Bike Ride Across the USA: Part 2

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The theme of this second half is getting out of our own way.

It sounds so weird now, after the fact, to write this: but in the moment, I really had to get out of my own way once the intuitive hit of “go back on the trip and rejoin the group” landed.

I’d said goodbye, I’d come home, and fully unpacked, I’d left my feedback with the company and done my post-trip debrief call with the folks at HQ. I’d had some pointed things to say about a few experiences I’d had on the first leg of the trip, and suggestions for ways I thought they might address some of those items on future trips.

On their end, they’d cancelled the hotel rooms booked ahead for me, and they’d removed me from the group, and I’d opted out of the participant WhatsApp channel. I sincerely came home and thought I was done -done.

But as the dogs showed me they were ok, as we neared the end of their “quarantine two week window” and as I gave it more thought, I realized it was totally silly to take myself out of the remaining 17 days of the ride — when it was paid for, there were no refunds coming, and there was still plenty of time left to ride on the East Coast. 17 days in fact. By most people’s standards, my own included, that’s a pretty dang solid vacation.

It sounds really funny now, but I literally had to give myself permission to not worry what people would say, and to go back- to restart, and to rejoin the group. Trek Travel said they had to be sure they could get my hotel rooms re-booked, and then confirmed they could. My bike was still in the vans and had been riding along in the van without me while I’d been away. The dog facility said, “absolutely bring the pups back we’d love to have them here again,” (I know they’d felt really badly about me having to come home from my trip…).

So, two weeks to the day that I’d flown back from Billings, Montana, I boarded a plane once again and landed in Madison, Wisconsin. The next day the group would have their final ride of a ten-day block and then enjoy a rest day in Madison, so we reunited over their ride into Madison where the trek travel team met everyone with a hearty lunch (originally planned for the lawn at the Capital building, but due to rain had been moved to this gorgeous hotel/mansion owned by the Trek family).

I rejoined the group at the same time that a fellow rider named Ralf also rejoined. He had left the trip before I had due to some medical issues and had always planned to rejoin but had kept his plans fluid. We connected in the days prior to Madison and decided to time our return for the same time, knowing we both felt like outsiders now in the group since they’d continued to ride and bond while we’d been away. Again I know this sounds silly- Megan, it’s a trip you paid for, who cares what people think or say if you leave and come back, you spent the money and deserved to be on the trip. Yes. AND - in a traveling container of people doing a really hard thing together, the group dynamic was a really strong, powerful force. Regardless, I gave myself permission to show up again, with rested legs and a newfound appreciation for the trip, and was determined to make the most of the final leg.

Another reason I’d decided to rejoin in Madison is that the group had a very special outing on the calendar: a private after hours tour of Trek bikes HQ in Waterloo, as well as a dinner at the Trek Lodge, just across the road from HQ. There was also a ferry ride across Lake Michigan I was excited about…. And finally, I had friends Danielle in Madison and Cherie in Milwaukee whom I really wanted to see in person, and that made the return even more of a no-brainer.

Looking ahead, I’d seen that we’d likely be riding in colder, cloudier and wetter temps as we went east from Madison, and my projections were correct. We had several rainy days, and let me tell you- starting a ride in the rain takes a special mindset. It’s one thing to have rain start once you’ve been riding for a while, but it’s another animal when you walk out of the hotel doors to rain and you know you’re about to get soaked from the first pedal stroke.

From Madison we rode to Milwaukee, and then in Milwaukee we boarded a large ferry to cross Lake Michigan. To set the scene here, let me preface it by telling you that within a few hours of the ferry departure, the ferry company was very nearly going to cancel all ferry rides for the day due to the high winds and wake/waves on the lake. They decided to run the ferry, but as we arrived and saw the lake turbulence, we concluded we may be in for a rough ride. Within 10 minutes of being on board, staff was running around with puke bags, handing out motion sickness meds, cranking the AC and telling everyone to STAY SEATED. It would be comical, except that so many people suffered badly on this 2.5 hour ride.

The ferry pushed into walls of water that felt like we’d run smack into a brick wall. I had images of all the cars and bikes stowed below sloshing around into each other. I determined not to let myself get sick and really went deep into a mental reservoir of focus, with my eyes locked on the horizon, forcing myself to stay in control. While I felt ill and uneasy, I never felt like I’d get sick (thankfully), and towards the end, I was able to actually get some lunch in just before changing into my kit for our short ride to Holland.

Many in our group were not so fortunate- I’d say about 50% of us did okay, and 50% did very poorly and were extremely sick. I felt so bad for everyone who got properly ill… there is NO worse feeling than watching the clock tick the minutes slowly by while feeling helpless about your body being in total rebellion; it’s the worst. I had mad respect for everyone getting through the day and the short two-hour ride after. It was quite an eventful day!

From Michigan, we entered Ohio and rode to Rossford, Oberlin, and to Newbury. Ohio really blew me away, the parks and lakes were gorgeous and mixed in with some cloudy or rainy days were some delightful, sunny, warm days —and these were extraordinary.

The leaves were starting to turn as we approached late September and made our way from Ohio into Pennsylvania. We rode into Meadville and Bradford, and I got to enjoy my first time ever riding in Amish country, seeing families in horse-drawn carriages on the roads alongside us, before entering New York state and the city of our final rest day: Corning.

While some took the tour of the glass facility, I opted to lay low and rest for the day. The stretch from Madison to Corning had been big, with several days being 100+ miles, and weather and temps offering some challenges. At this point, I really felt several people in our group were getting anxious to be done. The fatigue of the daily routine- eat, ride, eat, unpack, sleep, repack- was wearing thin. The hotel breakfasts often left much to be desired, as did the hotel coffees, and people’s personalities were getting on one another’s nerves.

I was feeling all of this, (I pick up on a lot of things both said and unsaid), and noticed for myself that the group meals were becoming more and more stimulating and that I was craving more and more time alone in my room.

Thankfully while on the bike during the day, it was heaven; the C group that I rode with (myself and 3 other guys in their 60s) had become a well-oiled machine by this point. Little was said on the ride, we communicated with hand gestures and mutual understandings. As we’d become more efficient, we’d also become much faster, often finishing off a 100 mile day in 5.5 hours, which is really something when you consider just 4 people taking pulls and some of the winds we battled. It was also something to see that just one calendar week on Strava showed me riding close to 600 miles— something I’d never done up to that point.

Tim from MN (66), Steffen from Germany (62) and Robert from Manchester, UK (62) were strong and getting stronger by the day. Some days it was all I could do to just hang on and take my pulls.

The truth about that kind of effort and day after day exertion, is that you can really eat whatever you want and you’ll still be calorie deficient. It was fun to indulge in desserts with almost every dinner, snacks and treats on the ride, and more calories ingested than I ever believed possible. I had a whole new appreciation for why people say the Tour de France is really an eating contest. I saw everyone’s bodies changing in the group - amazed at how faces slimmed down, almost to the point of appearing gaunt, and leg muscles appeared more and more chiseled. Some handled the load well, some were starting to dig into a deeper and deeper hole and it wasn’t going their way.

Everyone was managing their own physical and mental stressors in different ways and with mixed results. Some wanted to deflect with humor and sarcasm, some expressed self doubt, some talked smack about other riders behind their backs. I picked up on a fair bit of judgment and couldn’t really understand it. Some felt directed my/our way, that our group wasn’t “enjoying the journey or taking any photos” really seemed to miff some folks. How funny, I thought, that we all paid to be here and yet some have thoughts about the experience we are choosing to have. Each day deepened my sense that this was a spectacular psychology experiment unfolding before my eyes. So much to see, hear and observe. For me, my work was remaining neutral in it, and trying not to “get slimed” by some of the negativity along the way.

My hero of the ride and a true master in many senses, was Jack Hudson, who turned 76 on the trip and was the oldest rider among us. A retired three-star general from the Air Force, Jack represented the very best of us as riders and human beings, and I watched him just methodically chip away at the miles each day and ride his own pace, putting one foot in front of the other. Even as he began to express that his fatigue levels were becoming bottomless, he still brought his smile and warm heart and kindness and sincerity to every group dinner. I never heard him speak ill of someone else or say a negative thing about anything. He fast became one of my favorite people on the trip to talk to and spend time with. As someone later said in our closing dinner, he represents all of the best of America and is what we all aspire to be like. He is pure gold- and he said his goal is to ride 100 miles on his 100th birthday; when he asked me, I fervently accepted the invite to be there as a rider when that day comes. Along the way he had numerous friends and family members join him and it just became so clear to me what an amazing human he is and how well loved he is.

And as I said- the group was struggling from the daily grind and while this was a vacation we’d paid for and signed up for, the truth is that some mornings it just felt really hard. But we had set departure times and we knew the routine and what I kept reminding myself more than anything was, “I’ve got one job today: to ride my bike from point A to point B, and what a privilege that is!” And also at any point, anyone could choose to ride in the vans and that was ok, too.

