George's Cross Country Bike Ride

Day 17 Dublin, GA to Tybee Island

2007-06-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

San Diego to Tybee Island and every mile in between. George is qualified for solo RAAM!

I don't have the ability to convey the emotions I felt as we completed the last few miles.

The idea of this trip for me began in March of '06. I signed up as soon as it was offered and I have been actively thinking about or training for it for 7 months. What I am saying is, this cross country adventure was very important to me. I wanted the RAAM qualification and I wanted to find out if I was a good cyclist.

This adventure answered some questions and provoked a few more. The last few miles brought a sense of accomplishment and sadness. Now What?

I will post an epilouge next week.

2007-06-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

George completed his ride today. He arrived at his final destination point safely and is returning home on Wednesday. He will catch us all up to speed on the last leg of his journey from the comfort of home.

Way To Go, George!

Day 16 Eufaulo, AL to Dublin, GA

2007-06-25T19:28:00.000-05:00

What a vacation! For 16 days the real world has been held at bay. I haven't been to work, seen my family, or went to Church. My biggest responsibility each day is to get my bag packed and loaded into the Pac Tour trailer within a 10 minute time slot.

I'm looking forward to returning to the real world again because I miss my family. I was talking to Lon this evening and he mentioned that many cyclists will experience a bit of depression once they go home, because of the loss of focus. (Our time is very regimented on tour) I think I will be so busy when I go home that this will not be a problem for me but we will see. I'm very excited because we have special guests visiting our family in just a few weeks.

So yes we rode bike today. The rolling hills of western Georgia gave way to flat terrain. Today we kept moving if at all possible. Not because we where feeling sporty but because the gnats here will eat you alive. I had two flats today and I spent as much time trying to beat the gnats away as changing the flat. Thanks to Scott on flat #2 he found the problem and made the change for me.

It was a great day to be on the bike, good riding buddies, no rain, and no crashes.

Tomorrow's blog. I will post a short note at the end of the day and then post a wrap up over the upcoming weekend. Thank you for your comments and encouragement. Day 16 ends and the RAAM qualifier dream remains alive!

Day 15 Camden, AL to Eufaulo, AL

2007-06-24T20:15:00.001-05:00

Wow! Day 15 is in the can, and we have just two days to go. It is hard to believe that just two weeks ago we were in San Diego, CA. At that time I knew about three people on this ride. After an intense two weeks we recognize each other in the distance solely by how we pedal the bike.

I know who is a masher and who is a spinner. Some guys ride a little lopsided. We know who we can ride with comfortably and who will drive us nuts.

Me...I love to ride stupid. I'm happy to charge up a hill and sprint over the top regardless of the consequences for later in the day. Fortunately I have curtailed that habit pretty well (I know some would disagree!) for this trip. But this is how a lot of bigger guys ride. I know I will have a good day if I can ride with Charlie Combs at least till lunch. Charlie is an excellent rider who always rides within himself and this helps me behave so that I can ride stupid at the end of the day.

I have definitely learned a lot from the other cyclists on this trip.

The three H's sum up Day 15 for me. Hazy, Hot, and Humid but what did we expect riding through Alabama in June? It was weary 152 miles today mostly due to the three H's.

Dr. Lon definitely knows how to fix stuff. Day 2 without taping the ankle and the Achilles tendon is fine. I need to post pictures in the next day or so on the moving of the cleats. Moving the cleats is the long term solution to the Achilles problem (i think)

See you tomorrow

Day 14 Forest,MS to Camden, MS

2007-06-23T18:58:00.000-05:00

What is it like to ride an average of 170 miles everyday for 17 days? I don't know because I only ride from one sag stop to the next. About every 20 to 35 miles we get to stop and get treats. So I never start out the day thinking that I'm going to ride 170 miles. I just look at my Que sheet and look for an asterisk next to a mileage number, that means goodies for George!

