Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Three Types of Ragbrai Riders


This was typed a few days ago, but my internet has had some issues.  

Yo.

Well, I survived the entire trip (even, Ragbrai).  The thing that lots of people don't know is that Ragbrai is a lot like a traveling city, complete with shops, eateries, and a carnival.  The whole design is that riders pay so that they can travel from one side of the state to the other via their bike, with nearly every possible accommodation provided to them throughout the course of the day.  What a lot of people may not know is that Ragbrai is broken down into three (stereotypical and general) categories, racers, pacers, and baggers.  

Racers are the riders that tend to leave very early in the morning, have high class gear (racing bikes and equipment), tend to blow through towns, and try to arrive at the end town as quickly as possible. Racers enjoy the first batch of all the food vendors, the cleanest facilities, the first showers, and prime camping spots.  They like to use Ragbrai as a test of fitness, or a weeklong workout on cleared out roads.  

Pacers are the riders that leave early to mid-morning, have nice gear, are generally family based riders, stop frequently, enjoy the second round of food, good facilities, showers, and camping spots.  Pacers are usually groups or teams that enjoy a little more of the social side of the ride then pacers, but still enjoy riding more than the other parts.  

Finally, the baggers.  These riders tend to leave late morning to early afternoon, have a variety of bikes (from really pricey to unique to junky), stop often (shade trees, free beer stands, water slides, and anything free or interesting), get the last of the food, clean facilities, showers, and camping spots.  They are called baggers because they usually carry their supplies and/or beers with them throughout the trip.  They can ride totally self-contained or partially.  Partial baggers not only carry gear and beer with them, they often belong to a team that has a support vehicle that is there to find their campsites, and support them.  These teams enjoy long days of socializing, and are typically the last ones into the end town.  

There is no group better than another and it is up to you to determine the group you fall into.  All of these groups are there for the same reason, the enjoyment of riding and sharing that enjoyment with others.  When Ragbrai week comes around people truly reveal a lot of who they are without any shame or judgment.  Crazy hair, facial hair, jerseys, costumes, painted nails, wigs, and an assortment of accessories color the landscape of the road, towns, and pubs.  People wear anything from kilts to jumpsuits to tutus to skirts and everything in between. Bodies and bikes are covered with temporary tattoos, markered sayings, and whatever else people would like to decorate themselves with.  It really is fun and interesting all at the same time.  Ragbrai is people from all walks of like, relaxing and enjoying themselves without the burden of the typical daily grind.  

Tomorrow I'll deliver a breakdown of the latter part of the trip and some final insight from Ian before he shoves off to return to TX tomorrow.  

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Finally Internet!

Sorry followers of the blog, but tent city (the camping grounds on Ragbrai) has not been kind to our phones.

Brief Recap:
Day Zero- bus breaks down twice. People quit before it starts and we get in at 4:15am.

Day One- three hours of sleep but a great ride.

Major happenings since then:

I got heatstroke and dehydration. Tried to ride it off but ended up having to sag a day to get back to square.

Met a guy riding across the country to raise money for pancreatic cancer. He lost his best friend after taking care of him for a long time. His website is Mona rides or something like that. Google him, support his cause.

Have met people that have read the blog, they have all been really cool.

It has been hot. Like 120 with heat index hot.

It has been windy. Like 20 miles per hour headwind.

Big storm last night. We were betting on which tent would blow over. We watched the madness from a pavilion in tent city.

We rode 98 miles and just got in. I'll be sure to report more info tomorrow as we'll have a late start and we have a host house with our friends Nolan and Melissa Determan.

Tomorrow is supposedly adding 5,000 to 10,000 more riders due to the short day and star at a big city. We'll see.

More tomorrow, hopefully!

Until then,

KRS



Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Prologue

The day before Ragbrai is usually one of the most interesting days of the tour. We typically meet in DM at noon in a Walmart parking lot. Team members from all over congregate in the lot and hangout until it's go time. This year was supposed to be better (more promptness and faster departure), but in true Strangebrew fashion it was the same old song and dance.

Background- our bus has never left on time. Last year we got to the end town at like midnight, a few years before that, 3am. Something always goes wrong. We've had no breaks, an engine overheat, various engine line issues, someone doesn't show up in time, we forget something, or a random act of God. Today, the bus blew a tire.

Ian, Andrew Strom, and myself are still waiting in Lawton, IA. The bus is supposed to be here in an hour and a half, but we'll see. I also wonder what kind of shape they'll be in when they get here.

With a long drive from DM, several coolers full of drinks, rum punch, and a variety of other beverages the ride can be very entertaining. For instance, Andrew "Stank" Holland text me and said they have already broken out two a capella renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" so I'm assuming things are back on track.

Tonight should be a good celebration of getting the team back together again and joining up with Team Medium Pace. I'm interested to see what happens over the next few days and what we see along the ride tomorrow.

Tonight's Threat Level: Midnight.

Get Vertical.

Strangebrew Rides.

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Friday

Sorry about the lateness of the post.

Yesterday was our last recovery day before getting ready for 'Brai. We did something's around the house for Ian's mom and more or less just kind of hung out.

In the early evening, we went to the Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA baseball team) game. It was a great game, four home runs, 17 runs scored, and held at a beautiful stadium. We went tot he game with Jared, his wife, and her friend. A great group of fun people. After the game we went to a local establishment to kill time before TE big movie.

Ian and I went to see "The Dark Knight Rises" in Omaha at the midnight showing. I felt the movie was great, but I had also been waiting eagerly since "The Dark Knight" for it to be released. As an aspiring writer the movie was a treasure.

The Nolan brothers writing tied all of the loose ends up from not only within this movie's storyline, but the previous two. Not only are you introduced to several new characters, but you are introduced to a situation that could be very real in today's world.

Throughout the movie you are introduced to the symbolism of not only the characters, but the plot of the film. It is tied very tightly to the emotion of the viewer and keeps you engaged throughout the screening.

I felt the acting was strong throughout. While it was a lot of story to be brought into the time frame of a film, I feel that it was done well.

I refuse to comment on the action involved in the movie, but want to express to you that the emotional toes you'll feel throughout the motion picture are there because of the superb writing and action. There are several major plot twists and ending that to me was a blind side.

If you are a fan of comic movies, movies of the human experience, and character development, I strongly encourage you to see the film.

I'm sure all of you by now have hear I the tragedy that occurred in Colorado, but an individual. I just want I reiterate what I said on Facebook and twitter because I feel strongly about it.

I am not a saint, I am not a moral compass, or passing judgement at this time. I just feel that in light of the current event, that we all need to look inward and be the shinning light that we have to potential to be. It doesn't matter your race, ethnicity, creed, or orientation, we all have to power to be the positive change we want to see (and need to see) in the world.

I refuse to believe the world is in inherently bad and that we are fighting a losing battle. Think of all the instances in your day you can do positive, great things. Concentrate on those and not the things the media forces upon us. Work within yourself to make the world better. This is the only place we have right now, and together I wholeheartedly feel we can make it better.

Tomorrow is the ride out to Ragbrai. I'll be sure to make a post in the morning explaining how the dynamic with the blog will change, and the events of this evening. Stay with us as there will be more stories to tell from the road.

Have a great night.

