1400 Miles in 21 Days

Newspaper Article & Father's Day Shout Out

2007-06-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

First, Happy Father's Day to my Dad, Bob. I wrote a little message for you on my blog.

Also, with Bob's help, I found an article on the County Courier website that was published in the local paper back on May 30. It's a great write-up on Bob's journey and well worth the read!

An excerpt:

"I’m going to try to do 80 to 100 miles a day," Bob says. "A lot of it is on
back roads, and I’m hoping to finish in 20 days. I’m hoping for a good
tailwind.
"That would be a tall order for anybody, much less a retired municipal
employee who only recently caught the cycling bug. Three years ago, Bob picked
up a 44-pound Costco bicycle as a healthful summer alternative to his primary
athletic interest, skiing. He got serious about it about a year and a half ago
when an acute case of pancreatitis landed him in the emergency room.
"The doctor
said I was about one hour away from leaving the hospital in a box, and that was
a big motivator," Bob says. "Now I have a better bike, and I’ve been riding with
Team Evergreen. Last weekend I finished a 100-mile race in Santa Fe in 5 hours
and 40 minutes, and I did last year’s Triple Bypass, which was brutal. It rained
and snowed, and a lot of people didn’t finish it. I almost quit three times, but
I finished it.
"And now he’s off on the long road to a comfortable cabin beside a
blue lake on Michigan’s green Lower Peninsula, where he’ll rest up and recount
his adventure for a raft of Great Lake State relatives. That his journey will be
rich in personal benefits, Bob has no doubt. That it can enrich a cause he
believes in, he can only hope.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.canyoncourier.com/story_display.php?sid=5610

Days 16 & 17 (The Finish)

2007-06-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Day 16: We see the finish in sight. Only 110 miles to go but be will take it in two days as we are going through Amish country and it was one day I got to pass something...buggies and wagons. This country side was probably the prettiest of the trip as we wove our way among the Amish community. We did some shopping and sightseeing as the Amish are the premier wood craftsmen here. All the building that they build are fit together, tongue and groove and all joints are kegged together...no bolts, screws or nails. The roads are great for bikes here as the buggies need a shoulder and a large amount of the area has a six foot, paved shoulder. We had to press on and leave Indiana and into Michigan's Amish communities and our eighth state. Once as we were checking our maps an Amish buggy came up the road and before we could get our camera it was out of range...a buggy with two men with a boat and trailer hooked to the buggy, with an outboard motor too. Too many memories of this idyllic life style to tell. We did encounter our fifth day of wind out of the East. Our day ended at a campground on a lake at Colon, MI...The Magic Capitol of the World. We tried to find Henry Blackstone's grave stone for a picture but couldn't find it. There were many headstones of famous magicians with funny last words engraved on them. Colon, MI apparently supplies the magic supplies to most of the U.S. magicians and of the world. We met up with my brother Rick and wife Donna in town, for lunch. We ended this wonderful day at Clancy's for diner.

Day 17: The final assault of the trip.
We can't believe it but NO WIND today. The last 55 miles was too easy and went by so fast. We took all back roads and rarely saw a car let alone a truck averaging 20 mph. We had to stop and waste some time as we approached too soon as a small group of family, friends came to cheer me over the finish line, a piece of toilet paper streched across the road, in Concord, MI. They had flags, signs...but no Cowbells and we need more Cowbell! We all had lunch at the local restaurant, The Silver Spoon, compliments of my son Joby and Karin who drove over to see our arrival/finish. I was presented with a shirt that said on the front "BIKER BOB" and on the back was "I BIKED 1400 MILES IN 17 DAYS - MORRISON, CO TO CONCORD, MI"

I had a safe, blessed trip, with no cramps, falls, close calls and only one person cussed at me and he was going the other direction. My Giant Bike performed flawlessly and never skipped a beat and I only had one flat tire from a stone. I found a few new muscles that developed over the 17 days but my weight stayed the same 173# start to finish. Sherrie deserves the most credit for constant support as well as many friends and family and wellwishers via this blog. I was quite supprised that I didn't get any cramping, swelling of knee or ankle joints except for a sore neck occassionally.