Each day we leave in three waves. Fastest first and slowest last, separated by only a minute for each group. I have spent all day with each group of riders so I have a pretty good overall view of what the Elite Pac Tour looks like from each vantage point.

I think that the fastest group and the slowest group have the strongest identities.

The slowest group is lead by Andrew Puddy from Australia, I also saw good leadership from Franz Neuert. These two riders are very strong. Andrew does an excellent job of setting a tempo which allows everyone in the group to finish within the time limits each day. He doesn't ask for help as he grinds out the most efficient pace each day. When your hurting (like I was on day 11) every acceleration or surge over a rolling hill saps your strength and a strong leader enforces a pace which doesn't hurt the weakest rider. (If your really down Andrew will give you snakes to eat, they work)

The fast group goes out most mornings and trys to make itself smaller. This is accomplished by riding just fast enough to hurt your weaker brother at a speed you can endure. Recently I hear that the pace has been fairly friendly until the first rest stop. At this point it is all about who is strong enough to give Mark Pattinson a run for it. Mark is a powerful and remarkably consistent ultra distance racer. My friend Peter Beeson, Charles Breer, Scott Macintosh, Vernon Smith, Scott Luikhart, Eric Hallam, Ed Pabst are consistently there at the finish. A real wild card is the very strong and independent Wayne Riley who motors along solo 95% of the time. He surely has the best power to weight ratio of any rider here but because he rarely drafts for any length of time he usually doesn't finish the day first.

The middle group is the most independent set of rides. Two cyclists, Harold Trease and Phil Holcomb are riding this qualifier for RAAM without drafting. They are strong so if you are riding in a middle group you will see them throughout the day as you pass and arepas sed by them. Many of the "middle" riders are there by choice and some days they will go play with the big dogs but most of the time they are following their own program. The word that best describes the middle is smart. I think of riders like Charles Combs, Kevin Kaiser, and Dan Fuoco, they are riding this tour on their terms.

I have only mentioned a few names and their are 40 riders still going which means I've left most people out. Sorry!

As for me I had great day on the bike. I did not ask Lon to wrap my ankle this morning because it felt fine, and guess what after a 172 miles it still feels great! The hands however have continued to deteriorate. I'm now typing the blog using two fingers on each hand. But I can still shift gears on the bike and in three days let the healing begin!

My friend Eric posted a really cool passage from Isiah in the comments section for yesterdays blog. I was going to type the verse tonight but now I don't have to, just check it out in the COMMENTS section. My sentiments exactly!

Day 13 Batesville, MS to Forest, MS

2007-06-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

175 Miles today.

Lon taped up my ankle again this morning and I was good to go all day. The tape takes all the stress away from the achillies tendon. I can't walk very well but I sure can ride again.

We are in the heart of the South now,and I am amazed at how courteous most of the drivers have been. Almost all the trucks and cars give us the entire lane as they pass us and more than once the vehicles overtaking us seem perfectly willing to run the oncoming traffic right off the road. A big thumbs up to Arkansas and Mississippi drivers. Oklahoma drivers on the other hand confirmed most of my prejudices...

I saw a motorcycle and ATV dealership today and talked to the owner. He was happy to take my picture as I try to make this blog interesting for you all. His name is Jimmy Henry and if you want a 4-wheeler or cycle you should check out his dealership. He is getting in to riding bicycles and he owns a Trek. Boy that ATV seat felt comfortable but I guess their is no way to qualify for RAAM on a 4-wheeler.

Excellent support again from the PAC Tour staff and crew members as we deal with the heat and humidity.

So far so good. See you all tomorrow.

2007-06-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

Day 12 Mena, AR to Batesville, MS

This morning was tough because I was afraid I might have to quit the ride. Overnight the Achilles tendon really began to hurt and this morning I looked ridiculous hobbling around. I could barely walk.

Pac Tour owner, Lon Haldeman, can fix anything. Before today's ride he taped up my ankle so that the tendon would not receive any pressure while pedaling. So today I focused on recovery. I sat in a very steady paceline and took it easy.

