Bike Ride to Memphus

Altus to Memphus: 76.2

Total Mileage: 1883.6

 

Today was my day again to sweep and is morning I headed out with Susan. I was pretty excited because I have not really ridden with her yet this summer and our time in the back would give me time to put her on the hot seat (an interrogation of get to know you we now fondly play on some of the quieter roads). The drama of the situation was that we would be crossing back into Texas which meant that Jay and I would also need to ride together. Not wanting to break with tradition (tradition is VERY important to me people) Jay very nicely offered to ride sweep with the two of us.

 

All of the orders gradually headed out and in order to give people some time and space in front of us we stopped to take a picture at their city hall. At the corner of Main Street they had an AMZING bronze statue of a cowboy so Jay quickly hopped up the to take a picture. I know I have said it before, but the South has some great bronze statues.

 

About twenty miles down the road we ran into Marcus, Ben and Nate who had pulled into a shell of a town, Duke. Founded in 1909, they had recently celebrated their centennial and had some great street artwork to show for it. The painted brick walls made the perfect backdrop for a dance video and a picture or two.

 

We were out on the road again and just a few miles down the road we saw the some group stopped again, this time for a picture with the Gould town sign. Now this probably makes no sense to you all, but Ben's last name is Gould so the six of us decided to head off together and check out the town. It was nice to ride in such a chill group with three in front and three in back; the scenery also did not disappoint as we crushed another 12 miles. As we got nearer to the town not only did we see a legit town sign, but more importantly a water tower with Gould painted out. Someone, we are still unsure of who, shouted out that he should climb to the top and get his picture taken with said sign.

 

As we approached the water tower we noticed that the ladder to the top was unlocked and there were no No Trespassing signs to be seen. After a few minutes of debating whether or not we should climb to the top, I took off my shoes and proceeded over to the ladder. With a game plan in mind, basically not to stop until I hit th stop, I headed off. The climb was uneventful, long, but uneventful and the view from the top definitely did not disappoint. I soon realized that no one would be joining me so I took some photos, made some mental images, took a quick dance video and then headed back down the ladder. The climb down was a bit harder as my forearms were screaming and my bare feet did not get on well with the diamond shaped steps, but I made it down in one piece and received my BA (bad ass) status of the day.

 

Here are a couple of shots from the top looking down on the town

 

Of course, after I had my feet on the ground a couple of others, including Ben, decided that they needed to hop up there. I may or may not have played up the FOMO (fear of missing out) and the great views of Okahoma. Ben was first up and once he had made it up to the top Marcus set off. He had gotten about a third of the way up, complete with bike helmet and American flag, and shouted that that he thought he was high enough. He considered his fear and made it up to the top; it might have helped that Susan was quickly lapping him and if he didn't hurry up she would have to hang out on the ladder. We did try to get Jay up, but once he was about twenty feet off the air he decided that he was high enough and we staged a photo to make it look like he was much higher than he actually was.

 

By this time in morning we were so for behind, like an hour and a half behind, everyone had already blown through first lunch. At that point we told the van to head out to second lunch and we would fend for ourselves for lunch. Now people i would like to note that we are really getting out into no man's land, at least for this city girl. Towns are pretty spread out and if you miss an opportunity for lunch you might be without lunch of a very long time. As a result we decided to pull into Subway and while we could not DM free sandwiches, we were able to get a great 50% off discount. The other winning part about lunch was that one of the employees was selling homemade cupcakes for a local pool fundraiser. They were mind blowing and if we were in DC they would have gone for some serious dough (see what I did there). We got ours for a steal at 50 cents. Marcus decided it would be a good idea to get five and a slice of banana bread; it was a decision he regretted as soon as we were back on the bikes.

 

The net stop was the Oklahoma/Texas boarder. Because we missed the Oklahoma sign on our way in, we took one as we were leaving. By this time it was HOT HOT HOT, the sun was high over head and we were about three hours behind the rest of the crew. We took our time, mainly due to the heat and mainly due to chatting to get to second lunch. About seven miles out from second lunch we had to pull over and ended up taking a nap on the side of the road. Just as our alarm was about to go off a car pulled up; it was not the car, but the dogs inside the car which woke us up. The guy wanted to make sure that we were okay and even offered to fill up our water bottles which was a much welcomed and appreciated surprise.

