Day 24 - Breckenridge to Weatherford

FIRE!! The threat of wildfires and smoke turned a 72 mile ride to Weatherford into a 93 mile day because police closed off our main and alternate routes. We spent the first 20 or so miles riding into stiff headwinds and then gained a measure of relief when our route turned into a more easterly direction. The ride was further complicated by temps that reached real close to 100 degrees throughout the day. Then my ego further complicated the day when we got so close to 100 miles that I had to add another 7 miles to reach my 5th century for the trip. So I am really tired!!

It was rather ironic that we should find a restaurant on our 2nd alternate route named the Smokestack that most of us ate lunch at. It was because of the threat of fire and smoke that we ended up at the Smokestack. I pretty much ran out of water about 6 miles before our arrival but God graciously put a Wendy's in our path. A large chocolate Frosty ( I admit, I'm addicted) and a water bottle refill never tasted so good!

I am turning in early tonight because I have a suspicion that we are not done with wildfire related detours. Tomorrow we are scheduled to ride through Dallas, which should be interesting. Then I am hoping to make contact with friends on Thursday and Friday of this week. One is a couple from the church I pastored in Atlanta, TX and the other is a fellow rider from the 1974 trip who somehow happened to see my blog. It will be great getting reacquainted with these old friends.

Day 23 - Day off in Breckenridge. TX

Once again, it is nice to get a day off after a 480 mile week. Laundry, rest, Walmart and more rest. I also took more pictures of our riding team so I'll introduce the remaining team to you:

Dan is an environmental engineer from Anchorage, Alaska  and our youngest and strongest rider.

Betsy is a fellow Taylor U. grad from Ottawa, Ontario who is crossing for at least a second or third time

Mitzi (left) and Toni are very strong part-time riders from Atlanta whose last day is tomorrow.

Jojo is also a part-time rider from Chicago whose last day is tomorrow.

Janet is from Grand Junction, CO and has the dubious distinction of falling on her bike more than anyone else.
However, she is very resilient and determined.

Al (left) from Muncie is former VP of Finance at Taylor and is on his 2nd trip across. Dick, from Warsaw, is halfway toward completing his 21st crossing and is one of Wheels right hand men.

Bob is an engineer from Goshen, a multiple crossing veteran and an amazing 4 time cancer survivor.

Rodgers, from Penn St.country is a retired geriatric physician and has crossed several times.

Gil is a former teacher and government worker from Anchorage Alaska whose claim to fame is that he cut Bristol Palin from the basketball team he coached.

Robyn is from Christchurch, New Zealand and is doing a great job crossing America for the first time.

Dean is a retired pharmacist from Jacksonville, IL making his 6th crossing.

The marquee on the sign of our motel in Breckenridge. It sometimes makes you wonder why we wander.

Day 22 - Roby to Breckenridge, TX

Today was supposed to be a 90 mile day but it turned out to be a little over 87 miles. Not much difference except that I planned to make the ride another 100 mile day, so it added that many more miles to get the 100 in. As forecast,  the day started out chilly (43 degrees) with winds out of the northeast. But the winds were more manageable than anticipated and the extra distance was not a problem. So, this ended up being a big riding week for me as I completed 3 centuries, broke the 1000 mile mark for the trip and also officially reached the halfway point of the trip. So far my total mileage for the trip is 1347. Lord willing, the second half will be as safe, healthy and remarkable as the first half. At the same time we welcome a day off from riding tomorrow.

There has been nothing remarkable about the west Texas landscape other than strong winds, dust storms and long runs of flat lands. So, instead of taking pictures of landscape, I decide to try and capture a little of Americana that is displayed in some of the small towns we are passing through every day, like the memorabilia from past years of the old gas pump and oil cans in a little town called Anson. My brother and nephew are collectors of these artifacts and some of these items are of great value. Later on we arrived in Albany. I visited a an old jail that had been turned into a major art gallery in the southwest. Unfortunately, they would not allow photography but they had major works of art from Picasso and Modigliani, to name a couple.  Then I stopped by a street fair where there were probably 100 beautifully restored classic cars, from old roadsters to Shelby Mustangs.

Devotional Thought:


Last night I shared with you a quote about how God often does not deliver us from the storm but delivers us through the storm. Today was an excellent example with a day that promised some real difficulty. However, God in His graciousness and mercy diminished much of the negatives and gave me  unanticipated strength and patience to get through the day. Then He also sprinkled in some small town flavoring to enrich the day. God certainly was not obligated to do that...but He did! That's my God!!

