Ride Out, Ride Through, Ride Home: The Ragbrai 2013

It was Craig's idea.  Winterset, Atlantic, the southern trek to intercept Ragbrai.  The route was out and we met at CABCo to fill our mugs and stare at a map.  I was surprised with his choice of busting out of Des Moines but I have praised the ride to Winterset before.

Fast forward to the second to last Thursday of July.  Craig has to work so we meet about 4 pm on the Bill Riley Trail and off we go.  First stop was to chat with Stephanie Shearer who happened to be outside with her dog Remi.  We used her for our first "group" photo.  Then onto the Great Western Trail and the usual stops:  Safety Shack, The Cumming Tap for Moscow Mules, Troll Bridge and at the end the Roadside Inn.  $17 for two mules.

Goodbye trail hello county road R45 to St. Marys and the Northside.  South a block and then the road to St Charles.  We crossed I-35 here.  Once in town Craig and I fulfilled a goal of mine.  Drinking beer in a covered bridge.  Bridges hold fascination for my biking friends.  We drink beer on them, below them and near them.  But I have yet heard of anyone enjoying a cool crisp refreshing beer inside a covered bridge.

No bar in St Charles so we depart town on G50 in the dark of night toward our final destination of Winterset.  Not really all that long, perhaps 10 miles or so but the lack of daylight seemed to stretch this road an extra 20 before our north turn to the southern city limits of Winterset.  That climb was not long.  Having enjoyed the downhill I feared that the climb would be difficult and taxing.

All the bars were closed which dictated the decision to go to Casey's General Store.  A fresh case of beer, Gatorade and pizza slices.  And a few stares from the locals and 3 truck loads of horse people was the dessert.  Our campground was the John Wayne Memorial Park.  Pulled out the thermorests and sleeping bags and declared Day 1 over.  50 miles.

The john Wayne Memorial

Around 630 AM Friday, Day 2, a cop pulled up and asked if we were OK.  "I ain't never seen anyone sleep here before."  I told him that we could not find the city park.  10 blocks away he informed us before leaving and wishing us a good Ragbrai. Back to sleep for a bit then breakfast at the Northside Cafe on the square. Omelets and toast.  Good service.  Good prices.  Clean restroom.  They let me charge my phone.

Iowa Highway 92 Blues: The Quest for Atlantic

Bonnie and Clyde's getaway car!

The road was not very busy.  Only one person yelled at us, Dodge truck pulling a horse trailer.  Mostly smooth.  Shoulder most of the time.  Only one problem.  Headwind.  At least it kept us cool.  But it took forever to cover the 23 miles to Greenfield.  here I decided to carry Gatorade in the cooler along with the beer.  I love the 2 for 1 specials.  Slam one for emergency core temperature drop and save one for the road.  We ate at the bowling alley.  $3.75 for a burger and fries.  Great deal especially from a dirty bowling alley.

The 6 miles to Fontanelle.  City park shelter then Casey's.  Tour de Casey's.  Free ice for the cooler and Gatorade.  It was in the 90s, need to keep hydrated and core temperature at acceptable levels.  At the park we met Curtis who was bagging it out on a Terratrike. He did not have a map.  Rather, he took a right at the end of Martensdale and was following 92 all the way to the beginning of Ragbrai.  He lives in west Des Moines and after the big ride he will be doing the triathalon.  After Craig's nap he joined us until our turn off at Cumberland.

Curtis.  There were 3 of us with C as the first letter in their name!

It was good to get off 92 even if N28 had steeper hills.  We stopped at the Rusty Wire a restaurant/pub in Cumberland.  Fish night although we only had 1 beer each.  Fireball was not chilled.  Two groups of families were seated and having dinner so we sat at the bar and overheard the manager on the phone say "get the fuck in we are getting killed!"  We probably should have ate.

Food for the jouney purchased at the last store before the Cumberland turn off.  I thought of my children when I purchased this.

Fun photos in Norway Center

16 or so miles to go to with vapid sunlight.  2 county roads and then up US 71.  Decent shoulder on that highway.  Traffic was light.  Google Maps called it C630.  We entered Atlantic from the south which spared us the pain of climbing hills in town if we hit it from anywhere else.  Trish was in her yard waiting and we were glad to have ended that 66 mile ride.  I drank 4 beers from my cooler in her driveway before going in to shower, eat and sleep.  Paradise!

That night Aaron's daughter Makayla had a baby boy.  Trish and her son Parker (shown holding the baby) drove to Ottumwa the next day.

Enter Joe and Donnie

Joe and Donnie Hildreth bagging it.

Almost from the inception of our riding plans Joe and Donnie Hildreth kept asking what they were and asking if they could ride with.  Normally they ride with the Tall Dogs on road bikes.  They also ride to the beginning of Ragbrai using Tall Dog support.  This year I convinced them to bag it out with us when their support and Craig and I collided in Atlantic.  After a few texts and phone calls we met at the Casey's on the eastside.  Iced and beered and a few snackiepoos we rode up to US 71 and headed north to reach the T-Bone Trail.  They were now becoming baggers.

Donnie preparing to cross I-80.

The only issue with the T-Bone Trail is that it supposedly begins in Atlantic but one must ride several miles of shit gravel to reach the trailhead.  So for the second time in my life I had to ride on highways to get there.  Traffic was light.  We hopped on at the I-80 truck stop which allowed us to grab a sandwich and a non-alcoholic beverage before entering the trail.

With Team Emu on the T-Bone Trail.  They were heading to Marne and almost convinced us to go there.  Andy was limited to beer only after the previous night's vodka incidents.

The other issue is that there are too many places to stop and enjoy a cool crisp refreshing beer on this trail.  Let's just say we had a great time.  Probably averaged 2 miles per beer, hit every open bar and had a great tenderloin in Hamlin.  This was our low mileage drinking day.  Fortunately, Angel arranged a motel room in Audubon, Iowa, for us.  30 miles.  A new Ragbrai low for me.

Audubon, Iowa

Between the bars in Audubon, Iowa.

After a night of abusing locals we left Craig behind with Angel and hit county roads to Coon Rapids on our way to the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  12 miles of moderate hills on an empty road then 11 miles of rollers on a "rough" road to Coon Rapids.  They scraped the asphalt off the original concrete road and created a surface that requires maximum attention to keep a safe line.  No flats or busted wheels but once off of it we checked our bikes out.  Too bad because the scenery was beautiful and I'd like to ride that road again AFTER it is resurfaced.

