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Ron Wallenfang
June 23rd 04, 06:10 AM
From: "Wallenfang, Ronald L." >
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Subject: Trip Report - Philadelphia - Ste. Anne de Beaupre, QUE and
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TRIP REPORT

Philadelphia - Ste. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec and back

5/21/04 - 6/4/04


I left Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m., 3 hours late, on account of storms en
route, and flew to Philadelphia, arriving at my son, Matt's apartment (at
18th and Spruce in Center City) a little after 11:00 p.m.. We put the bike
together with some difficulty, then got something to eat - didn't get to bed
until 1:45.

Saturday, 5/22/04 - Day 1

Left at 5:30. Matt got up and took my picture. 65° and hazy. I
intended to take the Schuylkill River paths to Norristown and then the
Adventure Cycling route, but after 5 miles or so, the Schuylkill route
became a bad towpath, so I deviated, eventually taking the Ridge Pike and
the Butler Pike to 152, intercepting the Adventure Cycling route at that
crossing.

Stopped at 9:00 a.m., several miles north of Doylestown with 40 miles
for the day. Just beverages at this stop. Cloudy and warm with light
winds. Plenty of hills. The front brake is rubbing a little - not so good.

Started again at 9:30 a.m. and rode until noon, stopping at a "home
cooking" restaurant coming out of Martens Creek, at the base of a big hill I
got to think about climbing while having lunch. They have a real good
"Italian wedding" soup. 35 miles since the last stop - 75 for the day so
far. A light to moderate tail wind has come up. Weather went from cloudy
to partly cloudy to mostly clear and getting hot - in the low 80s now.

The problem with the front tire was that I didn't have the wheel
seated properly - dumb, dumb! Since fixing it, my speed has improved.
Route was hilly until Kintnersville and since has been near the river with
lower hills, skirting the edge of higher ones. However, as witness the hill
I'm about to climb (north of Easton), the road is pulling away from the
river again.

There was indeed a lot of up and down, all the way to Portland. At
Delaware Water Gap, I found the sidewalk to the I-80 bridge to New Jersey -
the long way. They require you to walk across, which I did, only to ride 1
½ miles and find the road closed. The New Jersey detour routed you on I-80
(illegal for bikes), so I had no choice but to walk back across the bridge,
after which I've stopped in Delaware Water Gap. Temperature up to 89°.
I'll detour on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware on Route 209. Stopped
from 2:50 - 3:10 with 98 miles for the day.

I took River Road to Route 209 - mistake, as it was very hilly, while
209 was good going, once I got there.

I got to Milford just in time for 5:30 Mass at St. Patrick's. A lady
sitting in front of me said God told her to give me her scapular, so I took
it and wore it. (!?) After Mass, I had an ice cream cone and some
beverages and rode until dark. Hit New York line at Port Jervis at mile
138. I went a few extra miles and traveled past dark because I missed a
turn. There was lightning in the distance when I stopped near Middletown
and had more beverages, a sub sandwich and trail mix. Not a good motel, TV
doesn't work, no soap, no ice.

166 miles for day:
Pennsylvania - 135, New Jersey - 3, New York - 28.

Sunday, May 23, 2004 - Day 2

Left motel at 5:30.

Missed turn in Bloomingburgh (the route changed since the Adventure
Cycling maps were made) and went 1 ½ miles steep uphill - only to flag a car
for directions and find out I should have turned in town, so I had to go
right back down.

Then I had a pretty good ride to New Paltz where I stopped for 8:00
Mass (33 miles). I went up a hill and asked where the Church was, only to
be sent back down! That's two unneeded climbs!

After Mass, I encountered two local riders (Steve and Phil) from
Poughkeepsie with whom I rode there. Good thing, because I would have taken
a good while to find the sidewalk to the Hudson River bridge. Steve and his
son had done a cross-USA trip 3 years ago.

Before we parted they recommended a diner in Hyde Park for breakfast
which is where I am as I write this. 48 miles for day - 10:30 a.m. Hyde
Park is FDR country. His home is right down the road a ways and his image
is everywhere.

2:30 - resting at Pine Plains. 86 miles per day. Weather sunny -
since Poughkeepsie - and in the 70s, north wind - fairly light. Lots of
hills and more ahead - I missed a turn out of Rhinebeck somewhere and made
it worse. Drinking two quarts of Gatorade here. Steering on bike is
stiff - most noticeable on fast down hills.

Hit Connecticut state line at 97 miles for day. Hills continued all
the way to Hartford. I stopped near Salisbury, Connecticut to fix my
steering assembly and, wonder of wonders, was somewhat successful.

