on the road

i'm just writing a blog to say that bike and build id on the road and amazing!

we changed up our itenerary again, i supposed taking the 'scenic route' which gives us an extra couple hundred miles all summer and the most rides over 100 miles of any other route. yikes.

The route info is:
05/21
Nags Head - NC
0
05/22
Nags Head - NC
0
05/23
Swanquarter - NC
66
05/24
Belhaven - NC
34
05/25
Greenville - NC
58
05/26
Wake Forest - NC
79
05/27
Chapel Hill - NC
39

05/28
BUILD DAY
0
05/29
BUILD DAY
0
05/30
Winston-Salem - NC
89
05/31
Taylorsville - NC
70
06/1
Newland - NC
64
06/2
Asheville - NC
79
06/3
BUILD DAY
0

06/4
Gatlinburg - TN
82
06/5
Maryville - TN
45
06/6
BUILD DAY
0
06/7
BUILD DAY
0
06/8
Sweetwater - TN
39
06/9
Dunlap - TN
79
06/10
Sewanee - TN
44

06/11
Pulaski - TN
85
06/12
Savannah - TN
85
06/13
Bolivar - TN
38
06/14
Memphis - TN
56
06/15
DAY OFF
0
06/16
Brinkley - AR
82
06/17
Little Rock - AR
70

06/18
BUILD DAY
0
06/19
BUILD DAY
0
06/20
Clarksville - AR
105
06/21
Fayetteville - AR
73
06/22
Grove - OK
60
06/23
Bartlesville - OK
80
06/24
DAY OFF
0

06/25
Ponca City - OK
71
06/26
Cherokee - OK
80
06/27
Coldwater - KS
89
06/28
Dodge City - KS
67
06/29
Garden City - KS
53
06/30
Lamar - CO
102
07/1
Rocky Ford - CO
75

07/2
Colorado Springs - CO
124
07/3
BUILD DAY
0
07/4
DAY OFF
0
07/5
Buena Vista - CO
102
07/6
Gunnison - CO
85
07/7
Ouray - CO
101
07/8
Durango - CO
70

07/9
BUILD DAY
0
07/10
Cortez - CO
45
07/11
Teec Nos Pos - AZ
65
07/12
Kayenta - AZ
58
07/13
Tuba City - AZ
75
07/14
Desert View - AZ
59
07/15
Williams - AZ
81

07/16
Prescott - AZ
70
07/17
BUILD DAY
0
07/18
Wickenburg - AZ
60
07/19
Wenden - AZ
50
07/20
Blythe - CA
65
07/21
Brawley - CA
88
07/22
Julian - CA
75

07/23
El Cajon - CA
50
07/24
San Diego - CA
36


I am currently in Bellhaven which is an awesome little town in NC (which I like a lot so far) and, since it wqas a short ride today, just relaxing at some nice peoples house. The southern hospitality here is pretty astounding.
I'm not really in the mood to write a blog right now, but if you want an (eventual) postcard email me your address (pixxistix@gmail.com).

my news

looks like i have to ship my bike on tuesday, which freaks me out because i am not in shape yet! oh well, the first couple of weeks are going to be hell. live and learn.
i have one more day of work, i've gotta pack up my room and get it (somewhere) to storage. i need to purchase a couple of items....
basically, my flow before i leave

-monday: bike to outlet bike stores early in the morning and purchase rain coat, long sleeved jersey, possibly leg/arm warmers/cycling tights. work at organic farm. go to bike shop and buy a few items for my bicycle. get home and pack/research moving stuff/sew.
-tuesday: pack up bike and ship out before noon. work 3-8.
-wed-thu: hardcore packing/spackling/getting storage space or finding someone to store my stuff/packing for bike and build and HOPING i do not get called into work as i am on call both days. in this time i am also promised to a friend for a few hours and need to bake for a few of my donors that i said would bake for and the cookies i just made ended up being to sticky (caramel) to send in the mail.
-friday: leave? if this isn't possible i'll leave on saturday. i am taking a train down to san diego (where my family lives) and flying out of there the evening of the 19th. in those couple of days i will probably be: flipping out about not having fund-raised enough (and consequently paying the $$ myself, my tax return is going to be so good next year, i have been donating to charities like none other this year), visiting with my brother who just got back from iraq, and doing some kind of exercising good stuff.

