys and looked slightly jealous. seriously guys, that’s cool, but my poler one man tent is pretty awesome. even if it did start to come apart after 51 days.

everything was packed and ready to go. i mounted my bicycle, then realized the front was flat. the scab from yesterday just didn’t hold. since i wasn’t really in the most civilized area, i pumped it up with my fingers crossed hoping that it would reseal. there wasn’t a bike shop until key west and i didn’t have any patches left. it was my fault. after pumping the tire and riding to the intersection to turn left, i went to unclip my left shoe like i normally do when approaching a stop sign. it didn’t unclip. i kind of panicked. i pulled my brakes, realized if i stop moving, i’ll fall, so i started riding in a circle. oh yeah, i can just unclip the other side and see what the issue is. no problem. so i did. i pulled over to the side of the road, unclipped the right, then looked at the left. my whole clip on the shoe was turning. at some point i had lost one of the two screws that go in there to secure the plate for clipping. i could tighten it and it may hold, but for safety, i probably shouldn’t clip in for the rest of the ride. i didn’t mind, i didn’t have much farther to go before the bike shop. i pumped the tire up a total of about six times before i got to the bike shop. that’s how i spent my last ride. ride for three miles, pump tire, ride for three miles, pump tire. i arrived at the bike shop, the first that i had been in since tampa. i remember seeing it last time i had visited the keys and was happy i remembered the location. it’s called we-cycle. there’s kind of this pyramid of bike frames welded together in front of the place, so it’s easy to remember. i purchased two tubes and a patch kit, then had a quick talk with the guy working. he was interested in my gear and bike to see how it was setup and how it worked.

riding into key west i decided to have one last big meal. after all, i can’t keep eating crazy like i do because it won’t burn off like it has. i stopped at ihop and warned my server that i would be ordering a large amount of food, but had no problem finishing it all. she just laughed a little and said it was fine. i had three eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausage links, two slices of ham, two pieces of french toast, two pancakes, fried chicken tenders and a waffle. three full size plates of food. coffee and water to rinse it all down. she came by about fifteen minutes later to see all of my plates neatly stacked and all of the food finished. she looked a little shocked. here was this skinny guy who ordered way too much food, then finished it all and did it quick. i had a look of satisfaction on my face that appeared to be growing by the tasks of my last tour day.

after breakfast i rode over to the beach. i didn’t swim, but i just coasted along the beach until i reached southernmost point a short time later. for those who don’t know, key west is small. it’s two miles wide and four miles long. about 12 miles all the way around the perimeter. i could ride a bike around the entire key in about 45 minutes. so, back at the point, i waited in line for my turn in front of the marker. the people in front of me generously offered to take my photo. they asked where i had rode from and seemed shocked when i told them it was seattle. they seemed even more shocked when i told them it had been 51 days. i was really done. i had made it the whole way.

i should feel more accomplished. i don’t know, it feels like i’m just waiting to ride again tomorrow. like i need to get another hundred miles in. i know i don’t. i know there’s bike riding around with lindsey tomorrow, but i don’t have to cover a certain amount of miles before i can call it a day. i won’t have to hurry. i won’t have to be in a rush to get somewhere. i’ll be rolling around with her doing whatever and exploring.

i would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read along with my ride. especially those who did so and donated to my fundraiser. thank you to all of the warmshowers that hosted me, providing great conversations and comfortable living for a night. i’ll leave the fundraiser up until next week because i have other things to do and maybe you pass this along to someone and yell out “he finished!” and that next person wants to donate. over the next week, i’m going to route my actual trip and calculate the total miles. i’ll be typing out a final post, not the same as this one. it will have a collection of thoughts about the big tour, things that i wanted to happen, things that i would change, and even a link to all of the photos on my camera. i haven’t even had a chance to see those yet. i hope there’s some good stuff.

for those who were waiting to find out, she said yes(of course).

day 50

September 15, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

i had a great ride today. i started early and just took my time all day. i didn’t want to rush the ride at all. i stopped at a few places, maybe trying to delay the last full day of my ride, but i eventually made it to camp.

last night the mosquitos were rough. not as bad as a few other places. there’s only so many bites you can take and only so much lite little buzzing by your ear until you begin swatting around crazily and covering yourself in bug spray. i brought a small bottle of bug spray and i’ve only used it two or three times. most of the time the bugs stay away and don’t like me. i guess i’ve gotten a little tastier as i move along.

