Like a lot of nights on this trip, I did not sleep exceptional well. Maybe it was the steady stream of arrivals flying past my hotel to land on runway 19 @ Teterboro airport just a mile away, or trying to adjust to a foreign mattress. But more likely was the anticipation of getting started on my final leg of this trip. 17 miles left, 7 to the GW bridge & 10 into the park. I passed on breakfast & started off making my way through the many street changes necessary to get to Fort Lee & the bridge. But as hard as it may be to believe, I had a few more tough climbs about 3 miles from the bridge that were equal to any of the climbs on theprevious day. I guess it was NJs little going away present. The road does not care if you are 1 mile or 1000 miles from the finish, it plays the same regardless.
The funny thing about riding into NYC is that you can not see the city from your road level view until almost 1/2 way across the bridge. It was when I made it onto the pedestrian walkway of the bridge that I met a sea of bikers & runners. It was so congested that I had to pull over @ several points on the bridge with my wide bag laden bike to allow others to pass by. I stopped on the bridge & snapped a few pictures and just took in the moment.
I picked no special route once I got to the city. I simply worked my way south & east until I hit the north border of Central Park. I had phoned Glenda once I reached the city to give Garth & her time to get to the park. I ended up taking a more “scenic “route than planned and ended up overshooting the street into the park. I corrected that mistake & worked my way into the park where Glenda & Garth were waiting (Garth was sleeping & Glenda was busy on her phone) – so instead of a large & loud reception it was kinda quiet & low key, the way I like it.
So after a few pics we were off to the hotel to secure the bike, get cleaned up & get some food. And just like that it was over.
I will admit that I did have a personal goal in my mind of completing the trip in under 40 days. So with today day 38 , 35 full days of riding & 2 hours today I did accomplish this self inflicted goal.
I am glad that it is over & I am sad that it is over. The only thing I guess you could relate it to is the night you graduated from high school. You worked so hard & long to get to the finish, & just like that it was finished. And you can never go back. Yep that’s the feeling today. But I may go back, who knows. If I do I will be smarter & better equipped. It’s like Earnest Gann wrote in “Fate is the hunter” – experience is the cruelest teacher. First comes the test & then the lesson”. Well I took the test. And from it learned some lessons about distance bicycling & about myself.
I only hope Justin Klines trip ends as well!
PS – when I get home I will write one final post as kind of a final thoughts of the ride . But I am going to bed now & going home tomorrow & get back to a normal life. And maybe a short bike ride tomo night?
Frank's Coast to Coast Ride for Justin 
Job well done, Frank! You look so thin from when you started out!
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Being able to convey any sort of meaningfull thoughts at the end of every day is a feat in and of itself. Very glad that it all went safely. After thirty five years of selling motorcycles my experience is that bicycles can be just as dangerous as motor driven two wheelers and my concern was that big trucks and roads with no berm don’t mix well with bicycles. Somehow your motivation and determination have inspired me- not sure how but I hope it manifests itself in productive forward motion- never mind – I’m gonna go mow the lawn then drink a beer!! See you soon. Bob
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