adventurebybike – Page 9 – Emilie Bikes and Hikes

Day 21 (June 18th 2016) Rough River Dam – Sebree KY; 75 miles

We have officially ridden over 1000 miles!! Even though today was a shorter mileage day (75) compared to yesterday, it could be argued that it was more difficult. While I loved the rolling hills, the heat and little shade posed a huge problem for a lot of riders. We took frequent rest breaks to try to recuperate from the sun. During one rest break, we talked with a man who suggested we carry guns. He warned us that there are bad people out there just waiting for suckers like us to roll through. Reassuring!

The time zone threw us through a loop. The sun rose a lot earlier than we’re used to, but hopefully the further west we go, the less of an issue it’ll be.

During our ride we saw the first and second place TransAm racers. It is crazy to think that in only 2 weeks they covered 3300 miles and will soon be finishing their trek. They all waved to us as they passed, exchanging words of encouragement to some of us. We also caught up with Monica, another TransAm cyclist going solo. We met her last week and rode with her for a day or two. She did a detour to Mammoth Caves (worth it, she said) and now is back on track. I trust we’ll be seeing her a lot during this trip.

We’re staying in Sebree KY today, our last overnight in this state. We are staying in a Baptist church, who’s parishioners prepared us an amazingly delicious dinner. It was nice coming in from a ride to an already prepared meal. The fact that it was my turn to cook made the surprise all the sweeter! Tomorrow we are saying farewell to KY and entering the state of Illinois via ferry, something I’m very excited for.

Day 20 (June 17th 2016) Springfield – Rough River Dam KY;

Well, we all made it! 105 miles later, we’re all exhausted, but we’re all pretty proud too. Surprisingly enough, group consensus is that today was easier than yesterday’s ride. Fancy that. The weather had a big part in making it a more enjoyable ride, despite the distance. It didn’t get above 82 degrees and the sun stayed in the clouds the majority of the time. We ended the ride at Rough River Dam and are staying right off the airport’s solo Tarmac. As I’m typing, a plane just started its engine. Probably going to have a few nightmares about planes careening out of control into my tent.

The ride had nothing too notable to mention. A couple decent hills and a few dogs, but all in all it was an “easy” ride. We saw a lot of cow and horse farms, Sheena caused a few stampedes with her angry “MOO”ing. We crossed into central time zone today as well, that’s pretty exciting! We had dinner right next to the lake, which obviously we had to jump and swim around in!

Definitely looking forward to a good night’s sleep and a shorter ride tomorrow.

Day 19 (June 16th 2016) Berea – Springfield KY;

Today started not so bright, but super early. Knowing it was going to be a hot and humid day, we departed at 6:15 am and rolled into camp a mere 12 hours later (not really, but close). The morning was fine, but once afternoon hit our routine of slow and steady continued. We had 47 miles under our belts before noon, but the last 28 were killers. There was no shade and the wind picked up majorly, making every pedal all the more difficult. After many breaks (but no break downs), we arrived into camp in Springfield KY at 5:30pm.

We originally were supported to camp in a town park, but a few members of the group were approached by a man in a van to stay in the town center, indoors with AC and a shower. As creepy as the proposition may sound, we are all happy they agreed. The mayor even came to greet us and welcome us to her town.

There were more dogs today, no surprise there. One pair of dogs I found so cute I got off my bike and played with them for a little. They were on par with Addie in terms of cuteness. The one dog is pictured above. Mom and dad, as a heads up, she is an Australian cattle dog mix. Note how Stella doesn’t begin to compare with her gorgeous looks (ha!)

