Day 24 - Anderson, IN to Troy, OH

A recovery day... 85 miles, but a recovery day still the same. We even got to get up and start later than usual, but with the time change to Eastern time, it was a wash. In any event, the route was flat again and the roads were, for the most part, good. The weather was mixed and we got rained on, but the cloud cover was welcomed and the light and variable winds allowed us to spin easily and still maintain a respectable 17.7 mph average for the day. It was nice to get to lunch and know that I only had another 14 miles to go as opposed to 70.

We crossed the Ohio border at mile 50. Not much of a welcome as you can tell by the sign, but at least there was a sign. Recall that from Idaho into Montana, we only knew that we crossed the state-line because the paved surface disappeared. Because of the rain and the fact that our stop was just beyond the border, no one stopped at the sign for pictures while I was there, so I snapped my own shot. With the rain and lack of any interesting scenery, I didn't take many pictures today. I almost stopped to get a picture of a white, but wet and dirty, Newfoundland dog, but I couldn't gauge his willingness to have a photo taken. It did occur to me along the way that one could be dropped onto a rural road in Iowa, Illinois, or Ohio and you probably wouldn't be able to tell where you were.


But one thing did stand out. Rumble strips. In Iowa and other states, the departments of transportation often put rumble strips on rural roads to warn drivers of upcoming intersections and stop signs. Usually there are two or three sets of strips to give the drivers sufficient warning. In Ohio, and I'm only speculating why this is the case, there were no less than nine sets of rumble strips before one intersection. I'm guessing the Ohio DOT has realized that the citizens of the buckeye state need a little more prompting for their critical thinking skills to kick in than their counterparts in other parts of the heartland.


If you read last night's post, then you'll recall that I reported that the bike is doing well and that my tires are holding up nicely. Well... after lunch on the run into Troy, I was riding with Bob again and we were catching up to a pair of riders in front of us when Bob pulled away. Pedaling became more difficult and then I felt the tell-tale bouncing of a slow leak in the rear tire. Fortunately, Brian and Rick were kind enough to stop and help. Others, however, used the opportunity to make a few Michigan jokes (since we're in buckeyeland), and one recumbent rider, who shall remain nameless, offered a hurtful "boo hoo" as she glided by. It seems that I have endeared myself to the PacTour group in a few short weeks the same way that it took a couple of years with the Bike Masters group.



I'd like to give a shout out to Matthew and Jackson, my nephews, in Tacoma, Washington. I understand from their mom that they've been keeping track of my journey. I hope they are enjoying the pictures and the stories and are inspired to explore the world around them on bikes when they are old enough to do so.