Hatching Plans: ALA's Big Ride Across America

[Reesha]

Last year, one of my former students took on the challenge of riding across the country over 48 days with the American Lung Association. There were about 40 riders in all and he had a blast.

I'm starting to plan to do this very ride next summer 2012. It is a supported ride, but I'm not sure my Trek Pilot 5.0 is really going to be the most comfortable bike for the trip. I won't be schlepping gear, but I am looking for a new bike that will suit this tour and future tours (some loaded) that is between $2000-$3000. Recommendations would be wonderful!

I was thinking about a Salsa Vaya or possibly-- if I could squeeze the funds a Rivendell Atlantis. If Mariposa is still making frames, I may have them build me a custom one. Still, ideas, ideas, ideas!

The training required will be built into my coaching schedule as I will already be riding about 150 miles a week with the kids and I can easily tack on more over the weekends and by biking home after rides. I'm pretty thrilled about this prospect. I was also delighted when my mother (often one of the first naysayers for this sort of thing) reacted with "You could do that!". It really warmed my heart to know that she'd support me and she said she'd come down to D.C. for the finish.

Has anyone ever done a similar ride (~80 miles a day for multiple weeks, supported)?

I know I saw one girl post who is about to leave. I am looking forward to hearing about her experiences on her blog!

Any and all advice is welcome. I think this would be the adventure of a lifetime!

[indysteel]

Good for you!

I bought a Jamis Aurora last year for a Katy Trail tour that DH and I are doing this summer. I like it, but it sure feels heavy compared to my steel road bike. If it were me, I would rather be on a light road bike for a fully supported x-country tour. I suppose you can try to keep the weight down in how you build it up, but it would likely still be heavier than your standard roadie.

[Reesha]

May I ask what you have for a steel road bike? :)

I suppose if I built something from the frame up I could decide how high up the handlebars are and choose a bit more of an upright geometry...

[indysteel]

I have a Bianchi Eros Donna.

I'm also not sure I'd want too upright of a position. More weight in my butt means more pain in the butt over several weeks of 80-mile rides. That said, none of my bikes are set up aggressively. What about your Pilot are you worried about?

Of course, I love steel for long rides!

[Reesha]

Eh, my Pilot is twitchy and doesn't ride very comfortably all the time. It fits me well and is quite comfortable for sub 60 mile rides, but beyond that I've never felt good. That could be a conditioning thing. But as I'm getting rid of my MTB, I would enjoy another ride for my stable. It could double as an around towner too so nothing real flashy. :D

Oh also, FENDERS. Riding 80 miles through slop without fenders doesn't really appeal to me. I don't have any of those considerations on my little carbon chariot.

[Blueberry]

No direct experience, but that ride has been on my radar for a long time, and I will do it one day! Just as soon as they let attorneys take more than 3 weeks of secured leave....My Grandfather died from smoking related emphysema, so it is in support of a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Kudos to you for doing it!

I know lots of people have written blogs from past years - might be worth seeing if they have bike comments. I remember from reading them that I was surprised at how many people had lighter/racing style bikes. I don't think I'd want to ride one that far....

[Reesha]

I test rode a Co-Motion Nor'Wester today and just love that smooth buttery ride. The frame they had was about two inches too long in the top tube, but I still enjoyed it. All set up that bike was $2800. Not bad, not bad!

[redrhodie]

I have a Soma Double Cross DC that I would tour on, if I had the chance. It could be built easily within your budget, I think the frame retails @ around $400. It's an excellent ride. Very buttery! It has rack braze ons, as well as disc brakes (the non-disc brake version is even less).

I feel like I'm constantly recommending this bike. I seriously love it.

[indysteel]

I saw some Soma's a few weeks ago. They are gorgeous bikes. If I needed yet another bike, I'd give them a serious look.

[Reesha]

I will look into it!

A couple of questions though:

For a supported ride like this, would you recommend:

Disc brakes or caliper brakes?
Fenders or no?