With the constant hills, though, and heat besides (near 90°), I
couldn't make Springfield and stopped for the night at the Hartford airport,
where I knew there were motels. I was able to do my laundry there.

Mileage - 151 - New York - 97; Connecticut - 54.
For trip - 317

Monday, May 24, 2004 - Day 3

Left motel at 5:00 and rode until 10:45, reaching Brattleboro,
Vermont - 70 miles. I brought the bike to a shop for work on the steering,
which is quite loose. Fortunately, they took care of me right away.
Overtightening the assembly had damaged the ball bearings. Obviously, it
was my mistake in reassembly that caused the problem.

I went to a restaurant to wait and have some breakfast. Weather is
probably in upper 50s. Temperature hasn't changed. It's mostly overcast; a
little drizzle and light rain, but mostly just cloudy. I've had my glasses
on and off a couple of times, because they tend to fog up.

I had thought I was going to make Mass again, but what I thought was
the beginning of a 7:00 a.m. Mass at a Church I passed in Springfield was
really the end of a 6:30. I arrived just in time to be dismissed.

Quite a few rolling hills as I've gotten further north, but easy hills
compared with yesterday.

By the way, I took Route 75 from the Airport to the Massachusetts
line; miscellaneous local streets until US 5 became legal for bikes; Route 5
since then.

About 10 miles out of Brattleboro I hit a thunderstorm and rode in the
rain for over an hour. I left the raincoat on quite a while longer to stay
warm, as my feet were wet.

I stopped at a roadside truck stop about half way from Brattleboro to
White River Junction and asked a truck driver about motels between White
River Junction and St. Johnsbury, which I knew I couldn't make.

He was helpful but events took their own turn. Because of
insufficient sleep the previous 3 nights, I "hit the wall" mentally about 10
miles further out and stopped to take a nap and decided I needed an earlier
quit time, which I did in White River Junction a little after 6:00.

I've had a warm bath and a good meal and hope to get to bed early.
It's raining again now (9:30 p.m.) with more forecast.

The Connecticut River "valley" is only partially that. There's quite
a lot of up and down.

There's stereotypical Vermont stuff to see - old barns converted to
sell gifts, antiques and Vermont produce, quaint farms (long horned cattle,
goats, etc.) towns with white wooden Churches, a few "common" town squares.

Mileage for day - 140
Connecticut - 12, Massachusetts - 50, Vermont - 78.
Mileage for trip - 457

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - Day 4

I "waited out" some rain, since the radar showed it was passing -
showed in fact, that it had already passed. I welcomed a little extra sleep
anyway.

I left about 6:25 and biked 64 miles to St. Johnsbury, arriving about
11:15 and stopped to eat and rest.

There were a few flat stretches that acted like a real river valley -
but also still a lot of climbing. The small town scenery was like
yesterday; village greens with white Congregational/UCC Churches, sometime a
bandstand.

After St. Johnsbury, I continued on Rt. 5 for 9 more miles - I had
been on Route 5 since Springfield - then switched to 114 to the Canadian
line, which I hit around 4:30 at mile 113 for the day. The country was
markedly less populated and less "quaint" - mostly wooded land. Still
plenty hilly but less so than further south.

Temperatures today were mostly in the 50s peaking at 61° or so. It
started raining near the border and continued for a couple of hours, so I'm
all wet again.

I took Quebec Route 147 to Coaticook, where I got some Canadian
dollars at an ATM. Then I switched to Route 141 to Magog where I quit for
the day at about 7:15.

Mileage for day - 145
Vermont - 113, Quebec - 32.
Mileage for trip - 602

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - Day 5

Light rain and drizzle in the morning caused me to "wait it out" - 3
days rainy weather (in a row) is too much. [Drei-Tagen Regenwetter is a
German expression for a bad situation.]

So I left at 8:30, after having some breakfast in the room [there was
a store next door]. I caught the last half of a Mass at Eastman about 10
miles out, and then rode to Granby, where I had a roll and juice, and got
some bike lubricant. It was a hard town to ride through. It seemed every
traffic light was red.

After Granby the road flattened a lot and the countryside became farm
country.

Route 112 was not good riding. In some areas there was no paved
shoulder. In many areas, the pavement was in awful condition

Nearing Montreal, I asked a police officer for directions to get
across the St. Lawrence river, which was a good idea, as there is only one
option.

With some difficulty, I found the Notre Dame Basilica and St. Margaret
Bourgoys Church/Museum, leaving a few prayers behind as silent "markers" of
my visit.

Then I found a bike shop and asked about the best route to Quebec
City. The fellow I asked consulted someone who "knew" and the advice was to
use 138 along the north bank of the River. It was good advice!

