Day 16 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “The End or New Beginnings” (Day 16)

Ninety five years ago a young woman named Effie Hotchkiss decided she wanted to travel coast to coast. With an “anything is possible” attitude she and her mother Avis set out to do just that on a 1915 Harley Davidson. On the bike they carried a jar of water from the Atlantic Ocean, and intended to dump it into the Pacific when they arrived. They did.

At approximately 3:30 in the afternoon, on Sunday, September 26, 2010, Cris Sommer Simmons, pilot of a 1915 Harley named Effie dumped water from that Atlantic Ocean collected in a glass jar in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on September 10, into the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California.

I am humbled and honored to have been part of the crew that helped her get there.
A journey never really ends does it? I mean you carry with you the friendships you made along the way, the lessons you learned, and when you tell the stories, doesn’t it help it all live on? I don’t know. I don’t like saying “the end” because it’s really a new beginning in some ways. I know that I’ve changed for the better because of this journey. I know it’s the START of some things. So, let’s say maybe it’s the end of this chapter in the book, because we know there’s so much more to come. We were part of a history making event. This will live on in so many ways, many we may never even know of. Effie probably had no idea that she’d inspire us to repeat her journey. That we would think of her and what it must have been like back then when SHE faced some of the challenges we did, without many of the modern tools and conveniences we had. We had that to keep us going on tough days. Her journey was different in some ways...they took 3 months, we took 16 days. They had things we didn't, and vice versa. But wow, what a cool way that we got to think about it. What would Effie do? :) How could she have known she'd affect us? And is that why you take on a challenge in the first place - trying to think that far into the future? I don’t know that we think about it like that. We just do it!

I will direct you to http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ for all of the final statistics, winners, prizes, and really cool video that’s posted already. Please note in the videos and photos that Team Effie is carrying a checkered flag, so you can pick us out. Finishing is winning to us and it was from the very beginning. I could say at this point that ATTEMPTING this run is winning because it was an endurance run in every sense of the word – mechanically, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Consistency was key as it is in so many things in life. I learned so much. About myself, others, teams, old bikes, the human spirit. It’s still hard even though I’m home today, back at my desk, to even try to put it into words.

So, with that being said, I will stop for now. I'm sure there's more to come. And as I step back into my life, I'm reminded that I haven't even marveled in our Bonneville efforts this year. In the fact that BOTH my daughters, AND my husband had birthdays while I was gone. That my puppy looks like she grew a years worth, and I haven't seen my horse in weeks. I will cherish my time on the road with Team Effie, that is for sure....even though I missed my home while I was gone. Whenever I return from a vacation or an adventure, the challenge is to hold onto what was learned out there and apply it to life here, because there are no coincidences, and we are taught things in God's perfect timing. The timing of this trip in our lives was impeccable in more ways than I can describe, and we are all richer for it. Funny how that works out.

I would like to end by thanking all of the organizers of the Motorcycle Cannonball, all of the crews, riders, new friends, people out there that welcomed us, the Motor Maids, the sponsors, and Cris, Athena, Toast and Pat for allowing me to be part of Team Effie. Also thanks for my family and Klock Werks Team for allowing me the time to go and taking care of things back home.

DAY 16 - The LAST DAY!!! This is how we have sent Effie off every day. I hug her around the tank..Athena gives her love. Brian is here with us today, so he captured our send off

DAY 16 - Pete Young in period attire for the final day of riding. See you at the Pier!

DAY 16

Day 15 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Down to the Wire” (Day 15)

DAY 15 - The start of the second to the last day! Go Team Effie!

Today I was noticing something. I’m noticing more wire, beer cans, pop cans, crescent wrenches, tape, just miscellaneous stuff holding these bikes together. Bent rims, bent forks, broken fender tabs and motor mounts, missing bolts, back aches and tired spirits marked today, but there were still SMILES. The finish line is near and while you can feel and sense the exhaustion, you can still feel the excitement as well. Wow. It’s SO INSPIRING! I’m just not good enough with words to describe this.

So, I’m using pictures. Take a peek so you can see what I mean.

DAY 15 - "Down to the wire" is the theme of this day. Bent forks, dented rims, lost bolts, sore backs and tired spirits - along with parts held together by wire and other creative ways - marked day 15. One more day before we ride into Santa Monica! And these riders are doing whatever it takes to get there!

DAY 15 - "Down to the wire" is the theme of this day. Bent forks, dented rims, lost bolts, sore backs and tired spirits - along with parts held together by wire and other creative ways - marked day 15. One more day before we ride into Santa Monica! And these riders are doing whatever it takes to get there!

The highlight for me personally was at the end of today. A couple things. 1. Willa and Cassidy Rodencal joined our girl crew tonight for Effie’s Maintenance and a little 101 on wrenching. But they didn’t really need a lot of teaching because these girls knew more than we expected. How could they not though? Their dad is #33 Bill Rodencal. His whole family has been with this entire trip. Bill has ridden as much as possible but he also shared this journey with his family, taking a day off riding to explore the Grand Canyon for instance. It was so cool to watch, and these girls are precious! 2. My husband Brian arrived tonight. He flew in to be at the finish with us. Brian has followed the journey by reading the daily blogs along with everyone else, because honestly, we haven’t had a lot of time to talk on the phone during this trip. At all. He was back at home taking care of our business and family, pets, and everything else we do together to run our lives, and I’ve been busy as part of Team Effie, which most nights went until way too late to talk on the phone. It was good to see him, and so cool to watch as he got to realize and feel, see firsthand, all of the things I’ve been writing about.

