Day 7: Abandoned House, Hills, and Hills
Posted on 28. May, 2009 by carlos.
“If you can make it through Pennsylvania, the Rockies will be easy,” Becky repeated. This statement was never more true.
The hills/mountains of the Appalachian Mountain chain approach quick, have a ridiculous grade, and are a pain in our lowest gear. The terrain for the day was mountains, mountains, and a few more mountains.
Safety became a concern at the top of one peek. With the fog we could not see more than 20 feet ahead, it was getting dark, and Joe’s body was losing strength. We called it a night and found a place behind an abandoned house to pitch a tent. It was our first night of official camping, and with that, came the new car feeling of using the tent for the first time.
In the picture above, you can see a small tent in the back.
Lesson learned for the day: Joe’s body is not cooperating with the hills.
Stats
Miles today: 49.3
Total miles: 306.76
Flats today: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
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Day 6: A Night With Franklin Fire Station 4
Posted on 28. May, 2009 by carlos.
The ride from York to Chambersburg took us up 1,350 feet where we were greeted by an elderly couple. The man could barely walk but insisted on bringing our water bottles into the house to refill. “I don’t mind giving people water. If you ever come back this way you make sure to stop in again for water.” He had squeezed those words from his teeth while the wife sat atop the stairs smiling.
When we arrived to Chambersburg, we stopped at a grocery store for enough food to camp with. We had about 2 hours left of sun, and was heading to a campground. Joe bumped into Ray (a man interested in our setup). Ray knew the president of the local fire station and took it upon himself to call. About 30 minutes later we were setting up our gear in the firehouse bunks and talking to the volunteers. We even saw and alarm sound and saw for the first time what a call from the inside was like.
The guys from Franklin Station 4 showed us how the fire station operates, how their equipment works, and the history of the building. I have never seen so much pride from a group of people who weren’t getting paid. It was a good feeling to see that these were the people dashing to save my life.
A huge thank you to the volunteers, president, Ray, and everyone who made us feel welcome for the night.
Stats
Miles today: 61.25
Total miles: 257.46
Flats today: Carlos – 2, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
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Day 5: Furbys, Shoe House, Susquehanna
Posted on 24. May, 2009 by carlos.
With only 25 miles laid out for the day, we woke up and left later than normal. The entire town of Lancaster shuts down on Sunday except a few breakfast places, grocery stores, and all of the churches.
Wrightsville, PA
We instantly knew that after crossing the ‘Veterans Bridge’ into Wrightsville, we were entering 8th grade America History class.
There was an elderly couple sitting on the steps of what looked like a house built during the Civil War. Turns out, it was. The couple had lived in the house for 61 years, the same number of years they have been married. After chatting a few minutes with the man about the women he has loved, the wars he has been in, and the people he beat up for his wife, he asked if I wanted to take a peek inside the house. Ella, the lady, led me inside. She passed by 100 year old paintings and furniture that belonged in museums to show me a Furby. She grabbed the Furby and started screaming, “Dance! Dance! Dance!” to which it replied, “I’m scared.” We turned around, and went back outside. Ella, you made my day.
Haines Shoe House
Deb, tonight’s host, mentioned that we should make a right on ‘Shoe House Road.’ It was exactly what we expected, and more.
According to RoadSideAmerica.com, ”The Shoe House was built in 1948 (and completed in 1949) by Colonel Mahlon M. Haines, the flamboyant “Shoe Wizard,” for advertising purposes.”
Stats
Miles today: 29.28
Total miles: 196.23
Flats today: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Waves from cute girls: 2.5
Crossing the Susquehanna River.
Tiffany, our host from Lancaster, painted Joe’s bike!
Made it to York PA!
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Day 4: Stills From Day Off
Posted on 24. May, 2009 by carlos.
A huge thanks to Kari for being our lunch sponsor! We miss you and want you to grab the keys to your moped.
A few stills from our day off in Lancaster:
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Day 3: From Roy Paradise to Amish Paradise
Posted on 23. May, 2009 by carlos.
