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Thanks,
L. Steve Varnum
Biking All 50 States

Willcox, Arizona: January 14, 2010

I stopped at a rest area just before I got to Willcox to change into my cycling clothes; however, there were a lot of truckers at there and I thought it might be more prudent to choose another place to change into my cute little bike shorts and jersey lest one of them take a particular liking to my outfit! So I went into Willcox and out on a local road and found a place to change. After changing I went to my trunk to get my shoes and to prepare the bike when I noticed my bike pump was missing. After calling the motels and hotels, I finally remembered leaving it on the bike rack with intentions of putting it into the trunk. Someone must have taken a liking to my bike pump and decided to make it their own. Remember I had a flat the day before and still only had 65 pounds of air pressure. I was so disappointed with needing only 10 miles to finish Arizona the prudent thing to do was to ride another day. I drove on home the same day…

Tucson, Arizona: January 13, 2010

I decided to stay another day in Tucson so I could check off another state in my Grand Adventure.  I had a good ride except for the horribly rough roads – chip seal roads are great in comparison. Even in the bike paths there are big gaps caused by road cracks. Weather wasn’t as nice as yesterday and I had a flat. It was overcast, windy up to about 10-12 mph, and a little chilly (low 60’s) but not too bad. I had hoped to finish Arizona today, but due to the flat caused by a hole in tire, I was afraid to continue the ride because I never get any more than about 65 pounds pressure from the CO2 cartridge and I need 100 pounds.. Maybe I can get in 10 miles on the way out of town before I leave Arizona.

Tucson, Arizona: January 12, 2010

A good ride except for the route I chose west of the Airport where I am staying. Not only roads turned out to not be paved, but the roads were extremely rough...especially the bike paths…bump, bump, bump! It was a rare treat when the roadway was smooth pavement, but very rare! Also riding on several of the main roads meant a lot of red lights. I also took a minor spill that I can’t figure out why. I had stopped where the route was supposed to turn onto another street and it turned out to be an unpaved, dirt road. I was unclipped with one foot, but I did something to cause me to lose my balance and went over on the side where I wasn’t unclipped. A few scabs on my knee and elbow, but the main injury was to my pride!!

Palm Desert, California: January 11, 2010

Today I completed my first state (other than Texas)…with 103 miles on three different days in two different locations. I think it is fitting that California is the first state that I have completed since Linda is such an integral part of this endeavor.

I’m on the way back home after a wonderful Celebration of Linda’s life. Many of her friends (and mine) were there. The group included well known actors and directors as well as lots of other representatives of cast members from various shows she directed. Someone said it was a tribute to her unique qualities of including everyone as equals…and she was very respected for that. Lots of praise for a very special lady. It was especially nice to have my son, James, as well as Marilyn Hooks, Linda’s special friend from Sun City, at the Celebration. All of us plus Nancy and Jim Riley had a fa-bulous steak dinner at Rob Reitzen (Nancy’s son). (Thanks, Rob, et al.)

Anyway, I stopped in Palm Desert on the way home and had a great ride on the oppo-site of I-10. Even rode through the local Sun City…which is a gated community here. Our Sun City in Georgetown looks like an “unloved stepchild” in comparison to the one here. The route I followed according to MapMyRide.com had nonexistent roads so I had to improvise. It was a very god ride anyway. It was very comfortable riding weather, but it was very windy – overall the wind was against me by a little less than 1 mph. The neat thing is that I was riding out against the wind, but it was at my back when I was returning. Quite a difference in speed in both directions.

Oh, and it was nice to receive so many positive comments from so many people at the Celebration encouraging me to fulfill my dream of riding in all 50 states.

Sherman Oaks, California: January 9, 2010

I had a good ride with Wayne Williams, a friend here. We rode the streets where all the traffic lights are for a good portion of the ride…stop and go…from his home to Mt. Griffith Observatory Park. The traffic lights really slow the speed. We also rode on the “best bike path ever.” It would have been good to have “opened it up” on that part of the ride. Lots of bike riders in the area.

There was an article in the L.A. Times of great interest to the area cyclists, as well as cyclists everywhere. A doctor has been harassing cyclists here by riding in front of them and slamming on his brakes. A couple of cyclists were injured as a result…he was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Local cyclists were hoping for 8 or more.

Palm Desert, California: January 7, 2010

Another great ride: Sunny, warm (high 60's), little wind. The only drawback was hav-ing to stop for so many traffic lights. I think I would have averaged near 17 mph had there been none. I rode 37.2 miles, but it had to be the longest 37 miles I have ever rid-den - not because of being tired, but because…I don’t know why. Maybe it seemed that way because there was so much distance between turns.

Parts of the ride were beautiful. Wide streets with bike paths on many of them; however, when there were no bike paths, the drivers of Palm Desert are just like everywhere else, they have little regard for cyclists – drive too close, try to get around onlhy to have to stop at a light, etc. Too bad…Thankfully though, most drivers are very courteous and considerate. Back to the beauty…lots of flowers in neighborhoods with gardeners tending them…green, green grass in the desert…beautiful craggy mountains in the background. Lots of reasons to ride your bike and Palm Desert and area has most of them.