Today we rode the flattest terrain of the tour. The fields on each side of the river were very green. Soybeans looked good close to the river but no so good 30 miles east. The fields were wet but the plants didn't look so great.

I keep looking for a Case International tractor, but this is Deere country...Sorry Don G. Anyway enough about agriculture.

So I'm doing pretty well. The ride today convinced me that it will be possible to ride through this tendon thing. This evening Lon drilled out my shows and moved the cleats back about an inch. So I have been given some tools to deal with this problem.

I really appreciate all the help I have received. Pac Tour riders and staff have been great. The RAAM Qualifier dream continues.

Thanks again for checking the blog.

Day 11 Mena, AR to Pine Bluff, AR

2007-06-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

Day 11 is complete and my RAAM qualifier status remains alive for another day.

Statistically today was an easy day. The trees sheltered us from the winds. The sky was overcast so we didn't get the full blast from the sun. The climbing was mostly rollers. No long sustained grinds. And the distance was only 175 miles.

For George however it was not an easy day. I feel great about getting on the bike and working but I am struggling with 2 out of three points of contact between my body and the bike. Numbness in my hands makes me clumsy (I'm dropping everything) and now my Achilles tendon in my right leg is causing all sorts of problems.

I'm not taking as many pictures right now because I'm afraid I will drop the camera. There were some great photo ops today... Anyway by the end of the day I figured out away to hold my camera and use my thumb to snap the picture. We will see how well that works tomorrow.

The cool thing about this trip is how hard we are rooting for each other to succeed. I was humbled today repeatedly by the number of acts of kindness that I received. It really made me think, am I this aware of other people's needs? I guess I better start working on this one right away.

Thanks also to those of you who send emails or leave comments on the blog it is appreciated.

I said good by to Tom Rosenbaurer this morning. Tom had ridden every inch of the tour until the 206 mile day 9 when he didn't make the time cut at the last sag stop (mile 188) He rode one more day but his heart was not in it. Work needs and a desire to be with his family became much more intense once the dream was gone.

This bike ride would be very hard to continue for me if I don't complete one of the days, so I can understand Tom's decision (especially since he has already crossed the country twice on a bike) Good luck Tom and I will see you on a Brevet ride this fall.

Also I would like to hear an update on Brad Haslam. I think about him and how he is doing after the accident. Please email me at george@rittenhousebuilders.com

*****for a video of the rain we road through on day 9 check out Vernon Smith's elite tour blog. It was impressive!

Day 10 Ada, OK to Mena, AR

2007-06-20T04:55:00.000-05:00

Day 10

We are safe and sound after a challenging day. We rode a 120 mile warm up and then finished off with a 54 mile climbing fest on the Talemina parkway. Total mileage 174 miles.

The humidity was close to 100% all day with temps in the 90s. We were cooled off by an awesome thunderstorm that lasted about an hour. I was never on top of a mountian for a thunderstorm, what a rush! The temps dropped from 91 degrees to 63 degrees in about 15 minutes. Some of the riders reported hail but I think it was just a really hard rain. I experienced a severe loss of breaking power on the 15% descents but otherwise it was okay.

New sensation today. I have a numbness in my hands from riding bike all day. This morning I lost the ability to upshift my gears because I didn't have the strength in my fingers. I dropped out of the group and rode by myself in the aerobars for a while so that I didn't have to work the brakes. Other than that I am holding up pretty well.

Day 10 and the RAAM qualifier dream is alive.

No Internet at the hotel this evening. This blog brought to you by mcdonalds.

Day 9 Sayre, OK to Ada, OK

2007-06-18T20:47:00.000-05:00

Day 9

I told my wife and friends that if I make it through the desert heat I can complete this tour without taking a ride in the sag wagon. I am an idiot!

A few posts ago I used the word cruel to describe cycling. Today was cruel.

