Derek Jennings
Ride with Me

In 1976 Bicyclists from around the world took part in a 4,250 mile journey across the United States of America to celebrate Bicentennial Year

Experience an account of 42 days on a bicycle from Readsport Oregon to Yorktown Virginia

Saturday 26th June
Virginia City

Up and away from the BikeInn by 7. The cafe wasn’t open so took a picture and decided to have a ride to Ennis for breakfast. Another crisp cold morning and clear blue sky. Every snow capped peak clear and sharp. The 3 mile climb was steep but the silence was impressive. A fast cold descent and hot cakes and coffee for breakfast followed. It really is noticeable how helpful and polite the waitresses are no matter how large or small the cafe, even to customers as dishevelled as I must appear! Always asking if everything is to your liking or if there is anything you want. The price is usually inclusive of the coffee which is offered endlessly.

On now to West Yellowstone in almost alpine scenery, but oh! that wind, it really was slow progress hour after hour. Reached Yellowstone at 4pm (just like Southend-on-sea on a bank holiday!) Found to my dismay the BikeInn was at Old Faithful another 30 miles away. It did not cater for independents but once there bunked down with a couple of fella’s from a group. The geysers in this area were incredible, but there were more interesting ones along the way other than Old Faithful, that was a bit commercial and less spectacular. Met Harold, very interesting guy (nothing to do with Bikecentennial) he was a health spa man who hosted me to dinner in the coffee shop, had my first beer afterwards.

Sunday June 27th
Old Faithful, Wyoming

Away by 7.45 through the park with breakfast at a picnic area. Oh! by the way I punctured for the second time yesterday. Back tyre wearing thin again, changed them round. Crossed the Continental Divide three times at 8,261ft – 8,391ft & 7,988ft whilst travelling the last 35 miles of the park, mostly through pine forests. Then entered the Teton range which was truly magnificent, had lunch overlooking the range across a lake. Then on to Moran junction and found to my dismay that the route did not go to Jackson which was 40 miles west, instead it went over Togwotte Pass to Dubois a distance of 61 miles east. A problem here because it was a 19 mile climb over the 2nd highest pass on the route to 9,658ft.

Decided to have a go, the day had been clear and sunny and the climb during the heat of the day was my downfall, it brought up the old sunburn again!, quite painful now. Reached Dubois at 6.45pm aided by a 25 mile downhill run from the top with a following wind. The Teton range today must be the most spectacular so far, seen in almost ideal conditions. Found time to mend a couple of punctured tubes, a meal and a welcome bed (on the floor) in a school classroom. I wonder how the sunburn will be in the morning.

Monday 28th June
Dubois Wyoming

The sunburn is not hurting so much this morning, but the old legs look a bit of a mess. Packed and went to the cafe for hot cakes and coffee at 7.15. Waited for the drug store to open to get some sun screen before I dare start as the sky is clear blue and looks like being a scorcher! Set out at 8 for the 75 miles to Lander across wild west cowboy country. A fast ride with a following wind, got me to Crowheart to post films and a card to my wife’s cousin Grace.

Arrived at Lander at 1 o’clock. Quite a fair size town, bought some fruit and cereal for lunch and some more sun screen. Wondered if the next 60 miles to Jeffrey City was going to be like the last, as the sun was now very hot and the route description says “begin a 32 mile climb”. Decided to chance it and after 20 miles wondered if that was wise, the water ran out and I found the only place to rest in the shade for 40 miles was beneath a discarded road contractors sand hopper. Pressed on and come across Sweetwater Station (a filling station in the middle of nowhere). Spent a pleasant 1 ⁄2 hr with Jim Graham a rancher, and his two friends another rancher and a uranium miner. Downed a couple of Coors beers and set out for Jeffrey City.

