Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 @ 11:32PM

*Rode with Sam as crew
*got to experience what crew did all day
*The ride began at around 6:30
*first stop by Sam we had a warm welcome from a dog which was barking at us. We scared it off and continued doing our job.
*van 2 rode by and I got a water bottle so I can stay hydrated and prepare for the ride tomorrow. It wasn???t certain that I???ll ride but you always have to prepare for everything.
*seeing how the crew had to constantly relay information to one another and make on the fly adjustments on our rides really makes me appreciate the hard work they do.
*Chilled with Sam a little more and went to a convenience store to get food. I realized then that my wallet was not with me nor was it in my bag. Began to question whether I lost the wallet or not. I have a good memory but rarely used my wallet on this trip.
*made a quick stop to van 2 again and looked through my shower bag and thankfully my wallet was there.
*at around 11:00 I had to go in Mark???s van and rack my bike onto his van so he can bring me to Nick so I could purchase parts for my broken bike.
*Rode past John Wayne???s house and many cyclists took pictures there. I really did not care for the guy so I did not take a picture.
*Met up with Nick around Mile 75 for the cyclists. Saurubh???s parents were there since yesterday was his birthday. I really thought it was great that some family members went out if their way to surprise their kids. They are your number one supporters and will always be there for you. Family is a truly powerful thing.
*Saurubh???s parents gave the team pizza since they rode for hours and lunch was at lodging. Great opportunity to give the members food while on the road.
*after getting the food I went to some bike shops with Nick. He told me that none of the shops had frames that cowls replace my bike. I was upset. I also told Nick how I have not really been enjoying cycling for the past few weeks due to the pain, and seeing people improve on the bike while I was pretty much stagnant and consistently slowing down my pace line. Nick told me that whenever he saw me on a bike, I was always in an awkward position and literally had no power strokes since the bike was small for me. I was really skeptical for what he told me and had a thought at the back of my mind that a new bike will still have these problems if I ever got one.
*I also got a chance to learn more things about Nick specifically about life and how he got into cycling. All I can say is follow good people because they will only elevate you, and do what you love and excel at it.
*We went to the first bike shop that sold specific parts for my bike. There were not that many customers and when we spoke to one of the employees about the problem on my seat, he said that the seat was too high and did not really do anything to help me get a proper adjustment on my bike. He kept on saying that he only does appointments and had none for the day. He kept saying Saturday was a busy day for the shop and it was around noon and nobody was there. His vibe, refusal to help, despite both of us telling him what we were doing this Summer really made Nick and I uncomfortable.
*i was more depressed because I felt powerless and thought that what he said about the seat being small made me question my abilities more. Regardless I bought parts for the broken bike
*Nick told me that I should go to another bike shop and try a different bike on from a different brand just so I could personally feel the differences on a bike.
*We went to Bike World, some of the cyclists on the team were going to go there to get some parts. I was told many times that the bike shop was really good.
*As we entered the store, we checked out some bikes. Some were very pretty, others were really expensive.
*We encountered one of the employees at the store and he was really helpful. He brought out 2 bikes, a 58 cm bike, and a 60 cm bike. Both of these bikes were upgrades to the bike I???m currently riding. The second I sat on the 60 cm bike (Trek Series 1.5) , I felt really comfortable and rode relaxed. I was really missing out what an actual fit bike was suppose to feel like.
*The employee also checked out the other bike and told me why I was really uncomfortable on the specialized bike and relaxed on the Trek. At the end of the day specialized bikes shorten certain lengths while trek extends some lengths and that puts the posture of the body at certain angles. Regardless, I really needed to get a new bike. Nick said I did not need to send the other bike back since I was worried what I was going to so with it.
*I was ready to get a new bike but I had to call my parents to tell them my situation. I really felt uncomfortable asking because new bikes are not cheap. When speaking to my parents they were also uneasy but knew at the end of the day, my well being, and safety was important. They spoke to Nick briefly to confirm everything on my situation and I got their blessing to get the bike. My dad purchased it.
*That little interaction went back to what I was alluding to earlier with family. They are truly amazing and I really want to do whatever I can to repay them. Being a better son is one way to accomplish that.
*Looking back, its really funny to see how much I really resemble my father.
*Got my bike, changed some parts on my old bike and also got a chance to get adjusted so I can feel really comfortable on the bike. The employees here are so much better than the previous store and the guy I who was helping me out also was helping other customers since the store was busy. Great employees.
*I was still uncertain that a new bike will still have the problems that persisted on my old bike. All I can do is pray for the best and that???s what I did.
*Went to lodging at a school and people were glad that I got a new bike. I was a little annoyed due to the attention and it made me seem like I was rich when I am really not.
*We then had dinner at Dave Canabel???s home and his family and other Pi Alphas were present for this ordeal. The food was also amazing, it was practically some of the best meals that were provided to us on our previous dinners. Dave also distributed photo albums of all the years he did JOH. It was awesome seeing some of the similarities from their trip with ours. Recognizing some of the sponsors from those old photos was also incredible.
*after dinner I prepared for tomorrow???s ride. I am still worried but we shall see how the day goes.

Posted by Reggie Quaye
Categories: Journey of Hope, Philanthropy