Trans American Bicycle Trip - Wolfenberg

City To City: Toano - York Town Miles: 25 Miles Total: 4,289 Flats: 13 Video:  https://youtu.be/Kxhg-w2BD3Q? si=avTXUWFmtaEtLqDA On The Road Riding In Unplanned Formation Matt And My Dad Mark And Henry Riding On New Cement Along The Ocean Waiting For Henry To Set Up The GoPro Sandy Tires Mark Washing The Sand Off Seeing The Freedom Monument Walking Towards The End Of The Journey (And Down The Beach Front)       After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, and juicy cantaloupe.  We chatted around the breakfast table, waiting for Matt to return from Mass.  Since we only had twenty- five miles to go, and it was our last day of biking, we were in a relaxed mood.   Since Matt and Mark were going to stay with Kim and Ron another night, they unloaded their packs and were able to travel light.        All during the ride it was bitterswee

City To City: Richmond - Toano Miles: 67 Miles Total: 4,264 Flats: 13 Video:  https://youtu.be/5kYCkEmxKF4? si=p2-1z7wI_OAptQT7 Over The Bridge And Through The Woods Caution Tape Stuck On The Bike Building Chairs      We left Pat and Steve's house after a filling breakfast.  With only sixty-six miles to go, and most of the way being on a bike path, it was a relatively easy and relaxing day.  Along the bike path, passed a bicyclist who had stopped on the side of the bike trail.  The biker, Ashley, quickly started up again but was very patient and too polite to pass us.  So, I invited her to ride with us.  While all the men were in the front, Ashley and I biked behind them chatting.  Ashley is a person who is confident, upbeat, and optimistic, and has a heavy job working for Virginia's governor.  All the while we're chatting, Matt, Mark, Henry and my dad are occasionally glancing furtively in their mirrors, watching the conversation happen

City To City: Charlottesville - Richmond Miles: 83 Miles Total: 4,197 Flats: 13 Video:  https://youtu.be/frcGJ-8_n4I? si=hbbXG6iOrJuvJqf0      We asked David last night which was the fastest route to Richmond without zig-zagging like the Trans am map told us.  David didn't know, so we risked it and decided instead of going around one hundred and fifteen miles, we were going to cut off about thirty miles.  But the price we had to pay was more traffic.  On the way, Mark found a hammer and picked it up.  Once we stopped, Mark, opened his bag up and put the hammer in there.  So, along a highway, we kept weaving left and right of the main highway that would take us to Richmond.  I guess my dad got tired of that so, instead of taking another side road, we ended up going along the highway.  The good thing was that once we got away from the towns, there wasn't a lot of traffic.        To celebrate and to get us motivated to stay moving in the hot sun, at the end of the ride

City To City: Lexington - Charlottesville Miles: 81 Miles Total: 4,114 Flats: 13 Snacks At The Top A Blue Ridge Parkway Lookout Up The Mountain, Matt Nochalantly Eating An Apple On The Way Up Henry And Mark In The Lead Up The Second Peak View At The Top      My dad woke Henry and me up before the sun had risen because we had the steepest mountain yet to climb.  It was only four miles but it was a steep four miles.  Luckily we only had twenty-four miles before the steep climbing happened.      But that mountain was the biggest burner.  The beginning was the steepest.  The first two miles were straight out relentlessly eighteen percent grade.  The last two miles, it started to flatten out.  I was struggling behind Matt for the first two miles, debating whether to gun it to get close to Henry and Mark so I could take some pictures.  This went on for five minutes, and finally, I decided I was going to do it.  So, I sho

City To City: Troutville - Lexington Miles: 45 Miles Total: 4,033 Flats: 13 Video: Unavailable Lunch Touring VMI (Virginia Military Institute )campus Henry and Mark Our Hotel Room     Today was a short day.  In the morning my  dad looked up the campsite for our destination for the day.  It was closed, so we decided to go a shorter distance than planned and stay in another hotel.  So, with a short day planned, we decided it would be our rest day and go to a small restaurant that someone had highly recommended to us.   When my dad woke up around 5, an older woman was walking on a small paved trail around the park.  Well, when we leave, she's still there!  We asked her what her goal was, and she replied, "Five hours.  But since today is hot, I probably won't make my goal." We then asked her why so many hours, and she replied, "Because I want to live as long as I can and do it as healthily as possible." That woman

City To City: Draper - Troutville Miles: 74 Miles Total: 3,988 Flats: 13 Video:  https://youtu.be/diUEy4mxKE8? si=vOSVOK9fWkgpjvXE Eating Ice Cream Before Dinner (A Bad Habit!)      That morning, we had a wonderful breakfast: bagels, breakfast bars, and cereal.  Curtis and Jenny gave us a bottle of wine, and we soon left.  Henry left ahead of us so we didn't have to wait as long while Henry was getting his phone screen fixed. My dad had told Matt and Mark to meet up at 8 am.  Well, we weren't ready at the time.  So, we were hustling, and Matt and Mark went to get some coffee while they waited for us.  So, things got off to a rough start.  My dad thought Matt and Mark were ahead, but then we got a text from them saying that they were at the park and for us to let them know when we were ready.  But, we were already on the road ahead of them!  So, we waited until they caught up, and my dad offered to cut off eight miles.       Then Mark's front shifter on his bike