Home in MN

Here are a few frequently asked questions:

1. How was the weather?

When I got off the plane and felt the MN temperature, it reminded me of the time we spent in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Cold. All in all, the weather was cooperative and the cool days made for comfortable bike rides. We did have a few rainy days, but we were able to bike through them and sufficiently coat ourselves with a thick layer of road grime.

2. Even though your bike trip is done, are you going to continue to blog?

Yes. I’ll never stop adventuring.

3. Did you lose weight?

No. We ate tons and tons of delicious, spicy and flavorful food.

4. Did you ever get sick?

Thankfully, we did not.

5. What inspired you to want to bike this far?

I don’t know. I could make up a really great story about what got this “bug in my bonnet.” Truth be told, I just thought it sounded like fun. And it was…

6. Will you do more bike tours in the future?

Yes! Dale and I are making plans for some mini tours this summer.

7. How many hours a day did you bike?

Approximately six hours a day.

8. How many miles did you average per day?

Approximately 75 miles per day.

9. What was your average speed?

We toured at about 15mph.

10. Did your body get sore?

Yes. The initial mountains in California left my legs feeling shredded. As can be expected, we got stronger and stronger as the trip progressed. Overall, we felt great. We also took a day off every week to let our legs rest.

11. Did you ever have flat tires?

Yes! We had three tires die and we lost count of the number of tubes that went flat. Probably around 30? Even my sleeping pad went flat! While all this left me feeling very deflated, I was thankful we had the tools to repair all our mechanical failures. My Dad and I have attained NASCAR efficiency.

12. What weapon did you carry?

None. I did carry a leatherman which came in very handy for pulling tire tread wires out of bike tires, spreading peanut butter and opening a coconut. We never felt in danger.

13. Were you nervous about connecting with people via the Internet?

Yes, the whole concept is very strange. However, the individuals that we contacted were willing hosts and were VERY hospitable. Meeting these individuals was the best part of our trip.

14. Did you ever want to quit?

Never.

15. When will you be back in Jackson?

Probably Wednesday (March 19th). I have lots of details to figure out…I also plan to spend the following weekend (Easter) with Dale’s family in Twin Falls, Idaho.

17. You liked Texas?

Liked is an understatement. “King of the Hill” is not my new favorite show, but we met such great people that it would be hard not to like the state.

18. Did you and your Dad really get along?

Yes. We didn’t have any conflicts of any kind. I just asked him why we got along so well and he responded, “because I agreed with everything you said.” Perhaps that is true. I do have to say that he is VERY easy to get along with and he was never critical of me.

19. What was your least favorite part of the trip?

Missing loved ones, especially Dale!

20. What was the best part of your trip?

Meeting people and seeing how they live their lives.

21. Did any of the dogs bite you?

No.

22. Why are you wearing the same clothes in all your pictures?

If you pull your clothes in a bike trailer for 3,300 miles, I guarantee you would not bring a closet of clothes. Many of our hosts let us do our laundry so I assure you that our clothes were clean at least some of the time.

23. What are you doing now that you are home?

First, I gave my Mom a big hug. Shortly thereafter, I showered and put on different clothes. It was very exciting. We went to church and returned to my Mom’s homemade dinner of butternut squash soup, salad, ribs and rum cake. MMMMMmmmm…. After dinner, I put on the bridesmaid's dress I'm going to wear for Katie's wedding, bedazzled myself with my Mom's matching costume jewelry and pranced around the house feeling very girly. It was great. I could go on and on about the ironed bed sheets I slept in, the Swedish pancakes I ate for breakfast, etc., but I won’t bore you. When Sandy Klosterman is your mom, life is grand.