Ride of A Lifetime

After you ride your bike alone for a while, you try a ride with a group.  That is fun, and next you go for some  fast group rides.   Generally a century ride comes next.  Eventually, the bug catches you and you try bike racing and triathlon.  Well, our sport is certainly infectious and new challenges are always present.  Perhaps a Brevet (timed "races" of 100 - 1200km.)  

Cycling "vacations" become a way to experience new places and people and PacTour offers just the fare for the enthusiastic cyclist.   Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo, both former Race Across American champions in several categories, run PacTour (Pacific to Atlantic Cycling Tour,) and these 2 do it ride.  They offer multiple ride options thru the year, including rides completely across the U.S., rides in Peru, rides in Alaska, rides along Route 66 in addition to single week "camps" in Arizona during the spring and Wisconsin during the Summer.

PacTour can be found at www.pactour.com

A few years back a friend invited Jim to do a PacTour week camp in Arizona.   This was the best cycling  experience he had ever had and Jim was hooked.  He quickly rearranged his schedule a few months later and took Terri to a PacTour week in Wisconsin and she was hooked too.

This year Jim and Terri and their teenaged sons, Will (15) and JW (14,) are tackling a complete transcontinental with PacTour.  This summer time, northern route, covers 3500 miles in 26 days riding from Everett Washington on the West Coast to Williamsburg, Virginia on the East Coast.

Bicycle-Heaven's 2 main bike brands are Cannondale and Cervelo, naturally the famiy is riding these awesome bikes.  Jim rides the Cannondale SystemSix, Terri the Cannondale Synapse.   Will and JW both ride the Cervelo R3.

Preparation for the Transcontinental involved some training, of course.  Jim and Terri did a PacTour week in Arizona this past March, then a cycling week in Mallorca in May.  The whole family did a week of 100 mile rides from Bicycle-Heaven around our beautiful Hill Country 3 weeks ago in June.  Will this be enough? 

Come back over the next 4 weeks to the Bicycle-Heaven blog and we will see.

Some photos from our training rides leading up to the transcontinental...