Tappin the Rockies

Colorado finally! This is one state that I’ll be sure to get the most out of before I leave. Not that Kansas was bad but the terrain here has already proven to be far more beautiful. I can see the mountains far off in the distance and I’m giddy in my cycling shorts to get up close and personal with them. I get to add a coyote to my extensive list of road-kill encountered. It looked like a dog at first, but once you check out its teeth, you know its one vicious mammal. Of course it did look far more docile with its innards strewn about the highway.
Anyways, we had the opportunity to stay with a very kind lady named Gillian who went about a mile a minute but seemed to go out of her way to make sure we were comfortable or had everything we needed. Pink mullet aside, she worked as a prison guard in Ordway, CO and was a joy to chat with.
The other day I made a wrong turn going out of town (constant state of delirium I guess) and ended up facing headwinds for about 12 miles in the wrong direction. It wasn’t until then that I noticed my mistake and turned around to head back to Scott City, only to find oddly enough, more headwinds. But all in all, I made the best of my first 130 mile day and headed into town just as the sun was setting over the grain elevators. The only downside was that upon my arrival to camp, Rob said we had to knock out a 120 mile day in the morning. So I’m finally here in Pueblo, CO and the city is amazing. My bike is all tuned up and after about 650 miles in a week, I’m more than ready for a day off and a shower. It looks like it’s about to pour now so I’d better head to the hotel.
Much love.

Cruisin' Round the Breadbasket

Kansas has proved to be a better state after all. At first I was quite disappointed with how mundane everything could be but I came to realize it was just the heat getting to me. After a couple of rain showers and cloud covered days, the weather has made for a more enjoyable ride. Even though the terrain is not very attractive, Kansas does have its moments after riding 40 mile stretches without any services.
One of our first nights in Kansas was after a 100 mile day and proved to be quite and entertaining evening. I had just sat down to eat a jar of pickled okra when an all out battle royale broke out amongst 15 rednecks. People were fighting left and right and the funniest part was when one guy tried to scissor kick another in the back of the head. There wasn’t much for me to do except sit quietly eating my okra and watch the whole event unfold over the next few hours. The sheriff eventually came after everyone disbanded and tried to settle things down for the night. After riding 100 miles a day for a couple of days you find yourself just staring at things for no reason, so this escapade gave me something more entertaining to stare at.
That same night, after coming form the bathhouse, we had the opportunity to meet a young lady named Bonnie who had recently had her trailer stolen earlier that day. We couldn’t just leave her on her own with these crazy rednecks so we decided it was best to adopt her to tag along. Considering the countless times we have been helped along our, this was the least we could do to help someone else in need. The company is great and has added a new dynamic to our group. I’m interested to see how things will pan out over the course of our journey.
We made a stop in Buhler, KS the other day to get some lunch and get Rich’s spoke fixed with the FiberFix. Unfortunately the FiberFix snapped in half and proved to be quite useless. As we were pondering over what to do next, Rich asked the girl at the delicatessen if there was a bike shop around. She said that her father was a big biker and could probably help. And help he did. In no time flat he was there with extra spokes and a bike stand. He even trued his wheel like a professional mobile bike surgeon. He was a really kind pastor in the area named Todd and was really excited to help us. He discovered that Bonnie had lost her trailer and wanted to help out even more so he offered to lend her a rack and a set of panniers in the hopes that she would return them upon arrival at her destination. We were all very fortunate to have run into Todd. He also met up with us down the road and gave her a cook set and better saddle for if and when she departs from our group. Things were looking grim but got turned around in and instant because of the selfless acts of certain individuals.
I’m interested to see how things will pan out over the course of our journey.
We’ve also been riding with our friend Tom that we met at the Houston Hotel in Missouri. He was a lawyer from D.C. and is quite a character. I think he likes hanging out with us because of our wild uninhibited nature and it reminds him of when he was in college.
So I’m here in Scott City, Kansas and things couldn’t be better. The bike is doing well and I’m in high spirits. Kansas is starting to get a little better but we all can’t wait until we get to Colorado. Every eastbounder we have passed has told us countless stories of how magnificent things are about to get for us. The next few weeks are going to be really exciting and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Takin a Safari

