Monday, September 28, 2009

Day 71 ~ Rest and Repair

Mike and Gregory show how happy they are to have a tuned up triple.

Date: Sept. 28, 2009

From: Shawnee, Kansas

To: Shawnee, Kansas

Route: Hwy 56E

Passes:

Miles Today: 40 miles

TOTAL MILES: 2,093 MILES

Top Speed on this trip: 54.1 mph

Weather: 80’s

License Plates Collected: 5 Montana plates, 8 Wyoming plates (2 motorcycle) and 1 Idaho plate (found in WY), 2 Colorado plates, 1 Kansas plate (gifted from David of Baldwin City)

The bike is totally dialed in thanks to Mark (of Precision Tandems) and Mike. We have new tires and tubes, new rear chain and cogs, new brake pads, new clipless pedals for Mike and a new pump that will provide higher tire pressure than our old one. We are ready for the second leg of our US journey. As I mentioned before we are currently off of the TransAmerica route and headed towards The Katy Trail, a 200-mile rails to trails in Missouri. We are hoping the gradual grade of this crushed limestone trail will be a more enjoyable ride for us on the triple than the steeper grades of the Ozarks. We will miss the beautiful Ozark mountains that we experienced back in 1994, but are eager to see something new. We will also be taking Gregory to St. Louis including a visit to the Arch and the City Museum (recommended by recent visitors Carla and David, our new friends from Baldwin City).

While Mike “wrenched” on the bike, Gregory wrote a 100-word essay for a National Geographic contest. We’d picked up an entry form back in Oregon at a Subway on our way out to our jumping off point in Baker City, OR. It has been in Gregory’s wallet and we knew the deadline was October third. He found it is really hard to put into words all that he has learned and discovered in the past 70 days and 2,000 miles. Gregory did convey that he is having the adventure of a lifetime with his mom and dad and that he loves camping out and having people invite him to stay. Cycling over Hoosier Pass at 11,542 feet and riding in all kinds of weather has also made a big impression. He feels really good about his entry.

We also had the luxury of the pool and are getting caught up on our journals and reading. We watched some Monday night football and Gregory invited Mark’s girls Natalie (9) and Courtney (12) to come to the hotel for a swim this evening.

We’ve made arrangements with a member of www.warmshowers.org for our accommodations on the other side of Kansas City tomorrow night (only about 15-20 miles away), and may have the opportunity to ride out there with Mark.

3 comments:

  1. Hey guys! Nice talking to Dorrie this morning on the phone. Looking forward to meeting you when you come through St. Louis. I'm enjoying reading through your journal. I just finished July, so I'll be all caught up on your adventures by the time you get here. I couldn't find an email address for you here. You can write to me at blue@bluetappmusic.com if you'd like. I can send you more info about the Katy Trail. Thanks! ~ Blue Tapp, St. Louis, MO

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello! Mike - Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to call and say hi. Dorrie - you are doing a great job on the 'blog. Have fun on the Katy Trail, try to stay at the Bike Shelter in Tebetts (if it works with your mileage) and definitely go see Jim at the bar next door. He's a hoot. The City Museum in St. Louis is awesome. My husband and I spent an ENTIRE DAY exploring, and that's without bringing any kids with us! Wear your climbing clothes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I finally managed to get over here to check you guys out! Glad to hear all is going well - you'll LOVE the Katy Trail! We did that on our triple a couple years ago and it was nice to not have to deal with all the traffic!

    We are finally getting around to leaving Manizales, Colombia to push on to Ecuador. It'll be good to get back on the road!

    Take care!
    Nancy
    www.familyonbikes.org

    ReplyDelete