Second Half Aspirations
This fall I will be riding the second half of Route 66. Follow the preparations, training and adventure on substack.
Post Hoc…
I officially stopped at the intersection of SW 6th St and S Georgia St in Amarillo. Perhaps in ten years I’ll make my way out here and finish the ride. In the meantime, I wanted to highlight the two organizations that made this trip possible.
Adventure Cycling Association - This organization “inspires, empowers, and connects people to travel by bicycle.” The inspiration part really resonated with me “We believe that the human spirit thrives on adventure. Tales abound of the power of bicycle travel to immerse the ordinary person in the wonders of the world.” And “with the power of the community behind us, we work to align the people, places, and infrastructure needed for meaningful bicycle travel.” A very worthwhile organization.
Rails to Trails Conservancy - They “are building a nation connected by trails… reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.” They also have a great resource which shows you all the dedicated trails in an area called TrailLink.
Day 16
Finishing amidst the crash and bang of a flash flood.
Day 16: Carson, TX to Amarillo, TX - 31 miles, 492 feet elevation
I woke up in the middle of nowhere Texas to a meteorological forecast of severe flash flooding. With 30 miles left until Amarillo and specifically to a nice warm hotel, I was ready to pedal my heart out to get back to civilization.
The weather held, for the most part, until the hour. Then, intermittenly the sky opened up and dumped on me. The streets quickly flooded, but I was home free. I made it to the hotel, took a shower, ordered a pizza and bought an entire bottle of the most perfect pizza wine, COS Frapatto. It was a cozy night. I made an appointment to have my bike disassembled and boxed up to ship back to California and went to sleep dreaming of bear hugs and puppy kisses.
Day 15
Wind.
Day 15: Shamrock, TX to Carson, TX - 69 miles, 2,520 feet elevation
There are nearly 10 miles of this ride which is on Interstate 40’s shoulder, not the frontage road or the Business highway, but the full on interstate. Its the portion west of Alanreed from exit #132 to exit #124. I have been anxious about this section, which depending on the terrain, could take me an hour to ride. The roads were wet and slick, there was quite a bit of debris, and there was semi after semi spraying water onto the shoulder. There was also a considerable disturbance in the air when the semis sped by - they create a kind of vacuum while they are next to you but a giant whoosh of wind when they pass. When the time finally came for me to ride my bike onto the interstate, I did so with trepidation.
As I started out, the terrain was forgiving, gentle hills, relatively flat so I knew it wouldn’t take me an hour. And then the most miraculous thing occurred: A semi approached my position, but within a 100ft of me, it change lanes to the far left lane and slowed down slightly as it passed me. Then, every subsequent car, truck, and semi followed suit. The display of courtesy was astounding. I mean, we were in the middle of no where, I was on a bike and unlikely to remember who did this - but here all these people were, literally going out of their way to make space for me. The 10 miles sped by and in no time, I was back on the frontage road.
Have I mentioned how much I love Texas? I just love the hospitality, the courtesy, the “love thy neighbor” attitude.
The rest of the day was a blur. The winds were SSW blowing at 30-33mph. My bike got shoved about by the Westerlies and my legs burned with fatigue. But when you start at 7:30am, you just keep going until it gets dark and you’ll probably make it somewhere you can sleep.
Day 14
Fun #2- Wind, Storm clouds, Terrible Pavement
Day 14: Clinton, OK to Shamrock, TX - 84 miles, 2,979 feet elevation
I made it to Texas!! There is nothing like a born and bred Texan coming home. Yes, I’m not actually at home but there is something magical about the “Great State of Texas.” Suddenly the scenery has started to sparkle a little more. Even the cows are more lively.
I love this photo of the Tesla supercharger next to all the older Route 66 memorabilia. The old and new, a great juxtaposition. Like all the gas station / car imagery juxtaposed with my bicycle. The wind was really bad today, hope it dies down tomorrow.
Day 13
When Google Maps leads me astray.
