Building

Today was a build day. I rose at 6am to get a quick run in. Then we all gathered for an amazing breakfast (rivaled only by the dinner we had last night). There was meat sausage and vegan sausage, Swiss muesli from Switzerland, oatmeal with all kinds of toppings, toast and coffee. Most of the places that we stay provide us with food, but it’s often packaged muffins or just plain bagels. This was a feast of kings!

Next we set out on our bikes for the first build site four miles away. The site includes two homes, one finished and one just being started. While a number of riders waterproofed a foundation with tar and got lots of it on themselves in the process, I helped to move some wood around and met the family that lives in the completed house. They have two kids, a boy and a girl. The dad works at Burger King and the mom works part time serving ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s. The boy, ten years old, showed me the garden he had planted with his dad- tomatoes, watermelons, corn and sunflowers. He was so excited about it and the garden was growing well.

In the afternoon we moved onto a house with a donated timber frame. The house is beautiful inside, with a wooden ceiling and pegs connecting the beams. As the Habitat director said, it’s pushing the limits of a Habitat house. Thanks to the donation, this family will live in an especially beautiful home.

In between downpours when we huddled inside and sang songs, we put up scaffolding and started nailing a second layer of plywood to the roof. The roof is pitched so steeply that we have to attach special devices to it before we get up there. Heading up on to the roof is tomorrow’s job. I claim that I am not afraid of heights, but this might be pushing it!

Pictures: Jim, the director of the Upper Valley Habitat, swinging his legs on his truck, the farm in Brattleborough where he keeps the Habitat supplies, and Jon shoveling dirt in Farmington, NH (we're getting good at moving dirt!).

Getting into the swing of things

The highlight of yesterday’s ride from Concord, NH to New London, NH was a flea market by the side of the road. We whizzed by, called out to each other, and turned right back around. This was not to be missed.

Inside, vendors sold everything from old t-shirts to beaded necklaces to postcards from the 1920’s. I talked to the guy who was selling the postcards. He told me that people like to collect postcards with pictures of their hometown in bygone days. As we chatted about Bike and Build and affordable housing, he mentioned that he now lives in a converted garage. In the summers he has running water, but not in the winters. It’s hard, he said, to carry water all winter.

Today we arrived in Lebanon, NH. It was a short, fast day- only 35 miles, and we rolled into our host’s parking lot by 11am. Half way through the ride we met a fierce storm that soaked us all. When we stopped for lunch, after half an hour in the pouring rain, we quickly started shivering as we huddled under the makeshift tarp. When we got back on our bikes, we pedaled like crazy up the next few hills just to get the blood moving again. Soon, the sun rain started to lighten up and the sun peaked through the clouds. By the time we arrived, after pedaling along the Connecticut River, past a Shaker village and beautiful old buildings, the sun shining and our wet shorts, squelching shoes and drenched heads were beginning to dry.

Donations today: 10 dollars, three bags of fruit and 30 day-old pastries.

Photos: One of the vendors at the flea market. He asked Quang which kind of Oriental he was. Quang graciously explained that he was born in Vietnam. And our first state!

Wheel dip and first arrival

Best day ever. We did just over 70 miles today, and it felt great. My butt will definitely be sore tomorrow morning when I get in the saddle, but for right now there’s no pain.

We rolled out of the parking lot in Portsmouth, NH at 7:15am and made it to the ocean by 8. A couple of reporters and well-wishers snapped shots as we waded into the water, lifted our bikes above our heads and then placed our bikes on the sand, back wheels touching the incoming tide. Behind us the white lighthouse stood out against the misty grays and greens of the rocky beach and sea. We pointed our bikes West and pulled away. Thirty-seven miles, two energy bars and lots of beautiful scenery later, we stopped for lunch. In between we passed a lily-covered pond shimmering in the late morning sunlight.

Only half of the riders made it to lunch because our van got lost, had trouble turning the trailer around on the narrow New Hampshire roads and missed the designated spot. Almost all of the bikers took a wrong turn or two as well. My group got off easy, with only five extra miles. One rider added 25 miles to the 65-mile day! When we rode into Concord, NH we raised our arms in the air and cheered, then promptly dropped our bikes and sprawled on the grass. One day down; 68 to go.

Now it’s 4:30pm, and just one rider still out. Enchiladas for dinner tonight (provided by the kind ladies of the church where we are staying) and another early morning wake-up tomorrow. Donations today: 115 dollars, one jar of apricot jam and two tubs of peanut butter.

Photos: Kevin poses in Queechee, Vermont.

The Adventure Begins…

Tomorrow our adventure begins. The day starts at 5:30am, and after suiting up in our Bike and Build jerseys, bike shorts and helmets we will set out for the Atlantic Sea (just three miles in the wrong direction). We dip our wheels into the ocean and then off we go! 75 miles for the first day, and we sleep in Concord, NH. Everyone is anxious to get going. After three days in one spot, only a little riding and plenty of talking, it's time to start biking.

Today we spent the day building at a Habitat for Humanity site with three newly built homes in Farmington, NH. We spread loam for a lawn and started a shed. I worked on the lawn, and I got to meet the home's owners; they have two sets of twins under three (the older set turns three in August) and they will soon get a dog. Although they moved in just two weeks ago, the home looks lovely and there are no boxes to be seen. Much better than my family does when we move!

The three houses sit at the end of a quiet street where big, leafy trees provide shade, and there's space for kids to play. When the three families have all moved in, there will be 14 kids! One of the finished houses has cheerful flower boxes and hanging baskets that brighten the front porch. It's a beautiful spot and the Habitat group has done a lovely job.

After finishing up in the afternoon, we picked up a last few bike parts and painted the van that will carry all of our gear, belongings and one trip leader.

Yesterday, we had our first group ride- an easy ten miles on flat ground. No casualties, and we all made it back in high spirits. I did notice though that my cycling computer isn't working, my front derailer does not shift the gears, and my seat is adjusted incorrectly. I still havn't had the chance to fix those, so plenty to do before tomorrow morning!

My emotions are mixed as I get ready for a good night's sleep after bike work and packing- excitement about the start of the ride, nervousness about the physical challenge and curiosity about what the next few weeks will bring. Onwards!

Photos: Getting the bikes ready for the first day. Safety is Sexy! We had a talk on bike safety from a great guy called Mike.