I rode about ½ way to Trois Rivières, stopping at Berthierville. I
expected there'd be motels all along the way. I was wrong. I had
difficulty finding a place - it was after dark when I got here.

There were 2 brief showers today before my big mistake tonight.
Instead of ordering food, I took the bike 1 ½ miles into town to eat. About
as I arrived at a restaurant, so did a big thunderstorm. I ended up very
wet.

Mileage for day - 134; all in Quebec.
Mileage for trip - 736.

Thursday, May 27, 2004 - Day 6

I left, seemingly a little late, at 7:15, intending to ride to Trois
Rivières before breakfast. What I quickly discovered was the light fog I
thought I saw at the motel was not so light and I didn't feel safe riding in
it. So I stayed for breakfast in Berthierville.

The road up from Montreal so far has provided the best riding yet on
this trip. It's been flat, good pavement, extra width much of the way and
only modest traffic. Having a freeway nearby is usually helpful in reducing
traffic and this is no exception.

Unlike the Connecticut River earlier, the St. Lawrence, at least in
this area, has a broad valley. There's consistent but not constant
development along the river bank but within 5 miles or so past the end of
Montreal's island, farms took over on the inland side of 138.

I got started riding at 8:30 and by 8:50 the sun was shining and I was
soon able to shed my heavy shirt, which I wore for the first time this
morning. Temperatures warmed into the 60s and have stayed there.

I stopped in Trois Rivières and, feeling a little dehydrated, drank 2
quarts of Five Alive, plus ate 2 large Valencia oranges. I also got $80
more of Canadian dollars. A 15 ½% sales tax in Quebec doesn't help limit
costs. That was at 43 miles for the day, after which I rode another 44 to
Portneuf, which I reached a little before 3:00, and am having some pizza
here.

I put on sunscreen for the first time since day 2. The roads remained
flat until 10 miles ago and have had only gentle hills since then.

The stop in Portneuf was calculated, as ancestors of mine lived here
eons ago (18th century). Notably, there are few farms around here, after
they dominated the countryside all the way from Montreal to where the small
hills started a few miles ago.

The moderate hills continued north of Portneuf. The road was
frequently level but elevated, so you could see down a length of the river,
and not just across it. It was really a majestic view, watching the river
course north-eastward. There were farms there, but not as prosperous
looking as further south.

There were a lot of bike riders out - a couple dozen on 138 south of
Quebec and many dozens on bike paths along the north shore beyond the City.
The land there forms a small valley where the road, railroad and paths are,
then there is a sharp rise. The Montmorency falls were spectacular -
there's been a lot of rain, obviously, contributing water to the falls.

Ste. Anne de Beaupré proved to be on the plain. If it had been at the
top of the highest local hill - like the Holy Hill shrine and monastery near
home in Washington County, Wisconsin, that would have been a negative for my
ride,

I'm having some Canadian red wine tonight - nothing to boast about.

There is a political campaign going on. The signs are uniform
(regulated?)- more party oriented than in the U.S.

All of each party's signs are of the same color and all have the same
slogan: "A party proper for Quebec" for the Bloc Quebecois; "Team Martin"
for the Liberals; and "Enough is Enough" for the Conservatives. The only
difference is the picture and name of the local candidate. In Montreal,
where there are many districts (ridings) there are signs with no "local"
candidate; just the party leader. Conservative signs are missing in many
districts. Social Credit doesn't appear at all. None of the signs
identifies an incumbent, all of them are in French " Un Parti propre au
Quebec" "L'Equipe Martin" and "C'est assez", for the three parties,
respectively.

Mileage for day - 144, all in Quebec
Mileage for trip - 880

Friday, May 28,2004 - Day 7

I went to the first Mass at Ste. Anne de Beaupre at 7:10, and was on
the road about 8:10, riding back to Quebec and locating the ferry to Levis,
which is where I am as I begin this note. I was on the boat at 10:00 a.m.

The weather channel promised rain for today, which is just beginning.
(It also apparently rained during the night, as there were lots of puddles
to ride around or through.)

By the time the ferry arrived in Levis, it was definitely raining,
which continued all day. I battled it for 75 miles, plus the 23 mostly dry
miles I had from Ste. Anne de Beaupré to Quebec. I made no stops for those
75 miles and knew I'd have trouble when I did have to stop. That's exactly
what happened. I stopped at a McDonalds at La Pocatière and was immediately
cold when I went back outside. The odds are I could have "worked up" enough
heat, but this was not the place to take a chance. The temperature was
around 50° and dropping. So I rode back a mile or so to a motel I had
passed and checked in before 6:00 p.m. The "white whale" won today! I
didn't get any where near to Rivière du Loup which was my goal for the day.

