Today was a glorious day! 45 miles of Nebraska's rolling hills and plains, with a lunch spot at a lake 8 miles from the host. I set off at a steady pace with Erica and Megan H and the first 38 miles flew by, except for a section of the road that was really bumpy and full of pot-holes, but we hit a freshly paved section and it was smooth sailing to lunch in Republican City.

Once we got to the lake we proceeded to eat lunch and admire the scenery. Then Nicole started making a big fuss about making jelly and cracker sandwiches so Erica and I decided to eat them without her seeing, knowing that this would cause an even bigger fuss. We walked down to the beach with our mouths full of crackers giggling uncontrollably waiting for the storm from Nicole. Sure enough a few seconds later came a shrill shriek from the coolers... "NO, NO NO YOU DIDN'T! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW AND MAKE ME MORE!". Erica and I continued to laugh hysterically and walk away from her. I'm not sure why it is so fun to hear Nicole freak out, but it is. (Love you Nicole)

As more people started to arrive we started to swim. We then found out how fun it is to launch each other off of two people's arms out of the water. We did this for about 2 hours and then laid in the sun to dry off before our 8 mile trek into Alma. There are some really great pictures of this, hopefully they are on the website.

When arriving at the host, we were greeted by the lovely members of the United Methodist Church. They fed us a wonderful potluck meal of tacos, pasta and veggies (just to name a few) and a variety of delicious desserts. I can't tell you how grateful we are to have such wonderful people to end our days with.

All and all a fantastic day, and by far the best lunch spot of the trip.

Love, Kristie

Hello to all our blog readers from Beloit, KS! Our trip is rolling along through Kansas quite smoothly. We have mastered the routine of waking up early, packing our things in the trailer and getting on the road. Today, we woke up at 4:00 am and watched a beautiful sunrise as we gathered for our route meeting just before rolling away from the First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. As we passed around cue sheets and listened to our morning news update from Zach the clouds slowly turned from shades of dark pink to orange. We snapped the first pictures of the day.

The first 10 or 15 miles in the morning were wonderful riding. It was still cool and we continued to watch the sunrise in the distance. Kansas has been one of my favorite states to ride through so far. The hosts tell us there has been lots of rain here this summer which makes the fields we pass still lush and green despite the incredible heat. And contrary to popular belief, Kansas is not completely flat. We rode through gently rolling hills all day long and the scenery was beautiful. After first lunch we saw fewer cornfields and more open pasture land that reminded me of stories I’d read as a child about the great Prairie.

As the day wore on it became unbearably hot. With frequent stops and water breaks, we all made it to the host site before 5:00 pm. The spaghetti dinner provided by the hosts at St. John’s School was delicious after such a long ride, but even better was the cake for desert with fruit on top and light, fluffy icing. After dinner we had a town meeting/family pow-wow where we shared our highs and lows for the week. It was an occasion for many laughs and group bonding as usual. In particular was Arthur’s story from today. He mentioned it as his low, but for me the retelling of it is a high.
For more than 30 miles during the second half of our ride there were no gas stations or stores along the route. As Arthur rode into Beloit, he was desperately thirsty and had just run out of water. He stopped at the first building on the edge of town, a radio station, and banged on the door hoping someone was inside to give him water. Very soon, the sheriff of Beloit pulled up in his cop car. Luckily, the sheriff knew the radio host and was able to let Arthur in to rehydrate. The sheriff then suggested Arthur take a shortcut and proceeded to escort him down a gravel road for a mile and a half to the host site. In the end it’s hard to tell which was better: a 1.5 mile shortcut on a gravel road or 3 miles on a good paved road. The funny part was seeing him ride up to the school with personal police escort.
Despite the oppressive heat, everyone had a good day and we were happy to rest in the air conditioned classrooms. Tomorrow we will say goodbye to Kansas and move on to Nebraska. I will miss beautiful Kansas, but will remember all the amazing experiences we have had here. Thank you for reading these blogs and following our trip!

