71st birthday
ride.
400 miles in 40 hours.
71st birthday ride;
For my 69th birthday, June 14th, I planned to do a double century, the date being near the summer Solstice, all of the days for about two weeks have about the same length of daylight. I bicycle 222 miles from home in Philadelphia to Cape May NJ. My lights went dark about 30 miles from home. Since I was using Gel cells batteries, by leaving the light off for a while I could have light when meeting cars. One into an urban area I had streetlights. I stopped at a drug store in Berlin NJ and bought a flashlight. It is Urban from there to home and the flashlights was enough light.
Since I didn’t feel tired on that ride, for my 70th birthday, I planned a longer trip, one where I felt good about riding at night. I carried the same four amp hours of battery power as on my 69th ride, which I expected to last four hours on the Halogen light at 10watts, I only use the 20 watts Halogen light to flash motorists or to read road signs. But I had the LED as backup, rated to last 40 hours. The LED flashlight holder replaced the Halogen light and could not be use together.
400 miles in 40 hours The cue and GPS files are below. Adding 20 miles round trip from home to the Art Museum, June 12-13 2003.
71st birthday ride Excel file 171 kb Workbook with three complete cuesheet from Philadelphia Art Museum to Ocean City MD and return. The longest is 380 miles and the shortest is 343 miles. The longer route iv via Valley Forge PA, Yellow Spring PA and Downingtown PA. The BicyclePA "L" route is met in Downingtown and the signed bicycle route is followed from there to the Delaware state line to meet Delaware Bicycle 1 signed bicycle route. Delaware Bicycle 1 is signed from Rt 100 at the PA line to Fenwick Island at the Maryland state line. The shorter route. meet BicyclePA "L" route closer to the Delaware state line Cue sheet of most of the segments are includes also.
Maps of the Delaware Bicycle 1 signed route are available from www.deldot.net/bike caution; some signs has been removed or turn arrows removed by vandals. Make a cue from the map as I have done or be prepared to check the map often..
71st birthday ride G7towin routes tracks This file the GPS route tracks for the entire shorter route. Tracks for the longer route is gotten by using the Topo4 tracks below.
TOPO4 Route file Valley Forge to Delaware 1 via Yellow Spring and Downingtown
For my 71st birthday ride, I changed the light bar/GPS mount to hold both types of lights, 7.5 amp hours of batteries and a 12volts power supply for the GPS so that the backlight would stay on at night.
At this point I will say that in answer to why I do this these rides:
First I ride to maintain a blood pressure and Cholesterol level that doesn’t require me to take medication. Fingers crossed, it has worked for about 35 years. Earlier on I could ride 10 miles and get results. The distance needed increases with time. There have been times when I thought that there weren’t enough miles available; why not just take the pills. Then the 227 miles two years ago brought new hope.
The GPS and lights give me technical incentive to want to prove that my workshop devices work.
June 12, 2003, I left home at 3:50 am and arrived at the Art Museum about 5 am, I followed Kelley drive invoking the first route of the file set that is available for download on my web pages.
In Manaunk on Main Street, I tried to use the keyboard on the eMap to check the time. The keys had frozen and was beeping continues, using battery power with each beep but still functioning.
I look for the cue sheet that I printed out and found that I forgot to pack them. I first thought was to turn around, get the cues and take the shorter route. I called Ed and he was near Springs Mills. Ed and Leigh both had said that if either wasn’t at the designated meeting place to go on.
I continue assuming that both had downloaded the cue. Ed had download sheet one of the book, I didn’t explain that there were several sheets with sheet 2 have the longer route.
We met Leigh at Conshohocken. He had just flew in from a trip and with about three hours sleep and jet lag joined us.
I had loaded the routes files to my Garmin II+ to hand to Ed and Leigh for if we were separated they could use it to stay on the route. I turned that GPS on but remembered that its route following was geared for waterways. I left it on for mileage and planned to wing Wally longer route to Chad Ford from Valley Forge. After a few hills and questions about turns, Leigh suggested that we stop at one of his clients near by and download and print the cue, we did with about a mile detour and presto, three copies of the cue sheets.