Tomorrow is a 103+ miler day. We have a new member of the group who joined us tonight. What a way to welcome her in!
Sheena’s corner: I apologize to my beloved readers for the lack of updates over the last few days. My recent post was about feeling stronger and confident on hills. Since then, I believe I have entered hell and am still waiting to get out. The heat, hills, humidity, more heat, and dogs have been dreadful. I was surrounded by 6 dogs and 1 tried to bite me. Thankfully my Baltimore/Puerto Rican sides came out and I made it through. There have been more rough days than good recently. The silver lining is that I feel proud of myself for making it through everyday. I’m thankful to Emilie as well. I definitely wouldn’t be making it through without her constant support. Lastly, Berea, KY is an awesome city. Everyone is so nice and we got free shirts for biking the transam. 🙂 Oh, and 103 miles tomorrow 😅🔫

Day 17 + 18 (June 14th and 15th 2016) Booneville – Berea KY; 50 miles

Yesterday was a short, relatively “easy” day compared to the previous couple of days. It’s funny how now we refer to 50 miles as short, and only a few half mile steep hills as easy. But we made it, and have successfully crossed the Appalachian mountains, for the most part. The last 3 days have been the most difficult of the trip and my legs are paying for it dearly. I woke up this morning with a full body hangover that has yet to fully dissipate, but I have faith that come tomorrow morning, I’ll be ready for a 75 miler with rolling hills (fingers crossed).

Yesterday started with a few climbs that got worse as the temperature increased. We had some experiences with more dogs, a jack Russell terrier chased me and almost got ahold of one of my bags. It was the most ridiculous and comedic series of events. A few were incognito and jumped out at us when we were least expecting it, causing Sheena to shriek and find some extra energy to outpedal their attack. As terrifying as the dogs may be, I argue that the drivers can be worse. I was inches from being hit by a woman who was not patient enough to wait for me to clear a parking lot entrance. She rode around me and turned sharply into the driveway, cutting me off. If I hadn’t put two and two together and instantly squeezed my brakes, she would be owing me a new bike. And probably paying for some medical bills too. I cooled off from the near death experience with a Freeze Pop – a grand suggestion from Alec.

We had the most beautiful downhill of the trip yesterday as we descended down Bighill (with a name like that, you know it has to be good). We went right through a blasted out chunk of mountain and were able to see the last of the Appalachian mountains as we passed through. There were no blind curves so we could cruise without braking. The wind was in our face so that kept our speed nice and safe (no need to worry mom and dad). After that we were basically in Berea, where we have been staying. We had a couple more hills (Sheena fell in a ditch) and ended in a restaurant for some drinks and food. We’re staying in a dorm building at Berea College. They are beautiful and, the best part, we each get our own room! Complete with a real bed! We are living life like kings.

We had a much needed off day today. We did some chores and mainly just relaxed. A few days ago some guys who stayed with us in a church who are also doing the TransAm (in the opposite direction) told us we can get free shirts in the visitor center. Because we are freeloaders, we jumped at the opportunity first thing in the morning. The woman who was working, Maya, was awesome. She was thrilled to see us and told us that she hosts cyclists at her home via Warm Showers. She told us all about the history of Berea and the college. She said that because a lot of coal mines have been shut down recently, kids in the Appalachian region need education, as coal mining is no longer an option. Berea College is tuition free (paid for by grants and alumni donations) and the students are required to work 10-15 hours/week to help subsidize their education. It was really interesting. Later we visited a tea shop and talked with a girl who graduated from the college. She loved the school and found it as a way to leave her home in a not so well off town. The rest of the day was spent napping and doing bike maintenance. We have to rest because judging from our map meeting tonight, this next week is going to be tough, we have a 100+ miler coming our way 😳

Day 14 (June 11th 2016) Council – Breaks Interstate Park; 28 miles

Today was a short and relatively easy day. It started out with a chilly 20 miles of rolling hills that soon turned into 8 miles of mostly uphill. It was tough, but nothing we haven’t encountered before. We got through it and to our destination of Breaks Interstate Park all before 10:30 am. We set up camp and then set out exploring the park, whose nickname is the “Grand Canyon of the South”. A bit of a stretch, I say, but beautiful none the less. We hiked a little bit and experienced hills off the bike. Definitely a different feel! After the hike I got in an excellent nap and plan on getting to bed early. We have a longer ride tomorrow to make up for distance we didn’t make today. Wish us luck!

