The Amtrak took us back from the Northeast considerably quicker than our legs took us there, but there was time enough to reflect on what an experience the Long Haul Tour turned out to be.  The excellent shows in Michigan, the extremely pleasant drivers of Ontario, the wide shoulders of the Empire State, the heartbreak of climbing the Green Mountains and the hills of New Hampshire, our well-earned supper and Guinness at the Burren, and the finale shows in Massachusetts.  Thanks so much to my fellow riders, and to the audiences who came out to the shows.  It has left us changed.

Now, as the car and the airplane and the highway are beckoning, with many, many shows left to play in the year, a couple of things:

Kathy Wittman, filmmaker extraordinaire, documented the first few and last few shows and rides of the bicycle tour.  You can find footage on her blog page here: http://www.kathywittman.com/mulvey  And look for a dvd soon.

Also: hey, does anybody want to buy a used bike?  I left my Rans bicycle for sale at the Hampshire Bicycle Exchange: http://www.hampshirebicycleexchange.com  The tremendous vehicle was built in Hayes, Kansas, and carried me 5,000 miles.  You can see the stats here: http://www.ransbikes.com/StratusLE09.htm    I tuned it up just before the end of the tour, had the rear wheel rebuilt, and it is in tip-top shape.  I'm selling it because next year I'll be combining rail travel with bicycle touring, and I need a short-wheelbase bike that fits more easily on trains. 

Special thanks to Wheel and Sprocket in Wisconsin: http://www.wheelandsprocket.net for giving me this extraordinary machine last spring.  For the sake of karma, when it sells, I'll make a donation to the Wisconsin Bicycle Fed, and spend what's left at their fine store, on next year's bike tour steed.

Thanks to you, gentle reader.  The new record is being well-received, and I'm enjoying performing the songs and the letters across the country.

On we go.