Thanks again for your Habitat donations and to the Canyon Courier Newspaper for the terrific article that was writtten perfectly. A Special thank you to my daughter, Nicki who blogged many of the days and supplied all the know how for this Blog Site, Habitat entries, maps and city and local info along the way. What a memory. Bob Clark and Sherrie

Day 15

2007-06-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Nearing the home stretch! Today, Bob accomplished another 77 miles and they wound up in Mennonite country in Goshen, IN. After a total of 1203 miles, they are less than 19 miles from Shipshewana, IN and ready to cross over into Michigan. It was a tough ride though. Bob still had to contend with the easterly winds, and had the added factor of 93 degree temperatures today. Still, unless Bob decides to camp out in Kalamazoo for a few days, we might have to rename the blog. Bob is planning on pedalling into Concord and crossing the "finish line" around Noon on Friday, making it 1400 miles in 16.5 days. We are all proud and excited of what Bob has accomplished. Many friends and family plan to be on hand in Concord to congratulate Bob and Sherrie in person on their arrival. Let's hope for good weather and a little tail wind (for once) to push Bob to the finish line over the next couple of days.

Day 13 and Day 14

2007-06-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

We're in the library in Hebron, Indiana. (And thanks, Sara, but it was Prof. Plum with the revolver in the Ballroom.) We have been enjoying all your comments and thanks for the humor and good wishes. We think Nicki will blog Day 13, yesterday so this may be a duplicate. Even though I said I was staying at our spot on the river, we did move on. When we got to Streator, Ill. Bob had his first flat tire from a stone so I went back and he got it fixed. On the way out of town, I was waiting for Bob and a pick-up truck pulled up next to me and I thought they were going to ask me if I needed help but the old couple wanted to know "if I knew where them tractors was"?. I said I was waiting for my husband on a bike and they said, " oh that's who that was. We thought you was waiting for them tractors". A few miles down the road I knew what they were talking about. A parade of tractors 6 miles long was coming toward us so we got out and waved to all of them. They were going into Streator for Adventure Days. It was quite a sight. After lots of backroads, twists and turns we arrived in South Willmington where we met Mayor Rick and he gave us permission to spend the night in the city park. It's a town of about 500 people and two restaurants, one closed on Monday and the other a sleezy bar where we had pizza. We both still have colds but otherwise enjoying the ride. And the fireflies danced in the cornfield.
Day 14....We left South Willmington and did cross lots to a 50's place for ice tea which was on the house. On the way Bob had about an eight mile stretch of highway that was all trucks and very narrow. I was a little tearful when he met up with me. Backroads into Hebron, IN where we'll probably spend the night. Bob has done 71 miles at this point but we may wait until the wind calms down and it's a little cooler and move on to La Crosse, IN. We can't stay here because they don't have any iced coffees. Bob thinks we have maybe two days before we get to Shipshewana, IN. The end is in sight. When we first started this trip I would listen to the radio, now I just take in the sights, or watch the Garmin - Ms. Garmin, our portable navigator and I are good friends only sometimes I'm not very nice to her. Some days Bob and I forget to shave and comb our hair but that just helps us fit in better. Bob still feels strong, he's got some killer calves, but the headwinds out of the east can be frustrating and sometimes he feels like he's just grinding out the miles...1120 so hopefully over 1200 tomorrow. I wonder how many roations that is on the wheels? Love, Sherrie and Bob
Bob here...could never have done this without Sherrie's support.

Day 12 - Progress Despite Adversity

2007-06-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

You can tell I'm getting more creative as my titles are growing from just numbers to creative masterpieces. Ok, maybe not. But hopefully they are more descriptive.

Day 12 was a roller-coaster day. Bob spent the first portion of his daily ride cycling straight into a headwind that just wore him right out. He was about to quit at 40 or 50 miles when the wind finally shifted and starting coming in from the side (the south) and he was able to complete 86 miles with a pretty nice ride. Part of his ride today was on a newly asphalted road and the whole day was free of traffic completely. So he completed today's ride in 5 hours and 6 minutes and averaged 16.6 mph.

Bob & Sherrie stopped for the day in Henry, Illinois which is about half way through Illinois right on the bank of the Illinois River. As further evidence of small town hospitality, they were invited by Jeff at the Landings Marina to park their RV right there on the river and enjoy themselves. They had a terrific dinner where a half slab of ribs only ran up a $12 tab. Nothing like small town prices! They spent the evening watching the amazingly huge barges make their way down the river, sometimes in sets of three joined together in groups of 3 or more....so 9 barges or more traveling down the Illinois River at once was quite the sight to see. He said they were only about 20 feet off the water's edge and could see lots of fish making their way by. Sounds like my idea of a perfect way to spend an evening!

Bob predicts he has about 5 more days of riding ahead. They plan to stop to visit friends during one of those days. It is so exciting to see the end of the ride quickly approaching!

