Biking Across America 6/27 Day 4

Before I left to bike, I just so figured out that the University of Virginia was right across the street from where I was staying.
Instead of leaving early as planned, I decided to go check out the campus.
I spent about two hours wandering the beautiful campus and then talked with this extremely helpful lady from the admissions office, Emily, before I left.

I started around 5 and I didn't cycle that much today.
Partially because I was saving my energy for the next day to get over the mountains and partially because those 80 miles from the day before made my legs feel 20 lbs heavier.
The last 3 miles were all uphill; (30-40 degree slope) I think it was the prerequisite to going over the mountain.

Distance traveled: 21 miles
Time: 3 hours

Biking Across America 6/26 Day 3

I think of the things that scares me the most while biking, is not the fact that I'm riding by myself through the middle of nowhere, but when a huge truck comes up right next to me that I can feel the heat from the engine.

I biked from Richmond to Charlottesville today.
I felt like I was about to die at around the 4oth mile but I kept on going for another 40.
Riding through the dark is mad dangerous.
Got to the hotel at around 10 PM.

For those who were wondering, my mom is actually with me. She's in a car driving about 50 miles ahead or to the next checkpoint and I'd catch up with her and we'd continue.
This way, if I got injured, she could be there to help me.

Distance traveled: 80 miles
Time: 11:30 hours

Biking Across America 6/25 Break Day

Today was really just a day of rest and planning.
In order to avoid getting lost again, my mom and I spent an entire day just planning our next couple hundred miles on the map.
Toward the end of the the day though we did lose one of our cycling maps but I don't think it will affect us too much as we have other bike routes planned.

By the way, gas prices here are a lot cheaper in VA.
They're like $3.35 while in NJ, they're like $3.60 in some places.

I can't believe I found one of these classic glass coke bottles.
This is the first time I tried one.

Biking Across America 6/24 Day 2

These posts don't match up in date, partially because I don't have access to a computer until a couple days later when I can update.
Most of the info I blog about is written down in a notebook at the end of each day, so everything is pretty much typed up from there.

So day 2, Friday
I was biking to the Virginia state capital, Richmond, but there was a horrible headwind so it slowed me down a at least 3 mph.
It was a pretty scenic ride going through the countryside and I got to Richmond around 7 at night.
Problem was, I had to get to a motel and it was already starting to get dark.
A GPS that I brought along with me took me to an interstate highway where cyclists aren't allowed, but that was the only way I could get across some river, so I biked on it for a mile or two. Then a lady at the toll booth told me I had to take the next exit off.
Problem was I still wasn't across the river. I asked around the neighborhood and I was so surprised at how hospitable people were.
I eventually got across at around 9 and then biked through a pretty scary Newark-like section for 4 miles until I got to the motel.
Was tired as hell when I went to sleep.

Distance traveled: 60 miles.
Time: 9 hours

Shoutout to Wayland for giving me tons of advice on cycling and leading me through Richmond.

Biking Across America 6/23 Day 1

I started in Yorktown VA at around 4.
Put my bike into the water and hoped to do the same in San Francisco.
At first, it was kind of nerve wracking going by myself and meeting with my mom 50 miles ahead.
There were just so many things I was considering at one point. The one that bothered me the most was, "Am I even going in the right direction."
I eventually got the hang of reading the map and was pretty much enjoying the scenery from then on out.

I averaged 10 mph today, which is actually kind of slow.
I think it's because I'm not used to riding with the 20 lb load on my back rack.

I got lost in Williamsburg for about an hour but found my way back.
Got lost again after dark - bad idea.
Rode through the forest so all these mosquito, gnats and beetles came out after the sunset and I must have flown into at least a couple hundred of them. They were like little pelts of hail when I biked into them. I think I ate/breathed in 5 of them (protein?) and then one got into my eye.

Got to the campsite around nine. Set up tent and was about to go to sleep when I met these two girls at the place. Talked to them a bit and then slept at around 12.
Couldn't fall asleep the first night and I only got in about two hours of rest.

Distance traveled: 40 miles
Time took [including breaks and getting lost]: 5 hours
Shoutout to Debra for helping me so much at the campsite and in giving me directions.

The Day Before

I'm in Maryland right now staying at a friends house, halfway to Virginia.
Tommorow my mom and I are going to finish the drive to Yorktown where I'll start the bike trip to San Francisco.
I feel sort of excited yet worried at the same time. Lots of accidents happen on the road and hearing the stories doesn't help my resolve.
Its sorta like that one time a cyclist told me that a guy he was riding with got run over by a truck.
But nevertheless, I'm going to start tommorow.

Now why am I doing this trip?
Don't you feel like your whole life, all you've done - everything you've done, has been for the sole purpose of getting into a good college?
I study for school, I stay awake for school, I get 5 hours of sleep for school.
Finally, I have the time to do somethign for myself, to challenge myself and this is what I decided to do: I decided to bike across America.

So, this is probably going to be a two month trip and I'll see you guys at school near the end of August.

Asian kid biking across America
Chris Xia