A few items I learned my first week cycling across America.
First and foremost: There is an abundance of wonderful people along the route. Willing to go out of their way to help a stranger. People genuinely interested in someone taking on an adventure.
When planning such a trip, actual ups and downs and weather as well as distance need to be at the top of the list of things to consider when planning out stops. The two books I read from people who have cycled across America (one a group of middle-aged people and the other a couple in their 50’s) did not mention the importance of really checking into the terrain and checking into the weather on a daily and weekly basis. I will be re-evaluating the rest of my adventure based on both terrain and weather. My original itinerary is basically only a guide.
Now for some comments about today’s ride.
The wind was nasty today. Peddling into it added a good 2 hours to my ride. I was amazed at how much a head row of trees can break the wind. They’ve become one of my best friends when riding into a headwind. Too bad they are not along the whole route!
Now for the question of the day: If under light or windless conditions, I can ride about 13 mph, how fast can I ride with a 20-25 mph headwind?
But I made it just fine to Phillipsburg. Headed to Mankato Kansas tomorrow.