October 15, 2008

The Rockies were a tremendous sight to see for the team today as they ascended the last of the 5000 foot high foothills before reaching the city of Denver. Morale was great as the riders never thought they would ever want to ride up mountains so bad after so many days in the flat lands and prairies. They look forward to the town of Denver and Boulder, the Coors Brewery and possibly doing a little hiking in the area.

The Mile High City is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 14, 2008

In an effort to make up for lost time due to the torrential weather that put the team behind schedule, the team decided on an endurance ride of 100 miles that would take place through the night. The team was off to a great start, but fatigue and exhaustion set in heavy as they were battling temperatures in the mid 20′s before deciding to call it a night. They aptly stopped at a town called Last Chance on mile 68 of the 100 mile ride at 2 am in the morning. Maybe a town called Last Chance was a sign they needed to stop, needless to say, they took it as an omen and pulled off the road through the desolation of eastern Colorado.

Nighttime Centurion Denver Dash Extravaganza! is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 14, 2008

Finding spare bicycle parts in Kansas and eastern Colorado is basically impossible. Their is not an adequate bicycle shop between Kansas City and Denver, and the team knew this fact fully before embarking on that 700 mile passage. However, what the team did not plan on was the terrible head winds and weather that put a huge damper on the estimated time it would take to cross an area where no supplies could be accessible if something were to go wrong. And it is the way that the world works that if there is going to be a place where things fall apart quickly why not have it smack in the middle of a ten day voyage to the next bicycle shop? That is exactly what happened when Scott Hunthausen’s back wheel decided it didn’t want to work anymore by snapping three spokes at once. Having exhausted their supply of spokes, Peter was able to find spokes that were an inch longer and tie overhand knots in them to get Scott’s wheel back to working. Even though the judges have not decided on the awards completely, there was a unanimous vote for Most Valuable Rider being Peter Eich. The team can agree, without him they’d be freezing on the side of a road some where in middle Kansas.

Unamimous Decision for the Winner: Pete Eich is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 12, 2008

Strange things can happen to someone who rides the same road and sees the same sea of corn for eight days in a row. Maybe it is like the story of Sisyphus who was forced in Greek mythology to forever push up a stone that would just roll back down for eternity, but the team was beginning to feel like they were trapped in a sick and demented time warp that would forever keep them riding through an endless flatland. As time went on, the guys began to take somewhat unnecessary risks like free climbing 200 foot ladders to board 100 year old water towers in the middle of the night when the temperature was nearing freezing, and calling home to their friends yelling “Wow, I just did the most amazing thing ever and climbed a water tower!” The only reply they seemed to get was in concern of their over-ambition, Colorado Rockies had to come fast.

Prairie Fever is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 10, 2008

A huge detour to go as far north as Boulder mixed with a record storm in the area has delayed the team considerably. However, this afternoon they did manage to make it out of Kansas, a place they thought they were destined to be stuck to, and work at getting back lost time as morale peaked in the new state they were in.

Salvation Colorado is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 10, 2008

What Kansas lacks in colorful scenery it makes up for in colorful people. While stranded on the side of the road yesterday in a terrible rainstorm they were stopped by a man driving by who said he would offer them a place to dry off until the rain had subsided. Needless to say, the rain did not subside and the team spent a wonderful day and night at a gentleman named Virgil’s house learning all about the Kansan way of life. They had some wonderful refreshments, shot many a hand gun, rifle, elephant gun, missile launcher, etc. and enjoyed touring the town in a nice 50 foot RV to their own private boogie dance party. The guys learned that even though the Kansas landscape may be a bit blase, Kansans sure make the best of what they have. The boys left recharged the next morning with full bellies, warm clothes, and experts at just about 50 different types of fire arms.

Lets Blow Something Up is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 9, 2008

You will be happy to know that the team survived the entire repertoire of Kansas weather. Three tornadoes in the area, 55 mile an hour winds (70 will blow a roof off) and record rains were all in store for the battered team. One night of camping the winds picked up so strong that the tents collapsed on the guys as they slept. They laid their all night as the canvas ceilings pressed them uncomfortably into the ground. When they awoke the next day, they were relieved to see that the shattered tent poles that became volatile spears did not spear anyone but rather pinned the tent into the ground leaving Peter and Eric trapped in the morning. Near death experiences are best handled with a good laugh as the team pushed on, this time without a shelter. Fortune was on their side however as the next night they found shelter in an empty warehouse complete with a working scissor lift.

Mothers Rest Assured is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 9, 2008

At 6:03 pm CST, the transcontinental Team reached the 2000 mile marker 15 miles west of Goodland, in Kansas. Here is the recap:

Official 2000 Mile Recap:

-Now 17 Flat Tires. (Scott and Olin with the highest(12), Eric with the lowest(2))
-155,294.1 revolutions from a 26 inch tire (the size of Scott and Olin’s tires)
-29 Days.
-25 Days of riding.
-1 night of hotel, 7 nights of sleeping in homes, 5 nights of sleeping at University Accommodations, 16 nights of urban and rural camping.
-7 broken spokes (Scott with the highest)
-another 500 bugs swallowed while riding (there is less the further west one gets)
-another 137 bugs into the eyeballs (happens at dusk or dawn when its too dark to where sun glasses)
-12 spills on the bicycle (Peter with the highest, Scott with the lowest)
-4 near death experiences (classified as a person’s head is within 6 inches of a moving vehicles wheel (Eric), or a fall going above 30 mph (Peter), or falling into on coming traffic (Olin), or running into a steel wall (Olin))
-5 states traversed (Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado)
-1 involuntary incontinence (Scott had an accident)
-and 4 team members still going strong!

2000 Miles on a Bicycle is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 8, 2008

Kansas and its people (known as Kansans) do some strange things to attract tourism. The team stopped in Cawker City today to pay their respects to the grueling hard work and discipline that go into such an enormous accomplishment as wrapping a ball of twine until it becomes so large that people flock from around the world to view such a magnificent work of tenacity. A giant ball of twine of such a stature can only be found in America, the guys recognized, because its the only place in the world that could afford to needlessly waste 7 million feet of string on a ball so that people like the transcontinental team can say things like ‘Im a Twine Winder,’ or ‘watch me scale a fifteen foot ball of yarn,’ or ‘Im glad we came 2000 miles for this, lets try and roll it.’ Needless to say, the town of Cawker City is ecstatic over their fame. One lady said it is the staple that holds the entire community together. wow.

A World Record Contribution is a post from: Olin A. Patterson

October 8, 2008

The team set a new long distance record today of 132.7 miles. In order to achieve that goal they were up at 3:30 am and road over 30 miles before any of dawns first light. The new record was in dedication of a potential bathing spot 132.7 miles away. It was the only reservoir in the entire western half of the state.

New Long Distance Record! is a post from: Olin A. Patterson