touring 101: rain

my fellow cyclists,

a little bit 'o water should never get in the way of a veteran tourer. with the right equipment and environmental awareness, there's no reason a day in the rain shouldn't be anything less than what gene kelly says it should be. for taking on the elements, here are a few of my favorite things ....

1. ortliebs - ortliebs, ortliebs, ORTLIEBS! if there's one area of cross-continental touring you don't want to skimp on, it's what you'll be storing all your gear in. rain or shine, your panniers will be exposed to it all for as many as 8-10 hours each day. I'll say it again in case you missed it - ortliebs :)

2. lights - might be daytime, but most rainy days I've rode in are always a bit dark & gloomy. best to be safe and keep those lights blinking bright. 

3. gear - booties, coat & gloves, in that order. no one likes walking around in wet socks/shoes, and it stands to reason that not many like biking in the same conditions. warm, dry feet will be happy peddlers, I assure you. for your coat, ventilation is a feature that might not come to mind to the novice cycler. aside from keeping water out, a good jacket will let air in (or keep it out, based on your preference. I recommend a coat with pit zips) and keeps those climbs from getting too sweaty. lastly, gloves are excellent for those cold november rains. you can spend a fortune on a super warm/waterproof pair, but I don't think it's necessary; I'd look for warmth over waterproofedness. 

4. bandana - listed separately from the rest of your rain gear due to its importance. unless you have some space-age style helmet, your head gear has holes in it. doesn't take a genius to realize that, if it's raining, water is going to get through. a bandana works wonders in keeping the rain off your face and out of your eyes (and just for free, you can use that same bandana during the high heats to wick away sweat in the same manner). 

5. um .... not fenders - unless you're touring Ireland, my opinion on fenders is that they're just extra pounds that you'll regret having on all those sunny days. if you're touring with a rear rack and any sort of trunk bag, that will act as a natural rear rain guard anyway. 

6. bathrooms - no sense in stealthing after a day of cold rains, find some civilization! state parks, churches and other people's houses typically have excellent washroom facilities. look for hot air dryers (for shoes, socks and anything else that needs drying), fans (same reason), stalls (to hang up wet clothes, tents & gear) and of course, a hot shower to wash away the filth of the day and to warm up the extremities. 

7. sweets! hopefully you'll have a great momma like mine, and consequently great snacks and treats to look forward to at the end of the day. whenever you're in inclement weather for any amount of time, don't discount the power of sugars and chocolates and candies - just a little bit can go a long way in cheering your body back up from the chill of rainy riding. 

until next time,

may the rains fall soft upon your fields

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Day 47. 10.21.2013. 62 miles from Booneville to Carr Lake State Park

What a great and peaceful day. We woke up in the early morning to a very heavy and cold blanket of fog. Packing up went smooth, and then we had some extended devotions in the morning. I found myself in John 15 reading about the vine and the branches. my favorite part of that passage is when Jesus says "apart from me you can do nothing", and then he goes on to basically call us to love God and love each other through the strength of God, the vine. What a magnificent passage, and was actually what I have been dwelling on these past few days. 

The time in the Word started my day off right and the morning was full of some very worshipful climbs, and some exhilarating descents. The hills are maybe beginning to turn into some smaller mountains as we near the Appalachians. Today was much less of a roller coaster ride, and much more of a continuous climb prior to a nice descent. On a few of the descents Josh and I did some shout outs to Mathias... by this I mean, when experiencing an adrenaline pumping descent, or view, one yells out the state one is riding in at the top of his lungs. "KENTUCKKKKKKKYYYYY!!!!!" Mathias was the originator and the tradition continues to live on in full strength =)

Seriously these are some beautiful Kentucky Riding Pictures.... 

