Transition ride
It was now time to say goodbye to this rest stop that had been my home base. I headed south to Toledo, OH with gas in
Flint, MI (273 miles) 11:56 am
I arrived in Toledo, OH just before 2 pm and was not pleased with the area I had chosen for a base.
I consulted my map, jumped on the Ohio turnpike and headed east to a smaller town in which I thought would be more suited for my needs. I came to Elmore, OH. It was too small and had no 24 hour fuel service. I still shared a moment with most of the towns population in a small store with an sitting room adjacent to it. I hydrated and enjoyed some AC at the same time fielded many questions about my invasion of their daily routine in their little world.
I really am not too social in my rides- the main reason being- I STINK. Being out on the road, this being day #5, one tends to smell less than nice. With the heat of the previous 5 days- Well I try to avoid closed in spaces. The townsmen apparently used this location for a social gathering at this particular time. For the most part they were friendly despite my odor.
I rode out of town thinking to myself about how much time I was wasting. I decided to stick to the original plan and headed back to Toledo. The area I had chosen had a closed down store with a overhanging roof that provided the shade needed for a nap. It was now 3:15 pm and I had wasted over
an hour accomplishing nothing. The heat was bad and there was no breeze at all.
LOWER GREAT LAKES SS1000
I fueled up at 4:41 pm and headed out on the Ohio turnpike. Fuel stops in
Erie, PA (208 miles) 7:46 pm
Cheektowaga, NY (99 miles) 9:21 pm
Cicero, NY (151 miles) midnight
I took a break at a rest stop north of Watertown at 1:22 am and considered making this my Great Lakes Gold ride as I felt good and had made good time to this point.(Even without a transponder/pass) I decided that I did not have enough rest prior to the start to go the 2400+ miles, and the fact that I kind of wanted the GLG as a "Grand Finale" to wrap up with.
I needed to prove I did not cross at Buffalo between the lakes, so I had planned a fuel stop just into Canada. I did not know if the "In Route" fuel stops had good receipts so I searched for fuel - finally settling for:
Odessa, ON (139 miles) 3:15 am
The search broke my pace and my spirits and I was surprised by the larger than expected amount of traffic volume so early. I decided to rest on the north side of Toronto at 5:20 am. A church/school parking lot with drop down gates looked inviting. The gates were closed, but I had little problem squeezing between the pole and the gate end into the empty parking lot with a picnic table off to one side. (My preference for sleeping on the road) I rested an hour before departing. I noted the address on the side of the building: 6705 Sheppard Ave. The rush hour traffic was interesting to say the least. I knew I needed fuel before Port Huron, so I proceeded to get good and lost searching for
fuel. I ended up taking the #407 clear into
Hamilton, ON (70 miles) 8:09 am
before I finally found fuel. I then checked my road atlas to see how bad I had screwed up. I was mistaken in believing the 407 ran parallel to the 401 as a bypass (Well it did for a while before it continued SW to Hamilton). Now I needed to jump on the 403 and take it back to the 401 to Port Huron. All is well that ends well:
Port Huron, ON (158 miles) 10:58 am
After another border crossing, I rode to
Flint, MI (68 miles) 12:02 pm
for a corner to add some extra miles onto the SS and 10/10ths. The Lower Lakes ride was finished up in:
Toledo, OH (116 miles) 1:53 pm
This is where I get really soft and sissy like. I checked into a motel. The motel had a laundry room which I used to wash my gear. I showered and walked over to the fuel stop which had a Subway inside of it. I ordered 3 foot long subs, a half gallon of chocolate milk, and a number of other hydration tools. I then walked back to the motel and proceeded to eat 2 of the subs before crashing out. When I awoke, I ate the remaining sub and finished off the milk and every other form of liquid I could find. For the next 22 hours I continued sleeping, eating and hydrating. I stayed there right up to the noon checkout time the following day.
GREAT LAKES GOLD
Now it was time for the "Grand Finale Ride"... The Great Lakes Gold! I had wanted to start at 4 pm for the same timing I had for the Lower Lakes ride, but I became impatient and started early:
Toledo, OH (Start) 2:08 pm
I would later pay for this decision as the traffic was heavier and the construction zones were not yet shut down for the night. Fuel stops:
Cleveland, OH (121 miles) 4:00 pm
Pembroke, NY (206 miles) 7:32 pm
Watertown, NY (185 miles) 10:10 pm
Kanata, ON (130 miles) 12:36 am
North Bay, ON (215 miles) 4:27 am
My Canadian riding was deliberately slow. I chose the northern route of TC #11 for a change of pace. It turned out to be a bad decision for me as the temps were 50 degrees cooler than it had been for the previous weeks riding. I wore my heated vest most of the way along TC #11.