Some of the Comfort Inns and local lodges late in the trip caused further demise in morale— eating rubbery cold chicken at a Comfort Inn was honestly part of the whole experience. One night it was 5-star dining and the next night it was 1-star and we never really knew till we got there which it would be.

From Corning it was into Cazenovia and this really cute spot we stayed in called the Brewster Inn, right on Lake Caz. We rode from there to another lake in a really gorgeous area of leaves popping off like fireworks - called Piseco, where we stayed at this cute rustic lodge on Piseco Lake.

From there it was Ticonderoga (home of the No. 2 pencil), and into Vermont, riding into St Johnsbury. At this point we could taste the end of the trip, and I think people slipped back into savoring it versus rushing it.

Steffen our German stoic surprised us with some humor as he provided us the daily briefing in German before we departed Piseco Lake.

Our last century of the trip!

For me, my legs were officially hollow. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this before. They had nothing in them, and as my riding mates had just gotten faster and stronger by the day and I’d held pace with them, digging deep to take pulls and be part of the 4-some, there came a day when that pace and push were no longer doable for me. I just couldn’t turn the legs back on. It was a shame coming into the final days feeling so poorly on the bike but it was what it was.

I hated holding up my crew, and that led to us splitting into two groups of 2 in the final days, with Steffen from Germany refusing to let me ride alone, but slowing himself way down to accompany me. He’s got a heart of gold too and while we navigated language barriers the entire time, with his English being ok but him being difficult to understand, we figured out how to communicate almost wordlessly while riding. I was repeatedly humbled by his kindness, and by the group for waiting for me as my pedaling became more and more square-like.



On the last century ride of the trip we had over 8,000 feet of elevation as we rode the “App Gap” ———————————->

The leaves were changing, and the “leaf peeping” had everyone out driving and gawking. Thankfully drivers were kind to us despite it being a Saturday with fall festivities in full swing, and we made our way bit by bit up and over those mountains…

From St. Johnsbury it was into North Conway NH (a new-to-me state!) and my legs were officially dead. At this point I was limping through the day and was sad that I was more interested in getting the day done than savoring the final few rides. I just had nothing left, and at the same time, had so much respect for everyone on the trip who’d done the entire thing, unlike me getting a two-week break in the middle!

From North Conway we rode into Maine (another new-to-me state) and made our way to the Atlantic Ocean for a dip of the tires and photos and celebrations.

My cousin Jessica and her fiancé had driven in for the day from Massachusetts to meet me at the finish and take pics. It was so lovely to see them and get hugs and just to see everyone’s joy at the end. Tears of joy and also sadness at it being over were cried by many, including our wonderful guides.

That’s me on the far left, rocking my Maximum Enthusiasm team cycling jersey, wanting to represent our team and sponsors on this arrival at the Atlantic Ocean!

It’s really something to take 24 people — ordinary humans, ranging in age from 43-76 — who’ve never done something like this (well except for Stan, this was his THIRD XC ride!), and to help us travel 3700 miles across 15 states. Everyone finished; no one had dropped out (though, as I said, 2 of us had left mid trip and then resumed). That’s with massive credit to the 5 guides for feeding us and keeping our bikes rolling and shuttling us to dinners etc. Yes a few folks crashed. Yes a few folks had head colds or saddle sores or aches and pains, you name it. But everyone finished. That is really something special.

I learned a lot about myself: giving myself permission to rejoin the trip, reinserting myself into Group C, getting stronger, and then having really bad legs at the end and being humbled by the way I was slowing my group down, and so on. I learned a lot observing the people on this trip — those who were determined to have a great time no matter what and those who complained about literally everything, weather and food and hotels included. I saw really successful people being insanely rude to waitstaff and hotel staff as we overwhelmed some of these places, and then I also saw a lot of grace and humility as we were greeted with hospitality and kindness each place we went (that was my experience, anyways).

Our Guides from left: Sarah, Clara, Quill, Scott and George - what a great group!

I watched the guides navigate the personalities and demands on their time and energy, with immense grace and aplomb. Not easy. I would’ve lost my temper often, if I’d been in their shoes. Whew. Talk about herding cats! ;)

More than anything I watched people do far more than they ever thought they could, and that’s just so dang special. For me, the riding was hard, seeing new places was amazing, chatting with strangers all along the way was humanity-affirming, and having this trip out there as a big scary goal had been positively motivating and inspiring all year long.

Was my ride complete? No, not technically -there is a gap in the middle of my map. Do I consider this incomplete? No I do not. It was the exact right experience that I was meant to have and honestly I’m really glad the dogs called me back for two weeks, where I regrouped and reset for the second part of the journey. My entire 2026 was anchored around this trip, based on where I could train well and get the prep miles in, where the dogs would have a place to stay while I was gone, where and when I’d be able to get van trips in or other trips or adventures with this big one being such a large undertaking. Yes, it is often a bit sad when a goal of this size is no longer out in front of us but in the rearview now. I knew there would be a “come down” and I’m glad I prepared myself for it well in advance, as I imagine the post-trip blues caught folks by surprise. (I learned this after our world record ride in 2019 - we were all stunned at how sad we got after it was done. That wisdom carried into this for me as I really made a point to savor it while it was unfolding, knowing that at the not-so-distant future, it would be finished).

Bottom line for my own personal growth is seeing myself navigate the challenges of the mental/physical/emotional stressors in this traveling circus and at times letting it knock me out of my center, but then coming back into my center over and over, using the tools I have learned, seeing and observing and really working to not take things personally. With my routines, the way I do my day, how I eat, when I sleep, all of my “optimization practices” totally stripped away, being in new places and spaces and around people I both liked and didn’t like, and in a setting where I felt physically supported but not so much emotionally supported, I really got to see where my spiritual practices could carry me in times of stress and uncertainty. Truthfully— SO much of what I was feeling and picking up on in this group was simply not about me. This trip was a masterclass for me in deepening the medicine I’ve been growing for myself and particularly, in not taking things personally.

As I completed the circle of the hero’s journey, and came back into the ordinary world from the lower world/the road of trials, I feel confident in saying that I’ve returned with the “boon,” or gifts of the journey. One is knowing myself better. As my mentor said repeatedly on this trip, “you didn’t go there to make friends or influence people, you went there to meet yourself.” And I certainly did.

That is the beauty of travel, of doing hard things, or having new experiences. It always shows us who we are. In the lower world we often receive help from guides, or we receive blessings to aid us on the path. Those things were very true for me on this trip, and often in the most unexpected places!

A book I read when I got home (A Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life) summarized these sentiments perfectly, to the point where this line jumped off the page at me: “To me, a master is anyone who can be themselves in any situation.”
It’s a goal of mine, to be fully myself in any situation, especially after observing how I wasn’t always “myself” in this traveling circus dynamic of personalities and demands.

So hey…
Thanks for reading. I hope this inspires you to not only take the trip or do the thing, but to go into the lower world/road of trials and meet your own adversity down there and see what you come back with. If you’re not familiar with the Hero’s Journey, maybe you start by reading about it in Joseph Campbell’s work!

Reflecting on the hero’s journey and its relationship to life, Campbell writes:

What I think is that a good life is one hero journey after another. Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also, and the fulfillment or the fiasco. There’s always the possibility of a fiasco.

But there’s also the possibility of bliss.

Here is the youtube video I made of the second half of the trip: HERE.

Here is the itinerary for the 2027 trip. (I believe their trips are booked out a few years w/waitlists but check it out and sign up if it calls to you! Use code TTMegan to save a little money, also! (So long as you book before the end of 2026).



Bike Ride Across the USA: Part 1

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Wide open roads and blue skies out west!

I’ve always wanted to bike across the USA. I think this is a shared bucketlist trip among many of us who ride bikes, and after years of talking about it and trying to make it work, I finally pressed GO on this adventure earlier this year.

Specifically, I committed to the money, time and effort of a 47-day adventure with Trek Travel, riding from Portland OR to Portland ME. Approximately 3700 miles, through 15 states, this would be unlike any ride or athletic pursuit I’ve ever attempted.

From early February on, this was the singular focus of my 2026 calendar and goals. I reoriented my life and made plans and also declined projects, events and invitations, all based around keeping this chunk of time free on my calendar, while making plans for my dogs while I was away, and attempting to ride and train enough to be prepared for the journey. For me it would be a pilgrimage —the hero’s journey— departing the upper world, traveling down into the lower/ non-ordinary world, confronting challenges along the way, meeting helpers, and hopefully returning back into the ordinary world at the conclusion with the “boon” or gifts - i.e. wisdom- as my prize.

My steadfast “group C” riding mates, Tim (MN) and Steffen (Germany).

Stepping into a container with 23 other people, all of whom are unknown to me, as well as 5 guides from Trek Travel taking care of us and helping us along the way, while sleeping in a different town and hotel each night, eating meals in all kinds of places, seeing many things, meeting many people and having experiences all along the way, both excited and scared me. And the riding itself felt unbelieveably intimidating. It is one thing to ride a century (100 miles) now and then, but it’s quite another to string those into back to back days, while going 10 days in a row between rest days.