Other than the rain, the ride on Route 132 wouldn't have been bad.
There were some hills but not bad. The area near Quebec had paved
shoulder area which continued much of the way, though it's been absent in
"recent" miles. There's a parallel expressway that picks up the through
auto traffic, so traffic isn't bad.

Mileage for day - 98, all in Quebec
Mileage for trip - 978

Saturday, May 29, 2004 - Day 8

Following the early stop yesterday, I got an early start this morning
at 5:00 a.m.

The rain has exited, and been replaced by mostly cloudy skies - it's
also colder, low 40s maybe and hasn't warmed by noon. I've had my heavy
shirt on all morning and considered switching to my full-fingered gloves,
though I never did.

I rode 46 miles to Rivière du Loup to Route 185 only to find it closed
to bikes. The bike path was near it but didn't look attractive. The stone
was insufficiently packed. There was a gas station nearby where I had some
pastry and beverages. Then I started down the path, not liking it at all.
But about a mile later, I realized 185 was no longer an expressway so I
moved over to it and have been on it ever since,

I stopped at a Mike's restaurant in Cabano with 81 miles for the day,
which is where this note is written.

Most of the way from La Pocatière to Rivière du Loup was fairly flat
farm country. That changed toward the end to hills, which have also
dominated the route east of Rivière du Loup - and trees - with few farms.

I reached Edmunston about 3:30 EDT - 4:30 locally, since New Brunswick
is on Atlantic time - and looked into the Mass situation. The two Churches
I went by had late Saturday Masses - 7:00 and 7:15 -so I crossed to
Madawaska, Maine just in time for a 4:00 Mass, after which I rode 25 miles
to Van Buren, and found no motel. But there is one across the river in St.
Leonard, New Brunswick, which is where I am tonight. It wouldn't have been
out of the question to go another 22 miles to Caribou as it wasn't 7:00 yet,
but I hadn't eaten since the earlier note, it had never warmed up (high
around 47°) and it was threatening rain.

Quebec was as stereotyped as Vermont had been or more so. The street
and town names were usually after Saints (or Notre Dame), and each small
town was dominated architecturally by a large Catholic Church. Old Quebec
was as truly Catholic or more so than Poland or Ireland. But the faith in
the current generation isn't what it used to be.

The Church in Madawaska still has a French Mass on Sunday. French
ethnic Catholics apparently dominate in the far north of Maine.

Mileage for day - 148
Quebec - 107 (515), New Brunswick - 14, Maine - 27.
Mileage for trip - 1126

Sunday, May 30, 2004 - Day 9

Left the motel at 4:50 a.m. and biked 76 miles on Route 1 to Houlton,
which I reached at 10:40. Lots of hills, still cold (40s) but a tail wind
helps. Lots of hills. Land is mixed farms and woodlands.

At Houlton, I switched to Route 2 - I abandoned Route 1(the ocean
route) because of the likely holiday traffic. The change also reduces
mileage - good or bad? Route 2 proved 13 miles (not 3 as I thought) longer
than 2A (an available alternative that I perhaps should have taken), and is
very hilly, and in poor condition in many places. Around Island Falls and
for several miles each way, road quality is poor, there are no cuts and
fills and this U.S. highway is generally like an old town road. At least
traffic is light. The last 20 miles before Macwahoc the road improves.
Then from Mattacumkeug on it's an excellent road - wide paved shoulders and
quite flat, as it's in the Penobscot River Valley. I intended to stop at
Howland, but there were no motels, so I continued on to Milford, where I
found a motel at about 9:30 p.m., after riding the last 8 or so miles after
dark. When local pizza places didn't deliver this late, the proprietor
personally went and picked it up for me. A gold star for him!

Mileage for day - 191
All Maine, except less than 1 mile in New Brunswick.
Total for trip - 1317.

Monday, May 31, 2004 - Day 10

Left at 6:45 a.m. and rode 54 miles to Albion, which I reached about
11:45. I got some oranges, grapes and beverages and ate them under the
trees in a Church yard across the street. I had taken Route 2 to Bangor,
then picked up 202 outside of town, which I've taken on to Augusta, where
I've stopped for some ice cream at about 1:45 -Mile 78.

There was a lot of climbing coming out of Bangor to clear a ridge
line, then more modest but fairly continuous ups and downs until near
Augusta, where there was another series of big climbs to clear another ridge
line. It's mostly sunny today, starting in the upper 40s - now near 70°.
I'm putting on sun screen.

