Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Nothing hard is ever easy: A bicycle tour attempt.

I've been following you on the map, Mike. Those 60+ mile days do add up!

Safe travels!

Ed

And did I see Birdy being past by the riders at the tour de france.
I said that's birdwatcher, he's lost.

Keep at the daily grind Mike.

Birdwatcher Update: Day 18 Bicknell IN. 10:30 am.

I left Mt Carmel IN around 2pm yesterday so wound up about losing my wallet that I made great time, headwind or no headwind. Around 3 I came to a sign for the St. Francisville Toll Bridge. It weren't on my maps so I waited a couple of minutes for someone to come along and asked them if there really was a bridge to Indiana there.

Yep, there really was, the old Wabash Cannonball Express railroad bridge, three miles away. So I turned right and rolled into the pleasant old backwater of St Francisville IN.

Right on the river was a free campground with toilets. I was still wound, so I determined to quit for the day and regroup.

A lazy afternoon, at one point I rode up to the cash-only corner store to get the milk to go with the cereal.

Fireworks were up the river at Vincennes last night, and a Redneck yatch club scene was enacted as everyone and their brother offloaded every sort of craft you can imagine at the boat ramp and motorored off upriver.

Actually the Wabash is pretty quick, pulling about a 6mph current on this stretch so that my 2hp outboard canoe combination fer example would be hard pressed. A decent amount of horsepower was required.

Put up my tent, lay on the grass next to it and.... fell right asleep. Woke up at some point and went into tent, fireworks rumbling in the distance. Woke up briefly when the regatta returned around midnight. Musta been quite a scene, slept through it.

First light 5am, get up start to pack up. It was a "pay what you want" campground and I was gonna leave 'em ten bucks when...

WTF....???? Where's my cash?

Holy shemoly, $92 out the window, two losses in as many days. I know I had it, I had counted in, in the campground where I was the only camper, the afternoon before AFTER I had gone for the groceries.

I apparently had entered the Surreal Zone. Clearly I had a problem. I had set aside considerable resources for this trip, having no idea of the cost so these losses weren't a deal-breaker, but neither was it normal for me to go through life just losing stuff like this.

I'm gonna blame the pockets of these light nylon pants I'm wearing. Earlier in this trip I had pocketed my padded fingerless riding gloves and almost lost 'em when they unexpectedly worked themselves up and out. Apparently if you don't pocket stuff just right things can work their way out, being as the trouser fabric is no heavier or stiffer than the pocket fabric. REI included a second, zippered pocket inside the left front pocket, now I'm wondering if that was why.

So my wallet walked and now a roll of bills, both picked up by someone else. Gratuitous racial comment here: in both instances we're talking White folks.

Fortunately my backup ATM card was working....

OK, present arrangement for those contemplating a bicycle tour...

Single credit card and $100 in twenties carried in zippered pocket inside my pants. A pants pocket is the ONLY place to carry important stuff on one's person, right where ingrained habit puts it and where you can feel its there. Me putting my wallet in the handlebar bag every time was awkward and a loss waiting to happen.

Remaining photo ID, ATM card and another $100 in twenties secured inside bags on bike. I rarely need either of these things, neither am I leaving my bike unwatched for any length of time.

Continuing Day 18....

The RR bridge was flat interesting. You cross these spans on two rows of planks laid on the original ties, looking down at the river between the ties. I got pics, will catch up when I can, followed by about a fifteen mile ride through the country northeast to Vincennes.

Vincennes? Small, clean and pretty, and historic as well, the site of George Rogers Clark's astounding Rev War feat wherein the incredible hardships suffered by him and his men just getting there outshone even the important military victory that followed.

I doubt if ol' Rogers Clark woulda quit if'n he lost his wallet. Well, dammit, neither will I

Thirty miles this morning, there's a state park at Spencer IN 53 miles from here up Hwy 67 which has been a good road so far, rolling country but not too bad.

Feeling a tad worn down today but its only 12 noon now, I'm thinking I oughtta make Spencer today.

