Today's webpage brought to you by Tammy Marsh
Most of the riders are spending three days in Barcelona as a culmination to the trip. Today we slept in, went out on the town for breakfast and lunch, went sight-seeing and walking around the city, and ate supper as a group again before treating ourselves to still more ice cream. Barcelona has several tourist attractions, including Goudi's Sagrada Familia church, a cathedral, a zoo, and the Columbus statue, to name a few.
For your entertainment, we have conducted personal interviews with the famed unicyclists and posted the responses. Enjoy!
Unique item in your Camelbak: Melaleuca oil
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Don't change your diet during riding.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Jugendherberge and Auberge de Jeunesse (youth hostel in German and French)
Favorite European food: fresh french bread
Most difficult moment: Going through the switchbacks at 11:30 at night in the woods on the way to Luxembourg.
Most rewarding moment: Finishing that night.
Coolest tan line: mesh gloves
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. I improved physically.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? I wanted to get off soon!
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I stub my toe and trip on steps all the time.
Most useless item you brought: my coat
Biggest pet peeve: Getting to a break last as everyone is getting ready to go again.
Unique item in your Camelbak: CDs
Piece of advice for other distance riders: It only feels good for the first 10 km
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): ferreteria (hardware store in Spanish)
Favorite European food: the thick vegetable soup at Christian's house
Most difficult moment: Going up that 8 km hill
Most rewarding moment: Finishing.
Coolest tan line: Camelbak sunburn
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? stayed about the same
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? I'm done.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? Missing a step walking down the stairs
Most useless item you brought: bug spray
Biggest pet peeve: when people in front of me are walking really slow.
Unique item in your Camelbak: Reindeer fat
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Just enjoy your time.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): accident-prone
Favorite European food: Nutella crepes
Most difficult moment: The first 5 km after my 180 km day
Most rewarding moment: Riding 180 km, and fnishing the Pyrenees day with more than a 20 kph average.
Coolest tan line: Camelbak tan line
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. I just got the feeling that I got stronger every day.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? More like "This can't be it!" than "I'm here."
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? Doing a simple 180 on Rocket's 20" Monty unicycle with way too long cranks and ripping my leg open in five spots.
Most useless item you brought: gloves
Biggest pet peeve: Trying to keep groups of riders together when they won't work with me to catch up.
Unique item in your Camelbak: five U.S. dollar coins
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Train like the ride.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Counting to 10 in French: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix
Favorite European food: ice cream
Most difficult moment: Verdun to Neufchateau - quitting that day, making that decision.
Most rewarding moment: Coming into Barcelona and having everyone make it, riding in on their own power.
Coolest tan line: Shirt tan line on arms
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. I figured out a lot of things, how to eat, what to wear.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? We're done.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I pounded my elbow into someone's forehead from falling off the water ski bus.
Most useless item you brought: Raincoat
Biggest pet peeve: Having people ask me map stuff 50 times a day.
Unique item in your Camelbak: Chinese balm
Piece of advice for other distance riders: See more, eat more.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Pourrez ("may" in French)
Favorite European food: Paella (Spanish seafood and rice dish)
Most difficult moment: Tournus - trying to get that idiot at the hotel registration to comprehend what I was saying
Most rewarding moment: Reaching the statue in Barcelona
Coolest tan line: the one around my naval. Also, sunglasses tan line.
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? It was harder than I expected, but I think physically it got easier.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? Get out of my way, pedestrians! Where is that **** statue!
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I busted my shin open on a metal bed frame.
Most useless item you brought: my flashlight
Biggest pet peeve: the smoking in the restaurants
Unique item in your Camelbak: a whole set of alan wrenches that I needed but didn't know were in my backpack
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Don't do it! Just kidding. Seriously, make sure you train enough ahead of time. Don't carry too much weight.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Danke (German for "thank you")
Favorite European food: Burgandy steak
Most difficult moment: Getting dizzy while I'm riding and knowing that I'm the last one so no one will pick me up if I pass out.
