The End Has No End

Well, we've had time to decompress (and more importantly shave). So here is the final blog for this year's trip.

One of this year's themes seemed to be slight underestimations of the distance each day. But, because we never knew where we were sleeping each night, it was difficult to properly estimate. On the final day, the final 40 miles ended up to be 55 miles.

Now, Brennan called Haley when there were about 15 minutes away. We were waiting at Liz' apartment a few blocks from Wrigley. And so we started walking, and just barely missed their arrival to the field. We took the guys back to Liz's so they guys could have a proper heroes' welcome (which included the moustachioed cupcakes Lucy made), and more importantly, a shower. As the guys were getting cleaned up, Mr. Behler was recognized outside of Wrigley by someone who had heard our plug on the radio the day before. Our egos were at an all-time high.

As for the game itself, our crew was pretty well spread out. Brennan, Haley, and myself were in what we called the Ferris Beuller seats (left field line), the Behler family was directly across us on the right field side, and Liz, Lucy, Dave, and the rest of the crew were bleacher bumming it. And boy oh boy, was the game a fun one to watch. Here, I'll show you. That 7th inning was hilarious. It was more funny than the drunk 17-year-old that was trying to pick up girls all game. It was more funny than the drunk 30-year-old that was trying to get his picture with Brennan. It was more funny than any of Dave Weber's weekend outfits.

We had our post-game celebration at Wrigleyville North, a nearby pub with adorable bottles of beer. And by adorable I mean tiny. My brother Tom showed up, and eventually we made our way to a pizza place for some adorable slices of pizza. And my adorable I mean gigantic. From there, we tracked down the crew at a karaoke bar. My personal favorite was the duet of Dave and Sarah singing Hall and Oates. Just beautiful!

This summer's trip was clearly a success, and it only strengthens the likelihood (or inevitability) of a trip happening again next year. We are currently taking applications from the remaining 48 states.

Where will the moustaches ride in 2011?!

Final Post (Rider's Perspective):

The last two days were pretty intense. We did 102.5 miles on Thursday, making me a proud new member of the century club. Because of that Brennan and I were a bit rusty to start Friday morning, but luckily the idea of getting to Wrigley Field and the idea of a hot dog and an ice cold Old Style was the proverbial carrot we were chasing.

The ride into Chicago was mostly all on bike trails which made for a bit of stop and go early on, and a very nice ride once we got about ten miles from downtown. We got lost once when we had to switch trails, but luckily we had a nice older couple who showed us where to go. We weaved our way along the lakeshore trail doing a total of 55 miles yesterday, and making the total for the trip 375 miles...not too shabby.

Brennan (my Portugeuse friend) and I thought about just buying tickets to France to help out Lance, butour presence was needed in Chicago to help our Redlegs to a 12-0 drumming of the little Cubby bears. What a great day, great week, and some great mustaches to top it all off.

Day 5: The Friendly Confines

Day 5 Starting Point: Merrillville, IN
Day 5 End Point: Wrigleyville, IL!
Day 5 Brewery: Do the bleachers of Wrigley count?!
Day 5 Distance: 55 miles

Total Distance: 376.65 miles

Today's plan is short and simple. Of the 40 miles the guys have to ride to get to Wrigley, most are on bike paths. So that's good. The plan is for the boys to ride directly to the field. I'll meet them there (and anyone else that wants to greet their triumphant arrival), they'll drop their bikes off and change clothes at a friend's apartment a few blocks away, and we'll head into the game!

I'm telling you all of this now because it's highly unlikely I'll be in any condition to update a blog after the game. But don't fret. I'll be sure to update with final pics from the trip early next week. In the meantime, here are the pics from the final departure this morning!

Here's to hoping that this one will belong to the Reds!

Day 4: We're Famous!

Day 4 Starting Point: Lafayette, IN
Day 4 End Point: Merrillville, IN (another Super 8!)
Day 4 Brewery: Crown Brewing
Day 4 Distance: 102.51 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Total Distance: 321.65 miles

I'll start off with the most exciting news we've gotten today: we've gotten multiple reports that Marty Brennaman, radio voice of the Cincinnati Reds, mentioned our trip on the air today during the Reds/Cubs game. Last night, Jason wrote him an email, introducing and explaining our journey and its reflection of our fandom for the Reds. And it must have been an effective email! If anyone caught what they said, please let us know in the comments section!