Day 11: Small Town Hospitality

2007-06-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

You might notice that today's blog entry is dated Day 11. Bob pointed out that my counting system is not reflective of his days on the road. So there ya go, Dad! Day 11 it is!! 13 days out, 11 days of riding. This is much more reflective of the total time taken to actually complete the riding, itself.

Today Bob called early - or maybe he just finally crossed into the Eastern time zone. No, I don't think the time zone line is quite that far west. Either way, it is strange to think that when he left he was an hour before us and soon he'll be an hour after us.

Bob rode 71 miles today. He crossed the Mississippi into Illinois which means he only has one more state to enter into before he crosses the Michigan border. Amazing! He and Sherrie stopped to do some shopping and to rest a bit in Muskateen at the river crossing which cut into his ride time but it was a nice little pit stop. He then rode on for another 30 miles before stopping in Reynolds, Iowa.

Reynolds is a teeny little "six building" type town. There was a diner called Jeronimo's that Bob & Sherrie thought they'd catch a bite to eat at but it was closed. As they were walking away, the restaurant owner approached and they explained their journey. The owner, Cindy Mueller, invited them in and offered them meals and drinks on the house! She even extended her own home as a camp spot for the RV so when Bob called today, they were hanging out on Cindy's land. Turns out Cindy has connections in Michigan and also has a Mother who lives in Bueno Vista, Colorado where Sherrie visits the hot springs. They figured out they have even shopped at the same meat market in Colorado proving that it truly is a small, small world! The bartenders in the restaurant, Buck & Colleen, where helpful in plotting out directions for tomorrow's journey, as well. Thanks to the Jeronimo's "family" and especially Cindy for your small town love and support.

Bob is happy to have "another state under his butt". He has proclaimed himself an expert in "buttology" after this journey! I think that speaks for itself.

Bob expects this next leg of the journey to be a little slower as he weaves through uncertain, sometimes dirt-covered, small rural highways. There is no direct route for this leg of the journey and there may be more stop lights, occasional traffic, etc to slow them down. It is amazing to me to look at the Google map and see just how far he's come and how little he has to go.

Day 10 - On the road again!

2007-06-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well Bob finally got a smallish break in the wind so today they finally got to leave Winterset. They had a great day today and made it 111 miles today in 5 hours and 32 minutes, averaged 19.8 making today his day of most progress. They are resting for the night in Wellman, Iowa on Highway 22. He said he felt good and he sure sounded good. He got on some nice roads that weren't well traveled so he got to make some better time and didn't have to contend with the trucks. He said it was still windy but it is calm tonight and the next few days so he's going to try to make some good progress while the weather cooperates.

828 miles logged to date, he's closing the gap! Tomorrow he plans to cross the Mississippi and leave Iowa easily tomorrow.

Rain & Very High Wind Delay

2007-06-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Family & Friends, It's library, blog & email time again! We are delayed another day in Winterset, IA due to a huge thunderstorm heading near us causing very high wind (25-35 mph & gusts today up to 60 mph) just to dangerous to ride on a two-lane road without paved shoulders. I am anxious to get going again, however Sherrie has not been in all the stores yet and is enjoying another day off. We both picked up a sore throat last night and are hopeful this "cold" won't slow our pace. I am really looking forward to Illinois for less hilly terrain. Thanks for following our trek. Bob & Sherrie

Rain & Strong Wind Delay

2007-06-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are trying to leave a comment, Bob and I just tried it out and here's what you need to do: Click on the word "Comment" at the end of the current day (or any other day) and a new window will pop up. Write your comment, and in the box with scrambled letters, type the letters they suggest, then Click on "anonymous" and it will be sent. You can type in your name at the end of your comment so we know who it is but you don't have to sign up for google, or fill in any other boxes. Please Note: Within my daughter's daily posting, you can click on the text that is highlighted, e.g. Winterset, IA, and a window will pop-up with that information. It was really fun to see the pictures of the covered bridges that we visited. Thanks to all of you who have written so far - we appreciate your thoughts, prayers and good wishes.

If we have to be some place for possibly two days, Winterset is beautiful. Bob had a great day yesterday, and he amazes me on the hill climbing. I found my first coffee shop and didn't even recognize it at first. While Bob napped I hit the shops in Winterset, lots of antiques and stuff. Today we'll do some more sightseeing and be real tourists plus it's a good day for Bob to relax. Maybe I'll even do some painting or knitting that I haven't done any of so far - I am busy keeping Bob hydrated, nourished and encouraged. By-the-way, I drive between 40 and 50 mph so I do look like a woman driver with Florida plates.

