Ride Across America - Part 1
March 8: 9-22, 2008    San Diego, California to El Paso, Texas
900 miles/13 days (11 days riding, 2 days off)
$1,775.00 /$350 Deposit. Rating: I49-A115.
Balance due by January 8, 2008

Here are links to updates from the Ride (click on each one to see the report for that day)

Day 1 & 2 Feet/Wheels in the ocean we start

Day 3 Longest day so far

Day 4 California into Arizona

Days 5 Wickenburg to Phoenix, a mishap, and

Day 6 A rest day

Day 7 Phoenix to Globe

Day 8 Globe to Safford

Day 9 Safford AZ to Silver City NM

Day 10 A well deserved rest day in the Silver City

Day 11 Silver City to Kingston, NM

Days12-13 Kingston - Las Cruces, NM - El Paso, TX

All of these reports were provided by Julia Brown

Please note: Registration for this tour opened in December of 2007 due to the early tour date in 2008. Please check with the HeartCycle Registrar or the Tour Leader to confirm the availability of space on the tour.

The first section of our three year ride across America will follow the old US 80 route from the coast of San Diego, California to El Paso, Texas. From the San Diego coast range into the Imperial Valley, riders will encounter quite a bit of climbing at lower altitudes the first couple of days.  Once out of San Diego, we will bike on quiet roads alongside I-8.  Out of El Centro in the Valley, we head toward Blythe where the route follows back roads along I-10 across deserts, hills and low mountains into the Valley of the Sun.  From Phoenix, we’re onto New Mexico on more back roads through some very pretty country into Hatch, Las Cruces and El Paso, Texas.  This leg of the route crosses some hills with very limited traffic. It will be springtime in the great American Southwest.  You will have the ride of your life!  

The next two years in the spring of 2009 and 2010 will complete our adventure. Each year will be a two week segment.  In 2010, we will finish in St. Augustine, Florida for our final destination-a beautiful setting to complete the Ride Across America. We will take a total of 30 riders, 2 support vehicles. 

Steve Parker, one of the leaders, has ridden and scouted the route. We will be using the Adventure Cycling maps, which are updated frequently.

Leaders: Steve Parker and Jerry Bakke
For more information contact Jerry 303-738-9861, e-mail: jerrybakke@msn.com  Steve Parker 970-382-9551, e-mail: emmbsp@bresnan.net