Scraped surface of county road N46

11 miles of this.  White is rough, black usually good except for the occasional asphalt chunks.

We ate at the Coon Bowl, my second stop at a bowling alley, before hitting Iowa 141 for the trail interception.  Good burger, 2010 top burger in Iowa.  141 was low traffic, relatively flat and had a few towns that had convenience stores.  This was the second time I biked this highway to get to the trail.  This was alos the day it rained.  We had just rolled into Bagley, Iowa, and noticed the menacing sky.  We found a covered picnic shelter in a park and reached it in time before the deluge.  Good place for a rest before the remaining 4 miles to the RRVT.  That park shelter would be a great place to camp but you would have to bring in your own food and drink because Bagley lacks a bar and store.

Finally the trail and we headed to Jamaica to reunite with Craig who SAGed to Jefferson.  The bar was closed.  we headed south to Yale, Iowa,  where we met Team Mystery Machine and the Toe Rings.  Starting to feel like Ragbrai.  New store in Yale where we could purchase beer.  this was good because the former store has been sorely missed.

Mystery machine and the Die Hards were in several groups this Ragbrai.  Here are some spotted in Yale the day before the Perry overnight.

Donnie carried both Perry Fire and Iowa Shine, corn whiskey, with him.  It came down to this in Yale.  Not bad but tasted strong.  No measuring devices, no wonder.

The Vortex increased strength and sucked us into Panora, Iowa.  Angel said that there was a motel by the lake with a tiki bar.  Reports coming north out of Panora indicated the epicenter off The Vortex.  Motels, houses, boats, people having been stuck there for 3 days.  Chad Leeper changing his voice.  Originally wanted to camp at the High Trestle bridge but I heard the Sirens' call in Panora.  Said goodbye to my friends and Mystery Machine teammates and rode to Lakeside Inn with its Port Lounge and tiki bar.

The only use that tub got!

Drinks were $2.  Pints were $4.  Leeper handed me a plastic cup with some green liquid and a straw.  In a voice that reminiscent of Billy Bob Thorton from Sling Blade he said, "that drink ain't gonna drink itself."  Our room had a hot tub, not that we were going to use it.  We rolled our bicycles through the hotel and there seemed to be no authority here.  Bicyclist, drunken baggers had completely taken over the place.  we could not find anyine who worked there in the morning which was OK because I imagine that there was damage and there were incidents and that the LAW should have been involved.  Or perhaps we behaved.  It was hard to tell.

Chad Leep and GYM Carson at The Port, The Lakeside Inn, Panora, Iowa.

Jim Davis bought something like 10 seafood pasta dinners and 6 bottles of wine for us.  Cici Cunningham purchased some pizzas so people would not make the dangerous trip downtown.  But after we ate it was a food coma that sent us back to our rooms.  Game over.  I would have liked to stayed up longer but I was done.  58 miles.  I walked back with my glass of a cabernet sauvignon spilling out the sides.  I was a bit horrified in the morning when Angel sported a huge purple wine stain on her white shirt and that a wine glass was upside down on the patio of our room.  But I found my glass mostly full on top of the mantel of the fireplace where I slept.  Good thing too because I needed something to was down my Claritin and Sudafed.

Donnie, Missy, me, Craig and Ramona in Yale.  Here I am giving the overnight addy to the Die Hards.

Time for my shortest Ragbrai day ever--25 miles, Panora to Perry, Iowa.  The Official Route went through Yale our first stop town stop.  We did stop at a bench fro a beer.  Finally we were officially on The Ragbrai.  We ran into the Die Hards and others as we watched the circus unfold in Yale.  I did purchase a $2 can of Busch Light and a $3 pork sandwich to help out the town.  Inside just Ethel's bar I proved to randy Kramer that Cher did have bad songs when I selected Bang Bang on the jukebox.

Scoobies and Die Hards

Rolling onward to Jamaica, Iowa, I stayed long enough to drink 1 beer and left my teammates at the pool underneath the palm trees so I could meet my wife and daughter in Perry.  A quick beer in Dawson, Iowa, and another pool with the Honey Badgers and T-Bone Schmid before with 5 miles to go.

Joe and Craig at the beach in Jamaica, Iowa.

The Pool in Dawson, Iowa.

T-Bone.

Mary and Dora were in the courtyard of the Hotel Pattee drinking bike beers with a group of Mystery Machiners and my sister.  Dora found a drumline to play with.  Brad Overholser and Clayton Mudge also were there.  But after a while I felt the need for A/C, a meal and a shower.  We rolled south to accomplish that.

Tents up!!  Bring on rain!!!

Jane Arpy had friends that live in Perry.  They were looking forward to hosting on Ragbrai.  Angel told us about it.  I told Missy Kipple Gullion and the Die Hards and soon we all converged.  Shower, food, nice place to set up two tents.  This was the only time I set up the tent.  Sure enough it rained hard for a bit.  That's life.  we needed rain anyway.  I really did not want to sleep inside with a bunch of people anyway.  We could have but it's good to be alone.  I drank most of the night with Jeff Gullion who is from my home town and prolly a few years older.  He brought quality craft beer and I woke up with the first hangover of the ride.  Thank you!

The Last Day: Bike Swap and Team Swap

Mary and Dora rode from home to Perry on our touring tandem.  A veteran of many Ragbrais the Fisher tandem is one of my favorites.  Dora was on her first Ragbrai as the stoker of this bike.  Breakfast was mainly dessert items because around 3 or 4 AM the Toe Rings arrived and ate almost all of the breakfast casserole that Sharon our hostess had prepared.  I do not think it was fully cooked yet.  I did have a scoop of the remains to counteract the sugar.

We had three choices for the trip home.  The first was to ride to the High Trestle Trail and come in from the east to avoid the crowds and see the trestle.  Joe and Donnie took this way.  The second was to take the official route and allow Dora a full day on Ragbrai proper.  But we chose the third option because Dora was anxious to get home and take a babysitting job, her main source of income.  Located 2 blocks from the new extension of the RRVT we decided to trail it home.  Yes, we we two blocks from a trail that would take us to 1/2 mile from our home!  Ragbrai does not get any better than that!  Or does it.  My entire time in Perry I thought that the numbers of riders on the ride was down.  This was not so.despite BRR seeming bigger to me from where we were.  Dora had to use a restroom.  When we pulled into Minburn, Iowa, for her to use one we collided with the Horde.  Yep, numbers were quite high and everyone we never saw were there at that moment.  A bank of kybos, maybe 15 of them had lines 50 people deep.  I did see Brick, a friend and biker from Mullets here.