The countryside is mixed farms and trees with homes along the route
for a good many miles past the towns.

The hills are mostly rocky. A few have pastures, but it's mostly
wooded.

The hills continued all day, which did my mileage no good, plus the
temperatures cooled and a bit of a headwind came up.

Mid-afternoon, I passed 10 right-to-life advocates, who had just began
a walk to Washington DC; I walked along with them for a while and joined
them in part of a rosary.

I passed through Lewiston and reached the 202/I-95 Intersection near
6:00 p.m. I couldn't satisfy myself there were more motels in range on 202
(in fact, the next day I did not see any), so I decided to stay at a motel
there, despite giving up a nice sunny day. (It's due to rain tomorrow.)

The motel is nice, plus it has a laundry room so I got everything
clean.

Mileage for day - 119, all in Maine.
Mileage for trip - 1436.

Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - Day 11

Left at 4:45 and rode 108 miles before taking a rest stop at
Haverhill, Massachusetts, around 1:45 p.m.. Then I struggled through Boston
until stopping at 8:00 at the intersection of Route 1 and 95 (128) in the
Southwest suburbs of Boston.

After starting out dry, I rode through 40 miles of rain in Maine; then
dry, which except for my feet, allowed me to dry out.

Temperatures started out at 42° and peaked at around 52° - June
anyone? I wore my raincoat all day for the warmth. Because of threatening
rain, I kept my heavy shirt in a plastic bag, and wore my raincoat instead.

I stayed on Route 202 in Maine. It was mostly O.K. - fewer hills than
earlier. There were a few scattered sections with no paved shoulder area,
but not bad. The only flat riding was the last half dozen miles before New
Hampshire.

In New Hampshire I rode Route 125, which was a delightful road - fully
paved wide shoulders except for the final few miles before Massachusetts.
Quite a few little rises and dips plus some modest hills but nothing major.

Coming into Boston, Routes 125 and 28 both had some decent areas, but
for the most part, cities are cities, with lots of traffic, stop and go
lights, and pock-marked roads. Once in town, I swung past Harvard, handling
the route clumsily for one who biked thousands of miles around there, albeit
35 years ago.

After some equally clumsy maneuvering through the Brookline area, I
picked up VFW Parkway, which later became Route 1.

Mileage for day - 156
Massachusetts 64, New Hampshire 41, Maine 51.
Mileage for trip - 1592.

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 - Day 12

I slept in this morning - indeed last night, I fell asleep before
updating my logbook or showering, so I was obviously ready for some extra
sleep.

Departure time was 7:30; I took a rest stop in Providence close to
noon with 42 miles - the first 25 in Massachusetts.

I had mapped out a Rube Goldberg scheme of a route through Connecticut
but decided to simplify things and stick to U.S. 1, so I wouldn't get lost.

Naturally, I promptly got lost trying to use U.S. #1. Near the MA/RI
border was a sign that said "1A" to Providence and "1" to Pawtucket. I
stayed on "1" and it ended in Pawtucket, just ended - not even a sign saying
so. Information was hard to come by, but I drifted east toward the
direction IA had veered from 1 and eventually got directions to 1A.

In East Providence, the signs for 1A just quit, too, but I was able to
cross the needed bridge on 44. Across the bridge I saw a single sign for US
1 and immediately lost track of it. So I took 44 west and decided to
resurrect my complex plan for Connecticut. I thought I could save mileage
by switching from 44 to 6, but used 5 to do so, which veered back toward
town and added miles and a big hill.

As this is written, it's almost 4:00 and I have only 70 miles. I'm
sitting out a thunderstorm at a KFC in Danielson/E. Brooklyn, Connecticut.
The morning began as yesterday ended, misty and cool with temperatures
around 50°. But it warmed up nicely and was mostly sunny reaching the
mid-70s. The current shower looks like it will pass.

The terrain is hilly, like most of the trip. Route 1 in
Massachusetts - after the VFW Parkway ended - was safe, but not scenic
(consistent businesses along the route, few of which were landscaped).
Western Rhode Island and the first few miles of Connecticut have been mainly
wooded.

After the rain passed, I rode another 25 or so miles to Norwich (just
missing the brunt of a second storm). In Norwich, a third thunderstorm
started that lasted well over an hour. After 5 days getting wet earlier in
the trip, I played wimp today and took shelter at a gas station. It soon
became apparent there wouldn't be enough daylight after the rain passed to
do anything much and still find a motel, so I stayed at a Ramada about 1 ½
miles away. With some other local riding I got 101 miles for the day.

