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Day 41 – Happy Birthday and Farewell, Wild Dunes to Cashiers, by car with my wife. How to summarize something that has consumed me for the past six weeks, and dominated my planning (and schedule) for six months? So many images – the foggy Pacific coast at the start; fast romps across the scrubby desert,…More
Day 40 – Summerville to Isle of Palms, SC (with Charleston diversion), 36 mi., 500′, 13.7 mph. It’s done. Every mile, all 3,244 of them, and every hour in the saddle, all 198 of them. Every pothole, traffic-rich intersection, and foot of climbing (131,500). And every wonderful view, marvelous back road, interesting town, and successful (or at times unsuccessful) sprint to stay with the Team….More
Day 39 – Columbia to Summerville, SC, 112 mi., 1,525, 19.0 mph. One last day of play with the Team. Out of Columbia, we were quickly on the Coastal Plain, so much less climbing than on previous days – while the eastern Coastal Plain is typically not as flat as the Mississippi Embayment, our biggest climb of the day was a whopping 125’. …More
Day 38 – Spartanburg to Columbia, SC, 103 mi., 4,375’, 17.8 mph. I spent today riding with the Team through the South Carolina Piedmont. As I expected (having been born and raised on the Piedmont), lots of agriculture and a few towns, and not a whole lot of compelling photo opportunities. …More
Day 37 – Asheville, NC to Spartanburg, SC (with Blue Ridge Parkway diversion), 85 mi., 5,000’, 15.0 mph. This day was probably more fun than it’s fair for one guy to have. The Team and I, accompanied by avid cyclist and Asheville City Manager, Gary Jackson, headed out for a ride up and across Town Mountain (which is indeed an in-town Asheville mountain) to the Blue Ridge Parkway….More
Day 36 – Sevierville, TN to Asheville, NC, 89 mi., 6,025’, 15.0 mph. This one will be quick — after all, I’m in Asheville, together with my wife for the first time in almost 6 weeks, and we’re headed out shortly for dinner at one of our favorite Asheville restaurants…. More
Day 35 – Crossville to Sevierville, TN, 106 mi., 6,000’, 16.7 mph. Another day, another century, and rather briskly done. The Team and I pedaled out with Karl at 7:30, into a 37 degree morning. About the same as that cold start out of Pagosa Springs on Day 16, but we were all better dressed for it this time (I even used a ski mask to warm my neck and chin)….More
Day 34 — Nashville to Crossville, TN, 126 miles, 7,700′, 15.4 mph. This was our longest, and possibly hardest, remaining day, but it could hardly have gone better. In what has become pretty much our SOP,….More
Day 33 – Rest Day in Nashville. A day off in Music City, with clear cool weather. I’m taking it easy, reading, and catching up on computer work and the office. Late morning, I walked down to the Cumberland River for lunch, and scouted out a few honky-tonks for this evening’s …. More
Day 32 — Dover to Nashville, TN, 94 miles, 4,800′, 16.4 mph. Sorry to be a bore, but this was an absolutely splendid day of cycling. We rolled from our hotel in the dark, but only down the road a bit for breakfast at … McDonald’s…. More
Day 31 — Union City to Dover, TN, 78 miles, 2,950′, 16.1 mph. We bid our final farewells to Dana and Britt and rolled out mostly as a group at 8:00, for a relatively short day on Tennessee’s back roads. The Team was fairly mellow for a while, and they, William, guides Karl and Marquette, and I stayed pretty close together….More
Day 30 — Poplar Bluff, MO to Union City, TN, 102 miles, 800′, 17.4 mph. Pan-flat terrain for over 80 miles, after we got out of Poplar Bluff and its final Ozark rollers. Fine weather, little traffic, a ferry ride across the Mississippi, and short stints in two more states. Should have been a great day on the bike. Things didn’t quite work out that way…. More