At lunch we had plans... these were to end up at the First Baptist church in Hindman... But we called and aparently they recently stopped hosting cyclists... hmmm, makes me wonder what happened. But anyway, we decided to switch up the route when we found a state park about 20 miles south of Hindman that would let us stay for free, plus it shaved off 25 miles of our venture to Demascus, VA by Wednesday. So I guess you could say it was a no brainer. The worst riding of the day should have been more obvious to me that it was approaching but I thought nothing of a city on our route being named HAZARD. So we rode through, and hazardous it was ironically. No shoulder, huge potholes, crazy train tracks, and lots of cars driving that seemed to have never seen cyclists on the road before. So for future notice, I will consider towns named Hazard, or something similar to it (I.E. Death Valley maybe) as sure signs to not ride through and to avoid within any means possible. Oh... We also saw a big gas tanker flipped onto its side right outside of Hazard... crazyness. Not a welcoming place for a little guy on a bike. Glad we made it out of there with everything in tact. 

Can you see the tipped gas tanker?

Our campsite is spectacular. It is right on Carr Lake, and is the best lake site we have had since Pinecrest, CA. God is so good. 

=) Carr Lake

The past few days I tried to make my shifters (Derraileurs) so that they would shift perfectly, and ended up making them quite a bit worse. So tonight I was back at it working again and I think I made some significant process. I may have a shop check it out if problems continue but I am feeling more confident after my latest budding-mechanic work. 

The past few days I have been able to have some great conversations with Alexis, Mom, and Andrew. Phone conversations haven't been too comon along the ride but it has been nice to connect with home a bit more recently because of the decrease in mileage, and the increase in phone reception in the east. 

Well that's all I got for tonight. I hope that you can be encouraged by how strong and reliable our great God is, and by how we can't do anything but through Him. How amazing is it to know that??? It's not about us! =)

God Bless you, 

Tailwinds,

Mark

Booneville

it is good to be in the presence of God and His people. we had the privilege of attending berea baptist church this morning, and lucky for us, it just happened to be a Sunday led by the youth. without a doubt, there's some amazingly talented musicians, singers & speakers in the berea area. 

enjoyed fellowship with the Allen family afterwards, and were treated to some delicious pizza and conversation with Dave, Kathy and their youngest, Robby. I know full well I sound like a broken record, but we have been so blessed by the Lord and the body of Christ. some may say "ah, it's just a free meal" or "that's generous of them, but how much does that really help you in the larger scope of things?" folks, a lunch like today means the world to us. not only are we seeing firsthand God's grace and His power at work in moving the Allens to provide us with food, but we are spiritually built up by their shared love for Christ. both aspects are crucial to our journey. so thank you for your prayers; He hears and He provides. 

made our way 50 miles further east this afternoon and stopped in Booneville, at the Presbyterian Church. may not sound like much to the average reader, but when we saw the pavilion behind the church (with power outlets!), shower, bathroom and a sign out front that read "welcome cyclists", it sure felt as though eastern kentucky was rolling out the red carpet for a couple of michigan yahoos, no less, just passing through on their way to the atlantic coast. 

until next time,

may the sun shine warm upon your face

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Berea

a few things worth noting about what we've seen in KY so far:

BOONS. both the blessings and the legend. 

CHURCHES. everywhere. no matter how large or small the city, there's going to be a steeple (or several steeples) and usually at a prominent/central location. Baptist, Methodist, Christian, Catholic (though not many), Lutheran, Presbyterian - every and any flavor you could ask for. 

COUNTIES. whenever we ask about the road ahead, the response is almost always "well, that's headin' into _______ county" .... there's more of an association with what area of Kentucky you're from (or are going into) than the actual roads & towns. dunno if this is due to the nearly uncountable number of either one, or their limited use (roads) or size (towns). 

DOGS. started to hit a few neighborhoods in Missouri and Southern Illinois where we were chased by anything from little yippers to great big woofers, but Kentucky has had the highest number of dogs per capita by a long shot so far. a fair amount are leashed/chained, but every now and then one goes for the feet or (less successfully) an ortlieb. those things are every bit as bite-proof as they are rainproof. 

