Year: 2014
City of Origin: Los Angeles, CA
Frame: Folding Aluminum Alloy
Size: Adjustable
Fork: Dahon Alloy
Cockpit / Seat Post: Dahon
Group Set: Dahon
Gearing: Dahon
Wheels: 20 inch Dahon
Tires: Schwalbe
Pedals: MKS Folding
Saddle: Dahon
Shoes: DZR
Trips: Maine
Year: 1983
City of Origin: Dajia District, Taiwan
Size: 48 cm Slant
Frame: Aluminum Alloy
Fork: Giant Composite Alloy / Carbon Fiber
Cockpit / Seat Post: Aluminum
Group Set: Shimano Ultegra 5800
Gearing: Triple
Wheels: 700 mm Shimano Ultegra
Tires: 25mm Panaracer
Pedals: Look – Delta
Saddle: Selle Italia Bianchi Leather
Shoes: Diadora Leather
Year: 2015
City of Origin: Los Angeles, CA
Frame: Folding Aluminum Alloy
Size: Adjustable
Fork: Dahon Carbon Fiber
Cockpit / Seat Post: Dahon Aluminum Cockpit; Bio (Internal Pump) Seat Post
Group Set: Sram Force 11 Dual Drive
Gearing: FSA 53 Chainring Sram Dual Drive Sturmey Archer 3-Speed with 11/32 Rear Sprocket
Wheels: 421 mm Dahon
Tires: 25 mm Schwalbe Durano
Pedals: MKS EZ Look/Flat
Saddle: Brooks Cambium C-13 Carved
Shoes: Look – Lake CX237 Leather; Flat – DZR
Trips: New Orleans, Alabama
Year: 2003
City of Origin: Alameda, CA
Frame: Reynolds 853 Steele
Size: 48 cm Slant
Fork: Bianchi Carbon Fiber
Cockpit / Seat Post: Ritchey Aluminum Alloy
Group Set: Sram Force 11
Gearing: 50/34 Chainring with Rear Sprocket 11/32
Wheels: 700 mm Velocity
Tires: 25 mm Continental Gator Skins
Pedals: MKS EZ Look/Flat
Saddle: Brooks Leather
Shoes: Look – Lake CX237 Leather; Flat – DZR
Trips: NYC to DC, Bear Mountain, NYC to Philly
Year: 1980
City of Origin: Milan, Italy
Frame: Columbus SL Steel
Size: 51 cm Frame
Fork: Steel Chrome
Cockpit / Seat Post: Campagnolo Steel
Group Set: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Gearing: 52/42 Chainring with 6-Speed 11/23
Wheels: 700 mm
Tires: 25 mm Vittoria Corsa G+ Tubular
Saddle: Selle Italia Leather
Pedals: Campagnolo Record with Campagnola Clips and Christophe Strap
Shoes: Bianchi Leather with Kleats
Trips: Eroica California
Year: 2018
City of Origin: Verona, Italy
Frame: Columbus Stainless Steel
Size: 49 cm Frame
Fork: Falz Carbon Fiber
Cockpit / Seat Post: Deda Zero 100 Aluminum Alloy
Group Set: Campagnolo Record 11-Speed
Gearing: 50/34 Chainring with 11/29 Rear Sprocket
Wheels: 700 mm Campagnola Zonda
Tires: 25 mm Vittoria G+ Corsa Clinchers with Vittoria Latex Tubes
Saddle: Selle Italia Leather
Pedals: Campagnolo ProFit
Shoes: Vittoria La Tecnica
Trips: None…yet!
Welcome one and all to my latest bike adventure. For the next few days I will update you on this exciting cycling trip.
Many of you followed my previous bike adventures of 250 Miles in Maine 8/17, 440 Miles in New Orleans 1/18, 350 from NY-MD 8/18, and the 400-mile Freedom Ride in Alabama in December.
The Route – I call this the Independence Ride because I will be riding through significant historical Revolutionary War areas between New York and the City of Brotherly Love.
The route is roughly 250 miles, The big ride is on the first day, mostly flat, with a break day on Saturday, and the return trip will take me through the DE Water Gap at the base of the Northern Appalachians, finishing at home in New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday: NYC to Philadelphia
Saturday: day of rest, although a special blog post is planned
Sunday: rain permitting, Philadelphia to southern New Jersey
Monday: southern New Jersey to NYC
I decided on this trip because I wanted to visit my sister-in-law Nghi, who, after graduating NYU Stern, has taken a primo job with Vanguard and is now happily living in Philadelphia.
Temperatures are looking good for spring weather, between 50 and 80 F. Just need to dodge the rain a bit, but spring is in full bloom!
The Bike – Since I was able to leave from home, I get to ride my Mikkelson cruiser. This is a bike that was custom-built for me in 2003 by Bernie Mikkelson in Alameda, CA, which I upgraded to nearly-all American parts last year, with the exception of a Bianchi carbon fork, which was a holdover from my first real Italian road bike.
The bike is Chromoly steel with the aforementioned Bianchi carbon fork. It’s fitted with Sram Force 22 groupset and velocity wheels holding Conti gator skin classic 25mm tires. Cockpit and seat post are aluminum by Ritchey and the saddle is my comfortably worn Brooks Swift. It all weighs about 23 pounds plus gear. For this short trip, I’m carrying roughly 15 lbs of gear, plus 3 liters of water on my back.
The Dedication – This ride I’m dedicating to my sister in law Nghi. She is just kicking ass and taking names in the finance world.
Today’s Journey:
The ride today set out to be my biggest single-day distance ever. Leaving NYC at 72nd and Broadway, in order to avoid the ferry and ride the whole distance, I have to go first north 7 miles to cross the GW Bridge into NJ. From there, it’ll be 100+ miles to downtown Philly. The route consists of a combination of city streets, suburban streets, and a gravel road on the Delaware and Raritan Canal. My riding buddy Mike Gormley decided to join me for the first couple hours of the trip, at least until we got to breakfast. He met me at the house at 6:40am, and off we went from the Upper West Side.
After crossing the GW Bridge, Mike and I had to fiddle a little bit to find the proper route. But we finally got going.
For those of you who have assumptions that New Jersey is an ugly place, here is a gorgeous river view to change your mind.
The sight below is one I ended up seeing several times during the day. I’ve often encountered Canadian honking geese on golf courses and in parks, but I’ve never actually seen their chicks. Today along the train, I saw five sets. Which I surmise to mean they all breed around the same time, and this is hatching time.
After a number of twists, turns, and morning traffic in southern NJ, Mike and I landed in the charming township of Maplewood, with a view of their adorable city hall.
We parked the bikes at Maple Leaf Diner and headed in to grab some breakfast.
Before I left, I had started the day with coffee and a cranberry scone, but after 33 miles, I was hungry! So Mike and I dug in and each downed a corned beef hash and egg skillet with english muffin and potatoes…
…and capped it all off with a piece of blueberry pie. God I love calorie burning days!
Sadly, this was the end of the road for Mike. He had to train back for other obligations. Fat and happy, he took off for the train and I took off for Philly.
As I followed the road towards southern New Jersey, the bulk of my route was along bike trails that used to be the tow path for the Delaware and Raritan Canal. It stretches dozens of miles through NJ and into PA. The views were lovely…
…and the gravel roads weren’t too bad for the most part. Most of it was packed gravel, with some loose coarse gravel where they had recently repaired the roads.
The most fascinating parts of this trip were reading the signs about canal life in the 1800s and seeing the lock mechanisms.
These canals were primarily used for transporting shale and coal from PA in the early days of petroleum excavation.
The canal was only half the interesting view. To my right along the way were gorgeous woods where General Washington moved his army north from the Battle of Princeton. At one time, you can imagine these forests housing a bunch of soldiers. Now instead of hostels, they are filled with hostas, these lovely large-leafed plants which nature designed to collect water like cisterns.
I spent more than 25 miles on the canal road, which moved a little slower at about 12 mph, but was worth it since I wasn’t in a particular hurry.
Finally at the end of the canal road, I arrived in Princeton, NJ. Even before I saw the gates to this institution, I knew I was close due to the large amount of nerdy looking people walking through the town.
This is the Theological Seminary at Princeton, representative of much of the architecture.
Along the way, there were all sorts of odd architectural sights, including this colonnade, which was actually designed by Thomas U. Walter, who later designed the dome for the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The colonnade itself was originally part of a manor house, but the manor was subsequently demolished in 1957. It now marks a memorial erected in 1918 in memory of unknown American and British soldiers who died in the Battle of Princeton during the Revolutionary War.
There were a number of historical signs along the way (too many to show), but this one identifying Washington’s Inauguration was a key one as I entered into Trenton, NJ.
I’d never been to Trenton, and had no idea how charming it was. It’s filled with Federal style architecture…
…and numerous honoraria to various Revolutionary heroes, such as this one to commemorate Nathan Hale.
By the time I reached Pennsylvania, I had put in a good 80 miles. The breakfast wasn’t enough to keep me going, but I’ve been recently testing out pro-bars and Cliff-Shot Gels to bulk up on sugar and caffeine. For the most part, they seem to work pretty well. I had gone with relatively little stopping since I left breakfast, taking brief breaks for fueling. I’d had very little fatigue, or hand or seat numbness, and my muscles felt strong. I attribute this to the muscle building I had done over the fall. You’ll learn more about that tomorrow!
I made it to the edge of the city around 5:30pm with only about 25 miles to go, thinking that I would get to my destination relatively quickly. But coming to the north side of Philadelphia, I found the bike trail ran down this street that was very poorly times with stoplights, so it took me nearly forever to go the last 15 miles. But I did finally make it, as you can see from the Inquirer smoke stack.
Since I had already surpassed my longest one-day ride by double digits, I felt I was entitled to a victory lap. I cruised around Ben Franklin Blvd and got a selfie in front of the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Arriving at my final destination on Market Street, I was received with a warm welcome from my sister in law Nghi…
…who was only too happy to celebrate my accomplishment of a daily personal best of 117.26 miles.
And so the party began! We headed off to Nghi’s favorite French restaurant, where I started with a Tanqueray 10 martini up with 3 olives…
…followed by deviled eggs with fresh crab…
…escargot and champignon…
…and an entree of veal scaloppini with wild mushrooms and sautéed spinach on the side.
I finished with a walk to the gelato place for amarena and pistach. I noticed along the way this evening that Philadelphia has a vibrant restaurant scene, so i’m really looking forward to exploring that further. All in all, a fabulous day. Great weather, a personal best, and great company.
Here are the day’s stats:
Miles Today: 117.26
Total Miles So Far: 117.26
Miles to Go: 140
Ride Time: 9.5 hours
Total Ride time: 9.5 hours
Elevation climbed today: 1,000ft
Total Elevation: 1,000ft
Calories Consumed: 3,300
Total Calories Consumed: 3,300
Calories Burned: 5,950
Total Calories Burned: 5,580
Geese encountered: 5 sets with chicks
Proud of the ride yesterday and deserving of a rest.
Since I have no cycling planned for today I am taking this opportunity to hopefully entertain you with the story of my L’Eroica ride last month as I teased in my Birmingham log.
The journey began for me last fall when I kept stumbling across vintage bikes and part listings on eBay referencing Eroica. Curiosity piqued, I found the L’Eroica site.
Apparently, in 1997 an Italian in Chianti, Giancarlo Brocci worried about the preservation of the famous white gravel roads called the Bianchi Strada in the wine country.
So he gathered fellow cycling enthusiasts and launched a vintage bike rally. It was effectively the Mille Miglia for bikes.
The rules were strict. All bikes and equipment must be 1987 or prior. This year was important because it for the most part assured the following:
The course is 30% gravel and 200km or 130 miles at is largest. Of course shorter options were available.
