Training Wheels Issue #4

"Que Pasa" (what's happening):
      Here's the Recap of everything so far:

• Saturday, August 18th- Alinda and Rebel were picked up in the afternoon by Paul Swift (an Auburn University, now LA man) at LAX.
        We connected with Bobby and Harvey Neel with the RV in Huntington Beach and proceeded to sightsee.
        We parked the RV at Joan Wenson's place. A special thanks to her housemate, Steve, for letting us tromp in and out of his place all night and morning.
        Paul ran the last shuttle to LAX at midnight to pick up Nick Seig.
• Sunday, August 19th- Here we go! It is off to Huntington Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
        The first 25 miles out of LA were on an incredible bike path. Kudos to Orange County for such a sweet rec trail for the public. It was a nice ride, but we weren't sure if the city was ever going to end.
        We got lost once and had two flats but even that didn't stop us, we pedaled on to Beaumont, California 95 miles for day #1, not bad.
        Riders: Bobby, Paul, Alinda, Rebel, Harvey(Sag) and Nick
                 
• Monday, August 20th- Eastward bound with a West tailwind and into the famous Yucca Valley with its generating windmills that made us feel as if we had road into alien territory. We soared until we made a slight turn and the wind became a wall. From there we merged onto our first interstate, I10, Rebel said, "That was scary!" Next came two tough climbs, Nick definitely earned the "King of the Mountain" title for the day. We reached Twenty-Nine Palms ahead of schedule and decided to ride on 25 miles into the Mojave Desert. Day #2 totaling out at about 95 miles.
• Tuesday, August 21st- This day taught us all a lesson! We were on the bikes by 8am and quickly learned that the heat was not our friend. The first 25 miles clipped away beneath a short-lasting cloud cover, hell lay ahead. The sag couldn't go more than 5-10, or at some points even 2 miles ahead, it was that challenging in the desert sun and heat. Around the 60-mile mark, Alinda's heart rate was in "Zone 4," way too high for minimal effort. This kind of feedback was great though. A total 10-minute quiet rest and water break was mandated by Paul Swift.
                 
  Then it was back on the bike and into another crosswind. Paul again taught us to find the "Sweet Spot" and as a team we traveled to Parker, Arizona. There we dipped our steamin' hot bodies in the beautiful Colorado River. For the evening meal, we went to the Blue Water Casino (Rebel's first casino experience). Each person scarfed down at least four plates of food from the massive buffet! Unfortunately, on this day, Rebel had a fall and her arm swelled and was miserably painful. Good news, after visiting two hospitals and not getting back to the camper before 2:30 in the morning, we found that it was a minor dislocation that was relocated when she got on the bike that morning. Today's total racked in our hardest 85 miles yet!
                 
• Wednesday, August 22nd- A short 40-mile ride via Rt. 95 to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. We camped on the shore of the lake and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Today we were all sad to say goodbye to our man, Paul Swift, as he boarded his buddy Joe's plane and flew back to LA. The two guys covered our three-day journey in a mere few hours.
                 
• Thursday, August 23rd- Today's ride totaled 90 miles and took us from Lake Havasu City to 15 miles East of Kingman, Arizona
• Friday, August 24th- What a treat! Today we traveled down historic Rt. 66. We gawked at old cars, neat stopovers, open Western scenery, and 2 big ol' chocolate milkshakes for Alinda in Seiligman, AZ. After we left town it was 7,000 feet of climbing to the town of Williams, AZ. Finally we enjoyed a cool night, 45 degrees.
• Saturday, August 25th- Today's distance totaled 57.22 miles. I40 10 miles west of Williams to the nostalgic Flagstaff, AZ. This was a great a college town where we bought our new tires, heavy duty Armadillos. After more than 10 flats, something had to be done. We enjoyed terrific pizza and a cool bike path out of town. Nick got his new hairdo, a shaved head to match Bob.
                 
• Sunday, August 26th- Flagstaff, AZ to Holbrook, AZ a distance of 96.17 miles. A very hard day on I40 with a sightseeing stopover at the awesome Meteor Crater. Rebel made fantastic shish kabobs for dinner and we laughed until we were sore. Harv is a gas!
• Monday, August 27th- A distance of 92.58 from Holbrook AZ, to Gallup, NM. The last day on I40, then on to Rt. 118 into Gallup. We stopped and explored the Petrified Forest National Park with its beautiful scenery and "stone" trees. Around 6pm we crossed the border into New Mexico, Yes! Nick experienced minor dehydration today, but recovered quickly in the evening. Before turning in for the night, Harvey "short-sheeted" Nick, just for kicks. We went to bed laughing. Again.

Who's Who on the Road-

      Paul Swift- Our lives have been enriched by his cycle knowledge and his kindness and unwavering sense of humor. Paul, a professional track racer, worked with each of us personally. In addition, he kept us laughing, taught us how to "step out" of the RV, and gave Bob a (changing) skirt, which Harvey refuses to be seen in or around. Paul definitely earns the title of "Mr. Personality" for our first week on the road.

      Nick- The 24 year old college graduate who is always ready to go. Nick is strong and every "western" traveler needs a scout, so we send Nick ahead. He and Bobby communicate via earphone walkie-talkies.

      Harvey- A super sag man!! He never lets us forget our roots. And his practicality comes in handy. He taught Paul a few West Virginia sayings such as "Remember the people you meet on the way up are the same ones you see on the way down." Harv is looking for a "sidewinder" and talks to everyone coming and going out here.

      Rebel- The jewel and definitely winner of the "Best Team Member" award. She is a student a Furman University in Greenville, SC. The girl has cooked, cleaned, rode her bike, navigated the sag, and waited patiently to hear the doctor say "Your arm will be ok eventually, but lay off the bike for at least a few days."

What about the people along the way?

      The Kids- Kids in towns are always on their bikes and say, "Where are you going?" We say "Across America!" They always want to come too. They are great!

      Travelers in the desert offered us water- we took it!

      Broke down horse trailers. Bobby and Nick fixed a flat for a couple along I40.

      Everyone has been friendly and no one has tried any "funny stuff" towards us bikers.

What do we like the most?

      -Seeing Harvey at the Rest Stops and laughing for hours. He is now known as the "Harvinator."

Group Stats:

• 10 gallons of water a day
• 2 loaves of bread
• 4 bags of ice
• A total of 12 flats so far
• Daily pool cool downs, you can see us steamin' when we first jump in

What we need!:
      More time, less heat, and your prayers!

What we are thankful for:
      Tail winds, cloud cover, smooth pavement, and Safety!

More to come at a longer stop!

Fondly,
Alinda and the gang

      WeCycle now has their own email address, drop us a line anytime at wecycleamerica@freespiritadventures.com . We would love to hear from you!

      Thanks again everyone for all your support and prayers as we continue on our adventure!

That's all for now. Keep Pedaling!

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