Brad Haslam crashed out very close to the halfway point today. Brad met every time cut and his RAAM qualifer status was good. Through no fault of his own he ran over a rider who had crashed in front of him. Brad fractured his knee cap so he is out of the ride. All that time and effort...poof! We will miss you.

I was on riding on empty today at 40 miles, too bad because I still had 166 miles to go. Phil Ligget talks about cyclists reaching into their suit case of courage when they are having a tough day. All I had was a little hand purse of courage and it only had a few candy wrappers in it.

Better than courage I have friends here and I am embarrased at how many times Ed P. pulled me back up to the group, or that Dan F. sat up and waited, or Jeff L. looked over his shoulder and paused. However I'm looking on the bright side and the average age of these three guys is 57, so maybe I will get better when I grow up.

Tough day but after 206 miles today the RAAM qualifer status is still good.

See you tommorrow at the end of 11,000 feet of climbing!

Day 8 Hereford, TX to Sayre, OK

2007-06-17T19:29:00.001-05:00

Day 8 was a pretty stinkin flat 180 mile ride.

Breakfast was seriously quiet this morning. I think I could hear people actually chewing their food. Within a few minutes of finishing breakfast we rode as a group directly into a fantastic sunrise. This morning's opening ride was much better than some of the other early morning beginnings. We are riding better as a group and we have a real sense of camaraderie now. We are the Elite Pac Tour darn it, and today we will ride 180 miles like it is nothing.

Well that's at least how it started...

We did ride as a group into our first rest stop at 35 miles. After the rest stop (6 minutes tops) we were back in the saddle and going hard. We had a few miles of paceline riding and then the wind shifted. From there we stretched wide across the road in an echelon to find shelter from the cross wind. (Some of the other bloggers have explained this already. Check their sites out for an explanation. Too many words for me to write.)

Anyway, the going got hard at this point and for the next 20 miles or so I thought it sure would be fun to just sit up and take it easy. The thing that saved me from leaving the group was that we were on some pretty bad frontage roads along the interstate. They were a mish mash of broken concrete and black top that had long since lost the black and some of the top. It is a lot more fun to fly over these roads fast in a group than to go slow by yourself.

Oh yeah and there is Lon's message board at the end of the day. It sure was fun to be on the board Saturday, wouldn't it be cool to be on there two days in a row?

What a great group of guys to ride with. We didn't talk as much as yesterday but we didn't have to. It was fun to just hang in there with the guys and go real fast. At the end of the day I checked my cycling computer and we had gone 180 miles at an average speed just shy of 22 miles per hour on the bike. What a rush.

Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures today. My theory on taking pictures is to just shoot massive quantities and some will turn out okay. I was hanging by a thread most of today so I took less than half as many as usual. Plus I was living off of "Cliff Shots" and I got gel everywhere in my jersey pockets. So tonight I'm washing the camera in the bathroom sink. Hopefully the camera will still work to take pictures tomorrow.

Tomorrow is another flat day but our longest mileage day at 206 miles. My plan is to rest as much as possible in preparation for a nasty day of climbing on Tuesday.

See you then...

Day 7 Roswell, NM to Hereford, TX

2007-06-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

164 miles today and the RAAM qualifier dream is alive.

Today is the seventh day of our tour and the effects of six hard days of riding were showing this morning. Cyclist's moved a bit slower and were a little quieter at breakfast.

Once we left the hotel parking lot the the order of the day was pretty much Git-R-Done. The scenery was less than breathtaking and on the flattest day of the tour the only thing to do was to get as many miles in as possible before the cross winds picked up.

Since the ride today was pancake flat and would most likely be windy I thought that this might be a chance for me to ride with some of the better riders and take some of their pictures.