LICKS. this one I've no idea as to the origin or reason for it, but there are more towns with the word "lick" in Kentucky than I ever thought imaginable. so far we've passed Paint Lick, Elk Lick, Sand Lick and Spring Lick. curiosity got the better of me, and for a change, I actually had phone service at our place for the night, so I did what anyone else would do - google. check it out: http://sammonsays.com/general-humor/lick-towns/

MILE MARKERS / ROADS. at almost every intersection (and sometimes, they don't even wait for one) you're likely to change road names (even if you're continuing on straight) and with each new road there's a reset in the green mileage signs on the side. whether it's to confuse tourists like us, a pride in the number of different roads you can take anywhere, or simply a lack of coordination between county road commissions, it sure makes the riding go quicker when you're never on the same road for more than 10 miles at a time. 

TREES. from eastern kansas til now, the ratio of fields to forests has gradually reversed; we're well into all sorts of evergreens, maples and oaks with only a small cornfield or hayfield every few miles. trees are everywhere, and the numerous species scattered on the hills are in just the right amount of color variation. as I may have mentioned, Kentucky looks, smells and feels a lot like northern michigan, which is why the last few posts have had fewer photos and more letters; would you take pictures of your backyard every day for two weeks? and to those readers not from northern michigan, my sincerest apologies. I will try and find a few good shots that really capture the fall colors so that you're not left in the dark as to the beauty of autumn in the Midwest.

until next time,

may the wind be always at your back

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Days 45,46. Off Day. 40 miles from Chimney Rock to Berea, KY. 50 miles from Berea to Boonesville, KY.

The past 48 hours have been quite restful and restorative. We pulled into Berea to be welcomed by a few care packages from Mrs. Klevorn, and Dorothy Prins and the kids at Walloon Church. What a great welcoming! 

Almost to Berea.

It was cool, overcast, and slightly raining so we decided we would stay the night indoors on our day planned of rest. Through the week we had left a lot of messages on church answering machines looking for a place to stay and a church to attend but we did not have any luck. We decided on staying at the Holiday motel in Berea, which had tv so we could watch our tigers game, and wifi so Josh could watch his Michigan football game. Gene, the manager, gave us quite the deal with a two bed non-smoking room for $30 instead of $60 normal. We originally had a small smoking room, but I think after a bit he realized we were nice guys so he gave us the free upgrade to the last open room. Thanks Gene! A bed, soft pillows, warm shower, television (weirrrrd!), a fridge, coffee machine, and a microwave, it all seemed like a different life. haha. 

Is this real life??

Unfortunately my night was turned from pure relaxation to stress during the finally of the tigers game. What an intense series, too bad we couldn't come out on top. 

The morning consisted of a continental breakfast (WOW!!!), some down time, bike work, devotions, and then off to church at Berea Baptist. It was youth sunday so the youth literally led everything, even the preaching. It was such a breath of fresh air to see the youth so empowered even though their words weren't super polished with a seminary degree. What amazing stories they had to share, and inspirational ideas as well. We had fun talking with a handful of the youth after the service and got to pray with a few of them. A super sweet family (The Allens) consistint of Dave, Kathy, and Robbie (their other three daughters were away) took us out for a pizza at papalinos in Berea. It was quite the historical place right next to the Boone tavern. I feel like we got to experience some of the city actually and see a few of the art studios along the way. We had a great time of fellowship with the Allens and they blessed us more than they can even know. God has really answered my biggest desire, and prayer, that I had prior to the trip; that being that I could meet many amazing Christians all across the country to realize even more how big He is and how great His people are in this awesome country. Thank you GOD!!! I couldn't have imagined it being so powerful all along the way.... every day.. 

The Allens! Robbie making a crazy face. 