Birdwatcher

Maybe time for a "down day", Mike? Time to recharge the batteries?

Glad you're still OK!

Ed

Day 18. Spencer IN. 7pm. 80 mile day.

Down days? Down days are fer sissies

Anytime I just knocked back another 80 miles Im happy.

550 miles to the NY State line east of Erie PA. 1,000 miles (give or take) to my destination, but most of that last 450 miles is straight down the Erie Canal; long and level.

Tomorrow I turn east towards Columbus OH (250 miles). I'm pumped

Somewhere, in some indefinable way between Vincennes and Spencer you enter the Northeast. Might be the tree species (even if you don't know 'em), might be the scent in the air, the birds, the angle of the sun, whatever. Suddenly the woods feel familiar and not "Southern".

The last fifteen miles here were in places steep and rolling. Hilly stretches ain't laborious per se, mostly you just gear down. But at the end of the day distance covered is a function of average speed, and those short and exciting 20-30mph descents apparently don't compensate for the long, time-consuming 5-7 mph ascents.

I hear a lot of hills lie between here and Richmond IN to the east, so this might be my last 80 mile day for a bit.

And seriously, as far as breaks go, apparently I have a good day tomorrow and then two days of rain in the forecast, I may end up obliged to lay over for a bit then.

Anyways off to the state park.... and my first shower since Jonesboro IL, three days ago

Birdwatcher

Good read, BW. thanks!

What is the anticipated route through and eastward from Columbus, Oh.? Are you headed north toward the lake or are you going straight across toward Akron Youngstown and into Pa.I have really enjoyed your journal so far.
Bill

It will be better when I post pics, which I ain't done since Arkansas. Its just that editing and uploading pics is somewhat time consuming, and I have actually been in "hurry" mode this whole trip.

When/if I do lay up for a day I'll catch up.

Have read and really enjoyed this. Although I never had the desire, you're a stud for doing it Birdwatcher; and can't thank you enough for sharing a true adventure.

I intend to swing far enough north of Columbus to avoid the city and its attendant traffic and crime worries, from there northeast to the shore of Lake Erie somewhere west of Erie PA.

For crossing New York I have a choice between the Erie Canal path beginning in Lockport up by Buffalo NY or taking something called "Bicycle Route 17" across the Southern Tier.

I'm currently soliciting feedback on that latter route, though closer to my first destination (Matamoras PA) seems like it has got to be serious hilly, ergo slower.

Anyways....

Day 19 (??) Martinsville IN.

McCormick Creek State Part is outstanding . I forgot it was a Saturday night on July 4th weekend and naturally they were booked solid. Fortunately one of the major Rangers was a fellow bike tour loony and they found a spot in the full-facilities RV campground.

It was after dark when I rolled into the city of lights (AKA the full -facilities RV campground on a holiday weekend ).

Um... I was travelling about 12,000 pounds or so lighter than most everybody else. Got into a great conversation about all sorts of things with the couple next door and had two wonderful beers (given the context).

I do think they had a sneaking suspicion I was BSing. I mean how many big city school teachers are there riding bicycles from San Antonio to New York who also have around 250,000 miles on motorcycles and can expound at length upon travelling by motorcycle around the nation? (their travel trailer actually had a compartment for his electra-glide).

More power to 'em, and I was grateful for their hospitality, but when they departed early the next morning it looked like the USS Enterprise leaving its moorings

Since the park was remarkably mosquito-free I just slept out on the picnic table and of course it rained at 3am. Enough to wake me up and have that long-anticipated shower now that the restrooms were actually empty (the place was packed).

If the upcoming front had hit I would have happily stayed another day, indeed I was sorry to leave it so nice was the forest. I even heard one of my favorite bird calls I hadn't heard in years, the long flat whistle of a broad-winged hawk

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broad-winged_hawk/sounds

Highway 67 north out of Spencer was steep and rolling, and dangerous with no shoulder, I'm glad its Sunday. One hour to ride the first six miles After Gosport the road flattened out and followed the White River (??) valley flats.

