Day 61, Pittsburg, KS

Miles – 0

Miles From Start/To Finish – 2,763/1,582

Ave Riding Speed – 0 mph

Hours Start to Finish – 0

Weather – Mostly Cloudy and 91

We’ve been on the road for 61 days now. Wow, the last 2 months have gone by fast! Our daily statistics to-date below are pretty close to what we had planned for so far:

Actual rest days – 10

Projected rest days – 9

Actual average “riding” miles per day – 54

Projected average “riding: miles per day – 55

Actual average miles per day – 45

Projected average miles per day – 47

Tentative days remaining – 35

Projected days remaining – 29

Here are some questions my daughter has been compiling from friends and co-workers and our responses. We will likely have different responses after the trip is over and we’ve had to reflect and digest it all:

1.What gear has held up? Anything that’s already worn out or getting worn down?

Our gear, bikes, saddlebags, clothes and camping, has held up very well. Our Schwalbe Mondial tires, that came new with our 2019 Koha Sutra bicycles, had about 1,500 miles on them before we started our TransAmerica adventure and fundraiser. We knew we would have to change them out during the trip at some point. The fact that I got over 4,000 miles on mine is pretty great. The fact that Km’s are still going is awesome. We’ll need to change hers tires out in the next couple of weeks. I wore out and shredded a pair of padded riding undershorts and tossed them a week ago.

2. Athletically – is your daily ride more of a muscle/strength game or cardio? You guys are so fit I wonder if it even feels like cardio.

The toughest part of the day-today riding was, initially, the muscle/strength and building that up. Kim had a harder time dealing with the elevations in the 7,000-11,500 feet. I’ve had the most difficulty with the pressure points where my body connects with my bike; numb fingers and sore hands mostly. I have adjusted the front of my seat up a couple degrees, concentrating on good hand positioning and exercising and massaging my fingers and hands at the end of the day.

3. Do you ever ride side by side or is it always 1 in front of the other. If 1 in front of the other, is there a routine you have of who goes where?

We normally ride one in front of the other. The roads seem have tended to 2-lane with little or no shoulder. It’s hard to hear trafficking coming from behind us and we can’t adjust from side-by-side quick enough. Riding one in front of the other is good etiquette and the safest. We have ridden side by side, occasionally, when we are on a road with no traffic.

4. If you had to guess, what’s oldest age person you’ve met/crossed paths with doing the route? Youngest person?

The oldest riders doing the TranAm that we’ve come across have been in there late 60’s. The oldest riders we’ve seen who were just out riding the roads were just turning 80.

5. Best investment item/gear you have with you?

We are really happy with all of our gear. We researched everything we bought for the trip. The Ortlieb panniers we outfitted are bikes with were a great investment. They are simple, sturdy and waterproof. Our Kona Sutra bikes are doing what they are supposed to and lived up to their touring ability. With anything that you want to last, you need to take care of it, clean it. We’ve changed out our chains once and we wipe our gear and bikes down when they get dirty.

6. Have you eaten bugs accidentally while riding?

Swallowing a small bug once in a while has happened. It reminds us to ride with our mouths shut and breath through our nose.

7. Any place you’ve passed through or stopped at that you’d consider visiting again?

We’ve kept a list of places that we’d like to visit again, so far. Kim would like to spend time in Oregon on the coast. The small towns along the Pacific were laid back and the people were super cool. I would like to see more of Idaho. The scenery was spectacular and maybe try some fishing.

8. How are you getting along? If willing to share!

Kim and I are getting along great. There were some moments early on when Kim was mentally tired and frustrated with some of the climbing. At those moments I tried to say nothing or tried to hand out some encouragement. After 60 days on the road, we both have gotten into a routine of who does what when we’re not riding. Kim focuses on things that are the most important to her like where we’re going to stay, finding water, food and washing our clothes. I tend to focus on more of the bikes, gear and riding areas.

9. What’s 1 highlight of something you’re each proud of yourselves about on this trip? Like maybe a particular area of mental growth, physical strength, a skill you’ve improved, something that’s gotten easier for you, etc.

It’s all about one pedal stroke at a time. Riding 50 or 60 miles one time may not seem like much, but doing it every day is more about mental strength versus physical strength.

10. What’s something you really look forward to each day, in your daily routine/agenda?

Things that we may have taken for granted in the past are what we look forward to each day, like a shower and sleeping in a bed. Kim is forward thinking when it comes to staying hydrated and fueled so she makes sure we are stocked up and makes that a part of her daily routine. I like the clean look of our rides. We both really enjoy meeting the people along our route when we stop for water or a snack. Everyone has been really interesting and fun to talk to.

The picture is of one of the biker friendly signs along the Kansas bike route. Drivers and folks in Kansas have been accommodating and awesome!