"car free adventure"
self designed & self supported bicycle tour adventures

 CHICAGO  SCULPTURE - sites to see in downtown Chicago

The ride across Utah car free adventure _________________________

...Scene from Arches National Park..	..scene from Arches National Park...

Our bicycle ride across southern Utah took us through one of the most beautiful areas in the world.  We have ridden overseas in France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Bratislava, Austria, Italy, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Chile.  In the States we have ridden across Texas, California, Nevada, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.  None of our other bicycling adventures provided the spectacular views we experienced in Utah.   In many places huge rock cliffs climb skyward hundreds of feet within a few feet of the side of the road and view continues for miles.  As we rode we saw huge rocks that had been sculptured by the wind into strange and wonderful rock formations that were scattered over the landscape as far as the eye could see.  Many rock formations and sculptures could be seen for miles in the distance as we rode and consumed the landscape as we passed within a few feet of them along the road.     We also rode through desolate desert areas which I do not personally find interesting or attractive.  But, a fellow cyclist from Switzerland came across the road to tell us about how much he loved the desert because he could see from horizon to horizon.  He said it was impossible to do the same in Switzerland.    We also visited the Arches National Park after completing our bicycle trip across Utah to the Colorado Border.  I found the sculptures in the park were especially wonderful and interesting.   The ride was difficult.  The wind that created all of the rock wonders that we saw along our route continued its work even as we rode and it is brutal.  The route has double digit grades but it is the wind that makes the cycling difficult.  But it is the culptures created by the wind that make the bicycling effort worth it.

Riding the Tour de France Loop in Paris car free adventure _________________________

....10,000 cyclists participated with us in the Paris Tour Loop ride. (Note the various colors of the rider's jerseys.)...

My son Jack found a website during the preparation for our adventure in France advertising the "Paris Loop Ride."  The website explained that 10,000 civilian riders would be selected via a lottery and allowed to ride on the finishing loop of the Tour de France in Paris.     To qualify, an application must be requested from the website, filled out and returned.  Those selected would receive an invitation and an arm band to be worn around the wrist the day of the ride indicating a qualifier.  The color of the wrist band would indicate the color of shirt the qualifier would receive from a booth near the Eiffel Tower the day before the ride.    We sent our entry forms in and all of us received our qualifying arm bands.  The shirts we would be given were all yellow.  We had hoped for one shirt of each color but the important result was that we had been selected to ride.   I assumed riding the Tour de France loop in Paris was an event held every year.  I learned from my son that this was the first time the French had sponsored the event! That added a special feeling to the experience.        In Paris my wife rented a bike to join us on the ride. The morning of the ride we waited with 10,000 other qualifiers at the start.  All of the riders wore their shirts of yellow, green, polka dot and white.  Each color represents an individual winner in the Tour de France.  Yellow is awarded to the over-all winner, green is awarded to the winner of the most sprint legs, polka dot is awarded to the “king of the mountains” or the rider who has successfully gotten to the top of the mountain climbs first on the Tour stages, and white goes to the rookie with the best overall time.    With 10,000 riders, I was apprehensive that I would perish in a huge bike accident ten minutes after the loop ride began.  To my amazement, the crowd dispersed quickly and we rode the entire 20 miles in the clear.    Jack surprised us with small American flags he brought with him from the States that he insisted we stick in our helmets on the ride.  One group of French riders began singing the US national anthem as they rode pass.  I could not return the favor and sing the French anthem!  Several Americans rode up next to me and asked where I lived in the States and had I followed the Tour.    The Loop Tour itself was approximately 20 miles in length.  The route started along the Seine River turning at the Arc de Triumph to complete the second half of the loop.  We had begun to ride near the Eiffel Tower.   The Coke Company provided complimentary bottles of coke at the finish.  There was also the usual bag of goodies.  Jack found hats and other goodies that we missed out on but later he gave us two yellow hats that he had found.  It was great fun!

..waiting at the start of the ride...

...the mass of riders broke up quickly...

...making a move on the cobble stones...

..complimentary refreshments after the ride...

..we bicycled to the first destination town in the morning and selected our breakfast...

..at noon Mr Pork Chop's bus would appear along the route,,,

...Mr Pork Chop became a regular...our lunch host on RAGBRAI...

...the pork chop was a delight and one could carry me to the ice cream stop..

Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) car free adventure _________________________

...the Farmer's Association was a sure bet for a good breakfast to start the riding day...

On RAGBRAI we stayed at peoples homes in the destination towns.  A transport service hauled our duffle bags to the destination towns and left at 7 AM sharp.  We had to get our overnight clothes to the truck before 7 AM.    To avoid eating breakfast early my wife suggested we eat breakfast at the first destination town typically 20 miles down the road.  On day two we began to execute this plan.   We made our truck stop to dump our overnight luggage and bicycled to the first pass through town.  The street was packed with cyclist and as we walked we passed a stand serving breakfast.  We got a large serving of scrambled eggs with toast and sausage at a very reasonable price.  It was good start to the day.   We discovered the fire department or the local farmer’s organization offered a good breakfast in a huge tent or warehouse near town and we often started our day with them. Unfortunately we left Farm Boy’s to the last day.  They set up outside the first pass through town and provided all of those "fat" breakfast goodies that I avoid accept on vacation or a bike ride.  Their breakfast was awesome!   We quickly adapted to lunch on the road.  Actually lunch began 2 hours after breakfast and lasted until our ice cream treat and hour or so before we reached the destination town.  We stopped for free watermelon offered by a church group.  We purchased corn on the cob from a farmer.    Our main source of protein however was provided by Mr. Pork Chop.  The first time we stopped we were timid and shared one “Mr Pork Chop.  It was great and after that it became one Mr Pork Chop apiece.    While standing in a long line to be served pancakes for breakfast by the fireman a fellow cyclist told us about Beekman’s Ice Cream.  It is churned on the spot by ice cream machines driven by gasoline engines.  It is fantastic and became an afternoon must.  The first day we experimented with a small.  We bought two large after that for the remainder of our tour through Iowa.   The evening meal was pasta at the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church in every destination town offered a pasta meal with home made pie for desert.  They were so popular they typically ran out of food.  The location of the "pasta church" was posted on signs along the road.  Our routine became locate the church via the sign on the way into town, locate our truck to pick up our clothes to take to the home were we were staying for the evening then cycle to pasta. The food was very good and hit the spot after a long day’s ride.   All of the pass through towns provided complimentary water.  Also, there was a beer tent with complimentary transportation to the destination town for those who might stay too long at the beer tent!

...the booth's along the street in the first destination town offered a great breakfast...

..there were unexpected treats that could not be passed up along the day's route..

..watermelon provided by a religious group in the afternoon drew quite an audience..

..every few miles a snack could be found...