DAY 15 - End of day Effie maintenance. As we got ready for the final day 16, Willa and Cassidy Rodencal came to assist Athena and I. I have to say that having these young girls around wanting to learn and getting in there to be hands on was one of my best memories of this trip. Anytime I can share something I've learned with a young person, especially a young woman, it's such a blessing. These girls truly blessed us with their helping hands. Effie got SO MUCH love during this whole trip, and an extra special dose of it as we prepared her for her LAST DAY!

I didn’t see Brian arrive, so he got to stand back in the shadow of the lights we were working under and just observe. And tonight was special because those young ladies were right in there with us helping and getting full of oil. It was really a cool moment.

Effie’s been having trouble holding her tranny chain adjustments. Usually it gets real loose and we’ve been adjusting for that each night. The last 2 days something was different. It was getting tighter, and that told us that something else wasn’t right. After some time investigating we consulted with Dale Walksler and together we found a bad spot in the chain near the master link and it was causing the problem. We fixed it, and after the end of day 16…wouldn’t you know, it held.

Tonight is the last night that we will service Effie on this trip. Along with the extra special moments tonight, it’s also very bittersweet. Very bittersweet. What is next? What will we do and what could compare to this trip?

DAY 15 - Laura on Route 66

DAY 15 - "Down to the wire" is the theme of this day. Bent forks, dented rims, lost bolts, sore backs and tired spirits - along with parts held together by wire and other creative ways - marked day 15. One more day before we ride into Santa Monica! And these riders are doing whatever it takes to get there!


DAY 15 - End of day Effie maintenance. As we got ready for the final day 16, Willa and Cassidy Rodencal came to assist Athena and I. I have to say that having these young girls around wanting to learn and getting in there to be hands on was one of my best memories of this trip. Anytime I can share something I've learned with a young person, especially a young woman, it's such a blessing. These girls truly blessed us with their helping hands. Effie got SO MUCH love during this whole trip, and an extra special dose of it as we prepared her for her LAST DAY!


DAY 15 - #38, Rick...at the Ludlow cafe. I had to laugh at this photo...read the title of the book next to him. I'm only laughing because Rick is the oldest of the Ruffians, so he wouldn't get mad at me if I was amused at the geezer comment

Day 14 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Signs Along the Road” (Day 14)

Way back in 1925 young Allan Odell pitched this great sales idea to his father, Clinton. Use small, wooden roadside signs to pitch their product, Burma-Shave, a brushless shaving cream. Dad wasn't wild about the idea but eventually gave Allan $200 to give it a try.

Didn't take long for sales to soar. Soon Allan and his brother Leonard were putting up signs all over the dang place. At first the signs were pure sales pitch but as the years passed they found their sense of humor extending to safety tips and pure fun. And some good old-fashioned down home wisdom.

At their height of popularity there were 7,000 Burma-Shave signs stretching across America. The familiar white on red signs, grouped by four, fives and sixes, were as much a part of a family trip as irritating your kid brother in the back seat of the car. You'd read first one, then another, anticipating the punch line on number five and the familiar Burma-Shave on the sixth.

The signs cheered many during the Depression and the dark days of World War II. But things began to change in the late Fifties. Cars got faster and superhighways got built to accommodate them. The fun little signs were being replaced by huge billboards.

I copied the information above from a website: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/burma.htm because I wanted to share a little history on an American Icon that I got to see. The Burma-Shave signs. The site reported that “1963 was the last year for new Burma-Shave signs. No more red and white nuggets of roadside wisdom to ease the journey.” But I’m here to tell you that there are some out there along a long stretch of asphalt on Route 66, somewhere in Arizona. Unless I was hallucinating from the sheer number of miles we’ve driven to this point on Day 14, this is what we saw:

It’d be more fun
To go by air
If we could put
These signs up there!
Burma-Shave

He tried to cross
As the fast train neared
But it was for his death
He volunteered.
Burma-Shave

One who drives
When he’s been drinking
Depends on you
To do his thinking
Burma-Shave

If Daisies are
Your favorite flower
Keep pushin up
Those miles per hour
Burma Shave

Cattle crossing
Means go slow
That old bull
Is some cow’s beau
Burma-Shave

You can drive
A mile a minute
But there is
No future in it
Burma-Shave

I’d heard about these signs. It was really cool to see them in person, and it sure broke up that long stretch of road for us. Little pearls of wisdom along the roadway. Besides the Burma-Shave signs, the signs in general along Route 66 were pretty cool…from “Hippies Must Use Side Door” to cool old Greyhound signs, Mobil gas signs from days gone by.

DAY 14 - Pat was bummed when he saw the sign...HIPPIES USE SIDE DOOR!