what sucks is i just realized that even though i am moving back to this town after bike and build, many many of my friends are moving while i am away and these are the last few days i have to see them. i realized this at work today when i was giving my co-worker a hug bye because he is leaving in july for med school. it made me kind of sad that i am probably not going to get in time to see people.

also, it is possible that the company i currently work for is going to donate $1,000. which will put me just over the $4,000 mark and i wouldn't have to donate to myself. i think they are going to donate (or will), it is just a matter of whether they can get it in on time. my boss is so cool.

the promised bikes

As promised, pictures of the bikes I have been riding. The first one is to show you that I really hadn't ridden a rode bike before bike and build. Well, I guess I had a few times because one of my old room mates had a rode bike that I had borrowed a couple of times, but I was used to riding this piece of work. My good 'ol peugeot.. or however you spell that. I got it at the swap meet for $20 after my previous bike got stolen. It treated me well and I rode up to 30 miles on it, but definitely not more. Look at the cute colors, though!

Next, we have the bike I borrowed from my professor. I seriously can not believe now that I was planning on training on the above bike until I got my bike issued from bike and build. I think that I thought I would get it a lot sooner than I actually did get it. Year, that just wouldn't have happened. This bike was really awesome, though, and I was so glad to be using it (though it was too large for me). I got on it the other day to return it to my professor and it felt so weird, it's amazing how quickly we get used to a new bike!

Then, of course, my new bike that rocks! There are a couple things that I don't enjoy about it, though: one is how thick the handlebars are. This is mostly due to the fact that I can't fit my cyclocomputer or light around them. How obnoxious is that? I was complaining to some guy at the bike shop about that and he said I should just buy new ones. I was like: "Are you kidding me? I'm not going to buy a new light and computer just because I need a bigger piece of plastic!"... so I'm still trying to figure that out, actually. ha... any suggestions?

bakersfield and bike happening

So. I went to bakersfield for my physical and the ride was INTENSE. It literally tested me so hard and I felt very unprepared (physically, mentally, all of that). I have a picture of the beautiful sunset from my "camp" aka RIGHT off the highway because I couldn't fathom going another 16 miles to get to the real campground. The second I saw someone when I felt like I had gone about half way I asked if there was anywhere around that I could stay or camp and he told me that 5 miles down the road there was a tree that I could stay under and he knew the guy that owned the place and he wouldn't care. Anyway, it ended up being a comfortable nice place to camp and I was happy with it. The sunset was beautiful, the day was not (it was boiling hot). Riding inland is not fun! I am spoiled by temperate coastal weather. I love you, San Luis Obispo.
The other picture I took is of the place that I literally slept. It was very cozy and pretty hidden, so I was glad I asked that guy about a place to stay. I was fortunate to not have had to bike anymore that day. I think it was mostly other stuff going on with me and not necessarily the intensity of the biking. I was intensely nauseous and didn't want to eat anything but needed to for energy, then there is the fact that my shoes apparently do not fit me well so I NEED different ones. My toe was broken less than a year ago and if anything presses against it for an extended period of time it is torture. Also, I need assos cream. Ha.
Other than that Bakersfield was an interesting experience. I had a neat couch surfing host who told me about the stories of the neighborhood she lived in and gave me a book [about her neighborhood stories] that I started, but didn't get to read much of yet.