i left camp and started my trek through the keys. i saw a few places in key largo that looked interesting, but it was so early that none of them were opened yet. no problem. i can always stop at them with lindsey on the way to the airport later this week. i started taking the bike trail that runs parallel to route 1 through key largo. it’s nice that they have that, separating you from the road, but the road also has a bicycle lane for those brave enough to ride it. the trail is more for those people that are taking their time and not in a hurry. i was a qualified candidate for that.

it was sunny, it was hot, it was a beautiful day. continuing on my ride, i made it through tavernier and into the plantation key then to islamorada. i have been to islamorada before and remember things about it. it had changed a little. the seafood buffet that was there is no longer there. i heard there was a fire. it’s being rebuilt, or at least something in it’s place. there was a brewery! i saw it and stopped on the trail, then looked at what time it was. it was before noon, but i figured, hey, when in rome…(drink). i crossed the street and rolled up. dang! what kind of place is this! not to sound like an alcoholic, but it was monday at 11:30am and i was sitting outside of the place waiting for it to open at noon. a guy came out a few minutes after i sat down and asked if i wanted to sit in the air conditioning inside. yes please. i went in and we started talking, he asked about my bike and i told him about the ride. he said, “your first beer is on me, you deserve it.” well thanks! i asked for something golden, and he gave me their golden ale that has a hint of key lime. perfect. a few minutes later the other bartender showed up and then the owner. we all talked and shortly after my second drink it was time to get rolling again. they invited me to stop back in with lindsey on the drive to the airport. those guys at islamorada brewing were pretty welcoming and had some good beer.

next was lower matecumbe key, then long key. after those i stopped at a disappointing tiki bar in long point key. i don’t know what i was expecting, but it wasn’t that. maybe more tiki stuff rather than just a few license plates on the wall and a wooden bar. there wasn’t really any tiki in this tiki bar, it was just a bar. i kept riding and kept measuring the time with my hand. it’s much easier than pulling my phone out when i’m riding. plus it gives me the rough estimate of when i should be looking for a campsite. marathon seems like it has grown, or changed, things can’t really grow here. the land is the same size and won’t get any bigger. the property will change and things will change, but it doesn’t get larger. i knew that after marathon, i’d have my only real challenge of the keys. the seven mile bridge. right before i got on the bridge, the winds changed and suddenly they were at my back. for the first time in florida, i had the wind behind me! it was a big help going over the bridge. i was riding 22 for a while, slowed to 16 while i went over, then up to 24 on the way down. 22 when it was flatland again. the winds were in my favor and i knew it wouldn’t be that way forever so i should use it as much as i could. i pedaled hard, moved quick and passed a bunch of stuff. the trail that ran parallel had been gone for a while, but new ones appeared so i got back off the road. this happened thorughout the day. the path would end, move to the bike lane, see a path on the other side of the road, cross the road and get on the path, then repeat.

i arrived in the bahai honda key then promptly got a flat. it was probably something i picked up while speeding down the bridge. i looked for a puncture in the tire or debris, but didn’t see any. i had one tube left that i had patched, no patches, and a few scabs. i switched tubes and about five miles later, same thing. i pumped it back up and rode for a mile or so, then it was flat again. dang. i pumped it up, then rode to the gas station so i would have more light. i put on a scab, covered it in rubber cement and decided to cut up one of my spare tubes that had a puncture. i sliced it all the way around and used it as a liner in my tire before putting the scab tube in. it helped. it held is what i should say. it made it all the way to upper sugarloaf key, where i needed to camp.

it was a long day and i had a lot of things to think about with my whole ride almost behind me. i saw there was a warmshower in marathon, but i didn’t reach out. i feel dennis was a good endpoint to my warmshowers for the ride. we got along great, did similar work and we rode almost the same exact route(his was from ft lauderdale to seattle). i don’t know the person in marathon that i could have stayed with, but really, i doubt they would have more in common with me. as many nights as i’ve had spent in my tent camping, i decided that i should have one more. one last good night in the tent before the ride is over.

tomorrow i’ll be riding 21 miles into key west. that will be the end of this tour. i’ll post again tomorrow after i finish, then i’m taking some time away. within the next week or two, i’ll calculate my total mileage through the route that i took, upload photos from the camera, and post a end of tour summary. it’s been a fun ride…day 50 done.

