Week 7 Addendum
Over the hill:13% of the riders are over 55 years old. (Just a reminder, I’m not in that group.)
They shoot road signs, don’t they?
It has been brought to my attention that I’ve been pretty lucky. , The "Slow moving vehicle" triangle that is on the back of my bike seat paints a beautiful target on my back when I’m riding. And, I have made it through Idaho, Montana and downtown Cleveland without taking any hits.
Favorite States:
A guy did a survey of 100 riders. Their favorite state to ride through was Idaho, followed by Ohio. The least favorite states were Illinois and Indiana.
No Bike Problems:
My bike made the trip without problems. Other than the upgrades, replacing brake pads, lubricating the chain, and fixing flats, I have not had to fix anything on the bike. Only during the last two days did I begin to experience problems shifting, so I know the derailleur needs adjustment. And by now I know the whole bike is due for complete cleaning and cable and chain replacement to keep it in top shape.
Sabbatical:
It took two weeks to get totally relaxed from work. By the end of the third week, I was ready to get back to work. By four weeks it was became a different world, a different life.
Incognito Lounge:
In the eastern Washington desert, halfway between the last pit-stop and the camp, they dropped off several cases of water and a guy to watch over it by the roadside so we could replenish our water during the ride. This watering station became a standard practice during the ride.
The next day, the guy had acquired and umbrella to make his stay more tolerable in the heat.
As the days progressed, the umbrella was replaced by a pavilion style tent with "Clif Bar" logos. Cases of water became "bar stools", a Budwiser banner appeared, and a dart-board was added. Thus, the "Incognito Lounge" was born.
By the end of the ride, T-shirts showed up with the Incognito Lounge logo on the front like a polo shirt, and the following inscription on the back.
Halfway between somewhere and nowhere at all.*
Locations in WA, ID, MT, WY, SD, MN, WI, IL, IN, OH, PA, MD
* your mileage may vary
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house:
I don't think these are the "Smokey Mountains", but the Smokey's get their name from the fog that hangs in them. Now I know where "On Top of Old Smokey" came from.:
Directing traffic, a safety measure at a busy intersection. Note the arrow below the stop sign; these arrows helped keep us on the right route:
The Incognito Lounge. See text above:
I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line:
At the end:
All pictures and text (c) 1998 by Bill Peterson, Anchorage, Alaska.