Day 37 - Rural / Non-Coastal Florida

Departure:  Madison, FL      Finish:  Alachua, FL  

Distance:    84.3 miles

Elevation gain:  1,170 feet 

Winds: Northwest at 5 to 8 mph

Weather:  Clear blue. 51 degrees at departure. 75 degrees at arrival.

On bike duration:   4 hrs, 54 minutes. 

Average speed: 17.2 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  2,844.9

Another beautiful day on the bike. Most of the miles were spent on country farm roads, in addition to another 15 miles or so on U.S. 90. Our destination was 84 miles southeast, which was fortuitous because the light breeze was from the northwest. 

One thing that hit me on these backroads is this is not the Florida most people think of. We saw very beautiful farmland and pastures. With the glaring blue sky as a backdrop, it was stunning scenery! 

Just before our lunch stop, we crossed over the Suwannee River and entered the Suwannee River State Park.

“Someone” (Tom Peron) wove some Spanish Moss to Mike Hynes’ handlebars at lunch, while he wasn’t looking. The group has been ribbing Mike about his lack of speed. He doesn’t need one more thing to slow him down.

We're getting close to the close of this expedition. There is one extracurricular item I'd like to include before this journal ends. Rahul - our intrepid renaissance man - has also been keeping a personal journal. He has been publishing it from time-to-time on Facebook. Recently, he penned a narrative that included his interpretation of a biography on each of the travelers in our group. I have copied it below:

 1) Tom and Athena Hand are a couple who are doing the trip on a tandem. They both worked for the US State department in posts all over the world...many places in Africa, Asia, Europe. Tom was on the development side, and Athena is a doctor. Tom has biked in the most amazing places. On this trip, I have been amazed by their teamwork and ability to scale hills on which I withered. My biking remembrance of Tom/Athena is the first day when we shared a cold, foggy, rainy, scary experience on interstate 8 in California.

2). Tom Peron is from the northeast (Connecticut and Vermont) and came out of the world of financial services. He is an intellectually curious individual, so we have fun discussing my various research projects. My biking remembrance of Tom are the occasions where he gets very energetic and takes off like a rocket. On one occasion, he took off and led the group parade for at least 15 miles at nearly 20mph....while yours truly was hanging on for dear life in the back of the pack.

3) Jim Wilz is from Cincinnati, my hometown, and comes from a background of running significant family businesses. His business career has taken him on travel around the world. There is hardly a localle he has not visited. He is riding for a charity triggered by some health difficulties in the family. On biking, Jim, Tom, Hugh, and Andrea would often work well together in a pacing line. When I was around, they would let me dangle in the back while they did the heavy lifting.

4) Andrea Street is from Wales and works in the Welsh government on the social programs side. She must be very good because she got an OBE honor from the Royal family. On biking, she is a very strong biker, and my rememberance of her will be the "passing left" utterance she would say in a cheerful British accent as she raced past me up hill. Of course my opinion of her grew significantly when she gifted me a Welsh castle. I just have to figure out how to extract it from the National Trust. Also, I have learned quite a bit about Welsh, UK society/government from her.

5). Hugh Brady is from Washington DC where he worked for federal government and later defense contractors on topics such as munitions planning. He did half the Southern Tier last year east to west...until a dog incident in Texas caused a crash. After rehab, he wanted to finish, so joined us until Austin. His next goal ...write a book on the moral dilemmas created in war.... Very relevant in the context of today's conflicts ... especially in middle east.

6) Save one Life is a charity who sponsored a trip to raise money. They focus on helping folks with blood disorders. Their original plan was one person to ride the whole trip, but apparently, he dropped out. In replacement, three riders (Scott Carthey, Shannon Peterkin, and Ujjwal Bhattarai ). Scott joined us on the first week. He ran his own specialty pharma business and we were all amazed as he was able to juggle conference calls while confidently biking. Shannon joined us in week three and was also a very confident biker. His wife, who was from Germany, joined us and would trail us with our support wagon...taking pictures. I was really impressed to hear that both his kids were in medical school and one studying the blood disorders which were the object of the charity. Of course we were all so greatful when his mom made delicious Easter dinner for us. Finally, Ujhwal just joined us in Gulf Shores...he hails from Nepal and works in IT in Connecticut.

7). Keith Vasey hails from Kansas City and had a long career selling civilian planes, and later as a commercial bankers. He is an avid and accomplished flyer...doing stunt shows. On the many occasions when we were near Air Force bases he would easily identify the planes overhead. My biking remembrance of him will be effortlessly bobbing back and forth between the front and rear..stopping to take incredible pictures...always with a smile.

Mike Hynes hails from a Canadian border town and spent much of his career with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a financial pricing expert. He and TomP roomed together and would have a regular comedic banter. Mike has a very dry and sometimes cheeky sense of humor. He is also very kind and proactively helpful. I was very impressed when he told me that he had swim across the massive St Lawrence seaway.

9) Peter Sheridan is the elder statesman of the group at the age of 73. He hails from Santa Rosa California and spend his career as a landscape contractor. Despite his age, he was by far the strongest and very knowledgeable cyclist. My algorithm for the day was to stick with Peter as long as he would allow it, and most days this worked out ok. On the occasions where I or others got into trouble, he was there to help.

10) Cycle for Life: Dennis Hughes and Elli Wilke-Sias own the company. Elli and I chatted when I was signing up for the trip. Jim Pratt and Duncan Howland helped Dennis with managing the trip. Duncan comes from Colorado and had a career as an engineer. He and I became buddies in the back of the pack on a couple of tough days in the West. Jim hails from Iowa..and is also an accomplist bicycle rider...often helping me with maintenance of my bike. As the business owner, Dennis keeps everyone on schedule...not an easy task with lots of type A personalities, and the logistical complexities of running the trip. My big remembrance of Dennis was his emotional reaction to a fatal incident which occurred two years ago oñ the Southern Tier as we approached that location near Austin. One could feel the heaviness in his heart.

Well...that is the group which is having a joint shared experience of the 2024 Southern Tier. One never knows what sparks this joint experience will lead to in the future. Meanwhile, only one more week to go !

As for myself, despite the old heavy bike, carrying a heavy "bonnet," no cleats, minimal bicycle skill, running shoes, and mountain biking shorts....my confidence is high. At a fitness level, the typical ride does not seem to tire me much, and it is not unusual for me to keep up with the better riders. More or less getting stronger as we are approaching the Atlantic.

Many have commented how much better biker I would become with better technique and equipment. Of course, they are correct, but I struggle with objective. Is biking the pastoral pastime to experience the world at a different pace ? Or the core of a competitive fitness regime? For me, running was my fitness vocation, and biking the hobby which allowed you to coast. A topic to consider after this trip is done.

I will remember Rahul just like that! I can hear his voice in the words he wrote.

Tonight we’re in a very nice Hampton Inn. Our group of cyclists is greatly outnumbered by pre-teen baseball players (presumably here for a weekend tournament) with their parents. The halls of my second-floor room have been a boisterous race track since we arrived. I’m hoping they wear themselves out by 10:00. (Not to be a grumpy old man, or anything.)