Days cycling: 37
Days of rest: 0
Total mileage: 4601
Average miles per day: 124.3 miles
Amount of dollars raised for Charity:Water: $8,740
Average amount raised per day: $236.2
Average amount raised per mile: $1.89
States crossed: 14
Average amount of days per state: 2.6
Longest period of time in a single state: 7 days, California
Least amount of time in a state: 3 hours, Pennsylvania
Highest altitude: 10960 ft Beartooth Pass (Montana)
Highest temperature: 103F (Lovell, Wy)
Lowest temperature: 39F (Ketchum, Id)
Most scenic roads: Beartooth Highway, Montana; Spearfish Canyon Highway 14, South Dakota; Road 44, South Dakota, Sage Creek Road Badlands, South Dakota, Highway 1, California.
Roads with least amount of traffic: Highway 14, Wyoming. Route 44, South Dakota; Klamath Falls Highway 140, Oregon.
Roads with most cars: Highway 101, California.
Biggest city: San Francisco, California, pop: 812.826
Smallest city: Spotted Horse, Idaho, pop 2
Biggest dinner: 3 Big Macs, two large fries, one large coke, 700 gr of Nutella and one entire baguette.
Amount of sunscreen used: 264 ml
Longest day: 194 miles (Day 30)
Shortest day: 53 miles (Day 3)
Earliest start: 6.15 am (Day 21)
Latest start: 10.10am (Day 1)
Latest finish: 8.26 pm (Day 30)
Longest day on the road: Day 30, 13 hrs and 10 minutes
Shortest day on the road: Day 27, 6 hrs
Longest stretch without services: 90 miles, Oregon, Day 28
Most expensive motel/hotel: $209 .79 Yellowstone Canyon Lodge
Least expensive motel/hotel: $39 D-K Motel, Arco, Id
Days with rain: 22
Days with clear blue skies: 2
Days with headwind: 13
Days with tailwind: 1/2
Flat tires: 0
Tires used: 3
Chains used: 3
Day with most hits on the blog: Day 35, 259 hits.
Day with least amount of hits: Day 12, 49 hits.
Day with most comments: Day 2, 10.
Day with least number of comments: Day 24, 2.
Toughest days: Day 23; Day 26, Day 28, Day 35.
Easiest days: Day 1
Toughest climb: 10% grade 6 mile Teton Pass.
Most emotional moment/s: Summiting Beartoth Pass; Crossing Golden Gate Bridge; Seeing the California sign; Arriving in Crescent City at 8:30 pm after 194 miles; Riding through Badlands in South Dakota.
My tips for prospective cross-country riders: Go from west to east because of the direction of the wind; put together your own route based on the places you want to see, forget about the ACA routes; if you are not used to be by yourself don't do it alone; if you are prepared to spend 100 bucks a day (all expenses included) you don't have to camp out; the more time for the trip you have the better. Cross-country under 40 days is really a race; plan your trip according to your real objective (seeing the country, meeting people, taking pictures of the scenery, etc..); don't over plan and don't bring too much stuff; don't assume you have to be fit to do it, you will get strong as you go. If you want to do it just go, don't overthink it. Wear something bright so vehicles will see you easily.
Things to watch out for: the traffic, the traffic the traffic. And the weather (wind and rain) and road condition.
What would I do differently: I would spend more time interacting with people and I would just spend more time on the road for the scenery, crossing the country in under 40 days is a race against time.
The one place I would recommend everyone see once in their life would be: Badlands in South Dakota...and Redwoods in California.
Luigi,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great recap of how the ride was done. I had questions such as how many flats did you have but didn't want to ask because I didn't want to jinks you. To ride 4601 miles without one flat is truly amazing considering some the the photos of the roads that you were on. And a climb of 10% grade 6 miles is crazy long. I assume that you are back in your home resting and relaxing. Thanks for the great journey and bringing us the reader along with you. I will have to give this a try someday.
Mike
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing/place from this trip that you recommend everyone see in their lifetime...
ReplyDeleteOne more opportunity to write on your blog. You look great in the photo with your new shirt, hat and boxed bike. The only evidence of your trip in that photo is the odd looking finger tan.
ReplyDeleteI said yesterday that I was out of sorts and missed responding to your blog. No wonder that I jumped at the chance to post one last time. This inclination to write made me wonder what motivated me to do so while you were travelling cross country. I looked back at your posts and mine and found a bit of a pattern. When you first started out, during the excitement and exuberance of the "here we go" period, I was following but not really engaged. I started writing after the Adrenalin started to wane and the trip took more of your emotional energy to stay on course. Each day I would check the blog to see if you received any comments to your posts. I was relieved when I found that a good number of people had written to you, and compelled on the days when only a few comments were posted. In my crazy mind, I imagined that these posts kept you company along the way. When you reached the Badlands, a line from a cowboy western song lyric got stuck in my head, which I'm sure was inspired by your location. The line is: "Do not forsake me oh,my darling!" This became my mantra for the rest of the journey. I was committed to keeping you company along the way.
But I am not the only one to commit to you. My compadres, Mike Duggan and Bill and Little Jo were there with you too through thick and thin. I am not forgetting my comadre, aka the Tortellini from Bologna, she was the lynchpin who from start to finish,cheered the loudest and with the most love! (I think she really likes you!) ;) Thank you, Luigi for a fun, exciting, thought provoking experience. Let's do it again sometime.
Complimenti sinceri per questa grande impresa, anch'io amo la bici e mi piacerebbe compierne una come la tua. Ma dove hai trovato tutta questa energia e forza?
ReplyDeleteYou're an inspiration to us all; please write a book about your experiences, it would be super interesting!
ReplyDelete