Most rewarding moment: Getting to Luxembourg.
Coolest tan line: Camelbak strap line on shoulders
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. I trained along the way. My body started to get used to it.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? I was happy that we made it. Somehow I was happier to reach the Mediterranean than Barcelona.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I slipped on the rocks when we were jumping off the cliffs. I scratched my knee.
Most useless item you brought: About 20 packages of eye scrubs, and a helmet.
Biggest pet peeve: I hate stepping on sandy floors. Having the switch outside the bathroom, having timed lights in the bathrooms that go off too soon.
Unique item in your Camelbak: My Powerbar patch.
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Don't eat too much, don't eat too little. Drink enough water after you've had a little time to digest.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Kebab
Favorite European food: Kebab
Most difficult moment: Not being able to find a kebab.
Most rewarding moment: When I found a kebab. But seriously, when I finished the Luxembourg day.
Coolest tan line: I got a tan?
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Emotionally and physically, the graphs intersect in the middle. Emotionally, it got harder. I missed my cows more and the northern part of France made me want to bail hay. Physically, I was more fit and I didn't biff as much.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? There were several veins of thought. Andy, do you really know where you're going? My intestines hate me. Are we actually in Barcelona?
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? Daily bonking my sensitive knees on furniture.
Most useless item you brought: My camera and my photographic education.
Biggest pet peeve: Having something annoy me and not remembering to think: it's ok; it will make you a better person. Persevere.
Unique item in your Camelbak: My calculator and three Clif bars per day.
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Most pain evaporates quickly at the end of the day's ride.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Bonita ("beautiful" in Spanish)
Favorite European food: Banana Nutella crepes.
Most difficult moment: Waking up every morning.
Most rewarding moment: Crossing the Pyrenees. Also, starting to navigate on my own, learning maps.
Coolest tan line: Bike shorts line, helmet strap line, and watch line.
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? It got easier, then harder, then easier. It did a curve.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? Wow, so many traffic lights!
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? Aaron's enthusiastic hugs.
Most useless item you brought: my sweatshirt.
Biggest pet peeve: Too much cigarette smoke. And crummy youth hostel showers.
Unique item in your Camelbak: six different kinds of cremes!
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Laugh a lot.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): Fahrradweg ("bike trail" in German)
Favorite European food: Milka candy bars
Most difficult moment: After riding 100 km to Verdun and I felt like collapsing because I ran out of water and food and I was really sore. Everything hurt.
Most rewarding moment: Riding through the Pyrenees was amazing.
Coolest tan line: Wrist brace line
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier, once I worked through sore muscles. In the beginning I would wake up really unsure if I could do 100 km that day, but by the end I knew I could.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? I thought it was a perfect ending when it started to sprinkle with the sun shining as we rode in.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I swam into a rock and got a v-shaped cut on my thigh.
Most useless item you brought: my towel - I never remembered to take it with me to the shower
Biggest pet peeve: Everybody leaves and I still haven't gotten on my unicycle.
Unique item in your Camelbak: a plastic praying mantice that Peter Nyflot gave me on UAM
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Make sure you eat enough.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): L'eau ("water" in French)
Favorite European food: croissants - yummy, fresh and cheap!
Most difficult moment: Trying to get to the youth hostel in Koplenz when you could see it, but not get to it.
Most rewarding moment: Crossing the Pyrenees
Coolest tan line: gloves
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. I got in better shape and hills got easier.
What were you thinking as you rode into Barcelona? I was thinking how cool it was that all 10 of us were riding together.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? I struggle with walking and stairs on occasion.
Most useless item you brought: Bandaids - I have had no need for bandaids yet.
Biggest pet peeve: Riding with other people that just won't leave cities.
And now the support staff!
Unique item you brought: my silverware and glass
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Drink lots of water.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): vin (French for "wine")
Favorite European food: Italian ice cream
Most difficult moment: The first couple of days, learning how to get around and navigate.
Most rewarding moment: Every day, seeing the riders come in.
