Old Home Day

Today, we rode 91 miles from Wooster to Niles, OH under cool (50s and 60s), overcast skies that occasionally spit a little rain on us.  The first third of the ride was hilly, then it flattened as we rode from the Ohio River basin which drains to the Gulf of Mexico into the Great Lakes basin which drains to the North Atlantic.  In the first part of the ride, many of the street names were familiar (Back Orrville, Apple Creek, Back Massillon, Strausser and Wales, for example) because they led to homes of my aunts, uncles and cousins.  I rode exuberantly in these hills, charging up and down in my highest gears.  Later, perhaps because I left the family stomping grounds, the pavement was rougher, the scenery was flatter, or maybe because I had been OVER-exuberant, I rode more slowly.  While waiting for a traffic light to change, I was engaged in conversation by three teenage boys who wanted to cycle with me for a bit.  They were astonished by, and enthusiastic about, the ride we are doing.  But their 15-inch wheels and single gears could not keep up with my full-sized, 30-speed bike, even when I throttled back.  Too bad!  I would have enjoyed their enthusiasm for a while longer.  The rest of my ride was uneventful, except that I overshot the motel by over a mile and a half before I was sure I needed to turn around.  Tomorrow, we ride to Erie, PA where Maureen will join me for our last planned rest day of the tour.

Comments

[Ray & Margaret Wilcox.]

Hi, who knows maybe you have ignited a spark of enthusiasm amongst those three teenage boys for long distance cycle riding,potential recruits for a future L.A. to Boston ride,I bet that they are still talking about your encounter to their families and friends. This epic journey is reaching it`s conclusion and with your blogs you have made it possible to gain some idea of what`s involved on a day to day basis. All of us that have been privilaged to share some of these experiences with you thank you all sincerely for making it all possible. Enjoy the remainder of this great experience, I can think of no other country that could provide so much warmth, hospitality and diverse scenery.
Enjoy the concluding stages and stay safe.