Until next time,

KRS

Friday, July 20, 2012

Dark Knight

We just got back from the midnight showing in Omaha, so today's blog post will be postponed until tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Inaugural JIK Cavalcade Endeavor Awards


Good evening ladies and gentle-men (Joker voice).  We are gathered here this evening to present our Inaugural J.I.K Cavalcade Endeavor Awards and issue our thank yous.  Don't worry the blog isn't over, we still have Ragbrai to document (which will be an entirely different beast to write about, but entertaining nonetheless).

Recap.
Today Ian and I didn't really do anything (well anything productive for society).  Ian spent most of his day playing Samurai vs. Zombies (or something) on his phone.  I read a bunch of different stuff (magazines, newspapers, music sites, twitter, etc) and researched climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. I guess I also semi-planned a trip with my friend/cousin-in-law (is that real) Brandon to climb a 14K footer in October.

After that, we also got some groceries for Ian's mom and hung out with her.  It was good to see her and talk.  We had some good discussions about education, testing, and stuff that most of you would find very uninteresting. Good times!

We're going to break the trip down into about five (or so) major best categories. 


Best Over Night Stay
Tie between Minco, OK and Sidney, IA.
Great hospitality from both hosts.  Minco-was the first real chance we had to sit and talk to people at length about what we were doing and they made us feel right at home.  Sidney- nothing feels more at home then BLTs with fresh garden picked tomatoes, and a freshly baked blueberry pie to welcome you back to Iowa.

Best Pass Through Town
Bowie, TX
Stopped at a nice little Italian eatery, with very fair, authentic Italian food.  I know it was authentic because all three workers spoke fluent Italian and had some very expensive cars out front.  I would never assume there were extra-curricular activities taking place in this small town restaurant, but I would be naive to not wonder.


The Nate Herrig Award for Best Lunch
Mi Familia in Mineral Wells, TX.  Great Mexican food.  The steak tacos were covered with cilantro, lime, cheese, and an awesome corn tortilla.  It was by fair the single most memorable food item we encountered on the entire trip.  (It also came not only with chips and salsa, but with Queso; JACKPOT!)


Best Piece of Pie 
Koffee Kup in Hico, TX.  As Vicki forced Ian to devour an enormous piece of coconut meringue pie before his meal, it was apparent that the pie title was gone on night one.  The pie was famous in TX (as were the burgers) and it did not disappoint.


John Cernohous Certified One-Star Motel/Hotel
Although Hico, TX gave it a run for its money, the A-OK Motel in Waureka, OK was far away the classiest of the classless we encountered on our trip.  It contained the fine amenities, a window unit AC, dirty bath tub, and a 19-inch, 1980's tube TV.  The capstone of the stay was what we  saw in the morning.  A man and a woman leaving one room in separate cars, early in the morning. Springer anyone?

Best Climb
The majestic approach into the Loess Hills as we climbed through the tree covered highway, slithering our way through the bluffs in SW Iowa.

Best Gas Station
Cenex in Caldwell, KS. We had pleasant banter between us and the cowboys/farmers.  One cowboy expert was willing to trade his horse for one of our bikes.  Only problem is that a horse can only ride 28 miles a day (so he said), and we can ride over 110.  The stop was topped off by John's aunt's arrival, which at the time was a needed boost to our journey with her high spirits and fresh attitude on a hot day (that turned out to be 110 miles).

Best Day/Ride
As alluded to above, the best day was the century (plus) leading us into Wichita, KS.  Once we passed the hundred mile mark we found new legs and cruised into Wichita at our best pace of the trip for over ten miles.

Most Interesting Person
Mel Cude.  The 89 year old, bike shop owner with Parkinson disease who helped get us back on track.  

Quote/Dialogue of the Day:
Ian: "I feel like I should go outside or something" (Ian to me after he had been gaming on his phone)
Kellen:  "Dude we have been outside in 100 degree heat for 10 days, plus we have to ride up and do Ragbrai."
Ian: "Yeah, good point."

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Tip of the Day:
"It's nice to be within driving distance of Casey's pizza."  (If you can't tell, Ian loves Casey's pizza.)

John Cernohous's Word of Wisdom:
"Chickasa is the most mispronounced town of the trip." (remember it's pronounceds chik-a-shaaa)

Five Things I Learned Today:

1) Ian misses gaming.  He killed thousands of zombies today without even flinching.  If there is a zombie apocalypse, I know who I want on my side.

2) Coming up with five things you learn everyday on a bike ride trip is not easy.

3) Hills are much less stressful in a motorized vehicle.

4) Sleep deprivation and extensive physical activity does take its toll.  Ian has been sleeping a lot and I can barely bend my legs.

5) After a long journey it's good to see your mother.  (Ian says.  I won't see my parents for another week and change!)

Ian thanks:  Andy Johnson for hooking us up with the house in Sidney (check out his website for cloth www.rooskee.com or his facebook page, Rooskee Designs), my family, my wife and my dog, Ramona.

Kellen thanks: My family, Ian, John, friends that sent me well wishes/calls, all of you that have read this blog, the wonderfully nice people we met along the way, and Brent Johnson (of Bike Tech in Cedar Falls) for some technical help 1500 miles away.

Tomorrow should be a good day of doing some yard work for Ian's mom, a short 20 mile shake-out ride, meeting up with Jared, and the midnight showing of the Dark Knight Rises.  I could not be more stoked (excited, to the normal person) to see this movie.  Christopher Nolan is the man, I can't wait to see how the trilogy ends.  I'll include a review in the next blog without spoilers.


Remember the blog won't end yet, we still have Ragbrai.  Keep checking back in with us! And, if you are along the Ragbrai route or are riding come find us!


Until tomorrow,


KRS

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Stage 1: Complete

Recap.
We enjoyed a good breakfast (including homemade strawberry jam) at the Johnson house.  We then planned our route, packed our bags, and shoved off.

 The ride from Sidney to Tabor was what you would expect, hilly and beautiful.  Trees lined the fairly smooth and guiding roads of mother Iowa.  The 12-15 miles were long rollers, hard for me, but eaten up by my teammates.  They were strong all day and helped me along.  In Tabor we had another slice of heaven (Casey's Pizza) and some Gatorades. I think we averaged about a gallon of Gatorade a day, plus countless water bottles of water.  They were G2 so they were healthy...right.      

From Tabor we ventured to Malvern. As has been commonplace with the trip, there was a nice steep hill heading into town.  As John repeatedly said all trip, "We have to earn it (each town)."  He was right on every time.   We again took a rest at a Casey's.  No slice of heaven, rather a few Gatorades and Peanut M&M's.  We ran into several guys working construction and a local who asked us about the trip.  How hot has it been?  Why did you ride that far?  Where are you headed?  It has not been a bore or a nuisance to answer any of these questions.  It actually is a good conversation starter, and it seems people are actually caring, as well as impressed.  As we left the Casey's and rode past Ian's local swimming pool, we climbed yet another hill to head towards Blue Grass road to cut out some hills and mileage to get to Emerson.  We started climbing and riding.  Once we got to the intersection we found out that the road/bridge is out.  Just our luck.  Ian had no idea, and how could any of us.  We even asked the cashier at Casey's- good joke m'am.  We reverted course and headed back out of town towards Emerson.

The next 12 or some miles were just like the first 15 with the exception of the last like 2.  Ian kept telling me it was the last hill.  Liar.  I was pretty quiet on the way into Emerson.  A) My bike was making some crazy noise and B) I was frustrated with how my body felt.  I just couldn't get my legs going, it felt like anytime my calf or quad would cramp.  (Next time I'm blood doping).  Regardless of my weakness, we made it to Emerson and Ian's families house.  I promptly un-clipped my shoes, took of my helmet, threw it by a bush, and laid down in the shade.  Ian and John made fun of me and even took some pictures.  I didn't care I felt terrible and it was over.