Needless to say, I was facing the reality that all of my routines, schedules, optimization techniques, ways of doing life, (the narrow band in which I truly thrive), would be tossed out the window and I’d need to go with the flow, do things I don’t normally do, be around people I may or may not mesh with, all while progressing in a traveling circus type environment, while the fatigue would build cumulatively each day.

For me it wasn’t just about checking the box, riding the miles, doing the “thing.” I knew there would be some big growth opportunities in this for me, a deepening of my evolution and a sincere chance to meet myself at my mental, physical and emotional depths. Four years after surviving a serious collision with a motorist, overcoming injuries and impairments, and making my way through some really hard seasons in life since, this felt big and important.

As you might imagine, this was a HELL YES for me.

All of that brought me to Portland OR on August 20, where we began our adventure.

We officially started our ride that day in Astoria, OR, the westernmost point of our trip, where we dipped our tires in the Pacific ocean. From there we rode to Portland, and made our way east each day, enjoying several days in OR in the lush trees and forests, before the landscape switched to drier and higher terrain. We rode to Hood River (a cute progressive river town with lots of kite surfing), then to Condon (a tiny little town of 700), then to Hermiston, and on into WA where we made our way to Walla Walla — a really cute spot I enjoyed very much.

(You can read the entire trip day-by-day itinerary HERE).

From Walla Walla it was on to Lewiston, and then into Idaho at Kamiah, a tiny town with one motorlodge hotel, which we fully occupied. Coming into this area, we’d been riding in some smoky air due to wildfires and I think the motel may also have had a bit of mold in the carpeted rooms, as my throat began sounding the alarm (for me, my check engine light).

The following day was a big one: Kamiah to Lolo, up and over the pass; I knew if I pushed too hard I’d get properly sick, so this was a day off for me, spent in the van with our guide, George. I didn’t regret my decision for a second; after all this is a vacation and it’s a ride, not a race. As I like to say, there are no extra credit points for unnecessary suffering! While the goal was to “ride every inch” I also didn’t want to get myself so sick I’d miss an entire week.

From Lolo we had a nice easy and short, mostly downhill ride into the college town of Missoula. My first time here, I gleaned quickly that this is a town I could easily live in. It reminded me of my favorite places in Colorado, with the higher elevation, foothills, liberal progressive vibe of a college town and that day also, the first home game of the football season, so the vibes were extra special.

From Missoula we began making our way across the massive state of Montana, as we rode to Helena, then Three Forks and then to Bozeman. This was another short day, and we had a bit of extra time to explore. Bozeman reminded me of Golden CO, wanting to be the western kinda town that adds cowboy decor to a town of increasing wealth layered over college town demographics. It had a good feel to it and I enjoyed our time there very much.

One thing I REALLY enjoyed doing along the way, both to inform myself and to broadcast the good work of People for Bikes, was to check the City Rating of the towns we traveled through. Needless to say, some fared far better than others! Check out your city’s rating HERE!

An image I captured on my iphone of one of the full moons we experienced on the journey.

From Bozeman it was into Columbus MT on September 3. This was the day I got a text from the place where my dogs (Eli, Luna and Tommi) were staying, informing me that Eli and Tommi were both coughing. After several weeks of successfully pedaling and putting one day after the next on the trip, I was getting a call for help back home.

While kennel cough isn’t usually a big deal (kinda like when kids go back to school in the fall and get pesky headcolds), Mister Eli had nearly died from a cough- turned-respiratory infection -turned full blown emergency last summer. Watching him gasp for air and struggle to breathe had been very scary, and it resulted in him being admitted to the hospital and seeing doggie specialists (And a very large bill for me). Eli and Luna are both only 2 years old, and Miss Tommi is only about 9 months, so these aren’t elderly dogs -they’re young and healthy and in Columbus MT in a Super 8 hotel, I panicked.

I couldn’t sleep that night worrying about them, and started looking for flights. It turned out that Billings MT would be the closest airport on the trip for the next 5 days, until we reached Sioux Falls. And there was only one flight out of Billings back, with only one seat on it (no joke! I later remembered it was Labor Day weekend which explained the full flight). Seeing that as my clear sign to return to the dogs to ensure they got well, I left the trip the morning of Sept 4, got on the plane, went home, got the dogs, and unpacked. As far as I was concerned, my ride across the country was done. I unpacked fully, put everything away, told the company I was done, and I fully resumed normal life. I was sad, deeply sad, of course. It was not the ending to this epic adventure I’d pictured. But dog-mom-duties came first in my mind, and making sure the dogs got well was my top focus.

From afar, I watched on strava as the group made their way into WY, as they passed through Sheridan and Gillette, before entering my birthstate of SD, where they rode from Spearfish to Rapid City, to Kadoka, to Oacoma to Mitchell, to Sioux Falls. They got to enjoy the Badlands, which is a part of the trip I’d really been looking forward to, but they also battled SD’s notorious headwinds and more. (A part of the trip I’d honestly dreaded!). As they entered Sioux Falls, the city where I was raised until we moved when I was in 6th grade, I lived vicariously through their daily ride uploads and IG posts. It hurt, to watch the adventure unfolding without me, yet I still knew I’d done the right thing, and I was so glad to be with the dogs ensuring they were well.

As if to lessen the blow of coming home early, the day I landed back, I got this delightful email from Burley, maker of the kid and dog trailers. For years we’d used Burleys for towing my dogs by bike on joy rides, but with the addition of the 3rd dog back in July (Miss Tommi), the pack had outgrown the Burley that I owned, so we’d been limited in the rides we could do as one dog always needed to run alongside.

Well Burley was writing to tell me they wanted to partner with me as a collab/ambassador and they were sending their biggest dog carrier: the Bark Ranger XL. When it arrived I jumped for joy as all 3 dogs easily fit in it, and they were as excited as I was to resume our favorite thing: sunset joyrides. I pull them by ebike, they get to look around and see and smell all the sights, and people LOSE THEIR MINDS when they see the 3 dogs back there living their best lives ever. I call it the joy wagon: because we bring the smiles and it’s just awesome to see people’s faces light up when they see the pups riding back there. It’s my favorite thing in the entire world. You can see footage of this party-train on my IG feed if you care to see the videos of the puppy party on wheels!

I resumed work stuff and life stuff, got back into the swing of things, and would check in on the group as they rode from Sioux Falls into MN (Austin). As the dogs became totally healthy and finished their meds, I looked around at things, my calendar was still empty from the original trip plans, and I realized the group still had 17 more days to go. By any other standard, a 2-week trip is a super solid vacation and adventure! I’d paid for the entire thing, there would be no refunds or comp-backs, so why was I skipping it? I asked Trek if I could return to the trip. They confirmed they could get my hotel rooms booked again, and then said “yes c’mon back!” The dog place said “yes, now that they’ve quarantined for 2 weeks, bring em on back, we love having them here.”

So it came to be that 2 weeks to the day that I’d flown out of Billings MT (Sept 4), I returned to the trip in Madison WI (Sept 18), with several states, another 1000+ miles still to go, and the part of the trip I’d been MOST looking forward to, still to come: the east coast as the leaves changed!

I’ve always been a west coast girl, you won’t usually find me east of the Mississippi…. So from Wisconsin on east, it’s more or less all new to me. Not only that, but the fall weather is started to creep in and soon the leaves will be changing and I can’t wait to experience that! I’ve never been to most of the places we’ll be riding— and there is also a ferry ride involved, a FIRST for me! Plus, by flying back into Madison, I could join the group for the TREK HQ tour and dinner at their base in Waterloo, WI.

It is so nice to be back with the group and back into the swing of ride, eat, sleep, repeat! *This blog was written as I returned, with those 17 days ahead of me.

Normally I would not leave an adventure and then return. Normally if I am done, I am done. It helped that another rider had left the trip and was returning in Madison also. We definitely feel like outsiders as the group continued to bond and gel while we were away, but everyone has been very gracious and kind to receive us back so warmly.

This is one of my challenges in the hero’s journey: to navigate leaving a thing and to be ok having missed the middle 1/3 of the journey. Normally Megan would need to ride every mile of it for it to feel “successful.” Old Megan would have been trying to “win” the challenge. It would have needed to be a complete line across the USA, not one with a giant gap in the middle.

The truth as I already have the hindsight to look back and reflect on the first leg of the trip, is that I was out of right relationship (ANYI) with the journey. My ego was dominating, I was spending way too much time on Strava and IG and I’d let myself get sucked into some drama and gossip among a few of the riders. Plus, some riding dynamics with one rider had become so challenging and exhausting for me yet -I’d held my tongue and stuffed it down rather than saying what needed to be said. I’d started defaulting to making myself small to protect fragile egos … and I’d also become too rigid about many things, instead of allowing for more space, more unfolding, more organic revealing…

Team c: Tim, Megan, Steffen

Much about the first part of the trip saw me reverting back to old ways, old coping patterns, old stories and beliefs — which is what we do when we’re scared or coming from a fight or flight space. As my mentor often says, “anyone can be a zen-master sitting in a quiet cave with no one around. How do we fare when we are out in the world, navigating real world challenges and other people? Are we able to hold our medicine then? Can we stay centered even as people/ places / things try to pull us off our center?”