The riding has been easier, probably becuase we are in pretty good shape these days. I was a little worried about running into the appalachians, but todays riding put me at ease. I found the longer climbs to be easier than the short and quick up and downs we have been riding the past few weeks. So here we go!! Bring on the mountains and the fall colors and brisk (some may say cold) temps! We are ready to love our last week and a half of riding....... ..... wait.... what!.... only a week and a half left??? Yeah... It's crazy I can't believe it. Our lifestyle is so habitual now; wake up, pack up, eat, ride, eat, ride, set up, eat, sleep, repeat. What is normal life like again??? I guess we will find out soon enough. 

Generally what Kentucky looks like these days. 

Another Kentucky Shot

We made it to a great Presbyterian Church that has a great pavilion out back for cyclists to stay at. What a blessing. 

Our nights stay...

May God be with you and go before you,

blessings and tailwinds, 

Mark

easy kentucky rolling

the past week has been unlike any other leg on our trip. never before has the landscape felt so much like "home" (i.e. northern michigan) and never before has the riding been so easy. not only are the roads well-maintained, with VERY gradual grade changes, but when you're riding through a town every 10 miles or so, it's rare to feel as though you're ever in one place for too long - there's always a new farm or field or homestead just over the next hill to discover.

and the air! crisp and cool each morning til the sun peeks out from between the clouds: warm on the skin but never so strong as to make you sweat while riding. 

the road gives way to the natural rises and dips in the landscape; large oaks, maples, pines & firs throw shadows across the pavement as you ride through the dappled light, falling leaves blown about the road as you ride. 

nature creeps right up to the side of the road's shoulder, kept at bay by old wooden fence lines. one never feels as though they're cutting through the land, but simply taking the easiest and most beautiful way through the country. 

until next time,

may the road rise up to meet you

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Days 43 and 44. 76 miles from rough river to my home Kentucky state park bardstown, ky. Then 56 miles to chimney rock RV park

These last few days have been ones of restful riding. The hills have been continuous, flowing, and peaceful. Although there are hills it is probably our second easiest landscape to ride in, Kansas being the first. But Kentucky has been different. We are close to the end so we know how many miles we need to do each day. Therefore, we have been taking some easier days and thoroughly enjoying the fall season in this great state. 

Classic Kentucky

Our site

Bardstown was voted by rand McNally to be the most beautiful small town in America last year. And we got to stay there and see the my Kentucky home state park. And we got donuts at the best donut place in the area haydorns. 

Old Kentucky home. The famous one. 

Haydorns donuts 

Downtown bardstown 

Tomorrow we head to Berea, hoping to find a church we can connect with. We will be there before noon and then take the rest of the day as an off day. Then church Sunday morning! 

Until next time

God bless

Tailwinds

Mark

touring 101: "mapping" (part 2: process)

"mapping" is (and forever will be) a non-linear process, chronologically speaking. the seasoned cyclist never sets in stone a mapping factor (such as distance or departure time) before taking all others into account. thus the following explanation, while structured as a step-by-step example, should be taken as just that: an example. depending on where you're riding, each day may well push a different factor to prominence. 

part 2: process

first, we're almost always looking at destination, i.e. what's available 70-100 miles down the road (or whatever your daily mileage goal may be). points of interest, national parks, scenic routes, monuments - essentially anything we would not see anywhere else - usually takes preference at this point. 

second, we figure out accommodations for the night, often based on how badly we need a shower, laundry or a hot meal in our tummies. mapping is very much an exercise that takes the last several days into account. let's say we've stayed in a city park the last three nights, none of which had showers. getting to a facility that had such a luxury will often take priority over all other factors (total mileage that day, elevation climb, etc.) and determine our direction and destination for the day. we're almost always making calls in the morning or at lunch to see what's available. 

and speaking of, when's lunch? the third step to mapping (once we're fairly confident on where we want to finish) is to check out places along the way to for our midday feeding. while it's nice to have a gas station (ice, water, restrooms, picnic table) or similar venue, it's not a make-or-break aspect of mapping, since we're almost always eating food we've bought beforehand, and could enjoy just as easily along the side of the road or at a particularly stunning vista. 

