Tag: PR

Day 13

Today is the day!  I’m going to reach my goal!  Thank you to everyone that has supported me by following the trip, the kind comments, notes, and everything!

File_000

I got up nice and early after a day and a half of rest.  Started my ride at 6 in the morning in Vaughn, Montana when it was still 45°F outside.  Cold!  But not windy.  🙂  I’m ready for this.

IMG_20160627_061220952

File_003

I started off pretty good, reaching 48 miles before lunch at 10:30am and a second lunch at 2, after 78 miles.  There were a couple hills that were pretty huge though.  It was rough but gorgeous!

IMG_20160627_171908832

(after 100 miles completed)

When I had done 90 miles, I looked at my watch and saw that it was 4:30pm.  I decided to get to the border by 6pm!  I booked it after that, not stopping once so I could meet my goal.  And I did!  My wife passed me about 3 miles before the border and I knew I could do it!  I rode through the Canada border at 5:59pm.  I did it!  Wow.  I couldn’t believe it!  After a few pictures to document, I stretched out on my yoga mat outside the car and just felt like I was going to be stuck there for a little while.  I wasn’t, but I couldn’t believe I did it!  I did it!!  I originally planned to do 100 miles today, but surpassed it by doing 107.  It was a challenge, but well worth it!  It was awesome!!!

File_009

File_008

Stay tuned for my reflection on the trip and future plans.

Day 13 Stats:

Started at 6:00am in Vaughn, MT

Ended at 6:00pm in Sweet Grass, MT, USA/Coutts, AB, Canada

9.25 hours of riding

107 miles (Personal Record!)

Random Fact:

There are over 100 world records on a unicycle.  Can you believe that!  This wasn’t for one, but I hope to set a new one for the coast to coast trip!

Day 9

After our drive back to Silver Star, Montana from Butte, I started riding at 7:45am in 54°F weather.  I was on roll!  I just kept going and going and going!  I didn’t even stop for lunch until after 1pm when I’d been riding for over 50 miles in five and a half hours.  Whew!  I have to admit, though, I didn’t eat the best last night and felt a bit sick during some of it.  Luckily I had some Pepto Bismol to help me make it through.  Lesson learned: stick to the diet.

Day 9 cold

After a quick restroom break in Whitehall, Montana, I found some other cyclists!  There were lots of them riding today with KRG vans stationed along the way.  I don’t know what race they’re doing, but best of luck to them too!  They weren’t going too fast, so I was able to keep up with them somewhat.  😉

IMG_20160622_090110501      IMG_20160622_095214119

Day 9 cyclists

Before lunch, there was a detour I had to take and there were way too many mosquitos!  I put on bug spray and everything, but they seemed to want it like sugar!  I can’t even tell you how many times I got bit.  Too many, that’s for sure!

I wanted to keep going after lunch, so I did another stretch.  This time, I took Interstate-15.  My first time on the freeway, and I didn’t die!  Yay!  I am lucky that Montana’s roads aren’t too busy.  However, shortly after I began I found myself heading into a mountain.  You know what that means, huge climb!  It went up about 1000 feet within 3 miles and back down the whole amount over 5 miles.  Like I’ve mentioned before, going downhill on a unicycle, especially without a brake, is very difficult.  I was going so fast!  Literally, 14.5 miles per hour and I just hoped and prayed I wouldn’t fall off!  I felt like I was on a roller coaster!  That was some crazy time.

Day 9 I-15

Day hilly

The picture on the bottom is what I consider a fun and easy hilly area.  I wish that’s what I meant by all these hilly times…it’s a lot harder than this.

I made it successfully to Jefferson City, Montana at 3:35pm.  I completed 66 miles again!  Awesome!  I’ve done 500 miles!!  Woohoo!!  Roughly 220 miles left to get to the Canada border.  Wow.  I can’t believe I’ve made it this far already!  I can do this!

Day 9 Stats:

Started at 7:45am in Silver Star, MT

Ended at 3:35pm in Jefferson City, MT

5.75 hours of riding (Personal Record time!)

66 miles

Random Fact:

There are different sizes of unicycles.  The tires can be anywhere between 12 to 36 inches.  You can also find some that are around 5-7 feet tall (seat) or even double or triple wheeled (upwards).  Lots of variety.