Next, I present you with one of my favorite things ever! Bike happening! go to www.bikehappening.org to learn about SLO's critical mass, of sorts. Basically, it is a once monthly bike take over of the downtown streets. It is actually pretty huge for a small town such as SLO, but it is great. There are monthly themes; this month the themes were: diapers, band-aides, and mustaches with a sub-theme: body hair. Don't ask me how they come up with this stuff. Also, people just dress up like random things. Also, I never dress up. I'll let you in on a little secret: I mostly think dressing up is lame because it encourages purchases that would not otherwise be made. Yet another joyless Hannah thing. Maybe if people were creative and learned to use what they had OR borrowed things I would be ok with it, but mostly they don't so I am not a supporter of the phenomenon. Anyway, bike night is basically way fun and I made $15 just because some random guy was saying I had a sweet bike, I told him that I got it for free and why and he gave me $15... the picture of the guy with money was that person. He was crazy, but it's cool. Sorry this post is so long, but I have to fill it with words so I can sneak in the pictures I took of amazingness. I tried to get good pictures of the chaos and all of the themes. The "mustache" one I have is actually my friend and I think he just had a mustache for no reason... but it worked. I also have a couple pictures of diapers and no good pictures of band-aides. Oh no... wait: this one!! He embodies all themes. I was kind of far away and zooming... so you can't see his 'stash, but it's there. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this thoroughly useless blog with terrible picture formatting (yet again! I rock at this stuff!). Please come again soon.

I am starting to get myself together... sort of.

1.) I have my sweat equity sheet in the mail (I hope, though that was left up to the organization).
2.) I am attempting to fund raise. I still need about $1,000.
3.) I am getting my bike into shape (I got a "travel" pump, of course my clipless pedals), though nothing fits around the HUGE handlebars that are on the specialized dolce. what's up with that?
4.) I do have a ticket to Norfolk, VA. Anyone else know how they are getting from Norfolk to Nags Head? Enlighten me, because I might bike?
5.) I will be getting my physical in about 4 days.
6.) Doesn't have anything to do with bike and build, really, but I found a place for when I get back! It's really cool, actually. I DO have to pay the deposit in a week... buuut, I'll figure it out.
7.) I think my boss might have a secret bake sale (it isn't technically allowed) at work for me.
I don't know what else, I am sooo tired right now. I can't really think clearly. I'll leave you with a picture of cows, because I took it while I was biking and I love cows.

i did it!

that took me about one minute. hahaha.
clipless rocks! i think i will go one a ride for a couple hours to celebrate! but first, let me tell you more about these shoes and how ugly they are. i got these mountain bike shoes off of ebay (without cleats) and bought the cleats and pedals separately. anyway, they are like high tops and super bulky on the bottom and i THINK the seller lied to me and they contain leather, which pisses me off more than anything else. buuut whatever, i am going to keep my eyes out for some synthetic ones and sell these if possible because i don't want to coat myself in another animals skin.

in addition, i would like to let everyone know how annoying my physical has become... i have to go 120 miles out of the way because my insurance provider has no facilities in my town. since i don't have a car and can't really afford a bus or train right now i am going to bike there.
basically, this is my route:

View Larger Map
i am going only half way each day (i will leave right after work sunday, camp, ride to bakersfield, couch surf, appt., ride to campsite and camp, ride back home and work the same day. aiyyiyi. it's going to be really scary, but i am sure it will be fun. the 'scary' part is because there is basically nothing along the 58 highway (except the campgrounds that are conveniently half-way). lots of water, a cell phone, and basically everything i need to fix my bike will obviously be included in the endevour.
i also have for you pictures of my bike, but i'll post them soon.

clipless

about to try for first time.
freaked.
can't form full sentences.
excited, too.
but freaked.
i expect lots of falls.

my shoes are ugly :).

my anxiety about bike and build

I think everyone thinks I am the greatest cyclist ever and etc. after my last post.
Well, this is my blog to tell you all about how freaked out I am about getting everything done/paid for because no one else blogs about that kind of stuff.

1.) I haven't even looked at the presentation thing. I know I am in week two, that's about it.

2.) I still need the raise $1,400. BLARG! That is the sound of frustration.

3.) I still haven't gotten my bike. Could a bike get lost in the mail?

4.) I barely have any time to cycle. I have worked for about 12 days straight.

5.) I still don't know about my travel arrangements.

