Closer and closer...

The early part of last week was wet and rainy so on Tuesday I took the bike in to the shop to have it packed for shipment to California. Going back on Thursday to pick it up the box was still open and viewing all those pieces was strange...after all the training miles we have put in that bike is like another limb and seeing it all broken down was like having my arm or leg in a cast. So Thursday Tom and I taped our packages shut and watched our bikes slide down the conveyor belt at FedEx - so the game is on. The only way to get them back is to get out to Los Angeles and pick them up. And, since we bought one-way tickets to LA we seem to be hooked.... Of course the training really doesn't stop. I came home and pulled down my old Trek. I have not been on it in almost ten years and I think it last saw the road maybe four years ago when I loaned it to a friend. To say it is badly in need of a tune-up is an understatement. I changed both tires, cleaned up the chain and applied some oil only to find the shifting was a mess. Long story short, I managed to get the middle ring functioning fairly well, the brakes work and out I went for a test. I felt like I was riding the Schwinn I got for my tenth birthday...However, I took it up and down a couple of hills on Friday and it seems stable and safe so this will be it for the next couple of weeks. The hardest thing to get used to again is that this old bike has the old cages on the pedals - I'm a little rusty at getting my feet in and out. I will be very happy to be able to clip in when we test the bikes in LA. And then Tom and I showed up for the first Anchor House training ride of the year on Saturday and it was great to get in one last ride with that gang. Was a beautiful day, even at an early 7:30 start, and with all the riding we have done this year 37 miles with a few good hills never felt so good. So tomorrow is Monday of the penultimate week...let the countdown begin.

Finally - The Century

Wow - at last a really beautiful weekend. Tom and I have been talking about doing a "century" - 100 miles - for a couple of weeks. There are two back-to-back centuries in the first segment of the ride. We have been complaining about cold winds, rainy days, and any number of other reasons for postponing what we knew we needed to do. In any case I dug up an old ride cue sheet from the Freewheelers (a local bike club) that started almost exactly from my driveway and we headed out yesterday morning. The route took us through some of New Jersey's prettiest country - mostly horse farms and small towns, all on good roads, and mostly rolling to flat. We went east through Monmouth county and somewhere around the 50 mile mark arrived in Manasquan where we made our turn and started heading back. We skirted the Pinelands coming back and, again, horse farms and a lot of good country roads. Only thing we had to complain about was a really nasty head wind that kicked in for the return trip. The temps were in the high 70s so it wasn't the cold winds we have been fighting since February but it was a true in-your-face, slow you down kind of thing that tends to wear you down. We finally pedalled back into Lawrenceville with the computers showing 99.15 miles - and we decided that was just about enough, lets go get a beer! So today I put a new set of tires on the bike and went out for a test ride. Actually the real point was to find out if I had any legs left after yesterday...I keep thinking of that back-to-back century exercise we will face in a few weeks. Another nice day, a day of spring breezes (the first rule of cycling: If there is wind it is always in your face!) and sunny skies . I did forty-some miles, enough to test the tires and let me know that the legs survived the century. This week looks like rain for at least the first couple of days - it will be forced recovery for us. We will be packing the bikes on Wednesday and shipping them out to LA a day or so later - after all the talking and riding this adventure is starting to seem very real. And David and Z - this photo is for you. (Tom's caption is Bob looking for a little more horsepower..)

A Real Spring Day

Yesterday was a trial. Sun was out when I left the house but disappeard within the first five miles. More to the point I encountered a 15 to 25 mph headwind with my first turn and the fun began. We ended up doing 72 miles but in temperatures in low 40s, a bit of swirling snow flurries at one point, and that constant wind - no matter which way you turn it always seems to be right in your face.

So today: again, sun was out but this time just a bit of wind and a whole bunch of white puffy clouds. Tems went up to 60 or so and we could wear shorts and skip the hats and winter gloves.

The forsysthia, the daffodils, some of the flowering trees - all seem to come out on a day like today and it was truly a great ride. We did about 55 miles with lots of hills and just enjoyed this gift of a day. Which is a good thing because the weatherman is promising rain tomorrow and more of the same for Saturday. I'm starting to feel more confident about this ride but still am not too happy to miss a training day.

Also tried out my new camera today - for any of you folks who thought New Jersey was nothing but turnpike and refineries here's documentation to the contrary (among other things we also saw deer and wild turkey on our way). The guy in the photo is Tom Ryan, my partner on this bit of foolishness. Like that moustache?

And the other photo is me at a country deli famous for it's chocolate chip cookies - the perfect fuel.

Anchor House

It's a thunder and lightning, rainy day in Lawrenceville, NJ - lousy for bikes but a good day for a couple of words about Anchor House.

Anchor House is a special place of refuge and emergency care for runaway kids and abused and neglected children. It is located in Trenton, New Jersey and provides safe and caring alternatives to kids fleeing abusive, dangerous situations. Over its 30+ years Anchor House has provided care and shelter to over 15,000 kids and families.

Tom and I have done the Anchor House Ride for Runaways for several years (me for the past 5 years, Tom for over 10). It is an annual 500-mile, one week bike ride with approximately 200 riders, all of whom work to obtain sponsors and raise funds to keep the doors of Anchor House open for the kids. It is no exaggeration to say Anchor House does not exist without the ride - roughly half the annual budget comes from generous supporters of the riders.

Tom and I are both looking at this cross country ride as an extension of our committment to Anchor House - indeed, the cross continent ride works out to about seven Anchor House Rides back to back.

And so, dear reader, we are inviting your support. Any amount will be much appreciated (a penny per mile works out to about $35.00 and that would be a nice amount).

The easiest way to give is to go to http://www.anchorhouseride.org/ and click on MAKE A DONATION (top, left opening page) and follow the prompts. And please show my name in the DESIGNATION box. Or you can mail a check to Anchor House Foundation, PO Box 2357, Trenton, NJ, 08607.

And on behalf of the kids at Anchor House.....Thanks much

P.S. Am also attaching a photo from a past Anchor House ride...I'm the guy on the left and on the right is my partner of a three years, Tim - it is not Tom Ryan, I'll catch up with him later.

Spring in New Jersey

Spring can be very fickle in New Jersey (to wit: there is a possibility of snow this coming week) but today was almost perfect. No small part of this upcoming little adventure is the preparation and for the most part it is pretty basic - ride, ride, and then ride some more. At this point I am really tired of the trainer, i.e. the indoor bike and would also like to put away the the long bike tights and the winter gloves and ski hat. I got an early start today (9:15) and went out with one layer and shorts. The sky was blue, the temperature kept going up and it was a great ride. A little windy to start but even that diminished toward the end. The back roads I rode were abloom with daffodils and forsythia and I even saw a few farmers attacking fields with tractor and plow. Among other things to think about I know that there are back to back centuries (100 miles) in the first 9 days and we haven't yet found time or a weather day to try one this year. Today I did 65 miles of the Anchor House hilly training ride (more about Anchor House soon) and actually felt that I could have done much more. That's a good sign and now the trick is to feel like I can do it every day. Tomorrow they are talking rain - no I do not deliberately ride in the rain. I know that it will inevitably rain at some point on the ride but I feel no desire to go out and practice for it. So tomorrow will be the trainer and hopefully another long ride the next day.... More later