Interesting Information About the Ride

As I get ready for the ride, I am sharing some information that answers many of the questions I have been asked. Of course these are all of the questions I had in my own mind many months and many cycling miles ago.

In order to see the route, follow this link to Crossroads Cycling map: Tour Map You can click on each state and see the actual route and stops. If you are really interested, you can go to their website, www.crossroadscycling.com and peruse through other interesting information like elevation gains, riders journals, etc. We will be riding for 43 days with 5 rest days for a total of 3,415 miles, dipping our back wheel in the Pacific Ocean in LA and our front wheel in the Atlantic in Boston. The route has us crossing 15 state lines, averaging 80 miles per day, and a total elevation gain of 90,039 feet. For someone who has trained in the Lowcountry, that elevation gain seems daunting. Thank goodness for lots of gears. Those elevation gains include the Rocky Mountains, Berkshire Mountains, Green Mountains, and While Mountains. To add interest we cross the Mojave Desert and the long stretches of straight roads in the midwest.

There are 16 riders who will do the full trip, 12 men and 4 women, aging in range from 50 to 72. So I guess you could say "I fit right in." Several other riders will join us for segments of the trip. I am sure this will be an interesting group of people and we will depend on each other a lot before the trip is over. One good thing is that it is a fully-supported trip. So we don't have to carry an extra load on our bikes and will sleep in hotels at night!

I hope you enjoy the reports from along the way.

Preparation is complete - let's go

After months of training, planning, and thinking about the great adventure across America, it is almost time to go. I will be riding my bike from Los Angeles to Boston with several other crazies who have signed up with Crossroads Cycling. This will certainly be quite the adventure, traveling an average of 80 miles a day. Of course some days will be shorter and some longer, but all of them should prove to be a challenge. I have been seriously training for the past year. I know that I need all this training just to survive. The training itself was quite a challenge at times. But with the help of my coach, Tracey, from CTS, I made a lot of progress during the year. Now just to remember everything I have learned.
I fly to LA on May 6th and we start riding on May 9th. My bike was shipped on Monday and Fed Ex was very efficient and it is already at the hotel. I know it must be lonely without me. The first week involves deserts and mountain passes. So wish me luck.