A Mascot for THE BIG RIDE !!

Larry - He's arrived! The Baxter Mini-me. He's going on THE BIG RIDE to keep us safe and bring good luck.

                                                                    Baxter Mini-me

A Blessing, then A Party !

 

Larry – Sunday, May 19, was a big day. We got to ride the Big Bike to church. We’ve done that a few times in the past, but this Sunday was special. Our church has an annual celebration they call ‘Pentecost in the Park’, which consists of a joint church service with 2 other local congregations held under the pavilion at one of our municipal parks. Someone at the church had heard of our oncoming adventure and arrangements were made for us to receive a special prayer and blessing (including the bike!) during the service. This was very thoughtful and much appreciated. We invited the priest to join us for some or all of THE BIG RIDE, but he said he’d be busy this summer and would have to take a pass. Thanks all the same. We are humbled by our church’s kindness. Thank you each very very much. We also know that we’ll be blessed on our journey by the kindness of strangers many times over as we make our way.

Fr. Polk, Fr. Colin, us and the Big Bike

                                                

 

Sunday’s other event of significance was mother’s birthday party. As before mentioned, we moved her 90th birthday celebration up a few weeks so that we could enjoy it with her before we leave on THE BIG RIDE. Just close friends and family in attendance. Mother had a great time, as did we all. The food was great (thanks to Martha and sis-in-law Suzy) and the flowers were beautiful (thanks to brother Bill). I was just the big idea guy and task delegator.

Larry and the birthday girl

Beautiful flowers by Bill

What's a birthday without a cake

The whole family

I started breaking down the Big Bike a little bit this a.m. Took off the racks and fenders. We hope to get in a few more rides before it goes into the big black box next Tuesday for UPS to pick up and deliver to our D.C. hotel. Bought a new frame pump. It’s like a mini floor pump with a little hose that will allow me to air up the back tire while it’s mounted on the bike. The bigger tires we’re running require some deflation to get over the brakes. With the old pump, I usually enlisted the help of a handy fence post or utility pole to lessen the chances of damaging the valve stem during inflation. Since the wheel now has to be on the bike for tire inflation, my post/pole thing wasn’t going to be an option. We hope not to be using that pump very much, if at all. But experience tells me that it will get its fair share of a work out.

The new pump

Three C's and Tandem Rules

Larry – I started tandeming about 25 years ago.  I knew less than nothing about quality bikes in general and tandem bikes in particular.  Our first tandem was a well used J.C. Penney one speed with a coaster brake.  We paid $100 for it and my wife was not pleased, remarking she could think of a thousand things she would rather have for a $100.

     But the bike grew on her.  It was just a neighborhood cruiser. It went to the ice cream store many times as well as other local fun places.  We had a great time on that bike.  We soon agreed we wanted a better bike that would go a little faster and take us a little farther.  A lifetime passion was born.  Before long we were members of the local bicycle club and making lots of new, lifetime, bike friends. 

    We did our first tour on the KATY more than 20 years ago.  I thought the KATY was a big deal, but now know it was great fun but no big deal.  Since the KATY, there have been probably 15 tours ranging from Utah to N.Y. to Vancouver to Nova Scotia to France and the list goes on.  We’ll probably never top THE BIG RIDE for length or duration, but that’s okay.  There are lots of great tours out there to be had that won’t take all summer to do.

     When I was brand new to tandeming, someone gave me a copy of John Schubert’s The Tandem Scoop.  The book is still in print and contains a wealth of information specific to tandeming.  I reread it several times before passing it on to another newbie team.  Schubert talked about the Three C’s of Tandeming.  Cooperation. Coordination. And Companionship. True words and each a must for happy tandeming.  In all my years of tandeming, I’ve never had a cross word with any of my stokers.

     That probably has something to do with Schubert’s Rules of Tandeming.  Captain’s Rule:  Never scare your stoker.  Stoker’s Rule:  Trust your captain.  Overall Rule:  The stoker’s always right.

     So, if you will be always mindful of the Three C’s and obey the Tandem Rules, you’ll be able to have a wonderful time with your special someone for eleven weeks on a bicycle built for two.  I read somewhere that whichever way your relationship with your significant other was going, a tandem bicycle would accelerate the process.  We are each really excited at the quality time with each other that we’re going to enjoy.  In the hectic workaday world, quality time is sometimes hard to come by. 

     I have known a few couples, each strong cyclists in their own right, who acquired and then quickly sold a tandem for the sake of preserving their marriage.  It happens.  But Martha and I have always known our bike to be just like that song – ‘A Love Machine’.

     We fly in two weeks.  Start pedaling on June 4.  It’s here.

