DONE

(For those of you wondering what I did about the broken bike rack, I got another new one @ The Hub in Athens.)

So my final day turned out to be one of my more stressful. The coolest part of the day was when 2 F-16s popped out of nowhere, skimming the tree tops right in front of me. But aside from that, what was supposed to be a leisurely victory cruise also included my closest call yet with a dog, a run-in with the only Subway employee in the entire country who wouldn't let me bring my bike inside the store, and a severe underestimation of the distance from Augusta to Isle of Palms. I thought it was on the order of 120 miles. I first realized I was in trouble when, after already logging a couple hours and 30+ miles, I passed a sign that said "Charleston 107". "Uh-oh...." So the final stage turned out to be the longest of the tour: 155 miles, complete with a finish in the dark. As much as I didn't want that to happen, it's pretty fitting I finished this trip in darkness after a long day, since that's how so many of my days went. But there was a huge spectacular orange full moon that popped up over Charleston and the Atlantic Ocean as I rode across that huge suspension bridge from Charleston over to Mt. Pleasant. That was awesome.

My final day also included a late near-crash as I drifted off the road in the darkness at 20 mph. Over the course of the entire coast-to-coast ride, I only had about 5 close calls or near crashes. How bad would that have sucked to crash right at the end? Oh, and I almost forgot to mention I lost my sunglasses, red blinky light, and one of my gear bags (zipper broke) at various points on the last day. I sure did fall apart there in the 11th hour. Good thing this day was the last!

Special thanks to my parents and brother, Jeff, for being there at the beach to welcome me and celebrate the finish of this whole thing.

Some final thoughts:

I have to tell you, this is one cool way to see the country. I saw all kinds of things I normally wouldn't otherwise. I love the way the scenery changes very gradually. And this country is so diverse. To think I only saw a small part of it. I found that I love being outside everyday, all day long. I love being on my bike everyday, all day long. I loved exploring this new way to ride a bike. It's totally different, both physically and mentally, from all the other forms of riding I do. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. It was hard, but it was a blast. I don't think I need to do it solo ever again, but if you want some company, just let me know.

I'm glad you all enjoyed the blog. It started as an idea just to track my progress, but turned out to be a really cool interactive way to share the experience, post stories, pictures, and comments from all of you. Thanks for all the comments and keeping me company on the road!

Special thanks, also, to all of you who helped me along the way by giving me a place to stay, feeding me a meal, loaning me some gear, giving me a power bar or some batteries... You helped make this trip possible, and I really appreciate it.

Final Stats:
Laguna Beach, CA to Isle of Palms, SC
4,029 miles total
40 days riding + 6 rest days = 46 days total
259 hours riding time (10.8 continuous days of riding)
17 flats (6 front, 11 rear)
Shortest stage was 31 miles
Longest stage was 155 miles
27 stages were centuries

Via the route I took:
5 days to cross California
6.5 days to cross Arizona
4.5 days to cross New Mexico
13 days to cross Texas
5 days to cross Louisiana
1 day to cross Mississippi
4 days to cross Alabama
2 days to cross Florida
4 days to cross Georgia
1 long day to cross South Carolina

Top 15 Observations and Lessons Learned While Cycling Across the Country

15. There are a lot of abandoned buildings in Small Town, America.
14. There is a lot of broken glass on the highways of America.
13. There are 7 different varieties of rumble strips on the highways of America.
12. Whoever says winds prevail from west to east is so wrong.
11. Tailwinds rock.
10. Headwinds get old.
9. Good/Bad moods are often directly proportional to Tail/Headwinds.
8. Texas has a lot of headwind.
7. Whenever you ride by a herd of cattle, one always watches you by turning its head, but not its body, while all the others continue to graze.
6. A GPS receiver loaded with maps has great potential to avert disaster.
5. Dollar General stores are everywhere.
4. There is something really cool about rolling up to a friend's house, hundreds of miles away, on your bicycle.
3. You aren't safe from chasing attack dogs if the fence's gate is open.
2. There are all kinds of stupid things out there that are fun to make fun of.
1. The iPod is the coolest invention ever. That, and the bicycle.

Thanks for reading,
-Bry