Canada at night
A VERY welcome sunrise
Got to have a sunrise with a finger
Cochrane, ON (244 miles) 8:37 am
Hurst, ON (135 miles) 11:05 am
Geraldton, ON (153 miles) 1:40 pm
Thunder Bay, ON (167 miles) 4:32 pm
Duluth, MN (151 miles) 8:24 pm
I had wondered about what I couldn't see at night in Canada at night, so I developed a special
lens to "enlighten" me:
Thought that beef jerky went fast
What is it about our Canadian neighbors... they hide their fuel at night and position animals to
shoot moons at departing Americans:
By the time I reached Duluth I was spent. I had ridden 30+ hours and the cold weather had fatigued me and crushed my spirits. I pulled into the same fuel stop where I had refueled at on the Lake Superior ride. Derek (Styg8r) showed up. (Quite lucky for me) I was ready to park the bike and fly back to Florida. I could not find any relief from the cold... and now night was approaching. The temps would surely drop even more. Iowa (With most of my family) was just a short ride away.
Derek began talking some sense into my head. I went into the stations store and got a hot sandwich. Derek pulled me aside and showed me on his laptop how my progression was not as bad as I was thinking it was. I was doing fine and had plenty of time to get some sleep and still finish the ride within the alloted 50 hours.
Looking back I had almost 20 hours to complete the 700+ miles that remained. A piece of cake - unless your body is tired of the cold and your thinking is clouded with fatigue. After a lengthy stop and hot sandwich and a much needed pep talk, Derek guided me on my way to highway #53 south.
Derek again took some photos:
The temperatures actually became warmer even though the night closed in. I hit the I-94 interchange and soon came to a blockade of construction barrels and signs with "I-94 Closed" mocking my eastbound attempt. It was midnight and my 34 hour ride would see my first sleep stop. I went into a small town (Northfield) with its sidewalks rolled up and pulled into a closed gas station. I tried to consult the road atlas, but the maps just told me "Check us out later when you can think a little clearer." Now when maps start talking to you- its time for some shut eye. I laid down between my bike and the fuel pump island for around 40 minutes. My thoughts were to the west in Iowa where my family was. I thought how strange it felt to travel so far... so close... and not visit them. My memories faded back to cycling with my "Buds" on the Iowa roads. The thoughts faded into sleep with a journey song playing in my mind:
Still They Ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jubogiBaUhQ
I did not "Sleep" so much as I "Rested" on that stop. I continued on to:
Oakdale,WI (251 miles) 1:37 am
The best way to describe my trek towards Chicago was "Crawling." The deer were out in full force and my speeds suffered. I finally reached the Chicago area and clawed my way through its maze of toll booths and interchanges. I stopped for fuel in:
Homewood, IL (260 miles) 6:47 am
After I was comfortably clear of the Chicago area, I rested at a plaza just 60 miles west of Homewood. I pulled to the back of the fuel area- behind the building- and laid down next to my bike on the ground. I (Too soon) was awakened by a woman asking me if I was alright. I continued on to complete the ride at the same fuel stop I had departed from in Toledo nearly 2 days earlier.
Toledo, OH (235 miles) 11: 36 am
THE RIDE HOME
I stayed in Toledo long enough to refuel and complete my log. I then headed south through continuous storms on my route to
Lexington, KY (279 miles) 6:02 pm
I think I must have stopped at every rest stop between Toledo and Lexington. I had a September 2-up ride with my wife that I needed to start planning, so I scouted information (via brochures) at the stops. Almost every rest stop I would nap awhile on the picnic tables. It felt great to be "Off the clock" and I took full advantage of the time with catching up on sleep.
Chattanooga, TN (277 miles) 1:05 am
Asburn, GA (270 miles) 9:38 am
When I left Asburn, I felt well rested and determined that a solid ride to West Palm Beach would have me arriving home about the same time that my wife would be arriving home from her job. (One of
us has to work)
Jacksonville, FL (212 miles) 12:37 pm
West Palm Beach, FL (260 miles) 4:23 pm
All in all...
I was humbled by this ride. I am an average rider, but throw in some twisties and I think I fall somewhere below average. The 10,555 odometer miles seemed tougher than the previous years 10/10th's 11,121 odometer miles. The lack of a GPS and paper "Daily route sheets" would leave me rattled when the frequent rains would drench the agenda for each ride. I would frantically try and memorize the route and fuel stops fearing they would become unreadable.
The loss of my face shield really had an adverse effect on the ride. The severity of the storms coming off the lakes were amazing. Two laned roads are much more time consuming than the slabs I had become accustomed to on previous rides. Rides within rides can lead to less than desired scheduling.
The true test of a "Good" ride however for me is quite basic:
Does it bring a smile to your face when you recall its memories? ... This WAS a good ride!!!
A heartfelt thanks goes out to all of the riders who made this ride such a wonderful experience.
