Bike and Gear

Thought I would take a few minutes and detail what sort of gear I take with me while I ride and what kind of bike I have, for those who are interested.
First of all, I have a Scott Addict R4 road bike, 20 speed, with dura ace components. The bike, all carbon frame, weighs approx. 16-17 lbs without saddle bag or water bottles. I use continental gatorskin tires with kevlar bead that have held up real well. The keep 100-11o lb psi in the tires, and check them daily for pressure. I put on a Brooks leather saddle, which is heavier than a racing saddle, but I find it to be quite comfortable for me, now that I have it broken in. Only bad thing is you don't want to get it wet. And I conditon it about every 500-1000 miles, depending on conditions. I use Shimano road bike shoes that clip in to Keo pedals. You turn your feet sideways to unclip out of the pedals, something I didn't know when I first tried it out, and had to get help from Josh and Caleb. I started the trip out with aerobars, but took them off after day 2, as I did not find them that helpful in my situation. I have a compact crank with a 50 tooth large chain ring and a 34 tooth small chain ring. The rear cassette ratio is 11-28 teeth. I've only had to use the lowest gear setting a couple of times on the trip. Attached to the seat stay is a rear blinking red light which I have used about six times as it gets dark. Going through Calif. and Ariz. I wore a camelbak hydration backpack which carried 3 liters of water in addition to the two water bottles that are always on my bike. Going through the hottest part of the desert I drank appox. 3 gal. of water and gatorade. Once into New Mexico I stopped using the backpack, and now only use water, no gatorade, in my waterbottles, as I am not sweating as much. But I still drink pleny of water. Anywhere from 1-2 gallons a day.
I have a medium size bag attached to my saddle. In it I carry a spare tube, co2 air cartridge for inflation, tools, cash, and a knife. I wear a jersey with 3 pockets in the back. In them I carry my cell phone (very essential), a credit card, chapstick, and at during the first third of the trip I would carry energy bars (cliffbars), and/or hammer gel packets. Now I find I don't them. I just stop for lunch around 12-1 and that is enough to keep me going and feeling good. Of course I eat a very hearty breakfast and a good supper. I find what refreshes me most and gives me a boost is orange juice--the fresh squeezed kind with lots of pulp. I love it! I go through almost a half gallon a day.
Also on my bike is a Cateye cyclocomputer, which gives me my speed, distance each day, total mileage, clock, timer, and cadence (rpm).
I wear nicely padded biking shorts, most with 8 panels. I wear a Giro atmos helmet. I wear Giro padded half-finger gloves. For those cold mornings or mountain rides, I have arm and leg warmers, and shoe covers, wool socks, warm gloves, balaclava (to keep head warm), long sleeve jersey, and rain coat if necessary (only rained once so far). I always wear my sunglasses with my contacts in so I can see.
Well, I guess that about does it. Don't know of how much interest this is for most of you, but thought some may like to know.

Day 19-Thurs. Nov. 5, Krotz Springs, LA- 112 miles

Well I need to make a correction. I said Texas had the worst roads. Wrong! The honor now goes to Louisiana. For 75 miles of the 112 miles I rode today, the road had no shoulders! Very dangerous considering the logging trucks whizzing by my in both directions. Thankfully never two of them passing me at the same time. Then when I finally did have some shoulder to ride on, they were littered with all sorts of debris. So as I'm riding I'm constantly on the alert and just about as often dodging the rocks, tire pieces, scrap metal, bolts, trash, wood, road kill, not to mention all the many cracks, bumps, and potholes. And then to top it all off, I'll be riding nicely on the shoulder, and up comes a bridge (and there are many of them) where the shoulder disappears, and you just hope and pray that you get across the bridge before both coming and going traffic has to pass you on that bridge. I praise the Lord for keeping me safe today! I know my guardian angel must have really been working overtime to keep me out of danger.
But there are many bright spots today as well. The weather was great--sunny and hi of 78, with light headwind. I can tell it is getting more humid now that I've entered into the deep south, because when I sweat it doesn't evaporate as quickly.
Also, we stopped for lunch in Ville Platte, LA. We parked in front of some shops/offices. One of them was Edward Jones. The financial advisor came out to inquire of Dave and Faith as to where they were from and what they were doing. Faith told of my biking across the country. He thought it would be great to get the local newspaper reporter over to do a story on it. This all happened before I got there. So when I rode up, he came out with the newspaper man to interview me and get my picture. We asked if we could get their picture as well. So below you see the man on the left of me is Edward Jones advisor, and on the right is the reporter.
The owner of the complex also came out, ( who has a barber shop next door), to inquire as to our whereabouts as well. Faith gave them both books of Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ. They were very thankful for that.
Rode by many bayous today. The land is very flat now and mostly at or below sea level. Where we are staying in Livonia it is 5 ft. below sea level. Lots of swamp land, and standing water in the woods from all the rain they had earlier. In Ville Platte I saw some huge, old wide overspreading live oak trees in front of these old historic homes. Very beautiful. (sorry, no picture).
I also rode by many fields of rice and sugar cane.
Tomorrow I'll be riding through Baton Rouge, and north of New Orleans, and will stop just short of the Mississippi border.
Can't wait to see my family and all my friends back in Dunlap! Pastor Ryder may join me for the last few days of riding in FL. And Janine will do the last day of riding with me to St. Augustine, on Tues, Nov. 17.

