Day 16: Bachelor Night in Lima, Ohio
Posted on 10. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
Our sincere appologies for posting the next few write-ups in bulk; we had minimal internet/time. Thank you to everyone who was concerned about our safety and location. I feel like there are hundreds of moms all over the Internet making sure we are OK. Thank you!
Couchsurfing.com has been an incredible resource for us nomads. It brought us Marlene in Mansfield and Tiffany in Lancaster. For Lima, it brought us a great night of Bud Light Lime, grills, and a solid understanding that we did not have to impress each other. It was a nice break for the mind and body.
Colin, our host in Lima (pronounced LY-MUH) was the first male host our age. Joe was desperate for some grunting/bang-chest time and Colin came at the right time.
Noticeable Change in Appetite
Our night in Lima was the first time that we both saw a huge increase in our appetite. I don’t simply mean eating a bit more, we had been eating good hearty meals at each of the previous hosts. This time we felt like athletes. To sum up the spectacle, Joe ate 3 large chicken breasts and continued to snack on fruit and bagels throughout the night. Eat your heart out Mr. Phelps.
Colin
It should be noted that Colin, our host is researching road bikes this week. Within the first 20 minutes of meeting him, he was already attributing this new found interest to our arrival. Awesome! He works out at the gym but the treadmill bores him (as it does to me). Lima does not offer him the community aspect he yearns for and is looking to a road bike to fill the gap.
Thanks for everything Ohio!
Continue Reading
Day 15: Whoa, Flat Ground, Whoa
Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
So this is what riding a bicycle feels like! We had 46 miles of beautiful, flat land, and a great cool temperature. The previous 12 days had either poor weather and hills, so today was extra sweet.
Joe drafted behind and we averaged about 15-20mph. We were able to stop at the things we wanted to, and talk to the people we wanted to hear from. The flat ground for the next few weeks will allow us to make even more content while having more time to experience the small antique shops and people along the way. We even contemplated comparing the strip-clubs along the route because we knew we had the time to.
We decided against the clubs; instead, we went to our host’s house to watch Iron Man on Blu-Ray. I think we made the right choice!
The sign said $11,000. The price was dropped to $8,000 just for us (without even asking):
Back to fun:
Shall we go back and ask for $7,000?
Continue Reading
Day 14: Rain, Marlene, & Clicking Pedals
Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
Rain
We biked 42 miles for 5 hours in the cold rain from Wooster, Ohio to Mansfield, Ohio.
The first miles are not as bad as one would think. Your body warms up and the rain has yet to seep into darkest places of your shoes. It’s actually quite nice until you hit mile 6 out of 42…
Imagine two bikers on a long-stretched country road, soaked from the continious rain and longing for dryness and warmth. Think about the scene with their heads down and the water sloshing up from the bike tires. Every small puddle adds a few drops into the shoes while the brakes work at about 40%. We both had zoned out, turning our pedals over one at a time.
Marlene and Family/Friends
After a rain-soaked day of riding, our luck would prove itself again and have us stay with someone who went the extra mile to make our stay as comfortable as possible. We arrived in Mansfield, Ohio to an unexpected red carpet we appreciated with open arms. The warmth of the house and quips from her son, Jake, made us feel instantly welcome.
As a Pampered Chef saleswoman, Marlene took this opportunity to relive her work without selling anything to us. It was food ecstasy the entire night.
Leaving the next morning:
I decided to take the faster one:
A Clicking Pedal
I fixed the first maintence issue that was not part of a general tune-up. A clicking started in my Shimano SPD Pedal. It happened everytime I would get to the top of the pedal stroke. To make the matters worse, I could feel a vibration which started to drive me mad. I called Dave from Tsunami Cycles and he told me it was either one of two things.
1. The threads that attach to the crank need TLC. The solution is to dismantle to pedal and grease up what needs to be greased. Or..
2. Tighten the bearings inside of the pedal. To do this, turn a specific bolt (pointed to in picture below).
Continue Reading
Day 13: The Amish Make Us Happy
Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
After the obnoxious hills and drivers, ‘Amish Country’ was an actual paradise.
Joe and I never had any experience with the Amish culture or cuisine. As most people, we knew them as “the people who don’t have electricity.”
As a cyclist passing through, the Amish community and the nearby drivers should be given the ‘Kindness Award.’ Horse and buggies, and bicycles are not uncommon to see around each corner, reminding people that transporation is not only done by driving fast in your souped up Honda Civic. Car’s gave us ample room, and were happy to wait a few moments until the oncoming traffic passed. After a few days of hell’ish riding, the Amish gave us a boost in spirits.