The first race in Chianti had 90 riders. Today there are 5000 and it sells out a year in advance. Rather than modern gatorade and Gu, the rest stops are filled with local fare like sausage, Italian pastries and bottles of Chianti. Every October it’s a giant party.
It’s since expanded to 10 additional cities around the world.
After obsessing over every article and blog post, I was hooked. I planned my attack. The Eroica California takes place in Cambria California. (San Luis Obispo – Hearst Castle)
I figured to get a bike, practice on the California rides and work up to Chianti in 2021.
The Bike: I thought about restoring one, vintage bikes are cheaper than new pikes and parts are readily available on eBay. It would make for a fun project. But then while searching I found an amazing bike in my size: a 1980 Olympia Campiozone. The bike is Italian with a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record Groupset and 3TTT handlebars.
Olympia is the second oldest bike company in Italy (Bianchi is #1). They have a rich history but never sold in the US. Some of the old artwork is spectacular:
To see the bike in all it’s amazing detail, check out this site.
The bike was light, finished and gorgeous. It had amazing pantograph detail, an approach where Italian bike artisans would route out metal for weight and then paint in the space.
By November the bike was in NYC ready to ride.
I found era appropriate pedals, shoes and clothing. Happily my well worn Brooks Leather saddle was also age appropriate.
Time to train.
Riding a bike of this era gives you great appreciation for the riders of the 70s and 80s like Fausto Coppi, Eddie Merckx and Marco Pantani.
First I had to get use to the shoe clips. I had memories of falling in my kleats 20 years ago. So I was super careful for the first few rides trying to understand the mechanisms and timing with the straps. I finally figured out you either leave them loose or else you have to reach down and loosen them each time way before you stop.
Thankfully I made it through the adjustment without any falling.
On modern bikes like my 18.5-pound Pegoretti dream bike (Story and Pics coming in a later post) I can be a lazy rider. I can sit back in the seat, shift at the touch of a button and grind on the nearly 1:1 gear ratio.
Although this bike was still fairly light at 22 pounds, I had half the gearing and had to take a hand off the handlebar and get things just right. It’s a bit like playing a trombone for the first time. It makes it so you don’t want to shift unless you absolutely have to.
Modern bike – Slight hill or want to push? Finger click and start spinning.
Olympia – Slight hill or want to push? USE YOUR LEGS DUDE!!!
Then you have half the gearing so when you run out of the gears? GET OFF YOUR ASS AND STAND UP!!!
I spent 200 miles riding more aggressively than ever before. I even adopted an alter ego for the bike.
Here is Fausto Montare (Auspicious Climber):
Fausto put on more than 5 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks of training just by climbing with the Olympia. In March I shipped the bike to California and got ready to race.
While the bike was en route I got in a few more rides on my modern bikes but stayed on my big chain ring even on big hills so Fausto could stay in shape.
For the California Eroica, I signed up for the 75 mile route. 5500 elevation. 20 miles of gravel. I set up the bike with 25mm tubular tires (tire and tune sewn together into one unit.)
There would be about 1000 riders at the event.
I spent 2 days getting reacquainted with the bike in San Jose. A local bike shop gave me a lovely route on Los Gatos Creek road that had gravel, hills and lots of bike path.
I got in a 20 miler on day one.
I had one incident on a steep gravel hill where I was slow to get my foot out of the basket and took a spill banging up my shin on the rocks. Nothing to do but walk it off and get back on the bike.
I was staying at friends Amy and Kelsey and their dog Mochi was happy to help heal me.
That and Kelsey loaned me his compression boots each day. Don’t know if they actually work but they sure felt great.
Next day I went out and attacked the hill again. This time success. A 42 mile ride with plenty of hills and gorgeous views.
On Friday we headed down to Cambria for the festivities. My friend’s Tim and Karen graciously hosted Amy Kelsey and me in the lovely town of Cambria.
After a great dinner and wine on Friday we headed to the Eroica venue so I could register. There were sponsored booths from Bianchi, Brooks and others, but the highlight was the swap meet for parts in the back and the Concourse D’Elegance showing off lovely restorations on bikes dating back to the 1930s.
I picked up a French Simplex front derailleur for my buddy Jeff who is restoring his 70s Peugeot which he intends to ride in Eroica next year.
Then I took off for a Saturday warm up ride up the coast so I would be ready for Sunday’s race.
I road from Cambria up to San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle.
My time in California was blessed with a super bloom and the flowers would show along the coastline in huge color all week.
After an 18-mile ride I was ready. I felt great. I even considered attempting the 107 mile ride. but that would mean starting at 5AM instead of 8AM and that would mean skipping the wining and dining with my friends. So I decided to stick to the 75 and enjoy the day. It would be my first attempt at this event and I wanted to have fun. I had nothing to prove to anyone.
I had a great dinner with my friends and a good night sleep. The morning came and my friends joined me for the start.
It was time for Fausto to race.
We started in a pack of about 50 and headed down the coast about 17 miles.
The ride was easy and cool. At the first stop in Cayucos, there was an odd combo of breakfast burritos and chocolate dipped strawberries. After fueling up we headed inland and up the first major hill.
The hill was a steep climb on dirt up and over the coastal range. The training paid off. I was mostly able to grind it out standing. I did stop once at a super steep point and walked for about 5 minutes. But once I got my heartbeat down I got back on the bike and finished riding up the hill to stop #2. It was tough, but I was pleased with my performance. After a bit of fruit and a cookie, I was off again.
The route took me through a steep rutted dirt downhill. Navigating off road on skinny tires was challenging, but not impossible. It took focus and concentration for a good 8 miles.
Once back on pavement, it was mostly winding rollers in the Paso Robles wine country. I was often on my own as the crowd thinned out. But also at times I would group up with a couple other riders. We would admire each other’s bikes and share some stories while riding. At mile 50, we hit the lunch stop.
Lunch was at a winery and was ok fare. Soup, fruit and PBJ sandwiches. The other rides had caught up here so there were lots of bikes to ogle and lots of people to talk to. A few had been to the actual Chianti event and were only too happy to share their experience.
The ride post lunch was an easy 5 miles just before heading up Crestview ridge. This was the longest and steepest of the hills, and all dirt. I cranked as hard as I good but it was just too much hill for the 42/23 combo. Several people were actually shocked I had gotten as far as I did on this gearing. They had upgraded to modern gearing which is somewhat common in the California race but fiercely frowned upon in Chianti.
I however was not the only one walking up this hill. And I did it proudly. I felt good about sticking to the spirit of the event and felt connected with the heros of before. I walked about a mile and finally hit the top. I truly at that point felt the fatigue that Eroica meant to be shared.
All that was left now was a steep, winding downhill toward the coast and then 10 curvy miles to the finish back in Cambria.
Just before we took off the sheriff announced at the stop that there was a tough downhill curve coming up in the gravel. He parked a couple of units nearby advising us to slow down when we see them. “I have no need to clean up the mess of any more of you guys today.”
Sure enough, about a quarter mile down, I saw the flashing lights and slowly made my way around the curve.
Then came the downhill. The dirt was hard but when the road turned to pavement it got steeper and windier. It didn’t take long for my hands to become sore managing the grip on those 40-year-old brakes.
I really didn’t think there would be much difference in the brakes since the mechanics were essentially the same, but I have to give credit to the modern bike engineers for figuring out how to get more leverage with less of a squeeze.
This downhill was long, technical and grueling for about 3 miles. I heard several veterans complain about how their hands hurt from the old style grips.
Finally I reached the more level 8-mile run to the finish. Just as I was cruising along, I picked up a couple of bogeys in my mirror. Up came 2 thirty-somethings and as they started to pass, Fausto kicked in.
I got a second wind and the race was on. out 25 to 2We jockeyed for position running about 20 -25 mph. Every time they got ahead, I would push and catch up. Then I would pass and they would draft.
Finally with only about a half mile left they made a hard push. the one in front riding a beautiful Cinelli looked at me and shouted in an obvious Italian accent, “DUDE! Your Pace! She’s Amazing!!!”
I smiled and yelled as they passed, “What do you want from me??? I’m an old man!”
My day had been made. I crossed the finish line and caught up with my challengers to get a pic. The Italian is on the left, and Evan in the middle is the owner of a wonderful vintage bike shop in Long Beach, The Bicycle Stand.
Evan would host me for an all-new bike experience which I share below.
The race was a success and I was happy with my performance. I was done with Cambria but not with the Olympia. I needed to get a sense of how strong I really was on the Olympia. I wanted to truly understand Fausto’s capabilities.
As it happened I stayed Monday night at my friend Justin’s house in Oakland. He lives near the base of Tunnel road which is a long climb to the top of the Caldecott tunnel in the Berkeley hills. I had ridden this hill many times on modern bikes, but never on such low gearing.
I took off, and 30 minutes later I had conquered the 5 mile climb without a stop. Not even a tough workout.
I was treated to a great San Francisco bay view.
The Olympia had done its job. It was time to retire it for the season.
Next day I drove down the coast to Southern California and witnessed the most beautiful coastal bloom I had ever seen.
I picked up my Folding Dahon which I had left in Manhattan Beach from my last trip and went to San Clemente to visit my friend Jack Daly.
Jack is an incredible athlete at 70 conquering marathons and Ironman competitions on multiple continents.
It was time for him to meet up with Fausto on the road.
Jack and I had 2 great rides including one down to Camp Pendleton. All in all we put in about 70 miles of coastal riding in 2 days.
On my way back to LA, I stopped to see Evan in Long Beach and he invited me to check out the Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Apparently Sunday is there event night so I went to see this incredible venue and get on a track bike for the first time ever.
The arena is a 1/4 kilometer wood ring with 48 degree banked turns.
The bikes are fixed gear which means no shifting, no coasting and no brakes! You have to keep spinning.
It’s precision riding. You must go at least 16 miles an hour just to stay up on the banks. Then your position relative to other riders is controlled by moving up to the outside lanes or down to the shorter path.
Evan set me up with a Trek rental. I brought my own shoes and pedals.
Evan trained me well and by the end of the evening I learned to trust the bike and was able to ride with confidence and in formation.
Our last ride was 3 of us in formation for 20 laps. At every two laps, the front rider would move up allowing the other two to pass underneath. The lagging rider would call out the lap number.
We hit speeds of 30 mph banking around the corners. It was exhilarating. It felt like Formula 1 on bikes.
That’s me in the yellow jersey.
I am grateful to Evan for this experience and will do it every time I am in LA. They have an outdoor track in Queens but I hear it’s just not the same as this $15 million Olympic class venue. (The 1984 Olympic Velodrome was a concrete precursor at this campus, now converted to a soccer field.)
Here is Evan, me, and a gorgeous Cinelli Pista. If there were an indoor Velodrome in the East, I would make this my 5th bike.
It was a great week and only one thing could cap it off…
Tacos!!!
I picked up an al pastor on the way to my room and got a great night sleep.
So there it is, The Eroica California journey. A great success and I happily have two buddies prepping bikes to join me in Cambria next Spring. Feel free to come along. maybe even come to Chianti in 2021.
Tomorrow I am back on the road from Philly heading home to NYC. This time with some climbing through the Delaware Water Gap near the Appalachian Trail.
The bad news is that today was a complete rain day in Philly. The good news is that I got a second day of rest before the 150-mile ride home through the mountains.
And I got an extra couple of mealtimes to share with my sister-in-law Nghi.
With the flash flood warnings in effect, I did what any dedicated cyclist would do… I scrapped today’s ride and headed for the cinema to see Avengers: Endgame in 3D.
Rather than give you a recap with spoilers, however, I am going to share some sights and eats from my day and a half in the City of Brotherly Love.
First the sites…
I’ve walked about 15 miles in town since getting off the bike. For those of you who have never stopped in Philly, it’s actually a charming city and has been attracting a lot of millenials that don’t seem enamored with NYC or Washington DC. And of course it is close enough to either of those places for a quick visit.