The co-motion will cost me probably $2800 providing I don't get to carried away with some of the options. I believe disc brakes would be an upgrade.

The Nor'Wester I test rode had SRAM apex 'double tap' shifters and to be honest I wasn't a fan. I have traditional brifters on my road bike and I really prefer those. I was also impressed by how light this bike was.

I am loving this color:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iDm-x9jU470/TNGUrqJ8sUI/AAAAAAAAAFY/TUUC0IUqR6Q/s1600/Picture+127.jpg

[Blueberry]

Those are very sweet bikes! DH and I came very close to getting them - and then decided on Lynskeys (which we love).

I don't think I'd do Disc brakes because of 1) weight and 2) field serviceability. We ride v brakes with koolstop salmons and no issues whatsoever stopping. I probably would put fenders on (or you could do the trick with the wingnuts and take them off and on if you have lots of dry days in a row). I think they carry your bags, yes? You could always stow them with your luggage. I wouldn't want to risk multiple days in a row with rain and no fenders, though.

Whatever your decide, enjoy!!

[redrhodie]

Reesha, that is gorgeous! Handmade in Oregon, you can't beat that. I'd stop my search.

As for brakes, it's a personal preference. I hate wet rim brakes more than anything. I hate that extra lag time I feel in stopping, and I always seem to pick up grit in the pads, which adds to the problem. So, I love my disc brakes because I like riding in the rain.

[Reesha]

Thanks for the feedback!

Any thoughts on 700 cc wheels? Recommendations for certain brands/set ups? I know I'll need a higher spoke count... not 36 necessarily as I won't be loaded. All wheel/tire recommendations are appreciated!

I was looking at Campy's ergo brifters and I'm wondering if it's worth it to do a bike with a full campy drive train for a bike that will see a lot of mileage. I don't personally have a lot of experience with campy, but it looks like a full groupset might set me back 800 bucks or so for something fairly utilitarian and a triple.

[Sky King]

As far as 700 cc. wheels, we use Mavic rims often and I suggest a spoke count of 32 with the cross 3 pattern, granted if you aren't planning to be loaded you could go down to 28 but this way you would be prepared for the future. I also tour with a dynamo hub because I love having a light and never having to worry about being caught somewhere after dark.
Tires - 700 X 28 - no narrower, Will be a way more comfortable ride than using a narrower tire and you aren't going to notice rolling resistance - regardless this is a tour not a bike race :). We love the Schwalbe marathon - supreme or dureme should be sturdy enough, we also ride Panaracer TServ's - the Bike Hermit has ridden 1,000's of miles on those.
Brakes - without a load, I consider disc brakes an overkill. Fenders will work with Disc Brakes but it may take some finesse to attach correctly.
Fenders - but of course, SKS long boards (http://store.biketouringnews.com/products/SKS-Longboard-Fenders.html) are sharp and disc brake compatible, Tanaka and Honjo's are great too. Planet Bike Cascadia touring is another option. All based on what you want to spend and ease of install and removing.

Sounds like a terrific goal and a fantastic adventure! Oh and the co-motion is beautiful. I happen to have a 52 cm Rivendell Sam Hillborne in my garage that is a tad to long in the top tube for me if you were so inclined but I am also considering changing out the handlebars from drops to more upright position and making it my "adventure touring bike" I love my Bleriot and ride her all the time.

[Reesha]

Thanks for the tips, Sky King!

I've been learning a lot about the ride from some of the riders themselves. One from 2008 just told me that he did the entire thing on a carbon road bike with a triple and that I really shouldn't rule it out. In fact it was the very bike I already own!

The student did it on a Cervelo RS and he had it built up initially to be a bit more upright. He said he was very glad to have a zippy bike on some of the legs and that it was very comfortable.

There are a lot of things to consider but I'm starting to figure out what I'll need.

