Day 28

I wasn't sure that I was ready to leave New Ulm.  It's not that I liked New Ulm that well.  In fact, despite the Bavarian Blast and the brewery, New Ulm was kind of a pain.  The college provided no bedding or towels and had turned off the air conditioning in the dorms for the summer.  It was hot and humid in the dorms and we all had trouble sleeping.

Furthermore, the college was located about a mile from downtown and sat atop a bluff with Hermann the Germann.  Anytime that you went to town, by foot or bike, you had to negotiate that damn hill coming home.  The Bavarian Blast and Shells Brewery were both about 2 miles from town, but in opposite directions.  Needless to stay we covered a lot of ground on our rest day.   I was still tired at the end of it.

Fortunately we were greeted with another great riding day.  The temperatures cooled and we had another tailwind.  By 10:45 am Mike and I had covered 62 of the 74 miles that we were riding today and stopped for breakfast.  'The food wasn't great, but after riding 62 miles you'll eat most anything.

We had 3 rest stops scheduled for the day.  The group moved so fast that we could have gotten along with 2.  So that we know where the rest stops are located, Frank (a Big Ride Coordinator) usually places "AC" (which stands for angry cat) by the road.  On Friday Frank forgot AC on the side of the road.  Allen, the mechanic, went back to get him.  Frank was frantic, but even though AC sat out along the road for several hours, nobody picked him up.

Normally AC wears just a pink boa.  Today, however, he was also adorned with Sam's sauerkraut eating crown. 

Half of today's ride to Owatonna, Mn. followed the Minnesota river.  It was a great break from the corn, soybean and wheat vistas that we've had since we left the plains.  After rolling through Mankato, Mn. we were back into agriculture and some of the crappiest roads we've seen on the trip.  The shoulders had craters in them and the roads weren't much better.  It was a little tricky when a truck or a motor home went by, there was no place to go.  Happily, we all arrived safely.

It seems like every town in the midwest uses their water tower as a billboard for their name.  Some you can see for miles.  There may be some kind of competition for the biggest water tower--I wonder what the prize would be.

We're camping in the Owatonna fairgrounds.  I strategically located my tent by the colonial beer garden in case they opened.

Day 27

As of tomorrow we'll have been going for 4 weeks.  We've covered over 1850 miles and have just 1500 to go.  My bike has held up well, considering some of the roads we've traversed.  I think I'm the only one left that has not had a flat.  I've replaced my chain and 2 fraying cables.  I think the chain was bad from the start.  I replaced the rear cassette (gears) and chain before I left Seattle and it never seemed to shift right until I bought a new chain in Missoula.

Normally you should replace the chain and rear cassette at the same time.  Allen, the mechanic, thought that my chain was suspect, and we went with just the chain replacement because the cassette was so new.  So far, it has worked.  I actually purchased a new cassette and chain and have been carrying them as a spare in case of trouble.  Not all towns that we pass through have bike shops or parts, but so far I haven't needed them.  The bike is running great.

New Ulm is an interested town.   If you spend some time here you'd think we lost WWII.  This place is very German. 

There is a town in Washington State named Leavenworth that has a bavarian theme.  It carries the facade of a bavarian village, but this place is Germany/Austria to the core.  It's a much bigger town than I expected, too.

New Ulm is overlooked by "Hermann, the German", a monument with a total height of 104 feet. Constructed of sheet copper molded over iron, the 32-foot statue stands on a 70 + foot brick and iron cupola with an internal spiral staircase leading to a viewing area near his feet.

Hermann spearheaded the struggle to defend German tribes against a Roman imperial army in 9 A.D.  In time the Hermann story became a legend and Hermann a symbol of German strength and unity in preserving freedom.

The other big attraction in New Ulm is the Schells brewery.  It is the second oldest privately held brewery in the U.S. and was founded in 1860.

Chacko and I rode the 3 miles out to the brewery for the tour.  It took beer to get me on my bike on our day off.  It was worth it.

My favorite story from area relates to the Dakota conflict of 1862.  Because the U.S. pretty much treated  the Sioux like crap and broke most of the promises made to them, the Dakota warriors attacked U.S. settlements in an attempt to drive the settlers out of the area.  New Ulm was almost entirely burned to the ground during the conflict, except that they left the brewery alone.  Apparently, the Schell's got along well with the indians.

BTW-The recent donations have put me over the $7000 mark.  Thank you.

Also-breaking news!  Sam just returned from the Bavarian Blast.  He is the sauerkraut eating champion!  He downed a pound of sauerkraut in 36 seconds.  He won a T-shirt, mug, and a crown.  I expect eventually he'll have a sparkling clean colon as well.  The Big Riders own New Ulm!

