Edie and I were both reminded of our honeymoon trip. This was the first time we’d ridden together on such a sunny, warm day. The terrain was mixed with flats, rollers and gradual climbs. Though, everything was encased by the mountains in the distance. A scene very reminiscent of our cross country journey. Thanks to Linked Cycling for taking us along.

Edie and I had our work cut out for us, as one doesn’t typically spend eight or more hours a day in kit that sometimes hasn’t been freshly laundered. Our role wasn’t too dissimilar to the guy in the Columbia outerwear commercials that’s testing the jackets in extreme conditions.  The riding would be different from training or racing, we’d be in the saddle much longer, slower hours and seated, more often than not.  We’d also face greater varying temperatures throughout our riding day than we’re typically used to, due to terrain and elevation.

Despite the unknowns, Edie and I were still confident (and stoked) to ride across the US with Rapha on our backs.  No matter what, we knew we would look damn good while doing it.  And, based on our approach with the bikes, the clothes rounded out the unifying sense of style to our honeymoon.

The easiest to identify and certainly most important part of Rapha for our endeavor, was the amazing chamois.  I can still recall the first time I rode with one and exclaimed to Mike Spriggs, “It’s like sitting on a couch!”  Well, that notion held true throughout our trip.  I couldn’t imagine having ridden all that way in a standard custom clothing ordered race chamois.  Edie’s first words once back in her racing kit post trip were, “I’m really going to miss that Rapha chamois.”  It’s like the Energizer bunny, that chamois.  We each had two pairs of shorts that would see anywhere from 2 to 4 days of use before swapping it out for a laundered one, and the cycle would continue.  Of course, there is nothing like donning a clean chamois, but even after a day or two of use, they performed perfectly.

We can only attribute this performance to the great construction of Rapha and the materials they use.  The fabrics never felt blown out and always retained their shape very well, even after consecutive days of use.  The seams all held up great.  I even crashed on pavement resulting in hip and arm road rash, but the fabric didn’t rip or tear.  My Stowaway and shorts had no visible signs of the contact with the ground.  We were impressed (and thankful).  The material also cut down on stench, saving us from getting kicked out of various restaurants and hotels.  Having lost my olfactory abilities, I would have Edie do a sniff check on my clothes after a few days.  I would typically pass with flying colors, where as my days in pure synthetic would have been a different story.

Edie and I also discovered how well wool works well in such a variation of conditions.  Our Merino socks served us just as well on 100 degree days as they did on a brisk morning in the 30s.  Between a mix of Merino base layer, Classic jersey and Lightweight Jersey; topped with a Stowaway, we always found a combination to cover our needs up top.  The Stowaway turned out to be our saving grace, whether starting off with it in the morning or adding it before a descent, it was our most versatile and necessary piece.  We even wore it off the bike, quite often. The reflective stripes made it easier to find each other when camping.  Our headlamps would illuminate the stripes leading us back to the camping area or to each other.  It’s all in the details right?

Rapha served us very well on the trip and here’s a checklist for those who just wanted to look at pictures:

Always looked good ✓

Great chamois ✓

Durability ✓

Odor fighting ✓

Versatility in weather ✓

Kick ass stowaway ✓

Thanks again to Simon and Slate for their support of our trip.

We hoped with the wider HED Kermesse wheelset and some super tough Continental GatorHardshell tires that we could make the trip on one set. We did so by a thread, with a few days left, one of my sidewalls was compromised and the rest were beginning to show similar signs. Of course, Edie managed to destroy her rear tire on the first day, but we’re not really counting that. Instead, we’ll chalk it up to a freak accident.

Back to the wheels, though – we brought the three required spoke lengths for our wheels, as we assumed someone would break a spoke at some point. In fact, we met another tourist on the trip that had broken 4 or 5! Even mechanic, David Sommerville, swore we’d break a spoke before the trip was over.  Racing wheels on a touring bike should have merited a broken spoke. I’m not sure if it was dumb luck or HED’s wheel wizardry (most likely the latter), but we arrived in Brooklyn with perfectly in tact wheels. My front wheel came slightly out of true after my crash on the railroad tracks, but it was so slight, I never even had it fixed.