Why Leigh was editing and printing the cue I was able to use the toaster oven to dry out my eMap. Between the sun and the oven, the unit allowed me to change routes at Chad Ford where we stopped for lunch at the WaWa. The next stop was at a MacDonald on Bicycle route one, east of Newark DE.
The new route loaded, it carried us to Middletown DE, as we followed Delaware Bicycle route one. High humidity froze the keyboard again and I could not load the next route. (Each route average about 50 miles.) The Bicycle Route one signs were in place and Leigh and I had bicycle this section a month prior as part on the Delaware Legislator, bike to work day.
At
around 7:00 PM the wind shifts to be from the West, the wind picks-up to a
ferocious speed. The telephone lines are whipping up and down. If
you've ever seen the movie clip of the bridge in WA State that started swaying
and then collapsed, that is what the phone lines were doing. The lightning
was at least 4 miles away, but the wind was awful. We sprint toward
Clayton's Corner (it is 2 miles W of Smyrna, DE). We get to the safety of
the Clayton Corner store just as the heavens open up with a drenching rain at
7:25 PM. We go inside, the bikes are under the overhang and we get dinner.
They help us out a lot w/ food, phone books and advice.
Leigh
was never going to ride the entire ride. he decide to book a hotel room in
Dover, DE about 8 miles to go rather than chancing Milford about 30 miles away.
After 1 hour at the cafe,
the rain is just sprinkles, so in full rain gear the three of us head out. Ed's
bike and mine have full light systems, Liegh were to ride the middle with only
LED light in front. A sign is
missing for the turn but I know that Rt 15 is use by bicycle route one on and
off until Milford. We split at DE 15 & DE 42.
Leigh take 42 to US 13 and
Dover and the hotel., Ed and I pickup the signs and along with the cue sheet,
get to Uncle Willie Truck stop on Rt 13 and Killen Pond Road. Not far there is
where I lost the bicycle route one signs las year. With the cue, Ed and I
continued past Milford to a place that we could see the Coastal High way light.
Using instants, at a Tee in the road I choose right instead of a left turn.
After about 5 miles as the lights was getting farther away, we came on a no
outlet sign. We turn around and about 3am the bump on my tire that started when
I hit a rock near Downingtown and had gotten more of a bump, let go, first flat.
We were at a private home streetlight; otherwise it would have been almost
working in the dark. Ed lights are power by a hub generator. My LED light is
self contain and we could’ve used that light.
About
a mile after the street that we made the wrong turn, we saw a bicycle route one
sign. I think that all signs were in place until we got to Rehoboth Beach. Last
year after missing the Route one Signs I used the GPS to get to my plan route
that use Rt 54/20 and that road entered the Coastal highway at Fenwick Island.
We
now were riding in daylight, about 5 am. With about 20 miles to go, the road
signs said 16 miles.
We
bypass stops in Rehoboth but after riding in open spaces for about 15 miles, we
stopped at a McDonald in Bethany Beach.
Sleep
was about to let Ed know that he hadn’t had any for a while. I suggested that
he wait while I completed the loop to Ocean City. Ed felt that he was up to the
task. I knew that forty hours of sleep is doable for me.
We
bicycle through Fenwick Island to the state line. (To do 400 miles we would have
to ride to the end of the Island and Rt 50.)
Ed
took pictures and stop to get sunscreen. Then we continue on. We decided that we
would stop whenever the mood to stop was present. I decided not to follow the
cue sheet to Dover, instead using the Coastal highway and Rt 113 to Rt 9. We
call Leigh about 10 am and thought that we would be near Dover on route 9 about
one pm. We were off by about two hours.
