Silsbee TX to Deridder Louisiana - 2/3 of the trip done

 

Today was a big day of riding, 74 miles today, 438 miles this week and 2042 miles total.  We completed Texas and biked into Louisiana.  We are now two thirds complete on our journey across the country with about 1000 miles to go.

Last night we were camping next to a honky-tonk that played until 1am and near train tracks, so sleep was a little iffy. We woke to 45 degrees and heavy dew but still managed to pack and be on the road by 8:15.  No wind and flat allowed us to make good time.  With few stops we made it to DeRidder by 2pm.  

*I have been watching the news for word on the injured cyclists from the crash yesterday.  No news.  Please keep them in your prayers.

Departing Texas 

The “Welcome to Louisiana” sign 

Our room in DeRidder

The ACA Van heading into Louisiana 

Dinner be it ever so humble 

Departing Texas 

Check out my ride on Strava.
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A good day to bike, a sad day for cycling - Cleveland to Silsbee, TX

 Today was a perfect day for riding and a great route.  No wind, little hills and straight back roads.  We ate well last night and started out strong, averaging over 14mph with full panniers (a very strong pass).  The day was off to a great start!  About 40 miles into the ride we saw a police car and ambulance going the other way at high speed, common enough until a passing driver told us “5 of your biking crew were hit by a car”.  Our crew is Jim and I, but we have been riding and camping along with the Adventure Cycle America (ACA) crew and saw some of their folks on the route today.  My heart sank, these are friends that someone hit.  We arrived in Red Cloud RV Park and shortly after the ACA Van arrived, it was not their cyclists that were hit, but they did witness and provided aid.  I am mixed on my feelings, being glad it was not the ACA folks, but not wishing the pain and suffering on anyone else either.  Hug and tell your loved ones how you feel today, tomorrow you may not have a chance.  To the FUMC Faith Group, thank you 🙏.

We were invited to dinner with the ACA folks and had a great but subdued meal.  The one constant in this trip is the kindness of strangers (and new found friends).

Tomorrow if all goes well we will exit Texas and cross the 2/3 mark of the trip.

Check out my ride on Strava.
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An easy 65 mile day - Navasota to Cleveland, TX

 Today the wind was mostly to our backs and the hills were small.  We left Navasota and stopped in Conroe so I could pick up brake pads, they did not have the pads I needed but did have tires!  My front and rear tires both had cuts and a fair amount of wear.  I am not impressed with the Marathon Supreme Evolution tires so I picked up a new set that may also help reduce rim stress (larger diameter - more space between tire and rim), all part of the adventure 🤔.

We made it to Cleveland early and had to wait for our hotel room, Subway sandwiches filled the gap.  Once we got into our room, I swapped the tires and took it for a quick test ride 👍.  All seems good for hitting the road tomorrow.

We ate at a local seafood place and Ihad gumbo and catfish, both were good.  Followed by a walk around town and I picked up some ice cream and fruit for the room.  A pint seems like a lot of ice cream until you start enjoying it…

Check out my ride on Strava.
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Stress day followed by rest day - oh and 💨 WIND

 

Yesterday was an 80 mile day with heavy winds and some bike issues (rear rim cracks on my rim replaced 900 miles ago).  Did I mention we crossed 1800 miles for the trip so far!

Yesterday started well, we were inside a nice cabin while it rained and started riding a bit after 9am when the rain stopped.  Our route took us through Bastrop State park, but we found the road closed.  The only alternative was take a divided Highway for 15 miles.  This is when my troubles and stress started.  Just as I started riding the highway I picked up a nail in my rear tire (flat number 9).  Jim biked back to check on me which was nice.  This was quickly fixed with a new tube and I was back on the road.  About a mile later my back tire blew with a loud bang(flat #10)!  Not sure the case but as I go to replace the tube, I notice cracks around two of the spokes.  Some googling and a small route change and we are in Brenham, TX at the Kat-Bird Cycling shop only 80 miles from our start often with 25mph crossw.  Eric the owner looked over the rim and said:  it might go tomorrow, but might survive to Florida, while he was explaining this and what to look for my partner kept interrupting and making less then helpful comments adding to my stress and I had to ask Eric to repeat things multiple times😤.  After we found a hotel in Brenham and called it a night.  I was not interested in any of the nearby restaurants so I bought wine, fruit and two frozen dinners and ate in my room.  The meal was surprisingly good and a great end to an otherwise stressful day.  *Another thing we saw was “The Red Barn Sale” about 15 miles of flemarket along the route, at another time in my life I could have spent days looking at stuff. Big Red Barn Sale Video

Today was a “forced” rest day, we looked at the weather and the morning was windy, the afternoon was predicted to have 60mph gusts.  We did an early and mostly easy 30 miles to Navasota, TX and called it a day by Noon.  Winds were tough even in the morning for biking.  In the afternoon they were even tough for walking.

