Summary Stats for Ride 2019

I’ve been home for a little over 2 months and I’ve been meaning to post a ride summary for some time. In fact, for about 2 months now!

In the last Facebook post, I reiterated my mission for the ride concerning youth mentoring: Raise awareness, encourage volunteers, and maybe get a few monetary contributions. Through the Facebook page, over $600 was raised directly for Big Brothers Big Sisters of SW Washington. Several hundred more was raised and donated outside the facbook page in direct donations to BBBS of SW Washington and other mentoring organizations in people’s back yards. Besides the money, I hope I had an impact on all those I encountered at various “scenic viewpoints”, cafes, restaurants, motels, and warm showers hosts. I remember having lunch in a cafe in Oregon. A group of women asked me what I was doing, so I gave them my usual story of living out a childhood adventure and raising awareness for youth mentoring. One of the women tried to give me some cash. I kindly refused, but gave her my card and directions to make a donation to either one of her favorite organizations or look on my website for some ideas. I remember getting a discount on my my lunch when I told the owner of my adventure!

Being the analytical engineering type that I am, here is more of the ride by the numbers:

I had planned on making a roughly 1900 mile journey in 26 days. After some technical difficulties (broken spokes, wheel replacement, 5 flats), the ride ended up going 27 days to cover the 1,822 mile journey.

Daily averages:

• Average 65.1 miles/day. Shortest: 37.4 Longest: 91.8
• Average speed/day: 12.3 mph Slowest Avg: 10.7 mph Fastest Avg: 13.6 mph
• Average daily Max speed: 32.6 mph Lowest Max: 27.7 mph Highest: 41.3 mph
• Average Daily Elevation gain (climbing feet): 2,900′ Shortest Climbing day: 1,020′ Longest Climbing Day: 5,256′
• Average time on bike/day: 5:29 Shortest: 3:13 Longest: 7:02 Total of 145.25 hours on the bike over 27 days.
• Average Travel time/day: 8:48 Shortest: 6:26 Longest: 11:35 Total of 237.7 hours traveling/resting/snacking/meeting people

Without the panniers, Hidalgo is around 20 lbs. The panniers add about 25 lbs. When I was climbing the hills, I was carrying the equivalent of another bike on my rear wheel. On my training rides that averaged 20 to 30 miles, I could average 14 to 15.3 mph. I was catching some tailwinds on the fastest day. When I get over 30 mph on a loaded Hidalgo, I am usually working the brakes on any big downhill. I caught a rare stretch of straight road with hills, light traffic and some tailwind north of Santa Cruz, when I topped out at 41 mph. Even though the stretch between Point Arena and Valley Ford, CA had the most climbing, it was the ride out of Big Sur through Gorda and Ragged Point that nearly did me in. There were stretches of 4.5% to 7% grades that lasted miles.

Over the course of the 27 days, I spent 8 nights with warm showers hosts or friends I knew along the coast. It was the people I met along the way that I will remember the most.

The Lone Rider