In the meantime, let's run through today's journey. The guys are still riding what may become a 100-mile day. While their route has given them stretches without a car in sight (a good thing), it's also given them lots of wind (a bad thing). In fact, the guys rode through a sea of giant windmills (they have pictures on their camera that I'll post later). So that was cool. Luckily they didn't attempt to tilt the windmills (that's right, my friends - a literary allusion!).

We had lunch in Renssalaer, IN. Mr. Behler and I chilled in the courthouse gazebo until the boys arrived (mooching off of the Ritz Cinema's wi-fi). We hit another great lunch spot, which we think used to be part of City Hall. It's called the City Office and Pub, which sounds like something out of Parks and Rec.

A few sidenotes regarding our lunch stops:

• the worse the lunch spot, the more entertainment and story value it provides
• every small town has a Back To the Future-like clock tower
• the City Office and Pub has an inappropriate biking poster in the men's room. It's entitled "Tour de Femmes"

****This just in. Brennan and Jason cycled their way into the century club, riding 102.51 miles today!!!! They celebrated with a cold brew in the hotel room. Notice how Jason is forming the number 100 with his finger and eyes!!!

And now we sit in Merrillville, IN, which is about 5 miles north of tonight's brewery, Crown Brewing.

This was our final brewery of the week (tear drop). At first, we thought we accidentally stumbed upon a pizza place, but lo and behold, there was indeed a brewery disguised as a pizza place. I had three different brews, including their Special Forces IPA, their Crown Brown, and their Blueberry Wheat. I wouldn't say that any of them topped my list for the week, but none of them bottomed my list either (it that a thing? "bottomed"?).

Tomorrow, the guys have a mere 40 miles to reach their final destination.....WRIGLEY FIELD!!!! If you're in the neighborhood, the guys should pull up around 11am. Bring it!

And don't forget to play NAME!!! THAT!!! MOUSTACHE!!!

It's time to NAME!!! THAT!!! MOUSTACHE!!!

Alright. The four of us agree that there is far to little commenting taking place. We know you're out there reading, and we appreciate it. But we want to hear from you.

So we're gonna play a little game. I'm going to post the four moustaches on the trip. You'll notice that each have their own unique character and charm. It'll be pretty easy to identify whose moustache is whose. What we're asking you to do is offer nicknames or titles for each moustache style.

So here they are. Name them in the comments section below:

Moustache #1

Moustache #2

Moustache #3

Moustache #4

Feel free to refer to any moustache and facial hair encyclopedias and/or ledgers that might be of assistance.

Day 3 (Jason's Perspective):

We came, we saw, we rode. We rocked the route today. Granted, it was easier than prior days (less milage, less wind, more enthusiasm from strangers). But we had good roads and low traffic, which made the things quite enjoyable.

Brennan got a flat, but our support team was right there to get us a new tube to finish our last four miles with ease.

Great food, great beer tonight, and a great moustache tonight at the brewery togniht (see pics for a visual). A bear of a day tomorrow, so that is all for tonight.

Day 3: No Much Drama In the LBC

Day 3 Starting Point: Noblesville, IN
Day 3 End Point: Lafayette, IN (Red Roof Inn)
Day 3 Brewery: Lafayette Brewing Company
Day 3 Distance: 57.59 miles

Total Distance: 219.14 miles

Well, Day 3 began in lovely Noblesville.....actually, it was Westfield. The Lutz family's city of address will change to that name shortly. And according to the Lutz children, they are welcoming the distance from the city (and reputation) of Carmel. I mean, nobody wants to get carmelized! But I, as usual, digress.

When we stopped for lunch in Frankfort, Brennan and Jason were boasting about the greatest section of the ride so far. Very low traffic, very low wind, and very low riders (I don't even know what that means). We had lunch at the Main Street Pub, which may have been the nicest lunch spot on the trip so far. They gave us menus without us having to ask and everything! They let the guys keep their bikes in the restaurant. And, FINALLY, someone asked the guys what they were up to. Apparently walking around in bike tights with moustaches isn't enough to spark questions in Indiana.

After lunch, it was another fairly smooth ride....until....Brennan got a flat. They were about 4 miles from our hotel in Lafayette. Luckily, I was able to quickly spring into action and bring a spare tube. We got Brennan fixed up and they've just arrived!

After showers (and NOT shaves), we'll head toward downtown Lafayette, where the LBC resides (this LBC, not this LBC). There also happens to be a bike shop next door, so the guys might stock up on supplies and get their bikes tuned up while we partake in the libations! More to come later tonight!

Boy oh boy was the Lafayette Brewing Company the bees knees! Ridculously good food to go with the ridiculously good beer. They had their beer-making equipment in full view so we were able to get some pics.