                                  Not us, but the bike is a lot like my first tandem

                                    Maybe us - after a couple of glasses of wine

                                      

 

    

     

      

 

Half Century Training Ride

Larry - Spring in the central south is having a hard time getting going.  For the second Saturday in a row we've had day long soaking rains with temps in the high 40s.  Not good riding weather.  This Saturday we at least went to the Y and did a spin class sweat fest.  That helped. 
     Today (Sunday, May 5) Martha had the March of Dimes walk as an off branch of her job and couldn't ride.  The weather still wasn't great, with a low clouds, a north wind, temps in the low 50s and a 70% chance of precip.  Still, I had to ride or risk a bad case of cabin fever.
     The local bike club had its regular Sunday p.m. ride scheduled.  I decided that I wanted to see my buds and would ride to the ride.  That's always fun. It was about a 10 mile ride to the club ride start point.  I could make most of the journey on a greenway bike path which follows the river.  That turned out to be a little bit of a mistake.
     Leaving the house I wondered if I had on enough clothes, even though I had given the matter careful consideration.  I was on my tour bike which has a rack.  This allowed be to throw on a trunk with my rain jacket in case things really unraveled.  For the first ten minutes I was on the edge of being cold, then, like it's supposed to, my exertion kicked in and I forgot about being cold just as I swung around a corner and noticed that the rain swollen river had submerged a goodly segment of the greenway.  It looked like about 40 yards was underwater.  I didn't have time to turn around and reroute if I was going to make the club ride start, so I just plunged in.
     The water was not moving and being very familiar with the path, I knew it could be no more than about a foot deep.  I didn't want water in my bottom bracket, so I just shouldered the bike and waded.  The water was not warm.  And now wet feet for the rest of my riding day.
     I did make the club ride on time and had a great time on a little 32 miler.  By the time I got home, I'd done a half century!  I was starting to fade and Martha's spaghetti and meat sauce dinner hit the spot.  I know we'll have a lot of days like this on THE BIG RIDE.  You just have to go with the flow and be physically and (just as importantly) mentally ready for the challenge.
     Today's ride with its minor hardships got me thinking about the comfort cocoon many of us live in.  We live in temperature and humidity controlled homes and offices.  We never feel hunger or discomfort.  If it starts to hurt, we stop.  If we don't want to do it, we don't.  I think part of the attraction many of us have for bike touring is it gives us a little test of ourselves. 
     Can we take a little hardship?  Is it worth all this effort?
     The answer is, course, "Yes!"  It's what takes you out of the sometimes dreary workaday world and let's you feel free and alive like nothing else.  Sure, THE BIG RIDE will have some tough days, but as I always say, "Don't let it get you down, this will be a great story tomorrow".

                                             Clip art - Not me.  Not my skirt.  Not my bike.

                                            

To Shave or Not - That is the Question

 

Larry - Several friends have asked if I would be shaving while we're on THE BIG RIDE.  It is a subject to which I have given a little thought.  A lot of men I've known have given the beard thing a try when they retired, were between jobs or on long away trips.  Maybe it's a curiosity thing or just something they always wanted to do and social mores somehow thwarted them. To each, his own.
     Me?  I'm allowing myself the indulgence of toting my electric razor so I can stay somewhat bare-faced as the weeks spin by.  Martha will be leg shaving (I hope), so it's only right for me to return the favor.



                        Me -  Clean shaven

                                                       Me - Photo shopped with a beard


     Oh yeah.  I'm definitely shavin'.

Spring BRAT and a Calling Card !!

Larry - For the past many years the Parks Dept of the State of Tennessee, like many states, sponsors a bike event.  Here it's called the BRAT (Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee) and consists of a week long ride in the fall.  Beginning just last year, BRAT was expanded to include a two day spring event.  I've ridden several BRATs over the years.
     This year more than a dozen local riders registered to ride the Spring BRAT, which was held out of the Paris Landing State Park which itself is near the federal Land between the Lakes recreational area.  A beautiful and historic area of the State of Tennessee (and also southern Kentucky).  The first day was a little cool and breezy, but we did about 55 miles on some fairly challenging terrain where it was hard to find any flat places.  For the second day's ride, the weather was beautifully sunny with temps in the 50s.  Perfect.  We did 60 miles or so.  Rode the ferry across Lake Barkley.  Had to once again exercise forgiveness rather than permission mode with the ferry captain, but nobody died. 

                                                    Steve - The guy that helped me get in
                                                    trouble on the ferry.

     I was generally pleased with my level of fitness for mid-April, but did notice on Sunday when Martha and I did a little local ramble on the tandem that I was a little tired and my legs had no snap.  Martha and I have each found that at the start of a loaded tour, no matter how fit you are, the first three or four days are hard.  You wonder, "What's happened to me?  Can I do this?."  Then your body seems to magically adjust and everything gets easier and the miles start to fly by and melt away.

                                                   My touring single - A Waterford

                                   Me and BRAT buddies Kent and Keith waiting for the ferry.