Discs are unnecessary
Fenders are optional-- some like em, some didn't bother with them
A triple down to a 28T would be a good thing
Fit is the most important thing
Tires should be 28mm
Titanium bikes should be considered

I could save a couple thousand and do it on my road bike... I have no question of that. I guess I just want a new bike that's a bit more versatile!

[divingbiker]

If you and your mom need a place to stay when you get to DC, let me know!

[Reesha]

Thank you :)

I'll be passing through a lot of Team E hotbeds. Here's this year's route list:
Day 0 Seattle
Day 1 Easton, WA
Day 2 Vantage, WA
Day 3 Odessa, WA
Day 4, Spokane, WA
Day 5, Spokane, WA
Day 6, Sandpoint, ID
Day 7, Thompson Falls, MT
Day 8, Missoula, MT
Day 9, Missoula, MT
Day 10, Avon, MT
Day 11, Townsend, MT
Day 12, Harlowton, MT
Day 13, Billings, MT
Day 14, Billings, MT
Day 15, Hardin, MT
Day 16, Sheridan, WY
Day 17, Gilette, WY
Day 18, Newcastle, WY
Day 19, Rapid City, SD
Day 20, Rapid City, SD
Day 21, Kadoka, SD
Day 22, Pierre, SD
Day 23, Miller, SD
Day 24, De Smet, SD
Day 25, Tyler, MN
Day 26, New Ulm, MN
Day 27, New Ulm, MN
Day 28, Owatonna, MN
Day 29, Winona, MN
Day 30, Viroqua, WI
Day 31, Madison, WI
Day 32, Madison WI
Day 33, Belvidere, IL
Day 34, Morris, IL
Dau 35, Valparaiso, IN
Day 36, Kendallville, IN
Day 37, Napoleon, OH
Day 38, Sandusky, OH
Day 39, Burton, OH
Day 39, Burton, OH
Day 41, New Waterford, OH
Day 42, Washington, PA
Day 43, Confluence, PA
Day 44, Bedford, PA
Day 45, Gettysburg, PA
Day 46, Gettysburg, PA
Day 47, Clarksburg, MD
Day 48, Washington, DC

[aquamoose32]

Do you have the miles on these days? This looks like a great route. Where are you staying each night?

[Dog]

I too have looked at the ALA Big Ride Across America. I will probably have to wait until I retire though. It is fun to dream/think about it. And, you are already to the planning stage....even more fun! :)

[Reesha]

Do you have the miles on these days? This looks like a great route. Where are you staying each night?

I don't personally have the miles for each day but one of the riders from the 2008 ride (same route) has a fantastic blog that details each leg:

http://dianasbigride.blogspot.com/

The average leg is 83 miles and there are 6 days with over 100 miles. I think the worst day of climbing is 6500 feet. Nothing insane or anything.

During the trip, the group camps out in tents that they've brought with them, often on high school football fields-- always some place with showers. Sometimes they stay in dorms after hard days.

[redrhodie]

How's your bike search going? Any decisions, yet?

[Tokie]

they make handy fenders that attach and detach easily - DH and I were very glad we brought them on our ride from S Dakota to Niagara Falls last summer - we rode in plenty of rain. Not as fabulous as full on fenders, but kept most of the water deflected. (the brand was, errr, can't recall, but they hooked on with little rubber straps, quite easy to get on and off) Oh, DH reports fenders were from Planet Bike. They did rattle a bit, but it was sweet music to our soggy bodies. tokie

[Reesha]

You know, I test rode a Cannondale CAAD10 Dura-Ace the other day which I loved better than any of the bikes I've been on so far... but I'm not sure I loved it for the ride. It was an incredible bike and I really really really want it to replace my current road bike. Many over at BikeForums have said they'd gladly ride across the country on their CAAD 9's or 10's...

I've still got lots of time and still need to raise the funds to buy the bike anyway, so more searching is in my future!