fourth step: determining departure & arrival times. it goes without saying that how many miles we'll cover that day (and when we'll finish) depends a lot on when we get rolling in the morning. the number of miles to our lunch stop usually dictates our departure time; sunset, our desired arrival. weather or poor sleep the night before can easily alter both, however, so we often pick two or three potential lunch spots and, if there are a number of unknowns (elevation, weather, etc.), two destinations - typically a short & long ride. 

care packages! step five plays a major role (salute) in our long-term (3-4 day) mapping as we work around post office hours and locations. we LOVE care packages, and whenever we know we're getting one, will look far enough down to road to make sure we arrive on time to receive them.

step six: the next grocery stop. more of a long-term aspect to mapping as well, and FAR more important when mapping out west (california through kansas). at times we rode as many as 300+ miles without passing a walmart or general store. as a result, what roads we took and where we stayed at night largely had to do with where we could stock up on water, peanut butter, etc. 

last (but not least), the seventh step to our mapping process is looking at where we'll next want a cyclist shop. believe it or not, things break on your bike along the way, and we're always keeping an eye open for where there might be a spot to pick up some extra tubes or get a quick tune-up. 

that's all there is to it! not so hard, really, and if you can find the right balance between planning ahead and being flexible when those plans change, you're in for an incredible ride. 

until next time,

may God hold you in the hollow of His hand

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

touring 101: "mapping" (part 1: factors)

every cross-continental tourist knows the importance of a well-thought out route. whether it's simply the plan for that morning or an entire trip start to finish, there are a few things the smart cyclist will always consider when "mapping" their journey. 

I'll break this into a two-part series - factors and process - the former covering all that influences mapping, the latter providing you with a step-by-step example of how we "map" any given day of riding. and so, without further ado

part 1: factors

1.  attractions - should be obvious, but what can you see along the route? national parks, monuments, scenic routes, viewpoints, lakes, rivers, canyons, etc. hopefully you're a cross-continental tourer because you want to experience the sights, sounds and smells you'll find all along the "open road."

2. mileage - how many do you want to put in each day? this is often what cyclists look at first and foremost, though all the following factors will at some point push that number up or down whether they like it or not. best advice here is to be flexible; shoot for a daily average that works with the length of your trek rather than trying to cover the exact same number of miles each day. 

3. road conditions - big well-paved shoulders on lightly traveled roads are ideal, and bonus if you can find routes without rumble strips (as an aside: DOTs out west are far more biker-savvy than anything we've seen in the midwest or out east. from the pacific coast to the rockies, a majority of the rumble strips are non-continuous; that is, there are 8ft breaks in between 16ft sections of rumbles. this allows a cyclist to easily move from the road to the shoulder whenever cars pass by without rumbling all of their panniers right off their racks. listen up, road commissions! this is a money-saving method of creating rumble strips that is beneficial to both the automobile and the bicycle). 

do NOT rely solely upon google biking routes - best to stick to the solid black & single red lines you'll find on any AAA map (read the legend, it's actually quite helpful). freeways/expressways are to be avoided whenever possible (the wide shoulders may look tempting, but you're far more likely to run into car tire wires and other hard-to-see debris that can wreak havoc on your tires/tubes).

whenever you can, ask at gas stations / restaurants / etc. about the road(s) ahead, but take any information you garner with a grain of salt. no offense car drivers, but "smooth" roads for auto tires does not always translate to smooth roads for bike tires. 

4. weather - cool, dry & overcast conditions keep water consumption low and biker tan lines to a minimum, but that's not to say you won't enjoy your ride if you run into rain or it's a little hot & sunny that day. all depends on your own cycling preferences. check the forecast each morning, and in the afternoon if you can swing it - rain/snow/wind systems can change in strength & direction several times a day. sometimes it might be worth it to wait a few hours to let a storm roll through, or call it quits early in order to get a tent up before it gets wet. 