Coolest tan line: Sock line and tank top neck line
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Yes. Both. It got different. It was also enjoyable though, I would definitely do it again. The only part that got harder was that it got hotter.
What were you thinking as the unicyclists rode into Barcelona? I was kind of concerned about the emotional let-down that people sometimes get. I was watching for it, but everyone was fine.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? My back and neck hurt from driving.
Most useless item you brought: Jeans.
Biggest pet peeve: No air conditioning. And people who didn't help.
Piece of advice for other distance riders: Get a good padded seat.
Favorite new vocab word (in any language): jambon ("ham" in French)
Favorite European food: ham and cheese crepes
Most difficult moment: Getting out of Cologne - it took us like two hours!
Most rewarding moment: The finish, and getting a big hug from Javier's sweaty body.
Coolest tan line: The burn on my back from the beach.
Did the tour get easier or harder as it went on? Easier. We got used to what you guys wanted and timing.
What were you thinking as the unicyclists rode into Barcelona? I was pretty happy. I can't believe it's over.
What non-coker-related accidents have you had? None.
Most useless item you brought: Jeans.
Biggest pet peeve: the sound of people clipping their nails when they do it just anywhere.
First, our support crew. Where do we start? Thanks, Connie and Dana, for service with a smile, tireless willingness to carry out tedious tasks, such as transporting our luggage, not only in the car but to and from hotel rooms, packing, doing our laundry, feeding us yogurt, bread and fruit, providing water, being our doctors and massage therapists, and just being so much fun to hang out with. We owe you so much. Thank you!
Thanks to the Hoveraths and our entire Bottrop fan club for all your support, generosity, housing, food, time, carpooling, parking payments, airport ferrying, and enormous good cheer. Thanks, Simone, for chauffeuring riders from the youth hostel to go get supper. Thanks, Simon, for riding with us, translating menus, and fixing Tanya's unicycle. Thanks, Olivier, for introducing us to Lyon and getting us cell phones. Thanks, Peter and Rocket, for hanging out with us and offering a touch of normalcy to our chaotic lives. Thanks, Richard and Naomi, for riding with us and playing support van for a while.
Thanks also to all of the riders on this trip. We must admit, we have been an awesome group. So here goes.
Thanks, Elijah, for your expertise and willingness to fix unicycles, your even temper, knowing so much about so many subjects, staying back with riders who go slower, and just being so nice all the time.
Thanks, Chris, for taking the initiative to stop traffic for us, your fortitude despite ill circumstance, and your amusing fondness for Coca-Cola.
Thanks, Christian, for your ever-positive attitude and constant smiles, willingness to guide others into the city and to the hostels even if it means doing extra kilometers, and your complete dedication to organizing the tour.
Thanks, Andy, for being a leader, for your amazing ability to be the pace-setter, for your concern for how others are doing, for all your massage, and for your hours and hours and hours of dedication to the trip.
Thanks, Scot, for your hilarious impersonations, your sense of humor, your laid-back approach to enjoying the scenery with a beer, and for staying up late to keep the support crew company.
Thanks, Javier, for carrying an entire grocery store and clothing store with you in case anyone was in need, for your willingness to help people mount their unis, your generosity and your inspiring patriotism.
Thanks, Aaron, for making us laugh with your blunt but true comments, your shirtless bravery in restaurants and hotels, your affection no matter how devastating, for being considerate to those who help us on the road and to other riders, and for carrying all the right tools to fix uni breakdowns.
Thanks, John, for your hysterical and selfless telling of stories to liven up any dinner, for translating every menu five times until everybody understands, asking every restaurant for l'eau plat and getting directions to our hotels in various cities, for organizing lodging and giving backrubs.
Thanks, Tammy, for your work on the web page, for being able to communicate in any language needed on the trip, for backrubs, and for always seeing the funny side of things.
Thanks, Tanya, for your radiant smiles, emotional stability, affection and matriarchal concern, Spanish translations, help with the web page, backrubs and motivation to keep pedaling.