A bit of explanation for the non cyclist readers. Cycling is cruel, not a little bit mean but downright cruel. Heavy people like me work like a dog to get up hills that skinny little guys ascend without even noticing. This is called power to weight ratio, literally your weight divided by the amount of watts you can create. The skinny guy beats the fat guy every time. However there is a silver lining for guys like me. We get really strong trying to follow the skinny guys up the hills and our larger bodies do make more power. Take away the hill add some wind and the big guy has an advantage over the climber.

So today I rode at the front with the strong guys. Mark Pattinson is also doing this ride and for the last week I haven't seen him only his name on message board at the end of the day, because he is often listed as the first rider to complete the days ride. Turns out that he does exist and that he is an accomplished ultra endurance racer.

Also riding at the front today where Brad Reid and Charlie Combs, both of these men had a rough beginning to this tour and battled through some real misery in the desert. They are recovering very well and rode very strong today. The four of us rode from the lunch break to the finish together, stopping/slowing only to allow Mark to repair three flat tires. One characteristic I have noticed in really good riders is that they don't let stuff bug them. Mark didn't miss a beat. One flat "it happens", 2nd flat, a shrug, 3rd flat "today is my day" If that happens to me I'm thinking forget this ride and it is time to buy a new bike.

We finished together and had another safe day on the bike.

Thanks for checking the blog and sending the emails and comments.

Day 6 Socorro NM to Roswell, NM

2007-06-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Another great day on the bike. The RAAM qualifier dream remains alive.

Thanks for your comments on the blog and the emails. Your encouragement is appreciated.

Today's word is wind. Harold Trease assured everyone that the prevailing winds are out of the West in this area. But there were some vivid memories, shared in our group, of specific days when this was not the case. Today the winds where in our favor much more than they were against us. What was cool was the way the wind would shift as we went over and through the mountians. Sometimes within a mile or so we would go from a raging cross wind to nothing. Late in the day the flags were flying horizontally right into our faces.

During the worst of the winds I had great company today. Charlie Combs and I traded pulls in a powerfull cross wind and late in the day Dan Fuoco and I rode straight into what could have become a demoralizing headwind.

Tomorrow we have the flattest ride of the tour.

Day 5 Springerville, AZ to Socorro, NM

2007-06-14T19:54:00.000-05:00

Day 5 and the RAAM Qualifier dream remains alive.

There were many reasons for signing on with Lon and Sue Haldeman's Elite Cross Country bike tour.

See the US on a bike.
See the US on a bike really fast so that I don't have to miss too much work.
To get a piece of paper that I can hang on the wall.

Let's talk about reason #3

PAC Tour has a deal with RAAM (Race Across America) that allows cyclists who successfully complete every inch of the "Elite Transcontinental Tour" (that's me) within prescribed time limits, to qualify as a solo participant in RAAM.

All right I'll admit it. I want to have that piece of paper hanging on my wall. That piece of paper will say that George Metzler can race in RAAM for the next three years.

So far so good.

The ride today was great. Susan read us the riot act this morning telling us we are riding this tour like we are on the more leisurely paced "PAC Tour Southern Crossing" which takes 25 days. So we were given time targets for each rest stop today. As my friend Eric says, "The beatings will continue until morale improves"

Anyway I think we all responded quite well. A tailwind definitely helped as did a loss of elevation throughout the day. Most rider's enjoyed an easier fast day and still arrived at the hotel before their rooms we ready. I enjoyed some recovery on the bike today but I probably pushed a little too hard on the descents.

Speaking of elevation. We have been above 7,000 feet for almost 48 hours and you can hear the impact of the altitude in the coughing of the riders. I also noticed several bloody noses today, especially my own. I assume this is a combination of prolonged exercise in dry, thin air. Can't imagine what it must be like to climb a mountain.

See you all tomorrow as we try to find some aliens in Roswell, NM

Day 4 Globe, AZ to Springerville, AZ

2007-06-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

The word for today is CLIMBING.

145 miles, 10 hours on the bike, it seemed like the whole day was uphill except for a screaming descent into Springerville, AZ over the last 20 miles. I'm pretty sure I'm going to pay for that effort tomorrow. It was fun at the time.