Day 14 found a few of the normal breakdowns. We left from Flagstaff this morning in COLD weather, but it didn’t last long as we made the continual descent down into the warmer part of Arizona and headed across to Laughlin, Nevada. 221 miles today. We had the pleasure giving Jeff Decker a ride in the Team Effie van for a while. We got him to the lunch stop at Mother Lode Harley Davidson in Kingman, Arizona, where he met his crew and continued on. We came up on Bill Nugent with a flat rear tire on his replacement bike. He wasn’t on the Sears today. Effie and Cris were doing fine, just trying to stay cool after the some 50 degree temperature swing as they headed into the desert. Many of the riders have the cool vest that you soak in water and wear to keep cool while riding. Cris borrowed one, and reported it helped a lot.

Toast met back up with us in Kingman today. It was great to have her back on board! We missed her!

The next challenge was Sitgreaves Pass, which is considered the most dangerous part of Route 66. Riders were offered the opportunity to not ride the pass, but everyone gave it a shot. The pass was really twisty and steep – so of course you worry about the braking power on the old bikes coming down the back side of the pass. We started up the pass following some of the bikes, and it seemed like they were enjoying the challenge. For us in the van, the challenge was feeling really big on small roads with no guard rails (we decided this pass would be way more fun on a bike!), and Athena’s fear of no guard rails, along with her motion sickness problem. She gets car sick real easy. So I watched the edges and she just drove. This was a HUGE accomplishment for her. She conquered some fears for sure. And she called her husband Don when we arrived today to tell him how proud he would have been to see her maneuver the van through that pass.

DAY 14 - Athena and I at the top of Sitgreaves Pass. What a ride that was! Athena gets motion sick and has a fear of roads with no guardrails...and conquered ALL of that and then some on this stretch of road. I was really proud of her. A lot of this whole trip was about challenging ourselves and conquering fears.

At the bottom of the pass is Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is a fun place to visit - an authentic old western town with burros roaming the streets and gunfights staged on weekends. The burros are tame and can be hand fed. As the story goes, Oatman's "Wild" Burros are the descendants of burros brought there by the miners in the late 1800’s. When the miners no longer needed them, they were turned loose. Each morning they come into town looking for food. They wander the streets and greet the tourists. Burro pellets and carrots are for sale at many of the shops. Shortly before the sunset they will wander back to the hills for the night. We didn’t get to stay there long enough to feed the burros, but definitely they were roaming the streets and climbing the steps into the shops, and greeting the visitors. Strange site really.

DAY 14 - Look at the ASS in this picture. Hahaha. I mean the donkey in the background! I had heard about how the donkeys roam the streets in Oatman, Arizona, but I'd never been there. They do! And they even climb the stairs and go into the stores. It was a crazy thing to see.

About 20 miles out of Laughlin we found Rick McMaken, one of the Ruffians, changing his front tire roadside. Thankfully he kept the bike up when the tire deflated, and thankfully he had a spare. That night all of the Ruffians checked and many changed their tires for the last few days of this journey. It was the only time that there was stress and chaos at the Ruffians camp. These guys have been calm, cool, and confident this entire trip, but with a few snags and not the best equipment to get those tires changed in a parking lot, I really felt for them. I walked through camp and offered a good word. Actually I was praying silently over their camp as well. They’ve done so good, I didn’t want to see anything bad happen now.

DAY 14 - #38, Rick of the Ruffians, had a flat front tire right outside of Laughlin. But the Ruffians were ready and were able to change it roadside. Rick finished with perfect score!

We did the regular maintenance on Effie, and got to eat together as a team tonight. Got to bed by midnight and slept tight, until about 4 AM when some partiers were playing with the fire alarms. Oh well. I was exhausted so it didn’t take too long to get back to sleep, and added to the adventure of it all!

Couple more days left! Santa Monica, here we come! I haven’t wanted to say much to this point, so as not to jinx us, but I think we will make it across the finish line!

DAY 14 - SOMEWHERE ON HISTORIC ROUTE 66

DAY 14 - STOPPING FOR A REST ALONG HISTORIC ROUTE 66

DAY 14 - "YOU ARE HERE" the sign said even though I wasn't really sure where HERE was, but it was a cool place with a cool sign. Somewhere along Route 66 on day 14.

DAY 14 - Just in case you needed to catch a bus out here in the middle of nowhere, somewhere along Route 66

DAY 14 - Down through Oatman Arizona on Route 66

DAY 14 - Just getting into Laughlin after a long HOT day. If you were on a new bike and it was smoking like this, you'd be panicked. But on these 95-100 year old bikes, this is a pretty normal scene. Michael Lichter was there to capture the moment also.

DAY 14 - Effie crosses the finish line at the end of Day 14 in Laughlin, NV after a long hot ride. No major problems today for Team Effie though, so we were pretty thankful for that. Off to get her ready for day 15!

Day 13 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “On Fire! Not Literally.” (Day 13)

DAY 13 - We are getting so close to the finish line in Santa Monica, that we can almost smell the ocean air. Finishing is winning in this endurance run.

We were on fire today. No, not literally, well, we could easily have been at one point, but we weren't, let me explain.....

We are so close to the end of the journey. People are getting anxious, teams are stressed and personalities showing - sometimes clashing, bikes are TIRED, bolts aren't staying tight any more. Yet, there's excitement in the air too because we are nearing the end. It's a weird atmosphere right now. And first thing this morning, we faced some of those very issues.