Back on the trail to Dallas Center, Iowa, and its decadent wrestling entertainment.  Some of our friends actually spent the night here just to see little people wrestle.  Yes, they wanted to see midgets wrestle.  Mystery Machine and Die Hards were present here.  We also did see and talk to did see Bruce Woodard here.  He is an old biking friend and an endurance rider who was on Breedlove's star and did Paris-Brest-Paris.  He completed RAID (Ride Across Iowa in a Day) and may be up for this year's event.  We stayed for 3 matches, two normal one with little people.  GYM said the funniest thing ever when he shouted "GET INTO MY BURLEY!!" at the two small women wrestling.  The last match featured a man in lucha libre regalia.  He was the favorite and all the kids lined the mat for hand slaps when he did his victory lap.

Then the trail all the way home.  strange riding my work commute as part of Ragbrai but familiarity makes easy riding and I annoyed Dora with mileage updates.  Tacopocalype was set up at 51 and I wished we had not ate in Waukee, Iowa, but it was nice to see Sam.  Within 2 miles from home our son Quin was with a Mullets employee using chalk to get bikers to go to that establishment.  Greeted by family!  we did stop at Mullets to talk to Wayne and Ed.  The Tall Dogs were going to camp there.

Once home Dora left for her babysitting gig.  Mary and I set up the tents to dry and unpacked the bikes, started laundry and hit the store.  A fabulous chicken dinner and early to bed.  39 miles.  Game over.  Until next year....

I was proud to have corrupted Joe and Donnie.  they had a great time and lamented that their brother Sam was not with us.  I also enjoyed riding with Craig.  last year we rode thousands of miles together but this year we did not due to rain and life.  Dora made her first ragbrai appearance.  Mary's job prevented her from being with us and everyone missed her.  She would have really enjoyed it especially Panora.  It was great to see my old friends again.  Seems like ages...

ISO Flying Dog Ale or The Last Ride for the Great White

Always enjoyed a ride.  Summer 2006.

The climb up SE 14th sucked.  94F with a sissy index of 104F.  I swear it could not been more than 92F/101F.  I put it in granny and shifted the chain to a smaller cog on the cassette.  The 44T middle ring is not ideal for long grinds on narrow sidewalk next to busy rush hour traffic.  Need to spare legs, need ability to get around cars that block the way.  The MTB that jumped out in front of me was still ahead but not gaining.  As for myself, I was in no hurry.  I was on a trip I'd rather not have had to ride.

It was an urban downhill to the store.  All sidewalk on a touring bike running 700x28s.  Good test for the tires.  watch out for broken glass.  Watch for traffic.  Remind myself to purchase an airhorn for drivers that do not rotate their heads.  300+ decibels gets attention quickly. Eye contact saves skin and lives.  At last I am where I want to be.  Lean the 520 against the building an enter through the "Wine & Spirits" door.  This will be quick, keep helmet on.

I was looking for a 6 pack of Flying Dog Ale.  Specifically, In Heat Wheat.  Cold.  The first scan came up negative.  The clerk said hello.  Second scan was a fail.  Plan B.  Purchase 6 pack of any beer named after a dog.  Walk up and down the aisle twice and spot nothing.  The clerk asks me if I need help.  Well dude, if it ain't in the cold section then I do not need it, I said to myself.  Instead, I told him I was fine and settled for Plan C, any 6 pack with a dog on the packaging.  Then I found it.  Abita Turbodog.  Perfect.  I gave the clerk something to do when I asked where the bottle openers were.  Another story.

Why all this fuss.  Needed a quiet moment on the trail with my dog.  Before the great beer hunt I stopped and picked up the cremations of out beloved pet Heidi.  She in the form of ashes was going for a ride on the 520.  I thought I'd pick up a beer and then ride to the bridge on the Des Moines River Trail and see what was in the box.

OK, enough photography of your latest haul.  Let me inside!

I'd received the text a few hours before.  Heidi's ashes were ready to be picked up.  I said I would pick her up.  I drove the van to Belle Plain and brought her home as a puppy and drove her in my truck for her final heart beat.  Once, when she wandered off and was arrested by ARL, I walked her and the 520 home together, $134 poorer.  Seemed fitting.  We'd take the trail along the river where over a decade ago her predecessor and I would explore on MTB and paw.  Final voyage home.

Amazing that we had a period of silence on that bridge.  No phones, no trail users no nothing.  Turbodog went down fast.  One and done.  people were waiting.  I pulled the box out of the pannier.  Could not finish reading the sappy last words of a pet to its owner.  Dora read it aloud later on without crying.

Yeah, we think we are all that.  The summation of the universe.  Our iPhones, hybrid SUVs, personal trainers, the flags of causes that we chase, carbon fiber shifters and cranks, t-shirts from the 5Ks we run, our sunrise yoga stretches at the park ect ect till we push every inconvenience out of our lives because we don't need the bother.  Don't need God.  Don't need opposing opinions.  DEon't need a democratic process because that that oppose you and yours are always wrong.

Then one day you are placed on the mound and told to play God.  Forced to make a decision over someone else.  It's one thing to pull a trigger or release an arrow on some woodland creature for the purpose of obtaining food.  I've done that with remorse or hesitation.  But on a beloved family pet.

A dog always knows when the camera is set on "flower" or "mountain" . Christmas 2008

Heidi was almost 13 and half years old.  Quite aged for a dog, remarkably so for a large breed.  Her rear legs would give out from time to time.  It was getting worse weekly.  Control of bladder and bowels diminishing daily.  For over a year she would wake Mary and I up 3 times in the middle of the night to let her out.  Had to be quick about it.  Ignore her and she would go upstairs to do business by the kids' rooms.

So the time came.  24 hours without walking.  Of course she roared back to life when we tried to get her into the truck.  She fought hard against those attempting to lift her rear end.  Quin was bitten and mary too. Finally Quin lifted her up and put her in the bed of the truck.  We had a blanket for her.  The children opted to ride in back with her.  Heidi looked happy.  No clue where she was going.  Just glad to be part of it.

I carried her into the examination room.  74 lbs.  That's 50 less from her prime.  My "no table scraps" policy worked!  Mary had to do all the talking.  I could not speak.  And when they left to settle the bill Heidi got up and walked.  Damn it dog, why now??