Tucson, Arizona: January 6, 2010

What a great day to ride…the kind of day that reminds cyclists why they love this sport. Temps were ideal in the upper 60’s. Took a third of the time to get ready to ride! I went south of Tucson; on the way in, I drove a part of the route and saw numerous cyclists on the road. There are wide shoulder bike paths throughout the area. The only trouble is they have big cracks and it’s bump…bump… bump – all the while looking for glass or other debris in the path. Nevertheless, it was a great ride. I did a recovery ride and kept my heart rate in Zone 3 or lower and none in Zone 4 or 5…this is good. I felt real good when I got back to the motel.

The best news of the day is that this is the day it came to me (Hi, Sweetie Linda), I need to get a motorhome to do the 50-states rides. It will be so much better than doing the moteling for a lot of reasons. Plus I can live in the motorhome for awhile.

Another idea hit me…why stop at the 50 states…why not the 10 provinces in Canada. But wait, why stop there. Why not all the countries in the world…oops too far. But how about a ride on all seven continents? Okay, I’ll back up…let me get the 50 states done first!

Las Cruces, New Mexico: January 5, 2010

Still on the southern route…sunny and temps in the upper 50 degrees. Nice but hard ride. My average speed at 15.8 mph was much better on this flat course, but still sluggish. The route was mostly flat; however, a lot of 1-2% inclines and declines and I am still slow on the inclines. According to iBike I went up a 4.2% grade, but it must have been short. I am tiring much too quickly which means I am not getting the speed I usually get even on the downgrades. Road across the Rio Grande TWICE but didn’t see any stragglers trying to get across this dry bed about 10 miles from the border. I also went through some beautiful pecan orchards that are being harvested at this time of year. I didn’t have any idea New Mexico grew pecans.

I was very tired when I got back to the motel and ready for a bath and bed…but opted for a bath and Red Lobster. I didn’t eat but about half of the meal, but calorie intake was still very high today. I’m going to have to figure out something to do instead of nibble snacks on the road!!

Van Horn, Texas: January 4, 2010

Finally, the sun came out. Temperatures were about the same as yesterday, but it felt warmer because of the bright sun! Windy day…supposed to be 15 mph from the north. So I decided to go against the wind for first half of ride and then “fly” with the wind coming back. Didn’t work that way, the wind seemed to reverse on me. I was bucking the wind almost the entire ride. Well, okay, it didn’t do much of the 15mph winds, and overall the wind was only against me by 2 mph…but riding in the mountains AND with WIND…what a combination. I rode a whopping 14.2 mph. I didn’t have that foreboding feeling of leaving the warmth of “home away from home,” but I did worry that I might be stranded because there were no cars on the road – SH 54 (road to Carlsbad Caverns through the Guadalupe Mountains. I saw a car when I rode out of Van Horn, but didn’t see any other cars for about 8 miles when 3 came by – toward me and one behind me – it seems like each time a car passed there were at least 2. No more than 10 cars for the whole day! Well, my whole day of about 2 hours on this road.

It was a good ride. I was tired when I got back to the motel, but glad that I had ridden.

Today I decided I am going to bring my bike speed more in line with my car speed. I have already started toward that goal by driving the speed limit. Since I can’t seem to get much more than about 16 mph on my bike, I guess I am going to have to slow down a whole lot when I am driving.

Junction, Texas: January 3, 2010

I am on a southern route…where is the sun…where is the warmth…I know it is winter, but the Weather Person, no TWO weather persons, said PARTLY cloudy and warming to 50+ degrees. Not so, it was very overcast, dark as though it could rain (but didn’t), and about 45°-47°, but I wasn’t too cold. I planned a 45 mile loop and opted to get the very steep hills out of the way first—the first 15 miles. Nice wide shoulders that were so rough it was like riding on fine gravel glued together. I had to ride close to the lane where cars were whizzing by at 70+ mph. A few bozos thought it might be a good idea to honk their horns to let me know I should be riding on rough part!

The steepest was 10.2% most of the grades were 3.5% to 6% with some 7’s thrown in…get the idea that I want to give some detail here? You are right. These were some serious climbs…for me, that is! My total ascent was about 1,500 feet. I didn’t make the 45 miles, but I felt up to it and was really looking forward to finishing BEFORE dark! Unfortunately, about a mile after I turned off U.S. 83 onto SH370, I ran into hard packed washboard roads. This was mountain bike territory. I had to turn around at about 13.5 miles. My speed to that point was a whopping 12.2 mph! By the time I got back to the motel, I had raised it to 14.2 mph overall. It was fun coming back.

Natchez Trace NM, Alabama: October 16, 2009

Original Plan: Ride Natchez Trace in Alabama all the way from Mississippi state line to Tennessee state line…and, of course, back to the car. Round trip about 67 miles.

This is where I left the Camera...on the trunk.

Backup Plan:  I stopped to take pictures and left my camera case on the trunk of car…telephoto lens, 3 or 4 memory cards, and camera battery charger. Discovered this little mishap about 75 miles later. Regretfully, but dutifully, I went back and found what I expected…nothing. I am still hoping someone will call to let me know they found it. New distance: 25-30 miles.

