Bike(s) Across America

We finally arrived somewhere that has electricity, showers, WiFi, cell phone service, and a good form of alternative transportation (other than a hard bicycle seat, that is).

The road is not always straight, and sometimes is narrow. Sometimes it doesn't go where it's supposed to. We ran into a couple of detours, for example.

In spite of all, we are now in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan. We were met by Joe Siebold, another cross-country cyclist (now retired from super-long rides) and Warm Showers host, at a country pub sort of place, and he then guided us on his bicycle to where we are spending the night ... the super farm owned by Dr. John Henry (orthopedics and sports medicine) and his wife Annette, and their 8-month old Bernese puppy, Xerxes. I don't recommend letting 80 pounds of puppy sit on your lap or nibble on your toes. Anyway, the Henry household is heaven to the three boys. They have TV that lets you watch movies anywhere in the house, including in the old grain silo that they have converted into a three-story overflow living quarters, an x-box, paintball, nerf-ball, a teen-aged son who plays basketball out behind the barn with them, another son who took them out to see a sunken wreck off the coast of Lake Michigan, a jaunt down to try out the finest Wisconsin dairy products (e.g. different flavors of ice cream), a pond with a zip line across it and a kayak, a pool table ... when they wake up in time for a 9:30 am breakfast tomorrow morning, they will think they are in hog heaven!

In spite of our second flat tire in as many days (this time Ryan, who got what looks like a fishhook puncturing his tire just as we were about to arrive at our destination), the riding has been going well for everyone. As I marveled at how well the boys were doing in comparison to how well I'm doing on the road, I began to realize -- it's not all in the legs! Some of it has to do with what we are riding. By way of comparison, I took some pictures of the different bikes we are on. First, here's mine.

 

Mine is a Trek 720, made for touring. It has places to fit panniers, water bottles, luggage racks, etc., and his sturdy gearing to get up hills, even when that means a long slow slog. Also, the frame is designed to be a bit longer between the wheels, making for a nice comfortable riding position that is stable and easy to handle under a variety of road conditions. Also, not clearly visible, the bike has disk brakes rather than rim pincher brakes. Instant stopping is available, even in wet conditions.

 

On the other hand, here is Bryce's bike.

 



Another Trek, but this one has a shorter wheel base, and is a bit lighter than mine. Bryce has somewhat hybridized the bike, putting a road bike tread on the front tire, but a touring tread on the back wheel. The performance between our two bikes seems to be fairly similar, so the two of us end up riding together frequently. I've noticed that my bike rolls better going down a hill or on the flat, but Bryce is quicker going up hills...probably because he has different gearing than I do, and his legs are 53 years younger than mine.

Then there's Ryan's bike, a Giant.

It's a road bike all the way, but it wouldn't really matter. When Ryan's intent on cycling well, he's nearly uncatchable. His strong legs mean that he doesn't need to use the lowest chain ring, and he can pull away from everyone going up hills.

Everyone except Jonathan. The little Giant.

His bike is smaller than everyone else's, which means that his wheels are not interchangeable with the other bikes. The bike is a road bike, and it has a "racing" cassette on the back wheel. The cassette is the part of the wheel with all the gears on it, for those who are not familiar with the bike lingo. What that means is that the bike is lighter, and geared for speed rather than for long-term endurance. The bike would handle well, but for a larger person, it would not be as comfortable going over bumpy roads. Riding it can be jarring. Jonathan is light enough that he doesn't get the full vibration chattering through his arms, so he's usually very quick on the hills, when he wants to be.

The bikes really do make a difference. They dictate riding style, and in some instances, can make someone (i.e. me) look a bit slower than he (I) really is (am).

So, for tomorrow, I'll be changing my riding style, at least for one day. I'll make like Huck Finn or Mark Twain, and take the ferry across the pond instead of riding around the long way. After all, Lake Michigan is mighty big, and it's a long way over to Michigan from here.