Erie PA - Rest Day

My family met me in Erie and we went to Lake Chautauqua for Sunday night and Monday. It was really great to see Phyllis, Brad, Steve, Denise, Mackenzie, Luke and Turner after all of these weeks on the road. We were staying at Brad's Friend Tom's lake house. The evening started off with a boat trip across the lake to a restaurant for a late dinner. It was fun, there were dueling pianos and good food and drink! We got back to the house and sat around talking until midnight. I slept until 8:30AM, it felt good! We had breakfast and the kids and Brad went to the Lake to ride the Jet boat and swim. The lake is cold so they all wore wet suits.
The family decided to go sight seeing at the Institute but they wanted too much money for a tour so we went to a winery instead! More value for the buck!! We went to a late lunch at a restaurant on the lake. It was very good.
I met Tom's uncle Ken and his wife Marjorie who live next door. They were very interested in my bike trip. I told them that they could do the same thing if they wanted to, I am not sure they believe me!!!
Finally it was time to go back to the hotel to get ready to ride the last leg of the trip. I am rejuvenated and ready to go!!!

Youngstown to Erie PA 98.2 miles - 3,317.9 miles cum

Today we burned through another state. Goodbye Ohio, hello Pennsylvania!!! It was downright cold this morning when we left the hotel. I dressed like we were going for a ride in October not mid July. I put on an undershirt and wore my vest along with my arm warmers. This was an easy ride through the countryside. It was Sunday so there was not traffic at all until about 10:00AM. We discovered that President McKinley is from Niles Ohio.

Brian, Meiri and I rode together today. We arrived at the 1st Sag stop which was at a nice little diner/cafe. The food was supposed to be pretty good although I didn't eat anything. The three of us started out heading up Stanhope Kellogsville road. My son Steve was supposed to meet us in Kellogsville to ride with me into Erie. He was going to leave his car at a truck stop on I-80 and ride to the meeting place. He arrived a little early and started down the road to meet up with us. We met him at about mile 54 and the four of us proceeded on to the winery at mile 61. We stopped in the Tarsitano winery and met up with Bruce, Gerard and Judy. We sampled a few wines and had an appetizer. Everything was very good. we left there and rode 8 miles to Richardson's RootBeer stand for lunch. They have very good hamburgers, fries, and ice cream floats there. We had lunch and then set off for the Ohio/Pennsylvania border. After the picture taking session, Steve and I started off for Erie. My son Brad was coming to meet us in Erie and he was supposed to be there at 6:00PM. We made pretty good time even though Steve is not used to riding a road bike. He is a mountain biker and borrowed my old road bike for this trip. He did set a pretty good pace for us and we rolled into Erie at about 5:30 only to find out that Brad was running a little late.

While I was in the lobby, Sean asked me what we do all day that takes 10 hours to ride 98 miles. Sean is one of the hammers who likes to get in fast. I told him that we don't ride all of the 10 hours it takes to get there. We are seeing the country. We stop and take pictures, we talk to people, we eat lunch, we tell jokes. Sometimes, we sit under a tree or on a bench and eat our power bars and discuss everything and anything under the sun. We like a Starbucks or a Dairy Queen Blizzard at the end of the day before we get to the hotel. We are on a bike tour and we act like tourists!!!

That is the beauty of this trip, it is not a race, it is journey and the journey is what it is all about, not the destination!!!!

Wooster to Youngstown OH 94.4 miles - 3,219.7 miles cum

Today was a cool day. I dressed in my long sleeved shirt and wore a vest all day. It felt like a fall day instead of mid-July!
It also was a pretty boring riding day. We again went farms along back country roads occasionally going through small towns.At the 25 mile mark, we went through the town of Marshallville. It was a nice little town with a bakery. Everybody stopped there although I didn't get any baked goods.
The only interesting thing before the first Sag stop was the first super Dairy Farm that we have seen. Now I know why we kept seeing abandoned dairy barns and farm houses. This factory dairy farm put the small dairies out of business. Again no farmers in the field. I did see workers hauling manure out of the big dairy barns. That is not the farming job I want! After the Sag stop we found a good ice cream store in the town of New Baltimore. I had a Sweet Maria! It was strawberry ice cream with hot fudge, bananas, nuts and whipped cream. See what you can eat if you ride 100 miles a day? I am not sure how I will be able to cut back on my calories after the 28th. I guess I will have to ride back!
We left the 2ND Sag and rode the last 20 miles into Youngstown. We all dinner at the Perkins restaurant and then Meiri, Hans, Leigh and I went across the street to the Starbucks for a after dinner coffee. We found a display board showing one of Starbuck's Batista's bike trip from Youngstown to San Francisco. They took a more northern route than we did however they rode the same route from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. They were crossing east to west at the same time we were crossing west to east. We probably saw them on the other side of the road. I know I saw a lot of self supported riders going in that direction. Small world! Hans and I were treated to some thoughts Leigh and Meiri have on modern day women. Pretty interesting stuff!

