Day 21 - Mount Pleasant, Iowa to Pekin, Illinois

The physical impact of averaging over a hundred miles a day for the last three weeks is being felt in two seemingly contradictory ways. On the one hand, my body is worn down and I'm sometimes even a little unsteady while walking after the day is done. On the other, I can feel myself getting stronger.

The psychological and emotional impact is interesting as well. While I am amazed at what I've been able to handle, I'm also on the edge mentally and emotionally. I start each ride by checking the cue sheet and especially the distance. This morning, for example, I had it in my head that we were "only" doing 132 miles, which I thought was a nice relief from the 141 yesterday. The weather forecast was good and while we wouldn't enjoy much of a push from a tail wind, we wouldn't be fighting into a head wind either. For some reason though, when I checked the cue sheet and saw that I was in error, that we were actually doing 139 miles, I sank into a foul mood. It was only 7 miles... but I was emotionally worn down.

It was especially important not to have bad conditions today. I'm sure I would have done the miles, but it would have been a horrible day. As it was, I rode through my dark mood. I cut the ride up mentally into slices. As I do on most days, I'll note when we only have a century left. And then I'll work on focusing on the next stop or lunch. The scenery and roads were better today as well and we saw some interesting things as we left Iowa and entered Illinois. By the end of the ride, around mile 117 I missed a turn and rode an extra two miles as a result. By then I was feeling good physically and emotionally, even though I was exhausted.

We crossed the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa. The first picture is downtown Fort Madison, which is nice, but like a lot of small midwestern towns seemingly struggling to keep its population and its commerce. The bridge we crossed to get to Illinois was the old BNSF bridge that has a car deck above the rail deck. We crossed the bridge and then stopped for a picture at the Welcome to Illinois sign. I posed in my maize and blue! I even got a "Go Blue!" from a passing car. After riding through some nice rural areas, we saw one of the state's growth industries... a correctional facility. Finally, we crossed the Illinois river and I stopped to get a picture of the barges from the bridge at Pekin, where we are spending the evening.

Day 20 - Colfax to Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Today was about rain and wind and mud... it all added up to a very long day on the bike, but one that was also a lot of fun as people rallied together to make sure everyone finished the ride safely.

The morning started well. I rode with Lon Haldeman for a little while and even enjoyed a nice draft as he easily pulled about six of us over the hills as we left Colfax. But the weather forecasters were right and the rain started about mile 10. The storm was moving east and south, which was the same direction as our 141 miles course. So... we rode in the rain. No problem. Until we came to a construction site and had to wait for around ten minutes for an escort car, which was enough time to get a good case of the chills.

Lunch was scheduled for mile 68, which is earlier than normal, but luckily just where I needed it, since the real storm, complete with lightning, howling winds, and pouring rain started just as I pulled into the lunch stop. The crew was busy weighting the canopies down with every cooler and other heavy items they could find, while others continued to prepare lunch for the riders as they came in. Some got caught in the downpour. They took their lunch in one of the trailers in an effort to shake off the chills.



I waited until the storm blew through and set out again in the lingering rain. It finally stopped around mile 85. Luckily, the air was warm enough to prevent people from getting the chills and we were able to shed some of our rain gear. The roads, for the most part, were in good shape and despite the rain and wind, I made good time. One road in particular was especially nice because it was closed to through traffic. With the exception of some rough patches under repair, the surface was good and the only vehicle that passed was the lunch trailer. Made me wonder why the road was closed.

I discovered why the road was closed when I got to around mile 100. I was coming down a hill and saw two cyclists pedaling up the other side while another person appeared to be sitting down on the road, which seemed weird. As I got closer, he yelled at me to carry my bike and consider taking off my shoes and socks as well. The pavement was separated by a mud pit. He had carried his bike through, but left his shoes on and was trying to wash off his cleats in large mud puddle. I decided to take shoes and socks off and carry my bike. The feet in the picture are mine. I washed them off in a mud puddle and then took pictures of my fellow riders navigating the mess with their bikes and shoes in hand.