-Cap

Zach: Lawrence, Kansas was awesome!

Thom: Yep. All of us were excited for a couple of days off of our bikes and an opportunity to work with Lawrence Habitat for Humanity.

Zach: Definitely. The double build (two days back to back) was a great break. When we arrived the site was a concrete slab, and after two days of Bike & Builders sweating and hammering, all the walls were up and the house was sheeted. It really looked like a house.

Thom: But Zach, that wasn't all! After the builds we were able to check out Lawrence's sweet downtown area, get t-shirts made, see some music, and eat some amazing Thai food.

Zach: I'd even say it was my favorite town yet. Lori at the Lawrence chapter of Habitat for Humanity set up three great days of meals, including donations from Johnny's Tavern, the Lawrence Food Co-op, Wheatfields Bakery, and Free State Brewery. All our hosts have been great, but we know how tough it is to feed 31 hungry cyclists for three straight days. Oh, I almost forgot about the popsicle breaks at the build! That was definitely a highlight.

Thom: But alas, we had to leave Lawrence sometime. On our last night there, the Habitat chapter that we worked with gave us a send-off barbecue where we got to say our goodbyes to all the folks that worked with us and helped us out over the course of our stay.

Zach: That was really cool. I had some great conversations with past and future recipients of Habitat homes. One woman's story really stood out. She said that without Habitat for Humanity, she'd have no hope of owning her own home. She was pretty grateful for the program and our hard work. Working and eating alongside the recipients of the homes was a really cool experience. But yes, we had to go sometime. Did you enjoy the ride to the Little Apple?

Thom: Absolutely. Route 24 had nice big shoulders that facilitated all sorts of on-bike conversation. We got to know the beautiful plains and rolling hills of Kansas intimately. Kristie discovered a secret lunch spot off the road with some welcome shade beneath a pavilion, and we all got to cool down a bit before finishing off the ride.

Zach: But what was that I heard about Kansas being flat? I didn't notice much but hills. Anyway, the ride went quickly and with only a few flat tires in the group. We were all in by 3 o'clock, and had a chance to explore the cafes and bike shops of Manhattan, Kansas. Our host, First Presbyterian, provided a delicious dinner, and we settled down for a session of our affordable housing curriculum. A great day! Well, I should get ready for dinner. Nice talking to you, Thom.

Thom: You too, Zach!

First of all, Sonic, America’s Drive-in, is the one of the greatest establishments currently in the United States. For the past three days we have stopped and received free beverages from Sonic. So to all of the fine folks who have donated cherry limeades, fruit slushes, and other icy treats, we extend a big thank you on behalf of P2SF.

We woke up this morning around 5:00, and went through our usual morning routine of packing bins, loading the trailer, eating breakfast, and preparing our bikes for the road in a little over two hours. We spend the morning riding towards Kansas City, about 40 miles from our host. The roads near the city were a little busier than normal, but we made it through without any trouble. We had lunch in a nice little park with a waterfall.

The afternoon heated up into the mid-90s. We crossed into Kansas shortly after lunch, which turned out to be slightly hillier than we expected. We stopped for a second lunch at the picnic tables of a Sonic, where of course, we received free slushes. There’s nothing better in the middle of a hot afternoon on the bike than 44ounces of sugary ice. We finished out the ride around 7:00 and had a pizza dinner compliments of Johnny’s Tavern in Lawrence. It was a long day, but we were all looking forward to having two days off the bike and the chance to really get involved with a build.

-Paul & Drew

Coming off of a record short day into Hanibal (only 36 miles!), the crew was refreshed and ready to rock out an eighty-fiver to Moberly, MO. The ride started with steady rolling hills with a nice stop at an observation tower at Mark Twain Dam. The tower was also the sight of an impromptu birthday celebration for Stephanie “Silly Steph” McBride, which involved copious amounts of Silly String and also some Circus Peanuts. For readers who have never sampled Circus Peanuts candies, the vast majority of P2SF2010 strongly discourages trying them. Seriously, stay away. This rider prefers the taste of Silly String to Circus Peanuts.
Thanks to some unique discoveries at a roadside Bait & Tackle shop, our lunch included an appetizer of sour-cream and onion flavored dried crickets. This, however, paled in comparison to the grand finale of watching our undisputed group eating champion devour an entire package of spiced dried maggots. The afternoon brought rain, but also a highly successful free donut mission to Wal-Mart.

