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The
trip was a wonderful adventure. The people on the ride were
fun-loving and adventuresome, and I have great admiration for those who
were riding across the country. For example, Tom and Shirley were a newly
retired couple from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They had ridden many long
rides before on a tandem bicycle, but chose to ride single bicycles
across the country so that they would each know that they were capable of
the journey.
Fr. Jim and Corky were wonderful traveling companions. They
both enjoyed experiencing new sights and meeting new people, which made
the trip a richer experience for me. Corky's outgoing personality
and ornery behavior made the trip very unpredictable, as we never knew
what he would do next. We worked together to help each other when
the going was tough, taking turns blocking the wind and encouraging each
other.
The riding was tough at times, but never unbearable. I rode
532 miles in 6 days, which was a new accomplishment for me. We
sometimes had a headwind, and sometimes a crosswind, but we also had some
great tailwinds. The toughest part of the trip was the first day,
when the large semis rushed by only a few feet from us. My biggest
physical problem was that my hands grew numb during the trip from the
pressure of my palms on the handlebars. It took a week or two for them to
return to normal.
In our travels we saw only a small slice of the USA and Canada, but
it was a very scenic one. I especially enjoyed the ride along the
north shore of Lake Erie. I was amazed that we rode more than 100
miles along the shore before encountering a single factory. The
people that we met were very friendly, and most of the drivers were very
courteous. It was humbling for me that the cross-country riders
considered this to be one of their easier weeks. The ride was
physically tough at times, but mentally was very relaxing. For me, it was
a challenging, but rewarding vacation, and it was especially delightful
to have my family waiting at the end.
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