Two shots.  One was to drug her up.  The other to stop the heart.  I held her large paw. watched her blood mingle in the syringe of the final solution.  Dark red cloud mixing with pink only to be pushed out into her system.  And when he said her heart stopped I closed her eyes and left.  Never want to be here again.  Never want to make this decision again. I do not envy those that play God.  Having tasted that power I am repulsed.

Now back to the good times.  Beer, dog's ashes, bridge and bike.  Despite the heat it was a good ride home.

Winter was her favorite season.

Chance Meeting, Old War Story

13 years ago I rode this with Jim.  13 years later I was on this bike when I saw him again.

So I hear some voices behind me and step it up a little bit.  I tend to slack when I ride by myself.  Soon a tandem pulls up on the left and I have to increase my effort.  I look at the captain and he remembered me.  I remembered him.  Hard to forget people who you ride with on what could be the worst day of Ragbrai ever.  Some call it Saggy Thursday, we call it Windy Thursday.  Despite Ragbrai's view that the predominate wind in Iowa is west to east they time after time have north/south routes that inevitably get mired by headwind.  The never ending battle of warm and cold air is generally a north/south struggle.  That Thursday we had quite a long stretch south.  We had over 40 miles of it.

1995. Tama to Sigourney.  Nothing special about the day until we reached Belle Plain.  Molly, who worked at Bike World at the time and later Active Endeavors noted that bikers were being like "locust" just hanging out in town.  And when we made the right turn out of town on I understood.  Strong, evil headwind.  We quickly formed a double draftline that could only make 11 mph. Molly's next comment was concerning the draftline.  "I got a new ass to stare at."

Jim Cunningham was in that line.  We did what we could.  Rumor was that he had a SAG bus waiting in Victor, Iowa.  And when we got there it was 2 miles away and we had to backtrack.  But when we got there it was gone.  Now 2 bonus miles in that evil wind.  Jim was pissed.  We all were tired.  'What gets me the most is that the slow people do not suffer as much on days like this."  They do but he had a point.  We lost much of our speed.

I eventually found Colin Lamb and Paul Meyer.  Colin and Jim disappeared into the wind and Paul and I pulled onto a gravel road and sat out of the wind to contemplate our next move.  A safety discussion.  We considered a SAG, having wristbands we could do this.  But Paul would not be able to have a cigarette on the SAG so we soldiered on.

Bunny hopping over cracks in the pavement became my new thing.  No long possessing the strength to pass other bikes I perfected this action to the detriment of my rear wheel.  Tandem for the rest of the week.  Then a vision appeared.

It was a sign.  "FREE BEER" it read.  Just outside of the overnight town.  Paul and I rode up and grabbed ours out of a trough just in time to see Colin power his red Jamis down and up the ditch and hill directly to the beer!  Probably his finest riding ever.  Just a few miles left.  But we survived.

I never saw Jim again until today.  He was riding with his sister Cathy to Indianola.  They were training for her first Ragbrai.  Somehow our sharing of this story did not discourage her.  We pulled into Mullets where Joe Hildreth was waiting for me.  We told them of South Dakota's head winds.  Yep, they are worse.

Exceeded My Goal

Never had 1000 miles in a month and knew this June would be the nest opportunity.  My commute went from 13 mile round trip to 27.  Our South Dakota adventure, RASDak, would be close to 500 miles.  Opportunities for century rides on the weekend would crop up as they have in past years.  Just needed to stay healthy and enjoy dry weather.  Easier said than done.  But I was getting 30 miles Monday through Friday just going to work during the past 2 weeks.  The final week required almost 200 miles just to reach the goal.  My wayward distractions, staying out too late on Thursday and Friday almost prevented me from achieving the 4th digit.  Now I plan to settle down and maintain for my Ragbrai expedition.


1056.3 miles for the month of June, 2013.
Previous monthly record: 857 miles July, 2010
Previous June record: 819.4 miles 2012
253 miles ridden this week.
447 in the past two weeks
.
Weekly: 
126.9 (just Saturday and Sunday June 1 and 2)
76.3
405.5 (RASDak minus the 48 from Sunday used in previous week)
194
253.6

Miles/Bikes Used
125.9 LeMond Versailles road bike century ride with Walter and Kramer and Riggs 110 miles
282.1 Trek 2200 roadie main commuter
101.8 Trek 520 touring
 34.5 Trek FX7.5 hybrid
 29.1 Fisher Gemini tandem Dora as stoker on a trip to Cumming
446.5 Cannondale RT3000 tandem all in South Dakota during RASDak Faces2Falls
       5 Raleigh LTD-3 neighborhood grocery getter
 32.1  Raleigh Grand Prix 28.8 miles on Cruiser 100 (drop bars replaced with moustache bars)

Most of my riding was done with Mary, the lion's share as my stoker in South Dakota.

Big thank you to Joe Hildreth for getting us to South Dakota.

Closing in on the Fourth Digit

Not an easy task.  Too much riding in many respects.  Not enough riding in many respects.  It should be over with.  Should have done this long ago.  So far away, closing in.  So far away, it seems to slip away.  Yes, I am on the tail of the 4th digit: 1000 miles in 1 month.

I have been close 4 other times.  July 2008 832 miles, July 2010 857, May 2012 856, June 2011 and 2012 806 and 819 miles respectively.  All of these achieved since I increased my riding in late summer 2007.

June will get the honors.  June is always a good month.  Not necessarily the best month but good nonetheless.  Warmer weather yet not too hot.  Good organized rides.  Desire to get out and ride.  Not burnt out from riding.  Not fried by the sun, heat and humidity.

July used to be my number one month.  Ragbrai was the main reason.  And the years that I did the entire route or most of it were also the years that I did not commute to work as much. My riding goals were not as defined either.  My former goal, and I still say it is a good one, was to ride at least once a week every week.  That was good for 3000 mile years.  But my current mantra is ride 100 miles every week.  That helps me get the 6000 to 7000+ mile years I have enjoyed lately.

And I would be cautious going into the big ride.  Two weeks before the ride I'd pretty much stop riding.  Afraid of injuring myself or trashing the bike.  I'd be in shape.  Just need to maintain.  No more big rides, just keep it tone.  All the great rides seemed to be in June anyway.