I started at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which currently has a Japanese woodcut and a large impressionist exhibit going on (my favorite are Monet and Van Gogh).
There is a wonderful statue of George Washington on the plaza in front. It gets a lot of attention.
But not as much attention as the Rocky statue in front of the building, where there is a 15 minute wait to get your picture taken. Pretty Sly.
The building itself is beautiful and sits high on a hill.
Inside I happily saw one of my favorite impressionist paintings. Van was finishing her Yoga teacher training and loves sunflowers, so I sent her this pic to encourage her by saying (wait for it…)
Go Van Gogh!
After a few hours in the museum I had my fill of Rodin, Miro, Matisse, Lautrec, etc., and headed out to South Street. It was a beautiful day to walk.
I passed through John F. Kennedy Plaza…
…and by City Hall.
There were plenty of charming and historical streets to view. On previous trips here I had seen Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, so this time I enjoyed the less touristy areas.
Today I got to walk through both Drexel University – Go Dragons! …
…and University of Pennsylvania, home of the Wharton School.
UPenn is the Ivy League school founded by Benjamin Franklin.
On the way back I passed this cool bridge, typical of the blending of old and new in this city.
And just around the corner was this lovely garden, which is actually part of the Mutter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The garden is actually all made of medicinal plants for the college, which was founded in 1787. You can share this pic with your mom since it’s perfect for… Mutters’ Day.
Now the food…
Philadelphia’s food scene has really grown. I had several good meals here. Local knowledge helps. Nghi brought me to this wonderful hummus place which is owned by the famous Philly deli family, the Dizengoffs.
She also sent me to the local fave for cheesesteak.
Forget about Pat’s and Geno’s. Woodrow’s on South Street is the bomb. Their standard “Wiz Wit” has truffle in the cheez wiz, half-grilled onions, and a cherry pepper mayo. Awesome. This is why I ride the bike.
Nghi’s choice for dinner was a jazz club that served an excellent Manhattan, which accompanied a roast duck breast and crispy potatoes with shishito peppers.
My last treat in Philly was near the Penn Bookstore at a local combo coffee bar and clothing store called United by Blue. Their clothing is a nicer Urban Outfitter type, but their biz model is cool. For every piece of clothing you buy, they clean a ton of trash from a waterway. Check out their site!
Their pastries were excellent, including this Gruyere popover and egg croissant/quiche.
The weather looks clear for the next few days so I can start my trip back home. I plan for 3 more days of riding about 50 – 60 miles per day.
No new stats for the day.
Day 4 and I’m finally back on the road after the rain. I had a really wonderful visit with Nghi, but I was ready to hit the hills.
I’m breaking up the trip back to New York into 3 days. My target today was to head northwest to the town of Easton, PA, which is 75+ miles of Pennsylvania hills along the Delaware River. For those who don’t know, Easton is the home of Binney & Smith, the maker of Crayola, so I’ll color this post with selections from the Crayola rainbow.
I struggled a little getting out of Philadelphia because of construction (lots of Vivid Tangerine construction signs), but finally I got on the Schuylkill Path.
I noticed a number of bike packers along the way. The ones with small backpacks I assumed were commuters headed into work. But the ones with the panniers I imagine were people who had been outdoors for the weekend and got stuck because of the (Aquamarine) rain. Like me!
The path was lovely and took me past boathouse row. Here’s a picture of the (Brick Red) UPenn boathouse:
It was obvious that this path was at one time a major thoroughfare, as demonstrated by this lighthouse:
The Schuylkill Path eventually became the Wissahickhon Creek Trail. I have to say, the ride today along this route was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. So beautiful, in fact, that pictures cannot do it justice, although I did stop to take plenty along the way. Here’s just one example:
I highly recommend that if you ever get the chance, ride from Philly to Easton. Don’t even think twice – just go. That being said, there was a lot of off-road biking, and a mountain bike might have done well. I caught a lot of (Fuzzy Wuzzy) mud in the process because of the (Pacific Blue) rains the day before.
The rugged trail also took a toll on the equipment, as you can see by the failure of my (Razzmatazz) water bracket:
But being resourceful, I simply wrapped it in a(n) (Inchworm) jacket, stuck my (Indigo) shoes on the outside, and headed on down the path.
By this time I was done with dirt for the morning. I started to come across tons of interesting historical sites that I’ve never seen, including this home for wayward children:
And inside the gates, they’re actually rebuilding the castle:
Later on I came across this rather large and pretty university I’d never heard of before, Gwynedd Mercy University (school colors Red and Gold):
I also saw lots of interesting old houses along the way:
Once I was out of the river area, I ended up on this lovely 10-mile suburban bike path…
…that went all the way to Doylestown.
Fortunately I was able to find a bike shop, where they not only gave me a very sturdy new (Burnt Sienna) bottle holder (shaped like a dove!)…
…but also turned me on to a wonderful chicken restaurant called Lovebirds. It turned out that chicken would be the theme of the day. I encountered several more pairs of geese along the towpath, where it seems they had been nesting. I encountered several couples with broods of 5-8 chicks. Most would move over to the side of the path. One pair, however, decided to chase after me, and giving me flashbacks to dogs chasing me on my Louisiana ride. I did get to see one set where the parents were swimming in the canal with chicks, one parent in front and one behind. Unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough to get out a camera and snap a pic, but it really was amazing to watch.
Back to my lunch at Lovebirds: I had a wonderful chicken BLT with avocado, with a side of (Macaroni and Cheese) mac and cheese. The only thing missing was MY lovebird <3
After lunch I headed off into more incredibly scenery. I passed through the town of Carverville. This is the Carverville Inn. It’s so beautiful and this picture just can’t do it justice.
Hopefully you can get a sense of how gorgeous (and Forest Green) things are by examining this (Gray) stone house. It’s in ruins, but you can tell once upon a time it was beautiful.
Finally I made it out to the (Wild Blue Yonder) Delaware River, which is accompanied along the side by the Delaware Canal:
Along the canal, you could see lock after lock after lock:
In fact I saw so many locks that only one thing was expected to complete the day. That was, of course (wait for it….)
Bagels!
The (Salmon) lox–I mean locks were interesting enough. But what was even more fascinating were these flood gates, used on all the streams to control the flow of water into the canal:
After a while, the trail turned into a single, narrow track.
You can see by my tire how narrow the path was:
It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but between all my gear on the bike and the gravel on the path, it made for some challenges. It also caused some concern because I was traveling close to a fence. Which if you check out the sign…
…could have resulted in a (Goldenrod) jolting experience.
For those of you who having been thinking about living on the water, this house may make you want to reconsider. Check out the the (Blue Bell) dates that mark how high the river flooded that day:
There continued to be historical signs along the trail, including this entryway to the very first Boy Scout camp:
And along with history came beauty (with Scarlet and Fuchsia and white azaleas):
Since this was originally the towpath of mules, there had apparently been an art project…
…but this was the only one that seemed to be left:
For anyone who thought covered bridges only existed in New England, there was no shortage of them here:
Just as I was hitting the 60 mile mark and starting to feel a little peckish, I stumbled upon Hometown Roasters and their coffee shop, quite well suited for a bike stop.
I made friends with Roger and Bob, coming down from their trek on mountain bikes:
At this point, I had gone as far on the tow path as possible and finally crossed the (Pine Green) bridge from PA back into NJ:
Then I was treated to another gorgeous scene that was indicative of the beauty I had witnessed all day along the river. And even this picture still just doesn’t do it justice!
As I headed for the last 2 miles, I passed one of the largest solar arrays I’d ever seen…
…and finally landed at my Airbnb after a day of 76 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation:
Now it was time to take a shower and put on the feed bag. In perusing Yelp, I stumbled across a small family-owned restaurant off the beaten path called Ashley’s…
…and I was not disappointed. I was greeted by wonderful bartender and former NJ State Trooper Frank, who set me up with an Uncle Val’s Martini straight up with 3 olives.
I began with duck pierogis. They were a wonderful mix of crispy, soft, cheesy, and ducky:
Next came caprese salad with beet caviar, tomatillo, and fig:
I wanted to try to make the beet caviar at home, but when I spoke to Jason the Chef, he explained to me the molecular gastronomy process that would require thousands of dollars of equipment and a masters degree in physics. That or a few hundred oompa loompas to carve tiny balls out of beets.
Next came a lovely french onion soup, in all its cheesy toasty goodness:
Finished off by a cocoa- and chili-rubbed pork loin stuffed with bacon and Apricot preserve, Brown butter yam, and a bourbon glaze:
After a glass of wine for dessert, I was about to head home, but then I heard Frank talk about putting Burnt Orange peels into smoky Manhattans. So I stuck around to watch him torch one up:
All in all, a lovely day.
Here are today’s stats:
Days of riding: 2
Days in Philly: 2
Miles today: 76
Miles so far: 193
Miles to go: 100
Elevation today: 1500 ft
Elevation so far: 2500 ft
Calories consumed today: 3100
Calories consumed so far: 6400
Calories burned today: 3800
Calories burned so far: 93800
Geese encountered: countless
Tomorrow I head to Hopatcong, NJ. It’s a short tide of only 40 miles and the weather looks beautiful, 55-75, so it should be another great day.
After a good night’s sleep at my Ashram…
…I headed out from Phillipsburg about 9am. The process of getting ready to leave in the mornings is a long and meticulous one. No matter how hard I try, it takes me 2 hours from the time I get up to get everything together, check my equipment, and get on the road. Most mornings, my Airbnb supplies coffee or there’s a coffee shop nearby, but not always. This trip I’ve been trying out some different caffeinated athletic nutrition. I’ve been putting 5 of these energy tablets…
…in my water backpack, which is about 2.5 liters, every time I fill up. The tablets have both electrolytes and caffeine, which help keep me going along the way. Since I couldn’t get coffee this morning, I took one of these Clif Shots…
…which had both a sugar and caffeine boost to get me through the first 12 miles before I stopped for breakfast. And it’s a good thing I did, since a good part of that 12 miles was uphill! I managed to get to get to Belvedere, NJ, and the Thislldous Eatery. If you can’t figure out what the name is all about, let me help you: this ‘ill do us!
It was an adorable classic diner like the ones you see so often on the eastern seaboard.
I ordered a brisket hash with eggs, jalapeño, rye toast, and yes, my favorite in the upper right hand corner, scrapple!
People often wonder what I do with the bike when I go inside. I do carry a lock, and for the most part, if I can’t lock it, I don’t stop it. I feel better when I can keep it in sight. I don’t worry so much that someone will steal it, but more that someone will mess with it. I do take the pedals off the bike to make it harder to ride away 🙂
After breakfast I headed down the road. Most of it was highway with a wide shoulder. I get to see lots of sights as I ride, but I can’t stop at all of them, because taking pictures slows me down. I was very tempted to get a hot dog here. And if I hadn’t just eaten such a huge breakfast, I probably would have!
I also often see funny street signs. This one intrigued me, because the thought of taking all the a-holes and sticking them all on one court actually seemed like a nice idea.
Then as I hit the Pequest River, I stumbled across a fish hatchery.
Here is the demonstration lake. If you look carefully at the other side, kids are being taught to catch and release fish.
All those trout get released into the river that I was riding alongside.
The beauty continued along quiet roads…
…and through the forest.
Then Google made a suggestion to take an off-road trail for the next 20 miles. But to be honest, I’d had enough.
After 2 days of off-roading, I decided to stick to the original purpose of my bike and stay on the road all the way to Lake Hopatcong…
…But that wasn’t without still having to climb 1000 ft of elevation in the last 10 miles. I finally reached the Lake and totaled out at 44 miles.
