The Saddle Consultation (June 28, 2012)

Checking out the saddle

We are on our way to Rochester and stopped in Fairport, NY.  We saw three women on bikes and asked if there was a bathroom nearby.  They inquired about our trip and we started to tell them we had come from Boston, but before we could even tell them, they noticed my saddle (which is rather unusual – it is a Selle SMP TRK which has a turned down nose).  They were intrigued by its shape and asked about comfort.  I happen to like this saddle quite a bit and it is on all my bikes.  We talked about how saddles are a very personal thing and how the ones that come with bikes are usually very uncomfortable.  It took me three tries to find one that suited me.

I also told them about the women’s cycling site www.teamestrogen.com.  It was fun to share my experiences with these women. 

The Spirited Bunch

DW: As Pata would say, these three ladies were a spirited bunch. They were impressed by the quest we were on and the distance it would take to achieve it. One woman commented that after an 8 mile ride she needed a two hour nap. The encounter turned into a spontaneous saddle consultation, the three of them huddled around Pata’s saddle like doctors around a patient. I realized their bikes were probably not as comfortable as they could be.

At the bathroom entrance a man asked me how far we were going. “L.A.,” I replied. “Wow,” he said and added, “good luck!” I find that when people see our bikes fully loaded it immediately piques their interest. We have people roll their windows down at intersections asking where we are going. One woman, when hearing our destination, used her index finger to make a rolling motion around the side of her head, the universal sign of: these two are nuts! Maybe she’s right.

We leave Rochester tomorrow with two days of rest under our belts (although we did venture out this morning so we would know our route in the early morning and racked up about 8 miles). I want to be  back on my bike, the heat and wind welcome friends as we pedal westward. I’m into the rhythm of daily riding so it feels weird to interrupt it. 

Bicycle Sculptures From Today (June 28, 2012)

This is my favorite!

Why I Am Riding Across The Country

June 22, 2012

We saw this sign early in the trip (June 22^nd to be exact) and David took a picture of it.  It made a lot of sense to us.  For me, there are many levels that this is true.  For one, given my ongoing struggle with major depression, many people would think that riding across country would be impossible.  How can a woman with such major mental health issues do such a feat?  I say, “one pedal stroke at a time!”  However, all kidding aside, one of the reason I ride is to break the stigma of depression and show myself and the world that I can accomplish many things (and have) even with depression.

So, one reason I am riding across the country is to break stigma of depression and informally for the organization Families for Depression Awareness for which I volunteer.  The organization educates about depressive disorders and suicide prevention.  I have done a number of interviews and presentations for them and feel that they make a real difference.  They are committed to breaking down the stigma of depression. (For more information about FFDA see www.familyaware.org.)

I also ride because I am fifty years old and not getting younger.  Going across is on my “bucket list” and now seemed the right time.  David will be sixty this year and this has been a lifelong dream of his.   It is also the year of the dragon – David’s Chinese zodiac sign. I want to be true to my father’s advice to do the things of your dreams while you can.

I also think that “it is fun to do the impossible” and figure out how to approach it.  If I look at how many days and miles the whole trips is too much, it feels impossible.  If I think about all of the wind, rain, heat, bugs, sleepless nights, sunburns, rashes, aches and worries, I get totally paralyzed.  It seems impossible.  But in my heart, I know it is not impossible.  It is about perspective and being in the present moment.  Am I riding, focusing on each pedal stroke?  Am I sitting by the Erie Canal resting?  Am I mapping out the next day?  If I focus on the present moment and what I need to do in it, then it is not so overwhelming. 

The journey itself can also be fun, although there are times it is not.  It is fun to be in new places and meeting new people I would have never met had I not done this.  It is wonderful to be surprised by stranger’s warmth and kindness.  (This is not always the case, but more often than not it is.)  It is adventuresome and stretches my comfort zone which leads me to growth.  I am committed to growing, despite its challenges.  I really do believe that life is a journey not a destination.

