We have been on the road for ten days now. I had to take the van to Detroit today because my knee has been bothering me since yesterday. I rode 90 miles on it yesterday and thought that repeating that mileage today would be a bad idea. So I rode in the van and slept and ate a lot – not a bad deal overall but I was jealous of missing the flat ride and beautiful weather. Oh well, there will are plenty more days ahead of us.
The days are blending together, but we’ve ridden an average of 70 miles per day including one century and a few 80 and 90 mile days. 80 through the Alleghany Mountains was trying, but I did it slowly and stedily. I also took a little nap under a big tree after eating a 3,000 calorie lunch. One of the best things about riding a bike for so long and so consistently is the amount of food you must consume.
I’ve been through NYC, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Cleveland, and Detroit thus far. Our next big stop is Chicago, which I am quite excited for. Along the way we stay in hotels, motels, and campgrounds. I enjoy camping the most (we have stayed a some beautiful spots such as at Berlin Lake in Deerfield, OH). The hotel we are in now in Detroit (Greektown Casino-Hotel) and the International Hotel in Cleveland are pretty swanky, though. The Laurel Manor Inn in western PA was the opposite but had a charm all its own.
Now that Ive set up this blog it should be easier to keep track of the days. I am very busy riding, eating, sleeping, and enjoying the company of my fellow riders who are all great. Some are messangers in NYC and others are famous mountain biking champions. Others, like me, are regular old folks, so it’s an interesting mix of people.
Tonight we are being carted off to CityFest for a big 4th celebration and free drinks. Woe is me!
Hey, it’s me the Famous One. Loving your blog, Kyla. C’n I use (for attribution) yr pic of “god saw that”?
Love, me, the one that ‘sucks’.