We did all of our necessary daily maintenance last night, but when Pat took a test ride this am, for whatever reason, some of our chain adjustments went south. I happened to check the rear wheel just 15 minutes before takeoff, and it wasn't moving as freely as it should. I called Athena over and sure enough, the chain was too tight, and upon further inspection, the primary chain was way too tight also. No idea why other than it shifted during the test ride, or the adjustment didn't hold, or the extreme temperature change. Who knows? But we couldn't let Cris leave with Effie this way.

As we pulled out the tools, we tried to stay positive and not cause any undue stress. When Cris is ready to leave in the morning, she is very focused and anxious. She tells us that once she gets out on the road she lets her worries get carried away in the wind. But when something goes wrong right before she's supposed to leave, it can cause distress in all of us. Athena and I because we want everything to go well, not have her worry, and of course most importantly we need to make sure we've taken every precaution and checked every bolt so she is safe. Pat of course also puts the safety of his wife first. We had to re-adjust, there was no choice. And we needed to reassure Cris that it was going to be ok.

Ironically enough, Jim Petty, #55, who is now back on the road, had a rear brake issue during his test lap around the parking lot this morning. So, even though a delayed start can really suck, it all worked out. Looked like they could still ride together. We made the adjustments, and made sure we had a calm and assured rider. Everything was going to be fine. We just needed to take deep breathes and STICK TOGETHER because we are a team even when things aren't going as planned. These bikes are just plain tired. Bolts that haven't been taken out or adjusted in many many YEARS are being taken out and adjusted DAILY and sometimes more than once a day. The bolts are starting to wear and adjustments aren't holding as well. Things are bending from the stress of the roads they've traveled. Imagine taking your 95 year old grandmother out of her rocking chair, sprucing her up a bit with maybe some new tennis shoes, and then making her run 200 miles a day for 16 days in a row. Things are going to stop working so well, if you ever got her working like a 30 year old in the first place.

So, maybe an hour delayed, Cris and Effie, and Jim and his Indian named War Eagle headed out. Phew. Please God let the rest of this day go a little better. We were on fire...we went to work and got that repair done and off they went.

We got to gas stop 1, only like 25 miles out, and it looked rather chaotic. Vince Martinico and his crew, and even #44 Jon Szalay, were working on Vince's rear axle, making a new one somehow, because his had snapped completely off. Buzz Kanter was there, Selma was not running at all after a complete motor rebuild yesterday - suspected magneto problem. Cris and Jim were getting gas, and reported things to be ok, but Jim's rear brake was still not working great, and one of Effie's spark plugs had come out, but she got it back in. What the?!?! Come on!

DAY 13 - #53 Vince Martinico snapped the rear axle early in the ride today. This photo was taken at the first gas stop! After the morning we had, seeing this, I thought oh wow this is going to be a tough day. But as always, we all just did what we had to do to keep rolling. Vince got it back together and rolled in late tonight!

Smile. That's all you can do. Encourage the ones that are having way worse issues, and help out. So we loaded Selma into the Team Effie van and Buzz rode with us the rest of the day. We wished Vince well, we smiled and waved at Cris and Jim as they pulled out, and we kept going.

DAY 13 - Buzz Kanters beloved Selma got to ride in the Team Effie van today. Buzz made it about 25 miles after not being able to ride at all yesterday and Selma's magneto stopped working. We tried to cheer them both up. I think we did ok.

Then the next "comedy of errors" as Pat called it happened. Selma was leaking gas, and it was not only stinking up the van, it was making a mess. So we pulled over and decided to drain some gas out of her tank. Pat started the siphon process into another gas can, and thought the gas wasn't flowing out of the siphon hose any more, but it was....and next thing we know we have gas EVERYWHERE! On our luggage, all over the floor. So I flung open the side door and started throwing luggage out onto the side of the road, Pat started trying to dry up all the gas, Buzz and Athena jump out to try to help. We filled a garbage bag full of the gas soaked towels. It was a ridiculous scene. All we needed was a match and the whole thing would have gone up in flames. We put everything back in after the floor of the van was relatively dried up, opened the windows (there are only 2) and headed back out. Then we had to laugh at the situation. What else can you do? I was still tasting gas from breathing it in all day by the time we got to Flagstaff tonight. Athena's suitcase was pretty well soaked, so, guess what our hotel room smells like.
What will be next? Just wait, there's more.

We get to the lunch stop and find Effie and War Eagle parked next to each other just enjoying their break. We all had lunch together and things seemed good. Cris reported that Effie was running really great today! And thankfully there weren't crazy steep hills, so Jim wasn't dealing with the brake issue too bad. The scenery was beautiful. The temperature was comfortable. Nice.

DAY 13 - Effie and Jim Petty's Indian, named "War Eagle" resting together at lunch. They love each other. And Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod just moments after their rest.

Then apparently Effie had another plan. She was enjoying this relaxation way too much. She started up without too must protesting, but then decided that she would like a longer break. She broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod onto the ground just as Cris was backing her out. We looked at it all in disbelief for a moment...shocked really....and then, got to work. It was a NASCAR style pushrod/rocker replacement. Everyone just focused on the task at hand and we got the job done. We've never taken the tank off before, but we had to loosen it to do this repair, so we learned some things again, and in about an hour, we were back on the road.