Hanging out with Roy from Phoenix Cycles gave us a great boost for the next morning. His manorisms were calming. You can tell from his smile below:
Joe had a small knee injury that was pinching every so often. Between Dave from Tsunami Cycles and Roy, Joe was able to figure out what may be causing his pain. It ended up being a combination of poor use of gearing, causing him to peddle harder when peddling faster was needed, and also an adjustment of the saddle.
We were both able to pick up more speed today. Joe’s body was agreeing with him, and there was no pressure in his knees. The roads were flat, and there was very little head-wind. Passing through Amish country meant frequent breaks, “kick-ass garage sales,” and bonnets.
Overall, today was the best days of riding.
Stats
Miles today: 49.25
Total miles: 166.95
Flats today: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Horse and buggies passed: 2
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Day 2: Joe Wants Arby’s, No Flats, and Cadence
Posted on 23. May, 2009 by carlos.
- Cadence (how fast you peddle) is very important when going long distances. Trying to keep my cadence around 80rpm allows me worry about my heart-rate and not the speed of the bike. In other words, no matter what the terrain, I exert almost the same amount of energy when peddling.
- There’s a direct correlation between Joe’s hunger, and his irritability. Glad we figured this out early in the ride so it won’t happen again.
- We had a really hard time finding water. Many times we were tempted to use someone’s hose attached to the side of a barn.
Cycling tip: If hills are daunting and you find yourself winded even after small ones, get a cycling computer that measures your cadence. Spend a few days worrying about peddling at a constant speed, rather than the speed your mind wants to push the bike.
Stats
Miles today: 54.7
Total miles: 117.7
Flats today: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
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Day 1: Flat, Random Host, and Good Times.
Posted on 20. May, 2009 by carlos.
Today was filled with experimenting the best flow. Who handles the directions? Who is in front? Who is doing our tweeting? How do we figure out which way is best to ride when we need to alter the route on the fly?
The day started off with a 2 hour drive from Mahopac, NY to Neptune City, NJ. I was a little too worried that we would not have enough sunlight because we left a few hours later than hoped. My mind eased as the day progressed.
The turns started to get annoying after our directions told us our 60 mile route in increments of 0.5 – 1.5 miles. Touring Tip: Try to stay on the same road when going from point A to B. Even if you have to go a few extra miles when planning your route, it will be worth it to not look down at your map and wonder if you are on the right road every few miles.
We would have offended the touring cyclists before us if we did not take a picture on the starting-point-ocean.
After 6.7 miles, Carlos decided to ride over nail.
Passing through Trenton, NJ we asked this family sitting outside for a refill of our water. A simple request turned into an amazing few minutes of laughing and them wishing us the best.
Becky was our host for the day. We met her today, and she let us strangers spend the night with her and her husband. The random act of hospitality starts this trip off well.
Stats
Miles today: 63
Total miles: 63
Flats today: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Total flats: Carlos – 1, Joe – 0
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
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We Leave Tomorrow Morning!
Posted on 19. May, 2009 by carlos.
Four months of planning, a few hundred phone calls, hours of being a bike shop apprentice, and we are finally leaving!
My parents will be driving from Mahopac, NY to Neptune City, NJ to drop us off at the starting point. My parentals rock!
We should be leaving our first location between 7am and 8am.
Tonight, as expected, has been filled with last minute wrenching, minor adjustments to the bike, and a trip to the grocery store.
How to contact us on the road:
Fear not! We will have laptops and cell phones the entire time. We will be using the internet from our phones (tethering) to give us connection wherever we are. If you want to contact us use the ‘Contact Us’ button up top. If you already know our cell phone numbers, it’s because you are special, or good stalkers.
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Order Your Real Geeks Ride T-Shirt!
Posted on 19. May, 2009 by carlos.
Found us on the interwebz? Met us on the road? Know us from Hawaii? Are you either Joe or Carlos’ mom?
Help support the ride and get a fancy, custom-designed t-shirt! There is a limited quantity(100 pieces) for sale, so feel cool when you hit ‘Order.’
T-Shirts provided by…
T-shirts were designed and printed by ThinkGeek.com. They are full of amazing people, who do amazing things, and sell amazing products. A special thanks to Carrie Gouldin who was our liason to ThinkGeek.com and also the voice behind their Twitter account.
Click ‘Buy Now’ to Order