Also, I know if I finish, I will be proud and feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  Even if I don’t, I have already traveled more miles on a single tour than I even have done before.  This is an accomplishment in itself.  I feel it represents willingness and perseverance to go forward despite obstacles and limitations.  It reflects the nature of my spirit and says something about who I am and what I can do.  It reflects my belief that life is about possibilities and that we should never let others say that the possible is impossible.

Pictures From Today (June 26, 2012)

Riding the Erie Canal Trail

Stopped to taste gourmet coffee at a roasting company.  Coffee was okay.  Not as good as Peets.

David's bike as packed and fully loaded

Picture from Syracuse.

Pata at one of the bridges crossing the canal.

Sign from the small town we are staying in tonight.

Station 10 to the Rescue! (June 26, 2012)

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So there is a theme to some of these blogs of us getting lost and then helped by others to find our way.  (This is not a very good endorsement for Google Maps bicycle.)  We were just at the edge of Syracuse and not looking forward to going through the city much.  We have been lost in Worchester, Pittsfield, and Albany, ending up in bad neighborhoods and having to hammer (on the fifty plus pound touring bikes) to get out.  I was not looking forward to doing this once again, but not sure how to avoid it.

So here we were lost and heading into the city when we pulled into Fire Station 10.  The team was spirited and gave us great directions with landmarks and main routes to follow.  (Google has a way of leading one astray and onto small roads without signs – which can be okay in rural places but not great in the inner city. 

We had a fun chat with the fire fighters (as you can see there was a woman in the bunch). One fellow had just gotten a bike and we gave him some advice about saddles.  They were all interested in our mission to get to LA.  Once again the directions angel was looking out for us!

DW: These guys are great! The directions were accurate to a tee. Our rolling into their driveway broke up their day and made ours. Thank you Station Ten staff for your help!

The Trail Guide Steve: June 24, 2012

Steve and Pata

So it is Sunday and we make it back to the Erie Canal Trail which goes on and off the road as well.  It can be rather confusing.  We were at one place where we saw a fellow cyclist and asked him for directions.  He kindly gave them to us and then came back to find us at one particularly tricky place where you had to go through a parking lot to get to the other side of the trail.  He rode with us for quite a while.  His name was Steve and we learned a lot about him during the ten miles we rode with him. 

For one, he is a nude model for art classes at local colleges as well as a kitchen remodeler.  He also was a runner but is having back problems and knee problems and as a result is doing more cycling.  He has done a number of triathlons and competitive running.  (We seem to find a lot of men who have the same story as David.)  Anyway, he led us along until he had to turn back.  We appreciated his guidance about the trail and his company

The Budget Inn and The Denny-ites: June 24, 2012

Last night we spent the night at the worst motel I have ever experienced.  It was called the Budget Inn and it looked more like a holding cell at a prison.  It had cinder block ceiling and walls which were stained.  Both David and I sat in the chairs and ended up with wet butts.  (David wondered why just his ass was sweating.)  I don’t even want to think about WHY those chairs were wet.  I put a plastic bag on one of them in order to sit on it.

In any event, the motel was right next to a 24 hour Denny’s.  In the morning, I walked over and when I arrived, the server, a cheery toothless man named George said that he saw me coming and almost got the coffee ready.  I asked for a smoothie for David and he said that he could get the coffee but asked another server to do the smoothie.  She was on it, saying that she made the best smoothies.  They were quite a spirited team, especially for an early Sunday morning. 

I asked if they had muffins, and they said no, but offered me donuts that a girl, who seemed to be George’s girlfriend had brought in for them.  (They were from Dunkins.)  Somehow it came out that we were riding our bikes across country and that we had stopped in Herkimer because we needed a bike shop.  The smoothie girl said that her grandmother had worked at that bike shop.  I was surprised that a woman of her grandmother’s generation was a mechanic.  The whole experience warmed me and I am reminded that one can find camaraderie in the strangest places.

I went back to the motel and packed up thinking that very different people can relate to each other and inspire each other.