Day 18-Wed. Nov. 4, De Ridder, LA--118 miles

Yeah! I crossed into Louisiana today at 2:36. I am now two-thirds across the country, with only 1000 more miles to go. Should take me two days to go across Louisiana.
Rode 118 miles to De Ridder, LA. In the picture below you will see the TX/LA border river at above flood stage.
The road shoulder has gotten better, making for a much nicer day of riding. But still climbed appox. 2700 ft., because there were still plenty of hills.
Have been enjoying beautiful weather. Praise the Lord! But next week I hear there will be some thunderstorms. Being 3-4 days ahead of schedule, that shouldn't be a problem.
Well need to go to bed. Good night.

The Cause? To God Be the Glory

Several times people have asked me why I am doing this across the country bike trip. For what cause am I riding? And I've never had a very good answer. I would just say it has always been something I wanted to do. For those of you who have seen the movie "Bucket List", you will know what I'm talking about. There are these two men dying of cancer and both come up with a "bucket list", things they would like to do before they kick the bucket. So after watcing it I made my own "bucket list", and one of the things I put down was to bike across the country. But riding along day after day and having plenty of time to think and meditate, I think I have found my cause.
I ride to the praise and glory of God for what great things He has done in my life, and how He has prepared me to be able to do this grand adventure. I know it is only possible because the strength He gives me from day to day. After being diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, with major surgery, radiation, three rounds of chemo and still in treatment with my tumors still growing, you would think I should be content enough to just stay home and survive one day at a time. But I refuse to be bound by my circumstances and allow them to control me. NO! By God's grace I choose to be a cancer thriver, not just a cancer survivor. I want to live each day to the fullest and plan big things, and know that with God all things are possible. I can overcome my circumstances and live life with purpose, passion, and all the potential that God has given me. So I praise God that He has given me this opportunity to show to all what God can do through someone even in my condition, who just took up biking this spring, and is able to bike across the country--3000 miles-- in less than a month, averaging over 100 miles per day.
God is good! I ride for HIM! He is my Inspiration, my Strength, my Protector, my Health, my Providor of all things good.
All through this trip I have continued to claim the promise of Zech. 4:6, which has also become my motto for this journey. For I know that it is not in my strength, or by my power, but only by His Spirit, which lives in me, that I am to accomplish any good and really live!

Day 17-Tues. Nov. 3, Livingston, TX--100 miles

Probably my roughest day of riding yet. The Texas road shoulders are so rough. Basically gravel loosely spread over tar with lots of cracks, bumbs, and debris. It about jarred me to death, and with a hard leather saddle it sure doesn't feel good. It also slowed me down considerably. The smoothness of your riding surface makes a huge difference. When I was able to ride some smooth pavement, I was able to go between 3-6 mph faster without any more effort. I also had so many more hills today. It's about as bad as doing a long mountain climb. Then I had a little head wind most of the day. So I decided to stop early, 3:45pm, and only put in 100 miles. Oh well, I know every day can't be a perfect riding condition day. So I guess I should stop complaining. On the positive side the weather was beautiful, sunny and 72-75. Had some great cooking to eat thanks to Faith, and the Lord kept me safe as the roads have more and more traffic as I go east.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to my last cactus I saw, and today I saw some Spanish moss hanging from trees, and some palmetto growing in the woods. They are a lot of pine trees now, and the woods are about as thick as back home in TN. Only difference is all the trees here are green. I've seen no fall colors. I guess I missed it this year. Too bad! I always look forward to the beautiful autumn colors each year back home.
We stopped for the night in Livingston, TX, only about 80 miles from the LA border! Yeah! Texas is a great state but I'll be glad to move on to another after seven and a half days of riding in Texas--about a 1000 miles. Hopefully the road shoulders will be better in Louisiana.

