8am departure with a 1pm arrival in Larned through mostly cloudy skies and 70 to 80 degree day. A nice 54 mile day.
I was preparing for a very long ride today with almost no services available so I’m bringing extra water bottles and a bladder, cheese, yogurt covered raisins. Unfortunately I got into the M&M’s the night before and there weren’t many left for today. The TP is just in case since I had Mexican food for dinner, the only open restaurant in Sterling last night. I hope I have enough.
😬
Kansas wheat, probably a strain of the original Turkey hard red winter wheat first brought by the Russian Menonite immigrants who were escaping the Czar in Russia around 1873. Newton, where I stayed a few days ago, was primarily settled and developed by these Russian immigrants. Hard Red Winter wheat makes up over 90% of the wheat grown in Kansas and Kansas produces more wheat than any other state.
My 3rd Trans-Am cyclist I’ve seen this morning but the first that stopped to chat. Wade is part of the Trans-Am “race” across America from Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA. He lives in Rhode Island and started riding from Astoria on June 2! That’s about 120 miles per day! He was a very nice guy and I was glad he stopped so we could compare our rides. I’m afraid me and my ride came up lacking in comparison.
Todd, and Wade before him, are the new face of cross country cycling as I’m finding out on this trip. I had stopped to look at an artesian well that helped me understand the wet lands I was riding through and Todd caught up to me from the east. He’s originally from Calgary but currently lives in LA. He started in Yorktown 27 days ago and is riding on to Astoria. His loaded bike including all of his gear strapped on weighs 41 lbs. My bike, by itself weighs 41 lbs and loaded as it is now, it weighs north of 95 lbs!! When Todd started riding west with me he quickly left me far behind. Weigh to go Todd!
Larned was my “safe” stopping point for the day. I wanted to go further to Rush City to the north and west but first I wanted to see how I felt when I got to Larned. I have ridden continuously for 54 miles and wanted to eat, drink and check in with my body and mind before I committed to another 30 miles where I would have to pitch a tent and there was no public rest rooms. I also wanted to check the weather radar, especially this time of day.
I stepped into a Wendy’s and Josh showed up within minutes. He’s 26, a graduate of East Carolina University and a post graduate of Virginia Tech as a Physical Therapist. He’s riding the Trans-Am from Astoria to the east coast before he takes his PT exam. As usual with riders passing each other we compared notes on the roads, places to eat and sleep and we were on our way. Josh pointed out a storm to me that was advancing this way from the west. A very nice young man and I enjoyed lunch with him.
Josh’s advice about the storm proved prudent. Based on his advice and finding a very inexpensive motel I took the easy way out and stayed in Larned. 2 hours later the storm arrived here. I’m glad I decided not to ride into it!
These two riders checked in AFTER the rain.
Kansas wheat, probably a strain of the original Turkey hard red winter wheat first brought by the Russian Menonite immigrants who were escaping the Czar in Russia around 1873. Newton, where I stayed a few days ago, was primarily settled and developed by these Russian immigrants. Hard Red Winter wheat makes up over 90% of the wheat grown in Kansas and Kansas produces more wheat than any other state.
My 3rd Trans-Am cyclist I’ve seen this morning but the first that stopped to chat. Wade is part of the Trans-Am “race” across America from Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA. He lives in Rhode Island and started riding from Astoria on June 2! That’s about 120 miles per day! He was a very nice guy and I was glad he stopped so we could compare our rides. I’m afraid me and my ride came up lacking in comparison.
Todd, and Wade before him, are the new face of cross country cycling as I’m finding out on this trip. I had stopped to look at an artesian well that helped me understand the wet lands I was riding through and Todd caught up to me from the east. He’s originally from Calgary but currently lives in LA. He started in Yorktown 27 days ago and is riding on to Astoria. His loaded bike including all of his gear strapped on weighs 41 lbs. My bike, by itself weighs 41 lbs and loaded as it is now, it weighs north of 95 lbs!! When Todd started riding west with me he quickly left me far behind. Weigh to go Todd!
Larned was my “safe” stopping point for the day. I wanted to go further to Rush City to the north and west but first I wanted to see how I felt when I got to Larned. I have ridden continuously for 54 miles and wanted to eat, drink and check in with my body and mind before I committed to another 30 miles where I would have to pitch a tent and there was no public rest rooms. I also wanted to check the weather radar, especially this time of day.
I stepped into a Wendy’s and Josh showed up within minutes. He’s 26, a graduate of East Carolina University and a post graduate of Virginia Tech as a Physical Therapist. He’s riding the Trans-Am from Astoria to the east coast before he takes his PT exam. As usual with riders passing each other we compared notes on the roads, places to eat and sleep and we were on our way. Josh pointed out a storm to me that was advancing this way from the west. A very nice young man and I enjoyed lunch with him.
Josh’s advice about the storm proved prudent. Based on his advice and finding a very inexpensive motel I took the easy way out and stayed in Larned. 2 hours later the storm arrived here. I’m glad I decided not to ride into it!
These two riders checked in AFTER the rain.
☹️
Nice update Scott, Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTeresa's step mom and step grandmother (from western Kansas) told stories about young girls being warned about not getting romantically involved Russians. Worse though, were the Catholics. Both groups were though to want to steel away the girls for marriage, something like that.
John, that’s exactly why I stopped over in Newton, to find women!! It’s not going well for me. Maybe the Menonites Russia or scary Catholics had more luck? You should start planning your Kansas ride!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about a Kansas ride alright. How to combine it with our next drive to Kansas, maybe this fall for a wedding reception for a nephew. Not sure if I well drive west and ride home, or vice-versa?
ReplyDeleteI’ve gone both east and west now and I don’t think there’s much difference either way. I got fortunate today and had some healthy NE winds push me along and up the gradual climb towards Colorado this morning. You just never know other than generally out of the south. Good luck!
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