Skip to main content

Week 2

Days 13 & 14 were fairly uneventful.  Just over 50 miles each day.  Day 13 still had a south wind in the face. It is discouraging to crest a hill and still have to pedal hard on the downslope. Today's special treat was a tail wind courtesy of a storm front. So, while rainy, it was fast. That is until I rounded the southwest corner of lake Superior in Duluth and headed up the ramp of the bridge over the St. Louis River to Wisconsin. This is a three mile bridge soaring hundreds of feet above the water with wind and rain now in my face at 15 mph gusting to 25. Once on the ramp I was committed but if I had it to do all over again I would have become a permanent resident of Minnesota rather than ride the bridge.

Bridge notwithstanding, I'm happy to be in Wisconsin where billboards are legal. There is a tavern on every corner and midwest hospitality should be evident once again. The People's Republic of Minnesota controls all of those things because the government knows what is best for you.

 I'm now two weeks in and have logged about 720 miles.  I would like to think a few pounds have been shed but I'm not sure. I have been eating massive high carb meals so I might be staying even. I have noticed stronger legs and better endurance on the road but that could just be the perception after leaving Canada's rugged outback behind.

Stay with me as the adventure continues to unfold!

Comments

  1. What an amazing thing you are doing. Can't wait for pictures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. Posting pictures from my iPhone ion the road is a challenge. I will find a way to do that retroactively.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post 2 - March 2018

I am a casual bike rider.  Five or ten miles is a typical ride and on occasion, my wife and I have completed 30-mile trails for a day of fun.  Biking Superior is going to be a much harder endurance test than a few casual days.  Being well aware of this fact, I have been conditioning for the event. Now in a near vegetative state, the Midwest winter has taken its toll as usual, adding a few pounds here and there.   Following doctor’s orders, I have been doing my level best to speed recovery from a partial knee replacement a few months ago.   The routine established following professional PT consists of three to five miles walking daily and weight training 2 or 3 times each week.   For a Superior ride, I will need to step up my game – especially legs and core. In mid-winter I was taking advantage of every thaw to get a few miles in before the next snow storm.   The threat of snow is gone, but the temperature is not yet inspiring.   Noneth...

7/16/18 - Why?

A frequent inquiry:  "Why are you doing this?" The comic below from yesterday's Chicago Tribune struck a chord.  I first heard the question "why?" from my sole mate when the adventure began to take shape.  My first reaction was that she should already know the answer.  But with some reflection the reason for the question (not the answer) becomes clearer; we share many interests, but not universally.  We both love cooking and wine, sunset cruises, Sunday golf and evenings with our friends and neighbors.  But my wife and best friend finds sleeping in the wilderness to be unthinkable.  "Painful" is how she would label a month on a bike which is the same description I would ascribe to a book club meeting. So, for Nina and some other friends that have had the same question, the answer is so eloquently stated below.  The physical challenge, which is most frequently cited by observers, is only one element of the total.  Physically and mentally, ...

Day 10 - July 28

Today is a rest day. Not sitting in the saddle even to go to dinner. If it is not walkable, it is out of range. As luck would have it I'm right in the middle of Thunder Bay's annual Busker Festival. For the uninitiated, a Busker is a street performer looking for gratuities.  I can't to you how unimaginably bad the performers are but somehow, it manages to add to the charm of the festival. There is a hula-hoop girl that doesn't really hula, but walks in a circle carrying various hoops while recorded music plays. Then there is the duo of a 16 year old accoustic guitar player singing into Mr. microphone while his little brother beats on a Toys R Us drum set.  Finally, a New Zealander with a big gold front tooth manages to climb up on a 5 foot tall unicycle on the 6th try and holds an unplugged electric guitar which he never plays. This is all incredibly amusing and has brought out the whole town. 500 miles into BikeSuperior and the journey continues in the morning. Expec...