Marysville to Wooster OH 105 miles - 3,125.3 miles cum

Again the day started out cool and overcast with a threat of rain. I finally had enough sense to take my rain jacket today and it came in handy as it really poured for about a half hour mid way through the ride. Some of the folks had to take shelter in barns etc., but it wasn't too bad where we were so we just kept on riding.
We had a lot of turns today so it was important to keep track of the mileage and turns. No missed turns today, hurray! With 105 miles and over 4,000 feet of climbing, we did not want to go back!
We again went through a combination of old Ohio towns like Delaware, Marengo, Frederictown, Mifflin, Wooster and Ohio farm land. Still no one working in the fields. We finally did pass a dairy farm so Meiri could see that the milk cows come into the barn voluntarily to be milked. She still wants to milk one, maybe she will get her chance.
We passed a barn yard that had a bunch of llamas. We stopped to take a picture and the owner came out to talk to us. He said they were all pets. He originally planned to breed show animals but the rules changed and he didn't want to start over so they just live there. Once he came over, the llamas came over to see what was going on. I didn't pet them because I have heard that they are mean and spit! The owner said they just spit on each other but I didn't pet them anyway.
With all the climbing today, my rear derailleur started to act up. I spent about 10 miles tinkering with it so it would work although I can't shift into my lowest gear. I can live with that until I can get a mechanic to look at it.
Meiri and I didn't get to the hotel until 6:00PM, a long day. After dinner, I had to go do laundry. It is not easy being a biker!!!

Richmond to Marysville OH 107 miles - 3,020.3 miles cum

Another one bites the dust!! We rolled into Ohio this morning after only 2.7 miles on the road. The states are starting to fall like dominoes! Today started out as a warm sunny day and just got better. The wind was out of the west for a change so every time we went East, we picked up a strong tailwind. It made for some nice riding today. We also rode mostly back country roads instead of the main highways. Ohio has the best roads we have seen so far at least as far as country roads. They were smooth with nice shoulders/berms. Also the riding was flat for the most part.We continued to pass through little towns that have old buildings from the early 1800's. I also saw some cemeteries which dated back to the 1790's. It is hard to imagine how it must have been back then.

I have decided to be a farmer! We have ridden past hundreds of farms through five or more states and I have not seen anyone working in the fields except for the Mennonite farmers back in Missouri. It looks like the farmers sit on the back porch and watch the stuff grow! I could do that easily enough.

At mile 31, Meiri and I took a little side trip to visit an old Mill. It was very interesting. Unfortunately it was not open but we poked around and saw everything including the dam and sluice boxes used to control the water to the wheel. Good stuff.

We stopped and ate lunch at a fairly new cafe in St. Paris which had been opened in a very old building. It was very good. It was run by the Mayor of St.Paris who was very interested in our ride.

As I was riding, I began to think about how comfortable I have become with the bike. Getting up everyday for six weeks and riding 85 miles or so has allowed me to know everything about my bike. I can feel things on it and tell if it is performing OK. It has also become an extension of me. It just feels natural to get on and ride. I can stretch on it, rest on it or just ride it. It really is fun!

We continued our ride through the countryside and the small towns until we came to Marysville. About a mile from the motel, Meiri spotted a Starbucks so we went and spent a pleasant half hour drinking Frappachinos and enjoying the breeze on the patio.

Brian, Meiri and I went to the Bob Evans for dinner. We were the last ones so we sat at the counter as the tables were all filled. It was good anyway.