Thank You
Original Post
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=135608&st=0
It was now time to say goodbye to this rest stop that had been my home base. I headed south to Toledo, OH with gas in
Flint, MI (273 miles) 11:56 am
I arrived in Toledo, OH just before 2 pm and was not pleased with the area I had chosen for a base.
I consulted my map, jumped on the Ohio turnpike and headed east to a smaller town in which I thought would be more suited for my needs. I came to Elmore, OH. It was too small and had no 24 hour fuel service. I still shared a moment with most of the towns population in a small store with an sitting room adjacent to it. I hydrated and enjoyed some AC at the same time fielded many questions about my invasion of their daily routine in their little world.
I really am not too social in my rides- the main reason being- I STINK. Being out on the road, this being day #5, one tends to smell less than nice. With the heat of the previous 5 days- Well I try to avoid closed in spaces. The townsmen apparently used this location for a social gathering at this particular time. For the most part they were friendly despite my odor.
I rode out of town thinking to myself about how much time I was wasting. I decided to stick to the original plan and headed back to Toledo. The area I had chosen had a closed down store with a overhanging roof that provided the shade needed for a nap. It was now 3:15 pm and I had wasted over
an hour accomplishing nothing. The heat was bad and there was no breeze at all.
LOWER GREAT LAKES SS1000
I fueled up at 4:41 pm and headed out on the Ohio turnpike. Fuel stops in
Erie, PA (208 miles) 7:46 pm
Cheektowaga, NY (99 miles) 9:21 pm
Cicero, NY (151 miles) midnight
I took a break at a rest stop north of Watertown at 1:22 am and considered making this my Great Lakes Gold ride as I felt good and had made good time to this point.(Even without a transponder/pass) I decided that I did not have enough rest prior to the start to go the 2400+ miles, and the fact that I kind of wanted the GLG as a "Grand Finale" to wrap up with.
I needed to prove I did not cross at Buffalo between the lakes, so I had planned a fuel stop just into Canada. I did not know if the "In Route" fuel stops had good receipts so I searched for fuel - finally settling for:
Odessa, ON (139 miles) 3:15 am
The search broke my pace and my spirits and I was surprised by the larger than expected amount of traffic volume so early. I decided to rest on the north side of Toronto at 5:20 am. A church/school parking lot with drop down gates looked inviting. The gates were closed, but I had little problem squeezing between the pole and the gate end into the empty parking lot with a picnic table off to one side. (My preference for sleeping on the road) I rested an hour before departing. I noted the address on the side of the building: 6705 Sheppard Ave. The rush hour traffic was interesting to say the least. I knew I needed fuel before Port Huron, so I proceeded to get good and lost searching for
fuel. I ended up taking the #407 clear into
Hamilton, ON (70 miles) 8:09 am
before I finally found fuel. I then checked my road atlas to see how bad I had screwed up. I was mistaken in believing the 407 ran parallel to the 401 as a bypass (Well it did for a while before it continued SW to Hamilton). Now I needed to jump on the 403 and take it back to the 401 to Port Huron. All is well that ends well:
Port Huron, ON (158 miles) 10:58 am
After another border crossing, I rode to
Flint, MI (68 miles) 12:02 pm
for a corner to add some extra miles onto the SS and 10/10ths. The Lower Lakes ride was finished up in:
Toledo, OH (116 miles) 1:53 pm
This is where I get really soft and sissy like. I checked into a motel. The motel had a laundry room which I used to wash my gear. I showered and walked over to the fuel stop which had a Subway inside of it. I ordered 3 foot long subs, a half gallon of chocolate milk, and a number of other hydration tools. I then walked back to the motel and proceeded to eat 2 of the subs before crashing out. When I awoke, I ate the remaining sub and finished off the milk and every other form of liquid I could find. For the next 22 hours I continued sleeping, eating and hydrating. I stayed there right up to the noon checkout time the following day.
GREAT LAKES GOLD
Now it was time for the "Grand Finale Ride"... The Great Lakes Gold! I had wanted to start at 4 pm for the same timing I had for the Lower Lakes ride, but I became impatient and started early:
Toledo, OH (Start) 2:08 pm
I would later pay for this decision as the traffic was heavier and the construction zones were not yet shut down for the night. Fuel stops:
Cleveland, OH (121 miles) 4:00 pm
Pembroke, NY (206 miles) 7:32 pm
Watertown, NY (185 miles) 10:10 pm
Kanata, ON (130 miles) 12:36 am
North Bay, ON (215 miles) 4:27 am
My Canadian riding was deliberately slow. I chose the northern route of TC #11 for a change of pace. It turned out to be a bad decision for me as the temps were 50 degrees cooler than it had been for the previous weeks riding. I wore my heated vest most of the way along TC #11.
