Day 4: Dateland (a place you'd never go on a date)

Day 4: September 29

We headed out of Yuma at a pretty good time. Jeanie (or Genie?), our host, left work to come back to the house to say goodbye. What a nice lady!

After a quick stop for breakfast and the nearest Wally World (Wal-Mart) to pick up a headlamp for Jacques, we headed east. We rode the highway 8 frontage road for several miles before Jacques got the prize for having the first flat tire of the trip. Jacques replaced the tube, and we were on our way.

Unfortunately, the frontage road abruptly stopped. Our option was to jump the barbed wire fence with our bikes and trailers, or go straight over a gravel-ish road. We opted for the gravel, walking most of it. Up ahead was a border patrol station, and we were a little hesitant because we weren't positive that biking on highway 8 was legal. We briefly thought we could walk by on this outlying gravel road, but then the road truly came to a stop and led directly to the patrolmen. The patrolmen asked their mandatory, "are you US citizens" and then chatted it up for a little. They welcomed us on the highway, and we welcomed the paved road.

We traveled for about 6ish hours on the highway, with desert to our left and right, but luckily also cloud cover floated overhead. Alas, we arrived at Dateland, sampled Date shakes, but opted for a chocolate and peanut butter one instead.

The we headed over to our campsite just across the street. The shower facilities were amazing; the sleeping conditions not so much. My question is this: why build a campsite 200 yards from a highway and 100 yards from a busy railroad? Needless to say, with about one train per hour passing, neither Jacques or I got much sleep.

I'll write another post soon about our ride to Gila Bend, AZ. As a teaser, let me just say, that I am now sitting in one of the nicest houses I have been inside in a while. Life is good. Or I really should say, the Mayor of Gila Bend and his lovely wife are amazing hosts!

Peace.

p.s. Thanks Sarah for the photo text!
Also, special shout out to the Jack In the Box ladies!

Day 3:310 to Yuma

Day 3: Tuesday, Sept. 28.

We got up this morning to try to find a bike shop somewhere in El Centro. We asked a couple of guys rolling on some kind of illicit drug where the nearest bike shop was. Those kind of dudes just have a knack for knowing where bike shops are. Luckily, I also think there is only one bike shop in El Centro.

Anyways we found a shop not too far from our motel. We waited outside while the owner opened shop. As soon as we went in, the owner started telling me how I have a racing bike and that I needed a touring bike for this trip. I kindly replied that I was an unemployed law graduate, and then he changed his sales pitch. After some discussion about whether to purchase a touring type rear wheel, which would have been overnighted to El Centro (and thus another night in the motel), or to just get the spoke replaced and hope for good fortune in the desert, I opted for the latter. I might try t get a spare axle in Tuscon though.

We got my bike all set up, and then Jacques and I headed to one of those places only God could create: Costco. I love Costco. I love the cash back rewards. I love buying in bulk. Especially cookies. I'm going to have a large family just so I can shop frequently at Costco for good reason. While at Costco's food court, I talked with a friendly lady who has survived breast cancer three times. Meeting people like her make me feel really fortunate for my health and the ability to even attempt a cross country ride.

The clouds moved into El Centro and provided some welcome cover from the blistering heat. We jumped on the opportunity, and headed East towards Yuma. The distance to Yuma: 60 miles.

After about 6.5 hours of pedaling, three of which were in the dark, we arrived in Yuma. We have an amazing host here; she just helped us carbo load with pasta and bread. So yummy. That's right, I said yummy and I'm 26 years old.

Tomorrow we head to somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It's actually somewhere, just not where you would normally make a destination. Perhaps we'll end in Dateland. Sounds like a place that e-harmony made up. I hearby copyright that idea in the event e-harmony or another dating service tries to steal it. It's late, and I'm loopy. Goodnight.

p.s. shoutout to Dierdre for the picture text!

Day 2: 103 degrees and 98 miles.

Day two, what a day!

We started in Julian this morning at about 9:30. A little later than we hoped, but we decided to sleep a little longer after yesterday's climb.

There will be many things I come to loathe during this adventure. Number one on my list: Mr. Tom Tom. Mr. Tom Tom is our GPS that chooses to lead us in the wrong direction and towards off road bike/hike trails. Stupid Tom Tom, don't you know we have road bikes with trailers? Needless to say, Tom Tom, I didn't appreciate the 12 mile detour in the wrong direction this morning. Tomorrow, you will be in time out, and we will stick to old school paper maps.