Ed by
this time was feeling the lack of sleep and had planned to get a room in Dover,
stay over and finish the ride Saturday. However, it seen that he was too sleepy
to reach Dover. I suggest that we stop on a manicured lawn behind a set of trees
blocking the owner’s view of us. I laid down and closed my eyes, Ed follow
suit and was fast asleep. I sat up and saw that he was asleep so I waited until
he open his eyes.
Ed was ready to go with about 20 minutes sleep.
About 10 am I had a flat on the rear wheel. That flat was from a small sliver of glass. I replace that with a new tube. an hour later another on the rear wheel and the inner tube was leaking around the vale stem. We assumed that the tube was defected and just replace, another hour and flat again. Close inspection showed that the rim tap was worn around the vale stem hole. I made a washer from a old tube and no more flat.
We called Leigh to tell him that we were two hours away from his location. Leigh decided to go on since he knew the route.
After turning on to Rt 9 the next turn is 44 miles in Newcastle DE from near Dover. About two more of the sleep stops and we were riding in the dark crossing the Delaware Canal Bridge into Delaware City. We were getting a light rain. The Gps had allowed me to load the Dover to Marcus Hook route, but not use the keyboard. We decided to stop at a Pizza shop in Delaware City.
We got about the same conditions rain wise Friday night as Thursday. We stopped because it seems to be getting ready to start. And it did, TV and light blinks in the Pizza shop. We left in a very light rain, so light that I didn't put my covers on. I broke Ed taillight as I was unlocking the bicycles. Ed wanted to ride without a light, as I would follow him, I was conserving my bright light, using the LED. We went about two miles and I would lose Ed in the vision of the LED. I asked Ed to stop under a streetlight and I mounted the flasher to a pannier strap.
We rode into New Castle on a very dark road; the raindrops would prismtize the light and blind us. Ed suggested that we remove our glasses. We did it worked.
To get from Rt 9 to Rt 13 is tough in Willington. Ed had a handle and the GPS was working again but I couldn't turn on the backlight. Only under a streetlight could I see the arrow. We turn too soon and a local was rushing into his house, when he saw that we seem to need assistance, he came over and gave us very detailed directions. About ten turns later we were on Rt 13 along the river. The GPS agreed. We stopped at a convenience store where the two 13 meet and ordered service through a security window.
On Rt 291 almost out of Chester, a carload of locals pulled along side of me, Ed was ahead. One said I want that bicycle I think that I said hy. He repeated; I want that bicycle. I said you better get outa my face. A big guy in the back said I want you. I said Ed you got your piece? He slammed the door against me, it hit the pannier, otherwise, with no pannier, and the door would've hit my leg or knocked me over. They drove about a half block ahead and stop. I tried to flag a car from the other lane but no one would stop. I call 911 and talked about 5 minutes pinning down the location. We waited about 20 minutes and decide to go via another street.
Needless to say, that we didn't stop until we got to Phila. We rode 291 all the way to Bartram Ave. We use a short cut that may be on the cue, at the SEPTA station on Bartram, we cross the tracks to get on Mario Lantz Bvd to Lindbergh Bvd.
The last catnap was on the SEPTA station walkway. I found my wall, I knew that I can go with out sleep for extended periods but I never hit the wall. I hit it about 4 am, 49 hours. I had did two cat naps to encourage Ed to sleep but the last ones I wanted to stand guard. I didn't sleep on the previous rides.
As for why
I do this, since I can go with out sleep, it is a way to utilize this TALENT.
When I go to a rally where I do a century and am done by 5 pm, I am bored the
rest of the night. Also the technical aspect, I had all of the routes in the
GPS, I was powering the GPS via my battery supply so that it would light up at
night, I had a two day light source for clear weather.
I tested
the solar cell for recharge and found that it will take too long. The power
supply for my notebook weighs a few ounces and recharges in about three hours.
That can be done at lunch stops.
I just
remembered that I carry pepper spray. I think that I wish I hadn’t mention the
piece and let that clown get out the car and peppered him.
I
have a total of 220 mile on the eMap and 116 on the Garmin II+ the batteries
died on the II+ and I didn’t want to stop to replace them, having left a set
home with the cue.