day 49

September 14, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

the first thing i did after waking up today was take a shower. it doesn’t seem that odd, but it is to me. i’m a morning shower kind of guy, but almost the entire ride, i’ve taken showers at the end of the day(when i can). the morning shower is great because it wakes you up and has you start fresh. it was a good way to start the day.

before i start writing about the day i would like to remind everyone that i am not only doing this ride for my own personal goal, but also to raise money for the livestrong foundation, that will be donated to cancer research. my family has had a strong history with cancer and there’s a good chance that someone you know has had their life affected as well. we can help support cancer research and donate money to this cause so that it may become more treatable or hopefully in our lifetime completely curable. my donation site is http://tiny.cc/cancerdonations

i an see that i am currently averaging 1400-1500 visitors per day and thought i am writing this for everyone to read, please donate if you can.

i had breakfast with dennis. he seemed happy for both meals that we shared that i wasn’t a vegetarian or vegan. there’s a high number of cyclists that tour and are one or the other, but really, i think if there’s food to be eaten then there’s no reason to turn it down. your body needs as much as you can give it when you do a ride like this. i eat a ton of food, but i’ve still lost a ton of weight. i’m going to have to stop eating like this in few days because i definitely don’t need to gain more weight again.

i asked dennis for directions and route advice, he provided them both. for some reason google maps wanted me to take a road that had no shoulder and cars that travel high speed. no thanks google. my first stop was the beach. it was twenty miles away, and he gave me a great route to get there, but i missed the turn and decided to keep going the way i was. i was right next to port of the everglades and the ft. lauderdale airport. there was a freight train that was stopped on the way and i saw a few cyclists waiting. we talked for a few minutes and they seemed shocked that i had rode all the way from seattle. i guess i don’t think of it as this big thing because i’m doing it, but really, most people that i talk with are either shocked or amazed or inspired. they changed their direction and rode a different way to avoid waiting for the train to pass. i thought it would be a good time to eat the bananas that vance had given me a few days before. i sat on the curb and started eating. a few minutes later another cyclist pulled up and suddenly he said: “hey, you’re from chicago?” i didn’t know what to say. i don’t think i have anything that shows that, no, i’m sure of it. i said yes, how did you know? there’s a reflective pin on my rear left pannier that was given to me from po campo, in the shape of a chicago flag star. he showed me his chicago tattoo and told me that he used to live there. we talked for a few minutes and he said he had to take my picture. the train started moving and cleared the road so we both went our ways.

riding through the miami area on a sunday morning is excellent. there’s nobody on the roads and you can do just about anything. there has been a few times where i wished there was less traffic since i have been on the east coast of florida, but today there was hardly any. it made getting to the beach really simple.

when i left the beach and started going more into the downtown area of miami, traffic picked up and i decided to see if there was a better route. i updated google maps yesterday and the timing for the app is off completely. it was saying it would take me twelve hours to make it to homestead, which was only about 40 miles. i know it’s never taken me that long to do 40 miles. even in the mountains. i found a bicycle path that ran from downtown miami all the way to florida city, south of homestead. it was all i needed. i don’t like to constantly check my maps to see if i’m going the right direction and having one path the whole way makes that easy. out of the entire path, the only things that i don’t care for about it are the tree roots that were lifting the pavement in a few spots. they slow you down and can throw you around if you’re not careful. the downfall of one direct path is that it can seem like you’re not moving much. i thought i had gone a lot farther than i had a few times. eventually i got to the end and made my way onto route 1.

route 1 is the final road. it’s where i will be for the next few day. today though, i was only going to ride 20 miles on it, over to key largo. the wind was in my face the whole way and the storm that i had been watching move away decided to slow down. it should have been gone by the time i got to key largo, but i got the tail end of it. it rained for the last five miles of my ride. i didn’t mind. there’s not really anything that can slow me down or make me not want to ride to the end at this point. if it’s raining, i’ll keep going. if i get a flat(hopefully i don’t) i’ll use my last patched tube and cross my fingers. i could definitely fix another tube as a spare, but i’ve used the patches i have and now i’m down to my scabs that i don’t want to have to start using. those were more of an “if i need them” sorta thing and it hasn’t got to that point. i used my last patch a few days ago in indiantown, and i feel that i should be able to make it the rest of the way without a flat. you never know though.