Indianapolis to Richmond IN 76.9 miles - 2,913.3 miles cum

We left early today to get out of Indianapolis before traffic began to get heavy. The day was overcast but I believed the soothsayers who said it would not rain. Big mistake!!! We were about 20 miles out of Indianapolis when it started to rain. It was a gentle rain for about 15 minutes and then it really began to pour. We stopped to get under a tree because it was raining so hard we couldn't see and knew drivers couldn't see us. I suggested that we ask the homeowner if we could stand on their porch so we went up to ask them but nobody answered my knock. We decided that they would have let us if they were home so we stayed until the rain let up. We were about 15 minutes from the town where the Gene Hackman movie Hoosiers was filmed. It is really the gymnasium which was used. We decided that we would at least get out of the rain. When we went in, we were met by a tour guide who couldn't have been nicer. He showed us everything in the gym including the locker rooms. He also put the movie on so we could see the gym in the movie. It is still the same. We shot baskets to say we played on the same floor. It was a real treat. The gym is still used by the community for basketball and events. By the time we left, the sun was starting to come out.
We kept going through old towns which were built along RT40, the national road which was built in the early 1800's. There were a lot of old buildings in each of the towns some dating back to the 1820's. We came to an old farmhouse called the Huddleston house which was constructed around 1850 and has been restored along with the barn and other out buildings. We went in and met the woman who gives tours. She asked where we were from, and when I said Pittsburgh, she said she was born and lived on Mt Washington. She said her father was from the Monroeville/Penn Hills area. She was wearing a Lumpy's Cafe tee shirt although it was not the Level Green Lumpy's.
We met Leigh and Brian in Centerville who were telling us about their travels. We made it to the hotel around 4:30PM just in time to get ready for dinner.

Indiananpolis Rest Day

Today, I slept in until 8:30AM. As usual, Bruce was already up and about. He had eaten and done his laundry. I got up showered and did my laundry. This pretty exciting stuff isn't it?
About 10:00AM, Meiri called and asked if I wanted to walk into town to the Starbucks. I thought that was a good idea so I went. We walked around for a couple of hours and had lunch. About 3:00PM we headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to Jay Butler's for dinner. Jay and his son Brad had ridden with us from San Francisco to Salt Lake City. He invited the whole group over to his house for dinner. Most of us went and it was great!. It was nice to eat something besides restaurant food. Brad's family was also there and we all had a good time. We went back to the hotel around 9:00 to get ready for tomorrow.

Crawfordsville to Indianapolis 76.8 miles - 2,836.4 miles cum

Today was an easy ride to Indianapolis. We loaded our luggage at 6:15AM and then rode 3 miles to breakfast in Crawfordsville. We were on the road by 7:00AM. Once we were out of town, the traffic was very light, and the roads were flat. We passed through several small towns on the way to Pittsboro and our first Sag stop. After the Sag stop, we rode about 3 miles and then took a tour of the Rourk factory. Rourk makes parts for various companies including aerospace but what we were interested in was the titanium bikes they make. Making bikes is a small side business for them and they got into it because the owner is a cyclist and wanted to make custom bikes. It was very temping to go ahead and order one but I don't think I need a new bike just yet. We left Rourk and continued on our way to Indianapolis. The next stop was at the Eagle Creek Indianapolis city park. By now Meiri and I were riding alone. We decided to go down to the Marina to see what was going on. As we went down Brian was coming up. He turned around and came back down with us. We spent about a half hour there just sitting around drinking soda and talking. Brian said later that he had one of the best times of the ride sitting with me and Meiri just relaxing. We told him that he should spend more time with us because that is what we do. We don't ride as fast as we can to the next stop, we mosey along and and enjoy what the country has to offer. At dinner, Leigh also said that she would like to spend more time enjoying the journey and not just grind it out to the next stop. We said come on along!!
We left the park and rode to the Indianapolis Speedway. We went in and took the bus ride around the race track. It was fun to be on the track where the race cars go and see what the drivers see. We left there and headed to the Sports complex and the Velodrome. This is a banked track where you can race your bike around and see how far up the bank you can go. It was fun, I managed to get about half way up but decided not to spend all my energy doing that. The last 8 miles or so was along a nice bike path which eventually took us into downtown Indianapolis without going on main roads. We asked a biker on the path if he knew where there was a Starbucks. He did and actually took us over to it so we wouldn't lost. We spent about an half hour sipping our Frappocinos and enjoying the late afternoon sun. We got to the hotel about 5:30PM, just in time for cocktails and dinner. Fun day!

