Let me start by saying that both Gaby and I are totally fine.  And we made it to Berea, Kentucky which is only 750 miles from the coast of Virginia. At our current pace, we would get to the east coast in less than two weeks.  Those two weeks of cycling, however, will happen next summer.  Right now we’re putting the TransAmerica on pause.

It’s not what we want to do, but after much discussion it is what makes the most sense.  You see, a few hundred miles ago, while coming down a hill in Carbondale, Illinois, we had a little accident.  Nothing too serious, but my right arm did end up in a sling, immobilized and mostly useless for the next six weeks.  That wasn’t what bothered me the most though, the real disappointment was the thought of not finishing.  We were so close, and I was not ready to stop just yet.  So I did some brainstorming, and suggested to Gaby that we take a few days of rest and then learn to ride a tandem bicycle.  I figured that by riding in the back I could keep balance with one hand and we could keep on riding.

How we found the tandem and got it set up correctly is a whole other story.  You see, normally the bigger person rides in the front and steers, while the back seat is designed for the smaller person.  So Doug at Phoenix Cycles had to do a little magic to set it up backwards for us.

The bottom line is that I could keep balance, and so we did keep riding.  We rode out of Illinois and into Sebree, Kentucky, then on into central Kentucky and then into Berea, Kentucky know as the “Gateway to the Appalachians.” It turns out that we move faster on a tandem than we did on separate bikes, so we put in some of our longest days so far - 87 miles, 83 miles, 76 miles…

We learned what it takes to ride a tandem bicyle - it takes a lot of communication, coordinating starts and stops, and adjusting to each others’ cycling quirks and preferred candences.  we also learned the perks of riding a tandem - you move faster overall, you can help each other through the difficult climbs, and you can easily have a conversation while you ride.

But we also realized that both of us were stressed out and not enjoying the trip as much.  I was on edge from having to balance with one hand and adjust to a new bicycle (and a new bicycle seat).  Gaby was worried about having to steer, balance, and break for the both of us, especially since I was extra-unstable.  So we both focused more on not making mistakes and getting there rather than focusing on the trip and the world around us.

“Not making mistakes” and “getting there” were not the reasons we started the trip in the first place.

And so we decided to finish the trip next summer when we are both healthy, and excited to climb over the Appalachians and make it to the coast.  Right now, we’re going to spend some time with Gaby’s family, get some rest, and even out our ridiculous tans.  We’ll be back in LA by September.  And we’ll be back in Kentucky by summer 2009, so if you’re looking for something to do, consider this an open inviation to join us on a 750 mile scenic jaunt over the Appalachians and across Virginia.

To be continued...