September 3, 2012

Stats

Some fun facts and stats:

4,000 miles biked

86 days on the road. And around 10 of those were rest days.

10 states, 11 if you count the 2 miles through Tennessee to get into Virginia.

0 flat tires, though I had to change a few tubes from snapping or bending  valve stems. McKinley had 7 or 8. Stupid stock tires.

1 rear tire replaced in Berea, Kentucky, from a gash in the sidewall. My tire never actually went flat.

1 hard crash. Result: an awesome  knee scar.

3 chains

0 broken spokes

2 pairs of spd shoes - Keen spd sandals are amazing!

2 pairs of shorts that are totally falling apart

3 or 4 cries, from utter exhaustion or saddle sores

Countless laughs

And 1 new lifelong friend. That apparently is my twin. And I wish didn't live 2 weeks away by bicycle.

I thought this trip would be a quest for the best ice cream, but as it turns out, it was a quest for the best chocolate milk. Sorry to disappoint you, Lucy. Almost daily, I drank a bottle of the brown stuff, testing all of the local brands along the way. Contrary to populated belief, Nesquick is not the tastiest; my favorites were Highland, a local dairy in Missouri, and Borden, which carried further east into Kentucky. They were creamy delicious, since they are both made with whole milk. Yum!

My favorite convenience store ice cream was the Toll House chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, ringing in at 20 grams of fat. Double yum!

Best meals: veggie lasagna, one by ws hosts Jeff and Bettina, and the second by Beth and Garry, containing ingredients from their farm in Kentucky.

Favorite beer: Moose Drool, from Montana

Best coffee: Mojoe's in Damascus

Favorite self-made roadside sandwich: tomatoes and cheese on whole wheat with mayo and fresh cracked pepper. My mouth is currently watering. 

Favorite thing about bike touring: meeting the locals in small town America.

Will I tour again? Without a doubt; I can't wait to see what turns up next on the bucket list. Stay tuned.

Lastly, I'll probably keep this blog going for a while. I think I'll write only TransAm thoughts, or about other cycling adventures, since this is a cycling blog.

It's the journey, not the destination, so go on a journey, no matter how long or short.

2 comments:

  1. Patrice/Storm,

    I was just catching up on your blog posts and this was a great summary! What an awesome ride!! Can't wait to hear what adventure is next for you!!!

    Maybe someday we will meet:)

    ReplyDelete