In Connecticut: Route 6 to 169 to 2A to 82 - 169 was scenic if hilly.
A lot of "old new England" looking farms but more trees, which in places
formed a canopy over the road.

Miles for day - 101; Massachusetts - 25; Rhode Island - 40,
Connecticut - 36.
Miles for trip - 1,693

Thursday, June 3, 2004 - Day 13

Left the motel at 5:30 a.m. Early weather was cool and cloudy - low
to mid 50s. No rain, though. The skies cleared late morning and
temperatures rose to the upper 70s.

At 18+ miles there was a ferry crossing - over the Connecticut River -
state operated - $1.00 for bikes.

Early riding was mainly west on 82, 148 and 80, with a few miles south
on 81 sandwiched in. As elsewhere, the hills are much worse going east and
west. The New England rivers flow south, which help explain which way the
hills run.

At mile 44 I hit East Haven and was in urban riding the rest of the
day.

I picked up US 1 in New Haven, after a little looking - the route 103
connector on the map wasn't there. I stayed on 1 to the New York line,
taking a break in Milford (mile 59) (the third "Milford" I've encountered
after Milford, Pennsylvania and Milford, Maine) for eating some trail mix
and also taking a short nap.

I reached the New York line about 4:00 at mile 100, and got lost in
Westchester, logging about 7 extra miles. I left US 1 in New Rochelle,
moving east to Pelham Road.

The Bronx proved easy to cross - first going south within a long park,
then west along an e/w parkway with many walkers, joggers and kids playing
in the greenway. Then past the Zoo and gardens, and then a trip along
Fordham Avenue, which was just teeming with life, rowdy and noisy but safe
enough. It was fun to "ride" through, though slowly, because traffic laws
meant little here and nobody could move very rapidly.

Only about 9 miles through the Bronx, including a little extra time to
find the bridge to Manhattan (I shouldn't have left Fordham Street). Then
in Manhattan I found the George Washington bridge (which was easier to find
than the bike route across it) and got across and had barely light enough to
find a motel in Fort Lee. It's a Best Western.

Mileage for day - 135; Connecticut - 100; New York - 32; New Jersey -
3.
Mileage for trip - 1828.

Friday, June 4, 2004 - Day 14

Left the motel at 5:40 and with slight difficulty got on route 46,
which I took all the way to Hackettstown, some 55 miles away. New York
traffic played a role most of that way, including some uncomfortable merge
and turn situations - one where 2 lanes merge in from the right, and 2
others where I was supposed to be in the left lane of a multi-lane road with
heavy traffic. I learned the safest course is to get off the bike and wait
for a break in the traffic.

I stopped for breakfast after 25 miles and then for 3 oranges and a
chocolate milk in Hackettstown. I also took about a ½ hour break for a
snack in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, just 25-30 miles from the end.

Temperature today was 60° to 70°, and sunny until late.

The westerly route in new Jersey (46 , then 57) like almost all the
others in that direction had a lots of big hills. In Pennsylvania I took
611 again, except stayed on it this time all the way into Philadelphia.

Coming into Philadelphia was difficult outside the City - too much of
the road was too narrow for me to fit comfortably in traffic. The last 8
miles or so were good, though, as City riding goes. No more uphills, the
street was wide, not too much traffic and the lights were usually green for
Broad Street traffic. The last few blocks in Center City are slow but
that's because of the pulse of life on narrow streets. Within limits, it's
fine.

I arrived at Matt's apartment in Philadelphia about 6:45 p.m.

Mileage for day - 136; New Jersey - 80; Pennsylvania - (56).

Mileage for trip - 1964 (140.3 - daily average)

Mileage by State (Province):

Quebec 515
Maine 401
Connecticut 202
Vermont 191
Pennsylvania 191
New York 157
Massachusetts 126
New Hampshire 41
Rhode Island 40
New Brunswick 14


Afterword

1. The only "easy" trip I could recommend in this area is the
185 mile stretch from Montreal through Quebec to St. Anne to Beaupré. It's
mostly flat, scenic, with good roads and not much traffic.

2. I intend to ride eventually from the top of Maine to Key
West, Florida, as I've previously bicycled from the bottom of Texas to the
top of Minnesota. The area south of Philadelphia remains to be
accomplished. Between the hills and the cities, the north-east is a slower,
tougher ride than anything on my central US trip.

3. Extensive urban riding, especially in the endless suburbs,
is not a pleasant experience. The constant need to be alert and to make
minor decisions, and the endless stop and go lights are difficult both
physically and mentally. A day's worth of it is downright exhausting.
Needless to say, the many traffic stops cut speed, and increased work
relative to mileage covered. It also caused me to ride quite a bit without
"locking in" my left foot to the pedal, as I am only good for a limited
number of the "twists" needed to unlock before my foot gets sore. I'm happy
to be able to say that I biked across the entire NYC metro area, but in no
hurry to try it again.