Day 22 Pictures - Roby to Breckenridge, TX

For my brother and nephew from a convenience store in Anson, TX

More collectibles from Anson for my brother and nephew

The old jail in Albany, TX that is now a a regionally renowned art gallery

Albany street fair with a dazzling display of restored cars

Beats the mundane landscape of Texas

Day 21 - Gale to Roby, TX

Today was a 65 mile day but we were buffeted by cool temps and 25-50 mph crosswinds that made the day a real challenge. We really had to hold on to our handlebars or the gusts would threaten to put us on the pavement or in the ditch. Occasional red clouds of dirt added to the adventure along with the constant smell of smoke from the many grass fires in the area. At one point I was told by a resident that authorities were thinking about evacuating the town we are staying in tonight. But we arrived safely and the potential of evacuation seems to have waned.

I have a few pictures of Sean's accident. Unfortunately, his coast to coast trip is over. X-rays revealed a cracked sternum and several broken ribs. He also had some calcium deposits that broke off from his spine and may require surgery. If you look at the picture you can see his bike after his fall. I am sure he would appreciate your prayers while he heals from his injuries.

Here are a few odds and ends that may be of interest to you:

• We stayed in a Methodist church a few nights ago that whenever anyone entered the church the door chime would play "The Yellow Rose of Texas". You cannot imagine how many times we heart that song in the 12 hours we stayed there. What was especially ironic was that the church was not in Texas BUT NEW MEXICO! Office ladies, why don't you come up with a song our intercom can play when people come in our church doors?
• I have a picture of a "century cactus". The couple that garaged our bikes in Gale had this cactus in their front yard. It lives about 25 years, only blooms once but has hundreds of blooms when it blooms and then dies. It reaches a height of 15-20 feet and grew more than 11 inches in the last 24 hours. The gal also baked 6 pecan pies for us that we took on the road and enjoyed for supper tonight.
• Bob from Lubbock is a Wheels alumni rider who came down to visit with the gang yesterday. Bob is no ordinary rider!  He holds the record for being the oldest man to ride coast to coast. He did it with Wheels two years ago at the age of 84! I'm such a pup.
• In the road kill category, we have seen many coyotes along side the road, several deer, a calf and even a bobcat. Now that we're in Texas we'll start seeing armadillos. They are the southern version of our opossum.  What I've been surprised about most is the number of dead skunks we run across. They easily outnumber any other animal so far. Fortunately, they are usually so long gone they no longer stink.

Devotional Thought:

Howard Sugden, long deceased pastor of a large Baptist church in Lansing once made this statement: "God does not always promise to deliver us from the storm, but He will deliver us through the storm." Tomorrow's schedule calls for a 96 mile ride and the weather calls for headwinds all the way. That's the storm! We have no choice but to ride in it. But I've watched God give us His strength and grace even in the midst of the storm. I don't know how it's going to shape up tomorrow, but I do know that God will  have a blessing in the midst of the struggle. I encourage you to look for God's deliverance in the midst of your storm.

Day 20, 21 Pictures - Hobbs to Roby, TX

In  Texas until 4/22

Beautiful Texas

From a distance, Sean is on the pavement after falling.

This is a century cactus that lives about 25 years and blooms only once. It is also fast growing, growing 11 inches in the last 24 hour period.

Bonnie, Lou and Rose in the back of the truck being trucked back to Lamesa for the night after adding 30 miles to the day's ride..

The "White Buffalo" in Snyder, Texas

This is Sean's bike after falling Thursday.

Another view

Day 20 - Hobbs to Gale, TX

I'm working with limited battery power so I will be more brief than usual. Today was a 100 mile day because of very favorable tailwinds. We were supposed to stay in Lamesa for the evening but pushed on further to Gale, 30 miles further east. So we garaged our bikes in Gale and returned the 30 miles back to Lamesa to spend the night at the Methodist Church there. I averaged 24 mph for the 100, which is booking it for me. Unfortunately, the days biggest development was that one of our oldest riders on the trip, Sean, took a nasty fall on the highway east of Lamesa. No one is sure how it happened, but in God's good providence one of the first people to come across this desolate piece of highway where Sean fell was an off duty EMT who happened to have his gear with him! Sean was my weekend roommate last weekend. At this point we don't know hiscondition but there is the possibility that his ride coast to coast is over. It was not apparent that his condition is life threatening but when a 75 year old hits the pavement at 25-30 mph most of the outcomes are not positive. Please pray for Sean that his injuries are not serious or that surgery is not needed.