I had lots of profound thoughts during the day today, I wanted to put them down in my blog tonight. Right now I can't think of any of them. I think my ideas made more sense in an oxygen deprived state at 9,000' elevation.

At this altitude the temperatures have subsided. It was 79 degrees when I arrived at the hotel at 5:00 p.m. I need a jacket!

See you tomorrow.

George

Another terrific day on the bike

2007-06-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, June 12
146 miles from Gila Bend, AZ to Globe, AZ

I tried to use today as a recovery day from yesterday's ride of attrition. I was a little worried about how my legs would feel after my 11 hours on the bike yesterday. I didn't cramp up during the ride but last night at dinner I had some painful spasms in my thighs.

I guess all the "Hammer supplements" that Lon and Susan (Pac Tour owners) provide to us actually work. Because today I didn't have any lasting effects from yesterday's exertion in the heat. I have been getting 2/3 of my calories during the day while I am riding from specially formulated drinks, followed by lots of capsules full of electrolytes. Yummy. Drinking my calories let's me keep food in my stomach as opposed to...well I will end this thought here.

So today was flat for a long time (until mile 108) and we had a tail wind the entire day. Even though I was using today as a recovery day you still need to pedal and especially so uphill. We climbed to about 4,500 feet elevation and experienced some relief from the heat later in the day. (mostly in the air conditioning of my hotel room)

Tomorrow is going to be a real test. We reach about 9,000 feet elevation at one point and we will climb for a total of about 11,000 feet.

Elite tour really begins!

2007-06-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

Day 2

El Centro, California to Gila Bend, Arizona

We started at 5:30 a.m. I completed the 190 mile ride at 6:05 p.m. Temperatures started in the high 60's and soared well above the century mark today. My bike computer showed the temperature finally dropping below 100 degrees at 4:30 p.m.

I was very fortunate today to have excellent riding companions in Dan Fuoco and Brad Haslam. Together we ground through a brutal crosswind/head wind from mile 40 through mile 124. The wind softened us up in the morning and the furnace like heat ended a lot of rides early today.

Dan has a lot of common sense and encouraged me to use my brain and ride at a sensible pace during the maximum exposure to heat this afternoon. Matt and I rode through a pretty impressive dust storm within 3 miles of the hotel. With almost no warning a circulating cloud of dust completely engulfed us and I couldn't see Brad just a few feet away. I was blown completely across one lane of traffic. Just as quickly the cloud was gone.

Awesome service today from Pac Tour as we had exactly what we needed to keep going when we needed it.

Many more stories but I need to sign off for this evening.

An excellent intro to the Elite Tour

2007-06-10T21:55:00.000-05:00

The elite Pac Tour rolled out of San Diego parade style, in a pack of 50 riders. Temperatures in the 50's and overcast conditions were greatly appreciated.

It did not take long for the speeds to pick up as some of the hammerheads took advantage of the early climbs to test their legs. (you know who you are) Please note in the picture above that it is the tandem team of Josh and Doreen setting the pace. They do climb well and get out of the way when the terrain flattens because they are coming.

I spent much of the day riding with Andrew Puddy. Andrew is an anesthesiologist from Hyde Park, Australia and six weeks ago got one of the last slots on this Elite Pac Tour. He was a great riding partner today and set up a steady paceline as we collected riders throughout the afternoon.

The early climbs today took a toll on me and I was a little surprised by the amount of fatigue I accumulated just 50 to 60 miles into today's ride. The "wind farm" marked the end of much of the climbing today. The mountain drops off sharply just on the other side of the windmills in the photo.

We enjoyed a long 10 mile descent on Interstate 8. This is where 99% of the vegetation ends and it all you can see are giant sized "gravel" piles. I wish I knew what I was looking at. As we descended from an elevation of 4000 feet to the flat desert below the blast furnace kicked into gear. The temps while hot are not as bad as they could be. So it really wasn't to bad today.