Way Back Backup Plan:  Stopped about 14 miles from Tennessee line…nice distance 28 miles round trip. In winter, it takes at least 20 minutes to get bike AND self ready to ride and about 15 minutes to reverse the process. Well, I am all decked out and ready to ride…this time WITH my water bottles. I take off up a HUGE bridge with a grade of at least 15%...well, would you believe at least 2.5%? And it is verrry cold. Up and down the hills…seemed like mostly up. I did see a couple pushing their bikes up the hill that I was going down...one to dread on return. After about 8 miles, I am convincing myself it is way too cold to go the other 6 miles. And, seriously, there is something very distressing (surely there is a stronger word than that) about leaving a warm car with few cars on the road and a nagging fear of a flat tire or worse. The distress is so acute, I was more than easily convinced I should go back. Had no trouble making it up the dreaded mountain—actually a 6% grade which went on and on and on for more than a quarter of a mile! I made it back safely and regretted not having gone the rest of the way. Still, I have touched the wheels in another state.

Bridge over the Tennessee River.

I’m beginning to think riding in every state might be a worthy goal…100 miles will take a long time and I am getting older! We’ll see what the summer holds.

I arrived in Cincinnati about 11 p.m.

Natchez Trace National Monument, Mississippi: October 15, 2009

I stopped on the way to Tupelo and rode a little over 15 miles. Cold but not too bad. I forgot my gloves and went back after about ½ mile. Then about 15 minutes into the ride, I realized I had also forgotten my water bottles. I kept going, but it was part of the reason I turned back.

A Dreary Day

NO RIDE TODAY: October 14, 2009

My plan today was one of those “of mice and men” kind of plans. Both yesterday and today were forecast by the Weather Channel to be sunny and not too cold. Yesterday it was overcast, but today, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour that didn’t let up until about 3 p.m. Darkness set in early and I was not able to ride at all. Tomorrow will be better.

Katy, Texas: October 13, 2009

My first ride was in Katy, Texas, a ride which I dearly love. Katy is a small town about 30 miles from downtown Houston. This ride is very popular with the locals throughout the area. While I do love this ride, Dec. 13, 2009, was not a great day to ride. It was cold and overcast. I waited for the fog to lift and when it didn’t look like it would, I decided there was enough visibility to keep it from being dangerous. The ride is about 41 miles long; however, my motel was about 5 miles from the starting point or 10 miles roundtrip. I was a little worried about making it through the entire 51 miles before nightfall. I kept thinking I should shorten the ride because of the gloominess that would soon make way for darkness. But I kept going and didn’t even stop for the obligatory rest stop about half way at a great convenience store which caters to cyclists. I kept riding and about 35 miles into the ride, I stopped for about 2 minutes to stretch a bit. Another rider came along and asked how I was doing and offered to give me a wheel to get me back to Katy. I told him I wouldn’t be able to keep up with him, but he said he would slow down for me. He was very insistent (in a nice way), but I declined and he took off. I thought I would try to stay up with him, but he disappeared in the distance…remember it WAS VERY OVERCAST and he was wearing black so that perhaps explains how he was able to “disappear.”

Well, I just bore down and turned it up a notch and finally I caught up with him and even passed him…or put another way, he had a flat!! I offered my assistance, but he said he was okay so I chugged along until I finally completed the course at 15.7 mph which was significantly slower than my previous rides. (I haven’t ridden much for the past several months.) I started out too fast and just plainly ran out of steam…my heart rate was a solid Zone 4!

The Grand Adventure

In late November 2009, I read about a man who had walked in all 50 states. The article wasn’t clear how much he had walked, but he WAS a great deal younger than I. The article gave me an idea and I immediately decided I would like to ride at least 100 miles in each state. Initially, in my exuberance, I thought I would just start out driving and riding until it dawned on me that even if I rode 100 miles a day, it would take me 50 days just to ride not counting the driving from state to state or the flying to Hawaii and Alaska. I guess I will have to take this in chunks, but I intend to do some large chunks…

With this new idea in mind, on Dec. 13, 2009, I started my initial efforts. I am heading to Cincinnati by car for an early Christmas dinner with my family. It seemed only ap-propriate that I start this effort in Texas, the biggest state…oops, poor Texas, there is the really big state to the far north! Of course, I have already ridden several thousand miles in Texas since this is where I live and where I started riding seriously at age 70.

Actually I started riding about 7 or 8 miles a day, 5 days a week, in May, 2007, when I was still only 69 years old. I did this for about a year until I realized how much I was enjoying the ride. In May, 2008, I decided to increase my mileage and by July I rode 50 miles. I remember well how tired I was by the time I reached home, but I felt ex-tremely good – psychologically…the endorphins were riding high! My longest ride that year was about 65 miles, which I did three times.

In almost all of 2009, my wife, Linda, was extremely ill and she ultimately passed away on October 23rd. (I miss her so.) Therefore, I didn’t ride as often as I did in the previous year. Nevertheless, throughout the year, Linda kept encouraging me to keep riding. She told me she hoped that some day, I would ride across the U.S.

This is how I started out...motel to motel!