Arrived at 7.15 very glad to get here, still very hot and plagued with mosquitoes. What a place! A uranium mine shack town right in the middle of the desert. They drove a truck around at intervals during the evening with a smoke trail coming from the back smoking out the mosquitoes. Still managing to keep the sunburn in check. I think now I shall have to get some lip salve. The BikeInn was the school (on the gymnasium floor!)

Tuesday 29th June
Jeffrey City Wyoming

Left at 8 for an undulating 65 mile ride across more desert type cowboy country. Saw a couple of deer roaming on the range (as the words of a song goes). The BikeInn was at Sinclair where I’d planned to have a half days rest and catch up with some mail. Another hot breezy day and arrived at about 1.40 and spent a leisurely afternoon attending to all the small things a tight schedule doesn’t permit every day. Wrote to Helen and some of the family and posted them all. Went to the local theatre and saw the Bike back into America film again, put on by the BikeInn keeper. Then supper, another coffee and an early bed.

Wednesday 30th June
Sinclair Wyoming

Got up during the early part of the night to put some Nivea cream on my legs and lips. Everything seems to be painful, both thighs, the right calf and very chapped and cracked lips and ear lobes. The heat seems to be throughout my body making other places irritate. Didn’t seem to sleep at all what with the trains and the traffic on the Interstate 80 and the sunburn. Woke this morning to find I’d got a watery swelling above and below my left eye.

Good grief! what a state I’m in. I wondered what today would have in store. It looked real sunny again so I was up by six and away by 7, after another hot cakes and coffee breakfast. Had to ride 40 miles to Sarratoga before I could get some lip salve and the last 20 miles was another hard push over undulating ground. I can see the mountains in the distance so perhaps it might get a bit cooler. Two miles back my bag carrier and mudguard bridge gave out. Now I’m in real trouble again. Limped into town, unshipped my mudguard and threw it away, called at a garage and got my bag carrier welded for a dollar. Was on my way again by 11 o’clock, hoping it would hold out until I can get a proper bag carrier.

The sun was burning down again so applied some more sun screen, for the second time today, I’m now beginning to get frightened! Another 20 miles brought me to Riverside, I could see it 6 miles away and it took me 1 ⁄2 hour to get there, it was that windy. Lunched outside a garage junction cafe, went in for coffee. The afternoon was a blessing, the clouds came over and it became quite cool and I felt better mentally and physically. Although it remained windy I made fair progress and arrived at Walden at 5.30pm, after stopping at another garage junction grocery store for a “Snicker” and two free cups of coffee. The BikeInn is the local community church, down in the basement, only 3 others here, and they’re independents. The old sunburn feels just a little bit better, I do hope I can control it.

Thursday 1st July
Walden, Col

Up again and on the road by just after 7 with yet another hot cakes and coffee breakfast inside me. The morning was quite sunny again and although the breeze was cool it was not at my back to make the riding faster. (can’t have it all ways!). Came across this house after an hour that had water and cookies outside for passing bike riders, was asked inside for hot chocolate and spent a quarter of an hour chatting to two Dutch riders, who’d camped the night on the lawn outside, at a place called Hebron. Next stop was Kremmerling 40 miles away and nothing in between, quite hilly. Arrived at 12.20, had a lunch of cereal and a quart of chocolate milk, and an orange in the town square. The mountains were resounding with thunder and I felt a few spots of rain so I pushed on at 1 o’clock, but I didn’t beat it.

The ride to Dillon was in rain and the thunder and lightning in the mountains was a real experience. From Dillon to Breckenridge was only about 14 miles which was a pleasant surprise. I arrived at 5 o’clock, and called at ‘The Fireside Inn’. The riders I met on the top of Muddy Pass (another Continental Divide crossing 8,772ft) earlier had told me about it. Got booked in for dinner, bed and breakfast and as it was not a BikeInn the charge was seven dollars 50 cents. What a meal! Salad, 3 platefuls of spaghetti, fruit pie and iced tea. Breckenridge is a ski resort at the base of the Hoosier pass among the Rocky Mountains. Traditional buildings spread around with dust and gravel in between and an alpine look about it all. Remembered it was my daughter Angela’s birthday today. I’ll get a card in Pueblo tomorrow and combine it with a letter to Helen.