- Connor & Lindsay N.

We all started the day off on an awesome note. We had our first stay in the homes of the families hosting us. It was such a treat to sleep in a real bed! We woke up well rested and ready to go for our shortest day yet. We were given an awesome breakfast that even included omelettes and breakfast cake. After saying goodbye to our amazing hosts, we were off to revel in the sweetness of a short ride.

We rolled out of Pittsfield on a gravel road and got off to a bumpy start, but after that it was pretty smooth riding. The fields we rode through were beautiful to see, and the roads were smooth and low on traffic. We all rode along leisurely knowing that no matter how slow we rode, we would still get to the host location earlier than we ever have before.

With a few miles left, our route was changed when a bridge crossing the Mississippi river was closed due to mudslides. Our only option was to take the interstate – so we got a police escort!! It must have been the highlight of everyone’s ride. We went about 15mph for a few miles on the highway with the cops lights flashing, and everyone riding together. He escorted us all the to the church which made getting through lights and turns as a massive group so much easier.

For the rest of the day (since we got in around 1pm), we explored Mark Twain’s hometown, met as a group and discussed affordable housing issues, and had another great dinner with the hosts of Hannibal. All in all, it was a perfect day in the Bike & Build world.

Joel & Nicole

The Day into Louisville

Our ride into Louisville, Kentucky was a day different from any other day that we had had thus far on our Bike and Build adventure—it was the last ride before our first day off! Spirits were high as the whole team looked forward to arriving in Louisville , the hometown of three riders on our trip. Nonetheless, within the first thirty miles of my ride, Thom and I both got flat tires, and we had to stop and each change a tube. While a flat tire is completely fixable, it is at least a ten to fifteen minute commitment on the side of the road. With tires pumped we continued forward and passed the capital of Kentucky . We visited a scenic outlook for a view of the capital building. Then we were on our way to lunch only to find the entire group asleep under a row of shady trees. I really enjoy lunches where we have the luxury of napping without feeling too overwhelmed by a heavy load of miles during the afternoon. The afternoon went smoothly—Thom and I bumped into Kevin, Mark, Stephanie and Mary Ellen along the way. As we got closer to the Church , we passed the park where we would later have dinner with Laura’s family. Dinner that night was definitely one of the best meals of the trip thus far, and we greatly appreciate the effort and kindness that the Mann’s put into this special evening. It was lovely to eat outside and to meet Laura’s family in addition to other visitors from Louisville.

-Sarah

Our ride into Louisville, Kentucky was a day different from any other day that we had had thus far on our Bike and Build adventure—it was the last ride before our first day off! Spirits were high as the whole team looked forward to arriving in Louisville, the hometown of three riders on our trip. Nonetheless, within the first thirty miles of my ride, Thom and I both got flat tires, and we had to stop and each change a tube. While a flat tire is completely fixable, it is at least a ten to fifteen minute commitment on the side of the road. With tires pumped we continued forward and passed the capital of Kentucky . We visited a scenic outlook for a view of the capital building. Then we were on our way to lunch only to find the entire group asleep under a row of shady trees. I really enjoy lunches where we have the luxury of napping without feeling too overwhelmed by a heavy load of miles during the afternoon. The afternoon went smoothly—Thom and I bumped into Kevin, Mark, Stephanie and Mary Ellen along the way. As we got closer to the Church, we passed the park where we would later have dinner with Laura’s family. Dinner that night was definitely one of the best meals of the trip thus far, and we greatly appreciate the effort and kindness that the Mann’s put into this special evening. It was lovely to eat outside and to meet Laura’s family in addition to other visitors from Louisville.