It felt as fatiguing as the 76 miles the day before, so I did what any rider would do at the end of their day: I treated myself to a Yuengling.
Ok, well, and a Guinness…
…And a much needed snack of pastrami reuben egg rolls.
And here I thought Van and I were the best Asian-Jewish combo!
I sat on the deck and waited for sunset, and just as it was coming, the sky got completely overwhelmed by clouds and a squall. Lucky for me, I had been paying attention to my Dark Skies app. I cannot recommend this app enough. It told me with a 15-minute warning that the clouds were coming, and I was able to pick up and head over the few blocks to dinner.
There I treated myself to a view of the lightning storm on the lake, as well as pappardelle with mushrooms and scallops, and a large plate of sautéed spinach.
Once I finished dinner, Dark Skies told me I had a 45-minute window, so I huffed it back to my Airbnb before the rain came again. A nice 2-mile walk to loosen up my tired legs.
1 more day to go, and about 57 miles with 2000 ft of elevation. But at least there’s more downhill than up. Getting to bed early tonight so I can get an early start tomorrow.
Here are today’s stats:
Miles today: 44 miles
Miles so far: 237
Miles to go: 57
Hours riding today: 3.5
Hours riding so far: 19.5
Elevation today: 2000 ft
Elevation so far: 4500 ft
Calories consumed today: 3210
Calories consumed so far: 9610
Calories burned today: 3000
Calories burned so far: 12,800
Geese today: zero
Got 9 hours sleep last night, which helped me feel ready for the last day. Despite the 2 hours normally required, I actually got out in 90 minutes today. Of course there was no coffee so I grabbed a Cliff Gel with 100 grams of caffeine to help get me the 17 miles to breakfast.
As I left the Airbnb I looked across the street and saw this van. I am beginning to sense a theme of this trip. Funny enough, I have a Yoga Van at home as well 🙂
The ride today was 100% pavement. Hooray! It would be a little over 60 miles through the small hamlets of New Jersey. It was a mix of semi-rural and suburban with a few cities to traverse as well.
I started in the beauty of Wharton…
…And caught this WWI memorial in Dover…
…Then into Rockaway, where they take their fortune telling VERY seriously.
I made it to breakfast at Missy’s:
I have been using this awesome lock that gets super compact but is secure enough to hold the bike.
I trust the lock but still like to keep my eye on things, so happily I found a window seat to watch the bike.
This place was adorable and had awesome breakfast.
Knowing I still had 45 miles to go and some big hills, I loaded up on a JD Black Special: eggs and Taylor ham and cheese on garlic fried tater-tots accompanied by french toast and coffee, of course.
After some banter with the locals that asked about my trip, I headed out with no intention of stopping again for food. I was anxious to get home, and all signs were pointing to the Yoga Hottie waiting for me. Even apparently signs from God:
Along the way I saw plenty of war memorials.
As I pulled into Paterson I stumbled across this incredible waterfall, I had no idea it existed.
There was also a statue. Who knew I would actually get to see Hamilton today? And it didn’t cost hundreds of dollars to see it. Still, I am not sure what everyone is raving about.
Also in Paterson was another star of stage and screen – Lou Costello. I was at the numbered streets so I checked to see Who’s on First.
I kept seeing unexpected sights like this submarine just hanging out.
By now I was mostly in city traffic and knew I was getting close as I came into Hackensack.
I had the biggest climb of the day heading from Hackensack to Fort Lee where I would pick up the George Washington Bridge. With Chris Christie out of office I felt confident I would make good time across.
I did, and caught a beautiful view of my home city.
Of all my tours, this is the first one where home was the ending point. So I got to catch a shot exactly where I started on Friday.
I passed the 300 mile mark. It was my biggest 4-day total ever. By comparison, my first tour to Maine was 250 miles over 8 days.
The triumph deserved celebration. I was welcomed as a victor by Van (holding the camera), Grunt, and the fish.
Happy to be home.
Here are the final stats:
Miles today: 62.5 miles
Miles total: 300.32
Days on trip: 6
Days riding: 4
Hours riding today: 5.5
Hours riding total: 25
Elevation today: 2000 ft
Elevation total: 6500 ft
Calories consumed today: 2000
Calories consumed total: 11,610
Calories burned today: 3500
Calories burned total: 16,300
Total Geese: 6 pairs with chicks
Flat tires: 0
Technical mishaps: 1 (Bottle cage failure)
Here are some final thoughts:
This was supposed to be a 4-day trip that turned to 6 due to weather and a desire to see some of the area. I like keeping things open ended.
It’s wonderful to see how many interesting places there are riding distance from home.
Google maps has really improved for bikes although they don’t take into account what sort of bike you have as it often suggests roads suitable only for mountain bikes.
Eroica has made me stronger. More strength means more distance. That means more opportunities to explore.
Hope you enjoyed the journey. Thanks for riding along vicariously. Would love to hear what you enjoyed the most.
Till the next ride.
Proud of the ride yesterday and deserving of a rest.
Since I have no cycling planned for today I am taking this opportunity to hopefully entertain you with the story of my L’Eroica ride last month as I teased in my Birmingham log.
The journey began for me last fall when I kept stumbling across vintage bikes and part listings on eBay referencing Eroica. Curiosity piqued, I found the L’Eroica site.
Apparently, in 1997 an Italian in Chianti, Giancarlo Brocci worried about the preservation of the famous white gravel roads called the Bianchi Strada in the wine country.
So he gathered fellow cycling enthusiasts and launched a vintage bike rally. It was effectively the Mille Miglia for bikes.
The rules were strict. All bikes and equipment must be 1987 or prior. This year was important because it for the most part assured the following:
The course is 30% gravel and 200km or 130 miles at is largest. Of course shorter options were available.
The first race in Chianti had 90 riders. Today there are 5000 and it sells out a year in advance. Rather than modern gatorade and Gu, the rest stops are filled with local fare like sausage, Italian pastries and bottles of Chianti. Every October it’s a giant party.
It’s since expanded to 10 additional cities around the world.
After obsessing over every article and blog post, I was hooked. I planned my attack. The Eroica California takes place in Cambria California. (San Luis Obispo – Hearst Castle)
I figured to get a bike, practice on the California rides and work up to Chianti in 2021.
The Bike: I thought about restoring one, vintage bikes are cheaper than new pikes and parts are readily available on eBay. It would make for a fun project. But then while searching I found an amazing bike in my size: a 1980 Olympia Campiozone. The bike is Italian with a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record Groupset and 3TTT handlebars.
Olympia is the second oldest bike company in Italy (Bianchi is #1). They have a rich history but never sold in the US. Some of the old artwork is spectacular:
To see the bike in all it’s amazing detail, check out this site.
The bike was light, finished and gorgeous. It had amazing pantograph detail, an approach where Italian bike artisans would route out metal for weight and then paint in the space.
By November the bike was in NYC ready to ride.
I found era appropriate pedals, shoes and clothing. Happily my well worn Brooks Leather saddle was also age appropriate.
Time to train.
Riding a bike of this era gives you great appreciation for the riders of the 70s and 80s like Fausto Coppi, Eddie Merckx and Marco Pantani.
First I had to get use to the shoe clips. I had memories of falling in my kleats 20 years ago. So I was super careful for the first few rides trying to understand the mechanisms and timing with the straps. I finally figured out you either leave them loose or else you have to reach down and loosen them each time way before you stop.
Thankfully I made it through the adjustment without any falling.
On modern bikes like my 18.5-pound Pegoretti dream bike (Story and Pics coming in a later post) I can be a lazy rider. I can sit back in the seat, shift at the touch of a button and grind on the nearly 1:1 gear ratio.
Although this bike was still fairly light at 22 pounds, I had half the gearing and had to take a hand off the handlebar and get things just right. It’s a bit like playing a trombone for the first time. It makes it so you don’t want to shift unless you absolutely have to.
Modern bike – Slight hill or want to push? Finger click and start spinning.
Olympia – Slight hill or want to push? USE YOUR LEGS DUDE!!!
Then you have half the gearing so when you run out of the gears? GET OFF YOUR ASS AND STAND UP!!!
I spent 200 miles riding more aggressively than ever before. I even adopted an alter ego for the bike.
Here is Fausto Montare (Auspicious Climber):
Fausto put on more than 5 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks of training just by climbing with the Olympia. In March I shipped the bike to California and got ready to race.
While the bike was en route I got in a few more rides on my modern bikes but stayed on my big chain ring even on big hills so Fausto could stay in shape.
For the California Eroica, I signed up for the 75 mile route. 5500 elevation. 20 miles of gravel. I set up the bike with 25mm tubular tires (tire and tune sewn together into one unit.)
There would be about 1000 riders at the event.
I spent 2 days getting reacquainted with the bike in San Jose. A local bike shop gave me a lovely route on Los Gatos Creek road that had gravel, hills and lots of bike path.
I got in a 20 miler on day one.
I had one incident on a steep gravel hill where I was slow to get my foot out of the basket and took a spill banging up my shin on the rocks. Nothing to do but walk it off and get back on the bike.
I was staying at friends Amy and Kelsey and their dog Mochi was happy to help heal me.
That and Kelsey loaned me his compression boots each day. Don’t know if they actually work but they sure felt great.
Next day I went out and attacked the hill again. This time success. A 42 mile ride with plenty of hills and gorgeous views.
On Friday we headed down to Cambria for the festivities. My friend’s Tim and Karen graciously hosted Amy Kelsey and me in the lovely town of Cambria.
After a great dinner and wine on Friday we headed to the Eroica venue so I could register. There were sponsored booths from Bianchi, Brooks and others, but the highlight was the swap meet for parts in the back and the Concourse D’Elegance showing off lovely restorations on bikes dating back to the 1930s.
I picked up a French Simplex front derailleur for my buddy Jeff who is restoring his 70s Peugeot which he intends to ride in Eroica next year.
Then I took off for a Saturday warm up ride up the coast so I would be ready for Sunday’s race.
I road from Cambria up to San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle.
My time in California was blessed with a super bloom and the flowers would show along the coastline in huge color all week.
After an 18-mile ride I was ready. I felt great. I even considered attempting the 107 mile ride. but that would mean starting at 5AM instead of 8AM and that would mean skipping the wining and dining with my friends. So I decided to stick to the 75 and enjoy the day. It would be my first attempt at this event and I wanted to have fun. I had nothing to prove to anyone.
I had a great dinner with my friends and a good night sleep. The morning came and my friends joined me for the start.
It was time for Fausto to race.
We started in a pack of about 50 and headed down the coast about 17 miles.
The ride was easy and cool. At the first stop in Cayucos, there was an odd combo of breakfast burritos and chocolate dipped strawberries. After fueling up we headed inland and up the first major hill.
The hill was a steep climb on dirt up and over the coastal range. The training paid off. I was mostly able to grind it out standing. I did stop once at a super steep point and walked for about 5 minutes. But once I got my heartbeat down I got back on the bike and finished riding up the hill to stop #2. It was tough, but I was pleased with my performance. After a bit of fruit and a cookie, I was off again.
The route took me through a steep rutted dirt downhill. Navigating off road on skinny tires was challenging, but not impossible. It took focus and concentration for a good 8 miles.
Once back on pavement, it was mostly winding rollers in the Paso Robles wine country. I was often on my own as the crowd thinned out. But also at times I would group up with a couple other riders. We would admire each other’s bikes and share some stories while riding. At mile 50, we hit the lunch stop.
Lunch was at a winery and was ok fare. Soup, fruit and PBJ sandwiches. The other rides had caught up here so there were lots of bikes to ogle and lots of people to talk to. A few had been to the actual Chianti event and were only too happy to share their experience.
