Life on Two Wheels and Two Feet

  5.2 - Friday July 9, 2021, 70 miles - Total so far: 119 miles After a restful night in Lawrence, we were up and getting started early because the forecast was for another warm day.  We made breakfast in the kitchen, ate in the dining area, cleaned up, packed up and headed out.  This Air BNB was a good stop.  Patrick and Jin, the owners, told me that a local ordinance had effectively stopped them from renting the place out in the future.  Too Bad.  They are good folks and the place was perfect for us. A little after 0700 hours, traffic seemed to be light. But it was hard to tell, in this post-pandemic world, whether or not it was the normal state of affairs.  We weren't complaining on our way out of town as we plied a series of pathways and lightly traveled roads. They ran roughly parallel to the busier Clinton Parkway. Our route for the day would continue to take us Southward and Westward via repetitive right angle jogs through countryside that ...

  Forward: Segment Five of our transcontinental crossing began in Kansas city, Kansas and concluded in Durango, Colorado. It was the longest leg of the journey and presented some significant challenges to participants. Many things distracted me and effectively postponed the transfer of this travelogue, from another online site, to this blog. I am slowly completing the transfer, which can be painstaking, at times. The process can be especially tedious when moving photos and their captions. Despite all of that, it is worth the effort. It was a great trip that I hope you will enjoy following along with.  5.1 - Thursday July 8, 2021, 49 miles "It's deja vu all over again, and more."  Yogi Berra On a beautiful Saturday morning back in June 1978, the ride across Kansas, on my loaded '72 Raleigh Supercourse began.   At the border of Missouri and Kansas, Johnson County (KS), June 10, 1978. Forty-three (41) years later, our crossing of the Sunflower State began again, this t...

Lying on an undulating landscape of small hills and valleys, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Municipality of Bethel Park can be rather difficult place to get around with a pedal bicycle.  Because the area has been a great place to train for my two-wheeled excursions, I was intrigued by a suggestion to help create a hilly bike ride, patterned after The Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen.   The Dirty Dozen is a regionally famous annual ride that features some of the nastiest hills within 10 kilometers of the Steel City's Downtown area.  It attracts 300 or more riders, who want to test their cycling prowess (or lack thereof), and a gaggle of spectators who gather along the route to cheer them on.  A similar ride on the challenging terrain of Bethel Park might also attract riders, showcase our town, and promote fitness within the community as a possible side effect. This blog post will discuss the route and will identify some of the logistical considerations to be addressed in order t...