2500 miles
Riding in Missouri is FUN!
Yesterday, I had my best cycling day ever, not just on this trip, but ever.
I thought I'd like flat Kansas the best, but this is way better. Missouri provides variation. Riding some parts of the route is like going on a roller coaster: As you roll down, you get enough speed to take you uphill, without pedalling or with just a little bit of pedalling, and then you go down again.
And then there are the really, really steep climbs: Challenging, but fun challenging. Terry, a bicyclist I have bumped in to quite a few times during the last days, says you need to imagine a wall dressed with tarmac to understand what we are faced with quite a few times a day. Seen from a distance, those hills seem impossible to cycle and I can get completely light-headed just by looking at them, but so far I haven't fallen off of a single one of 'em :-)
It is not like in the Sierras or in the Rockies, where the climbs took most part of the day. The climbs here sure are steep, but very short in comparison, so you'd be cycling standing up, giving it all you've got, exhausting yourself if necessary, because you know that within a reasonable amont of time, you'll be going downhill again, and you'll be rewarded with not only a couple of minutes of good rest, but also a nice breeze. And then you will be up for some tough climbing again.
Also, what I like about this type of cycling is that you won't use just your legs. Your arms, your abs, and your back will all work together to get you up that hill and to stay in balance on the bike. I haven't felt this physically strong in years (1994?), so you can imagine the boost!
When I met Terry later in the afternoon I realized he had experienced the same: cyclists' high all day long.
(The double shot of espresso and the large quantities of maple syrup I had with the MacDonalds hotcakes for breakfast might have helped.)
Anyway, I totally recommend Missouri for bicycling!
But today, we are resting.
Yesterday, I had my best cycling day ever, not just on this trip, but ever.
I thought I'd like flat Kansas the best, but this is way better. Missouri provides variation. Riding some parts of the route is like going on a roller coaster: As you roll down, you get enough speed to take you uphill, without pedalling or with just a little bit of pedalling, and then you go down again.
And then there are the really, really steep climbs: Challenging, but fun challenging. Terry, a bicyclist I have bumped in to quite a few times during the last days, says you need to imagine a wall dressed with tarmac to understand what we are faced with quite a few times a day. Seen from a distance, those hills seem impossible to cycle and I can get completely light-headed just by looking at them, but so far I haven't fallen off of a single one of 'em :-)
It is not like in the Sierras or in the Rockies, where the climbs took most part of the day. The climbs here sure are steep, but very short in comparison, so you'd be cycling standing up, giving it all you've got, exhausting yourself if necessary, because you know that within a reasonable amont of time, you'll be going downhill again, and you'll be rewarded with not only a couple of minutes of good rest, but also a nice breeze. And then you will be up for some tough climbing again.
Also, what I like about this type of cycling is that you won't use just your legs. Your arms, your abs, and your back will all work together to get you up that hill and to stay in balance on the bike. I haven't felt this physically strong in years (1994?), so you can imagine the boost!
When I met Terry later in the afternoon I realized he had experienced the same: cyclists' high all day long.
(The double shot of espresso and the large quantities of maple syrup I had with the MacDonalds hotcakes for breakfast might have helped.)
Anyway, I totally recommend Missouri for bicycling!
But today, we are resting.
upplagd av ACROSS THE US
12:22
9 kommentarer:
Hi Monica! Remeber me? Just chiming in that Joe finnnally caught up with me today. We rode together for awhile but he finished off the trip while I stayed in Fairfield. I'm only 25 miles from Vallejo but I'm gonna bike around the bay adding 70 more miles.
Good luck! I can't believe you're finding the Ozarks fun!!
Hola Monica, no puedo dejar pasar la oportunidad de felicitarte. Pienso que este es el mejor momento, en este articulo en el que cuentas que has vivido tu mejor día ciclista. Me alegro de que pedalada a pedalada estés completando esta gran aventura. Déjame que te envíe un soplo de aire a favor, para ayudarte a subir, y gracias por hacernos sentir esa brisa fresca al bajar frente a un bonito paisaje subidos contigo en tu bici. Por cierto, me han dado unas ganas irresistibles de problar Red Bull con sirope. Vänliga hälsningar. Pablo (Madrid)
Hej Monica! Ola har visat oss din blogg och vi följer den intresserat. Du är en cool förebild för en liten tös här hemma, må du tro.