Day 19 - Denison to Colfax, Iowa

It was a little odd getting started this morning without Dave, but the routine has almost become second nature. We started off with the standard oatmeal, bagels, danishes and also enjoyed some scrambled eggs with peppers. Forecasts called for another warm day with a moderate headwind. The prospect of a headwind for 134 miles does make one consider crawling back in bed or sagging in one of the support vehicles, but off we went into the cool morning air. I think I've lost some weight on the ride despite eating everything I get my hands on and this picture may prove it... I'm a shadow of my former self. And that's the last thing that was funny about today! (At least I think it's funny...)

After some initial climbing out of the Denison area, the world turned flat. The roads ran from poor to almost dangerous. While the traffic yesterday was modest and drivers were courteous, there was more traffic today and the drivers, especially the truckers, were apparently angry that they had to work on a Thursday. The best was the gravel hauler who couldn't wait to pass and nearly created a head-on with another semi coming in the opposite direction. I guess he was worried the rocks he was carrying would spoil if he delayed his trip a few seconds. But the roads left the lasting impression... my body felt as if I'd been rolled in a barrel or tumbled in a dryer for a couple of hours. (Oddly enough, the Felt didn't creak once...)

In the midst of all the jolting roads and ear drum shattering air horns, we did ride on some new, smooth pavement where one of the weirdest things I've experienced on a bike happened. I was third wheel in a pace line with Bob Lewis at the front. Bob keeps a steady pace and we were moving along at about 17 or 17.5 mph into a light headwind over new asphalt. The temperature, the breeze, the whirring of the tires were... well... very soothing. My legs were turning the pedals over, but I actually felt myself nodding off. I've done this in the car before (who hasn't?) but never on a bike. I guess I need a little more rest? The only picture worthy scenery besides some calves butting heads and a beautiful young horse running along with us, which I wasn't able to capture with the camera, was the Des Moines River, unless I missed something during my nap...


The day ended with my group and couple of other riders independently making a wrong turn and having to backtrack into Colfax. The GPS on the Blackberry came in handy as we tried to sort out our error and avoid additional miles. So, feeling beat up and tired, I made it to Colfax and arrived at the Comfort Inn to find that at least for this evening, I have a room to myself. I walked across the street to the MacDonalds and enjoyed an Angus Burger with a large fries and a giant iced tea. And best of all after finishing my meal, I returned to the hotel for an hour long massage! After 19 days in the saddle, my legs, shoulders, feet, and hands were a bundle of knots. I thought about getting a picture of me on the massage table, but decided instead to show the remnants of my feast at the golden arches. I meant to take one before the meal, but was so hungry I forgot.

The last picture this evening is of the map that is displayed outside one of the support trailers each evening. It tracks our progress across the country. Things tend to blur together on the ride, so it is good to have the map to put things in perspective. We've gone quite a distance, but have much more to go.

Day 18 - Vermillion, SD to Denison, IA

Bittersweet day...

After three long, rough days we were treated to near perfect cycling conditions as we left South Dakota and entered Iowa. The roads were smooth and clean and the scenery much improved from our last two days. The cold front that moved through overnight swept away the heat and most of the humidity. We enjoyed temperatures in the 80s and the wind at our backs when we turned south. Western Iowa is well known by cyclists for its rolling hills and we rode many "rollers" as we traversed the day's 127 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing.

I was treated with a visit from Mary and Ed, who drove up from Omaha and had dinner with me and visited for a little while. Olivia is at a dance camp at the University of Kansas, so she wasn't able to make it, but I know she still cares... We had a nice dinner with Rick, another rider, at a local restaurant. I had the chance to introduce Mary and Ed around and show them some of the Pac Tour operation. I really enjoyed seeing them and miss them (and Molly and Moose) very much.