[Reesha]

So as of yesterday, I am all registered to ride across the country! I also need to raise $6,000, $2,500 of which I am covering so people know that they are not also helping me go on a fun trip. That's the amount of the fundraising minimum that goes toward the costs of the 48 day adventure. Still my overall goal is $8,000 including my contribution, so I have my work cut out for me this year.

I busily set up my training/fundraising/adventure blog this morning as it will be a long year!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/femmeke830/larissaridesforcleanair.jpg

You can visit it at http://www.larissaridesforcleanair.org :)

I think I've decided just to ride my trusty Trek Pilot 5.0 on this one. I don't really need a new bike, and my current bike is great. Another lady did the ride on the very same bike!

It's going to be a challenging year with lots of hard work. Fundraising ideas are ALWAYS welcome, as the goal well exceeds what I could raise just soliciting friends and family.

Woohoo!!!

[Caddy]

Looks pretty amazing - the fundraising goal scares me.

Have you tried the Synapse? It has a more relaxed geometry than a Caad10. I also really like the Jamis Ventura/Aurora bikes.

Edit: Ahh, didn't see the comment about the Trek, have fun with it :)

[Reesha]

Well, I helped my friends raise $10,000 for their documentary in one month, so $8,000 over 290 days seems easier. We'll see just how much easier it really is!

I think I liked the CAAD 10 as a race bike... it was just so fast! I may see if I can find one used for racing and then save my Pilot for this ride and commuting.

[Reesha]

New blog post!

http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2011/08/30/i-am-a-bike-commuter/

:)

[Reesha]

I am going to make an appointment to see a nutritionist this month to see about some pointers for eating while training and then eating while doing the Big Ride! Wrote a blog post about it today:

http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2011/09/02/enter-the-nutritionist/

[Reesha]

So far I've been doing a lot of baking to fundraise to a small, but palpable effect. I've raised $50 for the faculty. Another faculty member asked if I'd make scones for their Wednesday morning meetings for $25 donations. I'm starting to see how time intensive some fundraising can be.

Nonetheless, I have not yet asked friends and relatives. I bought cardstock at the local art store, cut into three 'business envelope' sized slices of paper, then stamped a beautiful copper road bike on the top and hand wrote a plea for donations onto each one. I have yet to send them out because I need to get to Kinko's to print a sheet out about the ride.

My employer, a private school, donated $175 for my services twisting up balloon animals at the homecoming carnival, that's another 2% of my goal right there.

It's a slow process so far, but I am slowly moving toward my goal! I won't start to worry until about March :)

For training, our school has a personal trainer on staff-- a real expert-- to work with our middle school kids in P.E. and to build strength programs for the various sports. Luckily, as one of the cycling coaches, we get to use him too. I asked him to develop a body weight strength program for our kiddos for the wintertime (which should help me as well) and then an in-the-fitness-center training program for our season. It should be awesome-- I will be glad to share what I find out!

Also, if anyone has 48 weeks off next summer, I would love to do the ride with someone from Team E! It's going to be so exciting :)

Here's one of the best big ride blogs from last year: http://www.bigride2011.com/

[Sky King]

Reesha,

Idea for sending out fundraising requests and for thank you cards. I am a huge user of Send Out Cards - (I am also a distributor) Anyway is a great way to create custom cards or any of the 15,000 cards in the system. You create your card online but the cards are mailed for you to the person you created the card for. You can send individual cards or the same card to 100's of people with one push of the send button. www.sendoutcards.com/skp - go send a free card and see what you think. Not expensive and great cards

[ridebikeme]

Another Soma fan here! I built up a Doubke Cross this summer intended for self contained riding, and what a treat it is! Although I typically ride lighter weight road bikes and love them, including a custom ti frame... this Soma frame was incredible! Rides well, handles well and even has me thinking about building a steel road frame.;)

I built this bike with Velocity Deep V wheels, 32 hole 3 cross pattern, bar end shifters for reliability with any shifting issues, and Avid Shorty brakes. Whether I rode the bike loaded or not, I had NO issues with "lack" of brakes. They worked well on my self contained tour which consisted of dry conditions, a bit of dirt roads, and tons of rain on the last day.