 

Back on the road to pick up some water and a couple of snacks for the last twenty miles of our ride. By this point the hills had started to pick up and thankfully the group decided to take them relatively slowly. About halfway between second lunch and our host we saw two stranded bikers changing yet another flat. Apparently they had been having issues all day and were waiting on the side of the road of sweep to come and pick them up. Unfortunately we were so far behind at this point, there would have been no way to cover enough ground fast enough to be of any use. They had tried to call the van, but unfortunately they were in a pocket with no cell service (welcome to the middle of nowhere).

 

The hills picked up for the last fifteen miles of the trip and while it was slow going, the views were incredible. I feel like I say that a lot, but it is true, the scenery out here is amazing. As we were closing in our mileage, we passed up a pretty steep hill through a rock pass and as we hit the top we could see all of Memphus in the valley below. From there we started to crank it down the hill thinking that it would be downhill until the rest of the host. Sadly there were two more sizable hills, but because there were less than two miles to go until the host we crushed them.

Sweep (me, Susan and Jay) had arrived in one piece and while we were hot and sweaty, we definitely had a great ride. The whole day was so Bike and Build that we did not know what to do with ourselves. As we were waiting for our shuttle ride to a church member's house for showers we stumbled into a small theater and the walls and ceilings were covered in glow in the dark stars. Hanging out in the dark, looking at the stars and chatting was the perfect way to end our day, well that a shower and an amazing home cooked dinner.

 

Bike Ride to Altus

Lawton to Altus: 61.8 miles

Total mileage: 1807.4

 

Last night the group voted to sleep in and eat a hot breakfast provided to us by our host. Sadly that meant that with an 8 am breakfast we had to push back our departure time. By the time I had gotten up from breakfast and grabbed my stuff, most of the team was saddled and ready to go. With only a couple of people left, Marcus and I decided to hit the road as a duo.

While there was a headwind the two of us passed the time by chatting and checking out some of the local historic markers. The nice thing about the open roads is that you are able to ride two across which helps facilitate conversations. Typically when we have been riding single file much of the conversation is lost in the wind.

At lunch we did a quick check of the weather and the air temperature was 99 degrees with a UV index of 10 which meant it was hot hot hot out there. It was at this moment I realized how careful I am going to have to be of the sun; showing up crispy to the host is a recipe for disaster the next morning. Here Maggie is preparing herself for an afternoon out in the sun.

After lunch Marcus convinced myself and sweep to take a detour down a closed street bridge about 14 miles outside the host. The little extra mileage was well worth it. The road lead over an abandoned bridge and a lazy river, through an amazing rock formation and up a hill which gave us a great view of the valley.

As we made our way through town and towards our host I noticed some very faded chalking for a local swimming pool. After riding in the heat all day with crazy cross wind, nothing sounded better than hopping into a pool. There were still a couple of Bike and Builders hanging out so we decided to take full advantage of the pool being open for another five minutes (no joke). We walked quickly (as an ex lifeguard I cannot condone running on a pool deck) over to the water slide and just as they whistled that the pool was closing we were on our way down into the pool.

While chatting with some of the other riders post water slide, we saw they had DM'ed a couple of American flags with the dealership just a quick trip down theroad we took off to see if we could grab some of our own. Marcus worked his charm and walked out of the main office with two flags in hand.

One of the missions given to us during our route meeting was to DM dinner because while we had a place to stay, dinner was not going to be provided. As our group got back super late one of the other duo groups was able to get dinner donated from Tacos El Rey, an awesome locally owned Mexican restaurant with banging enchiladas.

After dinner groups made their way over to Riley's Brain Freeze for some homemade Itlian ice. A couple of people in the group had never had them before, but this was the perfect way to end a hot bike riding day.d

 

Living in the Moment

One of the great things about this trip is the lack of distractions and constantly being plugged in. While it is nice to have the world at your finger tips, it is nice to get back to real conversations and taking in the scenery that might otherwise be missed while driving or flying.