I did some bike maintenance and checked my rims, no change in the cracks, so I will continue until I find a new set or..

Tomorrow we go a bit off-route so we can head east with the wind and try to get back on route the next day.  A bit iffy on road conditions, but it’s better than 20mph crosswinds!

A few older videos:

Water crossing video

Cows in our path - loose cattle

Boots on the fence posts

Stress day: Check out my ride on Strava.

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Rest day:  Check out my ride on Strava.

https://strava.app.link/m6rmpb4JJkb

Austin to Badin RV Park, Bastrop, TX

 

Today was a bit of a recovery day after yesterday’s 87 miles.  Today’s ride was an easy, mostly flat 40 miles with only a few hills getting out of Austin.  My legs felt tired when we started, but felt better as we rode.  We did stop at an over priced donut spot on the way out of Austin, the saving grace was the coffee!

Along the route we had lots of options got food and water, a change from the last few weeks.  One gas station grocery store also had a Mexican bakery, breakfast for tomorrow was acquired.

We talked about how far to go today and also looked at the weather.  Rain and strong winds were predicted so we opted not to camp (packing wet tents is a pain).  That put us in Bastrop at 40 miles (or La Grange at 70 which was more then we felt like).  Once in Bastrop we found the hotels EXPENSIVE!  We found a very nice “cabin” at Basin RV Park for a more reasonable price.

We dropped our gear at the cabin and headed to Historic downtown Bastrop, about a 1.5 mile walk.  They have a nice healthy downtown with lots of nice shops.  I also found a barber and had my first haircut of the trip, well past due!

I got back to the cabin and did some bike maintenance.  I was going to swap my tires front to bake to even out wear but upon inspection they are wearing about the same so I cleaned things up and skipped rotating tires.

Dinner was a local Italian restaurant that was good and had great homemade bread knots.  Carb-loading never tasted so good.  

Late night and early morning rain and wind is expected, followed by 10-20 mph winds out of the west.  We hope to catch those winds and make some distance tomorrow.

Check out my ride on Strava.
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5 minute video with a 1000 foot climb from a few days ago

 I tried to upload this to my GoPro account but it hung.  Here is the Flickr version- https://flic.kr/p/2mE2dfe

Fredericksburg to Austin - A long day 87 miles and 5000 foot of climbing

 We left Fredericksburg after what could have been a nice night’s sleep that was interrupted multiple times by the “Wiener schnitzels”, it’s off the menu - enough said.

We biked 37 miles to Johnson City, the birthplace of LBJ and arrived about 11am.  The town did not offer much and it was early so we added 50 miles and headed to Austin.  

The ride had many rolling hill but on average was downhill so the 50 miles was accomplished without too much effort. One flat along the way but no other issues.

My son Christopher arranged a hotel for us in Austin, an Extended Stay America.  The room is nice and two people that worked for him commented that they missed him and would like to see him.  It’s nice being the parent of a great adult.

Tomorrow we head east, no plan yet tonight (10:45pm), but we will come up with something…

Flat number 9 - a copper cut

Ranch along the way

Notice the water hazard behind Jim, a stream running over the road and slime, plus a 12% grade out of the slime

Check out my ride on Strava.
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Jellystone Kerrville to Fredericksburg - National Museum of the Pacific War

 Today was another relatively easy day with a nice reward at the end.  The day started with an unexpected light rain that left our tents and a few clothes wet, we packed as the rain ended about 8am.  We biked out of Jellystone and made a quick stop for supplies in Kerrville before heading to Fredericksburg.  I picked up some fruit and a new Fanny-pack to hold my wallet and phone, the zipper failed on the old one and I could not afford to loose those this far from home.

The ride was uneventful, a few good hill grades, some open range with cattle in our path and a few deer in the distance.  We made it to Fredericksburg about noon.  We found a hotel and stored the bikes (our room would not be available till 5pm) and headed to the National Museum of the Pacific War. 

First up, the Admiral Nimitz Gallery.  Fascinating history of Nimitz and his path to running the Navel fleet in the Pacific.

Next up, the Pacific Combat Zone. Trying to place WWII combat machines in context, well done but not large enough to give good context and the stories behind the people are more interesting to me than the machines.

Lastly, the George H.W. Bush Gallery.  This is a timeline walk through of Globe relationships with China and Japan and how they led to WWII through the dropping of the atomic bombs and the end of the war.  The history and cultural differences that led to war was well presented along with the human suffering on all sides.  Well worth every minute, yet sad and depressing.  My major takeaway:  Man appears to save no limits on the suffering they inflict on other men.  What is also true is that this is not true of all men, some see all people as brothers.

Once back at the hotel we dried tents and clothes wet from last night’s rain and grabbed a late dinner.

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/jUNc1RyfDkb