Day 45, Bedford to Gettysburg, 100 hard miles.

Best:  Lunch made by Tony and his son Ryan.

Worst: Second flat tire due to a wire from a steel belted radial.  Curse those car tires!

Most Unexpected:  Riding with my buddy Jim Sheridan from the 2012 Big Ride

Same old morning routine.  Blah Blah Blah.  Ride started in the mist and was cold, 49 degrees in July in Pennsylvania.  My hands were really cold for an hour.  Another Beautiful ride in Pennsylvania only impacted by the stupid hills.  There was lots of climbing today, either 6500 feet, or 9500 feet depending on your computer.  Most of the hills were before lunch and were in the 8-9 percent range and were longer climbs.  We gained elevation all day until lunch at 2500 feet, and then had a great descent just after lunch.

The hills were a little tricky in that you wanted to conserve energy for the overall ride, but you needed to get up to the top of the climb to go down for the next one.  I don't remember it being as hard two years ago, but was the same route so that shows how crappy my memory is.  No bonking, so it was a good ride.

Lunch was at the top of the climbs in a state park, and once again Tony and his son Ryan cooked us a much needed, no peanut butter, lunch.  He barbequed burgers and chicken to order, and had made a variety of salads including pasta salad with 7 heirloom tomatoes from his garden, bbq'd mango and sweet potato salad, blueberries from his bushes that were day old, other fruit, and home made cookies.  This was the ballast we used to go down the descent right after lunch at top speed. 

Unfortunately after the descent there were more hills to climb, but they were not as steep, nor as long. We had a final climb to get over the top to Gettysburg that was long but gradual, and on the way down, FLAT.  5 miles from Gettysburg and I had to change the tire.

Before the final climb to Gettysburg, we saw a rider across the road who asked us if we were Big Riders.  It turned out to be Jim Sheridan from my 2012 Big Ride group who joined us to finish up our trip.  Jim will be sleeping with us (not literally) in Gettysburg, and then riding the last two days to Washington D.C.

After arriving in Gettysburg, we immediately went to the Cannonball ice cream shop for a scoop of ice cream, and then checked in to the Gettysburg College Dorm which used to be a motel.  We unloaded our stuff and I did a laundry run with 6 days of dirty bike clothes.  My dorm room, shared with Terry, looks like a homeless encampment with all of our stuff scattered in the room, and my laundry drying on every piece of furniture in the room.

We walked to dinner at an Irish pub, had a beer which almost wiped me out, and ate dinner which for me was an Irish breakfast. It went down well.  Afterwards we walked back to the Cannonball ice Cream store and I overindulged on a regular sundae with Chocolate whipped cream.

I went to sleep after 9:00 which was really late, and I slept until 7:20 this morning.  We plan on going to the Gettysburg battleground today, shoot a video, clean the bike, and print return labels for our bike boxes.  It is getting close to the end.  We also have a care package from Marich Chocolates, one of our sponsors, and I can't wait to see what we got.  Pictures follow, but no post for Day 46 because I just did it.

Early morning Pennsylvania.

Typical roads we were on today.  This is not the climbing I was talking about, this is considered flat.

This area where two turnpikes came close to one another was crazy to ride through with all of the trucks trying to make us a new hood ornament. 

I can just imagine the Town Hall meeting on this.  'Yeah, we need to burn down your house so we would appreciate you moving first.  Any objections?"  This is the name of the town that was rebuilt.

Tony and his blind son Ryan who cooked lunch for us.  (Ryan is not really blind).

I actually hiked the Appalachian trail after this picture, and added to the watershed.

All kinds of figures to put in your yard, with my favorite below.

Beth, can I have the potato head family for our back yard?

The cannonball old time malt shop.  Can you figure out how it got its name?  Look just below the American Flag and you will see a remnant of the Gettysburg battle. 

Me and my good friend Chuck with some tall guy between us.