On a less happy note and after considerable deliberation, Dave ended his ride today and returned to Omaha to be with his family. He rode with us to Denison and enjoyed the ride, but he knew his heart was no longer in it for the long haul. He didn't anticipate the extent to which he would miss his family when we embarked on this journey. It was a pleasure to ride with him for over 2,000 miles. He was a great roommate and friend and I'm going to miss him as the rest of us continue east.

I'll end today's post with a few pictures. The first is a sign I'm sure all cyclists would like to see on the side of more roads. I have to say that the drivers in Iowa seemed to genuinely care about the safety of cyclists and took caution when passing, especially on the rolling hills. As opposed to the woman in the white minivan in the oncoming lane yesterday who decided that she couldn't wait to pass the vehicles in front of her as we cycled by in the other direction. It continues to amaze me that some people aren't willing to sacrifice a few seconds of their day to make sure they don't put cyclists and other drivers in danger.








One of the hazards of cycling in the heat is that the combination of sweat and sunscreen can combine to make hands and water bottles slippery. A dropped water bottle in a group of riders can cause serious harm. A dropped water bottle on a quiet rural road in Iowa on a day when everything seems to go right doesn't threaten anyone with harm and rolls gently into the hay collected on the side of the road so that its careless owner doesn't have to climb down into the drainage ditch to retrieve it, but can simply reach down from the edge of the pavement and return it to its rightful place.

Our last SAG stop of the day was in a small town called Ricketts. Some of the local kids turned out to watch the cyclists roll in and out. In the meantime, they checked out the bikes, helped themselves (with permission) to snacks and drinks, and chatted with us as we ate and re-filled bottles. One little girl in particular was a one woman welcoming committee. She chatted with everyone, offered to help fill bottles, and took pictures. Her name is Savannah and she was another bright spot on a very good day.

Day 17 - Mitchell to Vermillion, SD

Fresh off back-to-back 140+ mile days, we were treated to record temperatures, humidity, and a brisk south wind. Our route was a mix of legs directly into the wind and some easterly jaunts that gave a little relief from the wind, but couldn't make us any cooler. Temps soared into the 90s and the heat index in Vermillion was reported at 102. All in all, this may have been the most taxing day on the bike thus far because of the heat. At an early stop I received a most excellent gift from another rider who was done wearing the ice bag on her head. It may look silly, but it felt really good. The key to the day was taking on as much fluid as you could and giving yourself a cooling shower over the head from a water bottle on occasion. Dave even filled his jersey pockets with ice.




The scenery was more of the same today, so I don't have much in the way of beautiful pictures. Unlike yesterday, we did actually enjoy some decent downhill runs, which gave us the chance to improve our rather anemic 14.8 mph average. The road seems to stretch out forever when you're hot and tired. I rode most of the day with my jersey open, like the rider in the picture. It provides a little more cooling, but hot, humid air is hot, humid air. What we should have done is followed the example of our bovine friends who knew that the only place to be on a day like this was in the pool.




The highlight of the day was that Doug Semisch joined us for the last 50 miles of the ride. He and Karen are vacationing nearby and she dropped him off in Lesterville so he could experience a little PacTour fun. As Doug said as the day wore on, quoting a line from Pauly in one of the Rocky films as Stallone's character gets ready to fight a bout "I thought I wanted to be you... I don't want to be you." Yes, we seem to be a world away from the pleasant temperatures, generous tailwinds, and beautiful surroundings of western Montana. But we were happy to see Doug, who brought fresh legs and a willingness to pull us through some of the most difficult stretches into the headwind. The picture, unfortunately, is from the top of a steep hill and Dave is ahead of Doug, but we want everyone to know that had it not been for Doug, I know I might have just sat down on the side of the road at mile 104 this afternoon. Thanks for the pull and thanks for dinner!!

Doug even posed for some other photos along the way as he flatted just after lunch and then had to be pumped up twice along the way into town. I was happy to have the break each time, but it would have been nicer had he flatted in some shade! Regarding the picture to the left, I think Dave is wondering why Doug still has his BRAN number on his bike. I know Scott Smith leaves his on to impress women, so perhaps Doug is following his lead??