Everyone was kind of in awe that we had finally done it.  Jared's dad, Vaughn, came over and chatted with us.  Such a cool, nice guy.  We (mostly Ian as John had also joined me in laying in the shade) talked to him about the ride, the upcoming Ragbrai, and other BS.  He told us to get in the house and get cooled down.  We lugged all the gear in and showered up.  Ian's sister Carly brought us some lasagna and garlic bread.  Muy magnific! It hit the spot.  Now we are just lounging and being sore. 

We have finally completed stage one of the journey.  It wasn't easy by any means, and looking back at the last 800 miles or so, it hasn't really hit any of us what we just did. The days really blended together.  It was hard for us to recount when things happened or in what city.  I suppose that happens when you get on your bike at 9 and finally get done around 7-8ish.  I tried my best to recount the things that happened in this blog by the end of the day, but I don't know if I did it the proper justice.  The rides probably weren't that bad, the people probably nicer, and the terrain more complexly beautiful then my small vocabulary can handle.  I did notice throughout these last 10 (or however many) days I tended to use the word "beautiful" frequently.  I thought about it for like 10 miles today.  I think the word beautiful is the best I could do because it's something that people can relate to.  It's a word that let's you be the artist of the painting in your head.  I think what I saw and tried to translate to you via these typed words is less important than your interpretation of what we actually saw. Through our voyage we let you into the world we encountered and you supported us through your texts, posts, calls, prayers, thoughts, and vibes.  It was really a unique and moving experience.

Enough of the deep, mushy stuff and onto the rest of the show.

Quote/Dialogue of the Day:
Kellen: "Ian what are you going to do when you finally get some Iowa sweet corn?"
Ian: "Probably have a nocturnal emission."
Kellen: "HAHAH (laugh and nearly fall of bike, twice)

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Tip of the Day:
"The Loess Hills are beautiful, but the most important word in that name is hills."

John Cernohous's Word of Wisdom:
"I'm going to Des Moines.":

Five Things I Learned Today:

1) Kellen needs at least 12 hours of sleep to not be a crab ass - Ian.  (False, I just don't need 1500+ feet of climbing in like 35 miles)

2) John and Ian calculate that we burned roughly 5,000 calories per day.  Think about them apples.  Hello Big Macs, Whoppers, and Blooming Onions!

3) Ian finds Casey's pizza as deliciously sinful as he remembered. 

4) I learned that as you go north from Texas in July, in 2012 that it actually gets hotter.  Today topped 106 in SW IA. 

5) We were reminded rather quickly at the end of our journey that we truly missed Iowa hospitality.  There's nothing like it!

Tune in tomorrow as we post our inaugural JIK (John, Ian, Kellen) Cavalcade Endeavor Awards.  It will be sure to highlight the best and the worst of our journey.  We may even lift the curtain on the hairy situation that occurred on Day 1's ride. 

No riding tomorrow so Ian and I will be working diligently with John (via text/phone) to get the awards posted as soon as possible.  We may even field a question and answer session! Joking, I doubt anyone has any questions after reading this. But call me maybe. 

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Monday, July 16, 2012

Three states, three guys, and the open road

Big day for the Cavalcade today. Rode through three states, had some three digit heat, and finally made it to Iowa. Phase one of the journey is nearly complete.

Recap.
Good night's sleep in tent for Hembry and I, the Starlite Inn for John, and a great breakfast at Lori's Cafe in Seneca. Some really well cooked breakfast food, prompt service, and run by a family. They also asked us why we're we riding all the way from Texas, we still don't have an answer. Except maybe, "Why not?"

As you can imagine the roads were hilly and Kansas has huge gaps between "real towns", not fake unincorporated ones.

We luckily had a S/SW wind and decent temperatures when we left. The wind stayed with us, but the hills got a little higher, and longer. Then it got wicked hot. Like the kind of heat that when you walk from your house to the car and you start sweating and try to situate yourself so you leave no visible prespiration marks when you get to your destination. Don't lie, you've been there.

At about mile 45-50, and my cursing the state of NE for back shoulders, hills, and road work, we stopped for lunch at Darking's Cafe in Auburn, NE.

Surprisingly, no one had heard of Cam Newton or War Eagle, but the old timers really liked us. The asked us the usual questions, gave their insight, and marveled at our bikes. They were quite jovial. Maybe to the point if they were in a high school lunch I'd have to tell them to keep it down. I also have determined that when I retire I want to do what they do. I want to sit around laughing, joking around, drinking coffee, and people watching. They thought our spandex was snazzy. I bet I could of got a date with one of the grandma's, she liked my jersey (my dating life is at sub-zero temps right now, her comment boosted the ego a little). Wait don't all grandma's think everyone is cute and nice. Wah, Wah, Wah.

The rest of the day was full of pretty good long pulls, heat, and gravel shoulders. Again, I was the slow guy on the fat bike. I got a little frustrated (ask Ian, he had to coach me out of having the red eye several times) throughout the day. I also had to show Ian what he left back at the bottom of the hill, my third finger on my left hand (the middle one). It was all in good fun as after I caught up to them we hit a flatter spot.

At the top of the last NE hill we could see the river valley and the beautiful state of IA. The ride in was awesome, pretty much a long descent over the Missouri and back to where it all began. As we crossed the state line I gave a Lance like flex (hope Ian got the picture).

We stopped at the "Welcome to Iowa" sign for an impromptu photo shoot, complete with me Tebowing (Ian's idea, remember he leans to the nerdy side). We stopped at a Cenex just off the highway. The young woman behind the counter asked the usual questions and we provided the usual answer. Except I think this young lady didn't knew where Texas was. It's ok though, she got the change right.

The ride into the bluffs by Waubonsie state park was a beautiful climb. The tall trees gave us some much needed shade, but the roads were long and the climbs steep. The ten miles to Sidney were hilly, especially into town. John and Ian had a race up one of the final hill. I watched from a safe distance (and pace), John had a good jump, but Ian took the polka dot jersey.

We climbed over 3,500 feet throughout the course of the day today. We complete anywhere between 87-90+ miles depending on who's computer you looked at. It was a solid day of riding.

Ian's friend Jared got a hold of their friend Andy Johnson, who talked to his parents, who let us stay at their beautiful home. The Johnson's raised seven kids so their place was more than accommodating.

John and Nancy cooked us BLTs, beans, pickled cucumber, potato salad, and blue berry pie. It was awesome. Later, Ian's old baseball coach stopped over and shared some stories about Ian, Jared, and his squad. Some funny stuff. Talk about a nice Iowa homecoming.

It's kind of sad to know that we have one more day left to Emerson, then a few days off before the ride to Ragbrai. Where did the time go? I don't even know what day it is actually- no watch. That has been part of the majesty of the trip, no deadlines, no concrete plans, just keep moving and see where you get. I've really enjoyed it, even though Ian's left-brained idealism basically cattle prods me daily to get moving.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Tip of the Day: "Husker country still sucks"

John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom: "Your butt cramps when you laugh hard, so watch where and when you laugh."

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Food Section:
Darling Cafe, Auburn, NE. Small menu, big taste. You can look right back in the kitchen and see the ladies cooking away. John and Ian got the pork tenderloin and I got a patty melt. We all gave it solid B's. Good pie as well, I recommend Cherry Pie (sing it with me, "She's my cherry pie...", don't lie you know the words).