- Sarah & Thom

Today was our first century ride. We did 114 miles total. We woke up at 5 AM to a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and fruit. Although many people were nervous about the distance we had to travel that day, things went very smoothly. Everyone had arrived at first lunch by 11:30 after biking 40 miles. We stopped on the side of the rode in a nice little alcove area. The terrain was fairly easy with some rolling hills but nothing like we had faced in the past. The weather was also beautiful, sunny but not too hot.

Second lunch came around mile 85 up on a hill by a gas station. Everyone was pretty pumped up at second lunch with just under 30 miles left. It was only about 2:30 at that point so everyone was making great time. Second lunch was delicious and we saw an Amish man and his horse drawn carriage pull up to the gas station. A couple people had gotten flats, but had fixed them before sweep even made it there.

Sweep’s first call came after second lunch , when one rider needed the spare tire after their tire had gotten ripped up by the road. It took no time at all to fix and everyone was on their way again. The second flat came about 10 miles before the end of the day but was also a quick repair. We finished up the day rolling into Paris around 6:30 into the YMCA where we stayed. There was a pool where some riders went swimming, as well as steam rooms. For dinner, some of the riders and leaders were able to get donation magic of 20 pizzas, ham, cheese, bread, pastries, and pork. Everyone was really excited to have completed the century, and especially with relative ease compared to some of the 85 and 95 mile days in Pennsylvania/ Maryland/ West Virginia. Some people walked around out in downtown Paris, while others passed out, resting up for another 85 mile day.

Kentucky has been absolutely beautiful. The farms that we passed on the way into Paris were amazing, with so much open green space and serene lakes. There were many horses to see too. The Providence Habitat also sent us some care packages for every rider with snack bars, first aid kit, hand sanitizer, Hershey kisses, Kleenex, etc. Little things that every rider needs, but does not necessarily think about buying.

Not one rider had to ride in the van for the century and it definitely helped to lift spirits after such hard long days on the east coast. First century done, and it was awesome!

-Heather Nelson

We left our hosts in Wellston, Ohio after a lovely breakfast and headed out for our 53mile ride to Flatwoods, Kentucky. (Horray for another state line!) Overall, the ride was great – not too hilly, not too long and the weather was beautiful! With the exception of a handful of flat tires, everyone was in great spirits and anxious to get to Kentucky. We even had enough energy for a mid – lunch dance party, which is always a good time! We cruised the last 13 miles into Flatwoods and were warmly welcomed by our generous hosts at the Advance United Methodist Church.

After we unloaded the trailers and got ourselves situated at the church, we did a bit of exploring around – it was such a great facility! We had access to so much space – a place for bikes, tons of room to sleep and even areas to hang out, play basketball and watch some movies!

The church provided us with an amazing meals during our two day stay in Flatwoods. The men’s and women’s groups even made a competition of who could prepare the best breakfast – eggs and sausage vs. pancakes and bacon! In my opinion, both meals were equally delicious! As of yet, we are unable to decide on a winner!

On the morning of the 30th, we all headed out to the Habitat build site in Flatwoods. After arriving, we met with the Habitat volunteers at the site and they gave us a little bit of background on their chapter, the specific project and the area. The house we worked on, was a three bedroom in a quite neighborhood just a few miles away from the church. Come to find out, the project is actually the first build for the chapter, which is such a huge milestone. It is really cool that we were able to be a part of their first build.

The build day was incredibly successful. We worked really well with the volunteers at the site and a lot of progress was made. The site directors were incredibly helpful in providing directions, helpful hints and demonstrations. Throughout the day, we started the construction of the front porch, sided three sides of the house, did some roofing work and a few of the guys did some work on the interior framing.

Seemingly, there was a lot of community involvement in this particular build. A few weeks before we arrived to help work on the house, Habitat sponsored a blitz build day where over 100 volunteers from the community got together in a church parking lot to cut wood and pre-frame the structure and walls of the house. This really expedited the build progress and it is really great that so many different people had invested time and energy in the project.