So...after backtracking to Julian after already taking on some mad climbs, we hit the correct route down Highway 78. You should Google this road, because according to the lady at the gas station, it's in the World Guiness Book of Records for the longest, curviest, and quickest altitude gain/loss in the nation! I'm not sure how many feet we dropped, but those 7 miles were FUN!

At the end of the descent was something we knew was going to slap us in the face. The desert. It was stupid hot. 103 degrees before including humidity. The air was stagnant. There were rolling hills. The sun continued to beat down on us for several hours with no reprieve. We briefly stopped under a canopy shielding post office boxes, and there we were offered some much needed water by the local park ranger. I don't think I would want to be a desert park ranger.

We Continued on highway 78 for 50 miles? I'll have to go back and check how long we actually were on it. Alas, we made it to highway 86, and decided to head over to the border patrol checkpoint. We could chat with the guys. Maybe the officers could tell us jokes or something. When we rolled up, the officers came out of their booth and started bombarding us with questions. Luckily, Jacques had his green card, and they didn't send him to Mexico. (by the way: Jacques is a native South African). I didn't think we were in Arizona yet. The officers let us hang out in their "holding area for lockup" for about 15 minutes before they told us to be on our way.

Back to the heat. The funny thing about the border control officers was that they all said different mileage to the next town. We heard anything from 8 to 12 miles, but in actuality it was 16! Their names mine has well been Tom and Tom.

As we were dragging along, we would check as we passed over bridges for any sign of water. We lucked out and found one, decided to take a little dip, and then kept heading towards Westmooreland.

About two miles before Westmooreland, I heard one of those ear wrenching "pops." However, this time it wasn't my tire, it was a broken spoke. Fortunately, JD from Bicycle Dr. had equipped me with replacement spokes. Unfortunately, the spoke that broke required me to take off my rear cassette. Moreover, I don't have a special Shimano cassette remover in my pocket. Shoot dawg. After bending the spoke so it wouldn't get hung up, we made our way to the oasis that is 7-11. (Or some gas station). We drank two big gulp gatorades, waited for the sun to leave its fiery place in the sky, and Jacques worked on getting my rear wheel in a working state. He's pretty handy, and made the rear wheel work.

We left Westmooreland at around 7:30pm for our final 20 mile leg to El Centro. By now, it was dark, but the sun's rays were messing up some other bicylist's ride in another part of the country. We made good time on the last 20 miles, front and rear lights blinking, and finally made it to El Centro.

After 98 miles of riding, we decided to spring for a shady hotel room. We tell ourselves we HAD to because we didn't have time to find a camping spot. If we are true to our inner selves, it's because we are sissies. Or...we rode almost 100 miles in 103 degree heat. As I type this, I realize I sound more and more stupid.

On the positive side, we spent zero dollars on gas today and we have racoon style sun burns on our faces.

Tomorrow, we have to find a bike shop, and somehow meander over to Yuma, AZ. In 106 degree heat. I would say I'm looking forward to it, but I'm not allowed to lie any more.

---sorry for the long post!

103 in the desert. The border patrol hooked is up with a little water and were a little suspicious of jacques' accent.

First Day!

The first day can be summed up in two words: Elevation gain.

Wowsers! We put our back wheels into the Pacific Ocean at about 2:30pm to mark the beginning of our adventure. There were quite a few of Jacques and Brittany's friend there to see us off; they even made a celebratory starting line on the beach.

I wish I could say everything went downhill from there, but it was the opposite. Over the course of 53 miles and 6.5 hours, we gained 4235 feet as we went from La Jolla to Julian. This was hands down the hardest bike ride of my life. This is probably also the reason why people train more than we have. Ignorance is bliss.

I think Julian Michaels, the Biggest Loser weight loss coach, might have had this town after her. It was brutal. But alas, we made it into Julian and Jacques' wife Brittany was there to congratulate us.

Tomorrow we begin from Julian and head out to El Centro. This ride should be quite pleasant after today's ride, seeing as how it is almost entirely downhill. The only catch is that tomorrow may be the hottest day of the year in California, and El Centro is on the desert floor. Oh geez...
I suppose the second catch is that we do not have accommodations tomorrow night, so it looks like we'll be camping and trying out my new pocket stove. (It's not a pocket that acts as a stove; it's a stove that fits into a pocket).