This then, was the opportunity presented for me in this return or part 2 of the trip.

I look forward to sharing the second part of this hero’s journey as we make our way to Portland ME.

In the meantime, here are just a few of the photos from the first leg:

And for those who prefer video, HERE is my 2-minute recap of the first part of my journey! (or click image over here ——>)

ALSO:

I’ve partnered with CAPO cycling apparel both for this cross-country ride as well as my 2027 endeavors, and they are helping me, help you, in supporting People for Bikes, in 2 ways!

One, you can buy a pair of the “Bikes can Save Us” Socks that I designed with them, and all proceeds will go to PFB, or two, you can order some new cycling apparel on their website and use code HOTTMAN at checkout. You’ll save 10% and 10% of your order will be sent to PFB! Win win win! Many thanks to Capo for their support of my riding and my advocacy efforts! SHOP HERE.

AND— if you’d like to go on your own cross-country bike ride with Trek Travel, or go on any of their amazing trips, use the code “TTMegan” and get a $200 discount off of any trip booked before the end of 2026 (Could be booking a trip for 2027).

Here are the terms and conditions: $200 off a guest's first Trek Travel trip. Promotion available only to customers who have never taken a Trek Travel trip. Expires December 31, 2026. One discount per person. Coupon code has no cash value and is non-transferable. Excludes Race, Cross Country USA, private/custom, special edition trips, and bicycle rentals. May not be combined with other offers. May only be applied to new bookings, not valid toward existing bookings. Other exclusions may apply.

Breck & Frisco- summer solstice

in ,

I’ve done a thing… I rented my house in golden- aka what’s been HOMEbase since May, 2009 … and I’ve committed myself to some months of wonder - adventure - exploration - and self love/self care … it’s exciting and so far I love being in new places and spaces and trying different things on for size.

Thankful for the van & other lodging, for a flexible schedule and the ability to work from anywhere, grateful for my health and well-being; yeah, it’s FULL SEND for me after last year’s events and trips were disrupted due to the crash— absolutely unapologetically going for it and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it ! 💖 🚀

Last night I raced in a breck Wednesday night mtn bike race series for the first time ever. The trails were new to me and I didn’t get a chance to preride much of it so I was racing blind 🤪which isn’t my favorite. I’m still battling anemia related to the miscarriage two months ago and my hemoglobin remains low so I really feel the shortage of red blood cells up at 10k feet elevation ! But I wanted to have fun and just explore and try new things - so I did ! After all it’s the solstice and what a difference in this solstice versus last year ! 🤩

The race was fun/ my heart rate was pegged - no matter how hard or fast I climb I still get beat by the other women on the descents. Maddening for sure but I’ve got Loads of work to do in my desire to be a more proficient mtn-biker.

Mother Nature put on QUITE show out there. We had the most gorgeous weather and temps. Wow.

After the race we relocated to Frisco to a campsite I’d reserved near the lake. We enjoyed the most amazing sunset hike and the clouds just blew my mind. I stayed up way past my bedtime but then again isn’t that the point of the longest day of the year ?!? The overwhelming feelings of gratitude washed over me like waves. I feel more like myself than I have for months.

We woke the next morning and went for a lovely run- which was a pivot from my original plan of riding the reverse Cooper triangle route on my road bike. As I felt into what I needed and what my body wanted (something I do every morning nowadays), I knew my back was tight from racing last night and I wanted to involve Ramsey and so the opportunity to run alongside a gorgeous lake (something i don’t normally have the chance to do!) overrode the road bike ride and away we went for a beautiful morning run/jog/hike. 💯 stoked on my decision.

One of the absolutely essential apps I use and happily pay for in my adventures is trail forks. You can download an entire state at once so I’ve always got all the trails and maps accessible even when my phone doesn’t have signal. It’s kept me from getting lost so many times and helps me quickly find my way to trails etc. I highly recommend ! Here’s the route of our run:

Where to next ? Well …I know the answer to that of course but I’ll never share my adventures or plans online until after I’ve left the place or done the thing. Safety first. 👋🏻

Ramble Ride July 2021

in

Ramble Ride 2021

I carried my GoPro camera along and compiled a video of the trip. You can watch it HERE.

Day 1: 

Today was hard. Like… real hard. 😯 

It’s taken me 5 years to forget how hard this ride is/can be. I last did it in 2016- the first year they did this event- and I’d honestly forgotten (selective memory?)  just how difficult the riding is. And also how much fun… To get off grid away from cell signals; to meet a whole new group of rad humans; to ride bikes on quiet back roads with the ONLY objective of the day being simply to make it to the evening campsite, and set up my tent before dark.

Yes, It’s a good way to spend a few days. I’m so thankful I can do things like this. 

The primitive simplicity of it is the biggest piece of this vacation for me -  we laughed today as we struggled up this brute of a climb, that we could be vacationing on a beach 🏖 or in a ritz carlton but … why? We got to see the sights and take in the views from our bikes with only our legs to power us and mountain ranges and wildflowers and cattle and wildlife to look at. Yes it’s hard —and it’s also really rewarding.

Last night we arrived in Walden and camped there (I slept in my van, naturally!) and this morning we took off and rode 65 miles towards this lake, where we are camped out tonight. That doesn’t sound very daunting but let me tell you… this course is NOT for the faint of heart. Over 5000 feet of elevation gain achieved at times on 15-18% gradient roads that were relentless; yes, some walking and pushing of the bike took place, I’m not gonna lie. 10mph average pace is the goal. and even that isn’t always attainable.

I brought my Cannondale Fsi hard tail mountain bike - it’s the perfect tool for the job here. Super light weight with the Lefty Ocho fork for some moderate front suspension, easily locked out when not needed. I just recently put on new wider tires too-2.4/2.5 nice and grippy. Albeit -a bit much for this ride - but being able to manage the gravel on these tires gives me immense confidence. The roads we’re riding are rough enough this bike is much kinder on the arms and shoulders than a gravel bike would be plus some of these roads today were almost legit mtn bike trail-ish. I was glad for the front suspension and the upright position.  The bike was admired and wished-for by several riders. Gravel bikes are rad but they can be quite a bit less forgiving especially day after day. I’m thrilled with my choice of steed. 

This morning the RR Crew served us homemade bread pitas with eggs and sausage and spinach. Delicious.

Then the roll out time was up to us. The day’s pace is up to us - it’s a ramble NOT a race … some of us choose to travel light and let the vans carry the bulk of our gear while others choose to try out the full bike packing experience by loading their bikes with all the gear. We lighter riders rolled in earlier and those fully loaded down came in later. Then we all dodged a big storm that luckily blew through without pouring rain on us.  Tonight’s dinner was burgers, veggies and cucumbers. So good. Out on course they kept us rolling with fluids and a solid lunch stop where Peter made us sandwiches - that was so good. Eating real food versus eating sugarybike food all day makes such a difference. 

I type this tonight after this first hard day from inside my brand new tent - the first I’ve ever owned. ⛺️ Truly. It’s the Big Agnes bike packing tent - (two person for more room!) and I highly recommend it ! Today was the first official time I’ve set it up for myself (i practiced last weekend but that didn’t count). Tonight I’m set up right next to the lake where our campsite is …and I hear the water lapping up on the beach. I’m tired and so SO ready for bed. It’s only 815. Too soon? I guess that’s up to me to decide. I enjoyed lots of laughs with new friends at dinner and now it’s time for me- for solitude. 

This trip was just what I needed; I needed a clean break from the daily duties to give my head time and space to rest and download all that’s happened in recent months. So much loss and grief and trauma in the cycling world- far too many cyclists hit and taken from us. It’s my job to stand up and do something about it but of course it comes with a personal cost; I’m not a robot- this stuff lands hard with me. There is a price it exacts from me as a human. Perhaps more than most since I am such a deep feeler. No amount of compartmentalizing has ever made this work easier me. I feel things very deeply, Especially others’ pain.  It is how I’m wired; it’s how I see and experience the world- deeply- with my heart out front of me taking it in. It is both my greatest strength and also at times my greatest weakness. Lawyers aren’t exactly supposed to wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

So I’m out here trying to heal my heart by riding bikes in nature away from screens and cell towers. Today was hard enough that the monkey mind is for the time being, Silenced. 🤫 The fatigue quiets the mind and for that I say thank you. 🙏🏼 I’m tired mentally and physically and I welcome rest tonight in this cute little new tent home of mine surrounded by new friends and colorado gloriousness. If that isn’t a salve for broken hearts, frenetic minds and emotional wear and tear, I don’t know what is. ❤️ 😴 💤 🌅 

Tomorrow is a shorter day followed by two longer days: days 3-4 are re-routes due to the morgan creek fire currently burning which affected the original route. We won’t make it into steamboat as originally planned but that’s ok - this way we can leave our tents set up for both nights 2&3. 

