By Don and Kay Wendell
During our trip, we each kept a daily journal. A few weeks after the trip ended, we wrote a story about our journey for the “Spokesman,” the newsletter of the Richardson Bicycle Touring Club/Southwest Wheelmen (now Greater Dallas Bicyclists). To commemorate the 40th anniversary of our trip, we retyped the story into an electronic document.
October 1980
REFLECTIONS ON PLACES
It was four blocks away when we first saw it. It appeared gray, and we had to look hard to distinguish it from the horizon. It had been our destination for 56 days and 3,165 miles, and it was now only a few hundred feet away. It was the Atlantic Ocean. We brought our bicycles to a stop and turned to look at each other. Words were unnecessary because we knew how the other felt. It was a moment of great joy – joy at having completed a coast-to-coast bicycle trip. It was also a moment of sadness – sadness that the adventure of a lifetime was coming to a close.
Somewhat reluctantly, we began riding again. Three blocks to go, then two. Our pace slowed as we tried to relish all aspects of the moment. One block to go and then we were there, standing at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A handshake, a hug, a kiss, and the trip was over. We stood there savoring the tremendous feeling of accomplishment and let our thoughts return to the events of the past two months. We took a few photos, collected a small handful of sand from the water’s edge, and then headed to a nearby Dairy Queen.
The trip was over, but the memories remain. Memories of places, of people, and of experiences. Memories to cherish for a lifetime.
In remembering the places, many things come to mind. The physical environment that challenges and rewards the bike traveler, and at 12 mph we observed and experienced our country from a unique perspective.
Our trip began at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California, on July 14, 1980. We crossed a low range of mountains and then rode through the deserts of southern California and southwestern Arizona. The desert was a harsh but beautiful land, and we began each riding day at 2:30 a.m. in order to avoid the 120-degree afternoon heat. It was a land of incredible night skies and magnificent sunrises.
Next came the central and north-central parts of Arizona, which were characterized by canyons, forests, steep climbs, and some harrowing descents. These areas were scenic and historic and contained many interesting towns; however, the dominant and most impressive feature was the Grand Canyon.
Leaving north-central Arizona brought us again to an arid region – this time in the northeastern part of the state. This was desolate country with many interesting geological formations. It was the land of the Navajo Nation, proud people who cherished their history and the area they inhabited. They also operated many interesting roadside trading posts, and we couldn’t resist stopping at each one.
The Rocky Mountains of Colorado were next. The mountains gave us cool mornings and delightful cycling through forests and along rivers. We were treated to magnificent vistas, and we crossed the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass at an elevation of 10,850 feet.
From the high country, we descended to the plains of Colorado and Kansas. The plains were flat, hot, and windy. We rode past wheat fields and cattle ranches and met the friendliest people of any area.
After Kansas came the Ozarks of Missouri. Steep climbs and roller coaster hills were part of each day. The land was scenic with dense forests and cold, clear rivers.
Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois brought us into flat country, interspersed with a few rolling hills. We passed through forests and farmland as we cycled across the southern tip of the state.
A ferry took us from Illinois across the Ohio River into Kentucky. The land was gently rolling, and the cycling was enjoyable as we rode past fields of corn, soybeans, and tobacco.
The rolling hills of western and central Kentucky gave way to the long steep hills of the Appalachians in the eastern part of the state. This was a land of beautiful forests, peaceful valleys, and foggy mornings. It was also a land of rough roads, coal mines, and coal trucks.
The Appalachians continued as we entered Virginia, a very picturesque state. The mountains eventually gave way to the piedmont and coastal plain, and the cycling was easy. We rode through forests, past plantations, and beside battlefield sites of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. That brought us to Virginia Beach and the end of our adventure.
REFLECTIONS ON PEOPLE
In bicycling across America, we got to know not only the land through which we rode, but we also interacted with many people. Memories of these people are vivid in our minds, and meeting and talking with them was one of the highlights of our trip. In all of the states through which we passed, and especially Kansas, we encountered friendly, helpful, and generous individuals.
Among the people we met, certain ones stand out. The was Tillie, a young Navajo woman and the daughter of a minister, who let us spend the night in her father’s church in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. There was Shawn from Buhler, Kansas, a 14-year-old cycling enthusiast who shared with us his dreams of bicycle touring. There was Lazy Louie of “Lazy Louie’s Bike Camp” located near Hartville, Missouri. Lazy Louie, a person who loves people in general and bicyclists in particular, extended to us his warm hospitality and shared his stories and songs of his encounters with hundreds of cyclists.
Also, there was Hartley and Joanie from Grantsburg, Illinois, who took us in their car to buy groceries, a 28-mile roundtrip, when the only store near our campsite closed earlier than its posted time. They told us about the land and people of southern Illinois and about the life that they had built there. Finally, there was the Engles family of Clay, Kentucky, who let us spend the night in their home. They did everything possible to make us feel welcome; they referred to as their “family.”
Encounters with another group of people, bike travelers like ourselves, was also a significant aspect of our trip. In all, we met 24 independent touring cyclists, plus the “Wandering Wheels,” a 65-member bike touring group associated with Taylor University of Indiana.
Most of the last half of our trip was spent riding in the company of several others. Our group, which formed in Kansas, consisted of Steve from Virginia, Judy from Australia, Diane and John from New Zealand, and Greg from Washington. Also, Anne, a friend from Carrollton, Texas, met us in Missouri and rode with us through Illinois and half of Kentucky. Our riding styles were compatible, and lasting friendships were developed.
