xcxbike!

Yorktown, VA!!!!

2008-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

4000+ miles, 65 days, San Fran to Yorktown!

Almost there!

2008-08-07T19:15:00.001-07:00

We left Charlottesville thismorning and completed our last long day!
115 miles! Leaving us with a nice 60 miles to complete tomorrow. So,
this is our last night on the road! We're at a church that let's
cyclists stay. Churchs have been the nicest places we stay- stocked
with food and often several desserts, coffee, air conditioning...and
all for free! Though sleeping with a Jesus picture staring down on you
takes some getting used to.
Any way, tomorrow we are getting into Yorktown and having our last
night celebrating...then parting ways on Sat.

Star bikey!

2008-08-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Charlottesville, VA

2008-08-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

We got to visit with Tom, Jana, Marilla, and Lilly for the first time
in several years! We stayed the night with them (even though we were
pretty last minute on calling!). It was soooo great to visit and see
you all! Thanks!

Outer space

2008-08-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Spacey look!....it was a tough day!

The cookie lady!

2008-08-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, we have heard about the cookie lady since Utah. We stopped by and
got to see her bike house. Of is a house completely for bikers since
the route was started in 76. It is covered in memorabilia from bikers
that have stopped by through out the years. She was named the cookie
lady got her name because in her younger days (she is now 80) she
would run out and greet the cyclists with freshly baked cookies.

Just 4 fun :)

2008-08-04T10:01:00.001-07:00

End of the day

2008-08-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is what a typical end of the day looks like.

Natural Bridge, VA

2008-08-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our trip is quickly approaching an end. It is very strange to think we
will be done before Friday. Tomorrow Blair, Gary, and I meet back up
with John and Mark to go to Vesuvius. We will be done with the hills
in a day and a half!!! Then it really will be down hill from there!
(Since Colorado we have been hearing "it's all down hill from here").
We will be parting ways with Gary at the top of the parkway, where he
is going to north VA, and we will go south to Yorktown. We have really
enjoyed the time we spent riding with him, about 3 weeks now!

Roanoke, VA

2008-08-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

After the night at Gary's moms we headed to Roanoke, where he used to
live. He had friends there, Colleen and Bill, when hosted us for the
night. We again got our own bed! They cooked an amazing dinner and
desert, let us usetheit computer and phone and were great to talk
to! We had a hard time getting up and out in the morning and
seriously contemplated a rest day.

Roanoke bike shop!

2008-08-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

I had my first bike troubles yesterday. It was near the end of the day
(430) and we had just gotten to the top of the last big hill of the
day when snap...my rear shifter cable broke..leaving me in my hardest
gear. We called the closest bike shop (15 miles off) which closed at 5
but was willing to wait for me. I cranked barely making some of the
little hills, to the shop. I was soooo happy to see it was a "real"
bike shop...we have had some sketchy encounters as far as bike shops.
They changed out my cable and were a great bunch!!

Wythville, VA

2008-08-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

Now that we are in VA we are on Gary's turf. We stayed the night at
his mom's house where we went out for dinner, had beds...and even our
own rooms, shower and coffee and breakfast in the am! It was
wonderful! It was great to meet Clara and her cute little dog, Ponder.

Bed and Breakfast

2008-08-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

David ran the B& B, the garden club, and the historical society in
Hindman . Great hospitality, great cats, great ice cream! David has so
much energy he hardly sat down the whole time we were there & he
washed every article of clothing for 5 bikers.

Coffee

2008-08-01T16:07:00.001-07:00

After dinner coffee. Mark and John have uped our coffee consumption
considerably.

Dinner at Bonanza!

2008-08-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Gary's wife Lisa came to visit for the evening and we all went to
dinner treat of the Hicklins. The foodbar was insane!!! I ate 3 kinds
of dessert after 4 entres. Carb power for the mountains :)

Go speed racer go!

2008-07-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

I think she was pretty excited about Virginia...or just that she was
in a gravity well instead of cranking up hill (we did a lot of
climbing today).

Virginia!!!!

2008-07-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

We made it! Just one last state to make it through!! It was a really
tough long day, but being able to cross into VA made it well worth it.
I think today may have been close to the toughest yet. One of the
hills in the middle of the day kicked my ass and def was the toughest
hill I have ever ridden. I was the first hill I stopped for a rest on
the was up...def a toughy. But time for sleepy! I'm whooped!

Cats cont..

2008-07-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Cats!!!

2008-07-30T05:10:00.001-07:00

Hillllll!

2008-07-29T16:19:00.001-07:00

Today was our first real day in the Appalachian Mts. We did a short 60
mile day. The first half was beautiful, shady, practically no
traffic...the second part of the day- ugh! High traffic, no shade,
debree in the shoulder, rumble strips, and coal trucks...rough.
Any way, we are staying at a bicyclists bed and breakfast tonight. To
get to the b+b you have to climb this realllllly steep hill. Mark and
I both attempt it but don't make it. We could barely walk our bikes
up. When we get to the top the owner tells us only 22 out of 119
cyclists have made it up. Mark and I rode back down to try it again.
He made it on his 3rd try....I made it on the 5th. Everyone else of
course thought we were nuts.

Oh and the picture really doesn't do it justice...well over 20% grade.

Terriential down pour and a flat

2008-07-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

We were riding along a beautiful road, sun shining, beautiful plants,
birds chirping.... Then we get to the top of a longish hill and it
starts pouring, like sheets of rain and cracks of thunder and
lightning. At this point we're going down the hill, can barely see,
breaks aren't working so great because it's so wet,
hydroplaning...then I hear a pfssssss. Flat tire!!!!! In the
terriential down pour in the middle of no where. My rear tire had
worn through (without warning).
At least it was a short day! And it was very nice, when we finally got
into town we were greeted by hot tea and zero bar from Mark and John :-)

Gas station slurpie

2008-07-27T07:08:00.001-07:00

Orange dream machine is better shared

Action!

2008-07-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great day! And the padres did a wonderful 72 miles on the
tandem pulling their bob!

The rents ride

2008-07-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Pete has only been on the road with us 4 half a day and already he is
operating as the resident mechanic.

Utica, Kentucky

2008-07-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

We made it! It really wasn't a bad day, I was just so tired today! It
was actually a relatively easy 75 miles compared to the past few.
In defense of this photo I would say the heat was getting to me, but
it wasn't even hot!