DAY 13 - Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod. Effie, Effie, Effie.

So with cautious anticipation we made our way up to a peak altitude of 7750', through the Coconino National Forest, had a view from the road of Humphrey's Peak, the highest point in Arizona at 12,633', and down into Flagstaff, Arizona. We didn't arrive too awful late...but then how would I know that anyway, because the time changed again and I really am not sure what day it is. I called my dear husband Brian tonight, not realizing its midnight at home, and what would that make it here, 10? Of course he answered worried something was wrong, but really, I was just getting done with dinner. Where am I?

It was nice and cool here tonight, and I love the smell of mountain air. The cool felt good and we cherish it because it's supposed to be HOT as we travel down into Laughlin tomorrow.
Our time today, was kind of, how do I describe it?...Weird. Athena was reflecting on what it must have been like for the settlers back in the covered wagon days to travel across this same wide open space, heading as far as we've traveled on foot, or horse, or wagon, wondering what they would find over the next hill. We didn't have cell phone service most of today...not that that puts us on the same level as the settlers of the old days, but it disconnects you some from the constant emails and knock knock of work and home. Gives you time to do that reflecting. Pat put in the new Doobie Brothers CD, Buzz got a flip video of him singing along with his own songs. The windows were open so we got to have the wind in our hair today too, even though they were open because the van reeked of gas. So while it all seemed a little like the Twilight Zone for a while, it was balanced with peaceful moments too.

We went to dinner with the Ruffians tonight and did a few toasts to this journey. As I clanked my glass of ice tea with theirs I wondered for a minute what it's going to be like next week when I'm not a part of this every day any more.

Good night!
Laura Klock

DAY 13 - After all these days on the road reading these route maps, this is the first time that there was a cow drawing with the word MOOO next to it. I think the organizers were getting as delirious towards the end of their planning journey as we are as we close in on the end of ours. Moo.


DAY 13 - Effie wanted the lunch break to last longer so in desperation, she broke her rocker and spit out her pushrod. Effie, Effie, Effie.So, here we are, in a familiar pose, wrenching roadside. I guess we were in a parking lot today, so that's a little better. Notice the smiles though. What are you going to do? Well, in the Cannonball, you FIX IT and keep going!

Day 12 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “A Ducky Day” (Day 12 - September 22):

DAY 12 - JUST DUCKY! Ducky is our little yellow traveling companion and rides right on the dash of the Team Effie Van. Today Ducky was especially excited because this is his type of weather! The riders didn't agree, but he cherished the rain anyway. Quack

I've never traveled down Historic Route 66, so I was excited about that today as we started out. We are headed from Albuquerque, NM, to Gallup, NM. The weather started out cool, which is positive, but as we traveled, we headed right into rain. Not fun for the riders of really really old bikes that have total loss systems that dump oil onto chains...well, they get oil everywhere actually. Mix that with some rain water, and you're creating a surface much like a skating rink. Please Lord keep everyone safe today.

DAY 12 - We are on the home stretch and still putt putt putting along.

We came up on the Thompson Brothers right away. Magneto trouble. But they had it covered, so we moved on. Next stop, Dieter Eckel, #32, with a completely broken front fork. It snapped on him and he went down. He was ok thank God, but his bike was trailer bound. As we continued on the rain persisted and when we came up on the lunch stop, most of the riders were gathered there. Using the same creativity they use to hold their bikes together, they were fashioning rain gear from garbage bags, and plastic covers for parts that didn't work well with water in them. Determined to carry on.

DAY 12 - Second Team Effie Van sweeper stop of the day. Unfortunately #32, one of the Germans, Dieter Eckel's front forks simply broke. Dieter did go down, but was not hurt. They measured the skid and it was I think I heard 160'? I asked him if he was ok, and he said "just a few bruises". Katrin had to go on without him and she finished her day. Tonight they were searching for material to weld into the forks to get him up and running again. Quit? No way. Not in the vocabulary of the riders here.

The group was waiting to hear about a route change. Seems there was some road construction started that wasn't started when the route was mapped out. Then the re-route ended up being a road that was closed. So, ultimately, the riders had to be routed to the interstate, which is an endurance challenge in and of itself. But everyone made it in safe and sound, trailered or under their own power, all are accounted for.

Effie complained a little about the altitude and the water and did some spitting and sputtering today, but wouldn't you? We cut her some slack, and the team made some changes and adjustments, and prayed for clear skies tomorrow so Effie can get back out there and run like the wind, carrying Cris closer to the finish line. Cris and Effie are holding strong at #22 in the rankings with 2,146 miles officially logged. From the beginning we've stated a finish in Santa Monica is a win, and now that we are getting close to that finish, each day we just hold tight and keep running.

Buzz Kanter didn't get to ride today due to a motor issue, neither did Bill Nugent. When they heard of the road conditions and the rain slick surfaces, I think they felt a little better about not being out there if you can feel better about it. Buddy wasn't running either, but we expect to see all of these riders out there again tomorrow. Jim Petty slipped on a cattle guard and tipped, but picked his bike up and kept going, only to get a flat tire a little further down the road. Cris and Effie were riding with him and I'm sure could feel his pain as Effie had a rear go flat just a few days ago. Not much you can do but get it back to camp and fix it up for the next day. Just glad he was ok!

