2guys1biketrip.com

On May 28th, I dipped my rear bicycle tire in the Atlantic Ocean at Bar Harbor, Maine.

On August 8th, (78 days later) I dipped my front tire in the Puget Sound at Everett, Washington.

While this trip has been one of the most valuable experiences in my life, it’s also been a long, hard journey. I am infinitely grateful for my family, friends, and to the scores of strangers who helped me along my way. And, of course, to my donors—helping to make this world a better place for those with Multiple Sclerosis. Thank you!

After leaving Missoula, I took it relatively slow on my way into Idaho (it was my birthday gift to myself). On August 4th, I climbed Thompson Pass into Murray, ID. That night I met up with the Coeur D’Alene bicycle trail in Kingston, ID.

On August 5th, I woke up just after 04:00, and hit the road just as the sun was rising. That day I rode 80.34 miles to Spokane, Washington by 15:30. I took a long break, called some family, and rode another 20 miles before the sunlight was completely extinguished.

I rode 102.02 miles on August 5th.
I rode 100.25 miles on August 6th.
I rode 102.49 miles on August 7th.
I rode ~80 miles on August 8th.

This was, by far, the most miles I’ve ever covered in 4 days by bicycle. When I finally dipped my tire in the Puget Sound, my back was aching, my knees were buckling, and several parts of my body were badly chafed.

I rode highway 2 all the way to the its end in Everett, WA. I dipped my tire, got a local reading on the beach to take my victory photo, and hopped a bus down to visit my buddy Brian K in Seattle before his flight home.

That night and the following day I stayed in Bar Harbor with family. I spent another 2 days in Seattle. After sightseeing, I boxed & shipped my gear & bicycle home, and I caught a flight back to the east coast.

Here’s the photos I took in North Dakota.

Here’s the first half of the photos I took in Montana.

Here’s the second half of the photos I took in Montana.

Here’s the photos I took in Idaho.

And, finally, here’s my photos from Washington.

Be sure to checkout my photos section to see all the photos I took from both my trips in 2010 (Savannah, GA to San Francisco, CA) and 2011 (Bar Harbor, Maine to Seattle, Washington).

Also, HD vids

Sorry for the lack of update. So much has happened (good & bad) since my last post. Malta was the last of my tailwinds.

After Malta, I fought daily, brutal headwinds that dropped me to ~50 mi/day—slowing my transition from the Montana plains into the Rocky Mountains to a 7mph crawl along the flats for an annoyingly long stretch.

A awesome local family in Cut Bank shared their home with me (ty!), and I rode a 72 mile stretch with no water services up into Cardston, Alberta—crossing the Canadian border at Del Bonita.

The next morning I rode with Gord, a local Canadian cyclist training for a randonneur through France until Mountain View, Alberta. I then proceeded to climb Chef Mountain Pass (my first Rocky Mountain Climb since Colorado) back over the US Border, crossing from Waterton Lakes National Park into Glacier National Park. Halfway up I met another tourist who was on her way to LA for a flight back home to Britain after an 8-month-long holiday.

That night I made it to Babb. When I arrived, my knees were buckling as I tried to walk through the local convenient store—hungry, thirsty, & exhausted from climbing Chief Mountain. As I ate dinner in Babb, it got dark & cold fast. I decided to skip the last 9 miles to St May (the start of the “Going To The Sun” road).

The next morning I was on a time limit; a cyclist restriction on the tourist road means I had to be up to the top of Logan Pass (~2,000 feet climb) by 11:00. I woke up at 05:00, hit the road by 06:00, ate breakfast in St Mary at 06:45, and started my climb up the pass by 08:00.

A few miles in, I turned into Rising Sun to get enough food to hold me over for the climb. Parked outside the convenient store was a beautiful. blue 1970s Schwinn lightly loaded with 2 rear Ortlieb panniers. This is where I met Joel.

Joel just finished 4 years of school in NYC, and he was cycling home to Seattle. We rode together for a few days before splitting off in Kalispell, MT. I went south off-route to Missoula, and he stuck to hwy 2 toward Seattle. Joel & I agreed: cycling “Going To The Sun” road in Glacier Park, MT was perhaps the most fun thing we’ve ever done in our entire lives.