The most memorable gestures came from a man riding a horse and buggy on the other side of the road. We approached each other without an interrupting passing car. Think of a movie-style slow-motion hug. The man had a long gray beard with no mustache, plain colored clothes, a straw-like hat, and a little version of himself sleeping on his lap. The smile he gave was as genuine as smiles can get. He was happy to see me, and for whatever reason I was happy to see him.
If you are unsure as to what ‘American Cuisine’ actually is, visit an Amish town. The attention to the quality of the food and furniture is something as an american I am proud of. We visited Walnut Creek, a true ‘American’ experience.
Continue Reading
Day 11 & 12: Hills, Touring Tip, & Moving On
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
I decided to put day 11 & 12 together because they have the same tone. We left for the ~70 mile ride each day at about 10am and finishing at 9pm. That’s right…11 hours of biking through ugly roads, rude drivers, and dogs.
Touring Tip: Don’t follow the our route for these days. We will take you through hills with a 15% grade, people that say ‘hyu-hyuck,’ and you won’t get enough time to spend with your host. Make sure to look at the topography maps of the area, because these were planning-fail days.
We had amazing hosts each day, but getting there at 9pm doesn’t allow us to get past the basics. I’m personally a bit pissed about not being able to spend some time with our host in Wheeling, WV. He was cautious in the original days of when we asked him to be a host, even sending out a tweet polling his friends. After a few more weeks and him agreeing, he followed our progress with the same enjoyment as my mom. I may have to do this ride again with a 3-day stop in Wheeling.
Ohio welcomed us with a driver honking and opening the door in attempt to hit me. Luckily it ended with me holding a precious girl in my arms. She must have liked me because she didn’t drool!
This is Joe, with his helmet hair after day 11. (Notice the drained eyes and thoughts of setting fire to all the hills on our route.)
This is me half-dead on the floor while writing this post.
Hoping tomorrow will be different.
Continue Reading
Day 10: 2:27pm, Blackholes, Candy Bars
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by carlos.
With a few hours of sleeping in Brian’s garage, we headed 65 miles in the early morning to Pittsburgh. We finished off the Great Alleghany Trail and had about 9 miles into Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, with over 700 bridges and the original urban planner hopped up on something, getting into Pittsburgh was an ordeal. The trail getting in was closed so we picked a bridge and somehow made it in.
Pittsburgh is a black hole with candy bars in the middle.
We arrived at 2:27pm. Screaming “BooYa!” at the top of our lungs would not do that arrival justice. The candy bars represent the people that somehow were sucked into the city. I felt like I was in Austin, TX again. People had the same unique quality that only certain towns have.
A special thanks to:
Lindsay Patross from IHeartPGH.com for asking us to switch our route in the early stages to come through Pittsburgh.
Scott Bricker from Bike-PGH.org for being our host on short notice and helping us around the town. The work this man and his team do is pure quality.
Jonathan Kersting from Pittsburgh Technology Council for lending a hand with meeting location.
Stats
Miles today: 64.71
Total miles: 503.21
Flats today: Carlos – 0, Joe – 1
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 1
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Minutes until Carlos being sad: 3
Continue Reading
Day 9: Thunderstorms, Bagels, and 20 Miles at Night
Posted on 30. May, 2009 by carlos.
We were 20 miles away from our destination when we pulled over to grab some extra fuel. About 2 hours of light left had us with heads in the air; things were going to work out. While I was deciding whether or not to buy bars or trail mix at a local shop, Joe had the bright idea of looking at a television. The warning band said severe thunderstorms ahead. It seems to be our theme for the week.
Within 15 minutes, we were sprinting to a pavilion for fear of starting another campaign called ‘Washed Across PA 2009.’
We were stuck under a pavilion for the next 2 hours with a few rafting instructors our age. Under the pavilion the spirits were high. We were meeting great people, and the storms would bring them work .
It was either bike 80 miles the next morning to be in Pittsburgh by 2:30pm, or…
I strapped on a $5 LED headlamp, and we biked 20 miles on the Alleghany Trail to Connellsville PA. Each fog patch would blind me, and I would call out, “Fog!” Joe would push ahead and act as the guide while I acted as his light. The 20 miles was a huge team building excercise. I had to push trust in Joe’s cycling for my own safety.
At the end of our 20 miles, we met Brian and Angel whom were out for a night-time stroll. I guess things did work out.
We slept 4 hours in their garage:
Thanks Brian for the bagels and good luck on your training at Wilderness Voyageurs!
Bike stop along the trail. Super kind of them!
Stats
Miles today: 73.97
Total miles: 438.5
Flats today: Carlos – 0, Joe – 1
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 1
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Trees that needed moving: 2
Continue Reading
Day 8: Bambi
Posted on 30. May, 2009 by carlos.
Joe’s shot of the day:
Stats
Miles today: 57.77
Total miles: 364.53
Flats today: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
