Horace, KS to Eads, CO
The last few days have been a real struggle, so I was extremely happy to get on the road this morning and find that the wind was not that strong and the temperature was cool. I started riding just before 7:00 and it was only 16 miles to the Colorado border. I don’t know if I was happier to make it to Colorado or to get out of Kansas.
Scott City, KS to Horace, KS
Another day in Kansas with strong winds and high temperatures. I got up early and was on the road by 6:45. This was not as early as yesterday, but still much earlier than I’ve been used to. The winds changed direction over night which helped a little. There still wasn’t a tailwind, but the wind was hurting less than yesterday.
Ness City, KS to Scott City, KS
My normal morning start time has been somewhere around 8:30 AM for the majority of this trip. When I talked to the 4 other guys who I camped with last night, they were all planning to be up by 4:45 AM. I knew it was going to get hot today and that I should be on the road early, but 4:45 AM seemed a bit much. When I woke up around 5:15 I had the only tent still set up in the park. Two guys were already out riding and two were close to leaving.
Larned, KS to Ness City, KS
After 109 miles yesterday I decided to sleep in this morning, which was probably not the best idea. By the time I got out of the motel the winds had picked up significantly and it was already hot. It was good that I’d pushed through yesterday, because doing that ride in today’s conditions would have been impossible.
Newton, KS to Larned, KS
Today was a long one. I got up early enough to ensure I’d be done at a reasonable time. The winds picked up a little bit compared to yesterday and were blowing out of the south. I headed directly west for the entire day and had the wind somewhere between my 9 o’clock and 11 o’clock at all times. It wasn’t quite a head wind, but it was enough to slow me down.
Eureka, KS to Newton, KS
The forecast today was similar to yesterday. The temperature was expected to stay cool until noon and the wind would not be too bad. I was out of the motel by 7:45 and went in search of breakfast and food to pack for lunch. There was nowhere to stop on today’s route, so I had to be prepared with enough food to get me through the whole day. I rode my bike up main street and found the local grocery store where I picked up a wrap and some apples for lunch along with a few Gatorades.
Chanute, KS to Eureka, KS
The forecast today was for temperatures to remain in the 70s until noon and it also looked like the winds would be slightly in my favor. With no shade to hide in, I started the day out early, so I’d be out of the sun before it got too hot. Today looked a little flatter than yesterday, so I was hoping to average a decent speed, even with my rear wheel not fully fixed.
Pittsburg, KS to Chanute, KS
I didn’t go too crazy at the bar last night, so I was up at a reasonable time this morning. My plan was to get to Chanute, about 60 miles away, but I’d continue on if I was feeling good. The route today was mostly flat, but the winds made things more difficult than expected.
Ash Grove, MO to Pittsburg, KS
Just as the whiteboard at the bike hostel promised, today started off with 23 miles of hills. Luckily they were small and easy to get through. The locals talk about their hills everywhere I’ve been and how their hills are the hardest part of the bike route. They’d probably change their story if they could see what I had to get through in Pennsylvania.
Marshfield, MO to Ash Grove, MO
After setting up my tent last night I walked over to the Mexican restaurant about 100 feet away to grab some dinner. The food was good, but I was surprised by the margarita. The waiter asked what size I wanted, so I asked for a medium without thinking to check what that actually meant. My meal came out along with 30 ounces of margarita. It was enough to have me feeling pretty good after the meal.
Houston, MO to Marshfield, MO
I slept in this morning which was nice after yesterday’s long ride. The bed at the motel had memory foam and was one of the more comfortable places I’ve slept in a while. I expected Matt to be gone by the time I woke up, but he also chose to take advantage of a comfortable bed and slept in as well. I started getting my things together and then headed next door to Casey’s General Store.
Ellington, MO to Houston, MO
Today’s ride was on paper the hardest day I’ll have until I hit Colorado. With this knowledge, I tried to wake up early, but when my alarm went off at 6:45 Matt had already left and Troy and Amanda were on their way out the door. I’ve never been a morning person, but I am really not a morning person compared to these other cyclists. Troy and Amanda had come from Houston, MO yesterday and were able to give me a good idea of what I’d be getting into today. The first 25 miles would be the hardest, there would then be another 35 miles with rolling hills and some large climbs, and the last 10 miles would flatten out. I got on the road around 7:45, which for me was pretty early.
Farmington, MO to Ellington, MO
It was really nice this morning to wake up in a bedroom to myself. I got up on my own schedule, instead of waking up when the earliest person started moving around. I had also picked up some food for breakfast the night before which meant I didn’t have to go in search of the nearest gas station for food this morning.
Chester, IL to Farmington, MO
Today started off much earlier than normal. By 5:00 AM I heard Alan getting his things together. I rolled over and went back to sleep, but heard Charlie getting up around 6:00. I didn’t think I’d fall back to sleep so I started to get my things together. I talked to Matt and Charlie about their plans for the day. Matt was planning to head to Farmington, while Charlie decided to take a rest day. By 7:00 I was on the road with Matt, headed for Missouri.
Carbondale, IL to Chester, IL
I slept in this morning because the bike shop and post office both did not open until 9:30. By the time I was getting up Charlie was already packed up and ready to leave. He went ahead and scouted out the places to stay in Chester while I ran my errands.
Ramblin' Dan: Bike Touring Adventures 