The ride post lunch was an easy 5 miles just before heading up Crestview ridge. This was the longest and steepest of the hills, and all dirt. I cranked as hard as I good but it was just too much hill for the 42/23 combo. Several people were actually shocked I had gotten as far as I did on this gearing. They had upgraded to modern gearing which is somewhat common in the California race but fiercely frowned upon in Chianti.
I however was not the only one walking up this hill. And I did it proudly. I felt good about sticking to the spirit of the event and felt connected with the heros of before. I walked about a mile and finally hit the top. I truly at that point felt the fatigue that Eroica meant to be shared.
All that was left now was a steep, winding downhill toward the coast and then 10 curvy miles to the finish back in Cambria.
Just before we took off the sheriff announced at the stop that there was a tough downhill curve coming up in the gravel. He parked a couple of units nearby advising us to slow down when we see them. “I have no need to clean up the mess of any more of you guys today.”
Sure enough, about a quarter mile down, I saw the flashing lights and slowly made my way around the curve.
Then came the downhill. The dirt was hard but when the road turned to pavement it got steeper and windier. It didn’t take long for my hands to become sore managing the grip on those 40-year-old brakes.
I really didn’t think there would be much difference in the brakes since the mechanics were essentially the same, but I have to give credit to the modern bike engineers for figuring out how to get more leverage with less of a squeeze.
This downhill was long, technical and grueling for about 3 miles. I heard several veterans complain about how their hands hurt from the old style grips.
Finally I reached the more level 8-mile run to the finish. Just as I was cruising along, I picked up a couple of bogeys in my mirror. Up came 2 thirty-somethings and as they started to pass, Fausto kicked in.
I got a second wind and the race was on. out 25 to 2We jockeyed for position running about 20 -25 mph. Every time they got ahead, I would push and catch up. Then I would pass and they would draft.
Finally with only about a half mile left they made a hard push. the one in front riding a beautiful Cinelli looked at me and shouted in an obvious Italian accent, “DUDE! Your Pace! She’s Amazing!!!”
I smiled and yelled as they passed, “What do you want from me??? I’m an old man!”
My day had been made. I crossed the finish line and caught up with my challengers to get a pic. The Italian is on the left, and Evan in the middle is the owner of a wonderful vintage bike shop in Long Beach, The Bicycle Stand.
Evan would host me for an all-new bike experience which I share below.
The race was a success and I was happy with my performance. I was done with Cambria but not with the Olympia. I needed to get a sense of how strong I really was on the Olympia. I wanted to truly understand Fausto’s capabilities.
As it happened I stayed Monday night at my friend Justin’s house in Oakland. He lives near the base of Tunnel road which is a long climb to the top of the Caldecott tunnel in the Berkeley hills. I had ridden this hill many times on modern bikes, but never on such low gearing.
I took off, and 30 minutes later I had conquered the 5 mile climb without a stop. Not even a tough workout.
I was treated to a great San Francisco bay view.
The Olympia had done its job. It was time to retire it for the season.
Next day I drove down the coast to Southern California and witnessed the most beautiful coastal bloom I had ever seen.
I picked up my Folding Dahon which I had left in Manhattan Beach from my last trip and went to San Clemente to visit my friend Jack Daly.
Jack is an incredible athlete at 70 conquering marathons and Ironman competitions on multiple continents.
It was time for him to meet up with Fausto on the road.
Jack and I had 2 great rides including one down to Camp Pendleton. All in all we put in about 70 miles of coastal riding in 2 days.
On my way back to LA, I stopped to see Evan in Long Beach and he invited me to check out the Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Apparently Sunday is there event night so I went to see this incredible venue and get on a track bike for the first time ever.
The arena is a 1/4 kilometer wood ring with 48 degree banked turns.
The bikes are fixed gear which means no shifting, no coasting and no brakes! You have to keep spinning.
It’s precision riding. You must go at least 16 miles an hour just to stay up on the banks. Then your position relative to other riders is controlled by moving up to the outside lanes or down to the shorter path.
Evan set me up with a Trek rental. I brought my own shoes and pedals.
Evan trained me well and by the end of the evening I learned to trust the bike and was able to ride with confidence and in formation.
Our last ride was 3 of us in formation for 20 laps. At every two laps, the front rider would move up allowing the other two to pass underneath. The lagging rider would call out the lap number.
We hit speeds of 30 mph banking around the corners. It was exhilarating. It felt like Formula 1 on bikes.
That’s me in the yellow jersey.
I am grateful to Evan for this experience and will do it every time I am in LA. They have an outdoor track in Queens but I hear it’s just not the same as this $15 million Olympic class venue. (The 1984 Olympic Velodrome was a concrete precursor at this campus, now converted to a soccer field.)
Here is Evan, me, and a gorgeous Cinelli Pista. If there were an indoor Velodrome in the East, I would make this my 5th bike.
It was a great week and only one thing could cap it off…
Tacos!!!
I picked up an al pastor on the way to my room and got a great night sleep.
So there it is, The Eroica California journey. A great success and I happily have two buddies prepping bikes to join me in Cambria next Spring. Feel free to come along. maybe even come to Chianti in 2021.
Tomorrow I am back on the road from Philly heading home to NYC. This time with some climbing through the Delaware Water Gap near the Appalachian Trail.
Welcome one and all to my semi annual Bike adventure. For the next seven days I will update you on this great cycling adventure.
Many of you followed my previous bike adventures of 250 Miles in Maine 8/17, 440 Miles in New Orleans 1/18 and 350 from NY-MD 8/18
The list of followers has grown, mostly by choice. For the next 7 days I will be sharing the scenery, food and experience of my ride to and from Birmingham, Alabama in one email at the end of each day. (As the first, this will be a bit longer than future emails.)
If for any reason you would like to opt out, simply reply anytime and tell me. No questions asked, no offense taken.
The Route – I call this the Freedom Ride because I will be riding through significant historical Civil Rights areas in the great state of Alabama.
The route is roughly 375 Miles, Some hills in the Southern Appalachians and then and mostly flat. The trip is scheduled for 7 days of mostly 50 – 65 Miles per day I will carry only about 25 pounds of stuff and stay at Airbnb homes along the way. The City schedule is as follows;
Sunday: Birmingham – Waldo/Talledega
Monday: Waldo – Dadeville
Tuesday: Dadeville – Montgomery
Wednesday: Montgomery – Selma
Thursday: Selma – Greensboro
Friday: Greensboro – Tuscaloosa
Saturday; Tuscaloosa to Birmingham (My Birthday is that day so it’s a great way to celebrate!)
I picked the South because the temperatures should be pleasant riding weather around 50F/10C and there is only slight chance of rain. Seems to be working out now that last week’s storm has past.
The Bike – This trip is on a folding bikes since I had to travel to the location. I have recently upgraded my Dahon folding road bike which I bought just for this purpose. This bike has been excellently set up by the guys at Toga Bikes in Manhattan. Thanks guys. There is a pic below.
Skip this next paragraph if bike talk bores you.
The bike is a folding Aluminum Dahon 30th Anniversary Replica with a carbon fork and a Sram Dual Drive that carries 3 speeds in the hub. I have upgraded the Shimano cassette, rear derailleur, brakes and shifters all to SRAM Force. I now carry 33 useable speeds.
The Dedication – For those who don’t know, after many years Van finally was sworn in as a US Citizen last Friday. Yes, folks she is now a full fledged AMERIVAN! (Pic Below) She will join me on Xmas eve in Birmingham to visit the Civil Rights museums and celebrate.
Pictures and food to follow.
Today’s Journey – Today I started at 10:00 AM. Thanks to a YPO friend, I was blessed with making contact with a local riding buddy for the day. (Also an Entrepreneur.) Alex picked me up from my Airbnb in the AM and we staged at his house. He was kind enough to feed me with an egg sandwich. He provided a donut as well but the crispy creme was promptly stolen by his very satisfied dog Biscuit. I had no idea that hungry dogs would be the theme for the day.
Here is Alex and bikes. His is a light S-Works Carbon Fiber road bike which is about 33 pounds lighter than mine. Mine is closest to Alex.
Ready to go!
There was a lot more climbing today than I expected. Most of the time it was gentle but there were about 3 major climbs that rivaled Tunnel and Headlands in the San Francisco Bay Area. The new gears are great but it will probably take me all week to get them dialed in.I am still not consistently sticking in my top climbing gear which would have been helpful today.
Somewhere between mile 9 and 15, the first battle casualty occurred. Sadly I lost my Bike computer because the clip had broken and I did not tape it well. It wasn’t super expensive but it was convenient. Luckily the MapMy Ride app on my phone would suffice for the week.
When I got to the top of the hill I saw this and thought, hmm I felt like a mountain goat this morning.
Sure they look cute…
But apparently they are vicious!!!
Most of our trip through the Appalachians looked like this stretch of forest.
At about 43 miles in, at 1:30PM we reached the Logan Dam on the Warrior River. We had a quick snack stop on the available helipad. I bring with me dried Vietnamese Bananas. Best bike snack ever. Sadly Alex had to turn around and head home. He would finish out 3.5 hours later at 87 miles.
There is a lot of poverty and vacancy in this part of the South. On the way to, and inside Talladega I would see closed shops like this. While rustic and charming, they do represent the economic difficulties down here.
At about 3:15 PM after 64.5 miles and no lunch stop. (Couldn’t find one.) I finally arrived at my first stop. The outside wasn’t much to look at…
But the inside was awesome.
And the porch view was lovely.
There wasn’t much open in the area on Sunday, so Pizza was the order of the day. I was plenty hungry. till I craved some local food so…
I got some at the perfect Southern supplier, the Gas station. I was thrilled to pick up this local delicacy.
And of course add to it the Southern staples.
Well, the first day is done. I am fed, got leftovers for the morning and it’s early enough for a good night sleep.
Before I do though, here is the Dog thing. Back in Louisiana I got chased twice by dogs. Scary, maybe. Today I was chased 5 times. They are fast! Upwards of 15 – 20 miles an hour!! Alex would squirt them with his water bottle which helped a bit but once on my own my camelback didn’t have a squirting feature.
By the last time I wondered if they don’t really attack. They just like to chase and bark. It’s a bit scary but the conventional wisdom is to actually stop and wave the bike which will scare the dogs. Just another obstacle to overcome.
Today’s Stats:
Miles Today: 64.5
Total Miles So Far: 64.5
Miles to Go: 310
Ride Time: 5 hours
Calories Consumed: 3500
Calories Burned: 2900
Tomorrow is a 60 mile ride to Dadeville with a very cool lunch stop.
Til then,
K
People often ask me if Day 1 is the toughest. When I think about it, it’s probably day 2. I’m not really in the groove yet and I am suffering a bit of soreness from day 3. It takes me a day or so to get a rhythm for getting out of the house in the morning. 2 hours today. 4. Add to that today had a fair amount of elevation and was a long ride. Tough day, but very satisfying.
The reason for the rhyming title is that I spent most of my day dodging logging trucks and of course dealing with the dog problem. Luckily most of the logging trucks went out of their way to avoid me. Not so much with the dogs.
Apparently there are no leash laws in most of Alabama which is why all these dogs are free to chase anything that comes by their purview. I thought about filing a squirt gun with ammonia, but I figured some guy seeing me pointing a gun at his dog would not go over well here in Alabama. I am pretty sure their guns would not be plastic.
After consulting the Internet, I learned that the surest way to deal with dogs chasing and attacking was to stop the bike, get off, and then standing behind the bike, yell at the dog. Doing this makes you the Alpha dog and makes you less interesting.
It felt a little counterintuitive and disconcerting to confront a vicious barking dog but that is what many said on the Internet so it must be true. 😛
It didn’t take long to find out the truth.
I left at 9:00AM and two houses down were 3 yellow labs in the road waiting for me. They started charging and barking so I quickly got off the bike standing behind it. I loudly yelled: “GIT!!!” (This is Alabaman for the NYC phrase “Leave me the F**K alone!!!!