DAY 12 - Jim Petty #55 head a rear tire blow out today and had to be hauled in. So what do you do when you've worked for 2 full days to get your bike back on the road, and then once you do, your rear tire blows you? If you are a rider in the Motorcycle Cannonball, you FIX IT and get ready to ride again tomorrow!

One of Athena's favorite movies is CARS, so she shared some of that with me as we traveled down Route 66. She's been sure a great team member. Just imagine how well two women have to be able to get along to not have killed each other by now which is the 14th day we've been on the road, together, in the van, sharing rooms. She's truly my sister from another mother and we are both so proud of Cris and honored to just be here. There are no coincidences. I think we've solved most of the problems of the world...so if you have any questions, just let us know. hahahaha kidding.

I did a radio interview today from the somewhere along the road that will be posted on http://www.callingallsportssd.com/ if you're interested. It's always so fun to share the stories of the adventures we've been blessed with.

So, as the end of this journey nears, I'm wondering what it's going to be like to not navigate through my day with the roll chart maps and atlas in hand. I hope my family, friends, and employees will cut me a break when I return as I wonder around aimlessly trying to get re-adjusted to the life I left a few weeks ago. When I wake up in the morning and start to pack my suitcase to move to the next stop, I hope my husband will be gentle and say honey, you're home now you can stay here again tonight. :) I miss home and my husband and family and my pets for sure. Yet, to miss this would be to miss a trip of a lifetime and I think what I bring back with me will only make home even better and more cherished!

DAY 12 - Ok - I'm all for shameless plugs, but I don't think I could have planned this Klock Werks logo placement even if I tried.

DAY 12 - Riders today faced rain, rough roads, closed roads, re-routing because of the closed road, and then re-routing again, to the interstate, yet, you still see this. Sean Brayton #98 and Jeff Decker #21 have faced mechanical difficulties, injuries, tire issues..and they are still smiling, still finding creative ways to have fun..and here, creative ways to stay dry and warm!

DAY 12 - In the rain, towards the end of the day, on a very rough road, we found #36 Pete Young and his 1913 Premiere. If you've read any of my notes of the journey, you know that Pete and the Premiere are on our list of faves. Pete continued to try to get his bike running as the rain began to fall harder. We were last bike and last sweeper out on course. I got a call from Norm and he told me we had to load Pete in the van because they were closing the course for the day due to conditions. Pete looked at me as I told him, and said "let me try one more thing..." We've seen this out here. It's a look of I can't stop trying. It's a look of I know I can figure this out. It's a look of I don't want to fail. But nothing out here is a failure, that's for sure. We had to load Pete up...and we ended up having a nice conversation with him in the van that may not have happened otherwise. Everything is for a reason, and today we were supposed to spend some time with Pete and the Premiere. Athena is saving up money to buy it from him. She's smitten with the Premiere :)

DAY 12 - This was really something special to see today. Wayne Stansfield #3, who's held one the of the top spots throughout the motorcycle cannonball had a helper today. Willa Rodencal, one of Bill's daughters, in eager to help and learn.

DAY 12 - End of a long weird day. Ok for some, not so ok for others. At the end of the day, we all shared the shelter of the hotel entry as we did our maintenance to prepare the bikes for another day!

Day 11 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Determination Continues to Prevail” (Day 11 - September 21)

DAY 11!! - More fingers needed! GO TEAM EFFIE!! We are on the home stretch

Right away this morning we had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Jonathan. Jonathan and his dad came to see the bikes leave. We talked to him and took some pictures of him on the bike, encouraged him, gave him some stickers. That's one of the cool parts about this journey. The people we get to meet along the way, and the chances we have to share the story and inspire the young and old alike. For me, that really started the day with a smile.

DAY 11 - Future Motorcycle Cannonball rider! We met Jonathan in the parking lot before we left for Day 11. He was with his dad and I think they said dad pulled him out of school just to see the bikes take off. Motorcycle Cannonball...inspiring young and old alike all across America!

Clovis, NM, to Albuquerque, NM, is about 234 miles. Which should seem an easy ride compared to the last 2 days. Today Pat is driving the van, and Athena took a stab at navigating, so I thought, cool, I will take this opportunity to use my laptop until the battery goes dead and write day 9 and 10 since I fell a little behind. That went fine until I looked up from the computer from the back seat of the van a couple times, and got a little van-sick. Kind of like being sea sick. Not a good feeling. So, I rushed to finish it, posted, and shut off the computer, but felt sick for most of the rest of the day. Thankfully I didn't have to think too hard or pay too much attention to the directions today, so I stared straight ahead in hopes that I wouldn't have to ask to pull over. Note to self: be the navigator and stay in the front seat, and do the typing on solid ground.

The first bike we rolled up on today was #5, David Thompson on his 1914 Indian. He got it running, but it wasn't too happy, so we stayed behind him with flashers on until the lunch stop. Being a sweeper has helped us really feel a part of the whole experience. At times we are driving at 15-45 mph assisting and blocking for a rider. We truly do know what it's like to travel across the country at 45 mph, just like the riders do!