Canada at night
A VERY welcome sunrise
Got to have a sunrise with a finger
Cochrane, ON (244 miles) 8:37 am
Hurst, ON (135 miles) 11:05 am
Geraldton, ON (153 miles) 1:40 pm
Thunder Bay, ON (167 miles) 4:32 pm
Duluth, MN (151 miles) 8:24 pm
I had wondered about what I couldn't see at night in Canada at night, so I developed a special
lens to "enlighten" me:
Thought that beef jerky went fast
What is it about our Canadian neighbors... they hide their fuel at night and position animals to
shoot moons at departing Americans:
By the time I reached Duluth I was spent. I had ridden 30+ hours and the cold weather had fatigued me and crushed my spirits. I pulled into the same fuel stop where I had refueled at on the Lake Superior ride. Derek (Styg8r) showed up. (Quite lucky for me) I was ready to park the bike and fly back to Florida. I could not find any relief from the cold... and now night was approaching. The temps would surely drop even more. Iowa (With most of my family) was just a short ride away.
Derek began talking some sense into my head. I went into the stations store and got a hot sandwich. Derek pulled me aside and showed me on his laptop how my progression was not as bad as I was thinking it was. I was doing fine and had plenty of time to get some sleep and still finish the ride within the alloted 50 hours.
Looking back I had almost 20 hours to complete the 700+ miles that remained. A piece of cake - unless your body is tired of the cold and your thinking is clouded with fatigue. After a lengthy stop and hot sandwich and a much needed pep talk, Derek guided me on my way to highway #53 south.
Derek again took some photos:
The temperatures actually became warmer even though the night closed in. I hit the I-94 interchange and soon came to a blockade of construction barrels and signs with "I-94 Closed" mocking my eastbound attempt. It was midnight and my 34 hour ride would see my first sleep stop. I went into a small town (Northfield) with its sidewalks rolled up and pulled into a closed gas station. I tried to consult the road atlas, but the maps just told me "Check us out later when you can think a little clearer." Now when maps start talking to you- its time for some shut eye. I laid down between my bike and the fuel pump island for around 40 minutes. My thoughts were to the west in Iowa where my family was. I thought how strange it felt to travel so far... so close... and not visit them. My memories faded back to cycling with my "Buds" on the Iowa roads. The thoughts faded into sleep with a journey song playing in my mind:
Still They Ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jubogiBaUhQ
I did not "Sleep" so much as I "Rested" on that stop. I continued on to:
Oakdale,WI (251 miles) 1:37 am
The best way to describe my trek towards Chicago was "Crawling." The deer were out in full force and my speeds suffered. I finally reached the Chicago area and clawed my way through its maze of toll booths and interchanges. I stopped for fuel in:
Homewood, IL (260 miles) 6:47 am
After I was comfortably clear of the Chicago area, I rested at a plaza just 60 miles west of Homewood. I pulled to the back of the fuel area- behind the building- and laid down next to my bike on the ground. I (Too soon) was awakened by a woman asking me if I was alright. I continued on to complete the ride at the same fuel stop I had departed from in Toledo nearly 2 days earlier.
Toledo, OH (235 miles) 11: 36 am
THE RIDE HOME
I stayed in Toledo long enough to refuel and complete my log. I then headed south through continuous storms on my route to
Lexington, KY (279 miles) 6:02 pm
I think I must have stopped at every rest stop between Toledo and Lexington. I had a September 2-up ride with my wife that I needed to start planning, so I scouted information (via brochures) at the stops. Almost every rest stop I would nap awhile on the picnic tables. It felt great to be "Off the clock" and I took full advantage of the time with catching up on sleep.
Chattanooga, TN (277 miles) 1:05 am
Asburn, GA (270 miles) 9:38 am
When I left Asburn, I felt well rested and determined that a solid ride to West Palm Beach would have me arriving home about the same time that my wife would be arriving home from her job. (One of
us has to work)
Jacksonville, FL (212 miles) 12:37 pm
West Palm Beach, FL (260 miles) 4:23 pm
All in all...
I was humbled by this ride. I am an average rider, but throw in some twisties and I think I fall somewhere below average. The 10,555 odometer miles seemed tougher than the previous years 10/10th's 11,121 odometer miles. The lack of a GPS and paper "Daily route sheets" would leave me rattled when the frequent rains would drench the agenda for each ride. I would frantically try and memorize the route and fuel stops fearing they would become unreadable.
The loss of my face shield really had an adverse effect on the ride. The severity of the storms coming off the lakes were amazing. Two laned roads are much more time consuming than the slabs I had become accustomed to on previous rides. Rides within rides can lead to less than desired scheduling.
The true test of a "Good" ride however for me is quite basic:
Does it bring a smile to your face when you recall its memories? ... This WAS a good ride!!!
A heartfelt thanks goes out to all of the riders who made this ride such a wonderful experience.
Thank You
Original Post
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=135608&st=0
Last edited by a moderator:
