Riding for Science

Welcome to the web account of my Coast to Coast bicycle ride! My name is Jim Lehman, and I am a physics teacher from Richmond Virginia. This blog will let you follow my adventure as I ride my recumbent bicycle across the United States. I am doing this for several reasons:

1. I am riding as a challenge to myself as I celebrate my 50th birthday
2. I am compiling data on a daily basis which I will use as the focal point of classroom lessons in physics and GIS, two of the subjects that I teach at Mills Godwin High School
3. I have restless leg syndrome, and this seemed like a good way to treat it! Really, I just like to ride, especially long distances
4. I missed out on a coast-to-coast ride back in my youth, and never got over it

Each day, you will find an narrative account of the day's ride, some pictures, and some mapping information based on data from my GPS. One innovative element is my intent to capture images every 15 seconds of my journey, and assemble them into a movie, which has never been done yet according to internet searches.

Here is a picture of my "cockpit" showing my GPS, digital camera, and controls.


My equipment includes:

1. Bicycle: Easy Racers Tour Easy recumbent; 27 speeds, set up for hills rather than speed
2. GPS: Garmin GPSMap 76CS color display, barometric altimeter, mapping software, using MotionBased data service for analysis of each ride segment
3. Camera: Olympus Stylus 410 digital. The only waterproof digital camera with remote control and external power capabilities. Camera is powered by 4 "D" nickel metal hydride batteries so it can run all day. 1GB XD memory card to hold up to 1000 pictures per day. shutter rigged to trigger every 15 seconds using a home-built timing circuit. (See " Hacking your Digital Camera")