As some of you know I have had some trouble carrying bicycles to California. Last year we lost two bicycles from a hitch-mounted carrier in Burlington ON, the first night of the drive to Palm Desert. The Thule bike rack ($800 installed) straps broke let go of the bikes on the QEW at high speed. They were both subsequently run over by a truck, completely destroying them.
Two years before, we had two wonderful bikes in roof mount carriers, and sheared them from the top of the car going into the covered entrance at a hotel in Effingham IL. The roof racks were busted and stripped from the car. One of the bicycles ended up entering the back seat of the car through a side window, and I was totally humiliated. I reassembled the car with duct tape and we continued on.
Yesterday we set a new Appleton distance record for bicycle carrying. We are in Springfield Mo. We have beaten last years distance of 164km by 1526km, and the previous record of 1150km by 540km. We are at kilometre 1690, and we still have the bicycles. We are smug. It is the same bike rack that let go last year but with a couple of non-Thule improvements.
Tonight they will be in Amarillo TX (home of the 72oz steak). Speaking of the 72oz steak, you can get one at the Big Texan, and if you can eat it in one sitting, it is free. How good is that!
