ELKADER, IA
DAY 28 JUNE 24 89.1 MILES
Whoever invented the bicycle deserves the thanks of humanity.
Lord Charles Bereford
The ladies of a local church prepared another excellent breakfast for us this morning and two of us left immediately afterward to have a head start on the others. The road was good, the hills not too tall and we were seriously enjoying the magnificence of the morning. There was only one problem. About 6 miles into the ride, my riding partner suddenly stopped. He had noticed that we were headed in the wrong direction.
After backtracking those 6 miles, we were now at the rear of the pack instead of the front and we spent the balance of the day playing catch-up. Fortunately, we later found a shortcut which cut about 8 miles from our route so the end result was not too painful.
Actually, we wished that we could have continued on the incorrect route because that road was far better than the correct one. These hills were longer and steeper, and there were open cracks in the road every 15 to 20 feet for at least the first 40 miles. I later joked that I had received a concussion from all of the bumps--and some thought that I was serious.
The last 20 miles of road was much more cooperative. The pavement was much better quality and the hills more reasonable so the day ended on a higher note. Once again, however, the wind was not a factor.
I realize that pavement costs a considerable amount of money. However, I believe that there may be sufficient funding to pave only a 3 foot swatch on the right side of the road so I would have a nice, smooth surface on which to ride. Is that asking too much?
Tip: There have been significant advancements in bicycle technology in recent years. Why not go out and purchase a new bicycle? You certainly deserve it!
