European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes saturday july 19,1986 biking across the Usa by Steve Polston staff writer Frankfurt How do you get across the slates on a bicycle in 30 Days 11 took Derrick Hir Chhom Guu $450. Repair Kils Irish hags maps and a Liti Schelp from his friends. Hir Chhom 22, a computer science he Dent at old Dominion in Virginia hike across the United Stales May 13 to june 12. In an Odyssey thai began on a Lark. Old Dominion s no. 2 men s Tennis player Philip Griswold Hir Chhom s Roommate and one Lime seventh ranked player in England s under-18 division came into the room one Day and said do you want to ride a Bike across the slates isaid sure i knew when i said in that i wanted to do in but knew there was also a Chance that we d just forget about in and would never do in. Hirsch Nom said. A one Lime third place Dodds Cen trial european High school wrestling Champ from Frankfurt High school Hir Chhom said he was recovering from mononucleosis when he made the trip. When we went i was recovering and wanted to be a shape for inc so in True Hir Chhom fashion he stance running and swimming. He did ride from Frankfurt to he pyrenees mountains in France once and there were some Shorter trips. The trim dark muscular Hir Chhom is obviously fit to make that trip across sic states but claims that anyone with the determination no matter what their physical condition can do the same. They May not average a Hundred Miles a Day. Al May be 75 or so or even 2j, but they can do in he he say 100 Miles in a Day yeah he and Greswold made their ,3,120-mile journey in. Ing 100 Miles. A few Days we did Only 75, but Hal was because of Many tire problems he said. To make up for it they hiked 130 Miles once and some Days 100 to 120. Thai s 3,120 Miles from Virginia Beach va., 10 Muir Beach near Sausalito s through the appalachian mountains and Kentucky Indiana and Illinois to St. Louis Kansas City Denver Salina Utah arson City and san Frans Isop. Travelling from sea to shining sea for the two meant being at the Continental Divide at Loveland pass Goto almost 12,000 fee where if you spit East it goes to the Atlantic and if you spit West it goes to inc Pacific Hir Chhom said. That Means the Muscles in your Back cramp up and you gel calluses on you hands. And your rear end hurts All the also Means sleeping in a two Man tent really Only big enough for one and in Hir Chhom and Griswold s Case taking five showers and swimming in two pools in 30 Days. It Means you heir appearance Hirschhorn said they had no problem getting per Mission to swim in a Public Pool that had just closed Greswold is Good at talking Hir Chhom said we were awful grungy. But we were on the other Side of the fence.,."besides slinking it Means you la sleep just about anywhere. Although they had a tent and slept on the lawns of Many churches they sometimes found a empty House or a garage. A family in Kentucky took them in and let them take a Shower and have a bed up stairs much to Hir Chhom s Surprise. Philip Cheswold left and Derrick Hir Chhom Lake i break from averaging 100 Miles per Day for a month. They covered 3,110 Miles. There was something about Eastern Ken Lucians that gave him the Zeebie Jee Bies. Maybe it was because an off duty policeman just inside the Kentucky Border and North of Hazard county asked them do you have a piece i did t know what he meant Hir Chhom said. We were very naive when we started this ii turns out they did t need a piece gun but thai did t Slop them from feeling frightened. There was something about the kentuckians. They were helpful but not really he said. There was something that said get out. You re not from around perhaps in was All the posted. No trespassing signs they saw. Aboul a week into their trip they made it to Lexington by they did their Laun dry for the first Lime. That first week was the hardest part of the trip he said not really physically since the hardest part was the first few Days but psychologically. He always wondered Why he was doing in. The wondering was t always a ques Tion. Perhaps it was More an attitude. The attitude meant that instead of get Ting up Al Dawn which lasted about As Long As you think it did they d get up Ana on the Road around 8 or 9 . We d hear the alarm but in s easy toe it things off he said. It s kind of like ving an 8 o clock class at school. It s pretty easy to just blow it they d usually go 1 ack to sleep for a few hours. On a Alq a Day budget the two ale a lot of sweets drank a lot of Coke and ale aloof doritos Mcdonald s breakfasts provided Many needed carbohydrates. When they began their trip they ate hoi cakes for breakfast. Hirschhorn remembers eating two orders wondering if he could stuff Down another bite. By inc end of their trip eating four orders each was no problem. How often did they cat about eight or nine times a Day Hirschhorn said i say eight or nine be cause we ate whenever we they ale fruit canned Stew and Beans. In was real blazing saddles " he said. Even when they finished their trip their metabolisms were so seeded up they could eat More than the average human should be allowed. But pointing to a photo of himself that Greswold took on their trip Hirschhorn said Sec. Pretty he said his ego has grown larger be cause his Muscles Are More defined than when he started his trip. Sometimes in was ego that kept him going. "1 saw Phil up there ahead of me and wanted to keep going because he was. It was probably the same for him. I also wanted to finish because i said 1 Hirschhorn said he Learned Little about himself. Finishing the trip Only proved what he already knew he could do. The trip taught him a lot about geography though. When they say it s fall it s not True he said referring to Indiana Illinois missourian Kansas. In May look Flat from a car but in s not when you re on a you seem to notice these things when your legs pedal a Hundred Miles in a Day when you sit on a leather scat not nearly big enough for your rear end and you grip your hands around a Metal bar no bigger than a seem to notice when you re on a two wheeled piece of hell that is easily blown off inc Road by passing trucks when you feel every bump on the Road when you re doing it for 10 to 14 hours a there arc Miles and Miles to go before the next town. Hirschhorn and his buddy travelled with about eight Gallons of water each Day and often wondered whether they d make it to their next town they really began wondering when they were in last Chance Colo., and their next Chance was More than so Miles away. He said travelling in that part of the country was easiest because it was the most Flat. Kansas City was the pretties City i be Ever get by with a Little help from your friends. In Kansas City they stayed with inc Mother in Law of rear . Lower half David Bottorff. Friend of friends. In the Rockies which Hirschhorn said were easier travelling than the appalachians he was ill. Phil and i thought it was probably because of the thin air. Phil did t have any trouble because he they Rode through the Eisenhower Tunnel at inc Continental Divide in a pickup truck because of Hir Chhom weakness. We wanted to ride our bikes through even walk them but they would t let and Griswold rested at a Model in Silver Thorn Colo. Their suit had a Jacuzzi and Cost $14. Prices Are negotiable they found out. Look Greswold said to the Motel clerk we re on a $7-a-Day s a real trooper Hirschhorn said. Much better in people situation than i desert travel was t too bad since the dry heat was t As oppressive As the High heat and humidity of the East coast. God i hate this Road this Bike. Wham i doing this to myself he remembers asking. Because it s there he said with a Grin. Sometimes he just wanted to make it to the Pacific because he wanted Tothrow his Bike , did he throw his Bike into the Ocean no he kept it. He was so relieved to have made his learning that he could do it could make the trip he told everyone he could make he Learned practical things too. Especially Hal Irish bags Are Good for breaking the wind wrapping sleeping bags since the Back wheels throw up water on the packs and for keeping the body dry when in Rains he said he does t have immediate plans for anything quite so wild As his trip across the country but is still keep ing in shape. For what i Don t know. Just whatever comes along i Hope to do something positive for Mankind. This rip did t really mean anything. I want to do something for for others planning the same Type of journey across inc states he said he advise a different route. More northerly because in s flatter. Or from West to East because the wind is at your so Hir Chhom How do you gel across the country 3,100 Miles on a bicycle you re just going from Point a to Point and you Mina your own
