The Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate kicked off on Saturday, August 9th 2008. Our plan was to start on the Missouri side of the Chain of Rocks Bridge and ride up to Carlinville, Illinois to stay the first night. The Godfather and I mounted our Oregan Scientific ATC2K helmet cams on our handle bars to document the start.
Although he has maintained that we were crazy to attempt this ride and claimed that his body didn't work two days in a row, Dr. T (there is already a Mr. T) decided to ride with us the first day. After hugging our wives good-by and saying good-by to the kids, we headed off accross the bridge. My two year old daughter chased after us.
After about 100 yards, I realized that I forgot my digital camera and turned around to get it. Only after arriving back at the family, did I realize I had left without my gloves and helmet on! I had left it in the van in all of the kick-off hoopla.
I quickly came back to my senses (although not enough to call off the ride) and left accross the bridge. Sunny and cool, it was a beautiful way to start The Big Ride 2008.
"Biking The Chain of Rocks Bridge" is a short video I put together to show how nice it was. Enjoy the video.
Big Mel
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
We Did It!
We did it! The Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate has been completed! The Godfather and I finished 284 miles in 6 days as we rode from the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Missouri to the Joliet Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois.
This might not seem like a big accomplishment to many experienced bikers that tour often, but for two aging men that barely trained this was quite an accomplishment!
Over the next few weeks, I will be adding posts about each day. We took over 300 pictures along old Route 66 and about four hours of video, all which will be available for your viewing pleasure soon!!
A special thanks to all of those who made this happen:
My wife and kids, who helped sag and used a week of their summer touring Illinois while we rode! I love you and couldn't have done it without you!!
To my mother-in-law, who couldn't bring herself to believe this was ever going to really happen, thanks for hanging in there while we were gone and never telling The Godfather he couldn't go. You can join us next year!! Also, thanks for the trophies!!
And finally to The Godfather, who everytime I thought about not going, provided some reason for me not to back out. From buying books on touring, to talking about new tires, and many other little things along the way. You were the originator of the idea, you were the motivation for me to keep thinking we should do it, and you are the reason we did it! Thanks for not quitting and thanks for being a great friend!
WE DID IT!!
Big Mel
This might not seem like a big accomplishment to many experienced bikers that tour often, but for two aging men that barely trained this was quite an accomplishment!
Over the next few weeks, I will be adding posts about each day. We took over 300 pictures along old Route 66 and about four hours of video, all which will be available for your viewing pleasure soon!!
A special thanks to all of those who made this happen:
My wife and kids, who helped sag and used a week of their summer touring Illinois while we rode! I love you and couldn't have done it without you!!
To my mother-in-law, who couldn't bring herself to believe this was ever going to really happen, thanks for hanging in there while we were gone and never telling The Godfather he couldn't go. You can join us next year!! Also, thanks for the trophies!!
And finally to The Godfather, who everytime I thought about not going, provided some reason for me not to back out. From buying books on touring, to talking about new tires, and many other little things along the way. You were the originator of the idea, you were the motivation for me to keep thinking we should do it, and you are the reason we did it! Thanks for not quitting and thanks for being a great friend!
WE DID IT!!
Big Mel
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
An Open Letter to the Godfather.
Dear Godfather,
So here we are only 24 days until the start of the Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate.
Over the past few weeks, I have had to consider whether this ride was such a good idea. I have questioned my own thought process in thinking of doing such a ride and have even considered calling the whole thing off.
However, each time I have been close to questioning my own sanity in thinking we could do this, there you were planning a little more about the trip. Maybe it was thinking of purchasing new tires, or questioning what bike would be best to ride, or just sending me links to the 'exciting' features of Old Route 66. Maybe it was the Route 66 jersey you painstakingly got me for Christmas, or maybe it was the way you missed my blog postings when they all but disappeared. Whatever it was, when I was about to get out, you kept pulling me back in.
Now I know you 'shy away' from taking credit for things and you probably are embarrassed with the thought that you could actually be responsible for this ride happening, but I like to give credit where credit is due.