Day 13: Oklahoma City, OK to Clinton, OK - 80 miles, 3,002 feet elevation
A morale booster: Amarillo has started showing up on the mileage signs. I’m not far, within 200+miles.
Today was a mixed bag. Google maps led me to an entire area blocked off and under construction. I had to turn around and go back. It didnt add a lot of mileage, but at this point, when I’m grinding out the miles to get to Texas, which will really lift my spirits, the detour was not appreciated.
80 miles today, but I still made some time to go see the Route 66 Museum in Clinton OK. This one is really cool with all the memorabilia and dioramas.
Day 12
Where wind, hills, and fatigue defeat me.
Day 12: Shroud, OK to OK City, OK - 67 miles, 3,041 feet elevation
This has been the nicest hotel on my trip. I haven’t really talked much about this, since hotels and restaurants really seem like the least interesting part of the trip. Well, except for the one hotel which was covered in mold! Yuck! But, this room is like a palace but more importantly, I don’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to ride my bike. I just want to roll over and sleep for a week. But check out my tan line!
The wind is supposed to be pretty crazy today. The forecast is for 17-20mph headwinds. At least its not hot, only 92F! I sense my ride is coming to an end, or that it should since I am running low on tooth paste.
The wind and the hills cumulatively destroyed my will to ride. It took me nearly 7 hours to go 65 miles and that’s after I stopped my watch while I took an hour nap in a shady clearing on the side of the road. My will is being tested. Theoretically I could take a rest day, but I’ll be done in 4 days. Its hard not to keep up the momentum.
Day 11
Sinister weather and a second flat tire.
Day 11 Claremore, OK to Shroud, OK - 83 miles, 2,788 feet elevation Part 1 and Part 2
Maybe this should go on yesterday’s post but here is the “painted sky” that I fell asleep to yesterday. Ominous!
Fear is a primal motivator.
Look, I’m not a psychologist so what I’m about to say is probably misinformed and/or a gross simplification, but I have found that I build things/scenarios/people up in my mind. Either I should be afraid or insecure or something, like this weather. Then it gets built up even more as I turn it over in my mind, over and over, spiraling into anxiety, sleeplessness and eventually finding myself in a state of terror.
One of the amazing things about this ride, is realizing there is an infinite number of things you can be afraid of BUT beyond some preparation, its not really useful. The weather was so sinister when I fell asleep but when I woke up, it was fine. Sure, dark clouds, wet roads, driving rain are not great conditions for a cyclist but there wasn’t anything insurmountable.
In fact, I’m just grateful to be lucky enough to be out here. I got my second flat tire and had to change it on the side of the highway in the pouring rain, but it seemed like a complete non-event. Like the price of doing business to be outside and living amongst the elements. I really don’t do this enough; maybe we don’t do this enough as a society.
I passed the Giant Whale of Catoosa. Very interesting. I had an amazing lunch in Tulsa. Nice to see canned wines making a splash. Tulsa is AMAZING! Its got a very youthful, hipster energy. Seems to have a tight community while also giving off a cosmopolitan vibe. I predict great things for Tulsa in the coming years, unless the Oklahomans underplay its coolness to prevent it from being overrun by Californians.
83 miles today and my first McFlurry.
Day 10
More than halfway done! Oklahoma is a hidden secret garden of American beauty.
Day 10: Baxter Springs, KS to Claremore, OK - 87 miles, 1,578 feet elevation
I’m MORE than half way done! Its been 700 miles and 3 out of 5 states. My legs definitely feel it, but I’m in Oklahoma baby!! It is gorgeous out here.
When I think of Oklahoma, I think of the Dust Bowl and billowing clouds of dust or Tulsa burning in the Tulsa Massacre (from Watchmen and obviously real life) or American Indians being murdered in desolate surroundings from Killers of the Flower Moon or Timothy McVeigh in the OK City bombing. Ignorantly, I’ve always considered it an empty, bleak, personality-less, no man’s land on the way to somewhere more interesting. I was raised in “The GREAT State of Texas.” It has Great in the name, so any of the surrounding states couldn’t possibly have anything redeeming to offer.