i had a camping spot picked out in key largo before i got here. i didn’t know if it would be a good place to camp out, but after seeing it, it’s perfect. depending on the riding conditions tomorrow, i have three other spots picked out at various lengths so that i can use them based on the mileage i cover. i don’t need to go 90 miles tomorrow, but that’s the farthest campsite that i have in my list. the rest are closer. if the wind is behind me and i feel like i can make it, sure, i’ll take that one. i’d rather stop sooner so i have some more miles to ride before lindsey arrives.

i’m camped out for the night, but i know that i’ve got 105 miles from here to key west. i could do that in a day easily, but i’m going to split it in two. i need to kill some time before lindsey arrives on tuesday, and if i ride too quick key west then i won’t have a place to stay. i’m sure i could find one, but i’ll enjoy the last few days and take it all in. 85(ish) miles for the day, plus a stop at the beach. day 49 done.

day 48

September 13, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

i really like coasting down the coast. not fast, but enjoying everything and seeing all of the things that are new to me. i didn’t cover a lot of miles today, but i didn’t expect to, or want to. i’m in relax mode. now that i’ve made it within 200 miles, i’ve got some time to spare and i’ll use it all not to rush or hurry, but to enjoy the ride. don’t get me wrong, i enjoyed the rest of the ride, but i know i went quick. i don’t mind, i saw a lot. i saw more than i expected. it has been one amazing ride.

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my warmshower(vance and tommie) made breakfast. we had some great conversations about cycling and the benefits of clearing your mind on a bike, how good it is for you physically, and the funny moments we’ve had. i packed up all of my clean laundry(yay!) and got all of my ducks in a row. everything was set. i left(but felt so comfortable i wanted to stay) and started south.

i was originally going to go down route 1, but with all of the traffic, decided a1a was a much better choice. even with the wind from the ocean i was happy. i pedaled slowly, saw a ton of cyclists, almost joined a group of people dancing at the beach and just all around enjoyed the ride. one of the people that i had messaged on warmshowers for a place to stay tonight had passed me going the other direction.

i ended up riding twenty miles. today was my shortest day on a bike. i don’t mind. i’ve got the time and the ability to make it to key west on tuesday to meet lindsey. i arrived at my warmshower just before the storm had hit the area and was welcomed with chex mix and a beer. what a great way to end my ride for the day.

dennis, my warmshower for the night, did a tour from ft. lauderdale to seattle, so we’ve had a bunch of stuff to talk about. he made dinner while we talked about bikes, work, cities we’ve both been to along our trip. i didn’t really think that i would meet someone that has done basically the same route, let alone on this trip, so it was a nice surprise. after dinner, i was able to go swimming in the pool and relax in the hot tub. tomorrow i’m actually going to cover some more miles, but it was nice to get a relax day. day 48 done.

i was speeding down the a1a drifting off this guy.

day 47

September 12, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

the bugs. they were insane. i couldn’t wait until i got over to the coast, knowing that bugs don’t favor as well in the city. i rode down 710 in the bike lane for what seemed like forever, but really was only about two hours. i turned left onto a1a and was going straight for the ocean. i needed to swim. i wanted to because i hadn’t had a shower in a few days and i love swimming. there was a beach about a mile away from the coast. i went down there, changed and jumped in. it was great. i really couldn’t have asked for a better morning riding to the beach.

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after about a half hour of swimming, i rinsed off and continued on my way. i decided to go down a1a and look at some of the huge houses. people had grass that looked like putting greens, guest houses, beach houses, you name it. from palm beach to boynton beach it was primarily residential houses all with private beaches. occasionally there was a restaurant or hotel, even more rare a public beach. i thought about stopping at another beach, but i decided to keep going.

the wind along a1a was rough. riding right into it was even worse. eventually i decided cross back over to route 1, hopefully to endure less winds being a little away from the oceanfront. it was a little better. the other thing that was slowing me down was my legs. yes, my legs were slowing me down. i had done 140 miles yesterday. that’s about 25 more miles than my longest day so far. covering the miles was great, but exhausting. today my legs definitely told me that they weren’t happy about doing that yesterday. i pushed them a bit to ride into the wind, they didn’t want to go fast.