A strong tailwind had me tempted to follow 67 all the way north to Indianapolis but the traffic was building, you can tell I'm on the outskirts of a major city.

As it is I'm going to find Hwy 44 from here and follow it east to Richmond near the Ohio state line (100 miles), which I hope to cross tomorrow afternoon. Much depends of course on terrain and weather. Supposed to rain tomorrow and the day after.

Birdwatcher

I really love this thread! What an amazing adventure!


Mike,

Just my personal opinion. Avoid Route 17/86 in NY....

There just isn't the scenery there that you'd have farther North, and the road itself is full of crazy drivers. I'm not certain if the "Bicycle Route 17" is different than the highway or not, so take my opinion with that in mind.

As far as the beauty of the State, you won't be dissapointed going north or staying south. The whole freaking State is breathtaking in it's beauty.

Safe travels, sir. Thank you for taking the time to invite us all along on this journey. I for one am absolutely enthralled!

Birdwatcher-

The above is bad advice. While HAJ is correct about most things, he is wrong about bicycling across the Southern Tier. He seems to think you would be riding on the interstate.

In general, in this part of NY we are blessed with good cycling roads. If a road here is paved it usually has either a good shoulder or little traffic. I base this observation on about 5000 miles traveled across the region these past few years.

The trip from Westfield to Binghamton would be pleasant. You would be traveling through mostly rural areas, lots of farm country, interspersed with small towns. The roads should be safe. It will be rolling but there are no huge climbs, in fact it looks like nothing over 5%. Much of it will be relatively flat following the Canisteo, Chemung, Susqhehanna Rivers. In the town of Wellsville, I would recommend staying on Rt 417 east to Addison and then Corning. It is a good road to ride and cuts a few miles off the trip.

There is some interesting history on the route; Battle of Newtown site, Genl. Sullivan vs Joseph Brant and Red Jacket, site of Hellmira, the civil war prison camp and Woodlawn Cemetery where the dead confederates from the aforementioned were buried and Mark Twain's study where he wrote Huck Finn.

Getting through Binghamton would be a pain but nothing like you have been doing already. I am less familiar with the route east of Binghamton. The State's interactive map is difficult to use. I can't figure the route out exactly. It has to be hilly but I am not sure how much so. It will be scenic though and interesting. If I can find the exact route I'll punch it into rideswithgps.com and let you know exactly how hilly it is.

I live in Corning. If you take the ST route way you are welcome to stay at our place.

Good luck! Keep the pedals turning!

Here is a link to the rideswithgps map for NY Bike 17. It has all of the elevation info.

Bike 17 Map

Finished my vacation and caught up on some of the travels of Bird.....aka STUD.,,:) I was there for many of those adventures with her and others, While the majority were not Blond Harley riders...The all had designs for his stud-ness, I however was grateful for the many friends of said women. I got laid ALOT.
Thanks to Mike!

Wow, I actually weren't expecting anything like that strong of an endorsement But hey, yer welcome.

Looking back, I think it was the binoculars and bird book what did it.

Thank you Sir for that kind invite.

I LOVE NY State, its just the government I can't live with.

I'm torn, the Erie Canal bike path would take me right through the heart of Iroquioa and I would like to visit Fort Stanwyx and the Oriskany Battlefield. In a perfect world I pick up Scoharie Creek at Scoharie and follow it upstream before climbing over to the East Branch of the Delaware and following that down to Matamoras Pa. where my cousin lives. ( �HOLY SH&T! HOLY SH&T! You didn't!� he will say. �What, you never saw a bicycle before?� I will reply

Anyways, Day 20, Connersville IN 8am.

After leaving Martinsville around 2pm on Day 19, highway 44 generally sucked. First off I had to ride about a mile of 37 north from the McDonalds to pick it up. I was only about 30 miles from downtown Indianapolis and 37 is a major feeder road; four lanes, divided highway, heavy traffic returning home after a holiday weekend. The last half mile was a climb up a sort of concrete gutter sandwiched between the busy highway on one side and a long crash barrier right next to my bike on the other.