Five Things I Learned Today:
1) The three of us now have the ability to identify animals based on their death smell.

2) Never turn down a piece of pie at a cafe no matter what the small town cafe looks like.

3) Gas stations with handicap ramps and indoor seating are far more superior than those without.

4) No matter where you ride in July it's still hot. Dry heat and humid hast are still hot. Case in point: it was hotter in KS/NE/IA than TX the last few days.

5) I do not like hills with my pannier (saddle bags) loaded Surly. "Give me my Specialized and no panniers and I'll climb this beast at 18 mph"- me getting fed up of the continual up and down of the first 50 miles.
*I'm grateful for the patience of John and Ian. The hilly days were tough.

I had Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" in my head all day. The chorus just keep playing over and over. I'm sure there is symbolism in their for each of us three respectively.

I know mine was that a lot of people thought this trip was dumb, or that I'd never finish it, or why would I do it. I don't really know why specifically, other than it was an adventure, a trial of sorts. To see if I can do it, spend some time with a friend, and meet a new one.

The days on the bike are long and quiet riding. We maybe talk an hour a day while riding (up to nearly 10 hours some days) and then at stops. It's a lot of time to think, dream, and let go. It was great, not what I thought it would be, but what I needed. It's openness my eyes to something's and given me inspiration about my next big adventure.

Well, my legs are blasted and I'm tired so I'm going to sign off. Tomorrow we are going to check our weight on a scale to see if we lost any weight on the trip. Any bets?

It's nice to be back in Iowa, but the trips not over. There's still another week and a half. Plus when we meet up with Strangebrew business will pick up.

FYI, Ian had his first Casey's pizza in an undisclosed amount of time. He said it was a "slice of heaven."
Have a good one.

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Flintstones

Last night we stopped in a downtown Manhattan Irish Pub. It was satisfactory, but the surrounds were comical. For instance, the tv's in the bar were showing Running Man, a Steven Segal movie (they are all the same I think), and reruns of Pride fighting. Best place ever. But, it gets better.

Just to our left, the World Series of Darts was going on. About 6 or 7 combatants getting serious about darts. Curse words followed nearly every throw. One contender was a lightening rod of intensity, listening to an iPod, using chalk, and walking around pumping himself up. I don't think he was that good (maybe he ha a bad game), but his head hung in shame and he bought his friends several rounds. It was pretty entertaining. After, we had our fill of darts and Arnie we went back to the hotel.

We rolled north out of Manhattan and crossed the dam and started toward Blaine.

I think the sign read, "Experience the Flint Hills." What it should have said was, "Northeast Kansas says haha deal with these rollers on your fat bike! The Surly was struggling with the wind and hills (remember a poor worker blames his tools). Even though the hills weren't fun, the visuals were great.

The terrain was beautiful, rolling fields for miles and miles. Hay bales littered the fields, while a few shy clouds hovered about. It reeked of Grant Wood and it would have been heavenly if not for the fact that rolling fields also mean rolling hills. Rolling hills mean I have to lug my heavy a$$ bike up and then slowly down due to my sail like panniers reaching their arms far out into the wind.

We stopped at a few random shade trees and John made friends with an AC repair man returning from the lake near Medford. He was a cheery fellow, who gave us cold water and good conversation. He said we were crazy and today I agreed. I knew the hills would last all day. Six miles to the next town, so off we went.

Forty-two miles in and we could finally stop for lunch. The hills and wind were requiring a lot of work. We tried to go to the local diner which closed at 2 (walked in at 2:05). We thanked them and moved down the block to Cenex and borrowed a seat near some local retirees.

They talked to us about our ride and how we should have used a motorcycle instead, that it would be easier. Our conversation moved to the local fair and the demolition derby. The bald headed, long-goateed man was a warm fellow. He was very inviting and funny. His John Deere hat, bib overall wearing friend was a quiet observer. Scanning us and listening intently all while carefully drinking his Dr. Pepper. He spoke in short spurts, peering cautiously through his bifocals.

Shortly after the bifocaled, retired farmer snuck out, Seneca's previous postmaster came in. I quickly asked him if the road leveled out. He confirmed my hope and said the next thirty miles would be easier than the previous forty. Good thing too, I was hurting.

Unfortunately, the work was just starting. The gaps between towns increased and the hills got a little smaller, but they were still good climbs. Ian lost a piece off of his trailer so we found some shade that had a few broken town cars/trackers. He did some picking and found a few nuts that he thought would work, but they didn't. It was pretty funny, so I included a picture.

The road wasn't as flat as the postman said, but we took it slow and stopped in shady spots as the temperatures reached over 104 degrees.

Finally, we saw the water tower and a few miles later we were in town. We found our campsite, John found his hotel, and we cleaned up.

We ate dinner at the Windmill Inn and Steakhouse. It is a cozy little place in Seneca that we had been told about from a few towns away. It didn't disappoint, the meal was great, and the service was sound. The meal was a good way to end a heavy working day.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Trip of the Day:
"Towns should really try to be around a 10-15 mile radius of each other."

Quote of the Day:
"Stallion. That may be the word the describes me best. - John after I said that today I feel like a slow donkey and they are riding like stallions.


John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom:
"Stil nothing."

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Food Section: NY Strip, Filet Mignon, and House Steak at the Windmill. Perfectly cooked, well seasoned, and tender meat. A good salad bar, great sweet potato fries, and assertive service. Three steaks, salad bar, and soda for just a shade over $50. Perfect after a good day of riding.

Five Things I learned Today:

1) It can be easy to space out on hot, long days like today. When I space out not only does my mind water to a weird collection of songs. Today it was songs from A-Ha, Tears for Fears, Pearl Jam, Boys II Men, Springsteen, Dr. Dre and 2Pac, Deertick, Kansas, Allan Jackson, matchbox twenty, Peter Gabriel, and Grouplove. I think the sun not only drains you but must put weird music in your head, or you're just bored and decide to sing with the people around you. Regardless, it breaks it up. Ian loves Boys II Men.

2) Fred and Barney did a great job with the Tuttle Dam. The road to it looks just like the cartoon Gravel Pit. Yabba dabba dooo!

3) John is a green jersey contender when he loses the weight of his tent.

4) People still think we are crazy.

5) The Topeka Sunday night news team is lackluster at best. Channel 13, Yowza.

Tomorrows route could be interesting. See how intently John and Ian are working on it.

It baffles me how all of these small towns have no vacancies at any of their motels. There has to be something going on, but we never see it. Tonight John is at the Starlite Inn, it's out of this world (barf)!

Ian brought up something I had been thinking about: what do people driving past is think? I bet some are like what are those spandex crazies doing. Others are probably just thinking we are going to the next town, and have no idea how far we've come. Some probably just make fun of us, which is cool.

It reminds me of Hemmingway's Old. Man and the Sea. Only a few people (the three of us and all of you) know what has been happening, but depending on your perspective it appears differently. We could be just three locals on bikes or people journeying nearly 2000 miles telling stories as they go. There probably is a To Kill A Mockingbird type metaphor in there somewhere, I'm just too tired to nail it down.

Tomorrow is projected to be a 3 state adventure at almost 90 miles. I'm sure it will be nothing but flat roads, tailwinds, and 75 degrees all day.

Today beat me up pretty good, but it'll be better tomorrow.

Hope you had a great weekend and thanks for reading. I found out yesterday that about 2500 people have read parts of my blog. I can't even visualize that number of people, but I thank you all very much. I guess if you like it spread the word and if not I'll try harder!