6.) I have no money, which translates into being afraid of not working for two months (and right after that having to find a new place and put a deposit down, start paying rent, and all the other costs that invariably come with moving)

7.) Speaking of moving costs. Getting from here to San Diego, getting from San Diego to Norfolk, getting from Norfolk to Nags Head. Mother.

8.) No money also translates into not wanted to shell out for gear.

9.) Habitat has no construction, their ReStore is only open three days a week, two of which it would be impossible for me to work with my normal work schedule, the other one I would only be able to work 2 hr/each time AND I wouldn't be able to start until after May 1st because I would have to go through orientation. They also sound like they wouldn't e excited about me volunteering because I would be leaving for two months after my first few days. Uhm, I'm leaving for two months to work on other affordable housing stuff. Get over yourselves.
The other affordable housing org. where I live neither answered my emails or my phone calls. Who would have thought people would not want volunteers?

So that's what's happening with me! EXCITING!

my first bike tour

Our bikes loaded up












The golden gate bridge -pretty much before we started


315 miles in 5 days! I am so impressed with both me and my riding partners. We were planning on going about 60 miles a day, but on day one we didn't really know where we felt like staying in between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, so we just went straight to Santa Cruz; 101.4 miles in one day! We started across the Golden Gate Bridge and didn't take quite the straightest path (and didn't always know where we were going) which I believe is why we ended up at 315 miles, rather than under 300, but all the better! Anyway, this definitely has given me a boost of confidence, because I was getting afraid I wouldn't be able to do 100 miles in one day in two months. Now I just have to continue on and FUND-RAISE.
Anyway, on with my trip. So day 1 we did a little over 100 miles and since we had budgeted 60/day we figured we would just take it easy the rest of the trip, but we got bored so we just kept doing 60+ until our last day when we only had 20 left! We definitely could have done it in 4, I believe. Bike touring is my favorite thing ever! Along the way you happen along other tourers and form a little community. In fact, we brought someone we found along the way back with us. There was one night that three other tourers shared our campsite. I am wondering if it is just more common for us to find these people because we are riding along the pacific coast bike route or if this happens everywhere? No matter, it is an awesome thing to do and I am so stoked to be doing it. For some reason I have no idea how to format these stupid pictures into my blog. What a pain. Anyway, this is of my bike partners after we ate just chilling on the beach. Safeway pretty much saved our lives a couple of times since two of us are vegan and health food stores are hard to come by in the middle of nowhere. You have to eat a lot while you are biking. I am not looking forward to how much $$ I will have to spend on food during the trip. This whole post is rambling and I am just tired!

i don't spend enough time on my bike and build blog

I've just been thinking a lot about bike and build because....

1.) I was freaking out for about a week that I would have $2,000 by the 21st, but since there are a couple of large checks from my amazing brothers in the mail I am set (as long as they get in in time :::crosses fingers:::)
2.) I am graduating in a few days (I have two finals and one take home final--which I think I am going to take to the beach and do.. I'll bike there, of course!) and I am going to have a lot more time on my hands to ride (hopefully at least 4 good rides a week and cross train other days) rather than sitting on the (though, I've found, relatively realistic feeling ones) stationary bikes at the gym while I try to finish reading the literature covered on my finals.
3.) I am going on a mini bike tour from San Francisco back down here. About 300 miles in 5 days!
4.) I need to get a physical.
5.) I need to make my sweat equitable.
6.) I went to a bike swap meet today... these kinds of things always amp me up.

So mainly, I need to graduate! This quarter has been crazy for me with 20 units, 3 jobs, bike and build, and an animal rights campaign I was working on. It is making me all the more happy to graduate and be done with it. Once I graduate I will have time to call doctors and find out if they take my insurance and see if there is any time I can volunteer for habitat. Hopefully, they have something going on at this time of year, otherwise I will have to get tricky and find somewhere else that needs my services.

a little bit 'o fund-raising

well today i went on a little bike ride (25 miles?) which is pretty irrelevent and not why i am posting (but i do have a picture)....
THANKS, BOB!

anyway, on with something rad. i spent about 45 minutes just knocking on kids dorm rooms todays (the majority of them not being there due to it being a 3 day weekend and apparently people go home for those things; what?!) and raked in almost $40. I don't think most of them even cared what it was for, they just gave me their change and in some cases a few dollars. i am going to try to spend time in high traffic areas and ask people, too. really, the only reason people seemed to say no was due to not having change.

if anyone else wants to donate, you can go to www.bikeandbuild.org, click on the 'donate' tab, and choose 'espedal, hannah' from the drop down menu. thanks!