Total time on the road was 49 hours, moving time was 39 hours with a moving average of 11.1 miles per hour
Maybe the 340-mile version next year with the hills left out.
The idea.
The idea of bicycling through the night and into the next day started about 5 years ago when I was returning from the LAB rally in Wellesley MA. I had read a suggestion in rec.bicycles.rides that Long Island was a good place and reason for an all night ride. Traffic is usually light at night, the LI expressway has a service road that allow bicycle, the main east/west highways all got to the very end of either fork and it about a hundred miles ride.
On my way home from Wellesley, I bicycle to New London and got on the ferry to Orient Point. My intentions was to ride all night an be at the Hoboken ferry the next morning. About two hours into the ride a big thunderstorm could be seen to the west. I managed to find a motel with a room being refinished that was rented to me.
For my 70th birthday ride, since Delaware and Maryland both have wide shoulders on their roads. I plotted three routes, however my plans to return by the same route, since most of the return were planed to be at night.
The ride started at 4 AM on Thursday June 13 and I arrived home at 8:19 on June 14. 40 hours and 19 minutes of biking. My GPS got waterlog and stopped recording at 170.8 miles, 11.6 moving average, 14:44 minutes of moving time and 2 hours of stopped time. I estimate that the total stop time was about 4 hours, giving me about 36 hours in the saddle. For the 340-mile total miles of the ride, my average speed is less than 10 miles per hours. A reason for the low average is that I was riding at night in the rain for quite a bit. One-mile per watt seems a good rule of thumb.
I have a 10/20-watt system and I use the 10-watt light for about 4 hours. After the battery expired, I use the 40-hour LED flashlight that project about 3 watt. I was in the granny gear on flat roads at times. http://www.billcotton.com/MY_rides.htm#LEDlight
71st birthday ride Excel file 171 kb Workbook with three complete cuesheet from Philadelphia Art Museum to Ocean City MD and return. The longest is 380 miles and the shortest is 343 miles. To get the 400 miles for my ride, the route is via Valley Forge PA, Yellow Spring PA and Downingtown PA. The BicyclePA "L" route is met in Downingtown and the signed bicycle route is followed from there to the Delaware state line to meet Delaware Bicycle 1 signed bicycle route. Delaware Bicycle 1 is signed from Rt 100 at the PA line to Fenwick Island at the Maryland state line. The shorter route. meet BicyclePA "L" route closer to the Delaware state line Cue sheet of most of the segments are includes also.
Maps of the Delaware Bicycle 1 signed route are available from www.deldot.net/bike caution; some signs has been removed or turn arrows removed by vandals. Make a cue from the map as I have done or be prepared to check the map often..
71st birthday ride G7towin routes tracks This file the GPS route tracks for the entire shorter route. Tracks for the longer route is gotten by using the Topo4 tracks below.
TOPO4 Route file Valley Forge to Delaware 1 via Yellow Spring and Downingtown
I will use the longer version to ge a 400 mile ride.
I have spent the last week getting my lighting system the way that I want it. I used a 7 LED flashlight for backup last year after my 4 hour battery supply was exhausted. The soft light forced me to keep my speed below 10 mph. I have increase the size of my battery to 7 amps from 4 and should get 7 hours of light at 10 watts. The 20 watts is to flash motorist to lower their high beams. The LED is for backup and filler light.
Above is my electronic for the ride, except for the computer. I will leave it home for the 40 hour ride. I am up to about 480 waypoints and for a longer ride I would use it to upload additional route, since the eMap is limited to 500 waypoints. The next ride that I am to lead My eMap is powered from my 12volts dc power supply. the volt reducer is made from a 12 to 3 volt car adapter. eMap parts I made.
LED flashlight modified to become part of my utility bar. PVC pipe and fitting machine on a lathe. My machine shop
Below is the bicycle ready to go.
The 10 watt Halogen and the LED are lit. The bicycle weighs in at 50 pound.