Tiny Shed

Today was our third build day of the trip. We worked with Habitat for Humanity in Ashtabula, OH. The project was on an older house that had been donated to the local affiliate. It was structurally sound, but needed a lot of work both in the interior and the exterior. We split into several teams to complete projects all over the house.

One team worked to rip up old, rotting flooring in several rooms on the first floor. Another worked on sanding the floors on the second level because they were in good enough condition to be restored. Outside, a team worked to remove peeling paint and rot from the siding and put primer on it so it could be repainted.

Jake, Alyssa, and I were nominated to put together a shed that was donated by Home Depot. We were told that it should be fairly easy to snap it together and get it up, but it was much more of a process than we were led to believe. We also had to pause part way through to get some more screws and nuts because they were not all included in the materials we were given.

This was also a very exciting build because we got to meet the homeowners and their children. They also brought 6 kids with them ranging, from an infant to an 8 year old, only three of which were their kids. The kids were a lot of fun and having a bunch of new people to play with, and sometimes work with. They were also very excited about the shed and the fact that we had built it all that day. They were especially excited when we put the doors on and they could open and close them and find out how dark it was inside with the doors closed.

Dale

Niagara Falls!

We had a ninety mile ride into Niagara Falls. None of us were thrilled about it, because we wanted to spend as long as possible at the falls. However, it turned out perfectly. After a very long day of riding, we got showers and dinner at the host. From there it was only a 20 minute walk to get to the falls, and we made it on to the last Maiden of the Mist boat tour of the falls. The boat was almost completely empty, and we even had a little time after the ride to wander around before going to bed. The next morning, waking up at 4:00 AM for another 90 mile ride, we had the falls to ourselves as we rode out of town and around Lake Erie. 

Six States!

We have been very busy the last few days and have gotten a lot of miles under our belts. The last three days in particular have been challenging since they have been much longer rides. We had two 90 mile days and an 80 mile day. Because of the longer rides we have been getting up at 4:00 or 4:30 AM so we can still try to make it to our host by 4:00 PM. We have also crossed over several state lines the last few days and today made it all the way to Ohio. The list of states so far is: Maine (technically before the start of the trip), New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Another milestone today is that we have all reached 1000 miles on our bikes! That 1000 miles includes training miles that we did on these bikes and includes almost every mile we have ridden since getting them. Each of us has also ridden over 500 miles since the start of Bike and Build!

Safety Nav

After 8 riding days we have all three now had a chance to ride in the van as the Safety Navigator. This task rotates through the riders and we each have to take a turn about every 6 ride days. Other riders are also trained to be van drivers although the three of us did not make the age cutoff. Our team has two vans and a trailer. The van and trailer start in the morning driving the whole route and drop off the trailer at the host church. The other van drives the the lunch spot to set up for the riders. When the vans have finished their tasks they follow along and support the riders. This support includes providing pickups for riders when necessary, assessing rider and road safety, and communicating and organizing the group. 

As the safety navigator, the main jobs are to assist the driver in following the route, to get out and chalk turns, and to watch out for the riders as we drive past. To many of us, this job seemed like a disappointment. We were all excited to ride and being stuck in the van isn’t as fun. However, this job is very important. The safety navigator assesses road conditions and takes notes to be used in future years. The pickups made by the van are also important when there is inclement weather, bike malfunctions, and when riders take too long to reach the host. When Dale was the safety nav the jack on the trailer broke. Dale and Dan (one of the leaders) had to get the trailer unhitched and go buy a new jack on their way through one of the small towns along the route. 

In addition to being a valuable part of the team, being the safety navigator has its own excitement. They cheer on the other riders as they come by, often accompanied by honking from the driver. The van crews also have a chance to relax throughout the day and can see more of the towns we pass through. 

I was a safety nav with Megan, one the leaders. We had a slightly different experience because we crossed a river on a ferry that day. When we made it to the host we couldn’t cross back over the river. Instead we got a few hours to install the new jack on the trailer and explore. We spent time walking around a waterfall, investigating the Star Trek museum, going to lunch, and napping on a dock by the ferry waiting for the last group to ride through. That day was also special because we crossed out of Vermont and into New York. Since there was no state sign when we entered Vermont, we got some pictures leaving. 

Build Day with COVER!

On our second build day, we worked with an organization operating in New Hampshire called COVER. The mission is to provide safe, warm and dry housing. They work repairing older houses, allowing them to remain functional and affordable for their residents. Many projects involve roof repair and sealing the envelope of the building. However, past projects also include installation of accessibility ramps. The link to their website is here:

 www.coverhomerepair.org

Our project was to install corrugated steel metal roofing over leaky asphalt shingles. The new roof has a life span of about 100 years, while standard asphalt shingles last 20-30 years. We were fortunate enough to work alongside the homeowner as well as an experienced build team from COVER. Alyssa learned to use two types of power saws for cutting both wood beams and steel roofing material.

Dale and I used impacters to install framing on top of the asphalt shingles. Then we began installing the corrogated steel roofing onto the framing. Unfortunately we were rained out and had to stop early as the roof was too slippery. We tarped over the rest of the roof, and another crew will come to finish it in a few days.

Jake 

Videos

We thought everyone would be interested to see some videos pertaining to our trip so far. The first one is a video about Bike and Build that was shown at orientation and we often show as part of a dinner presentation for each of our hosts. 

The second video is a short but very exciting video that we saw during orientation. 

The third video shows us riding out of New London on Saturday morning. Our hosts were very generous by providing a ton of food,  getting us a police escort out of town, and ringing their bell 26 times (once for each of us) as we left. 