Bob's comment: I could not do this without Sherrie's support and encouragement. It is a great feeling to see the Rialta ahead for a rest stop. And also to my daughter, Nicki who updates our Blog daily and adds all the other maps and Habitat entries. I did have one funny remark from an old man on the trip: When he asked what I was doing and I told him, he said: I thought you were supposed to get smarter as you got older!
We hope to leaving Winterset, IA tomorrow, Thursday, but the weather says winds up to 40 mph could delay the trip another day.

Day 9

2007-06-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Bob made it to Winterset, Iowa today after biking 82 miles in about 4 hours and 50 minutes. He says he could have continued further but he and Sherrie really wanted to stop in Winterset and tour some of the covered bridges which they were able to do, including driving through one. The weather was beautiful and the ride sounds like it was a bit easier save the first 25 miles when Bob was still heading north straight into a fierce headwind. Once he headed east, the main challenge was the hilly terrain throughout Iowa. Tonight they are setting up camp at the city campground.

So far Bob has logged 717 miles on the bike which means he is officially over half way there. Tomorrow he will continue heading east on highway 92. He says there will still be a lot of hills ahead.

I added a goal marker on the Google map so take a look and see how far Bob has come and the journey ahead.

Day 8

2007-06-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

I just heard from Bob and he called today a two nap day! It was his hardest ride of the trip so far. He headed north today and unfortunately he had unrelenting winds right on his nose, straight out of the north, at 25 mph with grueling arduous hills. He still managed to get 61 miles in but it sounded rough, averaging only 14 mph and sometimes as slow as 8 mph uphill and only 20 mph going down some hills straight into the wind. He said the shoulder was almost non-existent for much of his day and there were more trucks and traffic so that added to the difficulty. Sherrie asked Bob if he thought he'd have turned back if this is what he faced on Day 1 and I think the verdict is still out on the answer!

Bob is now roughly half way through his trip, a pretty big milestone if you ask me!

He's spending the night in Red Oak, Iowa and tomorrow he'll be heading north another 25 miles or so and then beginning his eastward trek down highway 92 through Iowa where he will eventually be able to rid over some of the beautiful covered bridges seen in Bridges of Madison County. He expects there to be more hills to conquer throughout Iowa and hopefully once he gets a little further east, the winds will ease up a bit.

Day 7

2007-06-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm late updating. Bob made it to the other side of the Missouri River yesterday which was his goal. It was 93 miles and he road for around 4 hours and 50 minutes and averaged 19.1 miles per hour. Yesterday was an arduous ride through horrible winds coming off the side at 25 miles per hour. Once he made it across the bridge, Bob road back over and set up camp in Brownsville Nebraska right at the Missouri River since there was no place in sight on the Missouri side. Today Bob plans to only ride in Missouri for another 28 miles or so and then enter into Iowa. Let's hope there was better weather today for easier riding!

Don't forget to donate to Habitat through the link on the side when you get a chance! Go Bob, we're all following your journey excitedly and rooting you on every step of the way!

Day 6

2007-06-03T06:42:00.001-07:00

Today Bob had one of his best days in terms of time and speed, the weather was great with partly cloudy skies. He made it to Fairbury, Nebraska on Highway 136. He got in 101 Miles in 4 hours and 23 Minutes averaging 22.7 mph. It was a bit hilly but the roads were clear and sometimes he was able to go 5 or more miles without a car in sight.

Tomorrow's goal is the Missouri River at the Missouri boarder.S Meanwhile, when Bob called they were just sitting by a beautiful lake, enjoying the scenery and relaxing. The got some laundry done today and the A/C leak is all set now , Bob's bike is oiled up and ready to go.

Day 5

2007-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Bob finally got out of Norton, but didn't leave until 2pm due to rain all morning long. When the rain clear and it was just cloudy, he took off. He got 66 miles in, believe it or not, by 6pm. They are in a little town called Franklin in Nebraska on 136. You can click the map link to see their whereabouts. Bob was able to ride pretty fast today. His first 30 miles averaged about 24 mph. There were lots of hills later which slowed him a bit but he still managed to average 20.4 mph overall. As of tonight, there are clear skies and hopefully they hold out through Bob's ride tomorrow.