We crossed the Continental Divide over Logan Pass at 6,664 ft. We took a break at the Logan Pass Visitors Center before proceeding down our 3,000 ft decent, carving down cliff sides with spectacular river valley views. The road was still under construction, so it was (mostly) a slow decent, with constant, amazing vistas. ...and I got it all via HD helmet cam

My stove’s fuel pump started leaking in Kalispell, so I rode down hwy 83 (a magnificent road through the Swan Valley, following the Swan River—located in-between the Mission Mountain Range and the Swan Mountain Range) to Missoula—poorly fueled by a diet of PB&Js and water. During my ride, I was leepfrogging a couple cyclists that were riding south following the Great Divide by street, and I met a few cycle-tourists coming up from Missoula.

Highway 83 ended at hwy 200—39 miles east of Missoula. My ride in was slow & lethargic, but high on hopes—with a pleasant downhill for the last ~20 miles. I’ve been couchsurfing in Missoula for a couple days. My first day in Missoula, I had a chance to visit 1 of the 7 bike shops in town for a new tire & tube, visit the Adventure Cycling Headquarters, fix my stove with help from the local hiker shop’s staff, and chill pretty hard by the river flowing snow-met through the valley.

Anyway, Missoula’s been great, but I’ve got to get up early tomorrow to finish off these last ~600 mi—that is if I want to be in Seattle in 9 days.

Yesterday I rode 120 miles, riding a sick tail wind into Malta, MT.

Just as I was getting into town (~118 mi in), I had my first flat of the tour. The unlucky happening is that this flat occurred in Malta—an area the locals tell me is the mosquito capital of the world. I don’t know about . . . → Read More: Accidental Rest Day in Malta, MT

I’m back in Rory’s kitchen. Last night they brought 30 squirrel fans into the cleared-out building. 4 huge dehumidifiers running with the fans heated up & sucked 4 trash cans 1/5 full of water from the air & bare-bone, wood frame of the building. They sucked the mold-ridden water out from the basement, and we demoed . . . → Read More: New Photos & Videos Uploaded

I’m in Minot, ND right now.

Yesterday I broke a spoke in Minnewaukan—just 2 days after I broke 2 spokes, hitchhiked 40 miles, and was barely able to get my wheel true.

The spoke I broke snapped at the elbow. It wasn’t caused by a bump in the road, but it occurred while rounding a turn at ~4 . . . → Read More: New Wheel

I’m in Sheyenne, ND. I’ve been anticipating an amazon order shipped to the local USPS in this town for days, but when I arrived the postmaster told me he just gave it back for return delivery to the UPS truck a few hours earlier: “sorry, I held it for 3 days as a courtesy.” (every other . . . → Read More: Yep, I’m solo (again)

I’m in Muscatine, IA. Today was a rough, rainy (though short) day. We crossed the Mississippi into Iowa just before this town. As the rain was going to continue through the night, Don made a last minute change to our campground plans and put us in a Comfort Inn for the night. Thanks Don!

The Internet is . . . → Read More: Photos up-to-date

A few days ago I was passing through Foresman, Indiana—a relatively small town before the Illinois border. I was shocked to see Rose Acre Farms’ Hen Factory Farm. I visited their facility consisting of 12×2-story sheds, each with 7 rows of floor-to-ceiling cages, each approximately longer than a football field. Video below:

In June 2010, the US . . . → Read More: Egg Factory Farm

Today was another long day. We crossed into Illinos from Indiana, but there wasn’t a sign for either—which is doubly unfortunate because Indiana lacked a sign as well. The good news: no broken spokes!

Tonight we’re staying in perhaps the most unusual site yet. We’re staying at a park that just happens to be having their annual . . . → Read More: No Broken Spokes!

Today was a rough day. At 98 miles, it was our first century for those of us who have difficulty sticking precisely to the route the entire day (which is to say: most of us). Unfortunately, we discovered another broken spoke in my rear wheel mid ride today. That’s after fixing 3 broken spokes yesterday—no fun. . . . → Read More: Another Broken Spoke on Century Day