Two postings in one day, no extra charge!
So I left the really dumpy motel. It was so bad that I didn't unpack any more than I had to out of fear of bugs getting in my stuff. The TV had three different stations. I refused to take a shower because I thought I'd get dirtier.
As I said, I rode to Lawerence, KS (Doug S, don't say I don't listen!) and the guys at Sunflower Bike Shop were super! They tuned up my bike for free, and gave me three (3) inner tubes "for the cause!" They also gave me directions, warning me about Kansas City. It was the third warning. Dan told me to avoid Prospect, they found dead people there every morning.
Note to Dan at Sunflower: 6th is a dead end. Eighth is a dead end. Seventh works. How do I know?
24 was uneventful, but hot, for about 15 of the 30 miles I was on it. Then it turned into: "Let's kill the cyclist!" No berm, no shoulder and 65 mph posted limit. Two lanes, each way. The only way to survive this is to ride in the middle of the lane and force the traffic to move. But God, that is so hard to do!
Then things got bad: Long, Steep (like Brigham; see "older posts") climbs. With lots of pot holes.
Mark N.: Imagine riding up Brigham 15 times in a row. That's what it was like. Really.
Bad section of town: like East 55th in Cleveland. The Meth capitol of the U.S. Frankly, none of that bothered me. 24 came to an abrupt end. I rode up to a gas station. Inside the tiny vestibule were 12-14 people. I was the only white one. The car radios were booming. I walked up to the biggest guy, with two gold teeth, and asked for directions. Just as I expected, he was very helpful.
I followed his directions and it was perfect; I crossed the Kansas river.
It was up the Missouri bluffs. Like riding two Brighams in a row! The temp is 94, you've ridden 65 miles and the road is terrible. It's called "Quality Hill." Really. I understand why; quality is tough. Listen guys: it was a really hard, hard climb. I'll probably cry remembering it, sometime in the future.
In downtown Kansas City (MISSOURI! I made it to Missouri! Everything from here until further notice is Missouri) it was evening. I went to the Marriott. The manager refused to even consider my plea for assistance: $250 take it or leave it. I left it. What an -------. If I ever go to another Marriott before I croak, it will be too soon.
I went a half block to the Phillips Hotel. Patty, from Poland, gave me a special rate of $109. Patty is cool.
WHAT A GORGEOUS PLACE!!! It is the nicest, most classy, debonair, neat, cool, wonderful, place I have ever stayed! If you go to Kansas City, stay here! Art Deco, this is your home.
A lot more happened today: I met Vickie; she's pretty cool too. But it's time for bed I'm tired. Oh yes, one last thing: so far I've lost five pounds.
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Hi Doug!
Keep on truckin' trooper! I can sympathize about the heat, and i wonder ... wouldn't it have been better to do this ride in Spring or Fall, when the heat wouldn't be so extreme?
I agree with some of the previous posts: why doncha wear padded bike shorts??? Not that you wouldn't necessarily avoid blisters altogether (i know, alas, 'cuz i wear padded bike shorts and STILL get sore), but nonetheless, it would hafta beat wearing just plain shorts without padding.
One other thing ... i was perplexed by your post about Lisa (who you said was riding from Houston to the west coast), and your comment that she gave you some tips to get across the Rockies? You did the Rockies last year (during your BOLD ride, i.e., the Boise to Denver trek) -- i thought your remaining segments of the ride were all east of the Rockies ... are you planning to head west again???
Well, regardless of all these questions, i'm in the cheering section with all the other folks who posted comments. We think you can, we think you can, Whoooo Whooo ... Goooooooo DOUG !!!!!
Thinkin' positive thoughts...
-- anita
P.S. -- Hello from Darryld and Ilse at Perris, where it's been getting up to 111 degrees fahrenheit (yikes)!!!
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Enough talk about all the women you're meeting! :)
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Hiya Doug!
Thanks for the updates. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what your progress has been. What city/town was that dumpy hotel/motel where you spent the night when you worried about getting bugs in your stuff and didn't take a shower for fear of getting dirtier? Must have been somewhere between Topeka and Lawrence, i guess?
Also, where's the stuff you mentioned about Brigham? You referred to "older posts" and i searched there, but that turned out to be a dead end. Is there another blog page that i'm missing?
I'm gonna give in to my urge to comment on the "tell us what state you're in" requests. They must have come from people who are accustomed to driving around the eastern half of the country. I remember road trips back east, where it's typical to pass through 4, 5, 6, and even 7 or more states in a single day of driving. Out west, 2 or 3 is generally the max, although you can stretch it and maybe drive through 4 in a day (5 is really pushing it). This ride of yours comprises a total of 3 states (unless you're planning on crossing the Mississippi into Illinois, which i don't think you are).
Kansas seemed to go on forever each time i drove across it in a motor vehicle (Texas was even more so), and i don't even wanna TRY to imagine what it would seem like riding through Kansas on a bike in the middle of summer -- eeeek.
Carry on, Doug ... you're almost there ... i'm gonna go out on a limb with a prediction -- maybe it will be a lucky 13??? (if not, then certainly no more than 14)
Never mind the jumper credo of blue skies ... as i like to say, just make 'em halcyon skies -- high-altitude overcast is almost always better than blue skies!
Watch out for those snakes, learn from the blue moth while you're holding it at bay, and keep on pedaling!
<3 anita
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Anita: cick on "older Posts" (in blue, just before the first picture). Yes I told Lisa how to get across the Rockies, not the other way around. Love ya! Doug
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Hi Doug,
Thanks for clarifying things regarding the mix-up about who gave whom tips on getting across the Rockies! I guess the transposition was another one of those relay translation glitches.
Just a few more days to St. Louis -- you'll be done by the close of the weekend -- keep hangin' in there!
<3 anita
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