First 37 Miles!

Bill picked up his bike from REI this morning. This time, we put fenders on it.

During the first trip 27 years ago, the bike didn't have fenders and he sported a mud stripe up his back more than once. It was impossible to get all the way out and the shirts he wore had a shadow of the road grime for years afterward. We added a bag on the back too so he can bring snacks and an extra water bottle with him.

After having multiple flats in Tennessee during his training, he bought some kevlar tires called Gators; so those went on too.

The last thing was a mount for his cell phone so he could use the GPS feature to find his way around.

Helmet on, riding shoes tied, bike shorts,Twice Across America shirt and gloves on, and away he went!

I went to the laundry area in the RV park and got sticker shock washing and drying three loads of laundry....$11.00! But I want to make sure we don't run out of clean underwear! LOL! I was just finishing up when Bill came rolling up after several hours. He started at Pier 59 just like we did 27 years ago. He used the bike path through most of Seattle, but hit some wet dirt and moss and laid the bike down. He scuffed up his leg

and thumb and scraped his brand new snack bag.

The long sleeves protected his arms and the bike was undamaged except for a lost handlebar cap. But he still had a smile

and we look forward to continuing the trip hopefully on Thursday. There is a tentative meeting with the police commissioner tomorrow and the oil change is scheduled then too. Hope we can fit both of them in! Bill put up his Garmin info on our Facebook page, Twice Across America where you can see how fast and far he went on the two trips he did today. Thank-you for reading!