Training, Training Training

Mt Diablo from my house

Right now it is all about training and these photographs of Mt. Diablo (or Mt D).  Mt. D is important to us with its 3,800 ft of elevation that we climb on a regular basis to train for the upcoming cross country ride.

Looking at my house? from the Mt. D Ranger station

We know that the climb there will prepare us for the climbs we will encounter heading east across the country.  And climbing this mountain is much more fun than riding the trainer or working out at 24 Hr Fitness.

Training Update: Rain or Not, But Preferably Not.

 Our training now is riding in the hills surrounding our area. This time of year the hills are so beautiful on a clear day like today. We don't ride far to see vistas like these in Dublin, California.

 

Training during the winter has its challenges and setbacks. We have had rain on our training days, and we will not start a training ride in the rain partly for safety, but mostly because we don't have to. During our cross country adventure, riding in the rain is likely to happen at some point, and unfortunately, it won't be an option. We are on track and excited.

We are raising funds for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation:
www.lazarex.org

Contributions
crowd rise.com/oldspokesoutridingcancer

Thank you for your support.
#oldspokesoutridingcancer

Marks Bike Getting New Parts

Last years ride to LA was not without mechanical problems.

To avoid mechanical trouble on the rode during this epic 4000 mile ride I'm preparing my bike with new parts, special components, tires, bar tape, and the list goes on.  The bike will be almost new when we start the ride, and with good thoughts, and prayers it should see me all the way to the East Coast problem free.

My touring bike is like an SUV longer, heavier, and more comfortable to ride rather than my road bike that is more like a sports car lighter, faster, and stiffer feeling every bump in the road. On any cross country ride there is always adventure in things that happen on the road good, bad, and ugly. By starting with a mechanicaly sound bike the mechanical adventure can be tamed to a dull roar.

To donate please click on the link below.

Crowdrise.com/oldspokesoutridingcancer

What Route Will We Take?

A big question still unanswered as of January 18, 2016 is what route will we take across the country. Due to the El Nino weather conditions in Northern California this year we are predicting heavy snows in the mountains between Pioneer, CA and Pueblo, CO. In order for us to consider this route April 1st the weather conditions would have to be above freezing at the high elevations, and snow removed from the shoulders of the roads. We would be riding primarily through the center of the country.

We have  another route that takes us through the southern states leaving from San Diego, CA. This route will have plenty of desert to occupy our time for the first month or so, and reasonable temperatures to St. Augustine, Fl then turning north to Washington DC.  We will make a final decision by mid March.

www.crowdrise.com/oldspokesoutridingcancer

Outfitting the Touring Bike

 
My Fuji Touring bike has been outfitted with new panniers, Brooks leather saddle, handle bar bag, tires, and pedals. This bike was built to absorb the bumpy, uneven road surfaces and carrying larger loads by having a longer wheelbase, steel frame, larger tires, and 36 heavy duty spokes in each wheel.

Training has begun to Benecia on the Bridge to Bridge

The training has begun for our ride across the USA.  The above photo is from our 70+ mile bridge to bridge ride today. See our smiling faces? We are excited and will train from now until April 1, 2016.  We will embark on this journey from the Bay Area if the weather permits or head down to San Diego to start the 4,000+ mile ride on April 1, 2016 .

We have been talking to friends and family with the usual concerns and a bunch of support for this epic ride.  We know our ability to ride and know our limits.  In fact, we have ridden several multi-day rides from San Ramon To Monterey, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and San Diego.  Also, we have ridden from San Francisco to Santa Monica for the Aids Foundation.  We have ridden from Truckee, California to Crater Lake Oregon and from Astoria Oregon to the Bay Area.   We know that if we train almost everyday we will be in great shape to do this, even at our ages; Mark 57 and Terry 66.

Another important preparation for the ride is all of the stuff we will need along the way. We have a list of everything from tires, brake pads, extra tubes, CO2 cartridges, lube, tools, spokes, extra bike lights, panniers (saddle bags), handle bar bags, butt butter, rain gear, first aid gear, duct tape, and all sorts of clothing for cold, heat, rain, snow, camping gear (just in case), on-bike nutrition supplements and water.  All of this is in addition to the usual stuff needed for any trip.    

Luckily Carol, my wife, will be driving the SUV as a service vehicle for us.  That is a big deal because we will not need to carry everything on our bikes. We plan to be somewhat self supportive during the day by carrying essentials in the bags on the bikes. This will enable Carol to check into hotels and do some sight seeing along the way.

Oh yes, the bikes.  Mark and I have 2 bikes each. We have carbon low weight bikes that we ride all the time around the bay area and for shorter multi-day trips that are supported by a spouse, a friend or the  charity that is managing the ride.  Also, we have touring bikes that are more sturdy and can carry the panniers and some light luggage. We will take the touring bikes. Those will receive new tires and a tune up before leaving that will include checking chains, cables, brakes, derailleurs, and so on.

With all the above said we are doing this ride in partnership with The Lazarex Cancer Foundation who will help us and will receive the funds that everyone will donate for cancer research and the care of late stage cancer patients.  Their website is here.  To donate in support of our ride go to our website by clicking here.  TERRY AND MARK OUT RIDING CANCER.

Your donations mean the world to us and will be appreciated by both of us and all the people that will benefit from your kindness.

Thank you so very much for reading this and donating to support our trip.

Our Training

December 2015 our training began in earnest. January has seen more rain days than dry days so our training rides have not been as consistent as we would like at this point. We are hoping for dryer days ahead. We are fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have a multitude of world class cycling roads to train on. Our training is planned to have us ready by April first and will look like this. Keep in mind that we ride year round and are not starting from scratch. January we will work on building in base miles at 150 miles per week. February we will work in hill climbing and increase our mileage to 175 miles per week. March we will continue with our hills and increase to 200 miles per week. The last week of March will be a recovery week off the bikes so we can start this cross country ride fresh on April 1st.

Carol (Terry's wife) will be our SAG driver or as we like to call her "Our Road Angel" for the entire 4000 miles. She will be with us in a support vehicle, taking pictures, securing lodging, cheering us on, watching out for our safety, and helping with navigation. We are all easy going people and compatible travelers having completed many cross country rides together. This ride however is our first ride across the United States and will bring challenges with weather, road conditions, bicycle maintenance, physical, and emotional strain on our bodies all of which we will find a way to overcome.

Please click on the link below to make a contribution. Your generous gift is very much appreciated.

Terry & Mark

DONATE

Purpose for Our Ride

In April Terry Cunningham and I (the Old Spokes) will embark on a journey to Out Ride Cancer by cycling 4,000 miles across the country from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Both Terry and I have personally been affected by cancer, and we felt compelled to make this trip meaningful by helping advanced stage cancer patients in their fight to find lifesaving cancer treatments and to advance the research for the prevention and cure of all types of cancer.

By partnering with the Lazarex Cancer Foundation our ride has much more meaning and purpose by giving hope and life to many late stage cancer patients. You can support our quest by making a donation to the Lazarex Cancer Foundation.

Join us in helping with this cause. We will greatly appreciate any amount, and thank you for your support. Please click on the link below to make a contribution.

Regards,
Mark and Terry

https://www.crowdrise.com/OldSpokesOutRidingCancer