Pedal Power Pour it On He Said, as he started out from Washington DC to cycle to Virginia Tech. That is a mighty long way I said, as he began to pull of the Starbucks Parking Lot on a Lance Armstrong look-a-like Bike. How will you get back I asked? He circled back around and said that it would be a long time until he traveled from West to East. I said; How come. He handed me a sponsor sheet. This guy was going to cycle across the country from East to West; Wow!
I sponsored him for $.02 per mile and said good luck and later visited a website he had set up. Apparently this first leg of his journey was over 200 miles; 210 to be exact, as the crow flies that is, but it is anything but a straight set of roads thru the Virginia Mountains. How do I know, well I have traveled them their hills, by motor home and although much of his ride would be averaging down hill, there were some intense grades in his path.
Later, I surmised that he was taking Hwy 28 to Culpepper out of Washington DC and the Hwy 29 to Charolettesville about 110 miles or so. Then staying on Hwy 29 to
Lynchburg and then 221/460 to Roanoke. I know what you are thinking that is downhill all the way. But not so, there are three major grades to cross. Then he must have taken the 460/11 highway to a shortcut into Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech is.
The young man said he was going to visit his Girl Friend in Grad School and then ride all the way to California. California, my God that is a long way and he said he was going to make the long-distance bike ride the first day, which he had done before for training. Wow. This prompted me to consider riding across the country going the other way; From California to Washington DC, as the wind and weather generally move that direction. If he can do it, so can I. How do I know he made it? Well I sent him his $75.00 for the $.02 per mile.
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Written By: Lance Winslow
