The first day of the ride itself came and went, and what an adventure it was all on its own. We accomplished biking into our second state: New Jersey, the Garden State. We are staying the night at Clinton United Methodist Church and are already over halfway through the state mileage-wise. We are looking forward to entering our third state, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River tomorrow.

Ride Overview

Mileage: 80.2 (3.4 of which from NYC stayover to Strawberry Fields)

Elevation: +3754’/-3644’ (denotes gain or climbing and loss or descending)

General Direction: Begin in Strawberry Fields, ride north along Hudson River to George Washington Bridge, cross into NJ, take generally WSW path through NYC suburbs, Newark suburbs, and into the countryside by various towns, meadows, and forests. Climbs and descents are especially concentrated in the final seven miles but present throughout.

Points of Interest: Central Park, Hudson River Greenway, George Washington Bridge, Teterboro Airport, Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve, Round Valley Recreation Area

Tales of the Trail

Today’s ride was a challenging first test for the team, as we applied all of our training from the months prior to roads, populated layouts, signage, and terrains we had never seen before. Most if not all riders past and present agree: there is no way to fully mentally and physically prepare for a ride of this scale. Even with cycling for a year prior with access to all sorts of routes plus the prep and side work needed to maintain the bike and the human riding it, there are always new situations, problems that need quick responses, and constantly changing conditions that all impact a ride like this. This further pushes just how lucky we are to be able to do this, and it of course could not happen without our board who have fully prepared us nonetheless. :) I’ll continue to talk more about this process in later entries. Onto the fun stuff!

We began by packing, leaving the stayover, and having our first morning circle (all before 6 AM, the transition from asleep to scrambling to pack is something to see). We then rode about 3.5 miles to the “start line” of Strawberry Fields, which included riding on part of the main Central Park loop in the cool morning air. We then met up with some family members as well as Carly from the B+ (“Be Positive”) Foundation, a massive support campaign that provides funds for families with children with cancer across the United States as well as much more. For more information, please visit https://www.bepositive.org. She gave us some inspirational words and wished us all luck.

One very exciting bit of news is that the team is now complete! Our cool and awesome ride leader, Mike Rotter (gray shirt, leaning on his bike in the photo above), joined us late last night in NYC and drove the van for us today (but will be riding with us plenty in the coming weeks).

As we made our way along the edge of Manhattan, it was amazing to breathe the air, to know we were actually here doing this, for real. It was also interesting to see hundreds of cyclists whiz around and by us as part of their Sunday morning ride, including serious triathletes and entire cycling clubs. The George Washington Bridge lent spectacular views as we left New York.

Crossing into New Jersey offered beauty, stress, and a surprising amount of different terrains from what most outside the state may imagine it to have. Even Jon, a New Jersey native, said the area near the Clinton stayover reminded him of Pennsylvania and was surprised to see it in his home state. We have had our first flat tire (no more than two minutes into NJ, but changed successfully en route), and a few other bike problems (nothing that our mechanics Sam M and Nina can’t handle).

The beauty was found in the small, such as the colors of the storefronts along the large descent through downtown Rutherford, and the large, like seeing the lake emerge at Round Valley. The country offered large meadows and beautiful woods.

The stress was the physical challenge, mainly through our first climbs and descents outside of a mostly flat Illinois that got to be more and more prevalent in the last seven miles. The team worked incredibly hard to overcome these, especially the climbs. Our challenge was rewarded with an amazing dinner at our stayover and hose showers for all! The exhaustion is already hitting hard, but repetition and self-care will hit harder in the end.

One little cool thing that happened: Olivia’s bike was having brake trouble, enough to where Mike had to drive out to help fix it. Our group happened to be stopped at Arlington Diner, known for their cheesecake, so of course we got some. The owner of the diner eventually came out and was interested in learning more about our organization, and even gave us a food donation!

We are tired but will be ready for Day 2 tomorrow.

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Jaylen Patel

How are you today? I am very excited for where this ride takes us over the next 76 days. Day 1 was special to me, it puts into perspective the outcome of our training, fundraising, and cancer awareness mission, which gives me feelings of inspiration, dedication and perseverance.

What make and model of bicycle are you riding? A navy blue Trek Domane AL2, from the Gear Program

What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? The conversations I have had with all of the riders. We all have similar motivations for doing this ride at the start, and it will be amazing to see over the next 76 days how these people will turn from strangers eight months ago, to friends, to family.

How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? I mainly got into cycling in March, 2020 and used to bike to and from class every day. The longest ride I had done in one sitting prior to I4K was 40 miles and was a route I planned with my brother from Schaumburg to Lake Michigan.

Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? Today, I am riding for my grandmother Kailas Patel; she passed from a very rare form of cancer roughly two years ago now. She was a great role model and support network for my family and was a primary caretaker of mine from when I was born to age 12. She was a wonderful cook, mother, and grandmother, and she is truly missed.

Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? The entrance into the Hudson River trail. It was amazing to officially commence the start of our trip with seeing George Washington Bridge in the distance while riding along the Hudson River. I find it reminiscent of the Lake Shore trail in Chicago.

Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? Thank you for your endless support, I wouldn’t have the strength to go on this ride without all of you, and I’m very grateful for everything you’ve given me thus far. I can’t wait to make all of you proud and see you soon at points along the journey.

Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)

~Dictionary of I4K~

The Gear Program: A collection of donated and reused cycling materials (including bikes, apparel, and accessories) that aid riders with being able to participate in the ride stress-free with reduced cost.

The Exec Board: The epic and amazing team of humans without whom I4K could never happen. This includes positions such as President, Vice President, Logistics Director, Social Director (new), Information Director, DEI Director, Fundraising Director, Portraits Director, Marketing Director, and Treasurer. They each handle all of the differing aspects of the organization and collaborate with each other and the Bike America Team throughout the year leading up to the ride.

Morning Circle: A daily ride ritual that is used to discuss the route, any relevant items of business, and give riders a chance to offer ride dedications.