A couple of notes on other tour riders.

Fred Matheny and Ed Pavelka... Don't let the smiles fool you, these guys are tough. They are both over 60 and much stronger than I am at 39. I rode PA brevet series with Ed Pavelka and I use the term "with" loosely. What I actually did was watch him ride away from me while I gasped for oxygen. Ed and Fred took it easy today.

Tom and Terri Schwartz are crew members who had their "day off work" today. Some day off. 128 miles of bike riding. Pac Tour has a pretty sweet deal that if you work as crew members you can ride about half the time and you get to do the ride for close to free. Tomorrow Tom and Terri will be hard at work taking care of us as we ride 191 miles to Gila Bend.

Today was a good ride for me. I rode the entire day at a conversation pace in preparation for tomorrows long ride. My guess is that the "elite" part of the tour begins for real on Monday Day 2

Thanks for checking in and remember to check out the blogs at www.pactour.com

Arrival in San Diego

2007-06-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

I arrived on time in San Diego with my luggage and bicycle intact. So far I'm 3 for 3.

The first PAC Tour rider I met today was Dan Fuoco. I had the great fortune to spend much of the PA 400K and 600K Brevet series rides this spring with his brother John. Dan was a last minute add to the Elite Tour. I have obsessed about this trip for 7 months and Dan is cool as a cucumber having just added his name to the list a scant three weeks ago.

I put my bike together as soon as I arrived this morning and I rode to the beach with another PAC Tour rider Harold Trease. Harold has spent the last 7 summers at this time of year officiating the Race Across America. I expect this will be a real change for him.

I wanted to get the full coast to coast experience so I dunked my wheels in the Pacific ocean at Mission Bay. California is great because I don't think anyone even looked at me as I walked to the beach in my cycling clothes and stuck my wheels in the water. Maybe a lot of cyclist do this, I don't know.

I rode 12 miles today at an average speed of 13 miles per hour. It was a little tiring. I guess I should back off and take it a little easier tomorrow....

Again for the real scoop on the elite tour check out all the blogs at www.Pactour.com

Cross Country schedule and links

2007-06-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog that I will keep during my Cross Country bike ride from San Diego, CA to Tybee, GA.

I will post as often as possible. I do not expect to post everyday, if you would like to know how the trip is going on the days that I have not updated the ride please check out the blogs from other riders. You can follow this link.

http://www.pactour.com/

http://www.roadbikerider.com/elitetour.htm

http://www.ahealinghand.com/

Here is the trip itinerary

Arrival (June 9, Saturday)

My good friend and riding buddy, Bill Blank, will take me to the Philadelphia airport to catch my 8:00 a.m. non-stop flight to San Diego. I will arrive in San Diego to meet riders from all corners of the world. After we assemble our bikes we can have a leisurely ride to the beach for photos in front of the Pacific Ocean. That evening we gather for a festive dinner before our adventure across America.

Day 1 (June 10, Sunday) San Diego, CA to El Centro, CA 127 miles

We depart the Pacific Ocean and begin climbing the first 50 miles. After crossing four mountain passes from 3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation we drop back down to sea level near the 100 mile mark. The desert will be 110 degrees at this time of year. The climbing today is almost 7,500 feet. With all the climbing and desert heat this day is a tough introduction to the Elite Tour.

Day 2 (June 11, Monday) El Centro to Gila Bend, AZ 191 miles

Today the good thing is the route will be mainly flat. The bad thing is that we ride across the burning desert all day. A 1,000 foot climb over Telegraph Pass near Yuma, Arizona is the main climbing for this section. With a little luck we could have good tailwinds the last half of the day.

Day 3 (June 12, Tuesday) Gila Bend to Globe, AZ 146 miles

The first half of the day we climb and descend several gentle grades in the desert. After lunch we begin climbing steeper grades gaining over 3,000 feet. The Pinal Mountains offer cooler temperatures and relief from the heat.