Habiat of Flatwoods provided yet another amazing meal at the church that night. Soon thereafter we promptlygot ready for the next day’s ride passed out on our thermarests. On to Paris…!

- Erica MacDonald

Hello everyone! Like every day on Bike & Build, today was full of surprises and new experiences for me. I was riding sweep for the first time with Mark, a.k.a. Noodle out of Marietta, Ohio. The whole group took off but Molly had to fix a flat tire before leaving, so we stayed back for a few minutes. As we peddled away from the Memorial United Methodist Church, Molly was ahead of us and she didn’t see a left turn arrow chalked into the wet pavement. Mark and I knew it is always best to believe the chalk arrows even if they might contradict the cue sheet, so we raced off to try and catch Molly before she got lost. We kept having to stop at stoplights that Molly just made it through and so we rode 2 miles out of town before finally catching her. Once we were all on the right road, we finally settled into a steady morning pace battling a bit of head wind.
Not more than half an hour down the road, we came upon a group of riders sitting on the side of the road. At first I thought we’d caught up to the group who had stopped for our usual mid-morning stretch. Instead we learned that Sara’s chain had snapped and the riders were waiting for the van to come get her. After a few calls to Stephanie in the van (who had taken the same wrong turn we had made earlier that morning) and a useful demonstration on how to fix chains, we were back on the road. Ten minutes later on our way up a hill I heard a terrible crunching sound and Sara pulled off to the side again. This time, her entire rear derailleur had ripped off. None of us could have expected this unfortunate turn of events. Luckily, there was a bike shop on our route in Athens, OH just a few miles after lunch.
Four or five of us hung out at the bike shop for a few hours getting fitted and waiting for Sara’s derailleur to be fixed. Although the bike shop closed at 2:00 pm, they stayed open late just to accommodate us. Finally at 4:00 pm Mary Ellen, Elyse, Sara and I left the bike shop with 40 miles left to ride yet that afternoon. I was skeptical and considering the wind and heat, I didn’t think we’d make it all the way to the host site by dark. After a slow start and a few big hills out of Athens, we finally found a good rhythm and were making progress. Not 10 miles from our destination, Sara’s chain snapped again and we waited for the van to come and get her. Stephanie brought us a piece of cake from dinner that everyone else had just finished. Fortified with this last bit of sugar, Elyse, Mary Ellen and I got back on the bikes for the last ten miles of our ride. By now we were having a great time and were determined to finish the ride.
A few miles before entering Wellston, OH we stopped at the top of a hill to watch the sunset. It was a breathtaking moment and one of those times I will remember fondly when I think back on our Bike & Build trip. To our left we saw storm clouds gathering over a cemetery and we could tell it was raining off in the distance. To our right was the sun setting over the hills across a wide pasture. The light was coming in low and we climbed on the gate to the pasture to take in the view. What a wonderful, peaceful way to end a long day! I love these moments on Bike & Build when you can stop and take in the beauty of the countryside we are riding through.
When the sun settled below the hills we got back on the bikes for the last few miles. As we sped into town, Mary Ellen pointed out a rainbow on our right. We even pointed it out to the people in the car next to us when we stopped at a red light. All of a sudden, I noticed the pavement was wet. It had just poured in town, but since we stopped for those few minutes at the top of the hill, we missed the rain completely. We rode into town clanging the cow bell and whopping and hollering, happy to be “home” after a long, full, and exciting day.

-Cap

Today we continued our trek in Ohio. The morning consisted of the usual chores and bike duties necessary to the trip. At this point, I am on cooler duty. This means that I work with coolers. Essentially, with the help of my other formidable chore members, we strategically place food in the coolers so everything fits. Also, we have to remove the cold food and place it in the refrigerator whenever we arrive at our host. We are also in charge of filling the Gatorade and water coolers. Since we create Gatorade by mixing the powder with water, it is both an art and science. As the trip’s current Gatorade chef, I take my job seriously. Too much water or too much mix can ruin the drink. The stakes are high. My first couple attempts did not go over well, but things have improved as of late. I now have almost perfected the powder to water ratio and I can see the positive impact it is having on the team’s morale. Some chefs focus their culinary skills on grilling; others on baking. I have chosen Gatorade making.