We will ride back into Walden on Saturday and then I’ll head home- I hope- with renewed spirit, clarity in some big decisions pressing down in me, and tired legs. And a little more fitness than I had when I left home, I hope. 

Day 2

Much shorter ride today thankfully. Everyone was upbeat this morning as a result; yesterday wiped all of us out. Today was just 41 miles and normal climbs, none of that 15-18% gradient stuff we had yesterday. The highlight of the day was riding smack into a cattle drive on the road - we rode through a large herd broken up into three squads - I got to see cattle dogs working the herd back down towards the road and cowboys and girls working the herd forward. With their blessing & encouragement they told us to ride right through the cows. It was exhilarating and intimidating both. I was all by myself for most of it. Another rider (Jeff from Marin County CA- hospital IT) caught up to me towards the end which made me feel better. Those animals are large up close. And noisy and talkative ! It amazed me how scared they were of me riding my bike by myself into their groups. Some ran alongside me for awhile. Truly a remarkable experience. 🐮

We set up camp at the lake here (hog park) and this will now be our home for two nights. This lake is gorgeous and great for swimming. I didn’t set up camp quite as close to the water this time; instead I opted for some tree cover and I was hoping it would give me some wind cover too. But right now we are in the midst of quite a storm with strong gusts and rain and it doesn’t feel like the trees are helping. I can’t believe this tent & what it is capable of handling right now. I am truly Impressed. (But if I’m being honest I miss the comforts of 🚐 life!). 

With the early end to our ride today I had time to set up my spot and then I laid down in the tent and passed out for awhile. 💤 With no signal there’s not much else to do and it was lovely to just rest. Nowhere to be. Nothing to do. Hunkered down while the storm passes (we hope) before dinner time. It truly does feel like vacation when the only job at hand is to rest. 

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and another group sit afterwards chatting and laughing. So good for the soul- to meet kindred spirits from all over. There are riders here from CA, NY and everywhere in between. Many of us are from CO too of course. A CU professor, freelance writers from Foco and Aspen … a Lamborghini race engineer (I kid you not), folks from Pearl Izumi, a nurse, guys in mortgages from CA, a guy in real estate development from TX, a physician, several school teachers, a veterinarian— all ages and all levels of cyclist … so many interesting backgrounds and stories. I think I am the only attorney here- I wish more lawyers would avail themselves of experiences like this. 

Another light rain storm kicked up sending many of us to our tents to retire early. It’s nice to lay flat letting the body just be. And without a book, journal or internet to read stuff online, I find myself literally with nothing to do but think about the things I came here grappling with. Funny how we can use work and being busy -in motion to avoid giving deep thought to the things most weighing on us. 

It’s been 2.5 days since I last checked email and I can’t express how freeing it is to be away from that endless beast. Having no signal is the only way many of us here feel we can truly let down and have a break. Crazy, isn’t it… ?

Day 3: 

Today we had a 50-ish mile fairly challenging loop on tap starting & finishing at our campsite. Old megan would’ve ridden it and every other included mile for the achievement and accomplishment factor. Conquering every bit of it would’ve been the sentiment. 🏆
Current megan needed and wanted to show herself some love and take advantage of cell signal-less scenery by a beautiful lake. So I rode out an hour turned around and rode back for a nice easy two hour cruise. 

And then I rode out onto the boat dock here and sat there for a nice long while. As I stared out at the water, the tears came. Raw perhaps from tent sleeps and hard bike days - or maybe the grief saw a window of opportunity for release. Thoughts of my grandmother Jane and beloved dog Phoenix and friend Gwen came rushing to my mind; I sat and let the tears roll. The way our cycling community is hurting so badly this year with tragedy after tragedy — after last year when bikes saved so many people during Covid- it’s been even harder to see the aggression and anger towards us as riders now that the country has gone back to its old ways …

It was cathartic. It needed to happen. I sat there until it felt finished, then returned to our campsite and washed my hair (in the lake) for the first time on the trip and chatted with members of the RR team and then passed out again… another hard nap. I woke to the sound of rain hitting my tent and the sounds of voices of riders starting to come in. They’d had a good hard day out there compete with hail and rain… I knew I’d made the right call for what I needed. 

We enjoyed another fun evening of chatting, Jokes and laughter and then Peter bid us all farewell as tomorrow when we get back to Walden we’ll be grabbing bags and departing for home. It was a lovely evening here with a gorgeous sunset 🌅 and positive vibes all around. Everyone is tired //feeling accomplished & for good reason - peter said he designs these rides to be hard enough that we are pushed to new limits. 

It’s been a lovely adventure, one I needed and would for sure do again —and highly recommend to anyone who wants to get away for a few days but without the need to have to carry everything and be totally self supported. This is the perfect mix of roughing it and support - of feeling safe in the wilderness and also being self sufficient. You’re on your own out there, mostly, but you won’t be left behind, you’ll be cared for it something happens … It’s been fantastic. It’s gone too fast.

Tomorrow will be a big hard day and I know I’ll be sad when it’s over. And I’ll be glad to be home in my bed, too. I’ve really missed my dog Ramsey a lot while I’ve been here, she rarely gets left behind. 

I’m not sure I found the clarity I came out here seeking but my mind feels more sedated and peaceful than it did when we began… I have the sense that everything is going to be ok, which is better than when I started . I am thankful for the remainder of the weekend to download this experience and process it. I don’t want to simply rush on to the next thing and get sucked back into work mode too quickly. 

Day 4: 

Today’s ride was hard. It was gorgeous. And hard. Midday I got into a group pace line and we were so focused on clicking off the miles we missed a turn 🤦‍♀️ whoops. Added some bonus miles with that. County road 9b (9a?! 🤷‍♀️) was our reward- this gorgeous dirt road in the middle of nowhere it felt. Then it was pavement back into Walden …
The perfect end to a wonderful experience. I finished just as it started raining in Walden. Loaded up my stuff and began the drive home- loads of traffic plus a crash on Berthoud pass added an extra hour and let me tell you, the shower 🚿 at home felt amazing once I finally got there. It was nice to have Saturday night and all day Sunday to process the trip and get stuff cleaned up and put away. 

learn more about future trips at RambleRides.com ✅

*******

Ok so- what to pack for something like this? We are limited to 80L bags. I brought a 60L duffel —
here’s my pre trip load spread out on the floor (not shown-sleeping bag):

Guilty pleasure: clean bibs for each day (4 pair of cycling shorts). Fresh chamois makes a huge difference for me & it doesn’t take up much space

Things I regret taking: none

Things I packed but didn’t use: only two shirts & my swimsuit went unused. And some bike food that I didn’t end up eating/needing. 

Things I wish I’d had with me:

a chair for the campsites

a Warmer sleeping bag ! mine at 30 degrees wasn’t enough for me even with my puffy on and stocking cap while I slept - that higher altitude air plus being on the ground meant I needed a warmer bag 🥶

Rag for bike washing

Bug spray

Ibuprofen

Closed toed shoes- flip flops 🩴 were bad idea. =Cold and wet or dirty feet all the time 

Headphones for evening wind-down in my tent or at minimum a book 📕

All in all this was a wonderful experience- one I highly recommend. 

Visit their website to learn more about future Rambles.

Visit their website to learn more about future Rambles.

White Rim In A Day: A Bike Adventure

in

On October 21, 2020, I experienced a harrowing near-death experience while riding my bike in the bike lane through downtown Golden… my instagram post compiled shortly thereafter tells the tale:

I went back to the scene 2 days later, that Friday evening, and walked the steps and path, counting one-one thousand, two-one-thousand as cars passed by at the speed limit of approximately 25 mph. The police officer who responded to the crash above calculated the driver’s speed at 65-70mph. He would have closed in on me within seconds from behind, I would have never known the difference or seen it coming, and it would have been permanent - lights- out for me. That very afternoon my parents were arriving in town to visit me, and they would have been confused by why I wasn’t home. My heart hurts to think of it.

The good news is that in the days prior to this experience, I’d visited Moab. I’d ridden my mountain bike there for the first time ever with a very close friend who was patient with me and helped me learn as we rode- she’s such a role model to me on the bike and in life in general. And then I’d spent all day that Tuesday exploring Moab with a new friend who took me “Jeepin’” (my first time ever) on the 4x4 trails there, and we’d wrapped the magical days by enjoying sunset hikes in Arches National Park.

“The recurring thought that went through my mind as I rode home from the above-pictured event, was, “if my last day would have been yesterday, that was an amazing day of being outside, breathing fresh air, seeing new things, experiencing the world and connecting with amazing people. And if that was my last day, I would have been very happy to go out with that as my final experience here.””

— -Megan

So… with that as the backdrop- I got a LOT more serious about my bucket list of things I want to do before I die. With COVID I decided to focus on things I could do closer to home, i.e., drive-able - safe- outdoors - inexpensive - accessible. While I suspect we all have places we want to see and experience around the world, there are always plenty of treasures to be discovered closer to home, too.