Day 26

Today we rode from Tyler to New Ulm, Minnesota.  The entire trip is through soybean and corn fields.  These crops, especially the corn, seem to generate their own humidity.  Riding through corn on both sides of the road sometimes feels like you need to cut your way through the moist air.

Some of the crops are labeled identify the special variety. Many are genetically-engineered for insect and herbicide resistance.  I think most of the corn goes to feed and ethanol production.

Evonne's parents met us in New Ulm with fresh watermelon, musk melon and sweet corn.  It was a great treat, since most of the food that we've eaten comes from a cafeteria or a bar and grill.  Her parents drove 5 hours from Iowa with the goodies.  Watermelon is always a treat on a hot day, but the fresh corn was a big hit, too

New Ulm is famous for it's German and Austrian heritage. The Big Ride always comes to town during the Bavarian Blast, a big ol' polka fest.  We have a rest day here after 6 straight days of riding.

Allen, the ride mechanic, and I were the only ones who went down to the party on the night we arrived.  My theory is that it was best to enjoy the Blast on the night before the rest day rather than after.  One of the riders has been entered in the sauerkraut eating contest tomorrow.  We'll see how he fares.  I know that I'm not riding behind him for a few days.

Allen and I stayed at the  Bavarian Blast until midnight enjoying the product of a local brewery, Schell.  A great old couple gave us a ride home.  He was 77 and she was born in Berlin in 1939.  She still remembers the war and following occupation.

Day 25

Ask my wife, sometimes I'm 53 going on 16.  Yesterday is proof.  Yesterday I did something stupid and it nearly cost me the Big Ride. 

Yesterdays ride was a short one.  We were into De Smet by 1 pm.  And that was because we took two rest stops plus a lunch break.  We were all a little bored and looking for something to do.  The Little House on the Prairie town didn't offer much. 

So I challenged some of the young studs to a 3 v 3 soccer game.  One of the guys had a mini-soccer ball and there was an open field w/goals next to us.  The biggest mistake was chosing the teams.  I ended up against a college hockey player from Vermont, a track star from the Univ. of Kansas, and a guy who just missed making the national finals in racketball. 

To make a long story short--I got hurt.  I sprained my knee.  It didn't feel so bad at the time, but later that night, following a bathroom break, my knee completely went out from underneath me as I kneeled to get back into the tent.  It hurt like hell.

So I sat in my tent and cursed my stupidity.  I really thought that I was going to have to miss a day.  It would be bad enough if I went down in the line of duty.  I could hold my head up if I was sideswiped by a little old lady in a Winnebago.  But no--I was out from playing barefoot soccer in the park.

So I sucked down some anti-inflammatories and stewed in my tent until daybreak.  As the pain meds kicked in I noticed that it only really hurt when I flexed my knee past 90 degrees.  I don't do that when I ride.  There was hope.

As we packed up our gear and readied for breakfast I babied my left leg.  It felt better--I just had to stay away from deep knee bends. 

When we started riding I could feel some tightness, but no pain.  I knew we had another fairly easy ride today.  It was 78 miles, but fairly level and we had a tail wind.  I usually don't get that kind of break.

To make a long blog short, I rode easy and I felt OK.  I had a few pains when we pulled hills, but nothing that would keep me from riding.  I think I dodged a bullet.  No more soccer.

We entered Minnesota today.  The scenery in South Dakota improved dramatically as we approached the state line.  The eastern edge of South Dakota is filled seems to be endless fields of corn and wind turbines. I think Minnesota felt sorry for South Dakota and lent them a few of the 10,000 lakes near the state line.  Either that, or Minnesota has so many lakes that the spill over into South Dakota occasionally.

We're camped at a high school in Tyler, Minnesota.  We were fed by an organization called TU-PHAT.  I have no ideas what it means.  Mike and I stopped at a tavern for a beer after dinner.  The barmaid and the locals we not friendly and pretty much ignored us.  So much for my intoduction to midwestern hospitality.

My buddy Tom sent me a question asking whether or not we are getting funny tan lines.  I lined up a couple of models to show you.  I also took a picture of my hand to show the hot-dog finger tan lines that we're developing from wearing cycling gloves all the time.

Day 24

Breakfast usually starts between 6 and 7 am. Today we started at 6:30 am. The later start times are usually on the days we expect the ride time to be shorter than normal. Today was such a day. A wind shift of a mere 30-35 degrees turned yesterdays brutal headwind into a helping hand. With any effort we could have covered the 77 miles in 4 hours. We averaged 18.2 mph and reached De Smet still feeling fresh and ready for more.

