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1300 miles Houston, Tx to Akron, Oh
I'm riding my bike 1300 miles from Houston to
Akron for several reasons. I'm originally from Akron
my mother, 96 year old aunt, other family and
friends live in the area, ill get to visit. More
importantly i hope to inspire others to exercise. I
would like people to think if he can ride 1300 miles
in 13 days i could really challenge my self to
simply walk to the to the store or run a marathon.
I'm hoping that people will set achievable goals that
really stretch their comfort zone. It's like
participating with me while doing your own thing.
I'm hoping that people will team up with me
participating in their own challenge and supporting
through a penny a mile donation which can be
made at www.tourdehood.org . As they develop
their own challenge they can get there family and
friends to participate and support however
possible. Getting others on board with you builds
the health movement. Together we will inspire
others to get outside their comfort zone. Working
together we can get hundreds of people to
challenge themselves to be healthier . While my
challenge occurs during June participation does
not have to stop. Participation and support can
occur at any time. All it takes us continuing to
inspire. I'll try to do my part together we can really
make a difference
The kickoff for the 1300 mile ride will be held at the
Eat Gallery 4420 Almeda from 12-2pm. Follow
progress and commentary using
www.tourdedood.1300miles.html or on facebook
under tourdehood or follow me on twitter
@veonmc. Thanks for time and your support.
I'm finally ready to leave it about 9:00am monday
morning. My gear weights about 55 pounds. I
thought would have left yesterday at 4:00am but
just too many things to do.
Let me say i'm sorry for all the miss spellings and
other problems with web site. I'm hoping that
people will be inspired and support me a penny a
mile. i will use hatt money to fix website and really
make tour de hood the organization it should be. I
hope you will get others to join with you and in
doing more. Together we can challenge others to
something out of the normal routine make a real
challenge. We can build a movement of getting
others healthier by moving out of our comfort zone.
The herb and oils will be used to help keep me
healthy on the trip. We often forget we are what we
consume. When we consume good food as
conversation we become healthier.
i'm going highway 90 to Beaumont hopefully i will
make it before dark. Also check my facebook page
and tour de hood for up dates along the road
before i post to the web site.
Regular updates seem to be a challenge given
weather and other stuff.
The trip to Beaumont was great got there just
before dark. I got confused on where i should hit
hwy12 from hwy90. It was now dark i wanted to
keep riding to get my 100 for the day. Anyway i
wound continuing on old hwy 90. I was us easy
about what the roads might be like for safety. Old
hwy90 was very dark and moderately rough. The
good part is that there were very few cars. i finally
reached hwy12 to find a nice wide and smooth
shoulders. all of the roads so far have generally
had wide shoulders except a few miles either side
of a town.
I kept riding and decided to camp in the hammock
on side of road. Not long after it decided to sprinkle
rain i could hear thunder and see lightening so i
prepared for rain. it never really rained then. The
suspense and i was not really resting made me get
back on the road. extremely tired. Set up camp
behind a rail road wheel heat sensing shack. it
started pouring rain about an hour later.
got back on and rode the store with. Slept on the
bench for a few minutes while stuff charged.
A mornings view from of the side of road of last
nights campsite. It's very hard to see my tent and
bike but it there. That's the basics for now.
The plan is to ride to Natchez . Planned to post
about an hour earlier ran out of power. Yesterday
as i was looking for a replacement rear light. i
noticed plugs on the outside wall of the Dollar
General. So that where i'm posting from! I ran out
of power it was difficult. As soon as got ready to
post the computer died. Once it came back up
then i could not get a signal. Electricity will
probably continue delay posting.
Since the start of the trip I have been only been
eating raw foods. June 13th i started the day with
avocado and plums. i was so hungry I forgot to
remove the sticker. Later it was more bananas,
cherries, grapes, apples and oranges. You don't
have eat cooked to ride 1300miles. You do need
plenty of nuts with the fruit.
C
I don't have pictures of the Red River Bike shop in
Alexandria. I do have some video of them repairing
my loose bottom bracket. Met a guy there who had
my route to Kentucky. It was good getting the
heads up. All electronics were basically dead for
most of the second day. My phone went down to
6% could not do anything. However, using my
SpinPower charging system for most of the
evening I was able to get a full charge. It just took
about 8 hours on the road it worked. It just took
about 7 hours of riding.
I finally made it to Natchez` around 2:30am. I
camped in a vacant field near the visitors center.
Yes it sprinkled rain for a couple of hours after i
laid down.
Still visitors center posting it seems that im inspiring
people along the way. Last night a lady in Shell gas station
said she had been inspired and was going to exercise 3
days a week. ask others to support and commit to doing
something. Together we are making a difference one
commitment at a time.
Heading out for todays ride the Natchez Trace Parkway
should have some beautiful views.