Turned right onto 44 and had a flat, rear tire, the usual nemesis; a 5mm length of steel wire from a retread. Some guys claim they fix a flat in 15 minutes, it always takes me at least 30 by the time I offload the bags, flip the bike, peel the tire, find the cause and put it all back together again.

No complaints, first flat since Texarkana TX (day eight??), in fact after that flat it was Jonesboro IL before I even looked at the pressure again, had only lost about 10lbs in each.

Hwy 44 was actually a pretty road, but it was narrow, two lanes, no shoulder most of the 25 miles to Franklin, and only thirty minute from Indianapolis. Gentryfied country; high dollar houses mixed in with hayfields and cornfields, traffic even on a Sunday way beyond what the road was designed for.
The road devolved into a series of navigational challenges where the object was to keep the front wheel rolling while not getting taken out from behind, baling off the paved surface many places not being an option due to a steep slope or eroded ditch immediately adjacent to the fog line. Going west to east across successive drainages, short climbs so steep in some places I was straining even I the granny gear, followed by sharp hilltops that hid you from traffic come from behind. I cant imagine doing a ride like this without mirrors.

5pm rolled into Franklin, sort of whupped on an impulse stopped off at a Mexican restaurant. This one was run by actual Mexican Mexicans as opposed to the American Mexicans we have in South Texas. Caught up on the World Cup news on the big screen while I was there. Sad news about the injury of that Brazilian star player by the Columbian. Seems to be an ugly feature of Central American/Mexican soccer I never saw in England; the intentional maiming of another player. About ten years back we had a star player at my school, all American, had his knee taken out by some punk on another team. Like I said, even in the rough sort of working class England where I grew up I never heard of that. Maybe I'm na�ve I dunno.

One enchilada supremo plate and several ice tea refills later I rolled out a little after 6pm. 44 out of town was hard to find, it was close to 6:30 before I rolled out of town. As so often happens on this trip 44 east of Franklin was a whole new ballgame; perfect shoulder, flat, strong tailwind. I covered the 17 miles between Franklin and Shelbyville in a little over an hour Chocolate milk plus the now-usual half gallon of milk to go with the granola/oatmeal later that night.

7:30 pm, a hour of daylight left, all systems were a go, the enchilada plate and iced tea kicking in. I wanted to push on while the wind was right and finally escape the gravitational tug of Indy and its suburbs. Road was closed five miles out of town, an unmarked detour easy to follow by following the traffic. Near full dark when I made 44 again, still with a tailwind, pushed on in the dark (navigational lights flashing) until 9:30 pm when the lights of Rushville appeared ahead.

Just then an opening appeared in the trees lining the road to the left, a farmer's access point to his unfenced bean field maybe 30 yards off of the road. I lay the bike down in the grass maybe 25 yards off the road, pulled out the army poncho, used the bagged tent as a pillow and slept, the same tailwind blowing the skeeters away.

Against all earlier expectations, an 88 mile day

On my way by 5:30am, same tailwind. More rolling east of Rushville tho, and actually steep and rolling and a big drop here into Connerville. Looks good for Ohio today, but it might be a chore getting there up and out of Connerville.

I'm pondering the map wondering how to thread my may past and between Columbus, Akron and Youngstown on my way NE towards Erie PA. Its looking like 121 out of Richmond IN to Greenville (where the Treaty of Geenville was signed) and then 36 east through Coshocton (�Place of Hogs� an old Delaware town) to Gnaddenhutten (where that grim massacre occurred).

All of which takes up the next three days.

Birdwatcher

Aww heck all it takes is a bicycle, and time.

Never would have thought this possible until I started, and at age 57 its GREAT to have something where I can actually get a workout like I could in my youth.

I'm about ready to bow down and kiss the feet of Harry John Lawson and John Kemp Stanley et al. What an amazing device.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_John_Lawson

Birdwatcher

Great stuff, Birdie!

Good job, Mike!

Hurry up and get back here... I need someone to bicker with and keep me in line!

A thought occurred to me ,birdy.
maybe you answered it before, and I missed it.


Are you riding back to Texas?