i had left camp early to get to the city early, knowing that riding in the city will slow me down and i still wanted to do stuff(like go to the beach) through the day. i had rode pretty slow, but there was much more to look at compared to the country roads i have been on. nearing 5pm i arrived at my warmshower(vance & tommie). they were excited to see me and extremely welcoming. they had to tell me to relax and sit down for a minute. i’m used to trying to efficiently manage my time and get stuff done before i relax. so i sat and relaxed. it was nice. a short time later we went out to dinner, i got a pizza and they got a pizza. they shared it with their grandson and i had a slice of theirs as well(i finished mine). i shared stories of riding across the country and they shared their stories from riding the world. it was good to be in great company again. they offered their opinions on the best places to cycle abroad, and i’d love to do that, but not right now…maybe next year. thanks to vance & tommie for sharing their home with me and making me feel comfortable. i really needed that, along with a shower and laundry.

since i had covered about 75 miles today, i’ve got about 200 left until key west. i could pull that in two days, but i won’t. i meet lindsey in key west on tuesday, around 5. that means i’ve got 4 days to get there. i can do 50 miles a day and take it easy to get there. nobody wants to rush through the keys anyway, too much beauty. i’ve had a smile on my face all day from the sunshine and bicycling conditions. day 47 done.

look at the size of these avacados!

day 46

September 11, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

it feels like florida. not the clean part with hotels and beaches. the side where it’s hot and humid, bugs everywhere and wind always in your face. if it wasn’t for my lack of shower in a few days, i’d wonder why people were looking at me strange.

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i started a little early, but nothing out of the ordinary. i was up and on the road by 6:45. it’s a good start time, but for all of the miles i wanted to cover, i should have left earlier. most of the day was spent on or next to 98 south. there were a few times i took some side roads for interest, but really the side roads only had lime farms through them. some of the farms were huge. some looked old, some looked new, but they all had limes. miles and miles of trees all in lines. i wasn’t sure they were limes until i had saw one broken on the street. i’m used to very tiny limes in chicago. some of these were comparable to large apples.

it got hot, i kept riding. the wind shifted to be in my face, i turned so that i could avoid riding into it, the wind shifted again. then it started raining. then the wind got harder. then the rain stopped and the bugs came out. then the wind was blowing all the bugs right into my face. then the roads got bumpy. basically, all of that happened, but twice. it didn’t start getting much better until i reached lake ockechobee. then the bike lanes disappeared. something was always going out of my favor today, it made riding difficult.

when i went to turn to get on the lake okckechobee trail, the gate was closed and locked. sigh. i’ll just go to the next opening. the trail was about 20 miles to the part of the lake i needed to get to. i was tired and wore out, and being next to a giant lake the wind was terrible. it was really beautiful though. i wish i had been in a better mood for the lake, i did get a few photos though. i think after riding 120 miles, i wasn’t too concerned about the lake. later on in the evening, when i was almost to camp, i was riding down the lake trail, the bugs got so heavy that i had to keep my head down and mouth shut. they were everywhere. that had been going on for about five miles. i would occasionally look up, see nothing and look down again immediately. until the last time. i saw a gate about eight feet in front of me. not like a tall gate, but a galvanized bar, stripped with reflective stickers. i slammed on the brakes, but it didn’t help much. i was going too quick. the bottom of the gate meets with my front rack and they have a 1/4” difference. anymore than that and i would be in a lot worse shape. my rack went under the gate and my blanket on the front rack absorbed most of the impact. from everything stopping so suddenly, both rear panniers had come off and one of the front ones. i put them all back on and started riding to find out i had a slow leak in my tire, and it was dark. i pushed really hard to get to the campsite before it got too bad.

while i was setting up my tent tonight, i saw the pole had been damaged from something. i have a tent pole repair kit, but i kind of wish i knew what happened.

i’d love to write more, but i’m dead tired. i rode a total of 140 miles. yes, that’s right 140. it would have been 135 or so, but i made a wrong turn. it’s crazy that i rode that far, and now i’m just wore out. cheers to making it so far in one day, the longest yet. that puts me only 260 miles from key west if i go directly. day 46 done.

day 45

September 10, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

after leaving my warmshower a little later than i wanted, i checked to see if the bike shop i was going to stop at was near. yes they were, but they didn’t open for a few more hours. no problem. i don’t want to backtrack to see them, so i decided to find another. there was a few along the route, but i found one that was closer to where i was riding. i stopped into the innerworkings office to write my post before i left(since i didn’t do it at night as i normally do) and to thank them for being amazing and showing me some hospitality with dinner, drinks and great company. we seriously had a fun time and i’m glad i stopped. while writing the post, cindy asked if i wanted some breakfast casserole(like quiche), yes i do. crystal brought me a cup of orange juice, yes please. i was greeted by sarah’s beautiful dog and we had a chance to talk for a moment while i fixed her computer issue. the post was up and i had to get on the road. thanks again to the entire innerworkings clearwater office for everything that you do for others and what you did for me. i can’t wait to see you guys again. also, if my chicago office is reading this, let’s get rid of the coca cola and get some orange juice. it will brighten everyone’s day.