     Martha ordered some calling cards with our blog address to give to friends and family here in town that are interested in following THE BIG RIDE and to give out to people we meet along the way.  Martha did her usual great design job.  Note the color of the card matches the color of the big bike.   Martha - Zazzle, Inc. deserves the credit.  Check them out!

     June 1 - our start day - is just five weeks from Saturday.  The big bike flies to our start point in just four weeks.  Mother's birthday party is May 19.  The Countdown is ON!!

A Three Hour Tour. A Three Hour Tour.

Larry - Last Saturday was the long awaited shakedown cruise for the skipper and his mighty spinning mate upon the S.S. Barney, bedecked with a full load, just like we intend to carry on the BIG RIDE.
     Long story short, the ride went great.  Everything fit into its bag and the bags all fit onto the bike.  Nary a jiggle.  Actually, I was pleasantly surprised on how well everything went.  I just knew we'd come upon some serious issue we had not anticipated.  That's why you do a shakedown before the real event. Still, this is my kind of disappointment.
     Although we've got our gear to an absolute minimum, with the camping stuff we're taking for insurance, the bike is the heaviest we've ever ridden.  The front panniers do help stabilize things.  But still, I can really feel the extra pounds.  Yet we did fine.  The ride was only 31 miles and took 3 hours.  Did I mention that the terrain was very challenging!  All ups and downs and a one mile climb on a very steep grade.  Those low low gears felt great and though we were slow, we did that hard climb under control and could have done more.  There won't be many days on the BIG RIDE that will have any tougher climbs.
     The most interesting part of the ride was when I spied what appeared to be a wallet with some money sticking out of it laying on the edge of the road.  I made a quick stop (not much appreciated by the mighty spinning mate) and announced "I think I saw a wallet and some money back there!" to which she responded "Oh Pashaw!", but dutifully dismounted and walked back up the road to investigate!
      "What'd you find?"
      "A wallet and some money!"
      It's nice to be right every once in awhile.
     Okay! This could be fun.
     The contents of the wallet contained a small amount of cash, credit cards and a driver's license with a picture of a young woman.  The address on the license was on the same road we were riding, just about a half mile distant.  Now we get to be 'Trail Angels' and return the wallet, knowing that our new BFF, heartsick with the thought of a lost wallet/lost credit cards/etc, would be overcome with joy and gratitude upon our arrival.
     When we got to the mailbox with the license address we noticed that what appeared to be a very nice house was back off the road a good couple of hundred yards (we were way out in the country).  We also noticed that the house was way up on a pretty good hill.  Finally we also noticed that the driveway was gravel, freshly graded, very loose and very deep.
     After a soft sigh, we started pushing the tandem with 50 lbs of gear up that sketchy gravel drive.  On arrival, finally, noticing several nice late model cars parked on a spacious concrete patio, Martha knocked on the door, wallet in hand.  After several seconds, a small child answered the door.
      Martha: "Is Ms McGillicuddy (not her real name) here?" 
      The child:  "My daddy's Mr. McGillicuddy!"
     "Could you get him?"
     "Okay"
     Presently a barefoot man wearing pajama shorts (this was 3 in the afternoon) and a tee shirt appeared.  Martha, 4'10', helmeted, bike jersey, shorts, the full kit, quickly explains our find and purpose.  I'm holding the bike just a few feet away similarly attired.
      The man looks furtively to his left and then his right, as if checking for other alien creatures, mumbles "Yes. That's my wife.  Thank you", takes the wallet and quietly closes the door in Martha's stunned face.
       She just stands there for a moment in shock.
      Of course, all we ever wanted was a simple 'thank you' and that's we got, although just barely.  I admit I would have accepted a cool drink of water (it was 82 degrees) if the ever so gracious Mr. McGillicuddy had thought to offer.
      Wrestling the big bike back down that driveway from hell gave us time to analyze what just happened.  We had several theories, but the best one was that Mr. McG was a killer psycho and  had just murdered the unfortunate Mrs. McGillicuddy, dismembered her body with a chain saw and had hauled the whole bloody mess along with all her personal effects to the local landfill only to have a very incriminating piece of evidence blow out the back of his truck and be discovered by these very strange looking people.  We figured that furtive look was a stall while he decided if he could get away with 3 murders as easy as one. 
      We'll never know for sure, though we have started checking the local paper's missing persons reports.
     A couple of pics of the big bike loaded for the BIG RIDE are attached along with a photo of Martha's knees in shades of bright red!  Did I mention we stopped at the Bark Park to visit with friends and wound up taking a thirty minute nap in their lawn chairs?  Bright sun + no sunscreen = Bright Red Knees!  Ouch.

                                                 The Big Bike loaded for THE BIG RIDE

                                                      Like I said - Bright Red Knees  !!

                                          The Big Bike (with Baxter cautiously looking on)



    Artist's rendering of Mr. McGillicuddy