I jest, but it turns out, Oklahoma is unimaginably gorgeous! Is this one of those Iceland/Greenland type incidents where inhabitants made others think Oklahoma wasn’t an amazing place so outsiders would stay away? This place is full of bucolic charm. The clouds roll across an endless ethereal canvas, lighting up the sky and the earth with vivid colors. There is a kind of vintage artistry in the buildings and even the graffiti. After grinding through some of the more industrial parts of the midwest, this rural beauty is quite charming.
Also, did you know bison are huge?!
Day 9
It rained, I rode, the scenery went on and on…. Actually this stretch of America is gorgeous!
Day 9: Plano, MO to Baxter Springs, KS - 76 miles, 2,356 feet elevation Part 1 and Part 2
Part of the 76 miles today brings me to the very brief, 12.5 mile interlude into Kansas and boy is it gorgeous. Lots of video today, see below.
With the polarization of US politics, you’d think communities would be at each other’s throats here in the great American heartland. It is just not the case! Hospitality is as welcoming as it is in the Great State of Texas and there are these little jewels like The Route 66 Drive-In Movie theater in Carthage, MO. Its adorable and has obvious value to this vibrant community.
The highlight of the day was riding into Baxter Springs and putting my feet up. But a close second was riding around Joplin and discovering the Frisco Greenway Trail! Such a great use of the old railway line. As you know, I love these dedicated bike paths, not only for the purposes of this adventure, but it makes being car independent a reality. Incorporating exercise into daily life is such a great way to stay healthy, fit, and off GLP-1s.
Next up, let’s take a detour to ride over the Rainbow Curve Bridge. Constructed in 1923, its the only remaining “Marsh Arch Bridge” on Route 66. Again, I think I need an engineering person to explain the significance of the “Marsh Arch.” To a normal person, this just seems like a pretty bridge.
Finally, as I rode into Baxter Springs, I saw a tudor revival style Phillips 66 gas station. Its a visitor center now, but what a relic of American history. And how quickly technology is changing. Should write a post on cars in American history and how electric cars are changing the landscape.
Day 8
where I see how far I can get on just oatmeal and waffles and go sightseeing in Springfield, MO
Day 8: Lebanon, MO to Plano, MO - 70 miles, 2,939 feet elevation and Part 2
I know, I’ve mentioned that I’m from Texas. When Texans see Blue Bell, ahem “the best ice cream in the country,” we get excited! Especially on a cross country bike ride where your breakfast was waffles and oatmeal.
I made it to Springfield, MO and decided to hit up this unassuming history museum. It was great! There is a neat digital exhibit where you can see the before and afters of the buildings in the area. Definitely worth a stop to experience the real life changes around America.
Finally, I’m staying tonight at a random little truck stop, but the rooms are SUPER adorable and the tractor trailers look like they are right out of the Pixar movie Cars!
Day 7
More hills, the some rain, then a mojito
Day 7: Rolla, MO to Lebanon, MO - 68 miles, 3,789 feet elevation
Maybe it wasn’t the hills that killed me a few days ago, but the heat. Today the hills were, again, relentless at 3,789 feet of elevation gain and there was driving rain and bad pavement. Nothing some Peter Attia couldn’t gloss over. Let’s be real, I can’t understand 75% of what he’s saying but then I hear a little nugget in normal talk which I can latch on to.
I met some folks also doing this ride at the hotel. They’ll be continuing beyond Amarillo to Santa Monica later this year.
Day 6
The day before my first, and only, rest day. I stopped minimally, took few photos, and just grinded out all the hills.
Day 6: Pacific, MO to Rolla, MO - 75 miles, 3,793 feet elevation
This was the day of relentless hills. Strava tells me that its been 3,793ft of elevation gain over 75 miles. I know it may not sound like much, especially coming from California but hills are my weakness - my krytonite. I don’t look forward to the second half of Route 66 since it goes over the Rocky Mountains.