As sweep my job is to stay in the back and make sure everything goes smoothly. My partner and I are equipped with an extra tire, a first aid kit, and a cowbell. Nothing else is required. At mile 10, we came upon a group of riders. One of our riders’ chains broke and they could no longer ride. I took a gander at her bike chain and immediately knew that I had no idea how to fix it. It was neither the trip nor the derailleur. I bent down and touched the chain and pretended to know what I was looking at. After making very general comments about chains and biking (so as not to be contradicted) we called our trip leader who was driving the van that day. Stephanie came to help us and fixed the chain. I continued to make ambiguous bicycling statements so others knew I was there to help. Eventually the situation was fixed and we rode on. Sarah had more bike problems immediately after. Her chain broke again so we decided that it would be best for her to get in the van and head to a bike shop. Afterwards, we continued our ride.

The rest of the day went smoothly. We stopped and ate lunch. Most of the other riders had already eaten and left. Generally, when one arrives at lunch very late they miss out on all the delicacies from the night before. That was my biggest fear upon arrival. Fortunately, the other riders foolishly missed the pasta buried deep in one of the cold coolers. (One of the perks of being on cooler duty is knowing where all the food is located. I can also strategically place the really prime food in more difficult to find locations so as to avoid detection by other riders. This rarely succeeds because lunchtime is more similar to a feeding frenzy than to a casual eating experience).

At around mile 75 I came upon a hill outside Wellstone. I traded my sweep position with another rider because they had to stay at the bike shop for a while longer. As a result, I was riding by myself. At about midway up the hill, I hear barking noises. I casually look down and see two rottweilers, one on each side of me. I panic. I swear. I panic some more. I look at my odometer and I am cycling at the rapid pace of about 7 miles per hour. Fortunately, the owner of the dogs calls them off and they leave me alone. I arrive at dinner and am delighted to see deviled eggs, meatballs, and corn bread provided by our generous hosts. I ask the maker of the corn bread for the recipe and she gave it to me. Not much happened for the rest of the evening. Life is good and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s ride.

- Mark Green (aka Noodle)

June 26th, Day 16
Parsons, WV to Weston, WV

Before leaving Parsons, WV the hosts provided a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, homemade biscuits and gravy, homemade honey, and coffee. We had a slow start, but that's ok since we only had to ride 60 miles. We spent the first fifteen miles on a bike path. It was great to get a break from riding along side all the cars. Once we were back on the road we found some black raspberries, so we decided to stop for a snack/stretch break. The house we were in front of a had a huge dog standing at the top of the driveway. We asked the owner what breed the dog was and she simply responded, "wolf." It was huge, but calm and well-behaved. It seemed that most houses we past had a few dogs, but fortunately for us, they were behind fences or on leashes.

We rolled into lunch around 12:30 and hung out under an overpass below the highway. It was a really great lunch spot and the tarp was spread out perfect for naps! After everyone got their fair share of peanut butter & jelly, we hit the road again at 2:00 and carried on until we stopped at a bike shop called Fat Tire Bicycles. It was across the street from a Dairy Queen and had a solid selection of gear, so we stayed for a few hours while everyone either got fit or found gear to solve their problems. The owners were very friendly and helped everyone out. We finished the remaining fifteen miles to the host and got in around 6:00. We took the van to showers and cleaned up for dinner, which the hosts provided.They set up an awesome burrito bar, complete with veggies, salsa, and corn chips. Everyone ate way too much and thoroughly enjoyed the food. One of the chore groups did laundry while others cleaned their bins and bikes and eventually got ready for bed. All in all it was a wonderful day, and only 60 miles!

- Paul and Stephanie

The view is always better at the top. As we crested the last hill, after 95 miles, after thirteen hours on the bike, the sunset was awesome.