After Ragbrai I used to put the bike away.  Sick of it.  August was the month with the least amount of miles.  Too hot.  Not many organized rides.  Sore from Ragbrai.  This is where commuting and my new mileage goal changed things.  Commuting forces one to ride.  Having a target of 100 miles per week every week forces one to ride more as well.  The real shame is that when I was younger and thinner I did not ride as much.  But then again I had small children who needed me.  Sure, I took them around in a Burley and on their bikes but not at 100 miles per week.  I did not drop them off at daycare on a bicycle.

So June is it. RASDak was a big help, the lion's share as they say.  446 miles riding across South Dakota two weeks ago.  My commute to Farm Bureau is another major contributor.  27 mile round trip despite detours and flooding and going to the other side of I-80/35.  The century ride with Walter and Kramer on the first Saturday of June helped despite the keg off.  110 miles to open the month.

It probably helps that I have an inability to commit myself to meetings and activities Monday through Friday after work.  This allows flexibility to ride longer after work and to go on impromptu rides.  I really hate after work obligations.  After riding home from work, then riding to supply dinner, preparing the meal and eating I am ready to call it a day.  I hate to be rushed.  Mary gets home after I do.  The children show up late.  It's the only time we see each other.  Sorry.  Want to see me?  Get on your damn bike!  I have blown off almost every after work commitment for months.  June is no exception.

We also blew off Human Bike In.  Hated to do it but we really needed to stay home.  Cleaning, spending time with the children (if they stayed at home!) and recovering from a long week back at work after a long week of riding everyday (Dakota).  And the weather, I really dislike 90s and humid.

I'd probably be done if it was not for the rain.  At least 4 days were missed because of rain or the rumor of rain.  My weekends are also weak.  Probably my biggest weakness.  Seems I rarely put in big miles on weekends.  But The week after Dakota I put in at least 30 miles commuting everyday.  Getting Dora ready for Ragbrai added 30 miles on Sunday.  Yesterday's foray to Cumming was 33.  It all adds up.

I expect to hit it Saturday during the Cruiser Century.  I may not complete that ride.  I may bring a bottle of champagne and pull over at the magic moment and pop that bastard.  Currently I am in the 5th month that I exceeded 800 miles.  Never had the strength to get 200 more.  Now I have beaten the old records and see the finish before me.  Champagne sounds good.

Faces2Falls--RASDAK 1

When the Argus Leader, a Gannett company, replaced Tour de Kota with Tour Sioux Falls the heart of cycling in South Dakota was ripped out.  Undaunted by this rumored economic decision, a few veterans of TdK decided that they would do something that TdK never did, ride from Mount Rushmore to Sioux Falls.  I am not sure who had the idea first but it was going to be a very small unincorporated event.  Somehow this this snowballed into a meeting at Spirit Lake in Iowa and a group of people including Kasey Abbott, Tim Fairchild among others.  It was purposed to make it an official ride but the task seemed impossible.  Quietly the engineer of the group crunched the numbers in his head and as the talk heated up he said "this could work."  Need at least 55 people to pay $130 or so.  This was 3 months before the ride begun.  Somehow this act of defiance became incorporated, insured and most importantly organized. Route had to be planned, communities had to be contacted and friends had to help out.  By the ever unstoppable will of bicyclists the first ever organized ride from the western edge to South Dakota to the eastern border rose like the Phoenix from the ashes of TdK.

There are a lot of people to thank and I will forget to mention most of them.  Rick and Pam from Team Road Booty for providing vehicles for SAG and luggage service and the epic bus ride to the start..  Jodi Erickson for posting the markers every day.  Chad Pickard of Spoke-n-Sport for leaving his business for a week and providing mechanical support on the route for us.  Glad I only had to chat to him.  My famous last words about the tandem did not haunt me!

I wish to thank Craig Lein for inviting me to the Facebook group for this ride.  It's how I learned of it and informed my usual SD riding friends.

Our team: Joe Hildreth, Donnie Hildreth, Thomas Riggs, Jeff Veltkamp Mary and myself.  No new people, all returning after last year.  Special thanks to Aggie and Betsy Hildreth for driving our two vehicles back to Sioux Falls.  What a long drive and sacrifice for them so that we could play bikes.

Here are the typed hand written notes that I scribbled mostly with a Sharpie every night in my tent.

TRIP OUT FRIDAY/SATURDAY

My view on the ride out.  Bikes belong inside.

Des Moines to Sioux Falls was uneventful.  Hate having a bike hang outside on a car rack but so it is.  Stayed at the Motel 6 in SF next to the Rolling Pin restaurant.  Placed the recumbents inside the room and the tandem and Donnie's Madone inside the van for safety.  Breakfast next door was very good, ham and cheese omelet and coffee.

Rain most of the way to Hill City our destination.  So much for a clean chain and clean handle bar tape.  Tandem got loose on the rack twice.  Saw a group of Harleys, they were wet.

Took scenic byway through the Badlands.  Beautiful.  Would like to visit this area with more time.

Stopped at Wall Drug, $9 for cheeseburger and fries.  Mary bought back up sunglasses ant some "everything $5" sale.  Camping supplies had good prices but we were not in need.

Visited Mount Rushmore.  Many tourists.  Cameras everywhere.  Iowa's flag is there along with 49 others.

First people to arrive just like TdK last year.  Set up camp and the wind hits.  Palmer Gulch KoA camp.  Very nice.  Reminded me of the Sangre Cristo region of the Rookies in New Mexico ecept for the cars and ATVs.

Wind snaps two of Rigg's tent poles and flattens his 8 year old tent.  Joe heads back to Rapid City to get new tent.  Then it rains briefly to add insult to injury.  Quick hitter with the sun out.

Riggs got 7 or 8 years out of this tent.  Pretty good for a large high profile  dome tent

Meet Kasey Abbott BIC and organizer.  Very friendly.  Tells us that he wants to make this an annual event.  Calls it RASDAK--Ride Across South Dakota

Register and eat spaghetti dinner with the other riders.  Nice to see some familiar faces and make new friends.  Seems very informal.

Cathy's Salas

Cathy

Meet Cathy who plans to ride a rear bags only Salsa Vaya with all her stuff.  Her River Rat shirt has no connection to Iowa's River Rats.

Meet Jessica (Jessica by Bike) She has a pristine 1991 Trek 520 EXACTLY like mine except without the battle scars.  She plans to photo document the ride with a SLR.

Jessica was right, not enough light.  I could have stolen a photo from her blog. 

Rumor is that both bus carrying people out broke down so they are late.

