The route this year is something like the fourth flattest and is a fairly short course as well. Should have brought the fixed gear bike...who needs gears?
Saturday
Trip started out not so well...when loading up the dozen bikes on the team trailer, I loosened my handlebars to rotate them up and out of the way for a better fit and I then forgot to tighten these. Checking the bikes buring a lunch stop, I found my handlebars just dangling loose. Great. Fantastic. Luckily, I found a cheap replacement in the expo the night before we started out on our trans-Iowan journey. Crisis averted.
Route started in Sioux Center. According to a friend, this is the 'armpit of Iowa'. No guess as to why. Our host John, is a state champion grill man. He had an 18" pork tenderloin smoking when we pulled up - slow and low for most of the afternoon. Dinner included green apple cole slaw, garlic new potatoes (also prepared in a smoker), baked beans and fresh fruit. Love it when our hosts throw this amount of food at us. Delicious! They even said that we could sleep inside down in the basement where it would be cool. Friday and Saturday were not bad in terms of heat/humidity. Evening in Sioux Center was nearly perfect. This would not last...
Sunday - Sioux Center to Cherokee
55.7 miles
1,583 feet of climbing (of hills...not total elevation change)
3:20:00 total time on the road (not including time eating, taking breaks, etc.)
42.6 mph top speed
4,165 calories burned
Second shortest day of the week. Went through the town of Orange City, which has a rich Dutch/German heritage. Lots of windmills and polka music. Stopped for breakfast in Alton and took in some live music while downing my eggs and pancakes...all you can eat. Not the best, but good. Gassed it after breakfast and powered through most of the day. Support vehicle was not due in the next overnight town until around 1:00. I saw a sign for FREE BEER about 9 miles short of Cherokee and opted to stop for a little fresh watermelon and a water slide. Lingered drinking FREE BEER a little too long. Was getting hotter by the hour.
Rolled into the outskirts of Cherokee and at the top of a very long steep hill into town, thought for a minute about calling our hosts to verify where they lived. Meh...down the hill and into town. No data connection, so I can't check a map on my phone. Asked for directions and was told "Unfortunately for you, son...you have to ride back up that there hill." Back up the hill (with cyclists screaming down the hill towards me) and left after the cemetery. After team had gotten in and were cleaned up, we were turned away at the dinner our host was putting on at the local Methodist church - all sold out. Apparently opened their doors around 1:00. We drove a couple towns over for dinner at some surf/turf place. Decided fish would be a bad idea (in the middle of Iowa), however seeing as the beef slaughterhouses were IN THE SAME TOWN, the angus beef would be a safe bet. Not a bad piece of meat after waiting nearly 45 minutes for our food.
Back to the homestead (literally...it was a farm), we sat and had cocktails with our hosts Margaret and Roger. Great people. Demanded that we sleep down in the basement as it was not cooling down outside. Again...this was a godsend. 2-for-2! Up early in the morning, light breakfast and then get on the road. We're typically on the pavement no later than 7:00.
Monday - Cherokee to Lake View
72.8 miles
2,062 feet of climbing
4:09:00 total time on the road
39.2 mph top speed
5,254 calories burned
Rode the first 18 miles of the day before stopping for breakfast in Hanover. The first stop is always hammered by riders, so I/we typically bypass these. This morning, it was Chris Cakes. Delicious, light and fluffy pancakes you can gorge yourself on and not feel gross afterwards. Guys manning the griddles will flip your cakes through the air if you want them to. Hilarious to watch the uninitiated souls try and make the catches in rapid succession. Numerous casualties covering the floor. There was an old-time machine shop nearby and an antique steam-powered wood milling machine that was actually milling wood. Sorry no pictures...was wolfing down breakfast in order to get back on the road. I promise to take more photos the rest of the week.
Around 10:30, it was really starting to warm up. I wanted to get it up, get it on and get it done ASAP. I was hammering pretty hard and my next stop was Beekman's - delicious homemade raspberry ice cream made in small diesel powered ice cream churns called Poppin' Johns (small John Deere engines). Stood in line in the sun for a good 20 minutes for that. Back on the road for more hammering up and down (slight) hills.
Holy god, it was hot out there. 105 degrees with 35% humidity. Not nice. I would stop every so often and grab some shade to rest before getting back on the road. The last five miles were absolutely nasty. We are staying one town over in a small community called Wall Lake. Hit the local Lutheran church for an all-you-can eat spaghetti dinner. Pretty good for $8. Host has us in the basement again. 3-for-3. Yahtzee!
Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Literally. It's the century day. There is an extra loop on the route that is completely optional that gets you to 100 miles for the day. Luckily, it's near the end of the route, so I'll be able to decide if I'm insane before deciding to do it or not. Planning to be up and on the road by 5:00 AM. Lights charged? Yep. Planning to get the majority of my miles in by 10:00. I'm not going to be the only one on the road, so no worries for companions or people to pass the time with.
More to come...photos and video will be uploaded.
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