80 Miles of Learning

This marks my very first blog post to this site. As many of you know, Mike Lukk and I have committed to our long term goal of riding our bikes across America. We are calling it our URAAM or Ultramilers Ride Across America ride. We will do this unsupported, carrying all our gear on the bikes and following the Adventure cycling Western Express and Transcontinental Routes.

It is important to note that our route will include all of the Western Express route and then intersect the Transcontinental route in Pueblo Colorado. This route will take us across the center of the heartland of the US. From San Francisco California to Yorktown Va. A total distance of 3,758 miles. Whoaaaaa.

Today's post is meant to communicate our training ride yesterday and some of the realities of bicycle touring that I have to at least think about. From this point forward, much of our training will also include exploration of our bikes and our gear not to mention our mental and physical states. Both will be important because of the intensity and duration of this tour. We anticipate being on the road for up to 4 months.

The Training Ride

On Saturday October 29th, Mike and I began our training ride in Willis Texas. We rode at tour pace and well within our aerobic heart rate range at about 15-18 mph and 110 to 130 bpm heart rate. We rode up the service roads from Willis to Huntsville and then headed back via Hy30 to FM1791 to Coons Trail Road and then Pool Road and Bays Chapel Road. Eventually to Hy149 and FM1375 to Hy45 and back.

It was the Coon Trail and Pool / Bays Chapel Roads that gave us a tour like experience because it was here that we hit what we knew would be an unpaved / dirt portion of the ride. By the time we hit the dirt we had about 50 miles and the temp was beginning to warm up. Not as hot as summertime but still approaching 90f. And as a foot note: I had already downed 3 water bottles.

We continued our ride all of about 50 yards when both Mike and I stopped and got off our bikes. Both of us were sinking into dry quick sand allowing for virtually no bike control. So we started walking. After walking for maybe 200 yards, a truck approached us from the direction we were headed. Two Hispanic males with fishing gear were in the truck - lost and in search of a creek they intended to go fishing in.

After a brief discussion they told us the dirt extended about 4 miles to the south and then became paved again. Mike and I looked at each other and turned our bikes around to head back to 1791. What a shame I thought, as we had seen very few vehicles and some very nice scenery. Not to mention almost no noise as opposed to the Woodlands roads and FM1488.

Side note: I have decided that virtually 50% of every white male under the age of 35 in Montgomery County has a pickup truck or a motorcycle. I'm guessing about 40% of those vehicles have no muffler. The peace and quiet of Pool Rd. was a welcomed respite.

After hitting pavement again on our back track a Fed Ex truck pulled along side us. The driver, was a very friendly woman who immediately handed us both a bottle of ice cold water. She said: "you all are the first cyclists I've seen in these parts. I always see bikes on 1791 but not on this road" she said. We asked about the dirt. She stated, oh it's only about a mile or so. Just soft and beware of the dogs. We then talked about the store in Richards and how good their hamburgers were and the fact that the other newer store had just closed for the third time. It was a good and refreshing discussion.

We thanked her and turned around again, riding back to the dirt walking and riding to the end of it. Then again we were on good pavement soon riding up to the actual chapel that Bays Chapel Road was named after. A Methodists Church established in 1850. Think about that, This church and its community were established before the Civil War and perhaps even more importantly before the Comanches were taken out of action. (Read the book - "Empire of the Summer Moon".)

After a few more miles we found Hy149 and stopped for a bio break and water at the Polling station there at the intersection. Luckily for us, we found a water faucet behind the well house with ice cold well water in it. Now all we had to do was peddle the next 20 miles back to Willis via FM 1375 and Hy75.

As we road toward Hy75 on FM1375 we encountered a rider fully loaded with tour gear. We stopped to visit with him to find out where he had started and where he was going. Amazingly, he had started in Yorktown, Virginia on October 6. He then road south to Florida and picked up the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier route that would take him due west across Texas and eventually to San Diego. He said he was averaging 50 miles a day. He camped in city parks and Church grounds as listed in the Adventure Cycling maps. His intent was to ride to San Diego and then end his tour in San Francisco.

We asked him if he had an issue traveling alone. He said at first yes - but he had gotten used to it. Further he said he had planned his tour for many months with a friend that had committed to doing the tour with him, only to back out the day before their departure. I told Mike later, this really was not too unusual. Not many people actually follow through with BHAG goals like this. It just feels good to talk about it. (BHAG means Big Hairy Assed Goal). Mike said he agreed and that one would question whether or not the guy that cancelled was really his friend.

Our training ride totaled of almost 80 miles with some good lessons learned for me.

I will not be riding a road bike across America. It will either be my Touring bike or the Recumbent. I was starting to lean away from the Touring bike because of it's weight. But now know, weight is not nearly as important as practicality. But I am going to do a bit of comparison now between my Touring bike and my R-84 Lighting recumbent. Bottom line for me was, My butt, feet, shoulders and hands were hurting. Not something I wanted to experience every day for 3 months or more.

So on our next preparatory ride, I'm going to add my Burly Trekking trailer to either the Randonee or the R84 recumbent and give both a try. This will hopefully decide which bike will be used. The challenge I'm facing right now is that while the touring bike is made for touring, it is heavy. Like 32# heavy vs the Recumbent with is like 19#. So we will see. I will report on future posts.

One last lesson learned. It's not about the ride. As I enter what some are calling my retirement, I realize that this BHAG is not about the ride. It's about the journey. If all I had to look forward to each week was a set of rides that only took me back home, I'd go crazy and then go back to work. What I need is a goal. Something to work toward over and above a set of weekly rides.

We now have that goal. And we are going to do it. And relish each day of the journey toward the departure date, and then every day on the actual tour. And every day after the tour.

Till then, be safe. More will follow.
T10