Below is an archive of guestbook entries I received and sent when this journal was posted at the Crazy Guy on a Bike website.

CycleBlaze (where this journal is now) allows comments for each day’s entry and for each individual picture, if you’d like to leave a note.

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#1: Glad to see you are on your way again! 
 By Aaron Bransky (arbransky) on Tue 23 Jul 2013 11:18 
Hope you have more good adventures during the "home stretch". That was quite the bridge you rode over the Missouri. Those open deck grating bridges give me the willies! 

#8: Re: Glad to see you are on your way again! 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:43 in reply to #1 
Aaron, 
Thanks for the good wishes. This bridge at Decatur, Nebraska, didn't bother me any. Its rise/fall is gentle, and the guard rails are high enough. Though it did seem like the floor sections were held in place by just gravity. 
Jeff 

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#2: Ioway 
 By Bob Elias (BobElias) on Wed 24 Jul 2013 12:45 
Greetings from Tallahassee, Fla. Typically during the last full week in July (17 out of the last 20 years) you'd find me with 10,000 of my closest friends riding across the Tall Corn state. Not this year, though. So to ease the withdrawal, I've been following along at home. Saw your journal and the reference to Alvin Straight made me smile. Loved the story, loved the movie (particularly Richard Farnsworth's portrayal of Alvin). I even went to his former residence when RAGBRAI rode through Laurens a few years ago. Props to you for paying your respects! Good luck the rest of the way, and safe home! 

#9: Re: Ioway 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:46 in reply to #2 
Bob, 
Sorry I wasn't able to get back to you on-the-road (couldn't log-in to CGOAB with the outdated BlackBerry). Nice hearing from someone who knows about Alvin Straight without having to tell the story to them. The Straight house was gone by the time I made it to Laurens on a previous trip. My trip across Iowa was more "Alvin Straight-speed" than "RAGBRAI-speed". I enjoyed talking with the RAGBRAI participants I ran into, but I'm thinking that scene is not for me.  
Thanks for your good wishes. I did make it safely back home (as you know). 
Jeff 

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#3: Bike touring content sharing 
 By Jennifer Pinarski on Fri 26 Jul 2013 09:28 
Hello Jeff,  
I work with Birchbark Media, where I am a content writer and community manager for adventure travel companies. One of our clients is Arizona-based Pure Adventures Travel. You may know them as Discover France, a tour company specializing in self-guided travel. Earlier this year Pure Adventures was formed to offer cyclists self-guided vacations outside of France. Though self-guided travel isn’t new, not everyone understands exactly what it is and how it works. To help fix that, Pure Adventures did two things:  
1. Asked cyclists who their favourite bloggers are; and 
2. Wrote The Beginner’s Guide to Self-Guided Cycling Adventure Holidays, a book to help- travellers book their own self-guided holidays.  
And that’s where you come in. After asking cyclists on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, BikeJax came up as a trusted blogger. I'm hoping that by sending you a copy of our free e-book, you could read and write a review. The Beginner’s Guide to Self-Guided Cycling Adventure Holidays is an unbiased guide for anyone who wants to learn more about booking their own vacation, with dos and don’ts and questions that you should ask a tour operator before booking your self guided trip.  
I'm a blogger too and receive similar pitches for book and gear reviews - I know time is always valuable and that bloggers have day jobs too!. I'm hoping that with the e-book being short and SEO-friendly, a brief review is something you're able to lend a hand with. The guide is on the Pure Adventures Facebook page under the e-book tab or I can send you a PDF - just let me know what works best for you.  
We're also adding new content all of the time to the Pure Adventures blog, which is syndicated on Huffington Post on their travel vertical. Could we get in touch with you for your thoughts on bicycle training, touring and travelling for use in our blog posts? We also encourage you to share any of our content that you think your readers might find helpful.  
I look forward to hearing from you soon!  
Cheers,  
Jennifer Pinarski 
Birchbark Media 
Create - Connect - Engage 
Office phone: 705-745-9343 
174B Charlotte St. Peterborough, ON Canada K9J 2T8 

#10: Re: Bike touring content sharing 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:50 in reply to #3
Jennifer, 
Thanks for contacting me. Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I didn't know much about adventure travel companies, and found the Pure Adventures site interesting. Thanks for asking for my input on the Beginner's Guide book, but that's something I'd rather not do. I'm not a "normal bicyclist". I don't ride the right bike, wear the right clothes, or eat the right food. I even have a hard time staying on the route I made for myself ahead of time. My "training" is the first few days of my trip. Writing isn't easy (or quick) for me. I make lots of mistakes while on trips, and wouldn't want anyone getting hurt (or worse) following advice I'd offer. 
Best wishes to you and Pure Adventures on future publications/adventures. 
Jeff 

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#4: Best Wishes 
 By Thomas Quinn (tuuma) on Sat 27 Jul 2013 10:29 
Hi, Jeff,  
Just a short note to say how much I'm enjoying your journals!  
Cheers 
Thomas 

#11: Re: Best Wishes 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:51 in reply to #4 
Thomas, 
Thanks! While on-the-road, I imagine only family and friends are reading my daily trip reports. It was fun finding out someone else was also.  
Jeff 

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#5: Nice to bump into you! 
 By Shane Powers on Sun 28 Jul 2013 18:57 
Hey, cool to see you wrote about the party bridge. I'm glad we shared a cold one and got to hear your story. Such an adventure! I can't wait to do one myself! For now I'll follow you on Crazy guy. Best of luck!!!  
Shane 

#12: Re: Nice to bump into you! 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:54 in reply to #5 
Shane, 
Thanks for signing my guestbook. During my bike trips, everyday has a highlight. On that day for me, the highlight was running into your party. I was needing a break, and couldn't have had a better one. 
While on-the-road, there are always concerns about where I'll be staying each night. That day, you covered all the bases for me. Thanks! 
Jeff 

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#6: Tiskilwa 
 By Aaron Bransky (arbransky) on Sat 3 Aug 2013 13:08 
Glad to see you've made it to Tiskilwa. Pretty ride through there, isn't it? We really enjoyed that stretch: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?pic_id=1205318  
Hope you have a great couple of days on the home stretch. 

