July 29, 2021
Peshtigo - Green Bay, WI
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I think there should be a contest for the flatest riding day possible. Today should be in the top ten. I rode 47 miles and had 378 feet of climbing. It was near dead flat! Jacinto wasn't happy. He said that meant we would have to pedal the entire day, no downhills! But, we had an amazing tailwind. I think it was leftover from the big storm last night. We had lightning, thunder, and high winds. I could see the lightning even with my eyes closed and the curtains in the room drawn! It all passed through in the evening. There was a warning on the phone for thick fog until 9 AM. No worries about that. We were just meandering across the street for a hot breakfast. The Peshtigo Corral isn't going to win any foodie awards. Their parking lot was full both times we visited and we got full. It was cheap. We did agree on our walk back that perhaps we should have gone to the steakhouse for dinner last night. Two visits to a lackluster eatery is one too many. Of interest is that they have a six egg omelet breakfast challenge. If you can eat the whole meal (includes three meats, pancakes, etc) inside of 30 minutes, then it's free. Otherwise it's $22.95. I've seen steak dinner challenges before, but not breakfast.
I was out the door before 10 AM, the better to take advantage of the wind. Plus, I had been stressing over riding into the big city for DAYS. AD Carson and I wrote many emails back and forth, trying to decide on the perfect, painless route. Jacinto has installed every bicycle touring app known to man on his phone. I think that is not an exaggeration. They are all quite similar in routing for today. Except for bike maps - that one was almost car routing. I had done enough scouting around with the google guy to know that the roads bike maps was on were too busy.
I took off. Anything under 50 miles feels like an easy day. Especially a day with so little climbing AND a tailwind! Yesterday we had some lettered roads that we expected to be low traffic, but they weren't. Today I was expecting increasingly heavy traffic as we approached Green Bay. That didn't happen. Today was eerily empty. Even Jacinto commented on the lack of cars. Had we needed help, it would have been a problem!
Yesterday I tore my bicycle glove pulling it on. Everything gets damp with the humidity - it isn't just my bike shorts that are hard to pull up. Thankfully riding isn't an issue. I've occasionally felt my face was sweaty, but a downhill or wind seems to come along and dry it off. I don't know if I would find the humidity to be more of an issue in warmer temperatures or if we were more inland. I was told while we were planning this trip that the humidity isn't as bad close to the water as the wind blows. Certainly there's been more wind this trip than we usually experience. Maybe it would be more correct to say that I usually ride early in the morning before the wind gets started. Around home the wind does blow in the afternoon.
Anyway, we had an excellent riding day on deserted roads. I kept looking at the odometer, thinking how many miles I have finished in comparison to how many miles of potential busy, urban roads I might have to ride. I got right to mile 41, under highway 141. The road said dead end, but I knew there was a little park with a bike path that would take me under the 141 highway. Yep - that all worked. From there, I anticipated busy traffic. First I went through an industrial area. It wasn't busy. That transitioned to a residential area of nicely kept, small, old homes. I liked looking at the artitecture and yards. The entire time I was counting the miles, happy that the ride was traffic free. Finally I was on Dousman, which crosses the bridge to downtown. That would have traffic? No. I made a right onto Washington Street - few cars, few people. Where is everyone on Friday afternoon? Isn't this odd? It certainly works for me.
Quality Inn wasn't far down on the left. I pulled up to the front, next to an overfull ashtray. A woman was sitting on the curb, smoking. Not a good first impression. The lobby looked nice and the check in clerk was friendly. My instructions were to go around back and in door three. The wine colored patterned carpet was black with filth. The walls were nicked and scratched. Shoot. So much for my hoped for upscale stay. It was just an upscale price. The room itself isn't bad. King size bed. Couch and coffee table. Thick towels. The furniture is nicked and scratched also. Oh well, at least we have hot breakfast in the morning.
Jacinto wasn't far behind me. He had taken a different route and had 50 miles. We had a slightly tense discussion about how I had expected him to catch up to me and escort me into town. Probably the talk would have gone up another notch or two had I had the anticipated trouble getting in. Jacinto says (and is probably correct), that I need to have confidence and just do it, I can navigate myself instead of depending on someone else.
We did the getting to town things. For me that includes wiping off the bike. I went so far as to lube the chain and my cleats. The last time I did that it rained the next day! It's sort of like washing the car and then it rains. I took pity on Jacinto's bike and wiped it off also. Jacinto has never taken very good care of his bikes. That's why he went to a belt drive bike - no chain to clean. I was wiping off his wheels when I noticed a broken spoke on the back! I wonder if this has to do with the flat tires he's been having.
There happens to be a bike shop, the Broken Spoke (the irony!), just a few blocks away. I called, but they didn't answer. I told Jacinto maybe he would have more luck if he walked the wheel over there and looked pitiful. Jacinto changed into his new bicycling shirt (cranky old guys rule), so he would look the part. As if the helmet suntan on his cheeks wasn't enough!
He just walked back in the door - I didn't even have time to write this journal entry and he's back. $26. Jacinto's back in business. Jacinto says they were excellent and he would recommend the shop. In general, we've found that shops on the road are good to take care of touring cyclists. Jacinto had a shifting problem in Frisco, CO and that turned out to be a chain rivet that was ready to come off. The shop diagnosed and repaired it on the spot.
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Today's ride: 47 miles (76 km)
Total: 1,311 miles (2,110 km)
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3 years ago