We begin to lose sight of the beginning as we make our way into our third state: the Keystone State of Pennsylvania. This ride, while a little on the shorter side mileage-wise offered its fair share of climbs, descents, and beautiful views accompanying each. I’m going to keep this one a bit shorter as we have a long day ahead. :)
Think we can all relate to this one.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 52.2
Elevation: +3216’/-2840’
General Direction: Begin by heading WNW out of Clinton and passing various small towns, close to 400’ ascent miles 5-7, cross the Delaware River from Phillipsburg, NJ to Easton, PA at mile 18, continue through Bath, follow the rolling road west and turn north after crossing the Lehigh River at mile 42, meet the Delaware & Lehigh bike trail (gravel!) at 48.5 and continue north into Lehighton
Points of Interest: Delaware River, Lehigh River, downtown Easton
Crossing the Delaware.
Tales of the Trail
The hills slowly began to resemble mountains over the course of this ride, lending to the idea of the value of cycling as a way to view so much while still traveling at a reasonable enough speed to get somewhere. The first week of I4K is always difficult and we are finding this out as we lose sight of the sprawling New York and trade it for the open Pennsylvania countryside. The rhythm of waking up, packing, and departing, as well as stopping or raising or lowering speed during the riding portion are all mainly experimental at this point; we are still finding that groove. Our ride leader Mike has been a huge help in guiding us into this (he’s literally done this thing twice already???) and we will only continue to improve.
Another flat tire and other bike issues were of course present, as was the first real instance of gravel on the ride. This gravel section made up part of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor trail, a gorgeous route running along the Lehigh River between mountains. Powerful climbs were made, and many are already beginning to feel more comfortable descending. In addition, the groups got to walk along, and in some cases be part of a Memorial Day Parade!
Today, I drove the van which means I got to pick our rest stops, and at one of these I was waiting for the team when I met a gentleman named William. He was interested in the organization from the art on the side of the van (shoutout Jean!!) and is also driving across the country with his mother. I told him a bit about I4K and we talked for a few minutes. We have many interactions like this whether alone or in groups and each is special in its own right. William, if you’re reading this, good luck and godspeed. :)
Tonight we are staying at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lehighton. Our hosts Mary Ann Hazel, Al Sellers, and many members of the congregation greeted us with warmth, excitement, and grace, and we were provided a wonderful meal, camaraderie, and even shuttles to the local pool for a niceeee shower (shoutout to all of them who are reading this!). We cooked our first pasta of the trip, ran laundry, cleaned bikes, did chores, and even had some free time. A few of us were also interviewed by local news channel WBRE! Lehighton is a beautiful town and we thank everyone for their hospitality as we prepare for a 75-miler tomorrow.
Quick selfie before entering PA.
The esteemed Sam “Little Island” Rosner offering his thoughts to a waiting audience.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Adam Wallach
How are you today? I am great! Today was a shorter day in terms of mileage but still very hard with all of the climbs. I also had some stomach issues so I am going to adjust my nutrition. Hopefully we get some good mileage in before it gets hot tomorrow.
What make and model of bicycle are you riding? A Trek Alpha 1.2, which I got from my uncle about one and three-quarters year ago.
What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? Everything has been awesome but the camaraderie with the team is especially so for me. We have had two hard days of biking plus one of a lot of walking in New York, and everyone has kept in good spirits and been uplifting toward each other.
How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? From checking my Strava the other day (Adam Wallach), around 5000 miles and probably another 1000 offline. I have also been a runner pretty much my whole life.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? Today we were riding for Jaylen’s grandmother and I thought about her and this purpose on a steep climb, but throughout the ride I am riding for my mom who is a cancer survivor, and my uncle who passed away from cancer.
Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? The 13% uphill at mile 40-45ish before the gravel. It was memorable for me because I wanted to get up the climb, and it felt like I put in a surge and it paid off in that moment.
Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? Thank you for the support whether it be close family or a friend I haven’t talked to in a while, it means a lot that you are following me on this ride. Don’t limit yourself to what you think you can achieve. What you think you can do is much less than what you can actually do.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
How to make Adam happy 101.