So today I rode 50 miles (all day) 48 of that being in the same ride, 2 of it just riding to the hospital. i now have a bike computer thing and it is pretty fun. that 50 miles took me 4 hours total, average speed being 12.5 mph. there was some knarly wind for a while today! what other fun stats can i give you? top speed was 31 mph and it was really warm (like 30 degrees C for a lot of it!). i don't think that my bike computer does cadence, though. i am still trying to figure it all out.

anyway, i like my bike computer, but i think i've decided that i need to do more 30-40 mile rides (consecutive days, too) because that 50 miles was pretty killer. now that i have stretched and gone to work i don't feel like i will be sore, but for a while i thought i was going to be hurting tomorrow.

anyway, for the ride me and my friend went to a little town called harmony, population 18. it was all closed down and stuff, so i took some pictures in the windows and outside. it's a really cute place.
there is so much nice weather and good bike places around here it is making me want to move back! i am pretty sure i am going to, because i don't know where else i would move, anyway! it isn't like moving back here would take me away from plans somewhere else.

my updates have been lacking

hey all! my updates have been few and far between because i have been so busy.
on wednesday i did a nice 35 mile ride that i remembered to take a picture during, so i'll edit this and get that up hopefully later today. i am about to go on a run because i decided to let myself sleep for as long as i wanted this morning and don't have enough time (before work) to bike for a few hours.
i currently have $630 towards my $4,000. eep.

this picture is to demonstrate the nice bike lane that i had. woohoo.

stupid rain

It's pouring here, and I don't have a fender (or proper rain gear, for that matter).

Must get that stuff.

Looks like I'll have to utilize the gym when I get time....

another ride

I biked 40 miles today, but I won't have another chance to do a longer ride until at least Friday. I also forgot to take pictures. It was raining on the way there, so once we got to the coffee shop I was concerned about warming up, not photographing things. heh.

I think my new MO for fund-raising is finding 4,000 people who will give me $1 each. Sounds easy enough....

nice bike this morning

So, here are some pictures from my ride, it was a beautiful day!



I biked to one if the beaches this morning, it was about a 27 mile ride and since I'll be biking to work for sure I'll have done at least 30 miles today. I wish I had more time to get in long rides right now, but my schedule just isn't permitting. I also got an email back from the teacher for the high school's paper that I graduated from, and she seems interested in having her kids do a story. I don't really know if I would make much money doing that, but it's worth a shot, anyway!

just getting started

I borrowed a nice touring bike from my professor yesterday, so now I can actually do some better training. Longer rides were pretty painful on my bike (small, old, heavy, not made for touring). I am slowly becoming a complete bike nerd right now. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours just hanging out in one of my local bike shops, after that I check the thrift store to see if I could find biking clothes to adorn myself in. Wow, I am cool.

I have two people who have said they would be down to go on longer rides with me, and I am hoping to make it to the bike club at my school's meeting on Wednesday (I am having a hard time not being too busy due to my 20 units, 3 jobs, and various volunteer projects) so that I can find some more people to go on rides with!

In terms of fund-raising :/... It's hard! I keep telling everyone about it, I went around businesses like crazy today. Geez, I am just hoping that I don't have to donate massive quantities of money to myself! If only people made more money that I work with! I think since I work in a hospital I might try to sneak some information onto bulletin boards or in the doctors lounge. Hey, it's worth a try, right? In addition, I sent out an email to the editor-in-chief of my campus newspaper and the faculty supervisor of the newspaper where I went to high school. Fingers crossed that they will respond positively!