I'm here hanging out at a safari hotel with 1 dollar beers trying to escape the heat of the day. This is the territory of Osa and Martin Johnson who seem to have been pioneers to the state of Kansas. We've made it to a town called Chanute and it is entirely too hot to be outside. We ducked in here for a quick drink and something to eat and were graciously given the opportunity to use the internet in the basement of this place. The parks in Kansas are really nice and we stayed at one last night with a municipal pool and some sort of amusement park in it. It was crowded to say the least but we managed to stroll up and commandeer one of the pavilions. Not too much going on except trying to crank out a couple more centuries in the next few days. The terrain is greatly manageable and is a lot less taxing on the body. Hopefully we'll make it to Pueblo, CO in the next few days if we keep up our current pace. I'd say we're running at about a constant 13 miles an hour and I've extended great efforts to plan my rides for the better parts of the day. Hope everyone is doing well.

You did what with that cucumber?

The night before last was absolutely a hoot. We were eating at KFC when a guy named Pony introduced himself as the proprietor of the motel next to us and offered a cold beer. We had just eaten so nothing sounded better. It turned out that Mike and Dylan were staying at the motel that night so we were jst sitting around chatting and soon enough bikers began to come in by the truckload. We were convinced to stay for the eveneing with the chance to visit a beautiful spring with rope swings as well as dinner for the whole crew. We couldnt pass this up. By the time our pasta feast was over, there were 14 cyclists sitting around the table. 3 eastbounders and 11 west. We ended up keeping the party going and everyone joined in and kept buying rounds of beer. The games we played were incredibly hilarious and kept me in stitches. I met a lot of really great people and Pony was as kind as ever to allow us to camp onhis property for free and feed us as well. Plenty of trail magic going on that night.
So we're in Ash grove, Missouri and I'm starving so its about time for lunch. Adios

Chicks Dig a New Ride

I’m here in Houston located in Texas County, Missouri and can now add armadillo to the extensive list of road kill I’ve encountered. Missouri is really nice with loads of rolling hills and green flora everywhere. The first part was a placid sea of corn which evolved in winding, rollercoaster-like hills. The Ozarks have proved to be more fun than everyone had made them out to be.
Mammoth Cave was somewhat disappointing considering it was entirely over-commercialized and it made me sick to see how much trash was left on the floor in one of the common rooms. Besides that it was nice to be able to see another network of limestone caves. Things are going swimmingly as we have made it through Illinois in a matter of a couple days and have taken a much needed day off after cranking out our first century. The Mississippi river was beautiful and it made me dream about my upcoming trip in summer 2008 with Daniel Hettinger. We took our day off in Carbondale, Illinois where, fortunately there were 3 bike shops located in a centralized area. I say fortunately because after we had such a fantastic stay in Sebree, (literally an oasis amongst the corn fields) I realized that I had ridden that first century on a broken rear stay. I desperately needed a weld or a new bike so, once again, my folks came through in a clutch and offered to purchase me a much needed, early birthday present. I was sad to hang my Nishiki up to dry, but my new whip should be able to carry me to the pacific. I can smell the salty air already. Well, maybe that’s just the copious amount of sodium I excrete with my sweat.
While we were waiting for my bike to be upgraded with thicker tires and a plusher seat, we ran into an interesting fellow named Buzz who demanded our attention with stories of Vietnam and of his brother the coke addict. I wanted to push off to the library but he offered to buy me a drink so, naturally, I couldn’t resist. The fellas and I ended up getting our fair share of fermented beverages so we went to get some rest at the hotel.
On the way into Missouri, we had the opportunity to check out a really spectacular feature of red granite boulders at Elephant Rocks State Park. It was really amazing to see this geological oddity as each boulder stood almost like and installation piece of artwork. I couldn’t help but yearn to climb them, but without my climbing shoes, I knew it would be a quick end to the trip if I fell and twisted my ankle. So I reluctantly declined and limited myself severely.
My mind is now at ease because all technical aspects of this trip have been significantly better due to the addition of my new bike. No longer do I find myself constantly thinking of when and where I’ll get munsoned as my old Nishiki finally breaks down completely. Thanks mom and dad. I owe you big time on this one.
I hope everyone stays in touch and keeps me updated on the happenings of their summer adventures and be sure to check out the new pictures.