Friday 2nd July
Breckenridge Col.

Good breakfast this morning in this smashing guest house with another friendly group. Hot cakes and syrup with a rissole, orange juice and coffee. Marvellous fresh sunny morning, beautiful mountain setting. Took a couple of pictures before I left and started to make the ascent of the dreaded 11,500ft Hoosier pass, the highest pass on the trail. A really beautiful climb, nice and cool around 8am in the morning. It took about one and a quarter hours to do the climb in fir clad but open type mountain country. Met a lad on the way up who worked in the bike shop in Breckenridge and was taking a ride to the top of the pass and back before work to “keep in shape” as he put it. Had a chat with him, then a couple of American holiday makers at the top. A quick picture and then it was a descent to Alma, Fairplay and Hartsel.

After coffee I refilled my water bottles for the afternoon ride to Guffy although everyone is telling me I will make Canon City tonight. It’s 56 miles with no facilities. Left the cafe at high noon and wondered how the heat and the forthcoming 10 miles of gravel will be overcome. Had trouble with my bag carrier in the next few miles. Couple of day cyclists stopped to help, but I managed to solve it. The gravel was pretty rough in places but there was no alternative route. Luckily it clouded over hiding the sun but it remained pretty warm. Took lunch and a picture half way through the gravel section. The remainder of the ride was downhill mainly and a following wind, but no town until Royal Gorge which lay just off the road and looked like a holiday area.

Arrived in Canon City along the main drag from Royal Gorge plenty of traffic and downhill. The altitude had dropped to 5,300ft from the top of the Hoosier in the morning, (a drop of 6,000ft.) No wonder the days riding was not so difficult. Booked in at the BikeInn the Freemont Hotel. Shared a room with two japanese lads and slept on the floor again. The restaurant here was splendid, had dinner from the salad table. Phoned Pueblo to try and arrange a home hostel for tomorrow night especially as that will be Independence Day eve. Seems a coincidence that the 1 ⁄2 way trail head comes on the day of the Bicentennial celebration.

Will try and get to church on that day to offer my thanks to God for my good fortune so far and for the safety of those at home, I’ve so much to be thankful for its hard to express. Things have not been as straightforward and simple as I had anticipated. Helen was right, attention to certain details needed much more thought. Never mind I’ll remember this when I’m planning my ride around the World! Made the acquaintance of Earl and Hans (two independent riders) at dinner here.

Saturday 3rd July
Canon City Col.

Started off this morning with Earl and Hans after a home made breakfast of cereal and banana. The ride to Pueblo was in bright sunshine with a stop at Wetmore for coffee after a gradual climb (gave the Mexican proprietor my card). Earl noticed my rear wheel had a buckle in it. By the time we reached Pueblo at lunch time the wheel was quite bad, a stop for a Coke in a park revealed that one spoke head had pulled a piece completely out of the rim. Many other spoke holes were splitting, so we found our way to the trailhead with difficulty, it took us one and a half hours. Phoned around a few bike shops for help and Hans (he also had trouble) and I made our way to a Schwinn dealer but Hans punctured on the way!

Doug Chinn acting as a Bikecentennial town host saw us and asked if he could help, and we were eventually invited to his home to stay the night. Was taken out to dinner that night as guests of Doug’s parents Bill and Jackie, it was a regular Saturday night family occasion apparently. Doug was a bike mechanic, had a workshop in the basement of their home, he eventually rebuilt my wheel after purchasing a rim at Schwinns. I also bought his Blackburn bag carrier. Had our washing done that night by Jackie and so to bed after a visit to Baskin Robbins ice cream parlour (31 flavours). We settled for double chocolate almond and fresh strawberry cone!