Conference noted::bicycle

1660.0. "A Bicycle Trek..." by SPWACY::SAVAGED () Tue Jul 24 1990 15:22

           How     I     Spent     My     Summer     Vacation
                               
                                 by

                            Daniel Savage

_____________________________________________________________________________


  In 13 days I'll be leaving on a 7 day bike trip called the New England  

Discovery Bike Trek,  averaging 75 miles a day. I remember reading about

it in the paper last year and thinking to myself, that sounds like fun.

  When I saw the ad in the paper this year I called the sponsor, the 

American Lung Association, and asked for some literature and pledge forms.

I told myself that I'd do this if I could raise the minimum amount ($1200),

not really believing I would be able to collect that much. Soon I was over

the $1200 minimum and realized I had to do this.

  Maybe I'm possessed by the devil or something. However, it's for a good cause.

I've raised over $1600 so far and still have people I haven't asked yet. 

Actually, collecting the money has been the hardest part so far.


  We're down to 11 days before liftoff now. All systems are go (but am I?????)

Maybe I could just give everybody their money back, no questions asked. Nope.

I've stuck my neck out too far this time. I just hope I don't end up being a 

speed bump someplace up in Maine!! Vermont wouldn't be too bad, though! Now I 

know how Evil Kneivel must have felt a week before he went over the Snake

River Canyon (well, almost).

  Tomorrow I have to see about getting a helmet. Also have a bunch of other 

stuff to buy this weekend. I'll do 50 miles Saturday and 50 Sunday. Unless it

pours.    


  Today is June 12th and I have only 5 days left. Why do I feel like someone

who's been sentenced to die in the electric chair??? The other night I had a 

dream I was riding my bike and the front wheel went into one of those grates.

I don't know if I'm excited or nervous or both. I just hope I can sleep Saturday

night.

  Phil just gave me an idea. Maybe I can fake an injury or something. It's a 

thought. It looks like I'm finally going to get this bike riding bull out of

my system. I haven't been sleeping too much lately, though.


  Well, it's Wednesday and I have only 4 more days before the trip. I slept

pretty good last night although I'm still kinda' sore from the weekend rides.

I'll probobly send in the money tomorrow. I don't seem as nervous/anxious/scared

to death as yesterday. What was I thinking of, anyway????? (I wonder what I'll

have for my last meal??) Move over, Ted Bundy.
         
                         
         DAY 1 (74.22 MILES) West Springfield, Ma. to New London, Ct. 
         ------------------------------------------------------------

  It's finally here. It's Sunday morning, 7:45 AM on June 17th. We leave today

and the Corn Flakes aren't going down too easy. It's execution day. I nervously

load my bike and gear into the car and drive toward West Springfield. As if I'm

not nervous enough, Continental Cablevision wants to interview me and people

are taking my picture with the director of the A L A  because I was the only

person from Western Mass. riding in this trek. Then we're getting ready to be

escorted by the West Springfield police and Irene (Ms. Thornton) shows up with

her camera. No autographs, please.

  As we pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Memorial Bridge I was

glad that the show was finally getting on the road (even though my eyes were

still sore from all the flashbulbs). Would you believe someone actually stopped

at a stop light 1/4 mile from the Big E??? Everyone blew by him. It seemed like

the pace was agonizingly slow as everyone just seemed to cruise along. In no

time at all the pack seemed to slowly spread out.

  When I got up that morning the sky was partly cloudy so I put my nylon rain-

coat in my pack instead of sunscreen. By mid-afternoon I was starting to fry.

The first thing I did when I got to New London was to go swimming in the pool.

I felt semi-human again. After supper (chicken and spaghetti) we all shot the

bull and watched the  mechanics work on the bikes. I was extremely surprised

at how hilly Connecticut was. I managed to hit 38 mph coming down a really

smooth stretch. Oh yeah, I also managed to get lost once by missing a turnoff.

I then made the mistake of following 2 riders that had ridden the Transamerica,

figuring they knew where we were going. Wrong.


             Day 2 (71.42 miles) New London, Ct. to Smithfield, RI.
             ------------------------------------------------------

  Had pancakes this morning and then put off riding as long as possible. I was 

the last to leave this morning (8:15 AM) and the first to get lost. Less than

1/4 mile from the college I missed the turnoff. I'm not used to looking for 

green markings on the road (called Dan Henrys'). There was this really neat bike

path that went over a bridge that seemed like it was about 5,000 feet above the

water. The only thing worse was the fact that it seemed like it was about 1.5

miles long.

  Anyways, it was hazy and cool as I caught up with some of the other riders in

Mystic Seaport and did a little sight seeing. It was extremely nice riding until

the sun came out but the terrain was not quite as hilly as Connecticut. It 

wasn't until the afternoon that I finally had to stop and put ice on my left 

knee about 20 miles from Smithfield. I took it easy the rest of the way and

felt pretty good when I arrived. I laid down and fell asleep for about 2 hours.

  After supper I went to my bike to get some change out of my pack only to dis-

cover that I had a flat tire. Better here than on the road. That night we all 

were treated to a massage by massage therapists. Don't worry, you won't be

reading about this in Penthouse. 