Of course, we didn't expect to see the sun set on the bikes last Thursday. We knew it would be a challenge: our first big jump in mileage, difficult terrain, 90 degree heat and threat of 50 mph winds threw up red flags all over the group. I did my best to minimize the hype, but the rumor mill churned and by evening I was drinking the kool-aid. I had trouble getting to sleep.

At first lunch, a local rolled up on a motorcycle (no helmet, shame!), and repeated the warnings of big winds and heavy rain. Like the postman, we bike in the wind and rain, so we soldiered on. It turned out to be more noise than signal, but a little shower would have been quite alright.

Of course, our worry about the heat, mountains, and distance was warranted. The day was much harder than we all expected. Those that finished have a notch on our belts, and those that challenged themselves know a little more about their limits. We all learned something.

- Zach

The Adventures of Drew and Kristie… Today was a good day, a hot day but good. We started off with a wonderful breakfast compliments of Larry and the First Assembly of God Church . Larry told us stories of his baseball days and sent us of with a wonderful blessing. He is coming up with recipes for next years group, and if it tops our meals they are in for a treat. Drew and I set of and had some good convo as the beginning of the day went pretty fast. Zach found a lunch place by a waterfall in a small town where we gorged ourselves with sandwiches and fruit.

After lunch we waited a good 1/2 an hour for the last group to leave and then we set off for an afternoon full of entertaining surprises. The first stop in the afternoon was at a grocery store that had some incredible deals. We stopped here when we saw the pile of bikes out front. Entering the store was a bit of a scene as Drew, wearing the cow bell on his Camelback, tripped over a low railing and almost fell. The wild ringing of the bell (which will be very important later in the day) drew a lot attention from everyone in the store.

After some shopping we set off again and had a few more miles of some nice peaceful riding in the heat. After about another 10 miles we caught up with the back of the pack and were riding along when we looked back and saw a rider off in the distance. We knew that we hadn’t passed anybody on the road, so we thought that it must have just been a local. A few more minutes went by and all if a sudden we hear “I’m sorry!” It actually was one of our riders that has a propensity for falling asleep anywhere. Turns out she heard the ringing of the cow bell and woke up from her sleep in an Adirondack chair outside of a general store.

One other comical portion of the afternoon ride was when we were pulling up to a red light and one of the riders rode up ahead and started to sing “Hakuna Matata” of Lion King fame. As he did this his bike came to a stop, he kept singing, and his bike started to tip over. As this happened he tried to frantically pull his foot out of the clip and that just made him fall faster. We were on a road with a wide shoulder so he was far from danger. As he fell we all erupted into laughter, including him lying on the ground.

The last few miles of the day were relatively uneventful and we rolled in to Chambersburg in a pretty timely manner. All in all another great day with a lot of time to bond and get to know one another better,

Love,
Kristie & Drew

Today’s ride was really great. We left Schuylkill Haven, PA and rode out to Harrisburg, PA. We woke up refreshed and ready to go after an excellent dinner provided by our hosts in Schuylkill. It was really touching to see how excited they were to have us in their town and put us up for the night.

Connor and I took our time hanging in the back and soaked up the scenery. We passed through the first true corn and wheat fields that spanned miles at a time. We ran into a slight detour which is always a little frustrating because you know it will add extra miles. But fortunately this detour was a bonus! We rode through some great landscape and ended up riding through Indiantown where there was a military base. We got to see all the helicopters, vehicles, and soldiers that belonged to that training camp.

After lunch we set out with an excitement as we knew we would be riding through Hershey, PA. We all wanted some chocolate! Some of us stopped at the Hershey amusement park and others went to the museum to learn about the history. It was quite exciting to drive through and see the foundation of Hershey.

We ended the 60.5 mile ride in about 4 hours and 20 minutes after climbing 4,036 feet. The last 8 miles of the ride had some steep hills that we had to climb up and boy – by the time we got to the host for that night we were exhausted! I can safely say we all slept soundly!