Day 29 — West Plains to Poplar Bluff, MO, 111 miles, 6,600′, 13.7 mph (6 miles of gravel). With non-stop rollers for the first 95 miles, and after feeling slammed at the end of yesterday’s moderate-paced effort, I was worried about today. I woke up feeling refreshed and normal, but I had already resolved to take a different approach….More
Day 28 — Branson to West Plains, MO, 103 miles, 7,300′, 15.1 mph. Tempted to say it was a really nice day at the office — 100 miles in gorgeous weather, and with roads/traffic that were OK to very good, through beautiful rolling hills with …. More
Day 27 — Rest Day in Branson, MO. Sleeping in to 7:00, more than an hour taking shameless advantage of the Hilton’s breakfast buffet, catching up on work and personal matters, getting my bike cleaned and lubed by the Trek crew. Beautiful weather, comfortable room,… More
Day 26, Neosho to Branson, MO, 90 miles, 5,150’, 14.7 mph. This was a diverse day – some beautiful moments, some trying ones; some deserted forest roads, some in-town traffic jams; some marvelous views of the Ozarks, and some marvelous views of American kitsch….More
Day 25, Bartlesville, OK to Neosho, MO, 112 miles, 3,300’, 16.8 mph. A long ride, but our last day in Oklahoma. We rolled as the Sun rose. I initially went out with Britt and Dana, William and guide Dave. … More
Day 24, Ponca City to Bartlesville, OK, 71 miles, 2,570’, 14.8 mph. Today we traveled from a minor oil town with a memorial to the women who conquered the Prairies to a much more important oil town,… More
Day 23, Enid to Ponca City, OK, 72 miles, 1,300’, 14.7 mph. The Team was back to its old pace today, and I laid back from the start with William, Dana and Britt, as well as guides Dave for the morning and Marquette all day….More
Day 22, Woodward to Guymon, OK — 112 miles, 2,300′, 15.5 mph. What a difference a day can make. After Day 21’s bruiser, I knew I had to back down and, if not recover, at least not drive myself into a deeper hole. Seems everyone, including the Team had the same idea…. More
Day 21, Guymon to Woodward, OK — 126 miles, 3,100′, 13.4 mph. Yesterday I rode my fastest 100 miles ever. Today I rode my slowest. It was a really long and hard day, and had a big impact on the group. … More
Day 20, Clayton, NM to Guymon, OK – 107 miles, 770 ’, 21.6 mph. Today, I rode my fastest 100 miles ever – 4 hrs. 28 minutes, average speed of 22.3. Unfortunately, the ride had 7 miles left, as well as a good chunk of the day’s modest climbing, and … More
Day 19, Raton to Clayton, NM – 93 miles, 2,800’, 15.3 mph. We were a subdued bunch this morning. After the epic day into Taos, and a day of rest, we had all expected, at least on an emotional level, that yesterday’s 90-miler would be a piece of cake. It wasn’t, … More
Day 18, Taos to Raton, NM — 92 miles, 3,90o’, 16.8 mph. I pulled out of the parking lot with the Team and Karl, in perfect conditions – low 50’s, clear blue sky. We immediately started a long and generally shallow ascent to our last significant obstacle in the Rockies…..More
Day 17, Rest Day in Taos, NM. I slept in, all the way to 6:30, spent the morning catching up on e-mail and the blog (this stuff does take time), and met some of the gang … More
Day 16, Pagosa Springs, CO to Taos, NM – 141 miles, 7,800′, 16.2 mph. So how do you cover 141 miles, and a 3,100′ climb to a 10’500′ pass, in one splendid day of cycling. For me, not easily and never again. But here’s my personal formula: … More
Day 15, Durango to Pagosa Springs, CO – 61 miles, 3,500′, 16.5 mph. Another short day of mellow riding in perfect weather. Michael and I rode together most of the day, sometimes with the Team and sometimes without. Everyone is conscious of … More