It's defintiely heavier than my other bikes, but more versatile in terms of where I can ride it, AND rides extremely well.:D


http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com

[Reesha]

I can't even express how disheartening it is to try and find a bake sale location in a city. Seriously. In a rural area it would be no problem whatsoever. It's like they've just conspire to collectively outlaw that sort of charity event all together. One grocery store guy actually said "well it's in direct competition with us". REALLY? Yes, we'd be doing so much damage to your multi-million dollar sales.

I am just venting. I understand that people don't want to be pestered by people just soliciting without offering, but at least with a bake sale they are getting something in exchange for their donation.

Grargh. I don't even know what to do. I feel like I'm only going to get a 1/10th of the way to my goal with letters to my family and friends. I guess being new in town (well, three years new) is a real disadvantage when it comes to fundraising.

[/rant]

[Blueberry]

I truly hope that I'll have funds to support your cause, and one day do the ride myself. My grandfather passed away while I was in college from smoking related emphysema, so the ALA is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart.

A couple of ideas:

What about bringing lunch for all teachers? Like Chili? And asking for donations. Maybe enlist someone to bring sides?

How about setting a dollar amount to "sponsor a day of your ride?"

Some folks here used to ride rollers outside of stores (with permission). The "trick" would earn them donations.

Local bike clubs that might let you "lead" a ride and ask for donations?

Info Table/donation jar at a school sporting event?

Can your friends with the documentary plug your ride in their social circles?

Good luck!!

ETA: What about asking restaurants to donate a portion of the profits from a night? Lots do that.

With stores - try grocery coops and small places (or places like Whole Foods). I think they are more likely to support your cause than "big box retailers."

[Reesha]

Thank you for the advice, Blueberry. When you're busy and you set your mind to do something it is simply exhausting to be told NO so many times.

I'll have to get creative I suppose! The restaurant thing is a good idea!

[Sky King]

Reesha also what about a bake sale at your favorite LBS? And if there is a group ride and they knew in advance that you were showing up with goodies they would remember to bring money to buy said goodies. I am horrid about not carrying any money on group rides so that what made me think - need to know ahead of time

[Reesha]

Great idea, Sky King. When I am riding more often in the spring I will definitely try that. I am also hoping that they'll let me do a bake sale at some of the races I am not participating in next spring!

I made a thread at a forum that I've been posting in science 2004 offering handmade cookies of their choosing for anyone who donates at least $30. I've already had 2 donations, but they said the cookies were unnecessary. They were happy to help :)

Lastly, I am going to try to put together a small, but classy benefit dinner. I work in the kind of environment where people often support these kinds of events and so I'm hoping someone will be able to help me organize it. I've never done anything like it, but I already have a venue that's willing to donate wine. It's just a matter of tapping into the right resources.

Thanks for all the encouraging words, everyone!

[Reesha]

New blog post!

http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2011/11/05/rollers-trainer-realrides-and-sufferfest/

Got myself rollers and a trainer and some videos. Did my first Robbie Ventura workout tonight and had a good time.

Avg speed 14 mph, 35 minutes, avg HR 157.

I'm planning to get some sufferfest vids for longer workouts on the recommendation of pll!

[Reesha]

I'm starting to be overwhelmed by the amount of gear I need for this trip. Holy smokes! As if raising the minimum isn't hard enough...

A lot of my bikewear is wearing out... bought it a bunch of years ago and haven't restocked. Need some really quality bike shorts-- ~80 miles a day for 49 days... high.quality.

I need a big tent. People are recommending a tent big enough to store my bike inside.

It's a looooong list.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a gear for a ride like this? I put a set of seat post mounted bottle cages on my christmas list... figure it would be good to have back up when we ride through long uninhabited stretches.