1
SAVEDTRASHSENTSPAM

June 23rd 04, 09:54 PM
i just read your report.

i am a 50 year old man who is considering riding a bicycle from florida
to new england. (the reasons are physical and spiritual)

do you think i can make it?

time is no object.

do you have any tips to help guide me?

is there anyone else out there, who may want to assist? (knowledgewise)

i welcome and awaiit any reply.

Ron Wallenfang
June 24th 04, 05:12 AM
"Mere" age is no deterrent. I'm 60 now, and a lot of people who make these
rides are over 50 - old enough to have the kids grown and gone and not have
to feel guilty about leaving for a longer period of time. I did one long
ride in 1968, before I was married, and have done them pretty regularly
since 1994. In between those years, I only did one trip - around Lake
Michigan in 1986.

If you can do long day rides, the chances are you can do similar mileage day
after day on a trip. Let that be the gauge what you can handle. If you
live and ride a lot in FL, you already probably know all you need to know
about handling traffic. The hills elsewhere will provide a rude awakening,
but if you're going from south to north, you should be in pretty good
physial condition by the time you get to them.





> wrote in message
...
> i just read your report.
>
> i am a 50 year old man who is considering riding a bicycle from florida
> to new england. (the reasons are physical and spiritual)
>
> do you think i can make it?
>
> time is no object.
>
> do you have any tips to help guide me?
>
> is there anyone else out there, who may want to assist? (knowledgewise)
>
> i welcome and awaiit any reply.
>

H. M. Leary
June 24th 04, 02:20 PM
In article >,
wrote:

> i just read your report.
>
> i am a 50 year old man who is considering riding a bicycle from florida
> to new england. (the reasons are physical and spiritual)
>
> do you think i can make it?
>
> time is no object.
>
> do you have any tips to help guide me?
>
> is there anyone else out there, who may want to assist? (knowledgewise)
>
> i welcome and awaiit any reply.
>

Get a copy of the book;

Bicycling the Atlantic Coast
by Donna Ikenberry Aitkenhead
ISBN 0-89886-303-1

This will give you some idea of what it might be like.

I would also check with Adventure Cycling for more up to date information. They
have a website I believe.

Good Luck

Don't let age into it. Couple years ago I met a couple of 85+ year olds who had
just completed a 72 day ride from Portland, OR to Philadelphia, PA mostly self
supported. Go for it!

HAND

--
"Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness"

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

Ken Brown
June 24th 04, 04:30 PM
What a coincidence! A friend and I did a 4-day cycle in Quebec's
Eastern Townships. May 25 we cycled to Magog and stayed in a motel
with a convenience store next door. After dinner we noticed a bike
outside one of the rooms, which must have been you. Unfortunately we
did not knock on the door or we could have met.

Noticed your other post about the best trips. I have done two of them,
along the Mosel and along the Danube. You can see my photos from the
links on my web page: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/

Will consider Quebec highway 138 for next year.

Ken

"Ron Wallenfang" > wrote:


> I took Quebec Route 147 to Coaticook, where I got some Canadian
>dollars at an ATM. Then I switched to Route 141 to Magog where I quit for
>the day at about 7:15.
>
> Mileage for day - 145
> Vermont - 113, Quebec - 32.
> Mileage for trip - 602
>
> Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - Day 5
>
> Light rain and drizzle in the morning caused me to "wait it out" - 3
>days rainy weather (in a row) is too much. [Drei-Tagen Regenwetter is a
>German expression for a bad situation.]
>
> So I left at 8:30, after having some breakfast in the room [there was
>a store next door].
Ken Brown, Toronto Canada
Ontario Rail Trails: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown
delete "nospam" if replying via e-mail

Ken Brown
June 24th 04, 04:43 PM
I agree with Ron that age should be no deterrent. The important thing
is to do the daily mileage that is comfortable for you, and to ride at
a pace that is comfortable for you. I see from Ron's posts that he
averaged 140 miles a day on this trip. To me that is superhuman. I am
a year younger than him and average about 40 miles a day on my trips.