Joe returns with ice and Coca-Cola so we finished last night's Busch Light and bust out the Puetro Rican rum.

Tandem Gothic

All our crap

Tracy arrives with a friend named Jim

Tracy Lyon.  Her father was kind enough to drive her vehicle back.

Stars are so bright and close.  I see the Milky Way

SUNDAY DAY ONE HILL CITY TO HOT SPRINGS

48.8 miles 14 AV 40 MAX 3:31 RIDE TIME

Cold and thick dew.  Someone later said it was 38 F 6 miles away.  Pancake breakfast.  Jeff joins us.  He completed a tri or marathon last week, golf yesterday.  Mindy, his wife, tags along in her jeep for the day.  Fill bottles.  Got to be at Crazy Horse Memorial by 9 or 930 for group photo.  Only 10 miles away.  After that 2000 feet of descent.

False downhill.  The road looks like its a down hill but computer says we are in single digits.  Get off bike to check tires and breaks.  Blame pancakes.

At Crazy Horse Memorial.  Kasey talked to the people at Mount Rushmore for such a photo but they said our group was too big.  Less tourist here anyway.

Crazy Horse is the world's largest sculpture  Bayoneted under flag of truce by an Indian working for the US Army.  Craig Rust finds a large rock and tells us it is from Crazy Horse's nose.  Convinces someone to carry it for him.  Mary purchases two Tanka Bars--local buffalo meat and fruit energy bar similar to beef jerkey.  We stick it in the bike bag for later.  Hit 40 mph in the exit to the highway.  Sign of things to come.

Fast ride to Custer, SD.  Hit 40 mph again.  Speed limit is 25 mph as we enter town but the radar sign says we were at 39 mph.  Regroup and ride on.  Hilly but fast.  Crazy Horse got our turbos lit.

Lunch in Pringle, SD.  Bar in an empty town.  Great food. Cheeseburgert, fries and 1 Busch Light

Discover "cattle gates" at 30 mph.  Similar to rumble strips hidden in the highway that pop up to keep livestock penned.  Evil, could catch your front or rear tire and slam you into the ground.  Would not want to walk over them.  Slowed down for the next set.

Joe hauls ass on his Barchetta.  Donnie and Jeff fast as ever. Riggs doing a great job keeping up.

Que sheet right on the money.  Never needed to look at the map.

Chad of Spoke-n-Sport said that most mechanicals were bad tires that people failed to notice before the trip.  Tracy said that Jim had 3 flats including the brakes rubbing a hole into the tire!

This antelope played in front of an RV.  Joe pulled over to take a break and heard the brakes of the RV.  Once across the road it stayed there.  Mary and I arrived later and it just hung out.

Saw buffalo, antelope and prairie dogs.  Mary wanted to bring one home.

Hot Springs, South Dakaota

Our campsite was at a sports field.  Mary at I set up by a soccer goal.  Lasagne dinner provided by Friends of the Wind Cave, breakfast too, but we opted for gas station fare.  Hot Springs had a very nice looking downtown that we failed to take advantage.  We opted to cross the street from camp and have a drink at the bowling alley before bedtime.

MONDAY DAY TWO HOT SPRINGS TO MARTIN

111.3 MILES 14.7 AV, 7:05 RIDE TIME

No breakfast
Beautiful morning
Hot afternoon, not ready for the 90s

Pine Ridge, SD

Lunch at Tribal Headquarters Pine Ridge Reservation, Pine Ridge, SD
Roast beef and potatoes served with Indian fried bread and a quart of PowerAde.  Delicious but did not settle well with Mary.

Looked up as we entered Pine Ridge and saw a hawk fly over.
Highway 18 was busy.  We would cover 300 miles of this road.
lots of Tribal cops on the road.  Had a feeling that we were on their land.

Spun out gears.  Despite owning this tandem for 12 years I finally realized that big ring was a mere 52.  Need a 55
.
Flat tire at 95.8 miles.  Had to sit on the shoulder and change the tube.  Thankfully i had the foresight to carry a pump on the frame.  Someone else had a flat near us.  I think it was punctured from a wire from a shredded truck tire.

100 miles in 6:38.  Not our best time but this was more of a survival ride than a race.

Stopped at convenience store for caffeine and salt.  Several riders there.  tracy looked exhausted as many others did.  Gave words of encouragement to Cosy, who at 60+ years is very modest about her bicycling abilities.  We are all sick of this road.

Set up camp in a football field and someone gave me a Coors Light.  Craig Rust gave me one of left over Busch Lights.  Showers at the locker room.

Ate at Subway.  Had the place to ourselves.  Campground food was all you can eat burgers and brats, taco salad for $5.  Purchased a gallon of water for bottles and rehydration.

Hit the bar on the corner with the team.  Two beers and done.

Bad storm all around us but the rain missed us.'

Dwayne's Story

Met a member of team Road Booty on the route and we chatted while riding.  He missed TdK last year because he nearly died after getting run over by a truck while riding a Barchetta on the fog line of the road. He was able to get up and walk to the cab of the truck.  Told the driver to call 911 and then sat down on the road.  Did not speak to driver until cops arrived.  Punctured and collapsed lung, ;lacerated kidney, spleen among others. medical induced coma.  Nearly died on day 5 in the hospital from internal bleeding.  Outer body experience involving escalators and 3 bedrooms.  He was in two of those rooms but never the third.  Has no explanation or meaning to the experience.  Lost 30 lbs but took first ride 5 weeks later, hurt like hell he said.  Garmin was not admissible in court unless they added a 15 foot +/- which made it useless.  No charges on the driver but settlement was reached.  His first century since the collision.

Dwayne at 101 miles.  I forget the name of the gentleman behind him but he rode with his wife.  they left their Cannondale tandem at home.

TUESDAY DAY THREE MARTIN TO WINNER

60.8 MILES, 11.4 AV, 37.3 MAX 5:19 ORDEAL

Our second week long ride in South Dakota and our second back to back century attempt that ended shy of  our goal with a SAG.  Road construction from the last town out, Carter, to the overnight, Winner, cancelled the century.  Originally we planned for groups of 20 to ride the 8 miles of construction together following a pilot car but the DOT said that we should not.  Meet at the bar in Carter where the South Dakota Cattle Women had free appetizers for us and the barkeep cold beer.  So it goes.