I need a new saddle, new shoes. Sigh. So much gear!

[Reesha]

I wrote a new blog post today: http://larissaridesforcleanair.org/2011/12/07/time-to-get-serious/

I'm starting with a personal trainer who specializes in cycling (he's a Cat 1 MTB racer) on Sunday and officially kickstarting my goal to lose 15-20 lbs by April. I think I can do it with the right guidance!

In other news, I am at ~$700 in my fundraising... nearly 10% of my goal! Yeehaw!

I thought of a fantastic idea for a fundraiser I can do with students at my school called Penny wars. I am hoping my head of middle school will approve it as it's for a wonderful cause and it's in support of one of their teachers. It also won't break the piggy bank so to speak, depending solely on coins.

Additionally, my mom is in the process of making a gorgeous queen size quilt for me to raffle. She is donating it, and I'm really excited to see it once it's professionally quilted. This is the pattern she and I settled on. We'll be ready to start the raffle in January.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3023/2628304066_b34406d282_z.jpg

[redrhodie]

That quilt is gorgeous! I bet that will get you a lot closer to your goal. What a generous mom!

[indysteel]

That quilt is gorgeous! I bet that will get you a lot closer to your goal. What a generous mom!

Seriously. I would be all over that.

[WindingRoad]

Wow! That quilt is amazing! Your mother is a talented woman!

[Reesha]

Well I should say that that quilt is not hers... It's the one we found that she is going off of. Hers is still in the midst of production. Apparently the design is not that difficult to put together!

Anyway, when the time comes, if anyone would like to purchase raffle tickets, you can do so through my donation site and send me a PM and I will mail you your tickets (and keep the stubs for the drawing naturally). :) :) :)

[Reesha]

Oh, I feel like I should share this here because I know there are probably women here who would love this blog:

http://www.bigride2011.com

The lady responsible for this lovely collection is an excellent writer who took marvelous pictures of the journey. I definitely feel like I'm along for the ride with her posts. I think my blog aims to be a bit more utilitarian for the aspiring Big Rider. More training/fundraising information. On the ride, I hope to take lots of pictures of things you might not normally think to take pictures of-- meals, annoyances, things you can't live without. Nonetheless, I have read some of her blog posts thin in anticipation!

[Reesha]

I met with my new personal trainer today. He is going to be a great fit for me and works for a very reasonable price ($45/hr, plus $60 for each 6 week plan). Our first session today was hard and he had a lot of great advice. I feel certain that if I stick to his program I'll be 15-20 lbs lighter by April :)

Today the single calf lifts were the hardest part... I figured I had more calf strength than I did, but I haven't been running so apparently they need some work. Shoulder presses were embarassingly hard as well.

On the other hand, I was surprised by my abilities in the roman chair... I was certain that I couldn't do a single knee up. I'm also pretty decent at stiff legged dead lifts! I just need to remember to slow down each movement and to get zen when I do them. I tend to go too fast.

I think I was most thankful for the nutrition advice. It's good to hear one plan from one person who knows their stuff. I'll be looking for good morning and afternoon snacks and I'll have to watch my carbohydrate intake (keeping it under 150 grams per day). I'll also need to elevate my protein intake.

[Reesha]

Wow! I've been working with my PT for 7 weeks now and he's really whipping me into shape. I have lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle, but really have only lost a pound or so numerically. Honestly, I could follow his nutrition guidelines a LEETLE more carefully, though. By the time I next see him, I'll be handing him the training guide in our rider's handbook for the Big Ride so he can tailor my training schedule to it! (Very exciting!) He started a website http://phasetraining.net/ and took a few of us disciples on a 50 mile ride sunday. The ride followed on the heels of a new training session, so I was pooped by the time I got back.