Chocolate Mateys are a popular breakfast cereal for Big Riders. I won’t eat the crap, as they appear to be some weird hybrid of Cap’n Crunch, Cocopuffs, and Fruit Loops. Nasty stuff—and this comes from a guy who was willing to try rocky mountain oysters dipped in hot sauce in a bar a few towns back (maybe beer helps). My typical breakfast consists of yoghurt, a bagel with cream cheese, and a cup of coffee. Occasionally we have a second breakfast (like the Hobbits) at a diner. That’s usually eggs, hash browns, bacon, and toast.

We crossed the half-way point in Huron, SD early this morning. Bridgett, the tour leader, blasted Bon Jovi’s “We’re Living on a Prayer” at the crossing point because of the “..we’re halfway there..” lyrics. Geez, you pedal 1650 miles and you get to celebrate with chick music. Actually, it made me think of my wife. She loves Bon Jovi (one of her few faults). I called her up and gave her my own butchered karaoke version of the song. It will probably be the last time she’ll hear me sing Bon Jovi lyrics unless I’m making them nasty or something.

We camp tonight in De Smet, SD. The is the town Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in Little House on the Prairie. Honestly, everything in town is about the Ingalls. I guess that is the best they can do.  I attached a picture to show my typical routine of slaving at the computer to keep this blog going.  I hope you a appreciate the strenuous effort.

I've also dedicated a state seal and a motto for South Dakota.  The seal is in picture to the right (with the dreaded H's).  The motto shall read, "Sometimes you're the pig, ..and sometimes you're the cow."  Today we were the pigs.  It was a great ride.

Day 23

I didn't take one picture on the road today.  Nada, zilch, nuttin'...We basically road due east on Hwy. 14 from Pierre to Miller, SD.  There was only wheat, soy bean, and corn along the way.  And wind..., did I mention wind?   It sucked.

Mike and I rode together the entire way.  This is the first time we really worked together.  I'm not sure I would have had the energy to pull this ride on my own.  We rode due east trading off in the lead into a 15 mph headwind that gusted to 33 mph.  At least that what it said on a TV in a gas station along the way.  We managed to average 13.0 mph for the 74 miles.   I was so pooped at the end that I unpacked my gear and took a nap without eating.  Tomorrow's forecast looks better.  We still have 3 days riding before a rest day.

As difficult as some of the rides have been, I don't want to give the impression that I'm not having fun.  I really am.  I've made a good friend in Mike and the rest of the group gets along pretty well for people who, for the most part, just met each other.  It's your typical mix of serious, goofy, eccentric, and odd.  Some have money, some are unemployed.  The nice thing is that there is not a weak rider in the group.

We've stayed in a variety of places.  On the rest days we are normally in college dorms.  On the riding days we usually camp in parks, football fields or go inside in high school gymnasiums.  Last night we camped in a beautiful park on the Missouri River in Pierre.

Tonight we sleep roughly 30 miles short of the halfway point in the ride.  Based upon what I done so far, would I do it again?  Probably not, it has been hard to be away from my family and friends.  Am I glad I did it this time?  Absolutely!  This is an experience that I'll never forget.

Day 22

I was right yesterday when I said that we'd probably seen the best South Dakota has to offer.  It became painfully true during today's ride.  The route took us 20 miles east on a frontage road next to I90.  Then we turned due north for 33 miles before we went due east again for 40 miles to Pierre, SD.   When we crossed the Missouri River in Pierre we moved into the Central Time Zone.

The wind blew out of the southeast all day.  During the first and third legs of the route we rode into the wind.  The the morning it was a moderate blow, but in the afternoon it was gusting strongly.  The wind made for a long day.

The most disgusting part of the ride today was the multitude of grasshoppers.  In some sections of the route, particularly toward the end, they were so thick you couldn't avoid running over the masses.  The sometimes jumped up whacking you in the shins, arms, chest and face.  Occasionally they would land on your jersey.  The grasshoppers on the road were eating the ones that had be smashed by cars.  Wheat, corn, prairie, and cannibal grasshoppers were all their was to see today.

Mike and I are making a collection of all the H words that we hate.  They start with hills, headwinds, humidity, hail, heat, and hemorrhoids.  We're trying to fit peanut butter in there too, even though it doesn't start with an H.   Gatorade is getting close.  We drink it everyday.

I rode about 96 miles today and averaged right at 14 mph.  That gives almost exactly 200 miles in the last two days.  We only ride 74 miles tomorrow.  It looks like we may have headwinds all day. 

We have roughly 1545 cumulative miles so far.  We'll reach the halfway point for the Big Ride the day after tomorrow.