Bourbon Anyone?

We're here in Munfordville, KY and we just woke up after a good nights sleep. We crashed at a really nice park under a bridge next to the Green River. Yesterday was fantastic as we had the opportunity to visit Heaven Hill Distillery where they make Evan Williams, Henry McKenna, and Elijah Craig bourbons. They offered us a free tour and tasting which made us all giddy as schoolboys. I found every aspect of the distillery incredibly interesting not because of my exuberant love of whisky, but because of the magnitude of operations going on there. The bourbon was delicious though.
We made a stop in Danville to get our bikes tuned up and get some last minute parts before the long stretch of nothingness. While we were waiting we met a really stand up chap named Nate who not only bought us a round of Goose Island, but borrowed a friends car and drove us 15 minutes to get it. (Thanks for the hospitality mate. You represented your town and Centre College very well.)
So after an 80 mile day yesterday and a good nights sleep, we're heading a little off route to see the greatness that is Mammoth Caves. Now this is what keeps me going. I don't know if we'll be able to take the whole tour because none of us had brought hiking boots with us, but we should be able to see a great deal in the time allotted. So thanks for tuning in and I hope to hear from you later.

Andrew stay away from copperheads, and samalanders.

No More Appalachian Mountains

Hello hello.
I am currently in Berea, KY where we have just finished our second map. We decided to get a hotel room for the night and it was amazing. I have never slept so well. My body possibly could not have taken such physical abuse without a day off so we're hanging out in a dry county with not a cold beer in sight. Things could be better. The past few days were strenuous with lots of big hills but we are definitely coming out of the Apps and I couldn’t be happier. With 80 mile days and large hills, the human mind starts to literally deteriorate and you never know what's going to come out of your mouth next. I find myself singing songs and repeating the same words over and over again. I can't tell you how many times I've been told to shut my mouth. But I think it's hilarious. Rob and Rich have had a short fuse with me and we've all had our little storms but we get through them with short periods of isolation.
The past few places we've stayed were fantastic. One night we stayed on a river where we all took a dip and enjoyed a nice refreshing swim. The family that took us in was extremely kind and were all about mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. The next night we stayed at a hostel owned by two elderly folk who were also very generous. We met up with the father and son westbounders and shared some interesting stories about dogs and hills. There was also a really hardcore German who was eastbound but had started in early May and had already made it this far. He couldn’t really hold a conversation but was really excited to see other cyclists. His next plans are to ride north along the Jersey Shore. We told him to keep his bike locked up at all times. But I think he'll faire just fine.
I shed some hair to battle the everincreasing heat and I'm loving it. This means no more stache and no more hair like a rockstar. Now it's a more composed and respectable Jacob. Ha