Day 14, Cortez to Durango, CO – 44 miles, 2,875′, 15.6 mph. The main thing I can say about today is that it’s been about perfect. A short “rolling recovery” ride into … More
Day 13, Mexican Hat, UT to Cortez, CO – 102 miles, 5,250′, 15.5 mph. It was another glorious day of cycling in the American Southwest. The vastness of this semi-arid region is being driven home by mile after mile of exposed … More
Day 12, Tuba City (Moenkapi), AZ to Mexican Hat, UT – 117 miles, 3,600’, 17.9 mph. This was long, with not just one, but two lunch stops. I rolled with Our Team, augmented by Karl, to Lunch 1, about 52 miles in, with almost 2,000’ of elevation gain … More
Day 11, Sep. 22, Grand Canyon Village to Tuba City Moenkapi), AZ — 82 miles, 3,200′. Today featured our last views of the Grand Canyon and a rollicking 2,000′ descent off the Colorado Plateau into the Arizona desert to the east. After a relaxed 7:30 departure, … More
Day 10, Sep. 21, Rest Day at the Grand Canyon. I didn’t sleep any later, but what a pleasure not to repack and gear up. I took a short easy spin to the Rim to enjoy the early sunlight descending into the Canyon,… More
Day 9, Sep. 20, Seligman to Grand Canyon Village, AZ — 105 miles, 5,200′. As you may have picked up from my Day 8 post, I didn’t think I had another 20 miles left after that 84-miler, and was worried about today’s 105-miler, with several thousand more feet of climbing. As it worked out,… More
Day 8, Sep. 19, Kingman to Seligman, AZ — 83 miles, 2,900′. Our Team, augmented by Karl and Michael, rolled out at 7:15, going east on Historic Route 66 for the next 83 miles — the day’s only turns were into lunch and … More
Day 7, Sep. 18, Lake Havasu City to Kingman, AZ — 85 miles, 5,700′. I awoke this morning way too early, but was positively pumped at the prospects of 85 miles with my biking buds, on a desert-clear day through gorgeous interesting terrain. I was less enthusiastic about the heat and climbing … More
Day 6, Sep. 17, Parker to Lake Havasu, AZ — 42 miles, 1,200′. A short day, for “rolling recovery” after the long trip across the desert, and in advance of our climbs onto the Colorado Plateau over the next three days. We pedaled at a mild pace up the Colorado River,… More
Day 5, Sep. 16, Twentynine Palms, CA to Parker, AZ — 110 miles, 2,500′. 110 miles in the desert — we were all nervous, and I was particularly concerned about the cumulative effect of four days, including yesterday’s too-hard run into Twentynine Palms. But it turned out to be … More
Day 4, Sep. 15, Victorville to Twentynine Palms, CA — 90 miles, 2,400′. Day 4 was a short one on the bike. We left the hotel at 7:00, ate a leisurely lunch at the 50-mile point, and were back on the road at 10:30. We rolled into the 29 Palms Inn at 12:30, … More
Day 3, Sep. 14, Valencia to Victorville, CA — 90 miles, 3,700′. It was 
another good day on the bike. We left Valencia at 7:30, and after getting out of town immediately hit a delightful, long-but-shallow climb (cyclists would call it a “big-ring climb”)…. More
Day 2, Sep. 13, Santa Barbara to Valencia, CA — 76 miles, 2,700′. 
September 13 has finally arrived, the first real day of our cross-continent transit. We gathered in the parking lot about 8:00, most of us expressing both relief that the time has come, and nervousness … More
Day 1, Sep. 12, Prologue in Santa Barbara. Two years after first 
learning of the Trek Cross-Country Tour, my Day 1 dawned cloudy and cool. I couldn’t resist supplementing my hotel breakfast with a trip back to the place … More
Prelude, Sep. 9-11, Santa Barbara. 
I flew into Santa Barbara from Asheville (via Dallas and LA), arriving both on-time and with all baggage. I checked into a comfortable small hotel, and was relieved to confirm that UPS had dutifully delivered … More
Christmas 2008. Bill gets bike carrier. Susan must want him to use it!
Cycling across America 