DAY 11 - #5 David Thompson and his 1914 Indian. He was having some carb issues and the bike was sputtering along ... he tried a few things and we followed him on to the lunch stop just in case he needed assistance.

Cris had texted that they were at Penny's Diner for lunch, so we joined them. What a cool place in Vaughn, NM. Fifties music playing and the whole deal. Cris and the Ruffians looked like they were having a nice day. Cris reported that a nut on the floorboard had come loose so they taped it up. She'd been checking it at gas stops because we'd been having trouble getting it to tighten. We were happy that that was all there was to report! How blessed are we that the worst we hear is that a bolt came loose? Go Team Effie!

DAY 11 - Penny's Diner...where some of us stopped to eat on Day 11. Somewhere in New Mexico. Vaughn, New Mexico I think it is! What day is it? what state am I in? and what time zone?

We traveled on what I believe is called the Salt Mission Trail today. When we went by it so reminded me of the Bonneville Salt Flats that my family and I returned from just a few days before I left home to meet Team Effie in Kitty Hawk, NC back in early September. It was nice to reflect for a moment on how truly blessed we were at the salt this year! What beautiful scenery out here even though you look ahead and the road just goes on and on and on.

Pat gave us a Pat's view on life report today and emphasized the need to "live in the moment". Athena and I listened intently, knowing there's a reason that we are all in the van together, both believing there are no coincidences. You never know where the exact words you need to hear will come from in a day, and today Pat had a captive audience. So much so we missed a turn and went about 20 miles out of the way, but that was probably part of the plan too.

At the end of the course today, we followed Bill Nugent closely and had to get out to push him and his Sears up the hill a couple times, but he made it. Bill is still doing Miles for Matt, and he's logged 632 miles total so far. If you'd like to pledge, let me know.

Team Effie arrived in Albuquerque safe and sound. Cris' brother Mark was there to meet her, along with Chopper Nick, Athena's husband Don's close friend that she hadn't seen in about 6 years. We have some Motor Maids traveling along with the ride right now too. Again we were greeted by a nice crowd of people offering encouragement, kudos and support. We continue to embrace the position we are in to truly inspire other women (and men) to challenge themselves. Cris has the very distinguished honor of representing women in motorcycling in a way that so honors our past, as well as has the opportunity to inspire and reach well into the future. On days when we've had a frustrating time, are tired, greasy, crabby, we are still faced with the opportunities to either be negative and miss the chance to share with someone or even to encourage each other, or be positive and truly inspire. If you can do an interview when you really feel like you can't, or if you can make it that last 10 miles when you feel like you don't have another mile in you, that's what people notice and see and that's what helps them look within and perhaps find hope to continue on with their own challenges in life. People want to live vicariously through you when you have the opportunity to do something really cool. Athena and I pick up those wrenches every night...not sure if the maintenance will be routine or if we will find something we might have to ask for help with, but we look forward to those moments we have to ask, because then we learn something new. And all along the way we get opportunities to share that knowledge and pay it forward. There are times when maybe dropping an f-bomb would temporarily offer a release, but there is a certain responsibility we have when we are given so much opportunity. We CARE about how our team is perceived. So we smile. How blessed are we to be here?!? I remind myself that there's probably someone in the trailer right next to us that is experiencing something so much worse, so, suck it up, and endure during this endurance run. "To whom much is given much is expected."

I'll let the pictures tell you more today. As always, be sure to check out the http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/ website for scores and updates.

DAY 11 - Athena and I with Urban Hirsch. Urban and his crew had 3 bikes here, numbers 71, 72, and 73. They faced challenges the entire time, but kept the spirit of the Cannonball alive...continuing to persevere each day. Today, at the start of Day 11, Urban told us that he was heading out but he would see us along the way. I'm sure we will see him at the finish line...whether it's to greet everyone as they finish, or to ride across it himself.

DAY 11 - Buddy Stubbs #42 and his 1915 Excelsior with sidecar...he's riding today!!! Buddy has been on the trailer off the trailer on the trailer off the trailer.I give him a big hug whenever we have to help load him up Go BUDDY!

Godspeed,
Laura Klock

Day 10 - Motorcycle Cannonball Run

LAURA ON THE ROAD WITH TEAM EFFIE – “Putt, Putt, Putting along” (Day 10 - September 20)

We touched 3 states today (Monday, September 20), the longest day of the run at 293 miles. I can only speak for our team, but I know we entered into it with a positive attitude, but also wondering if it was going to be another day like yesterday, which was trying and exhausting. I’m happy to report that for us, it wasn’t. It was really very calm and peaceful. Which was such a blessing. We crossed the plains of Texas which was surprisingly scenic. The sky couldn’t have been more blue, and we were able to ride up into the pack a little further today because there didn’t seem to be as many bikes pulled off to the side. Bonus! I got some great photos of riders we haven’t gotten to see yet and we had a relaxing day. A day to ponder, breathe in the beauty around us, cherish..

DAY 10 - Smiles to start the day even though we didn't know what to expect from 293 miles..the longest day of the journey. Turns out, it wasn't as hot as it was thought it would be, we didn't have any major problems on Team Effie, and as sweepers today, we weren't even doing roadside repairs. For us, the day was....peaceful, ironically enough.