             Day 3 (73.06 miles) Smithfield, RI. to Lowell, Ma.
             --------------------------------------------------

  The weather forecast called for thunder storms, we had a lousy breakfast,

and my knees were sore in the morning. It was cloudy and cool. I finally left

at 7:45 AM and only three people left later than I did. I pretty much took it

easy the first fiften miles and was surprised to find that my legs felt great.

It stayed partly cloudy all day with only a few raindrops, and we had a nice

tailwind the whole way up to Lowell. There were hardly any hills and it seemed

like we were going downhill all the way. I had no problems with my bike.

Lowell had the lousiest dormitory but the best food. You'd be surprised at

how much food you can put away after spending all day on a bike. Today was

definitely the easiest day. I think everyone was getting stronger. I hoped so.

Tomorrow would be the longest ride of the trek. I also tried some Arnica drops

(an herb) today that are supposed to heal and strengthen the muscles. We'll

find out tomorrow.


               Day 4 (107.77 miles) Lowell, Ma. to Biddeford, Me.
               --------------------------------------------------

  When we got up in the morning it was cold and windy and looked like it would

rain. It seemed like everyone was not in much of a rush to get on the bike but

I was psyched up for this. I left Lowell and rode with a deaf man named Claude.

He eventually stopped to take some pictures of some Canadian geese on the side

of the road but I was feeling good and wanted to get in as much riding as 

possible before it started to rain, so I kept going.

  By the time I reached Salisbury, Mass. it was so windy that I finally pulled

over and put my windbreaker on. We were near the ocean and you could feel it.

I headed up the coast along Hampton Beach and Rye Beach and finally stopped on

this point overlooking the Atlantic Ocean just north of Rye. It was cloudy and

windy yet there was something peaceful about the day (maybe the Arnica was 

taking effect).

  I rode alone most of the day but thoroughly enjoyed the ride as I pushed

northward towards Portsmouth. We went through Kennebunkport and past George

Bush's house (or mansion). I was tempted to go up to one of the Secret Service

agents and ask to use the bathroom but I figured the mattress in a college

dorm is still more comfortable than sleeping in a padded cell. I was in my own 

little world as I blocked out everything and kept pedaling in the light rain.

  I was the seventh rider to arrive in Biddeford and can honestly say I've

never felt better (physically or mentally) in my life. My legs felt great,

my mind was clear and my bike was running good. It was a little before 6:00

PM when I got there. A nice, long (30 minutes), hot shower and I was off to

the cafeteria.

  It was a little bit strange because when I went to eat, all the people

that didn't make it were all sitting at one table. There were people that

didn't make it in until about quarter past eight and it was getting dark.

One woman (a nurse) hit "the wall" and was literally pushed in the last 8

miles by two other riders. That night everyone was either feeling great or

down in the dumps.

  After supper I noticed my crankset was loose and Dave (one of the mechanics)

fixed it. I'm lucky the bearings didn't get chewed up.

  That night I couldn't get to sleep until about 2:00 am. (maybe that Arnica

stuff really works).


              Day 5 (75.82 miles) Biddeford, Me. to Concord, NH.
              --------------------------------------------------

  The next morning I woke up sore and walked to the cafeteria in a fog. Need-

less to say, again I was the last to leave. I started out slowly but once the

legs warmed up I felt good.

  Two things were in my favor that day. It was cloudy (not hot) and the ride

to Concord, New Hampshire was not (surprizingly) too hilly. It wasn't espec-

ially scenic, either, though. I did stop at a nice little antique / gift shop

and had a nice chat with the little old woman that owned it. She was pretty

interesting to talk to.

  Later that day I stopped to mail the postcards I had bought the day before

at York Beach. When I got off the bike I noticed the zipper on my pack was 

unzipped and there were no postcards to be found. Oh well, so much for the

postcards.

  In the afternoon I rode up on Cindy (the one who had a hard time the day

before the last 8 miles) and rode with her a while. One of the mechanics asked

me to stay with her a while because she really was at the point where she 

just wanted to get the hell off the bike and go home. I tried to cheer her up

and take her mind off things. It must have worked because when I stopped to

eat lunch she wanted to keep going.

  Earlier that day a motorist had stopped to tell us someone (one of us) had

been hit by a car about 3 miles back. That definitely didn't help peoples'

frame of mind. Luckily she hadn't been hit but did go off the narrow road

when a tractor trailer went by about 50 mph. She bruised some ribs and scraped

up her knee but did ride the next day.

  That night at supper the "rat pack" had told me they mailed my postcards.

It seems that I had lost them that morning when we left Biddeford, Maine.

  Robin added, "We read them."

  "You read them???" I asked.

  "All of them" came the reply.

  It became increasingly warmer in the cafeteria as I tried to remember what

the hell I wrote to my girlfriend. I took a lot of ribbing that night.

  "But we did mail them" said Dana.

  "Thanks" (I think).