Our friend Sean

I will have pictures probably tomorrow, as long as I can get a power connection to recharge the computer. I continue to do very well during some of the longest days we have on the trip. Thanks for your prayers in my behalf. I can really sense that God is honoring your prayers. Talk to you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Day 19 - Artesia to Hobbs, NM

Today was a rather eventful day for a number of reasons: 1. It was a 79.5 mile day which I turned into a 100 mile day simply because I wanted to and felt good all day. 2. I felt good in part because I was able to make adjustments to my bike which allowed me to stay on it longer with greater comfort. 3. For the first time on the trip I teamed up with a couple other riders and we drafted each other much of the day. Toni and Mitzi are a couple of the strongest women riders I have had the privilege of riding with. They not only were strong but they know how to properly draft that, when done right, can save a lot of energy on the bike. Proper drafting requires you to stay right on the rear tire of the person in front of you to optimize the benefit of the draft. You have to always be careful that you don't overlap tires. Overlapping tires is a recipe for disaster! Then each member of the draft rotates to the front and "pulls the other riders for a short period of time and then rotates to the back of the line until your time comes up again to pull. It is remarkably efficient. 4. I learned how to use the video function on my camera and experimented a little with it to video our drafting. It's my first ever attempt at this which was a little complicated because I was in the draft line doing 21.5 mph. See what you think. You can at least get a little idea how it works. Click on the video image above and watch. 5. We passed the 1000 mile mark today and are spending the night less than 5 miles from the Texas state line. So our New Mexico ride is almost over and Texas will be home beginning tomorrow through the 22nd. 6.   Our host church in Hobbs, Taylor Memorial Baptist Church, is treating us to a carry in supper tonight. Usually when that happens it's a good night!

Devotional Thought:


Psalm 16:11 NLT "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." One of the greatest Bible studies I have ever undertaken is what the believer has to look forward to in the "forever". Believe me, I have heard all kinds of personal speculation about eternity and what it's like, even from so called mature believers. And much of it merely consists of wrong notions and even a bit of superstition. There is not enough time or space to go into detail here. Just let me assure you that when the Psalmist speaks of the joy of God's presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever, he knows what he's talking about!! And it is much more than our preconceived, often wrong notions.

Day 19 Pictures - Artesia to Hobbs, NM

Artesia, NM is oil country

Oil wells and the smell of oil permeate the landscape

Darrel and I celebrate with everyone else the first 1000 miles between Artesia and Hobbs!

Day 18 - Mayhill to Artesia

Today was a 73 mile day. We started out again in 40 degree weather and rode about 20 miles before we shed the extra clothing. It was a fairly hard riding day because, once again, we caught a pretty hefty crosswind most of the day. One gal had four flats today. That's probably some sort of record for one day.

We had three gals join the trip yesterday to ride from Alamogordo, NM to Dallas. Mitzi and Toni are from Atlanta, GA and Jojo is from downtown Chicago. Tomorrow we will pass the 1000 mile mark for the trip. In many ways it feels like we haven't been doing this long enough to get 1000 in. In other ways it seems like we should be further than that.

I have still been trying to get a more comfortable fit on my bike. My tail is not the issue anymore. Instead it's the balance of weight distribution between my seat and and the handlebars. So we adjusted the handlebars and the seat to try and improve the weight distribution. I  suppose at the end of the day a lot of the comfort factor is a matter of personal preference in riding styles.

I continue to be amazed at how strong the riders are! We estimated that the average age of each rider is somewhere between 65 and 70 and each one can flat out ride. The next few days will be long, hard days covering between 80-95 miles each day in the Texas plains. If I am feeling up to it and the weather cooperates, I would like to get 2 or 3 centuries in. We'll see.

Devotional Thought:


God seems to drop little blessings along the way each day that brings encouragement to me. When we stopped for the day last night in Mayhill at Mayhill Baptist Church. One of the riders found a small banner in the Sunday School classroom we called home for the night. The banner read "God is there for you Jim". Obviously, that banner was for some other Jim but it didn't keep me from personalizing it. What a wonderful reminder of God's faithful presence and His desire to strengthen and encourage me along the way. It's also true for you! If you know Him through His Son, then God is there for you too. I challenge you to look daily for those little blessings He brings our way daily. "I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:4