Nick and I decided that after spending 3 years in New York City we were ready to move out west. When we had first moved to NYC, we read a book together that Nick had randomly picked up at a yard sale called
Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. The book retells the journey of Lewis and Clark as they trail-blazed into unknown territory looking to discover an all water route to the Pacific. Their trip sounded so exciting, adventurous, and full of natural beauty that when we decided that it was time to head west, Nick said, "Let's bicycle the Lewis and Clark Trail to get there." I had a friend, Pat, who had bicycled this route a few years back and we figured we could do it too. We immediately ordered books, began researching touring bicycles and equipment, and here we are, only a couple weeks from beginning our own cross-country excursion.
To the right is a map of the route (not the map we will be using of course). Nick's dad will be driving us and our bikes to the starting point on April 26th. We will stay the night in St. Louis, load up on some BBQ food and then head to Hartford, IL in the morning to set off. Our bikes will be loaded up with panniers (saddle bags) which will carry all of our clothes and camping gear. We plan to bicycle and camp for about 5 days straight then spend a night in a hotel to get hot showers and a good night's sleep on a real bed, then start the cycle again. The entire trip should take us about 2-1/2 months.
We have been in Ohio for about a week now and we will be here for 2 more weeks. We did our first significant training ride with Nick's dad (150 miles over 2 days) and felt pretty good. The generally flat Little Miami bike path I'm sure is no match for some of the hilly terrain we will encounter on the trip (hello Rocky Mountains), but it was a good way for us to get some milage in, test out our equipment, and get ready for the days to come. Let us know if you have any questions about our ride and we can answer in our next post, otherwise, our next post may be from the road!
love you guys!
ReplyDeletenate and i will be waiting anxiously for your entries.
You guys should wear motorcycle helmets with skull & crossbones! Burn Rubber, you Renegades!!!
ReplyDeleteDon't fight it Nick, you know you want the Lycra! Just give in... and don't forget the Chamois Cream, lots and lots of Chamois Cream. Good luck guys!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! I'm a good friend of Angie Fannon (Nick's cousin) and an avid cyclist. I really look forward to following along and also hope to provide some encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in what you have done so far to prepare, beyond the 150 mile trip. Also, how minimal do you plan to pack?
Best of luck! I'm totally jealous.
Wahooo! Best of luck sleeping tonight! You guys are going to have some fun. Can't wait for the next post..and the next one..and the next one..
ReplyDeleteby the way- we have friends in random places in the US- if you need friendly folks..email me.
lots of love!
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ReplyDeleteGoing to be glued to this blog. Good luck guys!
ReplyDeleteupdate?
ReplyDeleteHey Lloyd and Harry! I hope the journey is going well. If you stop off in Aspen, don't forget her name is Swanson!
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