Wasn’t this trip awesome!? Wow. I actually did it! It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve pulled some things together for this post I thought you’d find interesting. Take a look!
Statistics
728 miles
76 hours of riding
13 days of riding within 15 calendar days
Compare plan to actual
I made it in the number of days I had planned. However, I was planning more like 750 miles. I was only 22 miles short. This is for several reasons. One, I had to skip some really bad parts that were unrideable and two, because I ended up on the interstate in Montana, I was on a shorter route. I’d say it was a job well done!
I had planned to do 50-60 miles a day and then a long run the last day to see how far I could go. We had reservations at motels and such due to those plans. It made it a little difficult to do more. We cancelled a couple of them because we were too far past that point. There were several days I felt I could go further than I did.
Thoughts/Notes
An athletic diet is a tough one, making sure you get enough carbohydrates and protein when appropriate. I have some intolerances to some of the common ingredients in energy bars and other foods. It was hard to find the right snacks without those ingredients. And when we did find them, they weren’t cheap. That’s one thing I need to research better so I can feel on top of my game the whole time.
I wanted to keep riding some days, but we were already past where we were staying for the night, so I couldn’t go much further. An RV would make the trip a whole lot easier. I can ride as much as I can and want each day and we won’t have to drive too far to get to a place to sleep. Rest stops, Walmarts, campgrounds, etc. will be available for us to park for the night. All in all, we need an RV for the coast to coast trip.
After riding on the suggested roads from Google and finding several of them to be dirt and/or gravel roads, I’ve learned I need to study the road types and state laws on what roads I can ride on. On my ride to Canada, it was simply that I couldn’t ride on the interstates in Utah and Idaho and the roads that weren’t dozens of miles out of the way were the nasty ones. So grateful for Montana being a less populated state that cyclists can ride on any road or interstate. That made my life so much easier.
There were times on the trip that I felt like I wasn’t the only one on the wheel. It felt as though other people were on it with me. I felt a bunch of responsibility and I hoped I could measure up and do it. It was a team effort. I was not alone. Thank you to everyone on my team!
Thanks
There are so many people that helped put this trip together and help me pull it off. Without them, I’d probably be stranded on the side of the road, whether in city/town or in the middle of nowhere. I’d like to give a big thanks to all of these.
- Family and friends for moral support and housing.
- Organizations: the Deaf Dream, Deaf Vibe, Airbnb, The Cascade Courier
- All prayers on my behalf.
- Those who followed/shared the trip on here, Facebook, etc.
- Individuals I met along the way, stopped to take pictures, talk with me, insisted I accept their donations (going towards next trip), helped me fix things up and keep going when necessary.
- And of course my wife, who was with me the whole trip though 6 months pregnant. She never let me down. She’s the best cheerleader, coach, driver, supporter, and of course the best wife! Always encouraged me and supported my dream and goal.
Dreams
I have a dream that all people can achieve their dreams. Sometimes it just takes a little motivation and encouragement. Other times it takes another person by your side. But really, once you set your mind to it, you can do it!
My dream is to help deaf people throughout the world achieve their goals and dreams. I can do this by raising money for them to get a higher education. I can’t do it alone, but I am determined to make it happen with the help of many others.
Plans
I’m hoping we can get everything in order to do the coast to coast trip next summer!!! I’m hoping to start mid-May and ride the RAAM trail in about 2 months. I need to find a sponsor to pay for it and many people to donate.
And guess what!? You finally can! Go to The Deaf Dream’s home page. If you scroll down, it mentions my trip and there’s a button for you to donate. 100% of funds will go towards scholarships for deaf students around the world. You are making a difference!