Rusty Crank Coast to Coast Bicycle Tour across the USA on the ACA TransAM Route

• Introduction • Gear List • Shakedown Ride Day #1 • Shakedown Ride Day #2 • The Drive to Yorktown • TransAm Day #1 Yorktown to Glendale, VA - Virginia is spoiling me • TransAm Day #2 Glendale VA to Mineral VA - 82 miles of beautiful riding and I beat the rain • TransAm Day #3 Mineral VA to Charlottesville VA - Here come the hills • TransAm Day #4 Charlottesville VA to Love VA - I've conquered Afton Mountain 💥🎉🚴‍♂️ • TransAm Day #5 Love, VA - Buchanan, VA - The other side of the ridge • TransAm Day #6 Buchanan, VA - Christiansburg, VA - Hot day with steep Virginia grades • TransAm Day #7 Christiansburg, VA - Wytheville, VA - These hills • TransAm Day #8 Wytheville, VA - Damascus, VA - Reunited #TeamR2S conquers Hurricane Mountain • TransAm Day #9 Damascus, VA - Breaks, VA - The Triplets of Belleville • TransAm Day #10 Breaks, VA - Hindman, KY - We caught up with the pack • TransAm Day #11 Hindman, KY - Booneville, KY - Day of the attack dogs • Tr...

WEIGHT • Bike + gear (incl water) 93.4lbs • Bike 34lbs • Gear (incl water) 59.4 lbs • Front left (weather/cards+stickers/power pack) 9.2 lbs • Front right (tools/medical) 9.2 lbs • handlebar bag 4.8 lbs • seat bag 1lb • Rear left (book/clothing)  8.5 lbs • Rear right (maps/clothing/food) 8.5 lbs • Luggage bag (camping) 12.2 lbs • Water/lock 6 lbs EQUIPMENT LIST BIKE • Surly Long Haul Trucker 64cm frame 700mm wheels • DT SWISS TK540 36H 7 rear  rim w/ M99 spokes • modified 11-34 cassette • modified 22-32-44 chain ring • Brooks B67 Saddle • Continental Contact II Reflex Bike Tires • Shimano PD-M324 dual sided pedals • Tubus Cargo Evo Rear Rack • Tubus Tara Front Rack • Planet Bike Cascadia bike fenders - 700mm x 45mm • Bontrager gel cork Handlebar tape • 3 Water Bottle Cages • Lezyne Air pump mount • CatEye - Volt 300 Rechargeable Headlight (mounted to front rack with with hose clamps and 1” wooden dowel) • CatEye ...

Shakedown Ride Day #1 May 7, 2018 Brooklyn to Harriman - 65 Miles Ride Time 6.5 Hours Total 65 Miles details at: http://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180507-1154 I began the ride shortly before noon, after taking Blanka to Charlotte’s House (which should count as an extra 10 miles). Seven hours later, I’m laying in my hammock listening to the birds chirp as I eat granola and apples. The nearest restaurant is 5 miles down an enormous hill. There’s no way I’m going back down there for warm food and beer. I’m exhausted and sore. The end of the ride was frustrating having gotten lost and going an extra 15 miles. I had map problems and gps problems. One of my biggest difficulties is not being able to read the gps because of my crappy vision. The magnifier I bought didn’t work. My reading glasses are tricking putting and off on while riding, and I loathe constantly stopping- which I really need to do, until I get a better solution worked out. There’s nothing more aggrav...

Shakedown Ride Day #2 May 8, 2018 Harriman to Brooklyn - 54 Miles Ride Time 4.21 Hours Total 119 Miles details at: http://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180508-0858 I’m sitting in my bathtub in Brooklyn with full-on epson salts, eating tuna fish and drinking cold beer. My wet camping gear is hanging on the laundry line. I still have to pick up Blanka which will add 10 miles to my day. The shakedown ride was good! I learned that I’m well prepared and that I need many of the things I was unsure of. I’ve planned well, and can definitely handle the TransAm. The birds and wildlife woke me up early. I didn’t have the best night’s sleep. I tried to imagine that I was in my own bed, but the reality fell far short. I got up before 8am and was packed in an hour. I paid for my campsite and bombed it down the hill to Stoney Point. I hung a right on 9W and saw how badly I had screwed up yesterday. My plan today was to stay on 9W all the way to the George Washington bridge. Howeve...

This past week has been a whirlwind. My teaching semester ended last week. Over the weekend I drove my son Caleb up to Maine for his final performance, and then on Tuesday he started college at Berklee School of Music in Boston. My final ACA map arrived on Saturday and all the remaining pieces have fallen into place. Charlotte made me a special birthday celebration when I returned from Boston, and I got to spend a little time with #BlankaTheDog before heading off. Yesterday I had all my hair buzzed off. (Charlotte hates it!) I was definitely influenced by the fantastic cross country cycling blogs by Micheal Riscica, and I distinctly remember his helmet tan. Soon I’ll be sporting one of my own. The rental car pick up and getting out of New York went smoothly. It cost a fortune, this being Memorial Day Weekend. I should have gotten the EZ Pass transponder. I shouldn’t have listened to Waze and stayed on I-95. Whatever. I made it to the hotel in Yorktown with enough time to UPS my bik...

TransAm Day #1 May 26, 2018 Yorktown, VA to Glendale, VA - 64 Miles Ride Time 4.44 Hours Tour Total 64 Miles details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180526-0908 I woke up at 6am revved up and raring to go. Steve H and I had arranged to meet at 7:45 in the Yorktown Motel parking lot. I had plenty of time to fidget, fine tune, and make last minute adjustments. It was such a freeing experience shutting that motel door with the key card locked inside. Onward into the unknown! Steve and I pedaled over to the Yorktown Victory Monument where we met Steve G. from Annapolis. The Victory Monument commemorates the signing of the end of the American revolution. It is located where the York river enters the Chesapeake Bay, and is the official TransAm starting point. Steve G and his wife Laura had just arrived when we pulled in. We took photos in front of the monument and then rode down to the beach for our tire dipping ceremony. Cyclists traveling westbound dip the...