Much to my shock… IT WORKED!!! They all backed up and eventually ran back up the drive. I couldn’t believe it. It happened again and again! 8 times in my first hour of riding in fact. The only downside was I had to get off the bike every time and walk it down the path a bit. The only stubborn dogs were a couple of bitches who had just had litters so they were protective. But even then I just had to move slower.
So now I had the key. It made the ride much less stressful. But it also made it a bit longer since I actually had 20 dog encounters today delaying me probably about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Still it was better than being the bunny in a greyhound race.
There were a few other obstacles today. The first was this bridge that was closed. It took me few minutes to realize that I could get around the gates…
And I did catch a nice view of the river.
I thought this was cool. It’s for walking around horses or cows without a field or ring.
Most of the Talladega forest looked like this. except that there was litter everywhere. Mostly beer cans. I saw so many on the side of the road…
…that I am now convinced this may be the new flag for the great state of Alabama.
So I made my way through the forest, the litter, the hills and the dogs until I came across this one…
I rolled the bike slowly and nervously and then realized that he was super old and just sunning himself. I was the least of his concerns
Just when I finally started to get into a groove, Google decided to mess with me by sending me on dirt roads like this…
And worse, this…
Normally I try to find a way around these, especially when they have mud holes like this…
But today I just toughed it out. Luckily the dirt was packed red clay and rideable. It had dried out from the rains a few days ago and wasn’t like that horrible Bayou mud in Louisiana. All in all I rode through about 4 miles today of hilly dirt. It’s good prep for my L’Eroica race this Spring. (More about that on day 7.)
I often came by little shacks hiding in the forest.
I also saw more rivers…
Lots and lots of Baptist Churches in the middle of nowhere, (How can they all be the First Baptist Church? Isn’t there a number 2 somewhere that tries harder?)
And more rivers. At this one I noticed something special…
Me! Apparnetly I had picked up a battle scar. No it wasn’t a dog bite. It was a scrape from getting off my bike to yell GIT!!! to the dog.
Finally at 1:00PM I arrived at lunch on mile 41. General’s Cafe in Daviston. Famous all over for their fried okra!
Being in the South I started with a 32 ouncer of Dr. Pepper. After all those hills sugar tasted real good. Turns out it was an endless cup.
Then the meal: Grilled catfish, hush puppies, cornbread, purple peas and of course the fried okra.
Now that I was full of protein, carbs, sugar and caffeine, (The perfect biking cocktail) it was time to hit the road for the last 38 miles.
There are too many of these historical signs to show you. I try and read them when I can.
And sometimes I actually pass the sites.
The last 20 miles were uneventful. In fact my last 2 hours were practically dog-less. I did have to finish out with a couple of big hills before finally sliding into my Dadeville airbnb just before sunset at 4:25PM
I showered and changed and got a ride to dinner from my host’s room mate. Not a huge selection of restaurants open on Monday but I did get to sample some local brew called Truck Stop Honey.
And finished strong with a Cheeseburger with Cajun Tater Tots.
All in all a hard day but a good day. The weather was sunny and about 60. I was able to ride in shorts and short sleeves. By tomorrow I should be settled in and there should be fewer hills.
Here are the Day 2 Stats:
Miles Today: 67.8
Total Miles So Far: 132.3
Miles to Go: 242.60
Ride Time: 6.5 hours
Total Ride time 11.5 hours
Elevation climbed today: 3255
Total Elevation: 5995
Calories Consumed: 2900
Total Calories Consumed 6400
Calories Burned: 3500
Total Calories Burned 6400
Dog encounters today 20
Total dog encounters 25
Tomorrow I ride to Montgomery. Should be about 50 miles. Weather looks good.
Hopefully this will be the last talk about dogs. First, apparently a needed clarification. All the dogs yesterday were not strays. They all belonged to the homes I passed. Apparently having loose dogs is only a thing in the Talladega area of Alabama. Today I had ZERO dog encounters. All the dogs I saw were either on leash or behind fences.
I left at 9:30AM this morning looking forward to a slightly easier day. The miles were fewer and the elevation was much less, but little did I know nearly all the climbing would be concentrated in the first 20 miles. That made for some steep climbing.
It all would have been fine if there had been breakfast. Good thing I had some dried bananas.
The forest views were nice as well.
At one point when I got near the south end of Lake martin I passed a sign that said overlook. I was on a tear so at first I just zoomed by. But I stopped and turned back. I sometimes get focused on going point to point and forget that part of the fun of these rides is to sightsee in areas I may never return.
So I turned.
Now I should have realized if something is called Overlook Drive it’s bound to be uphill, and it was indeed the biggest and steepest hill of the day. It was a crappy road and so steep I had to walk up a bit. But the view was totally worth it.
Here is the bird’s eye view of Lake Martin and the land beyond
Apparently this area was a favorite song topic for Hank Williams in case any of you are country music fans.
When I got back down the hill I was treated to the ruins of the previous bridge. It reminded me of Roman ruins.
The downstream side of the Tallapoosa river was lovely.
After 28 grueling miles I was super hungry and arrived in the only town with a lunch stop… Eclectic, Alabama!
The only place to eat was a Mexican Restaurant called the Cozumel Cafe. Considering the lack of diversity I had experienced so far on the road, I wondered if that was what made this town eclectic.
I found a different answer.
The bike always attracts attention at my lunch stops and today was no exception. I made these new friends outside. From left to right…
Will, Joy, Austin and Ken. They had many questions but Ken asked my favorite…
Ken: (In a deep drawl) So do you carry a pistol for protection?
Me: (In my head) Hmmm, should I be packin heat?
I actually said: It’s all good. perfectly safe except for the dogs.
Good times.
The thing about these rides is that great food is worth the ride, but even so so meals taste awesome when you are burning 4000+ calories a day. I easily wolfed down a burrito with chile con carne, a beef taco and some guacomole.
oh and don’t forget the Dr. Pepper. For those who wonder about the soda/obesity issues in the south, I had barely started on this 32 ouncer when the waiter simply brought me a second one. (Which I did NOT drink.
All gassed up and ready to go I got back on the road. I hit my final hill and last dirt road (Thanks Google) a few miles out. I did however get to see them loading a logging truck. I stopped to ask them about their load since the trees looked to small for lumber. Apparently much of the logging is pine that heads to paper mills.
On a business note, a quick tip to the EOers and YPOers on the list. There may be some undiscovered membership opportunities down here.
Soon I was headed down to the flats. Once at the bottom of the hill I discovered marsh land that bears a strong resemblance to the bayou in Louisiana.
It makes for interesting scenery like this…
But is sadly often interrupted by a litter patch or what I now refer to as an Alabama garden.
I also noticed a lot of loose cotton on the road, yet no cotton fields to speak of. I assume the cotton was blowing off the transport trucks. That or a few Santas exploded.
At 4:00PM at mile 57 I arrived at my Airbnb. A lovely landmarked converted to rooms and biergarten.
I parked the bike and was treated to a much needed beer.
After a quick shower I headed out to see the sights of Montgomery. It’s a charming little town for a capitol city. The historic capitol looks great at night..
I walked over to a great restaurant called Central where I treated myself to Deviled Eggs with Caviar and Pork belly…
Blackened Flounder with a Succotash of Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, Okra, Corn and Crawfish…
Finishing with Beignets with bacon, maple syrup and chocolate fudge
I got back and the Biergarten that night was hosting the friends and family of local guy Chris who was a finalist on The Voice so I watched. (He got third place)
It was a solid day and I am glad the hills and dogs are done for a while.
Here are the Day 3 Stats:
Miles Today: 57.0
Total Miles So Far: 180.3
Miles to Go: 186
Ride Time: 5.5 hours
Total Ride time 17 hours
Elevation climbed today: 2503
Total Elevation: 8498
Calories Consumed: 2500
Total Calories Consumed 8900
Calories Burned: 4500
Total Calories Burned 10,900
Dog encounters today 0
Total dog encounters 25
So far the weather is still holding up. Tomorrow I travel the reverse path of the Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery.
I may be in Selma for 2 days if the rain comes in Thursday as planned.
Til then,
K
Today was the ride from Montgomery to Selma. I left at 9:45 and headed out through back roads. It was a much lighter day today. Less than half the elevation and no dirt roads. Only 1 dog encounter and he was blocked by cars as he tried to chase so I did not have to stop. I was able to cruise around 15 MPH for mot of the ride which meant less seat time.
The famous march was primarily on Highway 80 but the easiest riding and best scenery is off the beaten path so I grabbed the road less traveled whenever possible.
The side roads allowed for beautiful scenery like this
Much of Alabama this time of year is brown but there are lovely patches of green every time I pass a turf farm. Or as I refer to it, the young golfer’s Santa’s workshop.
If you wondered where all the parts for Hyundai and Kia cars in the US are made, here you go. It took me a good few minutes to ride by the entire campus.
Here is a sign you don’t see much of in Alabama.
In case you haven’t yet planned your next veggie vacation. Gilroy has nothin on Burkeville.
I did get on 80 for a stretch and saw several signs honoring the March.
I also saw a bit of holiday spirit.
At 28 miles and 2 hours in, I stopped at the only lunch spot between my points. This one was known for biscuits.
I probably don’t really need to lock the bike, but it does keep it from falling over and gives me a little peace of mind while taking a break.
Lunch was classic southern comfort food. I had the special – meat with three sides. Fried Chicken, steamed okra, rutabega and turnip greens. of course it comes with cornbread.
Still hungry, I sampled their famous biscuit with sausage gravy and finished with buttermilk pie. No Dr.Pepper this early, just good old diner coffee.
After lunch while I was getting back on the bike I noticed something odd. Apparently I had left my camelback in Montgomery. I guess the ride was so easy I had no need for water. It was a bit disconcerting to have forgotten something so obvious but no harm was done. I will pick it up when I go back to Montgomery with Van next week. In the meantime, I have created a morning checklist on my phone to keep my old age from getting in the way again.
About halfway between Selma and Montgomery on 8- they have built a lovely new interpretive center to honor the march. Van and I will visit This next week.
Here is why I hate riding on 80. It’s 4 lane highway and there is no shoulder. Most of it is grooved right next to the line so I have to ride in the car lane. Luckily the traffic is fairly light and most of the cars and trucks move to the far left when they see me. Still it can be unnerving. The buzz is also annoying so when I am on the highway I bust out the tunes.
I looked up Alabama native singers and decided that I could not stomach several hours of Hank Williams and Lionel Richie. I chose a soulful approach with john Legend and Aretha Franklin instead.
About 10 miles out of Selma I was back on side roads. This house is typical of some of the poorer neighborhoods.
This building was one of practically an entire ghost town. Anyone looking for an investment? Perfect for fix and flip.
I was now in the heart of the Black Belt area known for it’s rich soil. You can see it in the darkness of the river.
That’s why this is the land of cotton. Most of the fields have been clipped but there are a few where you get a sense.
I stumbled across these bundles ready for shipping. Raw socks and t-shirts anyone?
I often see strange road signs. This is a new one for me. My best guess is: “Female with landing strip ahead”
Still pondering if this is advertising for a Chinese person that repairs vehicles or if they only repair Chinese vehicles.
I had no idea they were so prevalent here. (Either one.)
Sometimes I just stop for the beauty of things.
At 51 miles I made it to Selma…
And crossed the famous bridge… So much history…
And beauty from the top of the bridge.
After a quick shower I walked 3 miles through town to one of only two decent restaurants. On the way I found this odd store.
I suppose it makes sense ultimately…
My dinner spot for the evening was in a charming log cabin steak house built in the 20s on the edge of town.
I started with a much deserved martini
Followed by their well recommended fried artichokes
The main course and sides was a prime ribeye, (Medium rare of course) with sides of mushrooms and fried green tomatoes. Just gotta love the south!