After a ride the other day Alex and I got to talking about living in the moment. As we are literally on the road every day going from one city to the next, it is really hard to keep track of where you are coming from and where you are going; many times people ask where we are coming from and all we can do is give them blank stares. As things begin continue to blur, a problem that becomes exceedingly difficult as we see more of the country, it is even more important to pay close attention and try to take away as much as possible over the next few weeks. While I can continue to taken video and pictures to try and remember, I am a little saddened that there will be some amazing moments that I will forget. Thankfully the rough roads, bad cue sheets and sore muscles are easier to take, and in some instances forget, when I think back and reflect on all the great times we have been having.

While I might not call you back for days or reply to your text right away you are all in the back of my mind and I make mental notes about stories I want to share when I get back.

With five weeks down (crazy) and only six weeks to go, here's to living in the moment: trying new experiences, deciding to take the extra detour for a site, not complaining about tired legs, etc. I also want to throw out a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been reading over the last few weeks (I can check to see how many of you log in each day). It is always nice when I hear that friends and family of other participants are reading along; it makes me feel less like I am writing to a big black hole. I am doing my best to put in as much detail and pictures as possible so it is like you are riding along with all of us. Let me know if want to hear more about things or have any fun ideas of things we should look for on the road/things we should try.

 

Bike Ride to Lawton, OKLAHOMA

Wichita Falls to Lawton: 60.2 miles

Total Mileage: 1745.6 miles

 

Today is the day my friends that we rode into Oklahoma and crossed another state off our list. The cue sheet was broken up Lowell today for our 60 mile ride and my legs were thankful for it - they were a bit sore after our longer ride yesterday.

 

Jay and I have a tradition going where we have been crossing all the state lines together; today was no exception and add the addition of Kristen and Holly. As we headed off, we decided that today would be a slow and steady day where we stopped to smell the roses on the side of the road. The first 16 miles went by relatively quickly. I got a flat thanks to a staple, but nothing too major.

 

We stopped for a quick photo with an elephant before heading off to find our police escort.

The police escort would take us from Texas into Oklahoma because it is illegal for bikers to ride on the interstate once you crossed over into Oklahoma. Sadly because we were sandwiched between three state troopers we were not able to take a picture with the state sign. Never fear people, we will be heading back to Texas in two days so we will probably be pulling something similar to what we did for the Louisiana state sign.

We were off to the races, well at a slow pace, until Holly got her first flat of the day. A gave us some time to take in our new scenery and snap some photos. It is crazy how flat and open everything is out here.

One of the missions of the day was to snap some photos with bales of hay - Holly and Kristen had not gotten a picture quite yet. About six miles from lunch we pulled over and did some illegal maneuvers to jump a fence with our bikes to take some quientessential B&B pictures.

There was a paddock across the street with a couple of horses so Nate and I decided to head over and see if we could get one to come over to the fence. Nate turned out to be quite the horse whisperer and with the help of some green grass, he was able to woo a horse for us to pet.

After those shenanigans we headed off to lunch at Cookietown, population 6. No people that is not a typo. There is a church and two homes and a lot of open space.

No one else stopped for pictures on the bales so we did a group photo shot. The is always time for pictures on hay on slow days.

From the things started to get good. Holly got another flat three miles out of lunch so of course we pulled let to let her fix that. As she was pumping that up the inner tube exploded and she had to start again. As soon as the second tire was on and we were ready to go the tube popped. While she was getting the third tire on we started to hear a faint pssssss and it turns out that my tube blew from just being in the hot sun (thank you Boyle's Law). Because of the warm temperatures we decided to let out some of the air in our tires and at this point Kristen realized that she had a slow leak; we all decided that she should do the pump and pray method and we would get a few miles under our belt before wedge to change it. Well that lasted about a mile and a half before we ad to pull over. Thankfully there was some shade.

From there it was a straight twenty miles to the host. While not awful, there was a headwind and the temperature was definitely on the rise, 96* but feels like100+. Now I know that I should not be one to complian here because of the heat wave going through the northeast right now, but things are different when you are on a bike, with no shade or cloud coverage. The four of us ended up chatting the rest of the way which definitely helped to pass the time.

Addendum: Chika and I figured out how to take off my cassette at midnight thanks to a YouTube video and some tools in the truck

Bike Ride to Wichita Falls

Decatur to Wichita Falls: 82.6 miles

Total Mileage: 1685.4

One ticket for the struggle bus please!!!

