Day 30: Eureka, KS to Newton, KS; The Devastating Power of Nothing

June 4, 2015

Eureka, KS (Blue Stem Lodge) to Newton, KS (Newton Bike Shop Hostel)

(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)

Climbing Today; 1,214 ft -- Total So Far; 80,458 ft

It's going to be a 76 mile day to reach Newton, and the last 38 miles is in a "dead zone" of no services. In other words, there are no stores or businesses of any sort along this 38 mile stretch. Having already experienced the brutal Kansas heat and wind, it made sense to reach the start of the dead zone as quickly as possible and push on through it. So I was up and rolling this morn at 6:20 am. Here's a photo of the Fall River near Eureka;

Eastern Kansas Has Scenic Rivers - Fall River

The winds were calm initially, then changed to a buffeting side wind as I cycled west. Turning north, I had a tail wind for the next 18 miles and I was rolling fast to take advantage of it. I stopped in a small patch of shade to move a turtle and apply sunscreen, and Andy caught up to me. We chatted briefly, and he rolled off quickly. He's a strong rider, and with the tailwind he was flying. You can see forever in some of these parts.

You Can See Forever, Though There's Little to See

Kansas has oil, and a work-over rig was servicing an oil rig on what would otherwise be farm land.

Kansas Has Oil - A Workover Rig Contrasts With Farmland

Kansas can be a lonely place.

As the Sun Rises, Things Heat up Rapidly

This county seems to be bragging that the sun both rises and sets here. I wonder if they understand that's a common occurrence everywhere?

Bragging That the Sun Rises and Sets Here - is There Nothing Else?

I cycled into Cassoday, and stopped at the only convenience store to fuel up. This is the start of the 38 mile dead zone and I needed to be prepared. Andy was there and we both ate and chatted a bit before he headed out. I followed shortly, and noted the time was 10:40 am. It was already getting hot, and I was concerned about Daniel and James who were an unknown distance behind. I needed to roll, so off I went. Here's what it looks like as one enters this barren stretch;

I rolled on, and the solar radiation was intense. There was no shade anywhere, except for an occasional offroad tree that was surrounded by high weeds making it impracticable to get there. But as I approached a lonely farmhouse located near the road, an elderly lady was working near the road in her garden and I asked her if it was OK for me to sit a while under her shade tree. She gave me permission, and said that cyclists stop there all the time but that I'm the first one to ask permission. Go figure. I may have just jumped under her tree myself if she wasn't around for me to ask. The sun was really brutal, and it's a survival thing.

I Got Permission to Hide From the Sun a Bit Under This Shade Tree

I had been counting the miles since I entered this barren zone. It's 38 miles long, so if I had some difficulty prior to 19 miles I may need to retreat the way I came. But I reached 19 miles, the "point of no return" and knew that I must finish this trek. The riding was hard with a side wind and the intense sun, and the miles went by slowly. All of this "nothing" was a tough opponent indeed. It reminded me of a quote from the movie "Cool Hand Luke" where Paul Newman says "Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand." The dead zone ended as I approached Newton, and a few miles prior to the town I saw this sign;

Motorists are Informed of Kansas Law as They Approach Newton

Newton is a bike-friendly community, and they must have pressured the MO Department of Transportation to post this sign (and others) reminding motorists of the law. I hadn't seen similar signs elsewhere in Kansas, only in the area of Newton. I was relieved to reach the end of the dead zone, and proceeded onward to the Newton Bike Shop(NBS) for the night. NBS is located strategically in the central U.S. for touring cyclists.

Newton Bike Shop is Indeed an Oasis on the Transam Trail

The NBS is just that; a bike shop. Heather and James Barringer own and run the place, and they also have a hostel for traveling cyclists located in the shop. They have a tremendous amount of cycling memorabilia in the shop, and they are very interesting folks. I checked in and headed a block away to the Newton Recreation Center where cyclists can shower. Returning to the bike shop, I had a few things for Mike to address. Mike is the Chief Wrench at NBS, and when cross-country cyclists arrive he typically works late to fix their rides and get them prepped for the remainder of their sojourn. Harvey's front disc brake had been emitting a high-pitch squeal at speed, and I had been unsuccessful in adjusting the brake and making it stop. The right handlebar grip came loose near the bar-end shifter and got pulled into the shifter itself before I noticed it and pulled it back out. I had it temporarily repaired with electrical tape, but needed a better repair. My pedals still "popped" a bit and squeaked as the retention spring was apparently moving during rotation; light oiling hadn't fixed this so I was hoping a wee bit of grease might do the trick. And then there was the issue with the rear wheel having flats apparently caused by burs inside the wheel at the junction weld. So Mike had a few things to do. Additionally, NBS has a "bike bath" they use to degrease the drive train and clean up the bike, and that was also part of the plan. Mike took a dremmel tool and deburred the wheel.

Mike Used a Dremmel Tool to Debur the Rim

Here's Mike working on Harvey;

The rear tire had worn more than the front tire, so Mike wanted to rotate the tires. Interestingly, when he did so and reflated the tires, the front tube failed by splitting along the seam.

What's Going On? Tube Split Along the Seam

That's a rather weird failure. When removing the rear tire, we found that part of the tube was stuck to it, almost as though it had melted onto it. The Kansas heat has been intense, but that's still a bit extreme. Mike spread Gold Bond powder inside the tire before adding a new tube. The powder will help the tube move around inside the tire and relieve stress. Hopefully, the deburring, new tubes, and use of powder has fixed my flat problem. Here's Harvey getting prepared for a drive-train degreasing;

Mike Prepares to Degrease and Clean Harvey in the Bike Wash

NBS allows hostel guests to use their tools after 6:00pm if they desire to do their own repairs. I suspect most folks are happy to have NBS do the work as they are tired from the day's riding. I definitely was.

Tools are Available for Cyclists Use After 6:00pm

Here's a shot of the home locations of NBS hostel guests. I added a pin for Tulsa.

Home Locations of Newton Bike Shop Hostel Guests. I added a Pin for Tulsa

By now, Daniel and James had arrived. With our bikes in Mike's capable hands, we all headed off for a Mexican dinner. This is farm country, and we were amused to see this huge tractor parked at a bank being used to advertise farm equipment loans.

This is Farm Country. The Bank Advertises Farm Equipment Loans With a Tractor

Here's the "El Grande" dinner we all got. It's a ridiculous 2-plate meal, and I ate the whole thing. I don't think anyone else wasted any food either.

I Ate The Entire "El Grande" Dinner - We All Did

I slept on a couch in the Newton Bike Shop, while the others slept inside the bunk room. It was a bit strange to be inside an operating bike shop, but it was nice...

Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km)
Total: 1,809 miles (2,911 km)

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