Monthly Archives: April 2012

Day 13: Pensacola

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Cheryl posting for Chuck tonight.

Note about the blog:
Some of you may have noticed the site was down for quite a few hours today. My apologies. Seems the company that hosts our website had a problem with one of their servers — the one that contains all of our websites and blogs — and took it off-line today to do a major overhaul. Hopefully the problem is solved…

Black Water River State Forest to Pensacola, FL
52 miles

While talking with Chuck on the phone tonight, I overheard Bob tell the host at Pensacola Naval Air station’s campground, “It’s the heat that kills ya,”when he asked Chuck and Bob about their ride.

“So you haven’t been in Florida in the summer?”

Chuck and Bob laughed. “We’re from Florida.”

“I feel sorry for you guys. I’ve done that trip and its hard enough going by motorcycle!”

Chuck told me their host is a great guy and is really helping them out. He’s even charging Chuck’s GPS for him tonight because their tent site tonight is ‘primitive’ which means no water and electric, just a place to pitch their tents. The campground does have nice shower and laundry facilities, though and Chuck said, “the place is packed” with RVers.

Chuck said they rode 52 miles today. “It was a hard day. The first 25 to 30 miles were okay, but the last 6 were torture! But I’m not complaining,” he laughed.

Oak Grove Park at Pensacola NAS, where the guys are staying, is nicely located near the beach and the museum on base. Because Chuck is a retired Marine, he still has base privileges and today it came in handy when looking for a campground in the area.

They did need to do some shopping tonight, though, and ended up at Walmart. Chuck said he needed to replace a strobe light and a water bottle and cage that were broken when he fell a couple of days ago. I asked him why they went to Walmart instead of the base exchange, as he told me last night that Bob was looking forward to checking out the BX.

“The BX was 5 miles from the campground and Walmart was 2. We already put in a long day and didn’t want to ride another 10 miles round trip. Walmart was closer!”

As they left Walmart, they did have another mishap. Bob’s chain popped while at an intersection and he couldn’t go forward or backward and hit the pavement hard. Chuck said he’s okay, but it’s another case of equipment malfunction and working out all the kinks as they go along.

The boys plan to relax tonight and stay over tomorrow. They have some chores to take care of with maintenance and fixes on their bikes and some laundry to take care of, but they’re also going to watch the Blue Angels put on a show in the morning and then check out the Air Museum. Chuck said there is also a lighthouse “somewhere around here” and that “the beach is beautiful with that white sand” so I bet they’ll spend some time checking it out too.

The plan now is to head out again on Wednesday, and within a couple of days they should all be crossing the border into Alabama and leaving Florida behind.

52 miles to Pensacola

Day 11: Headwinds vs Tailwinds

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Cheryl reporting again this evening. I think Chuck prefers the interview method of blogging. 😉

Chipley to DeFuniak Springs, FL
44 miles

The plan this morning was to take the trail to Florida’s Highest Waterfall at Falling Waters State Park before leaving the campground, but after being told by fellow campers that the hike was 25 minutes each way and that the ‘waterfall’ was bone dry, as it is dependent upon rainfall, the guys decided to just break camp and start riding.

According to Chuck, the most exciting thing that happened today was meeting a cycling couple heading east from Austin, Texas.

Rider coming from Austin

Another rider heading East

Chuck was impressed that the woman riding was using a rubber belt type of chain, as he’d never seen one before. He said he definitely wants to check it out once he gets a chance, as it looked like a good idea.

Belt Drive?

Belt Drive?

While they were talking about their travels, Chuck said she complained about the headwind she and her partner were experiencing. Chuck was incredulous. Headwinds? They were heading east and should have had a killer tailwind from the headwinds Chuck and Bob were fighting all day while heading west. But as we’ve learned from all our thousands of miles riding the Withlacoochee Trail, sometimes it feels like you’ve got a headwind no matter what direction you’re riding.

Tonight they’re staying in DeFuniak Springs, enjoying a rare night in a motel room. There weren’t any campgrounds close enough to the route today to take advantage of today, so it was the best choice. I was told that no one’s complaining about the accommodations.

Chuck spent part of the evening recharging all his gadgets before they had some dinner and settled into bed.

Charging away

Day 10: Docs on Bikes

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Cheryl filling in tonight for Chuck with info from his phone call.

Sneads to Chipley, FL
50 miles

Chuck called tonight (via FaceTime, which is the Mac equivalent of Skype – technology is so cool!) and said the guys are camping at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, FL. Chuck’s familiar with this campground, as we stayed at Falling Waters together back in 2003 when we took our ‘Big Trip Out West’, RVing for the first time.