We're heading to Iowa tomorrow as her begin our trek across the midwest. We're pleased to see that the forecast calls for storms tonight, cooler temps tomorrow, and favorable winds.

Day 16 - Murdo to Mitchell, SD

Today's post will be brief unlike our day on the bikes. We set out from Murdo this morning knowing that the temps were already rising and the wind was already blowing. Our 145 mile ride turned into a ten hour day. The conditions limited picture taking. Actually this had to be the least scenic day of the trip thus far anyway.

One of the daily rituals is loading bags onto the trailer, which can't happen until the atomic clock on the trailer door shows the appropriate time. On a long day like today, people are anxious to get started, so there was a line up this morning. It may sound strict, but having things well organized and structured really let's everyone focus on the tasks at hand when necessary and enjoy cycling the rest of the time.





We crossed the Missouri River today at Chamberlain, SD. It was nice to see the river, since it means we're getting closer to home. We ride to Vermillion tomorrow and then to Denison, Iowa on Wednesday. Will be nice to see some family and friends before we head across Iowa and points east. We've put the two longest days behind us now, but still have many more 100+ mile days ahead. It is easy to get discouraged after a day like this where we fought the wind all day as the heat and humidity sapped our energy. A number of people "sagged" or got picked up in the support vehicles to get to Mitchell. No shame in that on a day like this. Dave and I slogged it out and were pleased to completed the ride albeit later than some of our fellow riders.

The stop at mile 121 in Plankinton included the opportunity to have an ice cream. Dave passed, but I ordered a cone. Not such a great thing to eat when it's so hot. It began melting immediately and quickly made a mess of my hands and face like a little kid. The twist cone hit the spot though and fueled the remaining 24 miles nicely.

Dave wanted to let everyone know that his ankle has been good on the bike as long as he doesn't have to get out of the saddle and pedal. It's still a little tricky walking around in cycling shoes, but he's doing well.

We've got no other maladies at this point, but things are getting a little sore here and there. For me, the biggest point of concern today was my feet. After about 10 -15 miles after each stop, they would begin that tingling, almost burning sensation that some of you who bike have probably experienced. I'm hopeful this was something that will pass, but we'll see.

Day 15 - Rapid City to Mudo, SD

Yesterday was a rest day... a leisurely 45 miles in and around the monuments in the Black Hills. Today was not a rest day... 149 hot, windy, bug infested miles through the Badlands and across the plains of central South Dakota. Our ride started earlier than usual to accommodate the longest mileage day of the tour. Up at 4:30 instead of our usual 5:30, we rolled out of bed and made our way to the parking lot for an excellent breakfast of sausage and eggs in addition to the usual fare. The morning temps weren't as cool as we have become used to, but that was a sign that today was going to be a warm one.

OK... we said we'd answer questions today, but we're going to postpone that blog post another day or two since we're both exhausted and we haven't come up with enough witty replies. But we will answer Gary Schmidt's question, since we know this is an issue that is acutely important to him. Yes, Gary, we have enjoyed a cold beer after the ride on a few days.

We typically roll out of town in groups of three or four, but this morning at least one large group formed and fifteen of us pedaled away from Rapid City along Rt. 44 (Omaha Street in Rapid City) towards the airport. I was happy to sit in and let the strong men pull as Paul and Phil might say. They apparently weren't interested in pulling us all the way to Murdo, so we broke into smaller groups and I joined five other riders in a nice rotation that helped us make decent time despite the winds. Dave joined a similarly sized group as well. Eventually, we ended up riding a good portion of the day individually.