Talk you tomorrow night from I-O-W-A!

Until then,

KRS

Saturday, July 14, 2012

From the Shockers to Aggieville

Active Recovery Day.

Today was set up for sleep, tune-ups, and relaxation. With our huge pull of mileage yesterday today was supposed to be a short ride, but as with everything on this trip plans changed.

Let me start again. Reed talked to the hotel workers and they said we could camp next door at the bike shop. The bike shop was actually a new remodeled church with the old bike shop sign still up. As Ian and I were setting up the tent a police officer stopped, waited, drove closer, waited, and then left. It was like we were middle schoolers sneaking out of the house and thinking ever car was a cop (this time it was). Thinking we were in the clear we resumed construction.

Literally two minutes after the officer left a car pulled in and a guy got out I the car. He stood up looking around, dropped a can, and proceeded to design the parking lot with fluid. His friends honked and flashed lights at us and then sped off. After that we decided we'll just go inside and sleep on a floor. South Wichita is interesting.

Today started off with me waking up to John and Ian taking our bikes out and heading to the bike shop. They gave me the green light to stay and sleep, so there you go. If I do one thing really well, it's sleep. I think I'm a closet narcoleptic.

Any who, they came back from the shop sans bikes- they need more work and would be a few hours. We decided to take a trip to a Wichita staple that holds the prestigious 1989 USA Top Ten Best Burger Joint mantle, The Oasis.

It was a cool dive bar. Great burgers and homemade fries. You know the fries that are cut by the archaic looking machine that could be confused with the guillotine from Braveheart? Yep, those kind. The also add secret seasoning and onion! Bon appetite.

From there we hit back up the bike shop and each paid our passage (total price over $200, "bikin' ain't cheap"). Bikes newly tuned and repaired they were ready for travel...by car. We had to hitch a ride today or we would never make it in time to Emerson before Ragbrai.

Luckily, Geri, Reed, and John's niece Gina were around to help us move our gear and bikes a few miles up the road to our next stop. Pro: Gina gave us a ride. Con: Gina's car's ac works at about a "C" grade level.

It worked out well because the road were going to travel on wasn't that great and had a unsatisfactory shoulder.

Gina drove the three of us, while Geri and Reed followed with the gear. After several dozen miles of country and top 40 hits, Gina let Ian and I DJ. Needless to say, we polluted the car with Dylan, Zeppelin, Phoenix, Wolfmother, Lumonieers, Ghostland Observatory, and Kings of Leon. It was a good string of times if I may say so.

"They moved us on up the road,"(Oklahoma accent please). John got a hotel while Ian and I searched for campgrounds. Naturally, Manhattan, kS is a tent camping hot bed, so there were no parks with vacancies. Plan B was camp outside the hotel again, Plan C was ask Ian's Tracey for help with a different room. She was a saint and came through with a place.

Geri and Reed let us take their car to our hotel room a few miles away. We stopped over unloaded our stuff an headed back. On the way back to their hotel Ian called his wife (while driving- bad). All of the sudden the boys in blue rolled up on us with cherries spinning.

The officer came to the window wanting license and insurance. License, check. Insurance, trouble. We couldn't find it. We looked everywhere. Here we are two mangy, road worn guys, one wearing Jesus sandals, and the other with an Austin-beard. Couple that with Ian's Texas license, the Colorado car, long haired passenger, and no insurance and things weren't looking so hot.

Que the heavily choir, the insurance was found. We delightfully handed the card to the officer. He checked, checked again and asked if we had one more recent. This one was the 2008 version. Buzz kill.

Luckily the officer checked Ian's license, let the no insurance thing go, and explained to us that in Manhattan you cannot be on a phone unless it's hands free. Manhattan, KS has to be making a gold mine off of this. Think of all the Gaga listening sorority girls and Wiz Khalifa rockin' bros that they could ticket. Genius. Pure genius.

After the ticket scare we dropped the car off, grabbed some dinner, and came back to the hotel.

Due to the request of readers Jared Babbitt and Mckenzie Fergesen-Lueders, we will be heading out to the prestigious Aggieville. The outcome of this adventure will be recounted in tomorrows blog. I'm sure it will be interesting.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Trip of the Day:
"Cars are much faster than bikes."

Quote from Yesterday (that I forgot):
Cowboy: "What's up with your shoes?"
Ian: "There's a cleat on my shoe that clips into my pedal."
Cowboy: "Aw wowa, that's jest like a stirrup fer a horse." (western voice)

Quote of the Day:
"It's amazing anything gets accomplished with you guys." -Reed, talking to us while we were looking through our bags for laundry.

John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom:
John said nothing funny today.

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Food Section: The Oasis in Wichita. Perfectly cooked cheeseburger with the fixin's, great fries, and a cool bar. Don't get the double, you won't finish.

Five Things I Learned Today:
1) There are 85.93% less cemeteries here in KS than OK. Apparently, people don't die in mass quantity in KS as in OK. (Note to self: move to KS)

2) It costs $30 plus tax to tent camp at a park and $50 for a less-than-desirable-but-better-than-nothing cockroach motel in Manhattan, KS. Apparently, the Wildcats hate nature.

3) Manhattan has a Dillons, Walmart, and Hyvee within a one block radius. Corporate America lives here.

4) Riding in a non-AC car is still slightly better than riding in 104 degree heat on black top covered roads. Cars 1 Bikes 0

5) The transition from OK to KS in degenerates (mouth-breathers) has transformed from inbreds to creepy, old man photographers and girls wearing short, tight skirts with fishnet stockings (yes, it was a Super 8). **this is not calling all citizens of these fine states as members of those categories, rather a reference to a specific group of folks.

Tomorrow is Sunday Funday. We'll finally be back on the road tomorrow and looking to hit 80+. The destination is Seneca, KS. If they don't have camping I will file a civil grievance.

The roads get nothing but hillier from here on out and Ian is looking for the polka dot jersey. They should be interesting with all the gear.

Hope you had a great weekend and stayed cool. We are almost to Iowa and Ragbrai!

Shared some pics of the bar, menu, bike shop, and Ian's written warning. Enjoy.

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Friday, July 13, 2012

Out of OK and into KS

The sky was the ocean with the wind and semi-draft the waves. The waves were all over the place. Circling winds, no place to relax or anything. We saw a dust tornado- it was sweet.

First stop of the day was Tony's Midway Stop. This place was rocking. Oil workers, sanitation employees, ranch hands and others looked at us with bewilderment. One nice guy from Dallas said he saw us yesterday, but he said he thought there were more of us. Must have been some other crazies.

The first food stop of the day was Greazy Steve's restaurant in Pond Creek, OK. The place reeked of masculinity, as all the oil workers turned there head and stated at three aliens in spandex.

We all had the ribeye sandwich special. It was a good meal and the cashier couldn't believe our trip. Some oil workers overheard the conversation and told us we were crazy. Well yeah, duh

As we moved north, we also passed the Missouri Compromise line and left the Confederacy behind.

We ran into a small 14 seat bar ran but an older man with rocked a short sleeve button up over bibs. He's name was Gerald and it looked like he'd seen it all. He was very accommodating considering his place didn't look like it had if changed in 35 years. Hope he had a good night.

In Caldwell, KS we stopped at 1 Stop gas station to eat and drink water. Some really nice farmers razed us about riding bikes from Austin, TX to Iowa. They six really nice guys with great attitudes. They had a great sense of humor and flipped us some quality jokes. One even offered us his horse. I tried to trade him my bike straight up, but he wouldn't take it.

