Jim

Jim
Let the Adventure Begin

About Me

Las Vegas, NV, United States
This is my 2008 grand adventure...riding a bicycle with 35 international bikers across Europe, following the Danube River along the Orent Express route through eleven countries. The ride is 4000km over 50 days of which 39 are ride days with camping and 11 are rest days in hotels. Our tour group, TourdAfrique, provides a tour leader that provides directions and transposts our luggage, a mechanic, and a chef who promises gourmet local cuisines. We start out in Paris on June 1 and travel through France to Germany, where we pick up the Danube river. We then follow the Danube through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Then we ride cross country through Romania, Bulgaria, and finally Turkey, where we finish in Istanbul on July 20.

Jun 17, 2007

June 17 Day 32 Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH Father's Day











This was a memorable Father's Day...a 110 mile hot, hilly, and humid century through picture post card Ohio farm land. The saving grace was that we did has a modest tail wind part of the way.

We were routed through farm roads with lots of corn fields, country churches, huge old barns, and an occasional Amish buggy. This was our 9th state line crossing and my 8th century of the trip. We finished up the ride in 91 deg temps on a bright sultry day. A bunch of the riders wilted on the road. I met Terry at the 77 mile SAG stop and he looked like a wet rag - soaked from head to toe. He carried on to the 91 mile point and when offered a ride into town, he jumped at it. It looks like many of the cold weather residents are at a disadvantage adjusting to this tropical weather.

And the bugs are out. Many of us have swallowed bugs and are learning that we can't ride fast and have one's mouth wide open. Yuck!

I managed to add six miles to my ride by missing three turns...just what I needed. Our cue sheet had instructions on 63 mile points. When riding fast or when tired, it is easy to miss a country road turn-especially when odometer is several miles off. It was an interesting day.

Tomorrow is another century with the forecast for an even hotter day and lots of steep hills.

Stats: 110 miles, 17.4 mph avg, 1900' climbing, 70 - 91 deg temps, 0 - 10 mph tail winds.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Happy Father's Day Dad! Seems like they should have planned an easy day of it to give all the Dad's on the ride a break for their day. I guess another century puts you that much closer to the finish ...
Georgeous countryside. We really appreciate the updates and the pictures!
Love ya,
D

Unknown said...

Hey Jim,

I just read up on Marysville on Wikipedia. Sounds like a small town of about 15K people... home to Scott's Meracle Grow and the home of the First Hond production facility... not much more to report. Sounds like big news there is they recently established a Home Depot and Walmart. I can't believe you passed Chicago without stopping! :)