Building Empires on Peanut Butter and Bread

Hey everybody what’s happenin. I’m currently in Haysi, VA after a long hard day. A couple days ago we stayed in a town park in Wytheville in a really interesting amphitheater. It’s amazing how we can just get on our bikes and ride to a destination and hope there’s a place for us to camp out. We we’re very fortunate last night to roll into Meadowview after a series of unfortunate events. It started out in Marion where just as we were heading out of town my tire began to warp. We had just passed the last bike shop we would see for about 700 miles through Kentucky so we had to turn around and cycle back into town. Unfortunately the outdated bike shop didn’t have the tire I needed for my 80’s Nishiki so dad came through in a clutch and sent two tires overnight. We ended up having to camp at Hungry Mother state park and got caught in a torrential downpour. Luckily our gear dried out fairly quickly the next morning. So after I fixed my tire, Rob ended up getting a flat tire that had to be re-patched a number of times before we could even leave the town of Marion. Eventually we made it to Meadowview where we had to ask a country storeowner where we could crash for the night. She mentioned a pastor who lived next to a church who would let us stay on the church’s property for the night. So after an ordeal of getting in touch with the pastor, we get some laundry done and are greeted by a neighbor who was also a member of the church. His name was Tom and was as kind as ever. He offered us full use of the facilities at the church and even dinner and breakfast. We declined naturally as to not impose but to our surprise we woke up the next morning with 30 dollars he had left for us to get breakfast. It was like getting a visit from the tooth fairy. A little more trail magic if you will. So after a huge breakfast, we had to climb some serious hills, which was about a 2000 foot increase in elevation over about 3 miles. Exhausting. It was nice to reach the top and meet three other Eastbounders. A father and son and a really hardcore Irishman who was quite a character. He wore a full brimmed hat and was riding a front suspension mountain bike. He has to be out of the country by August 24 because of his visa so you should have seen him cranking up this hill. We met him at the next town sitting in the shade eating a loaf of bread with a jar of peanut butter. He had a great quote as we were talking about finding a diner to eat at. He said, “You know, whole empires were built off of peanut butter and bread.” Great stuff. After lunch we had another substantial hill to climb with a wonderful, downhill descent and we finally pulled into Haysi in the hopes that we can find a place to stay. Library time has however, proven to be a priority to everyone in the group. I’m always glad to hear from people along our journey so keep in touch and I’ll post again sometime in the near future.

Ceremonial Tire Dipping Yorktown, VA

Hey everybody I just wanted to give everyone a quick update as to the happenings of our TransAm bike trip. We’ve been cranking out some miles and are on schedule for the most part. The first two days were pretty rough, but once we get into the swing of things there’s no stopping us. We started in Yorktown, VA on Saturday and are currently at a library in Lexington, VA. I want to say we’ve ridden approximately 300 miles and we are extremely sore. Being in the saddle for 80 miles a day really starts to wear on you, but our spirits are up. The people we have met along the way have been tremendously helpful and hospitable. We had the opportunity to sleep in a hostel the first night and behind a young lady’s convenience store the next day. We took a short respite in Charlottesville where we actually just sat around and watched TV all day at a friend’s house. They were incredibly kind and offered to tend to any and all of our desires. I attempted to add a third chain ring to my bike because the hills through the Appalachians have proven to be quite intense. Besides that, the hills are like riding a rollercoaster. It gets to the point where you despise going down hills because you know what’s coming up next. More uphill battles. It gets to be very mentally taxing, but the camaraderie between Rob, Rich and I has been very uplifting. The sights are incredible in Virginia. We have run across hundreds of historical sites and battlefields, and just visited the burial site of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Very interesting. I did happen to see two mountain lions yesterday as I was ing up a hill. It’s amazing how quick and agile those creatures are. The dogs had also proven to be quite a nuisance when going up hills because they bite and nip at your feet while you’re trying to outrun them. Rob was fortunate enough to outrun a Rottweiler but you should have seen how big his eyes got. Last night we experienced an incredible thunderstorm that woke us up in the middle of the night. We were camping behind an old country store called Gertie’s, who fixed us the most amazing pancakes this morning. We’ll be staying in Troutville tonight at a campground hopefully, that is if we make it the next 40 miles before sundown. For right now, we’re all just enjoying the excellent sights of Lexington and taking it all in before we have to hit the road. I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying their summer as much as we are. Feel free to send e-mails to keep in touch or chech out Rob and Rich's blogs at trackrob.blogspot.com