We were then lucky enough to have Geri (John's Aunt) and Reed. Geri wanted to ride with us for about thirty miles and Reed ran support. The we're our good luck charms. Reed took care of being the support car and contacting bike shops and hotels in Wichita, while Geri brought us good luck on the road.

When Geri first joined us the winds were swirling and ended up ring a head wind about nine miles after the fast station. It was horrible. But, after we met up with Reed, refueled with water and Gatorade the wind changed. It was a nice little quarter wind out of the SE and pushed us along.

The temperature dropped due to tr huge gray clouds, and rain just a few miles to our left. Lightning flickered in the distance, but the much needed rain fell. At the gas station, John and Ian told the farmers that I bring rain with me. They laughed and said it would help as it had been two months. Well they got it, but I don't think it's me.

Geri rode with us for about 40 miles and then Reed picked her up and dropped us off some water. By this time we only had a little under an hour left before sundown and jus under 10 miles to go to make a 100. Geri and Reed left to take gear to the hotel and find a bike shop. We trudged on.

We ended up averaging about 21mph the last ten plus miles bring out our total mileage for on day to 110.something. It was crazy. I had never rode a hundred, let alone after already rising 450 and dealing with a 104 temp day.

As night fall loomed, the cicadas applauded out feat. We almost made it to the hotel before it got dark and we needed a ride the last 3 miles. It was a long hot day, but we were all excited after the magic number of 100 was reached. We ended up over 110 miles and ran out of daylight. Geri came to pick us up and we made it all fit (bike across the labs of us in back.

Enough can't be said enough about Geri and Reed. Just some of the nicest and happiest people. They definitely bring a Colorado vibe with them. Tomorrow should be about her fun time hanging out with them before they head back.

A few thoughts on Oklahoma:
1) OK seems like it has the most graveyards per capita in the continental US. Either the Chisholm Trail killed thousands or they have a great Halloween.

2) Apparently, OK thinks that no shoulder or rock/gravel covered ones is great.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Trip of the Day:
"Heat advisories can be ignored as long as you are well-nourished and drink plenty of fluids."

Quote of the Day:
"Dude we totally got him. We flattened his tire..." -John in reference to my flat tire and brake issue this morning.

John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom:
"How fast can we get out of this state?" -Oklahoma musing

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Food Section: Rib sandwich special from Greazy Steve's. Solid McRib-esq sandwich, good waffle fries, and free dessert. Good quantity for the price and a really nice staff.

Five Things I Learned Today:
1) If you can't fix the problem bend it..

2) When you wake up and your tire is flat don't say Friday the 13th.

3) A hundred miles is loonnnnooong

4) The sheer number of sleeveless shirts and jeans in Ok is equal to or greater than Iowa.

5) Ian left his tire back at where Geri picked us up so she has to run back and grab it.

I have fallen asleep three times writing this so I hope it is readable and not redundant.

I hope everyone had a good day and enjoys their weekend.

Off to sleep after the 110 mph in 104 degree heat. Active recovery day tomorrow!

I'm beat, I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Until then,
KRS

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Finally Flat

Today started off like last night ended. Ernest and Eileen taking care of. Ian, Johnny Earlybird, was up drinking coffee with them and then came down bearing the bad news of waking up. I was having a cool dream too, I was recruited to be the next Batman and was getting fitted for my suit then, "Dude, time to get up."
"Bah," I thought. Dark Knight Rises can't come soon enough.

Breakfast was awesome. Ernest started the meal with a very sound, and moving prayer. We all joined hands, and he blessed the food and our journey. I think he almost broke my hand too- guy has a farmers grip. The meal consisted of a mixed fruit dish, egg casserole, biscuits with homemade peach preserves, and orange juice. It was 100% American Midwest.

Ernest and Eileen are great people, we are honored to have met them. The were our Oklahoma Angels and blessed us with a great ride today.

It would have been better if my body would have worked right when I woke up, I was dropping things and being clumsy all day.

Two funny things that happened to me: 1) I dropped a water bottle at 23 mph, killing our momentum and speed. Apparently, I can't talk, ride, and put a bottle back in the rack.
2) I rode nearly 87 miles with a dime in my left shoe. Didn't even know it was there until I was getting ready to shower. If that doesn't scream BA I don't know what does.

We finally got our legs back toady with flat road and near perfect tailwind all day.

Today was hot. A few signs were north of a hundred. Lucky for us the interested ladies in our lives' (John and Ian's wives, and my mom encouraged is to use SPF 174. This stuff actually reflects the sun back off of us. I feel bad for the states north of us if the heat gets worse as we get near. Also, if anyone knows how get rid of heat rash let me know, my quads have it.

We followed orders and stopped every 10 or so for shade and water. I think I drank 8-10 24oz bottles of water and Gatorade today. As the people in Boston say, "It wuz whickkid hawt out."

No really notable stops today. We did stop at a great Mexican restaurant, El Charro, in Kingfisher for lunch. Good AC, better food.

Most of the other stops were random gas stations along 81. The construction workers, truckers, and gas station employees were really nice, but flabbergasted on what were doing.

In Dover (not Delaware) for instance,
Guy: "Iowa? Holy $4hit man you guys are tough or crazy. Why would you do this on your vacation?"
Ian: "I sit in front of a computer all day.
Guy: "Ah, I get it. Total opposite thing. You guys are still nuts."

We rolled into Enid, OK with planes circling us like buzzards over the prairie. Pilots practicing landings in take offs at Vance AFB. The town was packed so we had call around to find a hotel room (literally the last one in town) because there was no camping anywhere. Sleeping in a bed is ok by me.

Ian and John have started a game to try to dial in on my future female interest. It has provided some laughs for sure.

Quote of the Day:
"When does this God d@mn trail end?" - Ian in regard to another Chisholm Trail Sign. The 837th sign we have seen.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Trip of the Day:
"Shoulders (as in next to roads) are good. Cracks, glass, and inbreds are bad."

John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom:
"I don't think so."

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Good Section: Tamale Combo meal with rice, beans, and macaroni (yep, noodles). Great stuff, really flavorful. Didn't just get the usually chips and salsa starter because they also give cheese dip! Jackpot!

Five Things I Learned Today:

1) The Chisholm Trail will never end.
2) Apparently every town in OK runs north to south and is all blue collar.
3) Enid hates cyclists. People yelled at us, drove right next to us, and a baseball team screamed obscenities and shook their bats at us- with their coach driving. Classy.
4) People not on the vacation somehow forget the meaning of vacation.
5) People have apparently dropped dead along the Chisholm Trail because there are hundreds of cemetery's.

Shooting for a hundred miles tomorrow. Hoping the weather and roads are on board with that plan.

Wichita awaits.

I included some pictures of Ernest and Eileen, and the look out of their front door as we prepared to leave.

Also, I took a picture of the price of Keystone Light in Bison, OK. Good thing our Strangebrew brethren weren't there or things may have gotten reckless.

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

(Nearly) Halfway through Ooookkklaaahoma

Someone once wrote "Oklahoma where the wind blows swiftly down the plains." You know the song, many attractive ladies have sang those lines, but I must confess- I despise them because of their truthfulness. They are right, it is windy and has no covering the flats. Head wind = slow ride.

The beginning

First camp out was a success. All the new gear worked great. I'm glad, lugging this crap around would be more of a nuisance if it wasn't working.