Day 4 (June 13, Wednesday) Globe to Springerville, AZ 144 miles

The first challenge of the day will be the steep climb out of the Salt River Canyon. Dozens of hairpin turns along the edge of the Canyon give us spectacular views across the valley. After departing the town of Show Low the route climbs to over 9,000 feet. The final 20 miles are a fast ride from the forests down into the ranches of the valley.

Day 5 (June 14, Thursday) Springerville to Socorro, NM 156 miles

Today we cross into New Mexico. The tall forests give way to small scrubby pine trees. Hills and cliffs of red rocks line the road as we climb to the Continental Divide at 8,000 feet near Pie Town. The wind will dictate if the ride across the range country is fast or not.

Day 6 (June 15, Friday) Socorro to Roswell, NM 172 miles

Another day of big rolling grades. There are several three to five mile climbs. Over the final 30 miles the road drops from the mountains into the prairie. By the time we reach Roswell the only thing alien to us will be the feeling of fresh legs.

Day 7 (June 16, Saturday) Roswell to Hereford, TX 164 miles

This is the flattest day of the tour. The scrubby vegetation changes to farm fields and cattle ranches as we enter Texas. It could be windy!

Day 8 (June 17, Sunday) Hereford to Sayre, OK 180 miles

We continue across the flat Texas Panhandle. In the afternoon we drop off the Caprock and begin to roll along the frontage road of Oklahoma's Route 66. The old remaining cement slabs offer a glimpse of highway travel 60 years ago.

Day 9 (June 18, Monday) Sayre to Ada, OK 206 miles

The scenery changes with more trees and rivers offering variety to the landscape. This is the longest day in miles but it will be interesting with many small towns and rolling hills.

Day 10 (June 19, Tuesday) Ada to Mena, AR 174 miles

This day will be remembered for the steep 15% grades of the Talimena Parkway. This Parkway follows the backbone ridge of the Quachita Mountains into Arkansas. 8,000 feet of climbing are packed into the final 50 miles of rollers.

Day 11 (June 20, Wednesday) Mena to Pine Bluff, AR 176 miles

Today is a recovery day from the steep climbing. We enter the dense pine forests of western Arkansas. Lumber and paper mills are the major landmarks today.

Day 12 (June 21, Thursday) Pine Bluff to Batesville, MS 159 miles

We leave the forests and ride out on the flat delta region. Rice and cotton are the main crops here with an occasional catfish farms. We cross the Mississippi River and climb up the rolling bluffs leaving the river behind.

Day 13 (June 22, Friday) Batesville to Forest, MS 176 miles

We return to the forests and hills in central Mississippi. Rural highways and farm roads make this a nice cycling day.

Day 14 (June 23, Saturday) Forest to Camden, AL 172 miles

Any rider who has made it this far is looking forward to the finish. The terrain and mileage are easier than anything we have traveled so far.

Day 15 (June 24, Sunday) Camden to Eufaula, AL 152 miles

A good variety of rural roads through the forests make this an interesting day. The humid heat will be the biggest challenge of today.

Day 16 (June 25, Monday) Eufaula to Dublin, GA 160 miles

As we enter Georgia, the big rolling hills are suitable for small chainring climbing. The ride becomes flat as we cross more than half the state today.

Day 17 (June 26, Tuesday) Dublin to Tybee, GA 142 miles

Our last day of riding. The route is nearly pancake flat with a slight downhill to the Atlantic. We cross the historic city of Savannah then ride the final 15 miles to the beach, arriving by mid afternoon. That evening we celebrate the completion of the Elite Tour with an awards dinner.

Departure (June 27, Wednesday)

My good friend Eric Nafziger has agreed to pick up what is left of me at the Philadelphia airport on Wednesday morning at 9:18 am. If you are reading this Eric my flight is USAir #1684. Don't forget, I need to get back to work!