And before we get to the beer itself, we couldn't help but feeling a kinship with the bartender. You guessed it. He was 'stached!

LBC had the widest variety of of beers so far. 9 different brews in all. I had three of them (East Side Bitter, Piper's Pride, and Eighty Five). At the halfway point of the trip, I feel compelled to rank the beers I've had so far (from worst to first):

8. Piper's Pride (Lafayette)
7. Working Man's Wheat (Power House)
6. Deisel Oil Stout (Power House)
5. Eighty Five (Lafayette)
4. Jack the Bum (Power House)
3. Blind Tiger Pale Ale (Barley Island)
2. Dragonfly IPA (Barley Island)
1. East Side Bitter (Lafayette)

Tomorrow, watch our Crown Point! Here we come!

Day 2 (Jason's Perspective): Short and sweet will be my post (the day, not so much). As Ryan mentioned today was supposed to be a bit easier than it was for Brennan and I, but we survived.

Before lunch, Brennan and I rolled through such small towns as Needham and Red's Corner. Both of which had little to offer in the areas of food or restrooms, so we soldiered on, uncomfortably, to Acton, which also had very little to offer in the areas of food and hospitality (though there was a bathroom). Cranky (sorry about that Sarah) and a little put off by our service we scarfed down a mediocre meal.

The rest of the day found us in better spirits though we had to ride about eight miles farther than anticipated, and (eventually) arrived safely at my relatives' house in Noblesville.

Day two in the books. About 161 miles down and about 190 to go.

Day 2: Scorn Of the Corn

Day 2 Starting Point – Columbus, IN (Super 8 Motel)
Day 2 End Point – Noblesville, IN (The Lutz’s home)
Day 2 Brewery – Barley Island Brewing Company
Day 2 distance = 72.68 miles

Total distance = 161.55 miles

After yesterday’s difficult ride, Jason and Brennan woke up feeling surprisingly limber and well-rested. This would prove to be incorrect (as noted by this blog entry's title, thought of by Brennan during a more difficult stretch of today's ride). But more on that later. The guys took off around 8:15 am, and Mr. Behler and I laid around, made our way through our 5th viewing of SportsCenter (each time, continuing to complain about how we can’t stand it), and eventually got ourselves together in order to chase down the bikers around 10:00 am.

When Brennan and Jason got to Acton, IN, our lunch stop, it was clear that their optimism from the morning had worn thin. They battled a headwind the entire 40 miles and it took its toll. Luckily we had found a welcoming spot for lunch. And by “welcoming” I mean “NOT welcoming.”

Acton, IN only offers one dining option – Old McDonald’s Café. For being the only restaurant in town, it sure was tough to find. And no, it wasn’t a McDonald’s café, one of those fancy fast-food joints. It was a hole-in-the-wall place, filled with signs expressing country wit like “Welcome to the Nut House” (complete with a picture of a squirrel) and “The Lord giveth, the government taketh away.”

Our waitress was clearly not happy to see us, as she never smiled. We seemed to be bothering her by, you know, ordering food, and, you know, asking for more water, and, you know, paying her. Upon retrospect, we were completely out of line for ruining her day.

After the guys buttered up (I won’t disturb you by explaining what this means), they headed toward Noblesville and Mr. Behler and myself headed toward Roncalli, to see if I could pick up my camping gear.** Long story short: I still don’t have it. Whatevs. We headed to Noblesville and made it to the Lutz home. The Lutz’s are relatives of the Behlers, and have offered their home for the night. Mr. Behler and Jason will stay there while Brennan and myself will stay at the 1459 Club, my humble abode in Indianapolis.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got a brewery to visit! The Barley Island Brewery is in our near future!

Well, the entire Lutz family (and Amy!!) joined us for dinner at Barley Island Brewery in Noblesville. They had plenty of beers to choose from. I preferred to stick with the ones I know and love: Dragonfly IPA and Blind Tiger Pale Ale. Others enjoyed Dirty Helen's and the specialty beer they didn't even have listed, a bourbon stout of some type. I would rank these beers slightly above Power House last night. But that's just me.


**each summer, I go on a two-week camping trip through the high school at which I teach. This year, I left early in order to do the moustache ride. I left all my gear with the camping crew, and it was supposed to be left at the school for me to pick up today……its whereabouts are currently unknown.