#13: Re: Tiskilwa
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:56 in reply to #6 
Aaron, 
I did enjoy my ride on the Hennepin Canal Trail. I took lots of pictures, up until it started to rain. 
Jeff 

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#7: Welcome home! 
 By Shane Powers on Tue 6 Aug 2013 10:58 
Jeff! Glad to see you made it without an incident! Except those blasted broken spokes!!! Glad I got to meet a guy that's done a crazy guy on a bike tour. I read all your entries. So interested in doing my own one day!!! I enjoy reading the reports and I caught up with you in the last few days... So I had to wait for the updates! Such an adventure!  
Your party bridge friend, 
Shane... 

#14: Re: Welcome home! 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 8 Aug 2013 09:58 in reply to #7 
Shane, 
Thanks for letting me know you were following along. Fortunately, spokes were no longer an issue by the time I was in Iowa. And the weather couldn't have been better for late-July/early-August in Iowa. 
There's lots of good preparation and route information to glean from journals of others at the CGOAB site. Let me know when you start your trip. 
Jeff 

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#15: I'm a Jeff Teel fan 
 By Todd Jackson on Mon 2 Jun 2014 06:04 
Jeff, 
Have finished reading all of your journals now- really enjoyed them all. Was so sorry to hear of your dad's passing. My condolences. 
Am going to miss checking in and sharing your journeys. It's almost been like following a television show; getting to know all the characters and situations (your family and friends, your bikes and their issues, your meals, etc...). 
Really have the utmost respect for you and how you tour. You're an inspiration. 
And, frankly, I find so much in common with you: the beauty of flowers, landscapes, sunrises and sets, buildings, bridges, and ice cream. Also, our ages and family situations are similar. 
Thanks, again, so very much for sharing your journeys.  
I hope you're on one now, this being your traditional touring time. 
I'll be checking in occasionally to see when the next one is posted. 
You're friend on two wheels, 
Todd Jackson 

#16: Re: I'm a Jeff Teel fan 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Fri 6 Jun 2014 16:36 in reply to #15 
Todd, 
Thanks so much. Sadly, I'm not on a trip right now - not enough vacation time saved up yet. I've been doing some math, and figure I will be able to go on a short trip (four weeks) next year, and a longer trip (eleven weeks) in 2016, pending approval of my leave requests. In the meantime, I've been enjoying "being on-the-road" through others' journals, as you did mine. I'm adding your email address to my “bike trip report recipients” list, so you’ll get the latest news as future plans develop. 
Jeff 

#17: Re: I'm a Jeff Teel fan
 By Todd Jackson on Wed 11 Jun 2014 09:44 in reply to #16 
Jeff, 
Thanks for responding to my two guestbook entries for your journals. I just figured out how to look for your responses. 
I know how touchy it is trying to figure out a way to get away from "regular" life for a bicycle tour. Thanks for adding me to your email list for any upcoming trips you take- I appreciate it. 
And, thanks for your photo of your "new" Schwinn. I'm sure it will serve you well. 
I'll say one thing, you've reminded me how important it is to go slow. You see SO much more that way. And isn't that the whole point? 
Many thanks, and good riding, 
Todd Jackson 
Des Plaines, IL 

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#18: A Great Time 
 By Kris on Mon 2 Mar 2015 16:18 
Jeff, 
You may not believe this, but I really had a great time travelling with you, as your navigator/travel agent/weather person, on your Tri-Point Journey. I just wish I could have eaten all of the pies and cinnamon rolls with you!  
All of your photographs are beautiful; it's hard to pick a favorite. Thanks for the neat perspective of the rural Midwest.  
I'm looking forward to our next trip! 

#19: Re: A Great Time 
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Mon 2 Mar 2015 20:28 in reply to #18 
Kris, 
Thanks for the guestbook entry, and for your faithful help during my trips. I'm grateful you are willing to help with the next trip - I always seem to get off-route at some point. 
Jeff 

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#20: Valparaiso Technical Institute 
 By Lee Hite on Mon 9 Mar 2015 20:01 
Hi Jeff, 
I saw your post about the bike trip to Valpo and the return overnight under the overpass. I would like to get in contact with you regarding our newsletter. 
Lee Hite 
Valpo Tech 
K8CLI 
Class of 1964-1966 
March 9, 2015  
Thanks 

#21: Re: Valparaiso Technical Institute  
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Tue 10 Mar 2015 10:35 in reply to #20 
Lee, 
I didn't know there was a Valpo Tech newsletter, but found it today. I enjoyed reading all the news and seeing the pictures - very well done! Thanks for letting me know about that. 
Jeff 

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