Now that the trip is all said and done, we might have been better off with a 25mm tire, instead of a  23mm tire.  The ride would have been a bit more comfortable and when faced with gravel roads and limestone trails, things might have been a tad bit easier for us to navigate.  Though, we did fair well in the puncture department, with only six total between us.  Edie and I would have stuck with the same tire type, just a slightly larger size.  The wheels would have certainly stayed on our bikes and I’d be curious to race with them (as they were actually intended for). I’d like to think that we were the first ones (or two) to ride self supported across the United States on HED Kermesse wheels with Continental GatorHardshell tires.  Certainly let us know if we weren’t!

We’re officially naming them Kissing With Helmets correspondents because they not only visited and spoke with the folks at Kent Eriksen Cycles, but also took some great pictures! Kent, a Mountain Bike Hall-of-Famer, founded Moots Cycles, which we did visit, while in Steamboat. He began his own venture in 2005. Eriksen was named Best Titanium Bike at NAHBS for the past two years. Check out their site for more information on his custom titanium bikes (and seatposts- Rich Bravo loves his).

Helen speaking with Katie from Eriksen.

Some shop recon- hanging frames.

Nick out front of our favorite shop from the trip, Orange Peel.

Helen and Nick, thank you very much for the note and the photos. Perhaps you can fill in our readers as to how you ended up at the Eriksen factory, with a comment.

Though, now you’ve got us thinking that this might be a viable way to continue the blog- send our relatives to independent frame builders to chat and take pictures. My sister lives in LA, maybe I’ll send her up to Rock Lobster in Santa Cruz!

We couldn’t have found a better place to spend our final night. Chris Shaw’s home proved nothing short of an oasis and such a great closure to our sleeping away from home. Thanks again, Chris!

Eager to hit the road, we did a number of our daily routines for the last time (though quicker than usual): consumed breakfast, did a final check for our stuff and locked the door on our way out. Already somewhat familiar with the roads in the area, with our short drive to the grocery store last night, we knew what to expect for the early part of our day. Up and down on crazy backroads with plenty of amazing stone house scenery, things felt very much like New England (home to us both). Wooded roads, with barely enough space for two cars, twisted through tight corners and fast descents.

Once we emerged into a more commercial area, we happened upon a McDonald’s. Many days of the trip, we flirted with the idea of an Egg McMuffin breakfast, but it wasn’t until today, our final day, that it became a reality. To make our endeavor count, Edie and I both consumed two each. We left having used most, but probably not all of our taste buds (current billboard marketing reference).

We now found ourselves very close to New Jersey. The towns on both sides of the river that separated PA and NJ were extremely cute and full of old world flair. Upon crossing said bridge (well, walked it, as instructed by signage and a pedestrian), we entered New Jersey. Lambertville marked our first sights within the state that bordered our very own. The original plan was to have spent the night here with Jed, but the mileage hadn’t worked out to do so. We’ll get the mileage right for the next trip and hopefully Jed’s offer will still stand.

A hill lied just outside of the main street area and we climbed out of town and up into New Jersey. Atop the hill we passed Wheelfine Imports, but they weren’t open yet. We had looked forward to checking it out, but our sights were now set on a 4:30 ferry out of Highlands. The weekend schedule lacked the regularity of the weekday, making it 4:30 or 7:30. The 7:30 would put us into the city well after dark, a scenario far less than ideal.

Regardless, we pressed on to this road and that road and a series of turns. Some of the roads were a bit sketchy and full of traffic, though we were never on a road for too long, so our attention was mainly paid to finding the next road. We continued to turn and turn and turn. With some confusion over where Ridge Road did and did not merge with another street, a wrong turn backtracked us. Ending in a five to six mile error, we managed to correct it soon enough to stay on schedule.

As we continued with the turns and constant checking of the iPhone (for fear of another wrong turn), we drew nearer to the beach. We began to make a step like pattern with the streets until it stepped us all the way to the water. There it was, Atlantic Highlands and just across the water Brooklyn lingered in the distance. Sure, we’d have to go into Manhattan first and then back out to Brooklyn, but, regardless, we’d be home via the 4:30 ferry. Though, we still had another two miles to get to our ferry. This location only ran during the week.

The distance between the two wouldn’t have been an issue if the bike/recreation lane to take us there wasn’t closed. But alas, it was closed and no one seemed to have a good answer as how to get us to our actual destination. We headed back to the multi lane road that brought us in and took it from there. With the iPhone’s help, we mapped a new route and made it in time. We headed onto a floating vessel for our tickets and even had time to spare for a sandwich.