One such item that moved to the top of my list was riding the White Rim in Moab- in a day. And I found myself blessed with a travel partner with a 4x4 capable Jeep- a vehicle that is set up for such an adventure, (versus a stock vehicle like mine which would get destroyed on such a trail). I found myself with no reasons NOT to pursue the goal…. but mind you, I fell victim to some of those doggone “shoulds” for awhile. We can get in our own way now and then, can’t we?

It takes courage to say YES to something scary. It is always FAR easier to stay home, to stay in the same daily routine, to talk about the bucket list without actually taking steps to do the big audacious things… Even as adventurous as I am, taking the actual steps to go do something big for the first time is always challenging. (PLEASE-GO DO IT ANYWAY!).

I got clear on my YES— YES, I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS! — and with the weather forecast sealing the deal (warm, dry, no wind!), off we went to Moab.

RECON:

I talked to a friend who’d ridden it and she assured me I had the skill and fitness to capably handle this…. I did as much online recon on websites /blog sites as I could as we drove to Moab. The Mountain Bike Project app/website provided a great downloadable- GPX file for directions and descriptions of some of the things we’d encounter. Friends said it was doable- but a big day- and warned yet again, “don’t take a vehicle out there that isn’t super 4x4 trail capable.” We were cautioned that SAG support would have a hard time keeping up with me on the bike due to the trail conditions, but we dismissed that, thinking we’d be different in our riding/driving capabilities somehow. I downloaded the file to my Garmin for turn-by-turn nav, but to be honest, the trail is pretty obvious the entire day.

THE GEAR:

I chose to ride my full suspension Mountain Bike out there even though plenty of folks have done this on a gravel bike or a hard-tail mountain bike. I decided comfort and fun would make the day the absolute best, and I was very happy with my bike choice. I think it’s easy to dismiss the trail as a “jeep road” but it’s rough terrain out there, and my body was grateful for the suspension-kindness. Five-Stars for FULL SQUISH.

Shafer descent down into the canyon. No guardrails — proceed with caution but be sure to soak up the views!!!

THE DAY:

Shafer descent down into the canyon. No guardrails — proceed with caution but be sure to soak up the views!!!

This would not be a FKT attempt for me (Fastest Known Time) but rather a mission to enjoy the day, take photos, see the sights, feel the feels and live the experience fully. (Also, possible recon for a future FKT?!!? …TBD). We decided to ride the route as recommended on the Mountain Bike Project site- - clockwise. We started at the Shafer Trail trailhead and decided that Erik (my Jeep SAG support) would wait a few minutes and give me a head start (we thought that would be best so I wasn’t breathing in the dust from the vehicle by riding behind him). I enjoyed the descent down those switchbacks dropping me down into the canyon. GORGEOUS.

I couldn’t believe I was finally doing it -and I’d never ridden anything like this- the scenery, rocks, landscapes were breathtaking. (“…is this really my life?! How am I this lucky?”).

Off I went and occasionally would look back to see if I could see the Jeep. Every now and then across a canyon I could spot him. But eventually the way the canyon trail winds back on itself so much, around so many curves, I lost sight of him behind me.

Unbeknownst to me, Erik was pushing the Jeep to its limits to try and catch me — vacillating between frustration that he couldn’t drive over the rough terrain any faster without ripping up the Jeep, and thinking he’d likely missed me somewhere at a pull out or bathroom because there was no way I could be so far ahead of him. Dodgy cell signal made our communication difficult. Note: If you are doing it this way- use the trailhead spots and time to communicate to your SAG -not your mileage.

“As a first time SAG driver, I expected I would be able to provide the support Megan needed, when she needed it, and then pull ahead of her to reach the next checkpoint. WRONG! Even as someone who considers himself to be somewhat skilled in the off-road world, with a vehicle that is definitely capable, I couldn’t keep up with her! I was pushing it way too fast to try to catch her and I was really concerned about what I was doing to the Jeep. She was killing it and I just could not keep up. She was a rockstar! Next time, I’d have a different plan in place to allow me more time in the beginning to reach a predetermined location in order to provide her better support...and decreased stress on both of us as well as the Jeep.”

— Erik M., Jacksonville FL

Lesson I learned: I should have said, “I’m passing ____ campground and it’s (TIME)” so that whenever he got the text he could have seen where I was relative to his position. Instead, I made the mistake of texting “I’m at mile ….” (Whoops). We reconnected around mile 35 when I stopped to talk to a family and after that it was smooth(er) sailing. We tried to let him go ahead for awhile, but I was right on his bumper— there is no doubt, the bike can cover that trail so much quicker than anything with 4 wheels.

(Note: it was SUPREMELY satisfying to be able to overtake and outpace the vehicles out there all day long- even the most worthy 4x4 vehicle couldn’t hang with the bike ;) .

As the miles clicked off I realized I was enjoying a “no chain” kind of day-feeling amazing mentally and physically. The views were incredible and ever-changing. I took as many photos as I could. We saw very few cyclists /4x4 motorists out there-it was a glorious day to enjoy the Rim and have it mostly to ourselves.

The Route:

When you ride it clockwise, you finish the Rim up a brutal climb that is only SLIGHTLY less steep than the Shafer descent was- it’s a big punch in the legs when you’re 80 miles into the day. Due to Daylight savings having just taken place a few days before, and my desire to wait to start my day until the temps had warmed a bit (versus starting at first light), I began to run out of daylight as we exited the rim and hit the 10-mile stretch of open unnamed gravel road, (which then drops you onto the road for the final 10-mile section if you’re going for a complete loop and the full 100-miler). As it grew dark and I donned my lights, the temps dropped big time. Even putting on additional layers, I couldn’t warm up after being soaked in sweat coming up that last monster climb. My feet were suddenly frozen. With the Jeep behind me and my body feeling cold and unsteady, I decided I didn’t need the final 10 miles of gravel and 10 miles of pavement to make it a perfect loop— I’d already had the perfect day. Perhaps when it’s warmer in the spring and there is more daylight, I’ll strike out again to ride the full loop.

One thing to consider: some riders prefer to get the big climb out of the way first. You could either have your driver drop you at the base of Shafer and climb that first and proceed counter-clockwise on the loop, OR you could have your driver drop you at the Mineral Canyon Climb and climb that first, proceed to the 10 mile gravel stretch, hit the pavement, roll to the top of Shafter, and then finish at the base of the Mineral Canyon climb -which is probably the ideal way to go if you want to get that big ol climb done early.

If you haven’t picked this up by now I’ll restate myself once more: Do NOT under-estimate the gnarliness of the trail when you select your SAG vehicle.

I was lucky enough to have a very capable driver who is accustomed to doing extreme obstacles and trails in his Jeep- which is outfitted with WAY -beyond- stock upgrades in terms of lift, tires, bumpers, winch, etc. I promise you --the website descriptions of some parts of the trail significantly underplay some of the gnarly sections, especially the 2 super-steep uphills. Bring an experienced off-road driver!

Of course it goes without saying- - be a trail steward and cycling ambassador— it’s a $30 fee for your vehicle to get into the park AND then you also need to get your day pass to be out there! If you plan to break it up into multi-days, reserve a campsite at one of the many spots along the way. But if you’re riding it in a day, just get a DAY PASS and save the confirmation to your phone or print it out. We encountered a Park Ranger out there and he asked us about our plans and confirmed we had our pass and THANKED US for doing what was asked of us — it’s for your own safety, also, as they ask for your vehicle description in the event search & rescue needs to come find you.

All in all, it was an incredible experience, one I highly recommend if you’ve not done it- and it’s one I’ll definitely do again now that I know what I know!

Pack a LOT of water- it is NO joke out there! And bring your camera and a smile- this is like one giant playground to be enjoyed and savored on 2 wheels or 4.

““Hey, I’m thinking of heading out to Moab to ride White Rim Road tomorrow...” When you associate yourself with badass go-getters, receiving texts like this is the norm. Now knowing the impetus behind this ride, the narrow escape from Ford St in Golden, Hottman is setting an example that we could all follow in 2020. What is left on your list, and how can we get after it? In a year void of major endurance events and races, we can use this time to chase dreams. So, what are you going to do first?”

— Thomas Stott, Elevation Running/ coach

Golden to COS with dogs: a bike adventure

in

I have always wanted to go credit card camping on a bike adventure…. By that I mean- ride somewhere cool with a credit card, clean pair of clothes and flip flops, and explore the new spot, then maybe ride back.