The heat was bad... the winds weren't helpful as they had been on many previous days... but the real negative on the day was the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of grasshoppers alive and dead that littered at least a hundred miles of our ride. They would jump up, flutter, or fly when you rode by. Some met their demise quickly by pinging off a spoke. Others hit riders in the face, ears, chest, legs, everywhere. I had my jersey open because of the heat and only narrowly missed a direct hit on the nipple (for those who have heard my dragon fly story). Dave had two get stuck in the vents of his helmet. A few landed and decided to ride along. One rested on my shoulder for a few moments, but the two in the picture I tool while riding were the bravest. There's a large one on the bottom of my shoe and a small one on the crank arm. The small one rode with me for over 20 miles, probably too scared or nauseous to let go. I even stopped and took a picture of one on the black top at the top of today's post. They ranged from 1 inch to about 2 inches and were everywhere.

The Badlands were interesting, but not nearly as spectacular as some of the scenery we've enjoyed earlier on the ride. I've attached a couple of pictures of the Badlands and one of the seemingly endless road we followed today. We paralleled the Interstate on a frontage road that was nearly devoid of traffic, but covered with bugs.

Day 14 - Custer to Rapid City, SD

Sorry for the delay in posting the update for Day 14, but yesterday was indeed a "rest" day. Apparently unusual for PacTour to give a day where you actually have a choice of routes and time for touristy activities. Dave and I chose the shorter of the rides (45 miles v. 70 miles) and headed to the Crazy Horse monument, Mount Rushmore, and then into Rapid City. We figured with eight 100+ mile days behind us and the longest day of the tour (149 miles) coming up the next day, we'd be better served by pedaling fewer miles. In the end, I think we made the right choice and got plenty of climbing and some fast descending along the way.

One highlight of our rest day, other than seeing Crazy Horse and Rushmore, was meeting up with Dave and Patrick Sumrell, who were out in Rapid City for a cycling and fly fishing vacation. They met up with us in Keystone at lunch and rode to Rapid City. Dave had been stationed at Ellsworth AFB a few years ago so he knew the roads we were riding and was happy to let me try to follow his line down Neckyoke Road. It was good to see them and hear about Patrick's success in a local time trial. You'll need to ask him about that at the next shop ride. If you look really closely at the picture you can see Rushmore between Dave and Patrick, who were sporting Bike Masters jerseys.

Dave and I were invited to have dinner with Jason Kingsbury and Kristin Petersen at their house in Rapid City. We also met Noko, their Rhodesian Ridgeback, who as my wife Mary would say, is a sweetheart. Kristin and Jason treated us to an awesome dinner on their deck and let us do some laundry. All of this one week before they are hosting friends and family in their beautiful backyard for their wedding! Congratulations and best wishes to them. Jason is one lucky dude.










Dave made an interesting observation that a number of other people agreed with - that Rushmore is more impressive from a distance and appears quite small once you get close. Of course, it might appear smaller from close up because of the increasing size of the people around you at the viewing platform. Dave especially enjoyed the Crazy Horse monument has been since high school interested in the Lakotas and Crazy Horse in particular.





With the short day, we arrived at the hotel before our rooms were ready and walked across the street to Sonic for frozen treats. Dave had an exploding Cherry Limeade and the server was slow to bring napkins, so Dave made good use of the little fountain in the seating area and washed his hands. To be honest, I missed the actual washing, so the picture was staged so this important event could be recorded for posterity. I'm not sure how he dried his hands, but at least they were clean.

Day 13 - Gillette, WY to Custer, SD

We've reached South Dakota. We won't go to Spearfish, where I was born, but we're spending the night in Custer so we can tour around the area tomorrow to see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

The ride today was long, but aided by a nice tailwind out of Gillette. The early part of the ride wasn't too bad, but certainly not the most scenic we've had. We were warned about mine traffic as we headed out of town. The picture is of a large coal plant east of Gillette. The good news was we had a tailwind for the most part so the pedaling was a little easier and it was quiet enough to have some conversations along the way. I rode with Gerry and Greg and chatted with them for awhile. The interesting thing is that Gerry is 70 and Greg is 17, which covers the age spectrum for our group. Gerry has done a lot of ultra-endurance riding over the years. This is Greg's second cross country tour. He rode from Portland to Savannah last year.