5. elevation - large climbs? easy coasting? depending on where you're at in the world, you'll want to to take terrain into account when determining how many miles you want to cover that day. 80 miles of riding in kansas does not equal 80 miles of riding in missouri. 

6. civilization - as fun as stealthing may be, staying nearby a place where there's showers, shelter, food and/or people always makes the end of the day more enjoyable. look at where the cities and towns are on your route and again, be flexible. 

7. amenities - in conjunction with being near civilization, often what that "civilization" has will determine whether or not you want to try make it there that day (or if it's too short a ride, keep going). call ahead to see if a city/campground has a park/campsite you can stay in and what's available as to the comforts of modern life. 

furthermore, know that you have a host of options for where to lay your head for the night. outside of state parks, campgrounds and (in a pinch) hotels/motels, you have city parks, churches, fire halls, couchsurfing.com (not that responsive/reputable),

warmshowers.com (very responsive & highly recommended) and even bike shops, more and more of which have some sort of overnight housing for tourers in addition to being an ideal stop for any repairs or tune-ups. be bold and ask! call ahead and try out various accommodations during the length of your trip. not only will you keep from "overdoing" any one form of shelter, but you'll meet folks from all sorts of backgrounds along the way. 

look for "part 2: the process" coming soon! 

until next time,

may the rains fall softly on your fields

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Day 42. 10.16.2013. 75 miles from Sebree to Rough River State Park

I could not stop smiling today. Even in then pouring rain.  The joy of The Lord was so present all day. I think the biggest thing I noticed riding today in Kentucky was the smells. I couldn't get over the smell of fall, coloring leaves, cornfields, and rain in the air. On top of the enlightening aroma the Kentucky hills were very mild for the touring cyclist. What a great experience.  

The church we stayed at last night. 

I realized today some major differences in riding out west versus the east. Out west I was more excited to get to where we were riding to; that was my highlight. Right now the highlight has switched from the destination to the journey. I love being on my bicycle. I wonder what it will be like when I am home and not looking at a map every morning planning for the next night. Hmmmmmm. 

Te leaves are really beginning to change and it only excited me more for what we have to come..... The Appalachians. We will be riding through Boone, NC, which is supposed to be one of the best autumn locations in the east! Whoot! 

We have made a goal to find a homemade apple cider/donut place somewhere.... Hopefully in Kentucky. 

I wish other than a picture I could out a smell on the blog so y'all can smell the perfectness of Kentucky. 

Kentucky is known, to the touring cyclist, as the land of crazy demon possessed dogs who try to getchya. 

Haha. No way this guy catches us. 

Until next time,

God bless,

Tailwinds, (blow us to the ocean!)

Mark

god bless the rains down in kentucky

under clouds of gray & a steady drizzle, it was with heavy hearts that we set out from Cave-in-Rock. today was our last day riding with Mathias (on this trip), and the gloomy weather seemed apropos for our parting. nevertheless, we did our best to make light of it, enjoying a long breakfast at Rosa Lee's before taking the ferry over the river and into Kentucky. 

Mathias, we could not have asked for a better companion to join us. thanks for sticking with us and bringing an unparalleled energy & passion to our trip. I will never forget the great conversations on the road and at camp, and am looking forward to catching up at the end of the year when we all get off our bikes for a bit. 

made an easy 55 miles in the rain through eastern Kentucky's rolling farmlands and forests. blessed by the First Baptist Church in Sebree, we were treated to a warm place to stay, showers, LAUNDRY! and everything else a cyclist could possibly need. got to mark our hometown in their bike shop room as well. 

will take it easy the next few days through the bluegrass state, soaking in "life on the road" and looking forward to a myriad of fall colors along the way. 

until next time,

may the sun shine warm upon your face

josh & mark

the lifecycle team