Finally we wanted to share a link for the team blog for our route. There should be a post put up on this team blog every day and all the riders on the trip will rotate through writing posts for the blog. 

https://nus2019.home.blog/

Dale

Ride Day 2 Report!

We started our morning bright and early at 5:30am. Breakfast was marginal, as we are running out of food. Dale, Jake, and I rode together along with one of our leaders, Megan. At Megan's suggestion, we ventured to find a coffee shop before joining our scheduled route. On our way there, we heard shouting at the side of the road: "FREE DONUTS!". A catering company (Catering by Design) was offering "Free Donuts for Dads" in celebration of Father's Day. They enthusiastically offered us donuts, and Jake and Dale jumped at the offer. Meanwhile, we were just across the street from the coffee shop, where I bought an exceptionally good latte.

Fully sated, we began our ride. It was a little chilly in the morning, but quickly warmed up. The scenery was beautiful, and included several lakes and rivers. Much of the ride was spent on a "rails-to-trails" pathway. It was mostly flat, but the gravel was pretty slick and bumpy. We stopped a lot along the way just to enjoy the scenery. We stopped for lunch at a lakeside boathouse with a B&B alumn. We sat on the dock while we ate overlooking a beautifully clear, spring-fed lake with mountains in the distance.

After lunch, we anticipated an easy 12 mile ride to our next host church in New London, NH. However, shortly after getting back on the gravel trail, my derailleur hanger broke, bringing our ride to a grinding halt. Earlier in the day, Megan decided to ride in the van because her knee was hurting. So, luckily, when the support van arrived, Megan let me borrow her bike (and shoes) for the rest of the ride. We were excited to be nearing the end, only to encounter what felt like some very large mountains between us and our destination. We had to walk one particularly sandy stretch, but were thrilled to finally arrive.

Our host tonight (First Baptist Church of New London) was particularly hospitable. They cooked us dinner and took us on a tour of their historic building. In addition to the impressive gravity-powered clocktower, we were allowed to go up to the belltower just after sunset. The sunset over the mountain range was one of the best views so far on this trip.

Finally, we got assistance replacing my derailleur hanger from several other members of the team. One fellow rider graciously gave me her extra derailler hanger (a very specific and hard to find part). Another rider and a group leader helped me replace the part and fix my very twisted chain. Although my bike is now fixed (yay!), I won't be riding tomorrow, as I've been chosen as the safety navigator in the van.

Alyssa (& Jake & Dale)

Our First Ride Day!

After two days of orientation and a build day yesterday, we finally hopped on the saddle for our first bike day this morning. Our route first  took us east to the coast for our wheel dip and a few bike overhead pictures (see below). We had a 60.5 mile day in store, with lots of hills. While we anticipated a drippy and chilly day, we had no idea just how cold and wet it would be. Early on in the ride, we had a terrifying encounter with a metal grate surface bridge. Thankfully, we made it across without any injuries. At the end of the day, half our group made it to the end location while the other half was picked up in the van due to the weather conditions. 

Yesterday we had our first build day with the Habitat for Humanity affiliate of Southeast New Hampshire. Several of our fellow riders worked clearing the brush in a forest adjacent to the house we were working on. The three of us painted walls, trim, and doors inside the house, (thankful to be out of the strong sun). Pictures are below. More to come on build sites later!

Alyssa

Orientation

After the last two days of orientation we are all exhausted but excited for our first day working on a Habitat for Humanity Build tomorrow and our first real riding day on Thursday.

Today we worked a lot on bike safety as a group and worked on getting comfortable riding together in many different environments. In the morning we worked on some drills on our bikes in the pouring rain, learning how to work as a team to change lanes, keep and eye out behind us, and navigate through obstacles on a high traffic road. The weather was much nicer in the afternoon and we were able to put these drills into practice on a shakedown ride in Portsmouth. During this 15 mile ride we rode in small groups, each with a trip leader, and had to work with our groups to ride safely across town and practice the skills we had learned in the morning. The leaders had lots of good feedback for what to do to make ourselves safer, especially in high traffic areas where many of us were less comfortable. 

The shakedown ride was also our first experience using cue sheets. These sheets will help us navigate all summer by providing directions for each day to get us from host to host. Reading the cue sheet was a challenge while also riding down the road and and worrying about many other things, but we all managed to make the route today without getting too lost. We even all made it around the construction zone that showed up halfway through the route. 

Dale

Made it to Portsmouth!

We are all packed up and ready to go! All of us have now completed over 500 training miles, a rain ride, hill ride, group ride, and 65 mile ride. We would like to thank Tom Ward for taking us on 56 mile ride last Monday. He told us it would be about 40 miles when we left, but somewhere around Allerton Park we realized it would be farther. We also learned of a herd of buffalo that lives out near Monticello, but sadly were unable to see them up close. The animal backs we saw in the distance could have been buffalo, maybe only cows. Thanks again to Tom for making sure we are prepared for the start of the trip.

All three of us would also like to thank mom (Jennifer Robbennolt) for driving us all the way here. Not only did she drive with us, she was willing to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to help us prepare for the earlier wake up times that we will have on Bike & Build.

We arrived in Portsmouth, NH at 3:00 today. We got settled in and then went on one last ride before orientation. It was only about 10 miles to stretch our legs but we got around the town. We first went to see a light house, and went across Goat Island on the way. Next, we went across to Badger Island and into Maine.

We are all looking forward to the start of orientation tomorrow!

Jake