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Greg Thomas and counterparts on the way to Lolo Pass (Sierra) Photos provided | | | | | | (Our readers first met Greg Thomas in our March 16 issue; if you missed it, you can read the article in our archives, www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0501/Pedaling-for-a-Greener-Tomorrow.html)
Greg Thomas is taking a cross country trip this summer, but he isn't flying and he isn't driving. Thomas is biking across the U.S. with a group of international Velomobile cyclists on a trip called Roll Over America (ROAM).
The adventure began in Portland, Oregon on July 28 and riders expect to reach Washington, D.C. on August 24. In between, a group of 22 Europeans and 25 North Americans will cover nearly three thousand miles (5,000 kilometers). Tour Captain Josef Janning describes the Velomobile group as, "Passionate bikers [and] bike commuters, [who] have experienced the many benefits of cycling for health, the environment and the family budget."
Thomas'counterparts live in Ohio, Southern California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Connecticut and Kentucky and Canada. The overseas contingent is from Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, the U.K. and Denmark. They must be a just little bit tired by now, as they reach the midway point. They expect to be in Chicago about the time you receive this issue.
When we asked Thomas if he'd blog about this trip his initial response was, "I will probably be so tired at the end of each day that I will barely be able to eat and find my bed!" But on August 2 he responded: "We are having a fantastic time and are getting really good coverage from the local media. The local bike clubs are also giving us welcome parties. The mayor of Portland [Oregon] proclaimed July 28, 2011 'Velomobile Day!'"
We heard from Thomas again on August 11, after the group reached Minnesota - passing the 1500-mile halfway point. He admitted, "It was a little hard to get out of bed this morning after riding 570 miles in four days. A year ago I had never ridden more than 30 miles in a day so I have made some progress. My body and equipment seem to be holding out well so far."
How does he fuel up? "When you ride so many hours a day it is amazing how much you need to eat," Thomas continued, "The other day I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast with raisins, banana and blueberries and a cup of coffee. While riding I ate two bananas, a peach, a plum, two Clif bars, two Fig Newton bars and an energy gel. At the coffee break I had a hamburger and coffee. Then a Subway sandwich for lunch and soup and sandwich for dinner. All this food is washed down with three to five liters of water, soda, beer, V-8 and juice! And I am still losing weight."
Talk about dropping a few pounds the hard way.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA