Bicycling Coast to Coast

Stats:   Today's miles:  51  miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,751 feet Total miles traveled:   3,552.7  miles Total feet climbed:   95,301 feet Wow, what a mixed bag over the last 5 days!! Let’s start with the best…I completed the ride at 1:30 PM at East End Beach in Portland ME!!  Tim road with me the last two days (97mi). It was a great way to cap of a long trek, glad he was able to ride along. The ride was through typical New England countryside with plenty of hills and lots of beautiful woods and lakes. As we made our way to the beach, the section along the Portland waterfront/wharf was crowded with tourists checking out all the shops, restaurants and pubs. It was so interesting we went back for a celebratory lobster roll lunch and beers. The earlier portion of the week was a little more challenging. On Tues 9/27 I rode the last stretch (for me) of the Erie Canal into Schenectedy and then started the route to Portland. All went well u...

Stats:   Today's miles:  74.5  miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,181 feet Total miles traveled:   2,822.6  miles Total feet climbed:   74,945 feet Miles and States quickly clicking off. One of the themes over the last week has been the focus on riding and with it the miles I’ve clicked off and the number of states that I’ve put in the rear view mirror. A combination of factors have contributed: relatively flat terrain, good weather (decent temps, limited head winds, good roads (low traffic, good surfaces). Another factor may be the building sense of reaching the end of the journey. On the ride from Monroeville to Bowling Green the remaining trip mileage dropped below 1000 miles!!! Up next. The goal tomorrow is Erie PA (84mi) and the following day to be in NY. I don’t want to jinx myself, but when I planned the route for the segments after Monroeville it is possible to reach Portland ME on Sept 29 assuming that riding conditions (hills, road/tra...

Weather Delay Stats:   Today's miles:  0 . 0  miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0 feet Total miles traveled:   2,435.9  miles Total feet climbed:   69,794 feet Goodbye Illinois! Another state off the list! I’m sitting in Rensselaer waiting-out a widespread weather system. I’ve been lucky to only have had 3 weather days so far in the trip. So, its a chance to summarize my ride from western Iowa through Illinois. When I was collecting some thoughts to describe this section of the ride, my first inclination was just to limit the description to ‘nearly endless corn and bean fields’, which would be accurate. But in thinking about it, there are aspects of the heartland that deserve greater appreciation. True, its not the scenic mountain vista, the clear blue lake, or the ocean dunes. But after riding through hundreds of thousand acres of cropland I’ve come to appreciate the millions of bushels of grain produced and the bounty of the heartland. It’s a l...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0  feet Total miles traveled:   1,268.1  miles Total feet climbed:   44,323 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   26 Initial/Final elevation 2,471 ft / 2,139 ft It's been a long six days riding through central and eastern Montana. The terrain, environment and remoteness have combined for some challenging rides. Rather than recap each day, I’ll summarize some of the notable experiences of the week. Amazing Changes Every Fifty Miles: I am constantly amazed how quickly the environment, terrain and eco-system change while crossing Montana. Within distances of 10 to 20 miles the terrain changes from wheat fields & grassland pastures to mixed Ponderosa pines & upland and to arid canyons/buttes/badlands. These transitions occurred everyday of the ride.     Groundhog Day in Eastern Montana: Every day, riding through this area there are a handful of things I could cou...