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i rode across old tampa bay on the courtney campbell causeway trail. it was pretty beautiful. there were a few beaches along the way, but i wanted to stop at the bike shop and get my miles done. i don’t really care for riding in cities because you can’t get good speed like you do on the country roads or paths, so i wanted to do what i needed in tampa and get out quick, hopefully before rush hour.

the bike shop that i wanted to stop in was cycle sport concepts – tampa(http://csctampa.com). it was on my route and i was hoping they were understanding of my cracked rim so that i could get the warranty replacement done. my warmshower had recommended a local shop that she said had really good deals on stuff, but i had to stop at an authorized specialized dealer so that we could deal with this. there shop is perfect. they had a nice open workshop area so that you could see what the mechanics were doing, a nice fitting room, tons of beautiful bikes, and friendly staff. i talked with rudy for a moment while explaining my situation, he introduced me to frank. so, my bike is 99 of 100 in the world and it’s the kind of thing that bike guys like to see. they want to know how it’s held up and quite a bit of the time, they may never see one before or after. it’s a unicorn. we talked about the bike, my trip and my experiences. the rim was the biggest issue that i’ve had with elsie, pedals were second. the pedals didn’t come with the bike though. the rim shouldn’t have cracked either, but you never really know what can happen after riding 3800 miles in 44 days. the original tear that was next to a spoke had gotten a little larger and two or three more had opened up in the same fashion. once one goes, the others get more stress and then they’ll begin to have similar issues. if i had tried to ride it the rest of the way, there’s a good chance the entire wheel would have just split completely. it wasn’t an issue with specialized or the way i had rode it, these things just happen. my specialized awolxpoler is a great bike and i’m glad that i had it for this trip. when i had explained everything to frank, he said no problem. he’d swap it and warranty the rim for me. that’s great service from an awesome shop. he had the specialized awol model, which is almost the same as the awolxpoler and the rim would fit and match everything perfect. seriously guys, if you have a chance to ride the specialized awol bike, do it. i love the flat black paint they use on it, but i’ve already got a black bike and i needed a little more color in my bike selections. if you’re in tampa or touring through or just need a jersey, water bottle or just about anything, the guys at cycle sport concepts will make sure you get what you’re looking for and give you a great bike shop experience. thanks again guys, you made the last leg of my trip more comfortable and less worry. this is one of the reasons i went with such a nice bike, because it’s fairly common to find a specialized dealer that can warranty a part if needed. cheers again to them and specialized for dealing in good service and quality. http://csctampa.com

after leaving with the biggest smile on my face, i had to get to the marbel skateboard factory. i had forgotten that they moved and i didn’t have the updated address so i had stopped by the old location not realizing my error. i emailed and called and got a call back from them with the new address, but i had already covered a few miles and didn’t want to backtrack. i had hoped to see them and check out the carbon fiber presses, lathes, all the fun stuff, and they really wanted me to come, but i was too far away. misti gave me a progress update on everything that has happened and told me my board was ready to go whenever i request it. i told her to ship it out next week so it arrives at work when i return.

another few miles later, i ended up getting a flat tire. no big deal, but my tires are starting to get them more frequently from riding so much for so long with all the extra weight. the tires are still holding up, but you can see the wear on them.

with my fun time at the office, the replacement rim, stopping by marbel, getting a flat and riding into the wind most of the day, i was only able to get about 70 miles in. i had hoped for more, but i’ve got time. i can make it up or take my time tomorrow too. i’ve got to get to key west on tuesday, so i really have a few days that i can relax. i’m not going do that until i get to the keys though, i’d rather relax on beaches along the way than sit at a gas station and drink coffee. tomorrow on my itinerary it says i should be finished, but i have these five days that i was aloud to relax and i’ve used them fairly wise, only doing short miles rather than relax the whole day(aside from my rain day in yellowstone). there’s only about 400 miles left on this great adventure. day 45 done.