So this letter is to let you know that, thanks to you, the Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate IS ON for August 9th.
Sure there are many reasons not to do it (age, weight, saddle sores), but there are also many reasons (too numerous to mention here) TO do it. It will only be four(4) hours in the saddle each day and we will have ALL day to do that.
I know you might wonder if you can actually do it. Me too. But I think we should try. My SAG partner will be there to take us on various site seeing adventures and if we need a ride to the next point on the journey, we can get that too.
When I started this thing, I was doing it because I wanted to accomplish something in a life that I don't always feel like I am accomplishing anything. Then it became, I don't care if I finish as long as I start because I rarely do things that I want to do. But now it is simply about riding with you and seeing how we do. If we don't make it, that's okay, but what if we do make it?? It seems impossible, but it would give you something to talk about at work and it would give me something to think about on those days that I just need something else to think about!!
A year ago, we weren't sure if you would ride again by yourself for a long time. Now you are riding and doing much better; let's ride in celebration of your 'recovery'.
All I ask is this:
When you don't think you can ride another day, TRY and ride another day.
When you don't think you can make it to the next town, TRY and make it to the next town.
When you don't think you can ride another mile, TRY and ride another mile.
Let's just TRY this thing.
You daughter has been very supportive and is willing to SAG. She is willing to do what it takes to help us out, so I think it will be okay. I know that you aren't sure if you can do it ... I'm not sure I can do it either, but I am going to try and I hope you will come with me. Lets do this and then I can think of the next thing to bug you about!
Big Mel
So here we are only 24 days until the start of the Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate.
Over the past few weeks, I have had to consider whether this ride was such a good idea. I have questioned my own thought process in thinking of doing such a ride and have even considered calling the whole thing off.
However, each time I have been close to questioning my own sanity in thinking we could do this, there you were planning a little more about the trip. Maybe it was thinking of purchasing new tires, or questioning what bike would be best to ride, or just sending me links to the 'exciting' features of Old Route 66. Maybe it was the Route 66 jersey you painstakingly got me for Christmas, or maybe it was the way you missed my blog postings when they all but disappeared. Whatever it was, when I was about to get out, you kept pulling me back in.
Now I know you 'shy away' from taking credit for things and you probably are embarrassed with the thought that you could actually be responsible for this ride happening, but I like to give credit where credit is due.
So this letter is to let you know that, thanks to you, the Route 66: 2008 Race to the Prison Gate IS ON for August 9th.
Sure there are many reasons not to do it (age, weight, saddle sores), but there are also many reasons (too numerous to mention here) TO do it. It will only be four(4) hours in the saddle each day and we will have ALL day to do that.
I know you might wonder if you can actually do it. Me too. But I think we should try. My SAG partner will be there to take us on various site seeing adventures and if we need a ride to the next point on the journey, we can get that too.
When I started this thing, I was doing it because I wanted to accomplish something in a life that I don't always feel like I am accomplishing anything. Then it became, I don't care if I finish as long as I start because I rarely do things that I want to do. But now it is simply about riding with you and seeing how we do. If we don't make it, that's okay, but what if we do make it?? It seems impossible, but it would give you something to talk about at work and it would give me something to think about on those days that I just need something else to think about!!
A year ago, we weren't sure if you would ride again by yourself for a long time. Now you are riding and doing much better; let's ride in celebration of your 'recovery'.
All I ask is this:
When you don't think you can ride another day, TRY and ride another day.
When you don't think you can make it to the next town, TRY and make it to the next town.
When you don't think you can ride another mile, TRY and ride another mile.
Let's just TRY this thing.
You daughter has been very supportive and is willing to SAG. She is willing to do what it takes to help us out, so I think it will be okay. I know that you aren't sure if you can do it ... I'm not sure I can do it either, but I am going to try and I hope you will come with me. Lets do this and then I can think of the next thing to bug you about!
Big Mel
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