Stopped a few times on the way to Marlow, OK. The stops were quick breaks at gas stations.

The first gas station in Comanche (also the Indians, but not the city of love) had a very friendly Coors Light distributor. We started a conversation with him and he thought we were crazy. John offered our help all day in exchange that we get to a ride to Oklahoma City and a case of Coors Original. He appreciated the offer, but said he could handle it.

The second gas station was in Duncan, OK. We came across some nice gas station attendants, and local workers who were amazed where we had been and where we are going. Duncan was a long blue collar town with tons of gun shops and truck dealers.

First thirty miles were smooth. A slight headwind out of the NE, but not enough to slow us down and just enough to keep us cool.

Highway 81 brought us into Marlow.

We initially stopped at restaurant right at the entrance of Marlow, but it was closed for renovation. The construction worker directed us to the Boom-A-Rang Diner.

As we pulled up and saw the trucks lined up outside we thought it had to be good. We weren't deceived. Besides being stared at by all of the people enjoying their lunch (Honestly, who wouldn't stare at three guys decked out in spandex riding gear) the entrance wasn't bad. It had that record skip, everyone freeze, and stare movie feel for a split second though.

The diner was line of pictures of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Sinatra, and Brando. The air filled with country and burgers. We were treated like family by the staff. We told them our tale so far and of our journey to come. They were (as most) shocked that anyone would ride that far in the heat (97 +heat index). The dine no only had great service, but awesome food. We even got them to take a picture with is as we were leaving. I thought one of them looked like an actress, but the name escapes me. They were awesome and warned us of the Red Hill outside of Minco (I was hoping it wasn't that big and...). If you get a chance and are on 81, stop and eat there.

After we left the diner things went down hill pretty rapidly. Ian blew a tire on the way to Chickasaw (pronounced Chick-a-sha) we had to change that out, then ride against a 10-15 mph headwind for the remainder of the evening. We pushed through the never ending town and finally found a Love's gas station right before a junction.

John went inside for AC and a drink, while I sat down an complained to Ian about the ride thus far. My bike is like a tank with a parachute at times. Visualize that. The headwind kills me. After I vented, we sat inside and watched a myriad of working class folks, wearing there day on their sleeve, come in and out. John mentioned to Ian, "If we have another flat I hope it's in the morning." The cycling gods commenced and boom Ian got another flat. There we sat, frustrated, hot, and broken down again. Ian booted his tired, John and I patched his other tube, and helped him out. 45 minutes later we were on the road.

We made it 3-4 miles until I almost "bonked out" as Ian claims the cyclist say. I had forgotten to eat in nearly three hours. My legs started to not drive as strong, I felt lighter, and I started to see some white lines through my glasses. I called ahead to the guys, we pulled over, and I popped some trail mix rested for a few minutes then we were off again. It came back quick and Ian calmly asserted himself and reminded me of our talk about eating thought a ride. I, as you could imagine, replied, "I know, I know." *note to my friends and family I didn't break, I just was gassed from the lack of food.

We made one brief shade stop at Ray's Body Shop (he's recently retired). His wife came out apprehensive, but Ray was great. He gave us some cold bottled water and told us about his life. Nice gentleman.

We kept cranking towards Minco and the Chisholm Trail Bed and Breakfast. The Red Hill was as expected. It was 1.25 mile that touched 8% grade to end our day. The hill was cool as it held countless wind turbines an the setting sun in the distance. One more hill and we were to the B&B.

Again, the mechanical issues happened for a reason. We were trying to make El Reno, but only made it to Minco- which was a blessing in disguise.

Turns out this bed and breakfast was recently started by Ernie and Eileen McMullen. Two of the sweetest souls in OK. As soon as we got her Ernie made us bologna and cheese sandwiches with garden fresh tomatoes and mayo. It was the best sandwich I've ever had. They fed us chips, muskmelon, and cinnamon rolls while telling us about themselves.

The McMullen's grandparents came to Minco in 1903 from Delhi, IA due to the railroad ending here. Ernie's family has owned land here ever since. Right now it's 88 acres plus his son's 88 for his farm. Ernie and Eileen have farmed everything from hogs to grass. They have been married 58 years and are still moving around like young kids.

Their place is beautiful (see pics). Multiple rooms available for the night, a bar, foosball table (Pud, Stank, you down), and laundry. But most of all great hospitality and conversation. Please check out their Facebook page and see just how cool it/they are.

It's odd how these things have happened, but I'm grateful for the encounters with these great people.

Something I love about TX/OK is the manners and courtesy people have here. It's really a breathe of fresh air.

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Trip of the Day: "Discarding glass out the window onto the road is not good for cyclists."

John Cernohous Daily Dose of Wisdom: "If it was a snake it would have bit you." - in reference to Ian not being able to find his water bottle for five minutes, which coincidently right under a bag four inches from him.

Nate Herrig's Just Tell me About the Good Section:
Boom-A-Rang Dinner's burgers. One word- awesome. Great, juicy, flavor-filled burgers for a great price. Tell them the weird cyclists sent you.

Five Things I Learned Today:

1) We three will win the war on grasshoppers in OK. I think I had 15 hit me, accidentally ran over multiple, and may have even eaten one. The others confirmed nearly the same result. Not to mention the thousand we took out on the bridge over the Red River. Cavalcade 1 Bugs 0

2) Eating in between meals on day like today is apparently really important.

3) Boom-A-Rang isn't just a Australian weapon, but a solid diner in Marlow, OK.

4) Ernie and Eileen are great people and have a wonderful place to stay.

5) John is allergic to cats. Cat's like John. Cat bites John. John hates cat. Situational irony at its best.

The 90 miles today were long, but you gotta love the grind!

We'd like to thank everyone that responds to FB posts, reads the blog, replies to the blog, sends us texts about weather that could happen, and people that text about places to eat. You guys are a great help, thank you very much.

The next three days look like this (tentatively speaking- we have a history of rain, mechanical issues, and wind):

Thursday- Enid, OK
Friday- Arkansas City, KS
Saturday- Wichita, KS
Via highways: OK 81 until Enid then stair stepping to Wichita.

We'll try to keep getting more pictures. We'll post some of Ernie and Eileen tomorrow after breakfast.

Tomorrow we'll pass the halfway point of our trip. It's sad to think, I enjoy these guys, the people, the road, and sharing this adventure with you. I wish I could just write for a travel magazine or a novel to keep sharing these types of experiences with anyone who would read/listen.

Attached are the pictures from today. Oh yeah,Ii forgot, Ian got a sweet dragon tattoo.

Have a good one and talk to you later down the road.

Until then,
KRS

P.S.
Brady you are right I'm a little tired. Maybe when I get back I can take you and Luke for a short bike tour?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Four Quarters

Day 3 was a day of four different quarters of riding.

Quarter One:
The journey started with us locating Mel's Bike Shop. In true Texas fashion the road names changed (complicating finding the shop), but Mel was nice as a spring shower.

Mel said he had almost stopped working at his shop. Luckily for us he didn't.

We caught his aid walking outside and she got him for us. Mel, by the way is 89, has Parkinson's disease, and has been married to his lovely wife for 62 years. but he is as sharp as a whip. Mel owned a flower shop, sold it, and then bought the bike shop. He's been running his bike shop for 30 years and even though he couldn't do the work for us, he coached us up and taught us how to make the corrections.