Miles: 28.22
Time on bike: 2:28
Avg MPH: 11.4
Max MPH: 38.4

Sheena’s corner:
Since I drew a blank yesterday, here’s my corner for both days. Hayter’s gap was not nearly as bad as I was expecting. I feel a lot stronger on climbs and haven’t needed to walk up anything in quite some time. After that, however, it was an anxiety filled day. Everyone on the team seemed to be having an off day with falls or crashes. We made it through though!

Today was a nice and short day. I hit 41mph! I forgot to go into 3rd gear, so I didn’t get the chance to go faster. Tomorrow is another day with more climbs and faster descents.

Oh and Emilie tried to poison the team with food that she shared with mice…

Day 11 + 12 (June 8th/9th 2016) Wytheville – Damascus VA; 62 miles

Today (well technically yesterday) was by far the most fun day of riding yet, and the whole group agrees. Mom and dad, sorry, but you probably won’t like the reason why. The day started out fine, nice and chilly with some wind. Towards the middle of the day we hit some gradual inclines, which I have grown to love. I have accepted that this is my life and uphills are an inevitable part of it. I better learn to just grin and bear it! We were in the trees which provided shelter from the wind. After the 5 or so miles of uphill we were blessed with 15 miles of pure downhill bliss. We were cruising down the mountains at 25+ MPH down windy roads. We didn’t have to worry about cars behind us because we were going faster than the speed limit. It was a lot of fun and definitely an adrenaline rush

We started out leaving the church early and when riding on the main road a man came running out of his house and cheering us on. “Woo hoo! Go on to Oregon!” he shouted. It’s nice to know we have adoring fans throughout our ride. We also had an older gentleman stop on the side of the road and tell us, “you are the first smart riders I saw who are wearing bright colors. The lot of you are gonna get yourselves killed.” It’s nice to know he was concerned about our well being.

We had lunch in a pretty spot by a river on a bridge in a driveway. The owners came out and talked with us and were very hospitable. They invited us to wade in the river, but it was too chilly to partake. Jake and Catherine joined us for lunch and we had a very entertaining conversation. Some more bike racers passed us during lunch and gave us a thumbs up.

We are camping in Damasus tonight in a hostel. There is a dog here named Buster that looks slightly like Addie and I have been able to get in my dog fix. Because Damascus is a cross through town for the Appalachain Trail, we are camping with a lot of thru hikers. They are very entertaining with funny stories. We have a layover day in Damascus, there isn’t too much to do here, but it’s nice being off the bike and relaxing.

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Sheena’s corner: Yesterday restored my desire for this trip. The climb went great and the long descents were, by far, the best time I’ve had yet. I finally hit over 40mph! Next goal is 45mph.

Total miles: 62.2
Hours on bike: 5:12
Max MPH: 38.1
Avg MPH: 11.9

Day 9 (June 6th 2016) Troutville – Christiansburg VA; 52 miles

Today was not as good of a day as yesterday, not in the least. Hills on top of hills. Some were rollers (Sheena was a beast on them) and some were unforgiving tear jerkers. But the scenery is at least still a stunning distraction. The weather was hot and sunny which didn’t help. What also didn’t help was taking a wrong turn, unknown, and going up more hills. Luckily it only added a mile or two to the total mileage. We missed the turn because we were concentrating so hard on tackling a hill, no time for map reading! During our detour we came across a sign, “I believe in God and guns. Trespass and you’ll meet both”, a true sign you’re in the south!

Last night we shared camp with a cycling group, Bike Across the US for MS. We rode with them throughout the day, mostly they passed us throughout the day. The are a van supported group so their bikes are not loaded. When one passed us, Sheena offered him her pannier. He refused her kind offer.

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When arriving into Christianburg, we noticed a bicycle at a pizza shop that stood out. I instantly recognized it as a bike used in the TransAm bike race, in which a bunch of crazies ride their bikes across the country as quickly as they can. I convinced Sheena and Catherine to go into the shop with me to talk to the racer. When we went in, he was paying and we were able to ask a few questions. He answered but politely excused himself, like he was in a rush or something (ha!). His name is Jason and he is currently in 2nd place going westward. He started Saturday and in those few short days he completed the same distance that took us 8 days. Makes us feel like complete slackers!