This is where i started the Natchez Trace it is a 444 mile
road closed to commercial traffic. There are very few cars
on the trace at times there may several hours before a
vehicle passes. A place of solitude and at times very
isolated.\
I was very tired when i started on the trace i did not get
there until about 5:00pm. I could only make it to mile 40. I
slept under a bridge. Actually had my first good nights
sleep. Still eating only raw food lots of nuts apples. The
bananas don't and make a mess.
The many views were fantastic. After leaving mile 40
behind it started to rain could not charge electronic to
there is little to show. Tried to take a picture of Ross
Barnett reservoir but nothing would work. Gopro was full.
Second camera had moisture and phone was dead. Take
my word it was beautiful.
No pictures of second night sleep it was basically same as
first night under a bridge. The second day on the trace i
tried to make up the 60 miles that were left from first day. I
could only do 120. Each day from start i have started late
in the day. From the start i left tired from the weekend's
Fuzzy party and packing. The weight 55lb+food and lack of
full rest has been a challenge. Each day i have tried to get
to bed early. Traveling at about 12 miles an hour makes a
hundred miles take 10 hours not including stops. There
has been lots of stop for all kinds of stuff like trying to
figure why phone is not charging or repositioning lights
etc.
Three days on trace i am at Tishomingo state park at mile
303. This is where camped last night. It had electric so i'm
able to charge and hopefully post if i can get a good
signal
I cant wait to bring a group to ride the trace. Lots of great
history. The park is really nice what little i have seen.
There is always some issue. One issue is my sleeping mat
leaked the second night leaving me sleeping on the hard
ground. Again getting good rest has not been easy. Thank
goodness i have two sleeping systems. So i was able to
rest for a few hours last night. I did not get here until after
2:00am up early and charging it's noon now so another
long day and some night riding. It will probably be 1:00
before i'm packed and ready . Today i plan to just ride 100
miles not the 140 of yesterday. I should end the day about
44 miles from Nashville. I'm hoping i'll have time for 8
hours comfortable sleep. It now seems like I'm doing 1300
mile time trial. i was behind on time like in the Tour de
France and had to work to catch up! I'm also eating almost
constantly like the tour im burning lots of calories to ride
repeatedly 100 miles a day.
Stopped here for some good food from the berry man on
way to Nashville. He talked about his adventure climbing
the Grand Tetons his challenges and preparation.
This is my campsite just on the border of Kentucky at
truck stop at intersection of 31w and I-65. You will have to
see the video of Jerry cool who came over to visit. He
was one of the many using the truck stop as a camping
spot.
This is one of my favorite pictures of a family business
near Mammoth Cave Kentucky. This is my favorite stop so
far for water. They were down HOME COUNTRY folks
meeting for first time it seemed that they had known you
all your live.
Finally made it to Louisville Kentucky 972 miles did not
sleep on couch. I like floor better with sleeping bag.
Finally got my second shower that i really really needed
after 9 days on road. I currently getting ready to depart
Cincinnati another late start another long day and more
night riding. Wish i had time to catch whole foods
prepared raw food would be great. I need a Rain Cloud
from the Eat Gallery to start my day. Probably no more
post until i reach Akron
People always ask if i had any negative encounters. A very
bad picture shows the best in human nature. I passed by a
country church seemingly having a social i wanted to take
pictures but my energy was low, it was after 5 and i had a
100 miles to go. This guy leaves the church and drives up
asking if i would like to come over. He offered plenty of
BBQ, drinks and bathroom. He saw some one he thought
he my be of service to. This is an example of how people
have been on my trip wonderful humans.
No picture of the night after Louisville's stay. The cops
came and woke me up i had just basically laid down
beside the road in a curve. When I topped there the no
traffic at 4:00am at 6:00am work traffic was heavier.
If you can tell time by the shadows you can determine how
long it took from sleep area to Ohio. Shadows now tell me
a lot direction and approximate time of day. I'm traveling
on hwy 42.
There is also no picture of me of me motor pacing (riding
close to vehicle to block wind for more speed) behind the
Xenia police car as he helped me find my way to Wal Mart
for food. Nor a picture of the lady that was so interested
she talked to me for 1/2hour at Wal Mart. When I'm tired all
i want to do is ride so that i can reach a rest point.
Everything seems to eat up time. Like the flat i had in
Xenia and patched. It took three times taking the wheel off
the bike in the dark to realize it was the patch that was
causing the bike to vibrate and shake.a
This sign read welcome Veon McReynolds last night.
There were no good side of the road spots I needed to
charge my light. My spinpower charging system needed
some mounting adjustments that i did not want to take
time to make on the road. The owner took over from
parents probably when 42 was a major route before I-71.
Rested I think i have until Saturday for my 13 day of 1300
mile trip.