July 2020 update. We remain friends to this day with Steve, Judy, Diane, John, and Anne. Steve and Judy married, and they live in Fig Tree Pocket, Australia. After the trip, Diane returned with us to our home in Mesquite, Texas, and spent a few months there. She and John later married, and they live in Gisborne, New Zealand. Anne and her husband Stuart (a friend since college) now live in New Braunfels, Texas.
REFLECTIONS ON EXPERIENCES
Places and people were an important contributor to the many experiences that were part of the trip, and it was these experiences that made the trip truly remarkable. These experiences were both positive and negative. The positive experiences were ones that gave us pleasure and enjoyment, made us laugh, and filled us with warmth and satisfaction.
These included all-you-can-eat buffets, cool mornings, level terrain, swimming pools, hot showers, tailwinds, and good companionship. Also, they included such things as eating ice cream and donuts (without having to worry about gaining weight), rescuing turtles from the road, reaching the top of a mountain pass or long hill, and receiving mail (sent to “General Delivery” in towns along our route). Other positive aspects were long downhills on smooth roads, spending the night in a motel, beautiful scenery, friendly people, a well-stocked grocery store, and knowing that we were in the best shape of our lives.
The trip was not, however, all positive experiences, and those of a negative nature – frustrations, difficulties, inconveniences, and discomforts – were all part of our adventure. These included 25 mph headwinds, 100-plus-degree temperatures, freshly oiled roads, sore rear ends, flat tires, and heavy traffic. Other not-so-pleasant experiences were mosquitoes, gravel roads, rain, careless and inconsiderate motorists, and steep hills. These negative experiences did not in any way detract from the trip, but instead made it even more memorable.
All experiences, both good and bad, in combination with places and people, were what our bicycle trip was all about. The interrelationship of these three elements produced an adventure that was educational, personally renewing, and infinitely rewarding.
REFLECTIONS ON STATISTICS AND EQUIPMENT
To conclude the story of our trans-America bicycle trip, we will look at some statistics and discuss some of the equipment that we used.
Our total mileage from San Diego, California, to Virginia Beach, Virginia, was 3,165 miles. We passed through nine states, and it took us 56 days to complete the trip. Of those days, 50 were spent on our bicycles, with the other six being rest days. Our average daily mileage for the 50 riding days was slightly over 63 miles. The longest riding day in terms of mileage was 114 miles, while our shortest day was 27 miles.
The highest elevation on the trip was 10,850 feet at Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado. Our lowest elevation was in Seeley, California, where it was 42 feet below sea level.
The weather during our trip can be summarized in two words: hot and sunny. Wind was a problem only in Kansas, and we were rained on while cycling for about two hours. High humidity became noticeable in the eastern U.S., but it never presented much of a problem.
In the evenings, we camped 23 nights, and we stayed in motels 21 times. We also spent six nights in churches, four nights in private homes, and one night in the club room of a mobile home park.
Food was one of the highlights of each day, and we consumed 5,000-6,000 calories per day. Fortunately, this was offset by our cycling. Together we enjoyed 47 gallons of orange juice, over 200 inches of soft serve ice cream, 15 dozen donuts, and over 100 bananas. We found five all-you-can-eat buffets and numerous all-you-can-eat salad bars.
With one major exception, our bike problems were minimal. Kay had three flats on her bike. All were on the rear tire, all caused by thorns, and all occurring within a five-day period. Don had only one flat. It was on the front tire and was caused by a defective valve stem. We had one broken spoke which was on the freewheel side of Don’s bike.
The major bike problem was a broken steering tube on Don’s bike which occurred in Radford, Virginia. It caused him to fall; however, there was no injury other than a couple of scrapes. Fortunately, we were able to obtain a new front fork at a bike shop in Blacksburg, Virginia – a distance of only 14 miles away. Had we not been able to obtain a replacement, we were prepared to buy a new bike. We shudder to think of the consequences if the steering tube had broken while on a fast downhill. Also, we were lucky that the break did not occur in an isolated area since the bike could not be ridden.
The equipment for our trip consisted mostly of items that we had accumulated from several years of cycling and backpacking. Our bikes were 5-year old Motobecane Grand Jubilees, which we customized to be more suitable for touring. One significant modification was new wheels. We felt that strong wheels were of major importance, and we had them specially made by a bike wheel builder from Garland, Texas. The bikes and wheels performed well throughout the trip (except for the incident previously mentioned).
July 2020 update. Earlier this year, we donated the still-rideable Motobecanes to “Spokes for Folks,” a nonprofit organization that refurbishes bicycles and gives them to children and adults who otherwise couldn’t afford one.
Other equipment included lightweight backpacking items such as a tent, sleeping bags, stove, cooking pots, and eating utensils. We also took tools and supplies for bike repairs and maintenance. Our clothing included cycling shorts, T-shirts, sweaters (which we mailed home after crossing the Rocky Mountains), and rain jackets. We wore bike helmets, bike gloves, and bike shoes. Our gear was carried in handlebar bags and panniers. We took two cameras to document the trip through photos.
This was the adventure of a lifetime, and we are indebted to many people who helped make the trip possible. They are our families who supported our crazy idea to bike across the country, our employers who granted us leaves of absence from our jobs, our neighbors who looked after our house, and our friends who offered encouragement.
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Bicycling with Don and Kay 