Rain Delay in Norton, KS

2007-06-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody, We arrived yesterday in Norton, KS in our covered wagon, just ahead of the tornado warnings and hail. I was in the drug store, Bob was across the street when the hail hit and the sirens went off. He was protected by the building and the drugstore had a basement. The storm finally let up but we noticed our bed was all wet so we found a laundromat and dried the down comforter and went to a covered car wash so Bob could tighten up the air conditioner leak. That's about when I got out the wine. We know the town well and are still waiting for the rain to stop. It's giving his legs and butt a rest. Small towns are interesting as everyone knows everyone and they're kind of interested in what we are doing. I'm also learning to like "country music". Thanks to Nicki and Tony for this great site, including the Habitat link, weather map, and our location in Anton (it was literally a cross road, grain elevator and country store). Love, Sherrie and Bikerbob

Day 4

2007-05-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today's update finds Bob in Norton, Kansas. He made 61 miles of progress before needing to head in due to severe storms and reported tornadoes in town. One of Bob's big concerns going into this ride was running into severe winds and tornadoes so this is not good news. But he pushed through to make it to Norton which is where he will branch off to start his journey northeast.

Here is a map of the weather outlook current in the area. Hopefully heading a bit north as well as a good night's sleep will clear up some of the weather for tomorrow:

Day 3

2007-05-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Bob had a great ride today. He made it all the way to Atwood, Kansas today. That was 125 miles in just 5 hours and 50 minutes so he obviously made great time and made up for some of the time he lost on days 1 and 2. He averaged 21.5 mph. He sounded in great spirits and said Kansas has the best roads so far.

Check out the new Google tracking map I set up. You can see his stopping points each day and the route he is taking. It's really neat to be able to follow along like this.

Go Bob, we're all rooting for you!

Days 1 & 2

2007-05-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Bob headed out on his maiden voyage yesterday and completed day two today. Here are the short overviews of the first two days on the road:

Day 1: Today was met with terrible headwinds which made riding slow and laborious. The roads were clear, though, and Bob says he could often see nothing but fields and roads for 10 miles ahead. He was able to ride 65 miles despite the headwinds.

Day 2: Today the headwinds were unrelenting with storms, lots of brown ominous clouds and tornado warnings moving in this evening. Bob had to call it a day early but managed to get 61 miles logged today. He was able to draft off the RV once in awhile but the winds have mind the first two days a lot of work. Sherrie and Bob are resting in Anton, Colorado which is an extremely small pictured below. Bob hopes to make up some time tomorrow and cross the Kansas border with the goal of staying in St. Frances, KS tomorrow night.

Bob mentioned in his last post that he is raising money for his local Habitat for Humanity in Evergreen. For those who wish to donate online, here is a link to donate online and you can designate that Bob's affiliate, Blue Spruce HFH, receives the donation. On the left side of the screen, please click the orange button to designate which Affiliate you wish to donate to and enter the affiliate name: Blue Spruce HFH .

Donations to Habitat for Humanity

2007-05-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do this "Ride" for a Cause as well as to satisfy my own ambitions. Habitat for Humanity has been a place for us to volunteer, to help build houses for needy people, and to raise additional funds, for this process, through their Resale Stores which we regularly volunteer our time, excepting donations of clothing, furniture, etc, arranging the store and reselling these items to people.
I would be very happy if anyone wanted to donate/pledge funds to Habitat in my behalf as I Ride Across America for Habitat. Please contact Lynne Miller at Habitat Resale Store in Evergreen, CO, phone #: 303-674-4917. Normal store hours are: Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat usually 10am to 4pm however Lynne will call you back anytime you call if you want to pledge. All tax deductible. Thank you. Bob Clark

We, Sherrie and I plan to depart Morrison May 29th if the weather holds. More later....Bikerbob

Tune up ride for CO to Michigan

2007-05-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

May 20: Training continues with a century ride, 103 miles, at Santa Fe, NM. Completed the 103 miles in 5 hrs 41 minutes, an improvement over last year by 23 minutes. Part of this ride had a hard climb of 18 degrees for .7 mile. My heart still seemed to come through my chest but it was easier than last year. It was fun to ride with friends from Team Evergreen Bicycle Club and especially Don Hanson and new friends from Summit County, CO. I believe I'm ready for the Open Road. Only a few more 20, 30 and 50 milers to go before departure. One last tip for a "dream" ride like this: It's a must to have an awesome wife for support!

2007-05-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

2007-05-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

1400 miles - Colorado to Michigan

2007-05-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of May or June 1st, I will attempt to cycle, bicycle, from Morrison, CO just west of Denver, to Concord, MI near Jackson, MI. This 1400 mile trek through 8 states in 20 days, weather permitting. I am doing this solo, except for Sherrie, my wife, who will drive, "Sag Wagon" for me in our Rialta (small motorhome) providing food, water and nightly lodging and entertainment. My reason for doing this when people ask is: I have to do it before I get too old, and at 63 I don't feel too old yet but medicare is just a little over a year away. More later. Bob Clark