Mad props go to Kamdyn to let me sleep in his bunk bed since Thursday. This may be one purchase I look into upon finishing.


Peace.

Question of the morning

Do I, or Don't I, allow myself to eat my first In-N-out burger today?

Tomorrow, departure from La Jolla, back wheel in the ocean, 1:30PM.

Don't stop believin.....oooh oohohooooo

This is the view from my San Diego host family's house. Amazing.



Jacques and I did some errands today. He finally got his bike from Soul Cycles in San Diego. We set up our trailers and went for a quick 15 mile ride around the hills near his house. We got up to 35 mph with the trailers. We are studs. Fast studs.

The realization has hit that we must do this thing. We have the bikes. We have the equipment. We have some host families set up. Oh geez.

Tonight, we got to hang out with the five dogs at the house and watch Transformers. This is our rest and relaxation time before our 75 mile days start.

Hit up the updated www.irideyoulivetheygive.org website when you get a chance!

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

However, unlike the song, I know when I'll be comin' back again.

I'm about to take off for beautiful San Diego. What did Will Ferril say San Diego was named after? Probably something inappropriate for this blog anyways.

I'm very appreciative of all the texts, emails, and Facebook messages I have received from family and friends lately. You all have been a solid support system. I will encourage you to continue to send the messages as the hours and miles on the bike increase.

Again, we will be leaving San Diego this Sunday for the first leg of our adventure. Please keep the Beautiful Gate kids and communities in your thoughts, because they are wicked cool. Yes, wicked cool!

Peace.

Do as I say, Bike!

Today was packing day, which means the bike had to find a new home in a cardboard box in order to fly to San Diego with me.

My bike apparently is, much like myself, stubborn. I had a heck of time attempting to get the pedals off. My huge muscles failed me this time.

Therefore I traveled to my favorite bike shop, Bicycle Doctor! Just what the Doctor ordered. Here's a picture of them also wrenching to get the pedals off. After letting some WD40 soak in, they were finally able to pry the pedals off. My bike mechanic friend JD also hooked me up with some much needed proper bike packing supplies.

The second picture is my bike all packed up. I hope it makes it to San Diego safely!

Guess what??!!? I leave for San Diego TOMORROW!

Thanks everyone for your continued support! Please continue to think about the amazing children at Beautiful Gate!

www.irideyougivetheylive.org

There is something magical about listening to Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools while packing for this trip.

Good News!

Jacques got a bike! When people come to this blog the first time and see that my biking partner just got a bike less than a week before we depart, they might say, "wow, these guys are totally incompetent."

To some extent, I agree. We are not heros. We are not superstars. Just two crazy guys that have a strong motivation and will to raise some support and awareness for some amazing kids.

I've included a picture of Jacques' new bike*

On another note, if you have trouble with the donation page, don't lose hope! We'll work any kinks out so you can make it rain Benjamins! Really, we'll try to make sure PayPal is working 24/7.

*sometimes I lie (Jacques got a much newer bike today; I promise).

I pledge allegiance, to the Texas

I was told by a good friend that Texans really do say that after they say the national anthem.

Anyways, we are looking for cool people to stay with towards the beginning of our trip in the following places in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The dates listed are tentative, but should be accurate within a day or two, save some natural or unnatural (theft) disaster.

Sept 30: Gila Bend, AZ

Oct 3rd: Willcox, AZ

Oct 4th: Lordsburg, NM

Oct 5: Deming, NM- Host family found!

Oct 8: Hancock, TX

Oct 9: Van Horn, TX

Oct 10: Toyah, TX

Oct 11: Fort Stockton, TX

Oct 12: Ozona, TX

Oct 13: Roosevelt, TX

Oct 15: Lulling, TX

Oct 16: Columbus, TX

If you have the hookups in these densely populated (insert sarcasm) cities, please let us know. Or perhaps, you've been to a good campsite there, know the mayor, have a second cousin named Earl there... You get the drift.

One more thing. When doing a cross country bicycle trip, one of the most important pieces of equipment is...drum roll please...a bike. After doing a 100 mile ride, my biking partner Jacques, realized that the road bike he borrowed was way too small. He's 6'3'' and has been training on a bike built for someone about 6'. I don't feel like putting pegs on my bike or pulling Jacques in my bike trailer, so send good thoughts his way.

The Final Countdown (cue music!)

The donations have started to trickle in. It's reassuring to have people believe in I RIDE YOU GIVE THEY LIVE and believe that you are a good messenger for it. Thanks for your support!