Day 1 (Jason's Perspective): Today sucked. It was too long, and we rode into a headwind the last 40 miles of the day. I cramped up a few times from residual bachelor party dehydration. Oh yeah, and there was only gravel roads for about 4-5 miles. The good news though is multifold: 1) longest day is out of the way; 2) we ride north tomorrow which should eleviate some of the headwind; 3) and most all of the roads leading into Indianapolis are paved, which should make for a much smoother ride; 4) I am rehydrated and ready to roll.

Highlights:

Well, to stick with Costello's Pavement theme, we did pass two different Shany Lanes (everybody wants one).

We stopped at a gas station that had a plastic cooler advertising Crystal Clear Pepsi, which hasn't been made since 1994.

We found the people of small towns in Indiana were extremely helpful but hardly inquisitive about what we were doing (like they see people dressed like Brennan and I sporting mustaches all of the time). For example, here is a conversation that I had with a woman who was trying to get her dog away from us while we tried to figure out if there would ever be paved roads again.

Woman: Come here (insert cute dog name here). At which point the dog takes off toward us, not her, though in a pretty unthreatening way.

Me: He is fine. Can you tell me does this road become paved again any time soon?

Woman: Paved? No, you won't get back to paved roads for quite a while.

Me: What about if we turn off up there on 800?

Woman: Well that road is "chip sealed." It is like pavement.

Me: Okay that works for us. We had been riding on gravel for about 2 miles or so at this point. We proceed another half mile to 800 where we turned right only to find another gravel road. It turns out that "chip sealed" is a fancy synonym for gravel. We went another mile before real pavement resurfaced.

Til tomorrow loyal followers.

Day One: "Pavement!? No Way!"

Day 1 Starting Point: Villa Hills, KY (Brennan's dad's house)
Day 1 End Point: Columbus, IN (Super 8 Motel!)
Day 1 Brewery: Power House Brewing Company
Day 1 distance: 88.87 miles

Total distance: 88.87 miles

Mr. Behler and I have just checked in to the Super 8 Motel in Columbus, IN. And let me tell you. It's super. Just super. Really really super.

Day 1 greeted Brennan and Jason with both the most distance and elevation on our week-long trip. And surprisingly, it also dealt them the most gravel. That's right. While Indiana Hoosier hospitality isn't disappointing us so far, the lack of pavement certainly is (the type of road surface, not the band). But the boys sucked it up and went all off-road on southern Indiana's ass. And their tires wear the battle wounds. But I digress.

We left Mr. Basford's house around 7:15 and arrived at our first stop.....um....about 10 minutes later. We (and our bikes/car) took the Anderson Ferry across the Ohio River and continued from there.

Mr. Behler and I tried to draft off the guys for a while, but it wasn't working, so we finally left them in the dust as we headed to our lunch stop in Osgood, IN. There really was only one option for lunch -- the Osgood Grub Co.

(We assumed that moustaches qualified us as hippies, but tried to be the Rosa Parks of Osgood by refusing to use the side door.) 

Their parking lot was filled with odd/scary/confusing metal sculptures and yet their bathroom was one of the fanciest I've seen (waterless urinals, hand dryers that will melt your face, stuff like that).

After lunch, we pressed on, and found the aforementioned gravel roads. At every turn, we felt like we were headed up someone's driveway, to possibly be greeted with a shotgun. But no! We eventually snaked our way to Columbus!

The plan tonight is to hit up the Power House Brewing Company, which was just featured on some public access travel show. And lucky for you, they've posted a clip!



We'll check in later tonight/early tomorrow with a full report on our first brewery of the trip!

Check out the Flickr gadget in the left margins for all the pics from the trip!

Alright. We're back from the Power House. This place has a long history, dating back to its time as a blacksmith's store in 1890, it's time as some place called The Sanitary Cafe, and its most recent incarnation as the home of the brewing company started in 2005. Tonight, they had three of their brews on special, and I went for the trifecta. Working Man's Wheat was....well....not very good. Lemony. Jack the Bum had a great name and was a pale that held its own. Finally, I had the Diesel Oil Stout. Normally, I'm not a fan of stout beers. I still carry Irish Catholic guilt for not liking Guinness. But Power House's stout drank more like Smithwick's, which is awesome.

As we turn our attention toward tomorrow's journey to Noblesville, we're laying around in the motel room watching the Reds game. Be sure to leave the guys words of encouragement (or mockery) in the comments section!

For anyone in the Indianapolis area, we'll be at Barley Island in Noblesville tomorrow evening for dinner and beers. Feel free to join us. While the Behlers will be staying with family there, Brennan and I will stay on the fair eastside of Indy at my house. Come see the moustaches in person!