Not enough time to enjoy the sandwiches anywhere other than on the ferry, though. We boarded an undersold ferry with our bikes at our sides. I don’t think I would have been as calm if they were anywhere else. After we ate, Edie set out for photos from the deck, but the Noreaster high winds lingered and she returned photo-less and damp from ocean spray. The high speed ferry really was just that, we were going under the Verrazano Bridge before we knew it. Edie recounted various NYC Marathon starts as she gazed up at it. It really is a massive structure. The scenery was now extremely familiar, there it was- our beloved city. We were home, not home to our actual home, but home none-the-less.

We rolled off the ferry and I’m still not sure what we felt. A mix of excitement, fear, conquest and uncertainty lumped together with nearly every other type of feeling. As we stood there in a daze of sorts a man approached us and Edie seemed to know him. Before I knew what was happening, Edie’s co-worker and dear friend, Meghan ran up to Edie. Having pulled off one of the greatest non planned surprises in the history of ferry arrivals, Meghan and her husband were off nearly as fast as they appeared. It turns out they were New Jersey bound on the same ferry we had just arrived on. The same ferry they were about to miss, but didn’t after a quick goodbye.

Ok, back to just the two of us again with our overwhelming feelings. Naturally, we decided to take the Brooklyn Bridge for it’s scenic value and, naturally, it was crowded with tourists (once we found it, that is, our NYC navigation skills were a bit rusty). Happy to have made it over the bridge without any serious incident, our home grew near. We began to pass one familiar restaurant, store or deli after another until we hit Prospect Park. We now rolled car free in the park taking in the bustling area of physical activity. Some finished up runs, some walked and we even encountered a cyclist. We briefly recounted our journey for him to which he responded “you two look as fresh as daisies.” Edie and I both smiled at each other, said farewell to the cyclist and turned out of the park. A neighbor greeted us on our street welcoming us home and then there home was, plastered with a welcome home banner. It was all surreal, but we were home and our cross country honeymoon cycling adventure was over.

We’ve been running around to various states to collect our strewn belongings. Please check back, as we plan to move into another phase with the site.

With yesterday’s unforeseen rain delay, we decided on an early start. Somehow, we rose to our 6am alarm. Partially excited for Amish country in the sun (versus the deluge) and partially excited to get to Chris Shaw’s house (which he graciously offered up). Our motivation was evident and we departed the hotel as the sun was still rising.

Though, the reality of the end of the trip made our morning a quiet one. It’s hard to describe the plethora of feelings going into our second to last day. It felt nothing short of absolutely bananas. The Amish surroundings on our way out of town also added to mixed feelings. Their lives seem so interesting- simple and also so principled. To adhere to such a life when nearly everything around you screams the opposite is bold and commendable (at least in my eyes).

We made great time cruising through Amish country. With a great tailwind and lovely scenery, we traveled almost 50 miles by noon. Our progress slowed somewhat post-Amish roads. Things became a bit congested and the shoulders on the roads shrank. Regardless, we still enjoyed the lovely fall day we found ourselves with.

As we headed northeast, the wind gusts picked up and, unfortunately, became more of a crosswind. The majority of our daily mileage was behind us, so we took it all in stride. We even scored a great lunch at a small cafe in Souderton. One wall displayed photos from Univest. I’m unsure of the year, but it seemed recent. We didn’t know anyone in the photos, but did spot an Independent Fabrications team rider.

From the cafe, we had 14 miles or so. Just enough time for Edie to make friends with a horse and miniature pony. At this point, we hit some serious backroads to get to Shaw’s. The country hills had just started to wear on us when we spotted the house number. We arrived in record time- 3:30!

I wasn’t sure what to think of our house for the night based on Chris’s description (he spoke of “all glass” and “one side built into a hill”), but Edie and I flipped out when we arrived. What a spectacular house! In for a treat, we fired up the hot tub and took the Jeep to get groceries. We planned to spend our last night with a home cooked meal and Edie was really excited to cook. I can’t blame her after our most recent hotel stint.

Now we’ll eat some dinner and get another early start tomorrow for our last day of the trip (if we actually leave this amazing house). I can’t believe I just had to type “last day of the trip.”