Today, I went on a 50 mile training ride with the trailer in tow. Definitely harder, but not unbearable. I will be taking bets on how much weight I lose during the six week adventure. My bet is about 20lbs. I'll look like a wee little lad in my arms, but my quads should look similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger. (That's a tough last name to spell).

Here are a couple pictures from my ride today. The one with the sign is Cherry Creek Reservoir and the other is Chatfield Reservoir Reservoir. Hooray for Colorado!

What's that following me?

A Bob trailer!!! I got a great deal today on this bike trailer. This trailer will go with me 2400 miles across the nation. Please comment below to suggest a name.

Also, today I acquired a sweet tent thanks to my friend Calley.

I'm helping some friends move tomorrow, and I have yet to decide whether to show up with my new trailer or my truck. Hmm...

We received our first official website donation today. I'm happy to report that the process was "smooth." If you head over to our site, note that you are on the right track if your donation says it's going to Brittany Huey (Jacque's wife) as she will write one big check to Beautiful Gate after we finish.

On a final note, I wonder if bringing along a Beautiful Gate child in my trailer for the ride would earn more or substantially less donations...

Why I RIDE YOU GIVE THEY LIVE?

I apologize for 1) saying "um" so many times and 2) this looking like an old Japanese film with bad voice overs.

The kindness begins

I have no doubt that over the course of this adventure I will have many people to thank.

Here are two that have made a huge impact already:

Julie Wheaton- she has helped set up this blog, given me suggestions about blogging topics, and generally been a supporter of the trip since I first thought about doing it. She also has started a non-profit Bakery which raises money for three different noble organizations. Check her blog out, order some cookies, and support a great friend.

http://jujubeesbakery.blogspot.com/

Secondly, my friend JD is an expert bike mechanic. He labored for much of the day ensuring my bike would at least begin in tip top condition. If you're in Denver and need bike or ski repairs, head into the Bicycle Doctor at 9th and Broadway. Tell them you heard JD was rad.

Just an FYI: I am leaving for San Diego on Thursday, September 23- a week from today! I am still looking to borrow a small and light backpacking tent and likely a BOB single wheel bicycle trailer. Let me know if you can help out on that front.

I'm sure shameless plugs will be a familiar face on this blog.

Mom or Dad, who gave me these hips?

I just got back from a 70 mile training ride. The nice thing about living in Colorado is the amazing scenery. The bad thing about living in Colorado is that the amazing scenery is comprised of mountains and hills one must bike up and down.

There are always two sides of the coin.

Another example: my hips. They are bad for going against the wind. They are perfect for going with the wind- like a sail catching full gales. So Mom or Dad, thanks and no thanks.

I hope that you will join me on this adventure and tell all your friends, family, and acquaintances about I RIDE YOU GIVE THEY LIVE. The more the merrier!

Practice makes perfect...or at least better

Yesterday I went on a training ride. Seeing as how I embark on this adventure in less than two weeks, I figure it is probably time to start doing some longer rides. I am the perfect example of how NOT to plan for a cross country trip. Usually, one would plan for months in advance and their training would have included several long 70 plus mile rides by this point. I however, committed to doing this only three weeks prior to the departure date.

Anyways, back to the topic. I went on a 50 mile training ride. It went pretty well, considering I got to listen to Otis Taylor playing banjo for about an hour and a half, and then a little soulful John Legend to finish the ride. I will need to get my Bob single wheel biketrailer, whether purchased or borrowed, sooner than later. Then I can train with a similar weight load to the actual trip.

I talked with Jacques, my biking partner, to discuss some of the trip details. We're both very excited and a little scared of what we got ourselves into. That said, we know that this is much bigger than ourselves. We have people rooting us on. We are supporting kids and communities we believe in. We are not doing this alone.

Although not finalized, please check out the website for our trip: www.irideyougivetheylive.org

Departure: 13 days

Here's a picture of one of the kids I worked with at Beautiful Gate.

Foreshadowing?

Yesterday, I set out on what I thought would be a good 70 mile practice ride. I have never ridden 70 miles in a day, so I had no idea what to expect...and I still don't.

