Day 6: Scottsbluff, NE to Oshkosh, NE

June 11, 2021

Wow – what a difference a day makes! Yesterday was very hot and dry with the wind going the wrong direction, so I hunkered down to wait.

When I got up this morning I checked the flag I could see from my hotel room. The wind was still there, but now the flag was pointing the other way. Time to ride!

I got out just after 7am and not only was the wind helpful, but the temperatures were almost jacket-worthy….high 50s. But with pedaling and the sun shining I warmed up.

This sign made me laugh. Possibly I’ll die of dysentery on this trip? (for those readers older than me, it’s a very old video game reference).

Once I hit Hwy 92 I was in heaven! Wind at my back and a nice wide smooth shoulder with a protective rumble strip.

I did grow to dread the cattle trucks, which seemed endless. For whatever reason they seemed to almost blow me off the road whereas most other semi trucks didn’t have that effect. No idea why…

Eventually I passed the chimney rock monument. I remember seeing this two years ago, but it was a six-mile round trip to detour there, so I satisfied my curiosity with a couple of pictures:

If you wonder what I stare at all day, here it is. A picture of my “cockpit”. GPS computer on the right with all my ride info. My phone goes just to the left by that blue tab. Bag up front has snacks, wallet, glasses and masks (although nobody in this part of the country seems to care about that). The GPS is attached to a radar on the rear of the bike and beeps when traffic is approaching. Then I can see them in the mirror and brace myself if it’s a cattle truck.

I made a short video about the benefits of a tailwind:

I get questions about the black fuzzy things on my helmet straps. They are called "cat ears" and do a lot to cut wind noise. Before getting them, the roar of the wind would sometimes penetrate my headphones and make things very hard to hear. These help a lot!

This view of the Platte River almost looked like someone put a park between the road and the river:

The tailwind turned into a crosswind by mid-day, but it had helped to push me 80 miles in not much over 4 hours! I wanted to go further but couldn’t find a place to stay in the next couple of towns (weekend coming up meant they were all full) so I called it a day.

Oshkosh was easily the most depressing small town I visited on this trip. Very little seemed to be happening there. The little motel I stayed at was fine, but when I asked about restaurants, I was waved away from one and sent to the other. It was...not good. Half the things on the menu weren't available. So I went for the special - a brisket sandwich, and I thought Nebraska might mean good beef. The beef was just ok, but wasn't seasoned at all! Dessert was nonexistent - how hard is it to throw a couple scoops of ice-cream into a bowl - I would have eaten that. It just seemed like they weren't trying.

I wanted today’s standout track to be “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills, & Nash. I was at express speed and my bike is a Salsa Marrakesh. But the song that spoke to me the most was a cover of “Comfortably Numb” by The Scissor Sisters. Just felt right, and also described the state of my tush at that moment.

Tomorrow I try to make it to Sutherland, NE. It’s supposed to be hot again, so I’ll get an early start.

Today's ride: 80 miles (129 km)
Total: 325 miles (523 km)

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