We saw four tarantulas crossing the road today, Athena was excited to see her first tumbleweed, and Pat taught us all about bees after Athena shared that she is allergic. Seems he’s studied them quite extensively. Who knew? I texted my daughters about the tarantulas. They thought that was incredibly gross. EEWWWW. But then Erika said “take a picture of one and text it to me”. Sorry love, I’m NOT getting that close to a tarantula. And the rest of the day when we stopped roadside, I was completely freaked out about walking in the grass.

If you’ve never heard of Gloria Struck, an 85 year old super cool lady who joined the Motor Maids in 1946, you should Google her and read more about her. She’s one of those ladies that you just can’t get enough of. She entrances you with her stories from all her years of riding, and blesses you by sharing what riding has meant in her life. One of her stories is about a TT race that she entered many years ago. She was the only woman and she was on a bigger bike, with the men in the race on “woods bikes” (I had to ask what that was the first time I heard the story, and learned that a woods bike is a dirt bike). There was dirt and mountain roads, ice and snow...and these guys continued to pass her. When she tells the story she explains how she just kept “putt, putt, putting along” not letting any of it bother her – another would pass her, and she’d putt putt putt along and when she turned the corner she’d see them wiped out because they were going too fast. Gloria won the race that day with her perseverance and her putt putt putting along and she tells that that is the most cherished trophy she has.

That story came to mind yesterday because as we rode up further into the group, that’s what I saw and was reminded of. The putt putt putting along. The weather ended up cooler than we expected, the roads were nice except for the first 20 miles or so. And the riders were just putt putt putting along.

We saw Bill Rodencal out there finally, Jeff Decker, Jon Szalay, Bill Nugent was riding doing “Miles for Matt”. The German couple was stopped and we thought “oh no” but when we stopped to assist and asked if they were ok, they said “just taking our daily photo.” And they had chosen a beautiful spot to do so. Urban Hirsch was out there for a while. He eventually ended up on his trailer, but it was good to see him putt putt putting along.

DAY 10 - MILES FOR MATT!!!! #27 Bill Nugent has Matt Olsen's number 85 on his Sears and is asking for people to pledge an amount per mile that he rides, and the money will go to Matt to repair his Sears that he crashed on early in the run. Or for medical bills, etc. Anyone interested? Who knows, money collected might get Matt to Santa Monica to be there on the finish line to greet the Cannonballers! Matt is at home recovering in South Dakota right now.

Cris was riding with the Roughians again today so that in itself gives us a sense of peace. We know she’s in good hands and it eases our minds. We eventually caught up to them in Tulia, Texas, population 4700. They had found a diner called Dorothy’s. We went inside and joined them and they all seemed relaxed and to be enjoying the ride today. So deserved. These riders and crews don’t have the word quit in their vocabulary and to have a nice calm day…you could read on their faces how special it was. We were told that “you haven’t lived until you’ve had fried Okra at Dorothy’s” so of course we had to try it. It was good. I’ve now lived.

It wasn’t long before the local newspaper crew was at Dorothy’s with us wondering what is going on. This was not a hosted lunch today so it was rider’s choice as to where they ate and took a break – so they didn’t know about the Motorcycle Cannonball nor expect these bikes to come through their town. I can just imagine the phone calls going on in town when antique bikes were lined up in front of Dorothy’s. “Mable, something’s going on down at Dorothy’s you better get over there!”

As with all the amazing people we’ve met along these roads, they were very welcoming and so happy that a few from the group stopped in their town. They were extra excited when they learned that Pat Simmons from the Doobie Brothers was one of the people they were talking too. It’s been fun hanging with rock star Pat. Some know right away who he is, some don’t, some just look at him like “I know you from somewhere” but can’t quite pinpoint it. He’s a regular guy and it’s been fun getting to know him. He’s very humble and always willing to stop and talk, sign autographs, take a photo. A gracious man indeed.

We finished at High Plains Harley Davidson where we were welcomed by a crowd once again.
Cris and Effie did great today. It’s so good to see Cris smile. Of course she loves it best when Effie is completely happy, so it’s been a process to come to a point of accepting that Effie needs extra TLC is all. Effie is just old and with these bikes, there’s always some sort of adjusting or tweaking needed, even as you putt putt putt along. As Cris and Effie have bonded, it seems that that is happening. It seems that most of the bikes are running better and better as we go. I could feel that in the crowd today. While we still heard of problems reported – Dale Walksler had his front cylinder seize and walked his bike a mile and ½, Buzz Kanter had a motor problem, but they are all fixed up and back on the road today.

Seems nothing is impossible out here. If something breaks, you fix it. If you need a part you find it. If you can’t find it, you make it. Vince Martinico had to use a spring from a 350 Chevy, Jon Szalay has a rod from a caterpillar fork lift in his motor. It’s story after story after story of amazing spirit, quitting not being an option, and absolute ingenuity.

DAY 10 - Starting out from Oklahoma to Clovis, NM

DAY 10 - #44, Jon Szalay has quite a story. Today, we were absolutely thrilled to see him out on the road! GO JON! He looks happy to be there too. See/read more about Jon on http://www.motorcyclecannonball.com/. Buzz Kanter did a cool video about him. This man has a lathe in the back of his van. He's serious.

Godspeed,
Laura Klock