I did have an odd occurrence after dinner. It started to rain so I inquired about a taxi. Uber does not seem to work here. It turns out there are no taxis in Selma.
Since i had a rain jacket, I was going to walk back the same 3 miles as there did not seem to be an alternative. Upon hearing this both the waiter and host seemed a bit panicky. They told me it was dangerous after dark. (It was barely 8PM.) I told them I walked here in the dark and I would be fine but they insisted on having Chris the busboy drive me back. I couldn’t get a straight answer as to the exact danger.
On the ride back I pressed 20-year-old Chris a bit. He told me they don’t really have many problems, even the local drug issues are marijuana, not narcotics. But he said there is still a paranoia that is race based in town. He is white btw and says he used to walk that route every night and never had an issue. I myself passed several people of color on my walk and they all were polite and friendly. I never felt uncomfortable.
It appears parts of the deep south still struggle.
Everything in Selma shuts down at 9PM and there are no bars or clubs. Small town feel.
As for the ride, it was nice to have a lighter day. Although the flats made for a bit of numbness in my seat and hands, i still had lots of leg at the end of the day.
Here are the Day 4 Stats:
Miles Today: 51.5
Total Miles So Far: 231.8
Miles to Go: 135
Ride Time: 4.5 hours
Total Ride time 21.5 hours
Elevation climbed today: 1,522
Total Elevation: 10,020
Calories Consumed: 2,930
Total Calories Consumed 11,830
Calories Burned: 3,200
Total Calories Burned 14,100
Dog encounters today 1
Total dog encounters 26
According to the Dark Skies app the impending storm is moving a bit faster than expected. I have to wait until the morning, but odds are better than 70% I will catch a break and be on the road tomorrow.
Til then,
Kevin Daum
Should I or shouldn’t I? That was the question I went to bed with in Selma as it stormed all night. The Dark Clouds App was indeterminate about rain on Thursday when I went to sleep. When I woke up at 7:30AM, the app showed the rain stopping at 10AM and staying clear or at the most misty for the rest of the day.
The ride was ON! I was glad not to have to spend another day in Selma and also not to rearrange all my airbnb reservations. So I suited up and prepped for a little rain just in case.
Here is what that looks like. I have a cover for the back rack and one for the front pack. I have fleeced waterproof spats and a rain jacket which is somewhat breathable. (None truly are.) Everything else on the bike is essentially waterproof including my Brooks Cambium seat made of vulcanized rubber with treated cotton fabric.
I have an iPhone X which is waterproof and lights all around for visibility so everything was ready.
I took off from Selma headed for Greensboro prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.
For the most part the rain had stopped. There would be at most a light sprinkle or mist for the first hour and the roads were flat.
While that sounds pleasant enough it does present a bit of discomfort since adding 15 – 17 mph to light rain and mist makes it quite a wet ride. The biggest problem is that the glasses have no effective wipers.
I struggled with taking them off since I really like having my rear view mirror. Finally it dawned on me to simply take out the lenses. I continue to learn something new on every trip.
Now that I could see both front and back, I was treated to incredible beauty.
I hadn’t expected much in this area after yesterday’s ride but I soon discovered one beautiful scene after another.
At one point I came across a bridge where the view was worth every bit of wet uncomfortable riding.
It was moss covered like a fairyland
Both sides of the bridge were astounding…
The pictures truly don’t do it justice. It was so magical I stopped for a while taking it in. There wasn’t a car for miles so it was quiet and peaceful.
I would have stayed and meditated for hours if I could.
Finally back on the road google decided I should go mud-wamping.
I on the other hand said forget it and found a longer paved and more historic way on Hwy 45.
As I came into Marion and happened across one of the oldest military schools founded in 1842. I must say it immediately reminded me of the movie Taps with Tom Cruise and George C.Scott.
Marion was a charming town with it’s county courthouse sitting in the town square.
At noon on mile 28, I stopped for 2 hours. Hour 1 was for a biz call with my team. (Yes I actually work sometimes on these trips.) and then broke for lunch at Lottie”s cafe.
I feasted on grilled catfish and whiting accompanied by Texas toast, fried okra and homemade mac and cheese.
While finishing up on a piece of sweet potato pie, a big sports conversation broke out among the locals. It got loud and boisterous so I joined in with the NY perspective. It was a bit like being in a Tyler Perry movie. Lot’s of fun.
The post lunch ride was mostly uneventful. I stayed in my rain gear. The temp was about 50 so it was cold enough to keeping me from over sweating. Any warmer and I would have been soaked inside and out.
On the road I was constantly being sized up by other locals who found me udderly ridiculous.
There were so many baptist churches, many with rich history.
Apparently they coordinated early on.
I realized after this picture my lens was misty. Sorry.
I cleaned it just in time to hit Greensboro where I saw beautiful houses and a few monster plantation homes.
The town and town hall look just as you would expect in the south. I stopped on Main St. for a mocha and a little local conversation with the cafe owner Mo.
After a little google confusion, I finally made it to my Airbnb where I was able to wash the grime and mud off the bike before regreasing the chain. Rust is one of the post rain ride worries.
My host had a lovely plate of sweets waiting for me.
A I cleaned up, my shoes had taken the biggest toll. The spats help a bit with warmth but water still comes in underneath so my shoes and socks were wet. The merino wool socks did a great job of keeping my feet warm in the wet, but apparently they bled dye on me as well.
After a quick shower I was off to dinner. I was going to walk the 3 miles down the highway but my host insisted that would b
e dangerous with the traffic and gave me their car.
Earlier Mo had suggested this place. It had zero reviews on Yelp but I was happy for the local knowledge. It’s a restaurant inside a gas station/convenience store.
It definitely had a local vibe.
I grabbed a booth and started in on the jar of locally pickled hot peppers at my table. Yum!
I then had the pulled pork special with you guessed it, Fried Okra and Mac & Cheese ( a theme today.) The hush puppies were some of the best I ever had.
This tie I took the sweet potato pie to go.
Back at the room I dried my shoes on the heater and tucked in to the pie with a much needed glass of Wild Turkey
Shortest ride today but the wetness made for a long day. Weather looks clear for the remaining days. Only 2 days to go. Glad to have the rain behind me.
Here are the Day 5 Stats:
Miles Today: 47.5
Total Miles So Far: 279.3
Miles to Go: 115
Ride Time: 4.75 hours
Total Ride time 26.25 hours
Elevation climbed today: 1,379
Total Elevation: 11,399
Calories Consumed: 2,930
Total Calories Consumed 14,760
Calories Burned: 3,000
Total Calories Burned 17,100
Dog encounters today 1
Total dog encounters 27
Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year being the Winter Solstice so I will be racing the sun to Tuscaloosa.
Til then,
K
The perfect weather for riding on tour is low wind, partially cloudy with a temp between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That was NOT my weather today. Happily there was no rain, but the cold set in for the day at about 40 – 42 degrees and stayed there. And there was some wind as well. It was warmer than my New Orleans ride but not by much.
On the bright side it was the shortest ride of the day for the shortest day of the year.
I got a little bit of a late start because my Airbnb host 92 year old Miss Janet wanted to meet me and have a conversation. It seems she is a Greensboro local who lived for quite a while in NYC. She had recently suffered a stroke and her daughter was there taking care of her. I had a delightful 30 minute conversation with them before heading over to Pie Lab.
Pie Lab is a project I had read about in a NY Times article. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/magazine/10pielab-t.html
It is a place for Pie, Art and Activism. Had to try it.
I opted for the smoked chicken wrap
And a piece of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan.
It was good but rich. I tried to finish but couldn’t do it.
So on the road I went. To brave the cold, I kept on my spats and rain jacket. The cold Louisiana ride back in January convinced me to bring foot warmers and heavier gloves which came in handy. I love when I actually use something I carry for “just in case” situations.
I spent 2/3 of the day on Hwy 69. It’s mostly 2 lane highway with no shoulder and a lot of traffic buzz. NormallyI just pop in some cool music and it settles me in. Yesterday I played Mahalia Jackson and enjoyed the gospel sound.
Unfortunately today I couldn’t get my earphones to work. They might have become a bit wet from yesterday. So I just endured. I was grateful for the times I could get off the highway and on to quiet roads.
People often ask me if it is unsafe. For the most part the cars do try and avoid me and I am visible with lights and the yellow jacket. Most disconcerting is when they honk. There really is no need, and it just startles and annoys me. I have no where to go and do not need to know they are there. They truly should focus more on giving me safe space.
For climbing, the day was largely comprised of slow rollers like this stretch below. They are actually more fun to ride than steep cliffs. The idea is to go as fast as possible on the downhill in order to have the momentum to get up the next hill. It was like this most of the day.
To get maximum speed I tuck in tight on the downhill. This helps with resistance and balance at faster speeds. Much like in the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
There wasn’t a ton of interesting scenery today.
There was however the most colorful Alabama Garden I had seen yet.
At 25 miles and 1:00PM I stopped at Pam’s diner for lunch. The cold had me burning extra calories so I was easily able to finish a patty melt and curly fries along with some Dr. Pepper.
I then headed back on the Highway. I finally got off onto a county road which was supposed to go for 11 miles. Sadly at mile 2 I encountered this…
Google likes to play tricks on me all the time like this. I had to turn around and go back a mile to pick up Hwy 69 again. At least these was shoulder this time. 2 miles later I was able to pick up the same county road with 8 miles of brand new pavement. I was able to zoom through except for one obstacle… You guessed it, DOG!!! Three of them coming at me. After stopping and yelling them down I was back on the new pavement.
A word about pavement. A serious touring cyclist, eventually becomes a road connoisseur.
Here is a short list of road types and abilities:
New asphalt – The best ride – Flat speed up to 18 mph
Smooth worn asphalt – Almost as good – Flat speed up to 17 mph
Worn and pitted asphalt – Rough ride that causes numbness – Flat speed up to 14 mph
Concrete – Usually grooved also causing numbness – Flat speed up to 14 mph
Crushed Gravel – Ok when packed – Flat speed up to 12 mph
Loose Gravel – unrideable
Hard dirt – Actually pretty smooth – Flat speed up to 14 mph
Soft dirt – unrideable
Mud – unrideable
In this picture alone you can see new asphalt, used asphalt and concrete.
Google has sent me through all of these road types on this trip. And as if that isn’t enough annoyance, I often end up on weird industrial roads.
Today I started smelling horribly bad smells only to find that Google had directed me through all the Sh*t areas like this…
At about 4:00PM I made it to Tuscaloosa, home of The University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide. You could see everywhere that Football is a major priority here.
Looking for the little art community of Northport I was guided to my Airbnb by a statue I call specifically for this trip, “God’s Sense of Humor.”
I checked in at my Airbnb. My host Lynn is an artist and the place is filled with her art.
After a quick shower, I headed out to see the sights. First stop, my Fraternity house Lamda Chi Alpha. Unfortunately everyone was on vacay, but it was impressive.
Apparently Alabama is one of the oldest Chapters.
I walked 2.5 miles through the University and town to dinner stopping to learn history along the way.
Lamda Chi was on New Fraternity Row but some of the oldest houses were still across from the Stadium on the old Fraternity row. It felt a bit like Animal House.
I finally arrived at the R. Davidson Chop house for my last meal as a 53 year old. I warmed up from the walk with a much needed Hirsch Select Bourbon.
Followed by oysters and bread with pimento cheese
A grilled romaine salad with red onions, bacon bits and bleu Cheese
And then a lovely 10 oz Filet Mignon cooked to perfection at medium rare. I will say the southerners know how to cook a steak.
I needed more veggies so along with a nice Italian wine I added some fried green tomatoes with corn and bacon bits. (I will miss these back in NY.)
