Despite yesterday’s shorter day with reduced wind, we are both exhausted today. We overslept, and Jordan spent another night on the bathroom floor. The quad and calf muscles are the only areas that feel tolerable. We both experience hand swelling and weakness, making it difficult to fasten a coat.
Describing the bike’s comfort level is challenging. There is no comfortable seating position. To exacerbate the situation, the final 15 miles were exceptionally rough, comparable to a century-old brick street. The hands and buttocks may have found more comfort in a grinder.
At noon, the temperature was 76 degrees, and with a 13 mph southeast wind, we continued riding east for another 15 miles before turning north. If the wind persists, we will experience a welcome change: we will not encounter a headwind. This has not been the case for the past five days.
Just past Ames, Nebraska, the shoulder completely disappeared. Jordan narrowly avoided a collision with a semi-truck, which was highly disrespectful. We became irritable and engaged in a heated argument. We seriously considered quitting. Ultimately, we decided to continue on a gravel road to bypass the highway. However, the gravel was extremely loose, and we struggled. Despite the danger, we returned to the Lincoln Highway. We walked against traffic for approximately a mile, eagerly anticipating the return of a shoulder.
We arrived in Fremont, Nebraska, at 4:00 p.m. and sought a suitable place to eat. We discovered a diner named Mel’s Diner. Naturally, I recognized the name’s symbolic significance, but Jordan required clarification. The sitcom Alice was centered around Mel’s Diner! We refueled, aware that we had approximately 15 miles to a municipal campground. We arrived at the campground just after 6:00 PM.
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We camped in Winslow, Nebraska, approximately 70 miles south of South Sioux City, where we made a reservation at a Knights Inn. Our itinerary for tomorrow features significant elevation changes, requiring a strenuous effort to cover the 70-mile distance.
After covering 58 miles today, we have accumulated a total of 586.6 miles and have approximately 375 miles remaining. The road conditions encountered were particularly challenging, with trucks posing a significant threat to our progress. Consequently, we made a 3-mile detour onto loose gravel and walked an additional 3 miles for safety reasons.
Following today’s events, we conducted thorough research and determined that it was imperative to alter our route to prioritize safety. Despite these modifications, certain uncertainties persist.
Regrettably, I am experiencing fatigue and am unable to provide further elaboration.
Summary of Day 7:
During Day 7, we completed a total of 58 miles at an average speed of 11.2 miles per hour (excluding breaks). The total riding time was approximately 5 hours and 10 minutes. The day’s total riding time was slightly under 8 hours, with a temperature range of 64°F at the beginning to nearly 86°F at the peak.
According to Garmin Connect, the total ascent was 316 feet, while the descent was 436 feet. Consequently, the net elevation change was a decrease of 321 feet, resulting in a final elevation of 1,174 feet after starting at 1,495 feet.
Our 10-mile splits, as recorded on MapMyRide (with time including breaks and mph based solely on riding time), were as follows:
0-10 in 0:44:30 - 13.6 mph
10-20 in 1:03:36 - 12.4 mph
20-30 in 1:38:47 - 11.5 mph
30-40 in 1:36:36 - 8.0 mph
40-50 in 2:22:17 - 9.7 mph
Last 8 in 32:55 - 15.1 mph
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