This was the hardest day of riding ever for us.  STRONG headwind plus hills all day long.  Rough shoulder and traffic.  Could not coast downhill.  Could not get speed lucky to get double digits on the flats.  Things improved after mile 27 at the county line and the Time Zone line.

We were leaving Mountain Time.  I failed to do my Homer Simpson, "Now I am  in Mountain Time, now I am in Central Time."  I placed a Bike Iowa sticker on the stop sign to the south of this (not visible).

Place hands in the drops and hammer it out slowly bringing up speed, nearly hit 40 mph on a downhill.  Hands went numb.  So numb that my fingers could not operate the shifters.  Had to pull hand out and karate chop the shifter or ram a numb finger into it.  Break at Lttle White River, mile 41.

Refueled and a downhill that curved and hid the beast.  4 mile or so climb.  The hill never ended it seemed.  Get to the top and see the prison.  See mobile homes with tires on top.  Mission, SD, our lunch town at mile 61 could not arrive soon enough.

Lunch was a fund raiser for the cross country team.  Choice of beef vegetable or chicken noodle soup, bananas, candy, fried bread and ice cream bar, goodwill donation.  Delicious and I could have had seconds but did not want to eat anymore since I planned to ride the final 26 miles to Carter.

Pam bought this bus for Team Road Booty the previous week.  I thought it was the Me Off bus.  Rick has an orange bus that pulls a bike trailer.  I thought it was the Toe Ring bus!  This was the bus that SAGed us out of Mission.

Then Rick from Team Road Booty and organizer of SAG service and luggage service asked me if I wanted to SAG.  Yes, I had enough.  26 miles was 2 hours minimum ride time and more like 3 hours in reality.  I asked if Riggs could have one too.  Hate to leave a teammate behind, hot and exhausted.  Time to call Uncle.  the tandem went on top of the bus.  My Mystery Machine experience helped here.  Tom's 'bent went inside.  Rick gathered as many people as possible.  Apparently, two bus loads had been SAGed already.  I recall seeing a full trailer earlier on the other bus.  Bad day.

We were greeted with cheers when the bus pulled into Carter.  Everyone there was drinking.  The ride was over!  Cold Busch Light and free food.  Soon we sat on the porch and cheered others.  The 26 miles was very rough including a 2 mile ride.  Before leaving I went in on a 30 pack of Busch Light and someone else grabbed another 30.  The construction was bumpy and women had double duty keeping their chests still and holding a beer.  The youngest member of F2F was getting car sick and showed signs of heat exhaustion so we had to pool our medical knowledge together to cool his core temp.  The coolers came in handy.  Too young to cool off with beer.

We camped at the Winner HS/Armory.  Ate at a steak house.  Jim bought a 6 of Fat Tire which was delicious.  Most slept inside because of a rumored storm that never happened.  We tented it again.

DAY FOUR WINNER TO PICKSTOWN

85.4 MILES 17 AV 43 MAX 5:00 RIDE TIME  (AV 19 MPH FOR THE FIRST 53 MILES)

Like a parent who disciplined a child, the wind embraced us and finally gave us the much needed and sorely missed push.  Time to fly!  Apology accepted!

Very foggy morning with cool temperatures.  People really need to invest i quality red flashers.  Recumbents really need to have yield signs and more flashers.  I had to ride without my glasses on because of the fog.

I had a real Mountain Dew with sugar and a breakfast burrito and got change back for my fiver here.  Don't know what the gorillas are nor the gentleman on the left.

Big cock country

Fun towns.  Gregory was great for laughs.  Apparently it is pheasant hunting territory.  "Cocks Unlimited" on the outskirts.  Assman Implement was here too IIRC.  the newspaper was The Advocate.  If they only knew.

Moments before hitting 43 mph while descending the Missiouri River valley.  Chad's photo.

Missouri River

We flew.  Best day on the yellow tandem.  53 miles into it and we were averaging 19 mph which is outstanding for my fat ass.  I think Dave Sunde told me on a climb that our time was coming.  Sure enough, the descent into the Missouri River valley was epic!  43 mph despite crosswind.  I think the Fisher tandem would have hit 50 mph.  Had to be careful.  Traffic and rumored crosswind on the curve.  But we lived.  Slowed to 28 mph on the final turn before hitting the dam road.  Then we crawled that mile + stretch before the climb out.  STRONG cross wind and loose chipped road..  This dam is huge by Iowa standards.  They were working on the spillway which was damaged a few years ago when I-680 and I-29 and the city of Hamburg, Iowa, were taken out by floods.

After climbing out we stopped at the first gas station and bought beer and Mountain Dew.  I found the official state map and looked at our progress.  Amazing!  We covered most state already.

Putting a recumbent to good use!  Joe's 'bent  carried a 12 pack in plus ice.  Can disposal bad on crank.

Our campsite was on the other side of the river in a state park a few miles off the highway and at a much lower altitude.  We had something like 16 campsites.  As result there were 3 main party groups..  I floated between the three and we all had a good time and got to know each other better.  I think the high light was watching Doug attempt to open a bottle of wine.  The destruction of the bottle was proof that he had never removed a cork before.  No, the destruction of the cork screw was the evidence.  Pork loin dinner was provided at the campsite.  Could not ask for a better day!

Scott Molten

Then Scott Molten rolls in on a bagged out Kona.  He was riding from Washington D.C.  Of course everyone smothered him immediately when he wanted to set up and shower.  of course I had to talk to him.  Did some gravel,  replaced a set of tires.  Mary offered him a beer since we were trying to empty our cooler.  He already had a Mike's Hard lemonade.  Said he camped the previous night near Sioux City, Iowa, at a county park.  Happy to see kids riding bikes at the campsite.

DAY 5 THURSDAY PICKSTOWN TO FREEMAN

84 MILES 12.7 AV 39.5 MAX 6:49 RIDE TIME INCLUDING LOCAL TOWNIE TRIPS

Climbed out of hole to a freshly blacked tar chip road with the sun directly in our eyes.  Stare at the road, watch out for rumbles, keep the tandem in the 4" smooth patch between the rumbles and lower shoulder drop off.  Probably better to have climbed out before sunrise.  But the view from the top was fantastic.  Get off on the view.  Stpped at Wagner, SD, at a Subway for breakfast.  My second breakfast since Tim Fairchild offered me some from the RV.

Iowan and F2F organizer Tim Fairchild with his Road Booty entry, a painted turtle.  Very strong rider.

Headwind most of the day so long time in the drops at decent speed.