Then since it was almost my birthday they brought me the largest bread pudding I have ever seen. On the house of course.
I was only able to eat half, but it shore was yumm-my!
On the 2 mile walk home I crossed the Black Warrior river. Pretty at night but tough to photograph. I did however see one more interesting little piece of history.
Here is the sign…
And the house.
I really enjoyed walking the University even if I was cold. And the day was relatively painless on my body so I am grateful for that.
Here are the Day 6 Stats:
Miles Today: 46.5
Total Miles So Far: 325.8
Miles to Go: 67
Ride Time: 5 hours
Total Ride time 31.25 hours
Elevation climbed today: 2,021
Total Elevation: 13,420
Calories Consumed: 3,070
Total Calories Consumed 17,830
Calories Burned: 3,200
Total Calories Burned 20,300
Dog encounters today 1
Total dog encounters 28
Now both Winter and my birthday have officially arrived and I am ready to complete this trip.
It’s about a 67 mile ride or so back to Alex’s home in Birmingham. The day will start out cold around 38 degrees but should warm up to 55 and partially sunny. Perfect.
Alex is trying to join me for the last 30 miles so that will be a nice Birthday gift.
Til then,
K
It felt good to start the last day on my 54th Birthday. The weather looked promising and it felt like a fun accomplishment. The ride today would be the second longest on short daylight so I needed an early start. I took off at 9:15AM, but there was no coffee at my Airbnb so a secondary stop was necessary. Oddly enough I have seen very few Starbucks anywhere in Alabama. I was able to find a juice shop just across the Black Warrior river so I took 20 minutes for a coffee and banana to get me going.
I then headed out of town back through the University passing by the Alabama Stadium or as I like to call it: The Temple to the Gods. (Roll Tide!)
The first 25 miles were uneventful. It was a bit cold but not unpleasant. It’s odd, some parts of my body that were sore all week felt great and some which were fine felt sore today. The cold tends to aggravate issues so I was happy when it left the 30s heading into the 50s.
The road was mostly 2 lane and small shoulder on Highway 11 but at least my earphones were working again, so I tapped into a Ray Charles playlist and cruised along. Sometimes I even was blessed with a decent shoulder for a few miles.
There were two important southern food experiences I was missing on this trip. One was a Waffle House which never seemed to work out. ( I might catch one next week.) The other was BBQ. Today I was committed to find a good lunch stop for some smoked meat.
I hadn’t really seen one nearby on Yelp so at 26 miles in I searched Google. Lo and behold Google actually led me to The Promised Land!!! No really, that’s what it was called! And it had 179 Five star reviews! It was on the way only about 4 miles away so I was in!
I pulled up to see just a roadside shack that had been there for over 20 years. No inside, no bathroom. I cared not.
I looked at the menu and went whole hog… and more.
Here was the awesome half rack of ribs
And the pulled pork. (Sauce was on the side.)
I had to try the brisket of course.
And because I knew I would need carbs, I indulged on an order of Chili Cheese Fries! Needless to say I could not finish it all. But I did my best and brought along a little pulled pork to share with Alex since he was on his way cycling from Birmingham to meet me.
What happened next was truly just amazing. I believe it was God’s way of providing me entertainment for my Birthday.
Now I have been careful throughout this week not to cast aspersions in the form of cheap stereotypical descriptions of Alabamans. I know there are proud Alabamans enjoying these emails and I wish to show respect for their home and hospitality.
That being said, the events that follow left me no choice but to share.
It started with this local couple that sat down with me for some BBQ. She asked about the bike and proceeded to tell me in a very thick accent,
“Ya’ll really need to be careful out there, especially today.”
“OK, Why is that?” I asked.
“All the drunks are out on the road now because it’s Garage Sale Day!” She said.
Now that in itself is funny, but does not require a telling on my part. It’s what happened next.
This young woman comes storming up to the BBQ tables visibly upset and crying into her phone. I can hear her complaining about her ex and some problem with their child. Before I know it, up rolls both a police car and a Sheriff’s car. They loudly engage with her about her domestic issues in a conversation that truly makes me feel that I have seen and heard this before on Cops Live! It went on for a while as the Sheriff went to check on the house next door and the policeman tried to explain to this woman why she couldn’t just take the child without a court order.
I carefully snapped a picture since now it was getting to be too much to be believed. Finally they all dispersed after the woman in the BBQ place came out to investigate the ruckus.
Just when I was making a final decision on whether or not to share this tonight, A young man sticks his head out the BBQ shack window and yells to me. “Hey there! Did you just hear a gunshot?!?”
It was at that point that I truly understood why the south has such a reputation and that most stereotypes have some basis in reality.
I smiled, told him I did not hear anything and went about my way with what Van refers to as my “annoying smirk.”
Good times!
Back on the road I was now trying to connect with Alex. He was only about 10 miles away so we found an Iron Skillet at the junction of 11 and 216 as a meeting place. I was cycling on a very busy part of 11 so when Google suggested a side passage I jumped at it. A mile in, it turned into a packed dirt road but it was since it would be just a few miles, I kept going, until a total google SNAFU occurred. The road Google told me to turn on simply did not exist. Looking at the map there was no other way but to go back. I called Alex and told him of my delay as I reversed back through the dirt road and headed back up to 11 with Google screaming at me for U-Turns every step of the way.
1 mile down the road I understood why google was so insistent. Hwy 11 at that point dumped onto the Interstate. Now it is Illegal for a bicycle to ride along on a freeway or interstate. I had acquired this knowledge when researching the Bay bridge in Maryland hence why Anne Mary had to pick me up and drive me across the bridge.
But at this point I was already on the shoulder and fully committed. There was no turning around. While the 4 lane traffic was moving at 70 MPH (in the slow lane) I was on the far right shoulder pedaling my butt off. It was 3 miles to the exit where I knew Alex was waiting and there was no alternative at that point.
On the bright side, the shoulder was super wide so the cars were farther from me than they had been all morning on Hwy 11 and the pavement was smooth and fast. And it was mostly downhill. I screamed at about 25 MPH all the way to the exit wondering if a trooper would spot me and make me explain myself.
Luckily, I made it to the exit just fine. It was actually some of the nicest road I had all day.
I pulled into the parking lot where Alex was waiting to take this pic of me.
The weather had warmed up so I changed to shorts. We had 28 miles to go and Alex had a dinner reservation at 5:30 so we needed to push. Oh and sunset was at 4:40 so light was also a factor. We cruised along well. Alex was faster on the uphill but with my extra pack weight and the compact bike, I was faster on the downhill.
On a side note here is something for you studio spinners to consider. You can set your bikes for an equivalent uphill versus downhill. The real world doesn’t work that way. Most of my rides this week have had up and down elevation that is close to equal. However, it does not represent equal TIME going up and down.
When climbing you will go between 5 and 8 MPH depending upon steepness.
Downhill, you will go between 20 – 35 MPH depending upon steepness.
You don’t really know the steepness until you are on it since you can’t really gauge visually. But you can count on this:
At equal up and down elevation you are likely to spend 20 – 30 minutes climbing for every 5 minutes of fun sailing down the hill. Lots of hard work for a small amount of pleasure. (Insert your own metaphor here.)
In any case, with local knowledge, Alex knew we had some big steep hills in our last 7 miles so it was time for me to juice up. We stopped at a gas station so I could down a 20 ouncer of Dr. Pepper. I was already tired and would need the 250 calories and jolt of caffeine to make the final push.
Just under an hour later we made it to the top of the ridge just in time to see the sun set over Birmingham.
At about 5:00 PM, after I completed the last 65 miles, we pulled into Alex’s driveway. Tired and happy.
It was a great 7 day ride. My hardest yet. I was grateful to Alex for the support, and the company. (And the pics.)
I got settled and cleaned up so I could celebrate like a human. (Which ironically I became, 54 years ago today.)
Since now I could access my suitcase, I put on some fancy duds and went to Bistro 218 which Alex and his wife Ashley highly recommended. They were off to a show they had pre-planned but I was fine to be solo.
I was not disappointed. They have a lovely way of making a birthday special starting with this Dr. Seuss quote they put on your table.
I of course added the Clyde May Bourbon. (A unique Alabama recipe that tastes a hint like apples)
I started with a very nice bread and herbed butter.
And then a Duck Confit salad
And then the main course: Blackened Redfish over cheese grits with deep fried okra of course. Turns out B-days give you rank so I got the last order of Redfish. Much to the chagrin of the guy at the table next to me. Too bad it wasn’t his birthday. 🙂
I skipped on dessert. Honestly I was now at my food breaking point. I enjoyed feasting all week but was looking forward to calorie reduction. Waffle House can wait until my next ride in the South,
I walked over to the Atomic bar and peeked in, It looked fun but wasn’t really feeling like drinking. I did go up to the Moon Shine bar on the top of a beautiful hotel, just to see the view.
I then took Uber back to the house so I could catch up with all of you.
Here are the Day 7 and Final Stats: (I had a previous math error but rechecked my app and have now fixed it.)
Starting in Birmingham, miles by day:
Day 1 to Talladega 64.52
Day 2 to Dadeville 67.78
Day 3 to Montgomery 57.04
Day 4 to Selma 51.47
Day 5 to Greensboro 47.37
Day 6 to Tuscaloosa 46.57
Day 7 to Birmingham 65.52 (Today)
Total ride 400.27
Ride Time today: 7 hours
Total Ride time 38.25 hours
Elevation climbed today: 3,704
Total Elevation: 17,124
Calories Consumed: 2,770
Total Calories Consumed 20,600
Calories Burned: 3,500
Total Calories Burned 23,800
Dog encounters today 0
Total dog encounters 28
Final notes: This was my best and most difficult ride yet. The daily totals were above any other. But my body actually held up better. I will definitely continue these journeys. I have the equipment figured out and really enjoy the experience. I love it for the physical challenge, the people I meet, the scenery and of course the food.
Alabama has some issues but is a beautiful place with charming and kind people. It was much more than I expected.
One technical fix for next time. The bike with the new equipment performed great, but I find I am not knowledgeable enough to make the fine adjustments and never really got the climbing gear just right which would have been super helpful for this trip. When I get home I will take the bike in to get it completely cleaned and tuned, but I am going to ask Mike at Toga to let me learn how to fine tune the bike in that process. (Oh yeah, he’s on this post so I guess I just did. Thanks Mike.)
Thanks to all of you for riding along with me. And thanks for the emails of encouragement.
I hope to share a future adventure in person with you someday. (Especially you studio spinners!)
Have a great holiday and a blessed 2019. Happy New Year!
Kevin
P.S. Check out L’Eroica – https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/why-leroica-is-one-of-the-best-bike-rides-in-the-world-photos-353452
I have acquired an appropriate bike which is beautiful: https://www.steel-vintage.com/catalog/product/view/id/13415
I will likely do some distance of the California version in April 2019.
Til then,
K
And the walk around Manhattan begins… now.
10 miles in and the first rest stop.
4 hours in. 21.1 miles, probably a little over half way. I was shooting for downtown by dark.
Last rest stop at 30 miles in, bout 5 or 6 miles to go with plenty of energy.
It’s just a matter of feet and knees holding up.
I did learn that ibuprofen is better every 3 hours rather than 4.
No blisters (knock on wood).
I made it downtown for a great sunset and headed into the numbers on the Hudson side.
Done!!! 14 hours and 35 minutes; 36.5 miles.
I hit every nook and cranny on the perimeter of this island.
Van and Grunt surprised me and joined for the last mile.
No blisters, cramps, or plantar fasciitis.
Manhattan was amazing!
Time for a beer and some ice packs on my feet and knees so I can walk tomorrow.
Epilogue: A bit of morning pain in the hamstrings behind the knees. Ice, ibuprofen, and Tiger Balm were my friends.
