Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 4

Start out at 8:30 AM today, June 18, on Rogers Gap Road. That's the I-75 overpass in the east. Weather is fine and muggy. Nicholas can't ride with me because of work. I intend to try out a new road today--N.E. Countyline Road off of Hinton-Sadieville Road.

This is my Specialized bike. Notice my silver twinkle-toe shoes that attach to the clipless pedals (and of course, my feet). The red bottle is my refillable air horn.

Sadieville Boat Ramp on Hinton-Sadieville Road near Davis Road. Water is slow and muddy. Dogs across the water run along the bank barking at me. What's with these dogs? Do I still smell too much like a Yankee?

Looking the other way while at the boat ramp.

I meet Virgil at the intersection of Hinton-Sadieville and N.E. Countyline roads. Virgil is from Booneville, KY and is visiting his daughter. He walks two miles each day with his tobacco stick-walking stick. He is a Vietnam era vet. We both agree that the vistas out here are beautiful. I give Virgil a Pig Skulls Bike Team business card. I break for water and a snack and look over my Scott County map.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 3

We couldn't ride today, June 16, because of the rain. Nicholas is modeling the latest in anti-canine weaponry. We have found the refillable air horn to be really effective at stopping even big dogs. The pepper spray is our next line of defense. It is difficult to use while moving. We Pig Skulls use only the best stuff to protect our dainty ankles.

See! The pepper spray does work.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 2

We see a LOT of these critters. It seems EVERY home has at least 12 or 13 dogs. NONE of them are leashed (well, not many). NONE of them are fenced in (well, very few). And NONE of them have been fed for three weeks (OK, so I exaggerate). But they ALL enjoy chasing us down "their" country roads. What to do? We have discovered that a REALLY loud refillable air horn available from Cabelas stops Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. We carry pepper spray as the next line of defense. This fella below lives on Josephine Road.

Feeding horses on Josephine Road.

Llamas on Biddle Pike. These critter pictures were taken Fall 2008.

Today, June 13, was the first time on my bike since my May 28 wipe out on Burgess Smith. My knee still aches and there is still some swelling and bruising. I did almost 29 miles today down Rogers Gap to Double Culvert to Luke to Davis to Hinton-Sadieville to Elk Lick to Pike (Davis) into Sadieville to Luke and back. While in Sadieville I saw my fellow librarian, Lee the Bookmobile Lady, in her Bookmobile waiting for patrons to check out books. Drats! I forgot to bring my camera on this bike ride. I missed a lot of good shots.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 1

My son, Nicholas, and I have created the Pig Skulls Bike Team and join other bike teams in the two-day 150-mile Ride To Conquer Cancer to raise money for Louisville's Norton Cancer Institute. The mega bike event is Sept. 26-27, 2009. Donate online through Sept. 24 or print off mail-in donation forms at Ride to Victory.org. Sponsor Mike or Nicholas or both of us and help us reach our individual $2500 fund-raising goals. Join the Pig Skulls bike team as a rider or crew member. Follow our training progress as we travel the pretty Scott County (KY) country roads to get in shape for September. See what strange critters lurk along these country lanes waiting, in some cases, to snack on tasty bikers. See how the potential "meals on wheels" use their superior human intellects to thwart these savage critters. And see how bikers really move their fannies to put distance between ankle and fang.

"We are bike-riding cancer fighters."

This is Nicholas, May 28, taking it easy outside the train tunnel on Double Culvert Road while I do all the hard work like taking pictures. I have to admit his legs look better than mine. Hey, he's a 21 year-old kid and I'm a 56 year-old mature gentleman.

Nicholas still taking it easy while drinking my water and watching all the pretty girls drive by.

Camels! In Kentucky! Can you believe it? These camels live on a farm on Rogers Gap Road. I've also seen zebras.

This particular evening, May 28, we do a short 19 mile ride--Rogers Gap Road to Double Culvert to Luke to Davis to Burgess Smith to Turkey Foot to Rogers Gap. We have our first accident. I lose control on Burgess Smith while attempting to negotiate a steep descending hairpin curve. My backend fishtails when I apply the brakes to slow down. I go down and skid while still attached to my bike. Bang up my knee. Doc says I shouldn't ride for a week.

Our longest ride so far is 35 miles when we rode on the other side of US 25--Biddle Pike to Skinnersburg to Long Lick to East Honaker to Graves to West Honaker to Locust Fork into Stamping Ground then back.

BTW Nicholas is riding a Giant road bike and I'm riding a Specialized. We both use clipless pedals which means we wear special shoes that attach to the pedals. And yes, we wear the goofy, butt-expanding, spandex shorts. The padding really does help during long rides.