I got about a mile away from my house when I realized that my bike computer's battery was kaput. I need this computer because it tells me how fast I'm going, how far I've gone, and how cool I am. Luckily there is a bike shop about one mile from my house, so I stopped in for a quick pit stop. I purchased the battery and thought I was good to go. After taking about four steps from the door, I realized that now my computer was giving me data in kilometers and not miles. Apparently my computer was confused that this trip would take me into Canada. I assure all of you out there, especially my mom, that this is an entirely domestic trip (San Diego to Jacksonville). The bike mechanic quickly figured out the problem and I was good to go. At least that's what I thought.

3 miles after departing the bike shop, in my skin tight spandex, showing off my marvelous figure (read with sarcasm), going a good clip, I hear a "POP". A "POP" might be a biker's worst nightmare. I imagine that I will have nightmares about 3 weeks into the ride where all I hear is "POP" after "POP". Then I'll wake up crying.

So I walk in my uncomfortable biking shoes, slowing grinding the metal clips from the contact with the pavement, back to the bike shop. I admit to the bike mechanic that I am ill-prepared for a 70 mile ride, nonetheless a 2400 miles one. I imagined him saying to himself, "this kid is NUTS!" I politely ask him to show me how to properly change a tire, noting any tips or secrets held deeply by the bike mechanics guild. He obliged and then wisely recommended I carry a spare with me on today's journey. (He also loaded me up with an extra chain, tire, and multi-tool device).

Now, I was ready for the road. Note that this was about 2 hours after I had left my house. Also note, by not telling my roommate's what happened, I appear to be the hardest core biker that has ever lived...after Lance.

I decided to head southwest on the Platte River Trail. Again, I was feeling good and making good time. However after 13 miles, I heard that unnerving "POP" yet again. Although I was a little saddened by the fact that I needed to change my tube again, I felt like a hero knowing that I had a spare in my pocket. Even better was the feeling that I knew all the secrets to properly change the tube. I successfully changed the tube in about 10 minutes, used my C02 to inflate the tube, and got ready to head on my journey.

Guess what happened next. "Pop". Immediately followed by more cursing than I'd like to admit. My actual tire had a gaping hole in it causing the inner tube to pop suddenly. Unfortunately I did not have another spare tube, so I walked about two miles to the nearest light rail station.

Lesson learned: the only thing more embarrassing than riding a bike in spandex, is walking in them.

Back in the Saddle

I have this old crinkled folded in half piece of paper taped to my bedroom wall. Some days I look at it as I wake up, but because I either have morning crusties in my eye or because I have become accustomed to seeing it there, I fail to read the words on the paper. Lately however, I’ve been getting up and actually taking the 20 seconds it takes to read it. Recently, I took the words to heart, and decided to start the adventure of a lifetime. The paper reads:

“This is the beginning of a new day, God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it- or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it! When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it.” –Dr. Heartbill Wilson

I have never blogged a day in my life, so this should be interesting. I want to start by telling you how I decided to join Jacques on I RIDE YOU GIVE THEY LIVE, a cross-country bicycle trip to raise money for Beautiful Gate (check out the Causes link above for more info).

The simple reason may be that I am crazy. We can agree that is true and therefore move to the details of my lunacy. After taking the bar exam in July, I have been spending my days applying for jobs, meeting lawyers and developers, and thinking an inordinate amount about the next stage in my life. In other words, I have some time on my hands. I have always wanted to do a cross country bike ride, and I have even gone as far to look into the costs and time it takes to accomplish the feat. But, there was something missing when I thought about doing a solo trip. My solo trip would have been, well, solo. It would have been a somewhat selfish 6 weeks lacking any real purpose. No bueno.

Then I get a message from Jacques' wife, Brittany. In every story, there’s going to be this type of message-a message where one crazy person meets another crazy person. Anyways, Brittany was writing to let everyone know Jacques was going to do I RIDE YOU GIVE THEY LIVE and needed places in the southern states to sleep/recuperate. Our worlds had officially collided. Having volunteered at Beautiful Gate’s South African children’s home in 2007, I already knew the amazing little children that Jacques was fundraising for.

Although I had met Brittany at Beautiful Gate in South Africa, I had never met Jacques. Now, I had to work the courage up to ask Jacques if he would consider letting a stranger join him on the trip. My message went something like this, “Jacques, You don’ know me. I am a complete stranger. I’m a little crazy. I like African kids, bikes, and adventure. I have big muscles. Can I join you on the ride?” Despite him calling my bluff on the big muscles part, Jacques happily agreed. As the Staples commercial says, “That was easy.”

Now comes the preparation time- a short preparation time no doubt. 15 day until departure.