PS. Sorry I couldn't get any pictues to upload tonight. Sometimes it just won't work no matter how many times I try. To see the pictures go to my facebook page.

Day 16-Mon. Nov. 2, Bryan, TX--135 miles

Today was a good day! The weather was perfect, with the wind being calm, and not so many hills. I was able to get in 135 miles, riding all the way to Bryan, TX, near College Station, home of Texas A&M Univ., and also home to the George Bush presidential library and museum. You can't see it very well, but I took a picture of the eastern half of Texas with the point of the pen pointing to where we are now; just northwest of Houston. Should be in Louisiana by Wed. noon.

The picture of me at my computer shows me working on the blog in the motel room, as I do each evening.

Now I have a story to tell of how God is taking care of me and answers prayer. Remember in yesterday's post I told of my contact lens getting lost in my right eye. We tried several times to get it out and to no avail. I finally decided to just go to bed and see if in the morning it might drop and I could get it out. Well, I slept great, no discomfort in the eye, and I checked to see if I could find it again but couldn't. However, I felt no discomfort, and thought maybe it had come out during the night or I had gotten it out inadvertently. So I went ahead and put another contact lens in that eye and it felt normal. So I rode all day with no problem. During the very end of my ride with only 15 miles to go, I looked down at my leg for some reason, and as I did so I felt something move in my right eye. I looked up and and I eye was feeling uncomfortable and felt like something was in my eye that shouldn't be there. I thought maybe my contact had moved. And I was seeing double--with two white lines to follow. I rode awhile like that hoping it would correct itself. But after a couple of miles I stopped because it was just bothering my riding and making it too dangerous. I thought I would just take out my contact and ride with just one, as I have done before. But didn't want to throw it away, so thought where I could put it. I had two full water bottles on my bike. So decided to drink down one of the bottles to where it had just a little water in the bottom and I would put the contact in there until I got to the motel room. I took out the contact and dropped it in my water bottle. Then I looked up, and noticed I could still see good and clear. Wow! I must still have another contact in my eye. Sure enough, I had been riding all day with two contacts in my eye and didn't even notice it. I guess it had been lodged up hight in my eyelid, then dropped down and overlapped the other one when I looked down, and that's what made me see double. I praise God for helping me to find that other contact. I had just called Faith a little earlier to have her make an appt. for me with the optometrist to see if the contact was still in my eye and to get it out. Well, I called back and told her to cancel the appt. I am so happy and thankful to have this problem resolved and not to have to waste time out of my biking to go see a doctor.

The terrain is getting more flat and green, with lots more farmland. Looking forward to seeing the Gulf of Mexico next week. I'll be riding beside it for quite aways, going through Gulfport, Biloxi, Mobile, Gulf Shores, Panama City, Pensacola, and then across Florida.

Day 15-Sun. Nov. 1, Burnet, TX-123 miles

What a beautiful day it was! I started riding at 7:30 when it was quite cold-33 degress, but quickly warmed up in the full sunshine. We had to drive from our motel to where I left off Friday, about 50 miles. On the way we saw over 3 dozen deer, and many were 8 pt. bucks!
Even before I started biking, I felt my contact in my right eye go up into my eyelid. I tried several times to get it out but couldn't, so just rode with it like that all day. In the evening we tried flushing it out, using a q-tip, etc, but with no success. Will sleep on it and hope and pray it come out in the morning. If not, I'll have to see an optometrist to get it out.
I saw my first live snake today on the road while riding. Looked like a rattler . Rode within 2 ft. of it but it didn't move, too cold I think. And there were a lot of grasshoppers and caterpillars all along the road as I traveled. And like everything else in Texas, they huge!
About 10 miles into my ride I had another rear flat. I found two thorns in the tire and pulled them out.
I rode from Menard to Burnet, Tx on route 29 for 123 miles, and boy did I have to work hard for every one of those miles. The wind was against me for most of the day, and there were so many hills, one hill after another the whole way. My gps told me I had climbed 3000 ft. today.
Along the way you would see one ranch after another with these big gateways with their names over the entryway. It is getting greener the further we go into Texas. Its a nice change.
Burnet is just above Austin. And tomorrow I hope to make it to College Station, TX.
I tried to download some pictures , but couldn't get it to work. But I was able to load the pictures on my facebook page, so go there to see the pictures for today, in the album for Days 13-19.