We came to find out while he worked with us that Mel served for 7 years in the Navy as a pilot. Mel explained that he was one of the first groups of people to land on aircraft carriers. He said the Navy converted a ship to a "flat top" and in order to qualify he had to land on it 8 consecutive times.

He was a lovely soul and loved talking to us. He didn't charge us any money for any of the work, gave us supplies, and gave Ian a vintage pair of cycling shoes.

As he walked us outside Mel said to Ian in regards to his saddle, "You have a taste for the roughness." Hilarious.

I was thinking after leaving his shop that if we didn't have any of the mechanical issues or monsoons, we would have never met him. The universe works in mysterious ways. All in all, Mel is an all-timer.

The ride from Mel's was cake.

2nd Quarter
The next stop was Bowie, TX. I was hoping it was named after David Bowie. I wanted to see a life size mural of the Spider from Mars. No dice. We did however eat at a nice, little Italian place. The cars outside (Caddy, Mustang, and Camero), the authentic Italian being spoken, and the fact that there was a face (nice guy), middle man (quiet on-looker), and muscle (cook) plus the fact that they are located at a junction, made me think that they may have something else going on. Nonetheless, the filled our bottles and were nice guys.

We were really cranking after that. We made great time to the border.

3rd Quarter
We finally got out of the state of Texas. We crossed the Red River and into the (hopefully) flatter state of Oklahoma.

Another rain delay. We had to wait at a gas station again for a big storm to pass. Again they were super nice, gave us good advice, and filled up our water.

After that thinks sucked. The next ten miles had a terrible shoulder to ride on and a 15 mph headwind. This wind stuck it to us. We lost about 4-5 mph off our average, throw in a few hills, and sprinkles and it made for the most challenging pull of the trip.

4th Quarter
Pretty smooth road, the wind died down, and the sun was setting. It was a nice ending to the day. We grabbed dinner at a truck stop and talked a motel owner to let Ian and I camp outside.

Five things I learned today:

1) There are 134.569132 million grasshoppers in Texas. That's an approximation. I bet we ran over, got flown into, or ate at least 107.

2) 10PM is too late to call or text your loved ones that you arrived at your destination. Apparently 9:30 is panic time.

3) 62 years of marriage is hall of fame type numbers. Cal Ripken has nothing on Mel.

4) All highways should be smooth an paved. Shoulders should be cleaned and just as smooth as the highway. If you could only see the stuff that liters the roads.

5) Apparently John isn't about getting back to nature.

Ian Fredrick Hembry Travel Tip of the Day:

Apparently Texas paved US 81 with gold in the early 1800's because we new we were going to ride it. Hence, riding on gold paved roads is the most luxurious form of bicycle travel.

Kellen and Ian Solve the World's Problem's:
We've decided that if a teacher or coach asks a student to jump they really should ask how high. Not google the answer.

Tons of cows on the ride today. They all seemed to stop and stare (you can sing that lyric in your head, you know you know it) and ask why are you doing this.

Coach Griswold asked me to be more edgier in this so here goes. I can tell you this much riding up a nearly two mile hill, riding 75 miles in six hours with 30-40 pounds of weight, and deal with hundreds of "Murrica" trucks you'd have a different perspective.

We hope to find a cool hotel
tomorrow. A local deputy said there is nice hourly hotel with a very accommodating female staff in tomorrow's end town. Maybe we'll check it out.

Overall a good day. Hopefully tomorrow is 70, flat, and overcast with a 20 mph headwind.

Mr. Massey wanted more pictures so I added some. The plane picture is the plane Mel flew and the town picture Mel took himself of Decatur from the air.

Notice me throwing down the Longhorns. I don't hate UT, but I was sick of riding TX roads.

The adventure continues...

Until tomorrow,

KRS

Monday, July 9, 2012

Highway 281 or Murphy's Law

The ride Day 2.

Murphy's Law- anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Early morning, up at 5:15, coffee at the cafe at 6:15, an the highway by 6:45. Smooth. The rest of the day... Not so much.

The Texas Rollers, as I refer to them, started up again about a mile out of Hico. Pretty good indicator of how the day would turn out.

Long pulls all day.

Some more bike issues. Ian's cart lost both screws that connect it to the bike so we had to doctor it up with bungee chords, until we found a car mechanic who hooked us up with 2 bolts. I dropped a chain again and continue to have deraileur issues. My bike is not super tuned by Brent, yet.

We saw some interesting sights including the worlds largest rocking chair. I would have sat on it, but I did not want to find myself on the wrong side of Walker Texas Ranger's unstoppable Kung Fu.

Shortly after the chair we encountered a 1.25 mile long 5-6% grade hill. This thing was something else. Great scenery of the valley to our right, some oil rigs scattered about, and lots of climbing. Ian decide the climb wasn't enough so he decided to go off-roading.

Big, long climbs are interesting. It's not a physical challenge like sprints, squats, or H.I.T activities- rather it's as Mike Fullan says, "The Grind".

I find myself always searching for things to help drive me up the hill. Usually it goes form, cadence, and memories. It's odd where the mind goes. Regrettable decisions, things you'd like to have back, people you've lost, and things that have caused you pain. I don't know why the mind doesn't think of positive things, it just doesn't. It isn't anger, it something more. Maybe it's internal issues that come to the surface, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it helps. I think hills are sobering. It focuses the body and the mind. Finding motivation on some hills isn't needed, but today it was.

After the hills the weather started to turn. Some big clouds appeared to the northeast and the wind changed. We pressed on hoping to beat it to Mineral Wells. Ian stopped to put his rain tarp on his trailer, hoping we wouldn't need it. Hopes were dashed, the rain had started.

Slow, big drops at first and then it picked up. And picked up. We were three miles out of town when it started to pour. Ian yelled to see if we wanted to find shelter, I said no we could make it. We made it .25 miles. Thunder cracked, lightening struck and we took shelter under a local business' metal carport. The heavens opened up. It fell with reckless abandon.

After looking at phones, the sky, and based on knowledge passed on by generations prior, we weighed our options. For the piece of mind of all the people following this blog, we decided to not race a tornado and call it a day.

We spent dinner in a small Mexican diner and waiting for our super heroes JD and Vicki who graciously came and provided us with Plan B, a ride to the end town. Due to our great luck with bad weather, 30 miles to go with no towns or shelter, we hitched a ride to Decatur and back onto our original route.

JD and Vicki are some of the nicest, sweetest people in TX. They went out of their way twice to help us. A big handshake and a hug to you guys. If you're ever lost in IA look me up!

Ian Fredrick Hembry's Travel Advice of the Day:
"Sometimes the screws that hold you together, can really screw you."

5 Things I learned on the road today:

1) Armadillo's look like alligators when smashed on the highway.

2) 20% chance of rain is Texas' way of saying, "Got Ya!"

3) Everything is bigger in Texas- rainstorms, kindness, and rocking chairs.

4) We ran across the Most Interesting Man in the World and rain does repel off of him.

5) All bike shops in TX are apparently closed on Mondays- hopefully they are watching Rambo First Blood or Blood Sport.

We saw a gypsy today. She just pulled her dodge caravan into a ditch to camp. That's freedom.

Back at it tomorrow. Hopefully we can get to the bike shop for much needed repairs. The goal is Duncan, OK but probably Warrick, OK. We are 2/2 with rain delays so hopefully we break that streak tomorrow.

I'm doing the anti-rain dance and the bike shop jig tonight for good luck.

Haven't been to OK since the Doc Cassady wedding- good times, great memories.

Until next time,

KRS