I was on dinner duty tonight with Catherine and Jake. We made rice and beans. Luckily the church we’re staying at has lots of room and we won’t be in close proximity with each other once the beans kick in.

Today we finished map one!! Only 11 left until we hit our destination!! Woooo!

Sheena’s corner: After a nice 40miles and an atrocious 10 miles, it’s awesome to catch up on game of thrones.

Shocker: Kentucky has a ton of steep hills.

Total miles: 52.45
Time on bike: 4:49
Avg MPH: 10.8
Max MPH: 36.0

Day 8 (June 5th 2016) Lexington – Troutville VA; 46 miles

One week in!! Today was surprisingly an easy day! It came as a much welcome surprise. When looking at the elevation map, today looked like it was going to be super tough with lots of climbs with steep grades. Lucky for us it was gradual climbs and rolling hills. The rolling hills were great because we were able to gather enough momentum to go up the uphill without putting too much work into it. As cliche as it may sound, it was just like a roller coaster. Except, if you raise your arms over your head, you’ll probably have a very bad day.

We started out early after breakfast into the rain. A few minutes into the ride we saw a bald eagle fly off, that was really spectacular. We did hit some bad hills, but we rode through them relatively strongly. Not sure if our legs are rejoicing in the fact that there are finallo done with the Blue Ridge mountains or if we’re actually getting stronger. I’m really hoping it’s the latter! We did encounter a couple “road closed” signs due to flooding, and they weren’t lying. We rode through a legitimate river and had to walk our bikes through to avoid getting washed away. It was actually a lot of fun and refreshing during the heat of the day.

We arrived into camp really early. We’re in Troutville in a town park which Appalachian trail thru hikers frequent. We met a few interesting hikers with crazy stories. After dinner a storm rolled through and left a beautiful double rainbow, it was the brightest rainbow I’ve ever seen.

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Sheena’s corner:
Today was my favorite day. I loved the rolling hills and only hated the last hill before Troutville.
Fun fact: Brown cows make chocolate milk and pink cows make strawberry milk. But they’re rare, they’re only found in like the Netherlands, I’ve never seen them in person. The tan cows though are rejects and they make milk duds.

Total miles: 45.72 miles
Avg MPH: 11.3 MPH
Max MPH: 37.7 MPH
Time on bike: 4 hours

Day 7 (June 4th 2016) Love – Lexington VA; 40 miles

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We have successfully crossed over the most challenging part of Virginia! We are still in the foothills of the Appalachians, but we have completed the most daunting part of the trip, for me at least. Today was another early day in attempt to beat the upcoming heat. We saw more of the same beautiful scenery as yesterday. After a few miles, we came across Vesuvius. It was just as steep and scary as I had anticipated, however, we took it easy and took multiple rest breaks. Not because we were physically tired, but because our brakes needed a break from constant use. I was warned that Vesuvius was notorious for causing brake issues/exploding tires from overheating from overuse on descent. We stopped for a brake break only a half mile in. I went to touch my brakes just to see if the rumors were true, and burned my finger it was so hot! Not my smartest idea. We had to stop any time it was safe to let the brakes/tire rims cool. But we made it down without crashing or any issues! Sheena had the bright idea of trying to get a top speed when descending Vesuvius, however, because I was ahead of her, I kept her in check. And probably saved her life.

We had lunch in a beautiful spot by a river and relaxed. When we set back out we hit a few more steep and long climbs, coupled by long and steep descends. Sheena was so worn out she thought that horses said, “baa”. We arrived to Lexington, our overnight destination, around 1:30, right when the sun was the most intense. But we were done and had the whole afternoon to explore the city. We did laundry and went to a couple coffee shops. We got stuck in the laundromat due to an intense thunderstorm rolling though causing flash flooding. A river formed in the street taking a picnic table with it. But after a few minutes the clouds gave way to sunshine. We’re staying at a church. Even though it was a short ride today, we are all still extremely exhausted from yesterday’s ride.