              Day 6 (83.12 miles) Concord, NH. to Brattleboro, Vt.
              ----------------------------------------------------

  Today was the hottest day of the trek. I felt great in the morning and de-

cided to ride fairly hard in the morning and did most of my riding before

it got too hot. I tired pretty quickly in the heat and took about a half hour

to eat lunch. I really had to force myself to get back on the bike.

  During the previous days all we heard about was Pitcher Mountain in New Hamp-

shire. I didn't even realize I was going up it until I reached the top and

saw where they spray painted "top of Pitcher Mountain" on the pavement. Not

that it was a piece of cake or anything but I was expecting to look up and

see something resembling Mt. Fuji. However, the next several miles (downhill)

were exhilarating as we hit speeds of 35-40 mph.

  At the 63 mile point we went over a bridge and were in Vermont. The Vermont

Lung Association had some water and oranges, etc. for us and I needed a break.

While we were sitting under a shade tree another rider went by and we all

yelled out to him. As he turned to see who it was his front tire turned and

he fell off, doing a somersault on the grass and landing on his feet in one

smooth movement. It was extremely hard containing ourselves. He was alright

and I decided it was time to get back on the bike before I burst out 

laughing. Only 20 more miles to go.

  20 more miles of hills, that is. This was the hardest day for me. Maybe

it was because I was expecting Pitcher Mountain to be the hardest part but

these hills in Vermont never seemed to end. Even the trekkers that did the 

Transamerica came in drained that day, so I didn't feel so bad. Being sunny

and 85 degrees that day didn't help, either.

  I definitely must have gotten too much sun that day because after supper

someone asked me to play "ultimate frisbee" and I said yes. For anyone not

familiar with the game, it requires about as much running as a soccer game.

This was after 83 miles and 3 beers. Where's the Arnica????

  Anyway, this was our last night and there were large quantities of beer

consumed that night and we even had joke hour. There's an awful lot of 

people in the wrong profession out there. I even learned what a POD is.

It's someone that rides a bike without a helmet (possible organ donor).

  Today this guy (don't remember his name) got 2 flat tires and fell off

his bike twice. Tomorrow's the last day.


       Day 7 (53.55 miles) Brattleboro, Vt. to West Springfield, Ma.
       -------------------------------------------------------------

  When I woke up the next morning just about the last thing I wanted to 

do was get on a bike. The only thing I wanted to do less was to play 

"ultimate frisbee". It was pretty humid this morning as we eased out onto

route 5. I was one of the last to leave this day, of course.

  I knew this route once we got into Greenfield as I had ridden to Greenfield

and back twice last year. The only good part was that it's fairly flat.

  I was pedaling along casually in Holyoke when I noticed the sky darkening

and decided I should put the pedals to the metal. I made it to about Providence

Hospital when it started raining cats and dogs. It actually felt pretty good

and I kept going until I heard and saw thunder and lightning. Let's not push

my luck. I've ridden 535 miles and only have 3 more miles to go. I stopped

under this eave at this hardware store and waited about 30 minutes until

the rain stopped. Most of the rest of the length of Riverdale Road I pedaled

on the sidewalk as it flooded and there was 6-10 inches of rain on the road.

  We all met at the gazebo on the green in West Springfield and waited for

everyone else to show up. The guy that had 2 flats the day before had a 

flat first thing in the morning as well as another about a mile from the

gazebo. That must be a record. Four flats in two days not to mention the 

fact he fell off his bike twice. He was the last to show up and received

a standing ovation. The ding-dong cart had showed up while we were waiting

and most of us had ice cream.

  The West Springfield police showed up to escort us back to the Big E.

We all yelled and screamed as we jockeyed for position as if this was a 

race. There were almost a couple of collisions. Friends and relatives were

there when we pulled in and there were more than a few tearful eyes.

  I felt glad that it was over but I also wished it never ended. I think

most people felt the same way. Just the way some people postponed getting 

on the bike in the morning, people didn't really want to get in their cars

and leave that afternoon. I met some really nice people and learned a lot.

This was an experience I'll never forget and I'm definitely going to do it 

again.

  It seemed kinda' nice though to get in a car and go someplace without 

having to move my feet. I found myself watching the road for potholes or

any other obstacle that could throw a rider from his bike.

  When I got home I weighed myself. I lost 4 pounds but looked like I lost 

more. I locked my bike up and headed for the shower. I don't ever remember

a hot shower feeling so good.

********************************************************************************
I ended up collecting $1709.50 for the America Lung Association and would like
to thank everyone who made a contribution.
********************************************************************************

                                  Log

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date      Distance      Elapsed Time      Average Speed          Max.Speed     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/17        74.22       5hr45min11sec         12.9                  38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/18        71.42       5hr30min49sec         12.8                  39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/19        73.06       5hr32min46sec         13.1                  34
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/20       107.77       8hr 7min17sec         13.1                  31
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/21        75.82       5hr32min34sec         13.5                  35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/22        83.12       6hr19min 8sec         13.1                  35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/23        53.55       4hr18min 4sec         12.3                  26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Totals     537.96      41hr 5min49sec         13.0                  39

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