day 44

September 9, 2015 0 Comment read daily cycle, traveling

it’s hot. it’s humid…but at least it wasn’t raining. i woke up in my tent in the middle of the night and had to go…ahem…relieve myself. i was standing out about thirty feet away and started thinking about all of the snakes that i’ve seen…and i was in a wilderness prairie. i thought, oh man, what if one of those red banded snakes, scarlet snakes or hog nosed snakes came up and bit me. i wouldn’t know what snake it was since my light was on my bike and i could accidentally step on one in the dark. needless to say, i spent the rest of the night in my tent. i don’t remember which snakes could be venomous and i’d like to keep it that way.

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i woke up early, made coffee and hurried onto the road. it went by quickly. i went about thirty miles or so and my gps battery died. sigh. limited power now that my big battery pack has given up holding a charge. i looked at my phone, then looked down and saw a phone on the side of the road. i picked it up and it turned on! so i saw there was twenty missed calls from the same number, called that number back and asked if they knew who’s phone it was. it was their handicapped son’s phone. i told them where to meet me and they came by about a half hour later. had i not missed the turn that i was supposed to make on the bike trail and went an extra quarter mile, i would not have found the phone and wouldn’t have been able to return it. they were very grateful, but i couldn’t help thinking that the time i had spent waiting could have been used for riding. i don’t mind doing a good deed like that. recently it’s been a minimum of one good deed a day and it makes me feel good.

i got onto the trail that i had passed the accidentally and it was great. nice paved trail, but i could have done without the hills. they weren’t big hills by any means. the problem with them was that i was riding into the wind with them and it was slowing me down a bit. i thought that the storm from the previous day had passed, but there was still a little of it coming towards me. it rained for a while, then i got a flat tire. i thought it was going to be easy when i got to florida! yes, it was a trying day, but i made it through.

the trail branched off into another trail which meant i only had about thirty miles left before i got to clearwater. i had plans to stop at the innerworkings office(the company that i work for has an office in clearwater) but i didn’t think i would make it with all that had slowed me down. i looked up a bike shop that deals in specialized so that i could stop in and talk about my rim being replaced via warranty. there was one a mile or two away from the office. perfect. crystal, one of my co-workers texted me a few times asking if i would make it in before closing time, but i told her i would be late. she said it was fine and i was happy to have her check in with me. she explained that everyone was excited to see me and it would be a treat to have me stop by. it’s great that she made me feel so welcome. the company is lucky to have such great employees like her.

when i arrived, there were only a few people in the office and i immediately told them to hold their breath until i had went to the restroom and washed up a little. i didn’t want to show up in the condition that i had, but there wasn’t much of a choice. i hadn’t had a shower in a few days and the heat and humidity had made me a sweaty, smelly mess. i cleaned up and went out to reintroduce myself to everyone. it was great! they all had so many questions and were so interested in my ride. i was happy to talk about it and tell them about my experiences. we decided to get dinner across the street and continue our discussion. sadly, not everyone could make it, but happily i had a great dinner and a few beers with sarah and crystal. we talked about everything. i haven’t been able to have conversations with people like this for a while. most of the people i meet i only get to talk to for a few minutes or a few hours, but they knew me and what i was doing, what work i have and i knew them as well. the clearwater office was an incredibly welcoming experience and i’m glad that i had a chance to see everyone here. innerworkings is a great place to work and i’m happy to have such amazing co-workers.

by the time dinner had finished, i knew the bike shop was closed. i could stop at another tomorrow. i just had to get to my warmshower(shannon), clean up and sleep. only six miles away, closer to the gulf of mexico. riding towards the gulf in the evening was pleasant. i could smell the air from the large body of water and it reminded me that i haven’t had a chance to find a beach yet. i really want to swim soon, but i may just wait until i get to the east coast. the air coming in from the gulf also had a nice cool breeze which i was happy to have after a hot day.

my total miles for the day were 110 and my body knew it. i have to stop and stretch my back every ten or fifteen miles doing these centuries. it’s nice to cover so many miles everyday. it’s been four or five days that i’ve done centuries. florida is just flying by. i know it will be a little slower when i get to the east coast because of all the congestion, but i’m okay with that. i should arrive over there tomorrow night. good conversations, lots of miles, dinner, beer and great people made this an excellent day. day 44 done.