Ken

"Ron Wallenfang" > wrote:

>"Mere" age is no deterrent. I'm 60 now, and a lot of people who make these
>rides are over 50 - old enough to have the kids grown and gone and not have
>to feel guilty about leaving for a longer period of time. I did one long
>ride in 1968, before I was married, and have done them pretty regularly
>since 1994. In between those years, I only did one trip - around Lake
>Michigan in 1986.
>
>If you can do long day rides, the chances are you can do similar mileage day
>after day on a trip. Let that be the gauge what you can handle. If you
>live and ride a lot in FL, you already probably know all you need to know
>about handling traffic. The hills elsewhere will provide a rude awakening,
>but if you're going from south to north, you should be in pretty good
>physial condition by the time you get to them.
>
>
>
>
>
> wrote in message
...
>> i just read your report.
>>
>> i am a 50 year old man who is considering riding a bicycle from florida
>> to new england. (the reasons are physical and spiritual)
>>
>> do you think i can make it?
>>
>> time is no object.
>>
>> do you have any tips to help guide me?
>>
>> is there anyone else out there, who may want to assist? (knowledgewise)
>>
>> i welcome and awaiit any reply.
>>
>

Ken Brown, Toronto Canada
Ontario Rail Trails: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown
delete "nospam" if replying via e-mail

Dave Rusin
June 24th 04, 09:29 PM
In article >,
> wrote:

>i just read your report.
>
>i am a 50 year old man who is considering riding a bicycle from florida
>to new england. (the reasons are physical and spiritual)
>
>do you think i can make it?

Don't worry about the age thing.
You're only a LITTLE too young to be doing this. :-)

Mike Kruger
June 25th 04, 01:41 AM
"Ken Brown" > wrote in message
...
> I agree with Ron that age should be no deterrent. The important thing
> is to do the daily mileage that is comfortable for you, and to ride at
> a pace that is comfortable for you. I see from Ron's posts that he
> averaged 140 miles a day on this trip. To me that is superhuman. I am
> a year younger than him and average about 40 miles a day on my trips.
>
Yeah, I can't average 140 a day either. Ron gets a lot of practice though.

But if you do 40 a day, you can still get there -- it just takes longer.

Ron Wallenfang
June 25th 04, 05:19 AM
Magog isn't tht big a place, so it sure sounds like we were at the same
motel. We could have had a good visit, especially with the common European
experiences. I do heartily recommend that route 138 ride.


"Ken Brown" > wrote in message
...
> What a coincidence! A friend and I did a 4-day cycle in Quebec's
> Eastern Townships. May 25 we cycled to Magog and stayed in a motel
> with a convenience store next door. After dinner we noticed a bike
> outside one of the rooms, which must have been you. Unfortunately we
> did not knock on the door or we could have met.
>
> Noticed your other post about the best trips. I have done two of them,
> along the Mosel and along the Danube. You can see my photos from the
> links on my web page: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown/
>
> Will consider Quebec highway 138 for next year.
>
> Ken
>
> "Ron Wallenfang" > wrote:
>
>
> > I took Quebec Route 147 to Coaticook, where I got some Canadian
> >dollars at an ATM. Then I switched to Route 141 to Magog where I quit
for
> >the day at about 7:15.
> >
> > Mileage for day - 145
> > Vermont - 113, Quebec - 32.
> > Mileage for trip - 602
> >
> > Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - Day 5
> >
> > Light rain and drizzle in the morning caused me to "wait it out" -
3
> >days rainy weather (in a row) is too much. [Drei-Tagen Regenwetter is a
> >German expression for a bad situation.]
> >
> > So I left at 8:30, after having some breakfast in the room [there
was
> >a store next door].
> Ken Brown, Toronto Canada
> Ontario Rail Trails: http://webhome.idirect.com/~brown
> delete "nospam" if replying via e-mail

Elwood Blues
June 27th 04, 05:35 AM
wrote:
>
> do you think i can make it?

Absolutely. It is more mental than physical. I have ridden long trips on
a department store bicycle with a homemade BOB attached. Others use a
nice bicycle with a real BOB or panniers. I even ran into a lad on
Skyline Drive going from New Orleans to Vermont carrying a backpack
while riding!! I like to do about 50-60 miles a day but it varies. The
one thing I have found out is to have a real good saddle. Even with my
department store bike, I bought a good seat. And you can get in shape
during the ride if that is a factor. Planning is important to a point,
are you going to hotel or camp? Maps are important. Planning also, like
planning the best way to enter Maryland from the South, crossing the
Delaware River etc. (I got paid a trucker to transport me across the
bridge into Maryland on US 301 for example). Planning hotel stops or
campsites (or stealth camp like do from time to time) More than likely,
you will not totally stick a set route.

What I really like about touring without a time schedule is just that.
No rules, I can stop when I want, take breaks when I want, or push for a
century if I want. You will have a strong desire to eat inhuman
amounts of food.

I wish you well
--
Elwood Blues

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