Miles 2228 to 2310, 82 miles, 4300 feet of climb, max speed 39 mph, avg speed 14 mph
Today was the evil twin of yesterday. The 0% chance of rain got me soaked twice and the brisk north wind made me cold even with a windbreaker on. The hills? We probably had 50 hills over 10% grade and another 20 hills over 15%. It was a truly a small ring day. (The small ring is like using the low gear in a car; high rpms but little speed – but you do get over the hill). I didn’t walk up any hills; which surprised me. There were some real buggers. I am not denying the beauty – oh my – this is a beautiful land. The sun this morning was very bright and illuminated all west facing pictures. That didn't last long.
There were two wonderful chances to meet people today. At breakfast I talked to a mom and daughter who had driven up from Mississippi in search of Amish merchandise. The daughter’s husband drove the truck along with their son, and her mission was to buy anything Amish (furniture to quilts) that they could sell in their store for a profit in Jackson, MS. They were ready to shop until the truck was full. The second encounter was much more local. At mile 75 I was dog tired and wet. I noticed a yard that was well maintained and full of flower gardens, and rode up the driveway in search of a spot to get out of the wind. The owner, on his John Deere lawn tractor, came by and asked why I would pick such a road as Hwy 11 to ride on. That started the conversation, and was one of the best rest stops all day.
Today was the evil twin of yesterday. The 0% chance of rain got me soaked twice and the brisk north wind made me cold even with a windbreaker on. The hills? We probably had 50 hills over 10% grade and another 20 hills over 15%. It was a truly a small ring day. (The small ring is like using the low gear in a car; high rpms but little speed – but you do get over the hill). I didn’t walk up any hills; which surprised me. There were some real buggers. I am not denying the beauty – oh my – this is a beautiful land. The sun this morning was very bright and illuminated all west facing pictures. That didn't last long.
One of the nicest spots on today’s ride was the town of Linneus, MO. There were so many photo opportunities. The water tower in town looked like ‘Sputnick’, the college on the main corner of town like a country courthouse, the depot looked ready for rail passengers, and the town’s national historic site, the county jail, had two wonderful ladies working hard to make a museum out of it. They were so sweet and posed for a picture. Just north of town was a wonderful Amish type barn, and the houses along the way were decked out for the 4th of July.
There were two wonderful chances to meet people today. At breakfast I talked to a mom and daughter who had driven up from Mississippi in search of Amish merchandise. The daughter’s husband drove the truck along with their son, and her mission was to buy anything Amish (furniture to quilts) that they could sell in their store for a profit in Jackson, MS. They were ready to shop until the truck was full. The second encounter was much more local. At mile 75 I was dog tired and wet. I noticed a yard that was well maintained and full of flower gardens, and rode up the driveway in search of a spot to get out of the wind. The owner, on his John Deere lawn tractor, came by and asked why I would pick such a road as Hwy 11 to ride on. That started the conversation, and was one of the best rest stops all day.
Bottom Line: Today was ‘big pretty’ but it had a ‘big price’. Nobody has any energy left this evening. Most spent the time before dinner napping.
Dave C is back from China and I heard about his trip this morning. I've enjoyed your blog but I look forward to catching up face to face. Have a good ride tomorrow. May it all be downhill!
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