Day 8

I usually have to stop for about an hour to eat lunch and we stopped about 30 miles from where we were staying, so I decided to have my wife stay at the motel while I rode back to that spot and she could pick me up there and I could eat on the way back and save time.  I started at 7:10am in Dillon, Montana.  However, as soon as I got to the dirt road again, it was jamming up my knees.  You can’t really have that as a long distance cyclist.  So after 14 miles, I turned around and went back, meeting my wife at the motel instead.  I still got my miles in, but less driving.

IMG_20160621_100000806

While I was gone, my wife contacted the person about current cycling laws on highways and interstates.  They simply told her that all roads are open to cyclists!  Yay!  This means I don’t have to ride on dirt roads anymore!  Miracle!

IMG_20160621_123159131_HDR     IMG_20160621_160042

(left: Lewis and Clark named this Beaverhead; right: does this picture make my butt look big?)

After lunch, I kept going, on a paved highway.  I was going so fast!  I averaged about 11.8 miles per hour when usually I get between 9 and 10.  I also did 66 miles!  That’s a personal record!  Wow.  I got to Silver Star, Montana at 3:20pm.  It’s a tiny town, but a good stopping point for the day.

Day 8 speed limit     IMG_20160621_151217517

(left: this is actually on a highway….; right: welcome to Silver Star, MT)

We seem to be getting a little ahead of schedule, so we decided not to stay in the motel in Dillon and we were lucky to find a lady on Airbnb in Butte that could take us for the night.  Today has certainly been another day full of miracles.

     Day 8 couple bridge

Day 8 big tire 4

(top: wife and I in the sunglasses we bought for our wedding; bottom: I wish my tire were that big!)

Day 8 Stats:

Started at 7:10am in Dillon, MT

Rode toward yesterday’s ending point and back through Dillon and on.

Ended at 3:20pm in Silver Star, MT

7.5 hours of riding

66 miles (Personal Record!)

Random Fact:

Unicycle seats are not comfortable, but they’re not too bad either.  It helps having padded cycling shorts.  🙂

Day 2

Days after rain are very pretty, right?  I started the day off in West Valley City, UT at about 7:30am.  I wanted to get a head start before my new frame arrived.  I wanted to go as far as I could.  Somehow, it never gave me any problems!  Talk about miracles!  I just kept going and going.

Day 2 rack

I drank so much water, I had to find restrooms three times in the first hour!  Then my Gatorade spilled all over my bag…guess I’ll need to use a different bottle for that.

IMG_20160614_134534859     IMG_20160614_080735079

In most of the cities, it was nice to use a trail.  However, once I got north of Ogden, I had to share the road.  There wasn’t much of a shoulder, so it could be pretty scary at times!  I’m pretty sure I saw every type of roadkill…deer, skunk, falcon, pigeon, etc.  Boy, do they stink!  Makes me pedal faster for sure!

IMG_20160614_110311021     Day 2 take off

A lot of people passed me, in cars and on bikes.  I got lots of thumbs up and waves.  Some people would pass me, pull over, and take pictures or videos as I passed them!  Hope they tag #theonewheelman!  I also passed a summer camp with tons of kids.  They were all waving excitedly.  That’s one good way to encourage and motivate.  I’ve got a good crowd of cheerleaders!

It was such a beautiful day!  Cloudy with a mild breeze, but all below 80°F.  So nice!  I thought my frame would give out, but it never did.  The frame did arrive about 3 hours in, but I haven’t changed it yet.

IMG_20160614_153648376     IMG_20160614_153731397

I finally made it to Brigham City, UT at 3:45pm, stopping at the Brigham City LDS temple.  That was my Personal Record of miles in one day!  63 miles, wow!  I sure was tired.  But so great!  What a great day to be a unicyclist!

IMG_20160614_154843262_HDR

For dinner, we ate at a buffet with my hard-of-hearing brother-in-law and his family and a deaf friend and his family.  It felt so good to finally be full after practically snacking all day!

Day 2 Stats:

Started 7:30am in WVC, UT

Ended 3:45pm in Brigham City, UT

7 hours of riding

63 miles

Random Fact:

Unicycles do not have gears like a bicycle does.  You can change the length of the crank shafts, but you have to use tools to carefully change them.