- Nicole S.

The morning ride was great with beautiful terrain. The entire group ended up taking a wrong road and going an extra few miles so we ended up beating them to lunch. Its very unusual for the sweep to beat the riders into lunch. For lunch we ended up at Dingmans Ferry. Most of the riders got into the lake there and had a skipping stone contest. After lunch we finished out a mostly flat route into the city. I stopped at a bike store about 3 miles from the host and picked up a USA flag cycling hat. I call it my freedom cap.

We rolled into Stroudsburg, PA and stayed at the Main St First Presbyterian church located in the heart of the city. One of the hosts had a special relationship with affordable housing and shared an amazing story. The town had lots of interesting shops and things to see. After a great dinner and presentation with the host, we went out on the town for some relaxation. We returned later in the night to host a dance party in the back of the church parking lot.

- Joel

73.7 miles, Danbury, CT to Middletown , NY

Most mornings I wake up feeling like my body has been tenderized, then frozen over night. The morning miles burn and ache, and my hamstrings struggle to regain their rhythm. That said, it’s all totally worth it. Our ride from Danbury to Middletown began with a very nice send-off from the United Methodist Church where we stayed last night. The youth group fundraised to provide us with an amazing dinner of burgers, homemade pulled pork sliders, and homemade veggie burgers, followed by an endless array of desserts. After our presentation about Bike and Build, we had the chance to listen to Jessica, a member of the church’s youth group talk about the work that they do volunteering through the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), where they help rebuild homes in West Virginia.

- M. Ellen

HI!!! So, today! It was a special day! For two reasons!
1) I get the cowbell! Because I’m sweep! With Melon (Mary Ellen)!
2) We get to go to Middletown! The town I grew up in! As a child! Hooray!

Anywho, the ride was long and along the way Melon and I had to deal with a variety of problems including two of my own flat tires, depressing… (PUN). It made me soooo tired (PUN). Getting to Middletown was amazing though. David, from the church, offered to drive me to my old house so I could see it for a minute. Getting out of the car I saw my old neighbor, Joe. It took him a minute to recognize me, but seeing his face when he realized it was me was fantastic. We wound up talking and just catching up for something like 3 hours, while I missed dinner and showers. Then I went to bed. THE END.

- Kevin M Goring

Wow Connecticut, you have hills! I was sweep today with Lindsay N. and we went at quite the slow pace to ensure that we were in fact the last riders of the day. So, cowbell and all, we set off and were shockingly slow but it wasn’t too bad because we had some excellent company. Drew, Chris, and Kevin decided to stick with us the whole day and we added on to our group number as the day went on.

The first ten miles or so were almost too easy but as soon as the hills started rolling they wouldn’t quit. There were a few moments where we nearly took some wrong turns but luckily people were leaving us messages with sidewalk chalk along the route. Then there was the hill (and I mean THE hill). The steepness was actually unbelievable. I still don’t know if I am convinced – it was a challenge for sure. The road was winding up and up and up and up at what seemed to be a 90 degree angle. At one point we were going so slow I think a couple of us were moving backwards. At the very top there was a sign claiming it to be Holiday Hill. Funny joke – it was no holiday. But, hey… we did it! We all did it. That’s a morale booster right there.

We pressed on and made it to our lovely, shady lunch spot and met the group (who had been there for a while). Laura had some rockin’ tunes playing and we danced our way in line for some PB and J and leftovers. There were some awesome folks at the church nearby who let us use there bathrooms (donation magic comes in many forms). And after lunch we set out for – you guessed it – another hill. It wasn’t too steep and we actually got to ride a great downhill for a while afterwards. We kept spinning and spinning and eventually found our way to the awesome host site around 4:45. The United Methodist Church in Danbury set us up for the night and it was great. The youth group there took care of us cyclists and made us feel right at home. We laughed and swapped stories and even had time to play an entertaining game of Apples to Apples with a big group. I think everyone went to bed early.

Fun, fun, fun.

-Megan H.