This morning we headed out on some country roads which were a nice change from the busy highways we had been on the previous few days. As we were rounding one corner we realized that the road was shut down to one lane and there was a light which would get us up the hill. Unfortunately we did not weigh enough despite the hothot breakfast of eggs, biscuits, sausage and gravy, and had to wait for a truck to trigger the lit. Originally we were just going to chance it, but when we saw a huge semi coming down the other way we decided to hang back.

Half way up the hill, Jessie realized that she had a flat tire. When we got to the top she promptly changed it and when they were going to pump it up, the tube blew up so we had to start again. The second tire went fine, but when we went to put the pump on the valve snapped in two. Thankfully the third time was the charm and th one was our winner. What shocked all of us was that three different cars pulled over to see if we needed any help, one even offered to drive us to a local bike shop if we did not have the right parts.

Just after lunch Jessie got a couple more flats which meant that it was the for our post lunch nap because sadly we did not get one. Sadly there was no shade anywhere to be seen and we had to lay there and bake.

But at this point, we can pretty much sleep anywhere and in any position.

It did give us some time to check out the scenery. As I have been biking through Texas these past few days I have been amazed at how green everything it. Granted we are still in East Texas and summer has not really begun (don't talk to the northeners who are melting).

A few miles after the final flat was fixed the group started to book it. Sadly my legs were getting pretty tired thanks to the rolling hills and my back started to go, so I hopped on a slower group we saw up ahead who was jolding the right speed. Definitely a good life decision.

We did get caught in a pretty wicked thunderstorm. When the lightening started to hit we booked it a few miles up the road, into a headwind of course, to take cover under an over pass. The storm was a good one and as we were biking to shelter not only could we see the rain in the distance, we could see the wind moving I across the horizon. It is hard to explain, but let me tell you, very cool!! This picture definitely does not do it justice.

 

A couple of us were trying to ride in early to get to the bike shop (I was having issues with my breaks), but unfortunately due to the flats and weather delay we arrived about an hour before we had to head out for dinner. It was totally worth it to skip the shop because dinner tonight was sponsored by the Hotter'N Hell Century Ride and Fuzzy's Taco Shop which was also great!

A couple of people on the team were extremely tired and after they got some food in their systems passed out.

 

Bike Ride to Decatur

Dallas to Decatur: 76.4 miles

Total Mileage: 1602.8 miles

 

All of us were sad to be heading out of Dallas this morning. Sally and Peter were amazing. It is refreshing to see how humble, giving and supportive people are, especially when someone only knows you for a handful of days. I know in the coming years all of us are looking forward to giving back to the Bike and Build community, as well as the affordable housing movemen when we can. Sally and I had a discussion about a lot of th evolunteers they get at Habitat and they tend to be younger and instead of money, because many of them are college aged, they give back thir time. For many this is a great way for them to get their foot in the door, learn about the movement and serve as advocates.

Sally and Peter hopped on their cruisers and rode with us to the end of the road which was the best!!!

Because of the two days off the bike our legs were feeling good. The ride to first lunch was fairly easy because the huge tail wind we had. Before first lunch I pulled the group over to pose with several long horns and a cowboy statue. If there is one thing that people do well down here, it is bronze statues; they are everywhere.

Unfortantely after lunch the tail wind turned into a perpendicular wind which made biking a bit rough – we constantly felt like we were going to be blown over, but at least it would have been into the shoulder.

 

 

Build Day #12

Today it was back to the same build site to continue to framing the house. We found out that they had waited almost two months for us to show up before they started the build project; another reason why Sally and Peter are fantastic. The morning went much smoother as we all knew what we were doing.

One of the walls build was too big to fit through the window so we had to lift it up and over the existing wall.

 

The last big protect of the day was to finish up the garage, but with everyone's help it went up super quickly.

 

Before we headed out we all got to sign the walls with messages of best wishes for the family who would be moving in once the house was finished.

 

That afternoon the group had a couple of options so a bunch of us decided to go see Marcus race in a local Crit. As he was warming up we donned some red beards and headed out to the course.

 

We had a great time cheering him on and you could definitely see that Marcus was having a great time out on the course. In the picture below he is in last, but he waited until the final lap to make his moves. After the thirty minutes of racing he ended up in fifth place. Pretty good considering his handlebars became crooked after the start of the race ... Oops