Today was about getting the grind done. If this were a movie, today and the next ten days would be compressed into one 10 second montage scene with some uplifting or Rocky Balboa motivation music. Instead, I listened to Peter Attia’s podcast, anticipated with horror all the upcoming hills, and napped in parks. When I finally arrived in Rolla, I treated myself to some Shiner Bock, I have Texan roots after all, and a bag of Doritos. Every beverage needs its perfect pairing - like my breakfast of champions - Coke and Swedish Fish.
Day 5
A giant bridge, a giant arch, some giant steps, and my tired tired legs. I may be loosing it.
Day 5: Edwardsville, MO to Pacific, MO - 68 miles, 2,454 feet elevation
I left Edwardsville, IL, located in Madison County, where there are miles of well maintained, exclusive use bike/pedestrian paths connecting the city to other towns all over the county. Apparently after every storm volunteers come clean up the paths so they are easier to use. Talk about an amazing community oriented place! Can you imagine if the Bay Area in California connected exclusive use bike trails to all the municipalities from Healdsburg to San Jose to Napa to Sacramento to Livermore! Wait. Maybe it has and I don’t know, because, you know, I don’t bike anywhere normally.
I met a group of 60+ year old cyclist on their way from Elkhorn, IL to St. Louis, MO. They said relative to me they felt old, but I marveled at their fitness. In retrospect, I should have marveled that they were on a long distance cycling trip, like me, and that this might not be such a weird thing to do especially if you’re in this corridor with so many great biking towns.
Chain of Rocks Bridge is famous for its 30 degree turn in the middle. I’m not enough of an engineering nerd to appreciate the nuances of it. However, it was fun to ride over since the “old” bridge is reserved for cyclists and pedestrians.
Its been a tough day. The cumulative effects of 300+ miles of riding after a six year hiatus is rough on the body. Also, its blazing hot. Fine, that’s subjective since any self respecting Houstonian would scoff at 90F, but I’m a weak Bay Area Californian now. I can only exist in a band between 55-75F.
I made this video for my buddy Leven Wadley who taught me that training is cheating.
Day 4
You can go a long way on Coke and Swedish fish.
Day 4: Springfield, IL to Edwardsville, MO - 87 miles, 978 feet elevation
It was either going to be a 50 mile day or an 80 mile day. Perhaps the candy and coke helped push me 30 miles further. At 7:30am it was already 68F and the forecast is for 90F with no cloud coverage and the omnipresence of that midwestern humidity. This will be the last push in the Illinois hinterland before hitting Saint Louis. Here is the bike shot with all my gear packed on. Not bad for three weeks on the road.
The scenery here can be simultaneously beautiful, with giant cornfields, creeks and rivers to breezy forests. Or you’ll be biking next to a strip mall on cracked pavement or a run down gas station. Its interesting how some towns and villages reinvented themselves long after Route 66 was abandoned, and some have not.
Nutrition has been confounding me. When I rode from Chicago to New York, ten years ago, I was like Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me. I fueled up at fast food restaurants on at least two burgers, definitely fries and maybe a shake. It was a bloodbath. This time around, I’ve been a little more conscious that I’ve entered the “no going back” midlife zone so I’ve been more fastidious about eating. Except for the constant hunger and need for fast calories, hence the sugar bomb here.
Day 3
Bloomington, IL is a town dedicated to fitness and biking. And, look at my gear!
Day 3: Bloomington, IL to Springfield, IL - 68 miles, 935 feet elevation
Bloomington, aka one of the most bike friendly cities in America! The dedicated lanes in, around, and criss crossing the town make biking, fitness, and car independence easy and convenient. If only more towns in the US had such dedication to health and mental well being! There was a lot to do and see on this stretch from the Dixie Truck Stop and Mclean Depot Train Shop in Mclean, IL to the Palm Grill and the statue of Paul Bunyon in Atlanta, IL.
The euphoria has worn off and now I feel like I’m both getting tired and into a rhythm. I have taken to napping underneath big trees in local parks. When I wake up, the leaves reflect the softness of the afternoon light and look like stars twinkling at me in daylight.