By the time everyone made it to the campground and got their tents set up, it was too dark to hike the short trail to Florida’s Highest Waterfall this evening, but they plan to take a look at it tomorrow morning before heading out again.

Today was another ‘Death Valley Day’ according to Chuck. This is his way of saying the winds were miserable. Chuck has used this phrase a lot on this trip, but the first time he said it was back in 2009 when he rode his bike from the entrance to Death Valley National Park down to Badwater (the lowest point in the U.S.) when we were traveling as full-time RVers. If you click the link and read his post, you’ll know what he’s talking about. 🙂

Chuck said he’s not complaining, though, and that everyone’s still motivated and feeling strong, but “we feel slow.”

The boys seem to be settling into the routine of riding, with not too much to report out-of-the-ordinary. They stopped in Chipley at a laundromat to do some laundry, and did some shopping at CVS and Wal-Mart for some batteries and stuff before riding to the campground.

The big excitement of the day was meeting yet another group of riders coming east from San Diego on the Southern Tier trail. Jessica, Caley, and Tad are three med students on their way to St. Augustine.

The "3 MDs" Riding Sea-to-Sea

Everyone chatted with each other for a little while, took pictures of each other, and exchanged blog addresses. Before long they parted ways, but not before one of the girls complained about having fallen on her bike and Chuck joked facetiously that he’d never done that before.

Of course, as they parted and the light turned green, Chuck clipped in before he had enough momentum and promptly fell. He said he never felt so embarassed in his life. But, hey, it happens. The only time we cyclists ever seem to fall is when we have an audience, right? It must be bicycle Murphy’s law!

The current plan is to ride to DeFuniak Springs tomorrow and maybe stay a couple of days to see the sights.

Snead to Chipley, FL

 

Day 7: Kick My Butt If I Complain

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Suwannee River to Marietta, FL
50 miles

This morning I could not get organized. Felt like I was going in slow motion. It was 42 degrees this morning. It was cold, but my sleeping bag was nice and warm. Hated getting out :-). We were up at 6:30 and riding by 8:10 am.

Today was a very hard day on the bike. 50 miles isn’t much, but fighting head winds all the way really beat us down. But I’m not complaining. No way, it was a cake walk.

About 30 miles into our ride, we stopped at the top of a hill for some water and to catch our breath. As we were recuperating, a couple (husband & wife) coming from the other direction came across the road and stopped to chat a bit.

They had started from El Paso about 6 weeks earlier. The guy was a retired Army officer and asked how long I was in the Corps (he saw my USMC flag). We talked military stuff for a while, then we talked biking.

He is completing going around the perimeter of the whole United States. WOW! Plus, he had done the central route too. On this trip he had broken his chain and had fixed it, but it was too short and he couldn’t use his high gears.

We told him he probably wouldn’t find a bike shop until he got to Gainesville. We said our goodbyes and they headed east. As they rode off Bob said to me, “If I complain about anything on this trip, kick my butt.” I said that goes double for me.

The guy we had been talking to had his right artificial leg strapped to his center tube. This guy was riding with only his left leg.

Kick me if I complain about anything!!!

Today's 50 miler

Day 6: On The Road Again

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White Springs to Suwannee River, FL
30 miles

Sometimes things happen for the right reasons. The whole time we spent at Suwannee Bicycle Association was like serendipity. We missed the rain. We met great people at SBA. We met Kevin & Josh, fellow cyclists completing the same route we are beginning.

Kevin & Josh about to get back on the road

Kevin & Josh about to get back on the road

And we learned the amazing history of the SBA from Jean, who helped start SBA 21 years ago.

Suwannee Bicycle Association's Jean

SBA's Jean

Yesterday we had a good talk with Kevin and Josh – really great guys. They are super adventurous. They had a lot of good stories to tell us, including one about backpacking with skis for two weeks! They gave us good info on places to avoid and things to look out for on the rest of our trip.

Pumping the tires

Pumping the tires

Late last night, someone tried to get into SBA. It was Jean. She was coming in to be there early for some street marking the next morning for the Florida Bicycle Safari. We were all sleeping on the couches and Josh & Kevin were sleeping on the floor. Bob gave up his couch so Jean could sleep on it and he moved to the floor. Jean joked the next morning she better not tell her husband she slept with 5 guys! LOL

Jean talking to cyclists

Jean talking to cyclists

Jean told us all about the history of SBA. She said the founders (husband & wife Dan and Lys Burden) did a huge cycling trip from Alaska and were featured in National Geographic at the time. They are also the founders of Adventure Cycling. Wow.