It is officially over arrived about 9:30pm ets at my final
destination more post later. please plan to join @ 2305
Wheeler as i review the ride july 4 from 3-7 and tour de
hood @ 7 to fireworks. Also stay tune for the official
debriefing session at Eat Gallery.
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Veon McReynolds, organized the first Tour De Hood in 2003, which is free
and open to all ages.
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1300 miles 2013 Houston TX to Akron, OH please click the link below to get pic and post thanks for your
support.
I'm not off to a good start on getting you information on my newest trip. Thats one of the reasons that I'm riding is to get your attention and possibly your help on projects particularly Tour de Hood. I'm perty good at cycling but
website management and management in general not so much. I'm hoping that the attention associated with this 13 day 1300+ ride will generate support needed to fix some of the needs of a great project tour de hood. Many
people cycle for causes I'm cycling to possibly motivate you to a higher degree of health. I'm hopping that many will say if he can ride 100 miles a day for 13 days surely i can (insert your action here). I'm hoping some will donate
much needed finds to hire competent people to manage website project administration and possibly money for supplies like bikes helmets lights etc. While others may just be able to come by and donate labor or just support by
saying tour de hood is a good project. Some may just come and ride. However and whatever all support will be appreciated greatly. I'm hoping to provide you information on how to prepare for a long bike trip. I Currently have 34
days before i depart. I have my bike a different one than used on my two previous trips to Ohio. I have most of the equipment that i think i need. I will be doing a test ride to San Antonio or actually to Guadalupe state part. That
will actually be the longest rode i have done in months. Most of my rides have been less than 40 miles for the last 3 months in preparation for track nationals. For those that don't know I'm a bicycle racer previously road but last
few years mostly track. However my major focus is getting people out riding increasing their health through good eating and exercise. To navigate the details of preparation and trip i will put dates each up date with most recent
at top (current thought) and just add the days as go don't have a good format so it may change thanks for your support.
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This is just the simple map of the trip Google says its about 1396miles to from Houston to Key West
Florida. I probably need to change things to 1400miles 14day. Right now I'm just wrestling with the
web site set up typing on a keyboard that seems to have it own mind. However I hope to keep you
abreast of my preparation and my travels through postings here, facebook and instagram. If anyone
has ideas how i could make it better please let me know.
Finally working out some of the buggs preventing me from posting pictures. This is my packing for my my test ride to Guadulupe State Park. Google
says it was 222 miles but it seemed more like 250 from sinage and time. The September 26 trip allowed me to test out new gear and my physical
conditioning. Both of which need work. The front bag kept movimg and did not provide comfortallble placement of my hands. Im changimg thos with
some add on clalmps for the handlebars. Another issue was charging equipment it was cloudy and rainny that weekend. Im investing on a hub that
charges the lights and phone. As ride it will generate 6v Dc at 3w. A converter will change it to a USB connection with 5 volts. Im hoping to charge all
my rechargable lights with this new set up. I hope to to test it this weekend.
Here is the clothong gear that i will be taking on trip. My standard zip of pants witj a short sleeve and long sleeve
nike pro combat shirt, wool hat, wool long sleeve jersey, wind breaker, wool socks, two types of waterproff socks,
and waterproof gloves, armwarmers, leg warmers Gore Bike windblocker with removable sleeves (favorite jacket)
and long tights raincoat and pants. Some of these items i may not need for florida. However i'm leaving florida by
Amtrak November 3, heading to Ohio to see my 98 year old aunt. i will definately need them when i arrive and
possibly on the train ride. Nights get chilly even on the test ride i needed wool socks and arm and leg warmers.
On my fist rip to ohio in june the tempreture went down to 48 degree. Fortuately i was moderately perpared. All
thia stuff fits in the grey bag and attaches under the seat of the bike. This is a system used by the those who do
the idatarod bike rack. this is a lot more areo dynamic than panniers. Im hoping the change and bike change
from crossbike to roadbike will make me a little faster. The small black bag and green dry bag are used to store
food. i generall load it with assorted raw nuts and dry fruits. i store it in the dry bag and place it in the little black
bag for eating on the road. i actually like black feed bag for hundred mile bike tips. i can put food money phone
all in bag. so there is no need to struggle for stuff stored in jersey pockets.
Here is my basic sleeping gear. A down sleeping bag +10deg. EMO hammoch, inflatable sleeping mat,bivy
bag(orange water proff bag that covers sleeping bag. I use these with the addition of the tent. what i use is based
on weather conditions and terrain. Sometimes there are no trees for hammoch or it raining and i may need to
break out bivy bag in hammochntp prevent sleeping bag from getting wet. On my test ride i used hammoch and
tent. i like the hammoch for stealth camping on sode of the road were there are trees. I can set the hammoch up
in 1 minute and be set up to sleep in 3minutes. it a lot faster safer than the tent.