Fundraising is going going going but it feels slow. I'm at 20% right now and I was gratified when a bunch of my online friends collectively donated $400 in the last couple days. That was well-timed because my boss shot down the carefully planned penny war that I wanted to do in the middle school and I was feeling a little down about that. Lesson learned: do not hang your hopes on any fundraiser until you are sure that it is going to happen!!!

Still, the start date creeps closer, and I am hoping the looming deadline will spur my friends and family to make their contribution. There's no sense of urgency when you're asking them for support 8 months in advance.

[Reesha]

We had our first conference call last night! Such excitement! They did charge us with helping them acquire a fuller group of riders though, so please pass it along if you know anyone that might be interested.

During the call, when the event coordinator asked for a volunteer to design a jersey w/ Primal Custom, I could barely restrain myself from bursting out in interruption. I just finished making our team jerseys for my high school team (in production right now! eee!), and so I'm familiar with the process. I guess I'll be mocking up a bunch of my ideas in photoshop and sharing them with the other riders. They'll pick the concept they like the best and we'll send it along to the designers at Primal.

Here's my first attempt! I'd love some feedback!
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429132_285825524818252_284979924902812_835764_930791827_n.jpg

[Reesha]

Jersey design #2
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/426643_286566864744118_284979924902812_837187_783494330_n.jpg

[Reesha]

The quilt is back from the quilter!!! I am so very pleased with the results. Now my mom just needs to bind it and mail it to me :)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407526_1908720334316_1731086615_932947_1366195522_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/419542_1908719134286_1731086615_932943_65365184_n.jpg

I'll let you know when tickets are on sale if anyone would like to buy some raffle tickets. I can mail the stubs to you. The drawing will be at the end of May :)

[Blueberry]

That quilt is beautiful! Please do let us know when tickets are available!

[Reesha]

If anyone is interested in purchasing a 2012 Big Ride Jersey, we are putting in our order this week. You don't have to be a participant to own one-- it's a sharp looking jersey that will help get the word out about this great annual event.

We are ordering both women's and men's jerseys and they are sport cut Primal.
http://www.primalcustom.com/fitguide.html

Send me a PM if you're interested and I will add you to the order!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/527705_316230188444452_284979924902812_916085_2105771598_n.jpg

[Reesha]

A week ago, I came home from the Big Ride Across America. I am still waking up wondering where I am and why am I not in my bike clothes yet? All the Big Ride alumni I met promised that the ride would change my life somehow. Rip it wide open might have been more accurate, but the heads up was appreciated!

I went into the ride believing it would revolve around the scenery and the places, and came away certain that it had been about my fellow riders and the relationships forged along the way. I cannot recommend this ride enough. Life on the Big Ride was easy, and I long for the simplicity of it all-- ride, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep...

From front to back, I lost 3 inches off my waist, a few inches off my hips, and dropped to a size I haven't been since college. All while only losing 6 measly pounds. The gains in muscle mass are significant!

Here are some pictures of my adventure (just look for the redhead):
First flat of the Big Ride in Redmond, WA!
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/285770_374521112615359_1042190191_n.jpg
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/8044_10150975812052797_2061381124_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/264895_10151034324392797_1106754256_n.jpg
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/480419_398693876864749_1226588261_n.jpg
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[snapdragen]

Congratulations Reesha! What a great accomplishment. :cool:

[thekarens]

Awesome! What a great cause and it sounds like it was an amazing ride.

[Possegal]

Congrats!! I followed you on facebook - even commented on a pic you posted from my home state. :) Sounds like you had an amazing experience.

[jobob]

Very well done, indeed! :cool:

[indysteel]

Welcome home! I'm so glad it was such a wonderful experience for you! Congrats on your accomplishment!

[Crankin]

So glad you had a positive experience. I also followed you on Facebook.
It was neat to have 2 people I know crossing the US on bikes, in opposite directions, at the same time.
Rest up, school will be starting soon!

[maillotpois]

Well done! So glad it was such a great experience. I would love to be able to take the time to do something like that.