On Tuesday of this week, my friend Chris introduced me via email to the owner of the Buffalo Lodge Bike Resort in Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs, saying, “Megan, you need to know this place and the woman who owns it!” I checked out this cute spot online and as I looked ahead to the upcoming weekend I thought- why not go and visit? When I learned they were hosting a “folk & flannel” festival with live music, I decided I was in— I was ready for a new spot to visit and a new adventure to experience …

I don’t know why but my immediate reaction to their website (upon learning that it is ALL about bikes AND that it loves dog guests), is “I gotta take my girls with me.” I have taken my dogs on short bike-trailer rides like to the vet and to the park but never more than 5-6 miles. This would truly be an adventure for all 3 of us. ;)

I don’t really talk much about my dogs but since they are my family I feel they deserve a bit of storytelling time here…

My girls are a 14 year old pittie pup named Phoenix and my 9-year old endlessly energetic running partner, Ramsey aka Rambo. 14 years ago on a bike ride, I found a mom pup and a box of 5 puppies someone had stashed under a bridge embankment in KCMO - they were pit mixes, illegal in KC at the time and it was clear someone just wanted to be rid of them. I took them to the vet as they were all in very poor health- the puppies were only a few weeks old and were starving, dehydrated, had heart worm, etc. Once we got them in good health I was able to find homes for them all- primarily with friends but I kept the runt- the peanut butter brindle girl and named her Phoenix, as in, risen from ashes. She has survived and outlived her siblings and a major neck surgery and even a dire prognosis back in July and she’s still here with me game for morning walks, human food, and face licks. I know my time remaining with her is running short so I savor my days with her by my side.

I say all the time that I rescued her once, but she’s rescued me right back 100-fold.

She’s truly a special animal.

Ramsey is also a rescue- we adopted her in 2011 from Foothills animal shelter in Golden right about the time I was trying to mourn the death of my bike racing dreams after a heart-breaking season. We asked for a puppy and she is what they had that day- approximately 9 months old they told us she was a “tri colored collie” and not knowing any better we accepted that as true … well she’s not really a collie, though she is clearly a working or herding dog of some kind. The closest thing online I’ve found for her is a “new zealand heading dog,” described as virtually inexhaustible, and that sounded about right… Ramsey has been my Ironman running training partner and is known to go on a 12-14mile run and then come home to immediately grab her ball to play fetch. She is wicked smart and teachable - she thrives with exercise and mental stimulation.

Combined, Phoenix and Ramsey are quite a duo- protective of me when it’s called for, otherwise fairly relaxed and chill once they’ve had a bit of exercise— just like their Mom ;) …

Initially as I began planning this trip- I thought that I might leave Phoenix home since she’s old and tired and loves to sleep all day AND she weighs about 55#. But then I felt bad for leaving her out of our adventure. So I decided we’d ALL 3 hit the road - four days later - Friday - and ride from our house in north Golden down to the resort in Manitou, COS.

Early mapping recon showed me this would be around 100 miles and approx 4500 ft elevation gain. Not a big deal by Colorado and front range riding standards (honestly) … but taking into account the 90#+ of dog weight plus Burley trailer weight + supplies and backpack weight, the difficulty in this ride would come from me basically doubling my body weight. I weigh 120# on an average day and I was undertaking the task of towing my bodyweight behind me- asking my legs and body to push around 240# on this adventure.

Could it be done? “Only one way to find out,” is my usual response.

After scouting the route and using Ride with GPS to create the route and download the file to my garmin so I’d have turn by turn help in the unfamiliar areas, I turned my focus to packing.

Backpack contents👆🏼

I feel like I nailed the goal of keeping it light yet covering all of my bases. The one thing I wanted to bring but couldn’t squeeze in was my tennis shoes- so I settled for flip flops even though the evenings are cool now. And it would limit my hiking options. The one other thing I forgot in light of the evening festival was a stocking hat to keep my head warm at night. (I bought one once I arrived). Otherwise I covered it all and kept my backpack pretty manageable. I’d guess it weighed in around 15-20#.

The start … and so it begins ;)

Friday morning, it was time to depart. I figured optimistically we would average 10mph including the stops I knew we’d need to make for the girls and for me to refuel. And that ended up being spot on. We left at 8:16am and (spoiler alert) we rolled into the hotel exactly ten hours later, 6:16pm.

The route was great leaving Denver- I know the roads out of Golden, and the C-470 trail took me south towards Chatfield. While we were in BCLP, I let Ramsey out and she ran alongside me for awhile to burn up some energy.

I decided to stop at a gas station off the trail to grab a jug of water - while I hated to add that extra weight to our rig for the remainder of the day, I wasn’t sure when we’d be able to fill bottles again once we got further south. (Turned out to be a GREAT plan - we never had to stress about water, and to be candid, there were no other spots to stop the rest of the way!).

I took the bike path into Chatfield where we enjoyed nice smooth bike lanes through the park. We stopped for a quick stretch and snack at one of the campgrounds before leaving the park. From that point on I was entering the unknown part of the day.

Douglas County surprised me with these brand new glorious bike paths leaving the park headed towards Titan Road, and a nice bike path along Titan - PLUS huge bonus, I was able to skip 85 by heading south on the road just west of Santa Fe instead (south on Moore Road) , and low&behold discovered a new and gorgeous stretch of road near the airport that made that entire stretch a breeze (Airport Road?). We took that to the frontage road and just like that we were in Sedalia.

This was the stretch I was most worried about after reading other people’s accounts online. I knew it was the most common cycling route however it didn’t have a shoulder and was heavily trafficked by trucks and semis. I was not prepared for the difficulty I would experience in the endless rollers. The miles ticked by painfully slow and on several climbs I had to get off and walk and push the bike and burley uphill … thankfully every overtaking vehicle (except for one) was kind to us. But the volume of traffic was much heavier than I expected.

I wasn’t able to look around much and enjoy the scenery, and I neglected to eat or drink enough on this section which further resulted in the proverbial wheels falling off…. it was a rough stretch and for those thinking of doing this route, I am not going to sugar coat it - I was desperate to get that part over.

We were SO lucky to have a tailwind the entire stretch.

Finally we arrived at Palmer Lake and the entrance to the Santa Fe trail- which would take us through Monument and the Air Force Academy and south into COS. I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief, since the remainder of the journey would all be bike path. THAT SIGN WAS SOOOOO GOOD TO SEE!

Ramsey got out again and ran alongside me for a few miles - we took in the sights of Palmer Lake and Monument:

On this stretch about 10 or so miles south, my friend Chris (mentioned above), met me and escorted us through the final 20-25ish miles on the bike paths through COS -into Colorado city and finally into Manitou Springs to the Bike Resort. I was so thankful to have him navigating those miles so that I didn’t have to stop and consult my phone or the bike trail maps. My brain was fried by that point of the day.

As we rolled into the Bike Resort we were greeted by the owner and she came out and took photos of my tired little caravan - by that point the pups and I were exhausted and hungry. Thankful for arriving before the sun went down, I got us settled, showered and then pursued food. I was tired and the pups were tired too—but it felt so great to have accomplished the thing I set out to do. And the girls were so good all day and so cooperative with my crazy idea. 🙏🏼

Saturday at the Resort was a blast. The resort owner Torie led a morning group ride through Garden of the Gods to the Castle, and there was no way I was going to miss this (even though yes let’s be honest my legs were tired!). I detached the trailer, downed coffee, savored a fresh chamois and a clean bike, and off we went for a gorgeous spin. 🚲 ☀️

Saturday afternoon included a kombucha and then an evening walk with the girls, followed by the Folk & Flannel festival hosted at the resort. Such good times and fun - just being part of community, even while wearing masks and keeping our distances, felt so good for the soul.

The original plan was to ride back home Sunday - but after having such a fortunate ride with zero mechanicals, flats, incidents with motorists or injuries- I decided not to press my luck and instead opted to “phone a friend” for a lift home. Aka - Bill, owner of 303 Endurance. Serendipity played a role here - he had texted Friday to thank me for a package I’d sent him. I’d responded during the ride telling him what I was doing — then, full circle and because he owns a cycling media company, he wanted to check out the resort anyways —he got to interview Torie about the Resort and hear all about its history from her, so it worked out great. Check out 303’s Video interview of Torie HERE.

Before he arrived, we snuck in one last walk and I hopped on the bike for one more short spin through GOTG…

All in all and as you can tell above, it was an amazing experience and wonderful weekend.

The top questions I got from folks along the way and at the resort were:

  1. What route did you take? View the route on RIDE SPOT- HERE. (My Strava post is HERE but it’s private unless you follow me). Generally speaking the route was: Golden to BCLP, to 470 trail, south to Chatfield, through the park to Titan Road, to Airport Road, to Sedalia. Then, Hwy 105 south to Palmer Lake. Sante Fe Trail south into COS, then city bike paths the rest of the way. Approx 95 miles/4500 ft elev gain, give or take.

  2. Have you done this kind of thing before? No- not really. A bike Packing trip 4 years ago but that didn’t really count as there were no dogs involved.

  3. Did you train for this? No. This idea was hatched on a Tuesday and the ride happened Friday.

  4. What kind of sunglasses are those? Ride 100% (not sponsored). Highly recommend.

  5. What made you want to do this? Haha have we met? If you don’t know me, know that my answer is usually -”Why not?”

  6. Do your dogs just lay down in the trailer? Mostly, yes. They face opposite directions so that they each have a view (either forward or backward) and we stopped often enough they got to get out and stretch their legs, have a snack and a drink, and then they were game to hop back in. (Ahem- copious treats help).