Dave and I met up at one of the stops, which was at a replica frontier village on the side of the highway. We really haven't seen much touristy stuff on our trip just yet, but know that it is lurking in the Black Hills across the South Dakota border. I'd like to say we sat and rested a spell, but we grabbed a bite to eat, applied some additional sun screen and chamois butter, filled water bottles, and headed down the road again.



The roads were in good shape and not too busy once we got out of town. One stretch in particular had everyone smiling. 8 miles of smooth, newly paved highway with a good 15 - 20 mph tailwind. Lunch in Newcastle was great and the wind helped us again until we started the bulk of the days climbing at around mile 85. For those of you who have done the Mountain Goat rides with Bike Masters, think of today's ride as a 75 mile warm up and then a Mountain Goat! Climbing got more intense as we entered South Dakota.

Dave has been noting the various changes in terrain, surroundings, etc. Today he said that the clouds here in South Dakota seem to be different from those we saw in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. They appear to him to be larger, taller, and fluffier. I suggested that the clouds here aren't much different from those we get back in Nebraska this time of year as storm clouds start to build in the afternoons. He's not convinced. If we see some of these clouds tomorrow, I'll be sure to take a photo...

One thing you might note in the picture of us at the South Dakota border is that someone took the liberty to exercise their second amendment freedoms and shoot up the sign.







We ate dinner this evening at a restaurant called the Purple Pie Place, which had nice dinners in addition to great pie. The whole place was painted various shades of purple and they even grew rhubarb by the patio where we ate our dinner. Dave had the strawberry rhubarb and I had the cherry. Both were great. There was a pig on the front porch. A sad commentary on today's society, when you can't leave your purple pig on the porch without bolting it down. Speaking of purple... right across the street from our hotel is Fred Flintstone Village complete with an enormous statue of Dino. Things have gotten just a little tacky.

Day 12 - Sheridan, WY to Gillette, WY

Well, we made it to Gillette, the self-described "Energy Capitol of the Nation." Today was a recovery ride for virtually everyone. One wouldn't typically think of 112 miles and 4,200 feet of climbing as a recovery ride, but after yesterday, it was nice to cruise along over the rolling hills.

The weather was perfect for our ride and we made good time on good road surfaces.

One of the coolest things for me thus far happened this morning after the first stop. The guys I had been riding with were in more of a hurry than I was and left before I was done snacking and chatting. An ice cold Coke, some Cadbury chocolate, and some turkey jerky made me linger. I left as the next group of riders showed up and pedaled along on my own for the next 26 miles. Somewhere along the way I was thinking about what day it was and had absolutely no clue. I puzzled over it for a moment, thought that since I knew it was day 12 I could calculate back and figure out what day it was, but decided I really didn't care. It was a great feeling.

Dave was disheartened about the transition from blue and green rivers to brown rivers. The terrain looked a lot like the sandhills in western Nebraska, but on a larger scale. We got to see some antelope, but other than that today was kind of boring. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, especially given everyone's interest in dialing it back a little.







We're at another Super 8 motel this evening and it's not bad. Dinner at a local Mexican restaurant was tasty and the ice cream bars we got from Don's Super Market were a nice way to top off the day's caloric consumption. Dave also got a massage, which is a nice way to end a long day on the bike. I think Bike Masters should consider having a massage therapist on staff. Now that would be totally outrageous service. (Smith, you'll have to ride more than 34 miles to get a massage though...)

That's about it for today. We're heading into South Dakota tomorrow. The rest of the pictures should give you an idea of the terrain and roads we traveled today. Especially the first one, which shows the road winding back and forth as it goes up and down until it reaches the horizon. At least you can see where you have to go! The second picture is a BNSF train as it passes through Clearmont. The last picture is a perfect example of a butte, which according to Wikipedia is smaller than a mesa (yeah, I know... Wikipedia).


We're planning to do some pictures of the various bikes on the tour, which are about evenly split between carbon and titanium. There are also two recumbents and one tandem. As well as Waterford with the prettiest paint I've seen on a bike. We'll dedicate one of our posts to the bikes soon.