Kram
Britta med familj
PS. Torsten kände igen oss när vi var i Luleå. Han och Kajsalisa lattjade en hel del.
Hej Monica,
Om du har möjlighet ska du ta cykelleden Katy Trail utefter Missourifloden. Grymt vacker och skön skapelse.
Jag har kontakter du kan utnyttja (logi) i New Jersey om du trampar igenom här på vägen mot Washington D.C.
Ha en fortsatt mycket trevlig resa!
/Anders Forselius
www.sam-borombon.se
Brian:
How can the Ozarks NOT be fun??
I know it is hot and steamy so you're always soaked wet and everything is slippery, and indeed, you've got to perform some physical work - but that's what you signed up for.
And that work feels so good in the Ozarks! I'm going through this part just laughing and screaming right out just because I don't know what else to do with all those bubbles inside of me, all the energy that nearly get me to explode, several times every day.
I feel so sorry for you that you didn't have that.
Could it be that you were not yet used to your bike? When I got to the Ozarks, I had ridden my bike every day for two months, and maybe that's what it takes. We were one. You cannot just jump on your bike and start pedalling like crazy, you've got to be a little more sensitive than that. I can also recommend doing the Ozarks with some good music, getting you in the right mood.
And if nothing of the above helps, well, maybe you haven't met the right bike yet? I'll suggest two web pages for you. If the one doesn't appeal to you, than try the other.
www.bikeswingers.com
www.findingabikeforlife.com
Pablo:
Si, era mi mejor dia ciclista (hoy tuve un dia muy bonita tambien) y estoy feliz que mi articulo te ha dado ganas de probar Red bull :-) Pero aun mas, espero que llegue a pasearse en bicicleta pronto!
Britta:
Ar 2025 (plus minus ett par ar) cyklar jag och mina tva syskonbarn till Tanzania och klattrar upp pa Kilimanjaro. Sen cyklar vi troligen ned till Sydafrika och darefter hem igen. Kajsalisa ar valkommen att folja med!
Anders:
Jag ar absolut oppen for alternativ och jag vill inte avsluta cyklingen i Washington, utan jag vill upp till New York. Brian (se ovan) har en rutt, men den ar lite lang for de dagar jag har kvar. Jag skulle kunna cykla till Charlottesville och sedan forsoka ta mig till Fredericksburg som ligger langs Atlantic Coast (Adventure Cycling Association maps) och sedan cykla uppat - men just sista biten till New York verkar saknas... KAN man cykla in till New York? Har du forslag?
Hej hallå,
Studerade din karta och ett alternativ är att du istället för sydlig rikting från Lexington går nordost mot Pennsylvania. Hur än du åker kommer du att få en rejäl dos av Appalacherna. Både Virginia och Pennsylvania är en höjdare, men åker du genom den senare får du en mkt behaglig resa genom New Jersey fram till New York.
Undvik trafiken i Washington D.C, Baltimore och Philadelphia. Även om de är tre otroligt vackra städer så är det rysk roulette att cykla igenom där. Den vänligt trafiken du har sett överallt annars i USA upphör att existera precis där.
New Jersey är en av mina absoluta favoritstater vad gäller cykling och speciellt kring Delawarefloden.
Kör hårt!
/Anders Forselius
Hi, Monica,
I need to mail your boxes to New York this week. Do you have an address, or shall I send them to my friend Denise in Manhattan?
Edie
Edie: I have tried to reach you via CS but it didn't work and right now my e-mail doesn't work either... - so I hope you get to read this and I will call you too later. Please send the boxes to Denise.
Ok, I'll send to Denise. Did you see her address in CS? I'll be in Hawaii for 2 weeks, so call my cell phone number whenever you need to.
And even if you don't go to Chicago, see if you can eat Chicago deep-dish spinach pizza along the way.
Take care!
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