Sheena’s corner: I thought we were done with hills 😩

Total miles: 39.86

miles Avg MPH: 11.1

MPH Max MPH: 36.5

MPH Time on bike: 3 hours 34 min

Day 6 (June 3rd 2016) Charlottesville – Love; 48 miles

Leading into today, I had a horrible gut feeling, much like I do before a big track race like the Penn Relays. But instead of it lasting only a minute or two, it’ll last over 5 hours. I always heard that cycling over the Appalachians is the hardest part of the trail. In fact, before starting the trip, I was already dreading the day I would see them. Steep climbs on top of relentless hills was always the number one comment about them. However, as we rolled into camp today, I thought, “wow, that actually wasn’t bad”. The feeling of accomplishment and pride between me and my fellow group members was palpable.

Sheena and I started out early, in attempt to beat the heat of the day. We also realized that we would need frequent rest breaks, so we left a little before 7am to prevent getting into camp too late. Rolling hills were abundant, as per usual, but we encountered breathtaking views of the upcoming mountains peeking through the fog. As we approached the climb to the town of Afton, we realized that the Appalachians were no joke. We encountered multiple mile plus hills with a steep climb that even the granny gear couldn’t handle. I wish I had my clipless pedals, however, sweet little Addie chewed them up and I saw it as a sign to keep them home because I would frequently fall with them. As we climbed them I could only imagine what the actual mountain would have in store for us. However, when we ended those climbs and came to the Blue Ridge Parkway, our leader, Whitney, informed us that the previous mentioned climbs were actually the steepest and most difficult we would encounter the whole trip. A feeling of relief overwhelmed me knowing that we conquered what I was fearing since before the start, and I didn’t even know it!

The Blue Ridge Parkway was incredible. Words cannot describe the overlooks onto the surrounding mountains. During the 14 mile ride through them, we encountered all kinds of weather. From sunny to downpour to foggy, watching the mountains change with the weather was magical. At one point we could see rain patches move through different towns. We even watched one cell move right to us. I thought about taking pictures to try to capture the moment, but between the rain and little to no shoulder to pull over safely over on, I figured I’ll just try to remember it. Views like that are hard to forget.

The day off yesterday was much needed, woke up refreshed, although my muscles didn’t feel so well. It was nice to walk around Charlottesville and see the culture of the town, dominated mainly by UVA. In preparation for today’s ride, a lot of us shipped non essential items back home to lessen the load.

I had my first fall today. I’m pretty proud I held out so long. During the rain my shoelace got caught in my pedal. My only option was falling so I did just that. No harm minus a few minor scrapes to the knee, but it was pretty scary because I fell in the middle of the road in a downpour with low visibility. But crisis averted!

We talked to a few interesting people today. Of note was an Englishman, Chris. He also was making his way cross country. He started on Wednesday so I have a feeling he’ll beat us to the destination by a week or two… or more. We also ran into Greg, a local who does a lot of cycling. He said he was jealous of our trip. Sheena offered him her bike, but he graciously declined her generous offer.

Tonight we’re staying just west of Love, VA. We rented a house and it is comparable to the Taj Mahal, complete with a hot tub. It was a nice surprise after a very hard day. The only downfall is no cell service, which is probably why I’m going to post this a day late.

Tomorrow we’re continuing on the Blue Ridge Parkway and descending Mt. Vesuvius (no not the Italian one). It is a 4 mile stretch of steep downhill, which I am extremely nervous for. A wipe out on that would be not be pretty. But after tomorrow we will have successfully crossed over a mountain! A good night’s rest is most definitely needed. Sheena and her cooking crew made a delicious dinner of pasta, complete with wine. Fancy!

Sheena’s corner:
I am extremely proud of myself and everyone else on today’s ride. It was not easy but we did it!
What would my mother think seeing me sitting on the side of a highway eating a sandwich and sleeping on the gravel?

I fixed my bike computer! The engineer engrained in my blood made an appearance yesterday!
Miles: 48.6 miles
Hours on bike: 5 hours 13 min
Avg MPH: 9.3 (hills were killers)
Max MPH: 35.3 MPH