Suwannee Bicycle Association Beginnings

Suwannee Bicycle Association Beginnings

We could have left earlier this morning, but we only planned to go 30 miles to Suwannee River State Park. We’re having to adjust our route based on campgrounds. There’s nothing between there and Tallahassee. With the strong winds (20-25 mph) today, 35 miles is like 50 miles.

After Suwannee River State Park, there’s a big strip of 110 miles to the next campground. We have info on two Warm Showers possibilities Wednesday night in Tallahassee. We’re trying to break down the mileage to manageable chunks.

The ride was cold. Having to wear long-johns, but having a good time!

White Springs to Suwannee River

Day 5: Still in White Springs

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Chuck says:

Still at White Springs. 08:25 and it is still raining; more of a drizzle but not worth getting on our bikes. As I write it is getting a little more heavy. Nice and dry inside.

Last night Tony, one of the SBA managers, cooked up some great pork chops and muddles for us. It was delicious. This a.m. I had my oatmeal, and Tony cooked up some eggs and bacon, so I am getting plenty to eat. Thanks, Tony!

Everything is packed and ready to go. When the rain stops we will be heading for Suwannee River State Park. Another short day if we get out at all, but not sorry. We knew we would have days like this.

Bob patch tire

Bob passing the time by patching inner tubes

Here is a video I took of the ‘TP Cyclist’ inside Suwannee Bicycle Association. They say he’s been here 20 years. Cheryl posted this and more videos on YouTube for me. Just click on the VIDEOS link here or at the top of the page to see more.


UPDATE by Cheryl:

Chuck called a few times throughout the day. The guys stayed put at the Suwannee Bicycle Assoc. waiting out the rain. By the time it cleared, they figured they wouldn’t get far before they would have to stop and camp, so they might as well stay the rest of the day and head out first thing tomorrow morning.

During the day a couple of riders came in. “Guess where they’re from?” Chuck said. “San Diego! They are on their way to St. Augustine. They have three days left and we have fifty-something.” This was exciting for the guys and they spent the rest of the day talking to Josh and Kevin, getting tips for the rest of their long journey ahead and checking out each other’s blogs.

Kevin & Josh

Kevin & Josh

Chuck felt better about everyone spending the night in White Springs last night when Josh told them that they had camped at Suwannee River State Park and that they were only about 25 feet away from a tree that got hit by lightning! Close call, but they weren’t hurt. You can read about it at The Southern Crossing 2012 Blog.

Josh also told the guys to avoid a particular alternate route in Arizona, as it was the worst road they took the entire trip. They wrote it down to remember so as not to make the same mistake when they get to Arizona.

The riders also told them that there were times they didn’t even have to pedal, enjoying some tailwinds they encountered. Chuck said, “I’m thinking about buying a ticket to California and starting there!” Especially since tomorrow’s weather forecast is for winds 15-20 mph from the Northwest. The guys face a stiff head wind tomorrow, and it won’t be the only time.

Though they really appreciate the amazing hospitality of SBA, everyone’s eager to get back on the road tomorrow and a few more miles closer to San Diego.

Day 4: Rain, Rain, Go Away

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Chuck here. 🙂

Day 3: Ichetucknee Springs to White Springs, FL
30 miles

I know a few people will be a little disappointed when they see we have only gone 30 or 40 miles in a day. We are on this journey to ride our bikes across the country and see and experience the ride of a lifetime. It’s not a race. We want to share our experiences; the good, bad and the ugly.

Today has been a good day. Yes, we only went 30 miles, but we are staying the day/night in a dry and clean place.

Bob knew of the Suwannee Bicycle Association in White Springs. He is a member and he made some phone calls and they are letting us spend as much time as we need to ride out the rain that is now pouring outside. Cheryl gave us a heads up about the bad weather or we might have been caught in the open country. Thank you MBB.

We arrived here in White Springs about an hour before the rains came down. 🙂

Rain? What Rain? Bob & Harry with some cyclists about an hour before it rained.

Florida Bicycle Safari riders caught in the downpour.

The Suwannee Bicycle Association puts on a lot of rides and this weekend there were about 400 riders here taking advantage of their SAG stop for the Florida Bicycle Safari that started today.

Fellow Withlacoochee Bicycle Group cyclists, Colin & Evelyn and Mari & Jerry, have been here for their Suwannee Sweetheart Cycling Weekend in February. It is a nice place to ride and meet great bicycle people.

We’re staying the night here at the club, sleeping on their nice, big couches. Thank you SBA for the fantastic hospitality. We really appreciate it.

Inside SBA

Inside SBA

Tomorrow we hope to reach Madison, or at least Live Oak. But with the weather forecast (more rain, winds 15-20 mph with gusts to 25 mph), we are going to have to play this one by what happens.

