We began writing about our self-supported bicycle tours in 2009 when we undertook a 4500-mile cross country ride. That ride began on the western edge of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and ended in Bar Harbor Maine. We both have wives who’ve encouraged these rides despite sometimes long periods of separation, 53 days in the case of the cross-country ride. For their support and encouragement, we are forever greatful.

Since 2009 we’ve organized and completed a number of rides which we share here. Sometimes the rides shown have only pictures, sometimes text describing each day’s ride.

Prior to 2009 we participated in about 20 Cycle Oregon fully supported rides, beginning in 1991 where we first met. In the beginning Len was the far better cyclist. Gradually, Jim caught up over the next few years. Our riding styles are very similar, and we ride at about the same speed. Riding compatibility and compatible personalities have allowed us to spend long days on the road over the course of many days together without significant friction. We heard about such friction many times on our cross-country ride and how even small groups ended up going their separate ways during a ride.

We hope you enjoy our descriptions, photos, Len’s drawings and penciled descriptions and are inspired to plan and complete your own ride.

Note: this WordPress site is new. Previously we used Google’s Blogspot. Given Google’s propensity to sunset their products, we’ve long worried that our most ambitious ride blog, the cross-country ride, would be lost. Moving it to WordPress will, hopefully ensure its preservation.

Jim & Len