Champaign to Crawfordsville 81.7 miles - 2,759.6 miles cum

Today was a bright sunshiny day! We loaded our luggage at 6:15AM and then rode up to the Bob Evans restaurant for breakfast. It was a little confusing at breakfast as the waitress was not too well organized. She had everybody fill out a slip for the breakfast order but did not keep track of who ordered what. She came out and said "Who ordered pancakes at table 4"? I asked her which table was table for 4 and she said she didn't know!! It was pretty funny and eventually everybody got their breakfast and we were on our way. I rode with a large group until the first Sag stop. We had Bob, Chris, Chuck, Meiri, Carol, Bruce, Leigh, Han and I all in a pelaton. We were riding back country roads with no traffic on a bright sunny Sunday morning, cruising along at 15 to 18 mph for about 30 miles, it doesn't get any better than that!!!
After the Sag, the group began to split up as we rode to the Indiana state line. Yes, we have entered another state, Indiana!! We took our customary pictures and got back on the road. By now Meiri and I were riding together. As we neared the 2nd Sag stop, we came upon the county fair. We went in to see what was going on and found a 4H horse show going on with the riders showing what their horses can do. A very nice lady came up and told us what was going on. She said she was glad we had stopped by as this was what Mid-west farming was all about. We left and went over to see the animals. As I have said, Meiri is a city girl who has some interesting thoughts about farm life and animals are all about. We started talking to a very nice woman who was with two steers. She told us what the 4H project was all about. The kids pick out a calf and raise it for six months before they take it to the farm show. She said one of the Steers had won the best weight gain and was auctioned off. She then said the other one would be in her freezer this fall. Meiri was appalled! The woman said "we don't make pets out of the animals". Meiri wanted to milk a cow but their were no dairy cows at the show. We then went over to look at the goats and she asked a couple of woman if she could milk a goat. The ladies were polite but it was clear nobody was going to let her near their goats. Funny stuff! We left the fair and went on to the 2ND Sag stop where we had some watermelon. We were now only 23 miles from the motel assuming we didn't get lost again like yesterday. We stopped at a store to get something to drink. The clerk asked me if we were riding from San Francisco. I said you must have had some other riders come in. He said yes, an oriental guy and an old guy. I knew the oriental guy was Zero but didn't know who he was riding with. After I got in and started talking to Bruce, he said he was in a store with Zero where the clerk wanted to know all about the ride. I told him what the clerk said about the old guy. He laughed!
One more day before our rest day in Indianapolis. We have a short ride in but some interesting side trips. More tomorrow.

Springfield to Champaign IL 114 miles - 2,677.9 miles cum

More stories from Norbert and Meiri's excellent bike ride adventure! You may or may not know that the distance from Springfield to Champaign is only 97 miles. You might ask how come it took 114 miles for me to get there. I will get to it later.
Again, the day started out overcast and cool with a threat of rain. The humidity was high so again we decided not to carry rain gear as we would get just as wet with or without the gear. Meiri and I were loafing along going about 13 mph when the paceline of Bob, Chris, Leigh, Chuck and Gerard came up behind us. They slowed down to chat and started to tease Meiri about pulling me all the time. I said I was going to let her pull me to New Hampshire, I have not pride. Meiri immediately picked up the pace to 15mph which impressed the group. She kept it up for about 15 minutes and then ratcheted it up another 2 or 3 mph. Now they were really impressed, she was pulling the line at 17 to 18mph. She kept it up for about a half hour, then Chuck took over for a while but she and I kept up with them. We rode with them to the 1st Sag stop which was at the 31 mile mark. Meiri did great. She gets her big touring bike moving and then there is no stopping her.
After the Sag stop she and I started riding with Zero and one of his friends who had come down from Chicago to ride with him. The Korean film crew was back and they were filming again. This is where the adventure or mis-adventure gets started. We were all talking and managed to miss a critical turn. After about 7 miles we were supposed to cross a major road. We didn't see it but figured the route sheet was off which is not that unusual. The riding was easy as we had a pretty good tail wind and were sailing along at about 15 or 16mph chatting away. Zero's friend was not a very strong bike rider but he was having fun. After about 9 miles, I really started getting bad vibes about being on the wrong route. Meiri, Zero and I stopped to talk it over. I called Michele to see what she thought and she said the route sheet was accurate today. The only conclusion was we missed the turn. Now we had to go back against the wind. Zero's friend did not stop so Zero had to chase him for a mile to turn him around. We retraced our route and got back on the correct road. After 6 miles we came to a store where we took a break. We had added 16 miles to our ride! Not Good! Zero's friend was done so he called his support and got picked up. Zero had a date with a group of people at the hotel at 3:00PM so he caught a ride as well and Meiri and I continued alone.
The route today was mostly through back country roads lined with tall green cornfields. It rained us a few times but it was warm enough to feel comfortable and dry us out quickly once it stopped. We also rode through several old towns with some need old buildings and homes. We did notice that in general the farmhouses in Illinois were maintained a little better than in the previous states.
We managed to get to the hotel at 5:30PM a hour and half later than we expected. We averaged over 15mph for the first 60 miles and when we hit 97 miles, our original mileage, we were still over 14 mph but the extra miles took about a lot out of us. Wait until tomorrow!!!