Today's Route

Day 3: Flat Tires & Jumping Through Hoops

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Post by Chuck! 🙂

Day 3: Gainesville to Ichetucknee Springs, FL
50 miles

Thanks again to our Warm Showers host, Tom Harris. He’s really funny, interesting, and just a super guy! Below is a video of Tom and his talented cat, Leo. I think Leo thinks he’s a dog. He knows how to sit and jump through hoops! Not many cats do that.

Today was a rough day. We started off good, and rode on to Alachua again and stopped at our favorite Subway again. Bob got a flat tire five miles after Alachua. He changed it, then we rode on.

First flat (Bob)

First flat (Bob)

Bob got a flat tire again. I gave him one of my tubes, but it wouldn’t hold air. We checked the tire again but saw nothing there. We kept looking and found a little piece of metal in the wheel. We filed it down and so far the tire is doing okay.

2nd flat (Bob)

2nd flat tire (Bob)

It was a good ride. Not as hectic as yesterday. We only had problems twice, but it’s not a five minute tire change. You have to take stuff off. You have to take the trailer off so you can turn the bike over.

We only went about 50 miles today. We’re at Ichetucknee Springs. People at the campground are so friendly. I don’t have any phone signal, but do have free WiFi from the campground. Bob has a phone signal — of course his phone is Verizon. I’m going to have to get a Verizon phone someday. Thanks to Bob, he let me use it to give Cheryl a call tonight.

Our Ichetucknee Campsite

I’m really feeling good. I’m glad. The training really helped. The weather shows for rain tomorrow. I’ll get online later to check the weather reports and see what we’ll be doing. It may be a short day.

Day 2: Brake Cables and Warm Showers

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Cheryl updating again tonight for Chuck with info from his phone call.

Day 2: Keystone Heights to Gainesville, FL
53 miles

Chuck called tonight with news that they guys didn’t make it to their original destination of Alachua today due to rain and bike repairs. They had to take advantage of the accommodations provided by Warm Showers, a network of cyclists for reciprocal hospitality for touring bicyclists.

So tonight the guys are staying at the home of Tom Harris, who Chuck says is a really nice guy. He also has a cat, Leo, that can do tricks, including jumping through a hoop! Chuck emailed a picture of their host, but says he’ll have to send the rest of his pictures and video of Leo’s tricks later.

Our fantastic host: Tom and his cat, Leo.

Tom’s house and property is very nice are quite large, and it took the guys about 30 minutes of traveling through the woods from the bike trail just to get to it, but he said it was well worth it under the circumstances and they really appreciate Tom’s hospitality.

Bob on the trail to Tom's house

Bob on the trail to Tom's house

After starting out from Keystone Heights, Chuck and the guys rode part of the way today on the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Park Trail. Around lunch time they stopped in the town of Hampton and ate at Subway. There was a big, black cloud right on top of them, so they thought it was a good time for a break. Bob said, “Come on rain! Rain hard!” Chuck asked him why he was rooting for rain, especially a hard rain. Bob told him that if it rained hard and fast, it would probably rain itself out quicker and they wouldn’t have to worry about it again. Turns out, that’s exactly what happened.

The skies opened up and it poured while they guys ate lunch, staying dry in Subway. It was still raining some when they finished, so they walked over under the overhang in the shopping center to a grocery store and got something for tonight’s dinner.

Bob persuaded Chuck to buy a mircrowave version of Macaroni and Cheese and just use boiling water to prepare it. We tried that before to see how it might work on the road. We were less than impressed and it was barely edible. I’m surprised Chuck agreed. Turns out it worked out perfectly though, because Tom had a microwave and Chuck cooked it the way it’s supposed to be cooked. Again, from experience, Kraft microwavable Mac & Cheese is actually pretty good when cooked per the package instructions.

Once back out on the road, they headed towards Alachua, but when they got into Gainesville they had a mechanical problem.

The guys were stopped at a traffic signal and the road was clear and the light was in their favor, however the crossing signal was red. Chuck slowed to stop, but Bob did not and he tried to stop, but his brake cable was broken. Bob didn’t fall, but they needed to get the brake cable fixed. It wasn’t repairable with their tools and supplies, so they rode around Gainesville in search of a bike shop. They found one on University Avenue and got the cable replaced, but it took a while, putting them behind schedule.

Knowing that they wouldn’t make their destination that night, they checked the Warm Showers network to see if there were any nearby participants. Finding Tom, they had to backtrack to the trail to get to his house — a few extra miles, but necessary under the circumstances.

Everyone is safe and dry and resting up to start again tomorrow morning from Gainesville, FL to (hopefully) Ichetucknee Springs.