  7. What did you eat along the way? Normal bike food- Crafted Energy Bars, Clif Blocks, a couple bananas, Skratch hydration mix and then I also had sour gummi bears in my bento box which were the only thing that sounded good to me late in the day. Probably did not fuel enough as I reflect back on the day- that is an area for improvement for future adventures.

We Broke The World Record !

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The Longest Static Cycling Class Guinness World Record is Now 28 Hours!

Ryan Avery, Breaking History at L, and Michael, Guinness WR official, R

Forgive me if this blog post is a bit rambling, semi-intelligible, and with random gushes of emotions (tears on the keyboard causing inherent typos) … we are fresh off the finish of our 28-hour-long cycling class which culminated yesterday (Dec 2) midday. From there, it’s been a haze. How in the world did it get to be Dec 3? We essentially stepped into a time warp and are just now re-acclimating to planet Earth. Brain cells are sluggish and the body is …well. It’s about like you’d imagine after pedaling around 90-100rpm for 28 hours. (That’s 151,200 pedal revolutions if you’re counting!).

Yes- the riders’ bodies are all wrecked today. 25 of us pedaled for 28 hours on spin bikes and today we take stock of the carnage... It pales in comparison to the feels of SUCCESS, FINISHING, NOT GIVING UP, TEAMWORK, the amazing support from our VILLAGE, the love from FAMILY AND FRIENDS, and the overwhelming emotion of achievement.

WE were ALL scared of this goal. We were ALL scared of its unknowns.

FINAL MILEAGE CHART

None of us had ever been on a spin bike more than a few hours.

Most of us had never ridden a regular bike for even half of that time.

We rushed towards something that scared us a lot - and we said “HELL YES, LET’S DO THIS!”

“I will tell you one of the best feelings in the world is to take an idea and make it real, with real people, for a real cause! The thing that surprised me the most was every single one of us finished and we all had things that we had to push past and get through! Every single one of us in the room were tested at some point throughout the 28 hours which made the attempt and the record all that much better! I am proud of the leadership Megan showed, I am proud of every single person in that room, and I am thankful for every volunteer who showed up and made this world record happen! There was a six hour stretch where I was in so much pain I thought my knee had a knife in it and I didn’t know how I was going to get through the ride. With the help and support and love from everyone in the room I can say with complete certainty that was the reason why I kept peddling! Keep dreaming BIG, doing BIG, and of course... keep Breaking History!”

— Ryan Avery, Rider, World Record Holder, & Host of Breaking History

“Surprised: everyone finished. Highlight: the actual structure of “classes” and how quickly the instructor was able to change to avoid injuries. Lowlight: the entire class starting to bonk at the same was alarming but it only(thankfully) lasted 15 min on the minimum. Advise: don’t tread lightly into over12 hr anything endurance without a structured plan and allow time to train your body. Lastly: do not do these 12+ hr endurance adventures without a true friend; that endearment goes a long way when one truly gets in a bind. Love is the most powerful endorphin we can tap into; I say use it!!!”

— Cheryl Gaiser, Rider & World Record Holder


Images by Natalie Starr:

“Are there words to describe how we all feel right now? I’m not sure there are ... To take on a GIANT goal with so many unknowns (that candidly scared me a LOT), to add a lot of public attention and press and buildup to it, (thereby risking a giant public failure if we weren’t successful), to ask 100 people (riders and volunteers) to donate their time and energy to this big thing with no guarantee of success, to pair it with a really important cause that means the world to me and to the most important people in my life, and to put it all out there and risk it all in such a big, public, insane way…. Well.
Let’s just say my word right now is jubilant!”
— — Megan Hottman, Instructor, World Record Holder & The Cyclist Lawyer

My pre - and post - event photos:

Just because the event is over, doesn’t mean our fundraising is! We are still going for our $100,000 goal and our fundraising site will be up into January. Please consider donating to our effort:

http://peopleforbikes.org/breaking-history

“Knowing that this WR attempt was going to be quite the feat, I spent a lot of time riding my bike in preparation. I felt ready to reach deep into the tank, but I was not prepared for how big a role my fellow riders would play in my success. While I was the only one that could physically turn my pedals, I was floored at how quickly our group came together and truly became family after 28 hours of cycling together.”
— Thomas Stott, Owner, Elevation Running, World Record Holder
“Mantra’s.....I loved that we had them up on the mirror, mine was “trust your journey”. A tie for me is “passion is contagious”. I think we proved both of those over the 28 hours. You believed in us and we believed in you on the journey we where all about to go on together for 28 hours as a team, there was much energy, passion and quite frankly love in that space the there was no doubt we where going to finish the journey together. We were all feeding off each others’ passion to raise money, make cycling safer and set a Guinness World Record. I made some amazing new friends, Tim, Heather and I-Ling, among others. It reminded me that I needed to get out of my comfort zone more often socially. I loved seeing everyones’ family members come in to see them, hi five, hugs etc. So good. We did something incredible for the greater good and the best part is we where all really giving without expectation ...... sure we were going to set a world record, but it was all bigger than that.....and we knew it. I teared up several times in the early morning hours thinking about what we where doing and what it was all for and meant.......
For me the Hardest part was 1:30am, I was having some GI issues similar to you I imagine, I managed them with some Waterloo as well as Chicken and Stars Soup, one of my go to endurance event foods, Favorite Songs .....I love the Remix stuff, Armin remix of Jump and Faithless, can’t get no sleep.......and the Cyndi Lauper Time after Time Remix, to be honest :)
Thanks again for everything, life changing event and that is an understatement.”
— — Andrew Christman, Owner, Pedal, World Record Holder
“I want to share how impressed I was with this event and team. My words feel so inadequate. Megan and Ryan, I love the planning side of big events as well as the execution. I thought that you were just phenomenal in both. To everyone else, never having met a single one of you beforehand, I am humbled by the camaraderie and teamwork displayed. The encouragement and pats on the back- both literal AND figurative- before, during, and after the ride blew me away. Thank you. I was there to represent SRAM, but if that’s true, it was simply the most incredible business trip of my career! It was way more.”
— — Dave Schweikert, SRAM, World Record holder
“When I arrived for my volunteer shift on Monday morning, I really wasn’t expecting to see all 25 riders still on their bikes, but not one rider had dropped out! Amazing...since they had already been riding for 24 hours and were still going strong. I think this was a result of great leadership, athleticism, positive attitudes, willpower, teamwork, and camaraderie. It was very exciting to watch and awesome to see the team break the world record. Congratulations!”
— — Maureen Massidda, World Record Volunteer
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Your Struggles Develop Your Strengths: A Personal Story

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On May 23, 2017, I went down in a bad bike crash.  While I've raced my bike for many years, (and therefore suffered my fair share of bike-race-related crashes), this was by far, the worst. I was on a group ride, and it was a complete fluke -someone rode over a stick and it shot under my front wheel, taking me out in a split second.  I suffered a concussion, a fractured sacrum (pelvis) a torn labrum in my right hip, and ample road rash.  My bike broke in 9 places-including the saddle.  Initially, I didn't fully appreciate (or understand) the extent of my injuries. 

I did what we cyclists do -I brushed myself off, and tried to push through.

Looking back now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that was not a smart move.  I kept trying to ride, and train.  I kept pushing hard at work and at home.  I didn't ask for the help I needed.  I kept coming unraveled emotionally and then beating myself up for being weak and soft.

The crash happened at the end of a strong, disciplined spring of training and my season was looking promising.  I was registered to race the first-ever women's singlespeed category at DK200, I was registered to race numerous triathlons including Boulder 70.3, in an attempt to try and qualify as an elite triathlete.  I was registered for my third Ironman AZ in November with a lofty goal of trying to earn a spot to Kona.  2017 was to be my year of big audacious goals.

In May, I felt those goals all slipping away.  I had to let everything go and just focus on being whole again- on being healthy, mentally and physically.  And 6 months later, well... I'll let the video show you (below).

I love Arnold's quote at the beginning of this video we made, because he's right - Your Struggles Develop Your Strengths.  We don't ask for adversity or setbacks, but we will ALL experience them.  And sometimes the struggle makes the ultimate journey -and accomplishment- that much sweeter.  And sometimes, we learn we were stronger than we knew. 

Huge thanks to our friends over at HayMaker Media for their work on this project, and in capturing the essence of the struggle, the emotions, the gratitude, and the finish at Ironman Arizona.  What a journey, indeed.  

(Let me just acknowledge that many of our clients suffer injuries far more serious, and endure recoveries that take much longer.  Some clients can never resume their favorite activities and some never fully recover.  That reality is not lost on me, and I fully realize and appreciate that my injuries did and/or will eventually heal- and that my recovery will be pretty short in the scheme of things.  But let me also say this- I read somewhere recently that when we compare our pain, or our joy, to others' ... we diminish our pain or our joy; death by comparison.  We feel what we feel and that's what.  Personally, I wanted to share a video about my experience, not to compare it to anything else but simply to document it and share it).