Gear

Monday, July 4, 2011

Ye Olde Two Month Update

Some would call it 61 days, others would call it 2 months. No matter your vocular of choice, I have cycled from Burlington, Vermont to Boulder, Colorado. Who would have thunk it? I suppose I would since its sorta what I had planned. But not really. When I left Burlington I didn’t think I'd be coming south to Boulder, I had thought I would be cycling across Wyoming. Thankfully that idea was scrapped. And so many Bingler's are asking how its been going, what have been highlights, lowlights, stats, etc etc? So many questions my little Binglets, and since I have so much time, I can answer some of them.

But first, an important topic needs to be discussed. Its something I haven't talked about in this blog, only a little in letters to a friend. Its about food. In particular, animal based food. We all know that living vegan is the 100% only correct way to live, but what happens when your diet is put to the strains of location, phsyical demands, and extreme lusting of ice cream? You get a mental war if you's be's me's. As the saying goes, “Go Vegan or Go Home”. I do not and will never eat the flesh of an animal, but I have been eating, sometimes out of necessity from the kindness of my hosts, and sometimes of my own choice, some animal by-product food such as ice cream, dairy, and eggs. And really, these food items are absolutely equal in the suffering they cause the sentient beings they come from as meat. And this is really hard for me. Can I expect those willing to host me, already going out of their way to show me kindness, to sometimes rack their brains about cooking a way they know nothing about? Is it so bad to every once in a while to have dairy or eggs in my food? Maybe yes, maybe no. The real problem, and what has been hardest on me, is when it's done by deliberate choice. Lordy I crave ice cream, or at least I think I do. Because after wards, was it really that good, was it really worth the money or the mental back and forth I go through after wards? It never is. But it is and perhaps will be something I continue to struggle with on my journey, and I hope to be able to share more on this important topic for me with my compassionate Binglers as time marches on.

But now its time, drum roll please, for the TWO MONTH CYCLING STATSITICS:
Left Burlington, Vermont May 3rd – arrived Boulder, Colorado July 3rd.
61 days: 55 days cycling, 6 days rest
3,425.1 miles cycled
62.2 average miles per day
Longest mile day: 105.98 miles
Longest cycling day: 9 hours, 9 minutes
8 National Parks/Monuments/Lakeshores: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Pictured Rocks, Apostle Islands, Pipestone, Badlands, Minuteman, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave
One broken spoke
Countless Nomad flats
Thee rear tire flats
One fall
One bear, one wolf, one moose
19 free/wild/stealth camping
7 paid camping
22 warmshower
11 couchsurfing
2 other hosts
8 states: Vermont, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota,Wyoming and Colorado
2 Countries: USA and Canada
7 jars of peanut butter

Highlights include cycling along Lake Michigan, the bike trails in Minnesota, the Badlands and Black Hills, and riding into Boulder yesterday knowing it was my last day riding with the trailer. Many highlights await. Lowlights include mid-Michigan, South Dakota, and eastern Wyoming. Blah. I have revised and revised again possible routes forward for the next two months, and I am slowly getting a better picture of how I might go, with a few spots still up for debate. Idaho really throws me for a loop. But, it looks like I might ride Glacier in Montana the opposite way I had originally planned, I think I'll go east to west across, then drop down maybe into Missoula? Who knows?

During my sabbatical in Boulder I'll take care of bike stuff and will soon post some before and after pictures of my steel steed, Eduardo, in all his glory. Hope you have all enjoyed the journey so far, and thanks to everyone who reads and comments. I look forward to continue sharing my journey and hope you all stick along for the ride.

2 comments:

One-Leg Chris said...

Where was John Galt Drive? I'm a little starstruck by this sign...

i read bsnyc's account of the vegan de france. i bet you loved that. not that this will help, coming from a heathen like me, but don't be too hard on yourself. i think this is what i'm most scared of at this point: getting enough good calories while biking so hard with the likes of you. you better get your resistance up, or you'll be eating cheeseburgers before i'm done with you.

only one broken spoke? three rear flats? not too shabby. eduardo takes good care of you...

heading up to vt later this week. i'll munch some heady bacon and maple creemee for you. i'll call soon.

say hi to jamie for me

Tami Tripp said...

Chris and I enjoyed meeting you in the Black Hills. It was great listening to you talk about your adventure! Our son is allergic to dairy and eggs. He is what I call a "Meat eating vegan...:)" He eats many vegan foods but still eats meat too. I know there isn't really such a thing but my real point is we have tried many ice cream substitutes. Coconut milk ice cream rocks big time! We also do sorbet and it's MUCH better than ice cream in my opinion. You just need to change your view when you're at the ice cream shop...peek around until you find the sorbet. You won't be disappointed.

Good Luck on your adventure!