We all love dirty laundry.  Tripp, SD

Tripp, SD, the best ride thru town.  The Dug Out actually had a Budweiser banner made for us..  Choice of Bud Light, Bud Light or Bud Light on tap.  I had a large mug of Bud Light for $3.

This one could confuse some people.  I have the same LeMond and Mary's road bike looks similar to this one.  Tripp, SD

Wish I had this for the cruiser century.  Tripp, SD, next door to cat sign.

Olivette was another great stop.  Three girls, a pitcher of water and some fruit on a table on the main drag.  Apparently, they made over $200 from us.  I had a peach.  Chairs in the shade for us.  these girls caught wind of the ride and set this up on their own and raided their parents fridge!  The "official" stop wasin the park down the road hidden away.  I think they got pissed and quit.

The last 8 miles were tough and windy but we rolled into Freeman and set up camp at the Academy.  DRY campus so we hit the bar.  All you can eat fried chicken buffet for $9.  Stella on tap.  Mary I left there full for $26.  Great to eat with the riders.  Too bad my lips were so sunburned that it hurt to eat.  We di do a shot of Fireball at the bar and then we left our team there so we attend the Road Booty Contest.  The barkeep dido buy a round of shots for the team later.

Dwayne shows off the team jersey.  Says "Pick it up."  Pam's ass used for the  O's.  These people really made the ride fun.  They helped break up the seriousness of the week and allowed us to let our hair down and clean up the road.

The contest was to find the best piece of discarded objects from the ditch and carry it to camp.  Have a story.  I found an orange safety flag with part of its wooden pole outside Tripp.  I secured it to the frame with metal tape.  My story was that after Crazy Horse was murdered they cast lots for his clothing and that this was his loin cloth and coup stick.  Then I demonstrated the coup stick on Doug with a little hip actio.  I was one of 5 finalist.  We had a 3 judge panel.  Points for usefulness and story.  Other entries included an digital box that must have come from a exercise bike, dog chain (Tripp's cat killer), hubcaps, rope, a dead bird, ditch weed.  No one did this one and I thought about it.  There was a freshly dead fox south of Tripp.  I contemplated cutting its tail off.  Others thought about taking it but threw it in the ditch instead.  Craig Rust missed that day and said it would have been a "super beading."

Jessica won with her story of someone trying to steal her bike and how the rope lassoed him and timed him up, how the turkey feathers helped her ourrun a Chevy full of yahoos who lost a hub cap.

Cathy showed up with a broken wrist.  6 miles outside Pickstown she was blown off the road into a ditch by a semi.  She road the next 50 miles before seeking help.  Her ride was over.  Only a few other crashes that week including a non-ride ending face plant via following the bike in front too close, and someone else had a ride ending concussion.  Keith from Montana had some road rash.  Dangerous game we play.

We had 3 miles in town riding. Nice to use the bike for enjoyment instead of race/touring.

LAST DAY FRIDAY  FREEMAN TO SIOUX FALLS

56.2 MILES, 11.4 AV, 21.5 MAX 4:56 RIDE TIME

The only issue we had with bike thus far was the flat.  Now we had another. The 12 year old Cateye computer was reading twice as fast.  Maybe it was adding the headwind speed.  The wind was strong and in our face all day.  Another tough day.  Pull over and get off the bike for a few moments.  At least it was a short day.

Highlights were the breakfast stop in  Marion in support of their city ambulance, the stop at Walt Bones ranch, Bones Hereford ranch, the recently retired Secretary of Agriculture and riding the last 12 miles on Sioux Falls trails.

Doug meets his former boss, retired Secretary of Agriculture.

At Marion we had biscuits and gray, sausage, juice fruit and yogurt.  Watched Jim and Tracy roll in and nearly collide when Jim made a bee line to the food cutting Tracy off!

Walt was taking the place of the South Dakota Cattle Women who had provided us with 6 breaks during the week.  We thought he blew us off because everyone was anxious to get off their bikes and rest and nobody's computer seemed to share the same distance that day, mine being twice as much forcing me to divide everything by two which was difficult trying to track mileage between distances on an oxygen deprived brain.  Walt served us "beef brownies."  Regular brownies with ground beef added instead of nuts.  The Cattle women came up with that.  Gatorade and jerkey as well.  South Dakota is known for ranches not crops.

21 more miles, 9 until the trail beginning at Legacy Park, SF.  Somewhere the rear tire was punctured.  About 7 miles into the trail I felt it.  The rear of the bike gave that telltale wobble was we made a sharp turn onto a wooden trestle.  Damn.  I pumped it up and continued but the trail was curvey and there was tree debris from recent storms.  Had to pump the tire twice to reach the Falls.  Beautiful trail BTW.

Keith from Montana.  reminded me of a taco slinging bastard that I almost asked why he was not on a Salsa.  At the Time Zone line on Tuesday.  Great man, great stories, lover of beer.

At the end we were at the Falls.  Had lunch and said our goodbyes.  We all knew we did something special. Something incredibly challenging and something that only strong serious cyclist could do.  No room for the weak.  We were all shapes and sizes, all ages but mostly over 40.  Some still working, some retired.  Some athletes, most not.  All lovers of biking and not willing to let the death of TdK bring us down.  The bikes were mostly road bikes, carbon and aluminium.  Two Salsa Vayas, a 520, one Surley (not a LHT) one bike with flat bars, 4 recumbents.  Two Campagnola equipped bikes.  Cathy ditched the bags after day two.  Said she wanted to see what she really needed to carry.  Mary and carried rain jackets and food, a tube and tire repair.  And BikeIowa stickers.

Kasey Abbott at Palmer Gulch, Hill City, SD

Kasey pulled a miracle and brought this ride to life.  He rode every mile except the required SAG.  Stopped at every planned rest stop.  talked to every rider and asked for feed back.  And talked bout the future.  Hill City again for the start.  Perhaps head to Deadwood and the Badlands.  He wanted us to see the reservations and interact with their people.  He wanted us to see the beauty of the Black Hills.  He wanted us to do what no large group had done before.  Do what TdK had never attempted.

The ride may be expanded to 150 to 200 people next year.  We are grandfathered in.  Don't know if we will take the tandem again.  I am hankering for a steel road bike with a triple, in a sea of carbon I'd like to be a bit different.. I still say that Mary and I were the first people to ride a tandem across the state.  If not the first, then the first with 700x25 tires.

At the Falls

The other shot has our heads cut off!