Getting organized…
I finally inventoried my gear. Its late, I know, but I’ve been so tired the last few days I haven’t wanted to do anything other than sleep. Below is a beauty shot of all my “luggage,” a contrast to this one.
Day 2
First flat tire, a 30ft fiberglass Muffler Man, and 90 miles of butt fatigue.
Day 2: Joliet to Bloomington - 90.1 miles, 892 feet elevation gain
Just outside Joliet I got my first flat tire. The initial shock wore off and muscle memory helped me change the flat. You get rusty with these things after not riding your bike for more than half a decade. In Wilmington, IL I encountered the Gemini Giant, a 30ft fiberglass Muffler Man. “It's named after the Gemini space program and is a testament to the American fascination with space travel,” per Wikipedia.
In Dwight, IL I found Amblers Texaco gas station a fascinating tribute to car culture in the US. Not to be outdone, further down the road in Odell, IL you can find Standard Oil of Illinois gas station. I took a quick nap in a park in Lexington, IL before grinding on to Bloomington, IL for the night.
Day 0 + 1
A red-eye, poor fitting gear, my first bike in 6 years, and the yawning chasm of 1,200+ miles. That’s how adventures start!
Riding the bike for the first time
Day 1: Chicago, IL to Joliet - 41.1 miles, 371 feet elevation gain
I flew out on a redeye which was subsequently delayed by nearly two hours. I tried to sleep on the plane, knowing I had a big day- ha! more like a big three week adventure - ahead of me, but it was moot. Crammed into Basic Economy seating and landing at 7:30am, the only thing you can do is question why you are traveling in the first place.
Why am I riding my bike 1,200+ miles in rain, wind, hail — over hundreds of miles of pavement, gravel, highway? To answer that question, is to understand two things about me: 1) I HATE bicycling. 2) I HATE being bad at something. I dont really know if I hate biking because I’m bad at it, though it sure feels like it. In order to “try” and like it, I’m giving it the ol’Daphne Feng spin by dreaming wildly and making it into an excessively arduous and kinda pointless journey(?), you know, an adventure!
Initially, I dreamed this ride up in 2009. It makes sense because at that point I’d really only biked about 8 times in my adult life. I had wimpy legs and wanted to accelerate some ‘saddle time’ as the kids say, to the point where I was comfortable and strong on the bike. So, I shipped my bike to Chicago where I was attending an event. I had 25 days to ride my bike somewhere. Why not Route 66? At 2,500 miles, I’d have to average 100 miles a day with no rest days. It being my first cycle tour, I decided to pivoted and instead rode my bike 1,100 miles from Chicago back to New York City. Every since then, I have dreamed of actualizing that little dream to ride Route 66 and “get good at biking.”
Fast forward ten years and its 2019. I’m staring down the barrel of midlife and wondering what I can do to sprinkle some excitement into my life. I am reminded that Route 66 is still an untamed goal so I jump at the chance to put plans in place. Never mind that I haven’t ridden nor have I owned a bike in the past six years. Never mind that I have a week to put all the logistics of this trip in place, buy a bike, and summon the fitness to brave 1,200 miles. These concerns were like road rash on the way to glory. Once I decided I was going to do it, I quickly began a quest to try as many bikes in the Bay Area to see what type would be suitable. Then I called bike shops in Chicago to see what could be available before booking my ticket.
After I disembarked in Chicago from my cramped redeye, I grabbed breakfast with an old college bestie before heading to Village Cycle Center to get my bike “STORMY”, nee Trek Emonda SL 6, when they opened. I brought some gear with me but soon discovered that it was not compatible with the bike. I spent another few hours going to a number of bike shops to replace what I had brought. Finally, after one trip to Fedex to send back the unused gear, I was ready to clip into my clipless LOOK pedals and go for my first ride on the bike. Four miles later, at Buckingham Fountain, I officially kicked off my Route 66 adventure. There was one area when I was few miles to my lodging, a casino, where there was a fallen tree, but otherwise, it was a flat, easy spin to Joliet.
Wish me luck!
