Friends and more cornfields...

I spent the day Saturday with old friends Chris and Monika in Iowa City.  The U of I and Iowa State football rivalry was alive and well as it seemed everyone in the city had on their teams colors!  Excitement was in the air!  The following morning Chris rode with me north for 30 miles towards the days destination of Guttenburg IA.  It was great to ride together again!  Another benefit of my days layover was the wind direction shifting from strong headwind to mild tailwind.  Whenever that happens you just smile and keep riding!  I stopped in Dyersville and met Janet and Tim and Mary Fitzgerald (sisters of my friend Ginny).  They fed and watered me and sent me on the road with about 15 Giant Chocolate Chip cookies!  That is just pretty awesome at mile 550 of a bike journey!  Did I mention the cookies were homemade? I wish I could have stayed longer as we were have great conversation!  Thank you Janet and Mary!  A few more hours of riding and a missed turn (most cornfields look the same), found me in Guttenburg for the night.  A neat little town on the river.  On this journey north I have ridden from summer into early fall; its been amazing watching the gradual change in the countryside!

Rain...and then an oasis

I awoke yesterday to pouring rain in my hometown of Hannibal, MO.  I thought it wise to wait and see if it let up.  The rain provided an opportunity for a big breakfast of eggs, hash browns, biscuits and Midwestern Gravy!  Volumes have been written about the gravy.  The rain did let up and then got heavy again after about an hour on the road.  A through soaking ensued...and you know what...after you are wet ya might as well keep riding...as nothing is going to change the situation.  Somehow I managed to get ahead of the storm clouds as I cycled north...while getting the benefit of a tailwind!  There is always a silver lining!  I didn't really stop for several hours until running low on water in Hamilton, IL.  From there I rode north to Burlington, IA.  The Mississippi river is beautiful (and big) here.  I found a great oasis in Lomax, IL.  Jenni's Ice Cream and Grill.  Highly recommended!  I shared my blog info with the owner Jenni whose close family member has successfully fought a battle with cancer.  I wish you and your family all the best Jenni!  The road north continues today towards Iowa City!

Friendly People and Midwest Beauty

These first two days on the road reminds me of why the Midwest is called the nations breadbasket.  Field after field of corn and beans as far as the eye can see!  Day one was great with favorable winds at my back; I kept spinning out as I am riding a single speed (wanting the challenge).  Careful what you ask for because day two brought 5 hours of headwind and another 4.5 hours of 94° heat.  Plenty of challenge on day two.  I have shared my blog with several people so far; and asked them to share with their family and friends.  I would appreciate if you would do the same!  Thank you for following...more to come from the road!

Midwest Tour - The Great Rivers Route

After several years I have felt the calling to do another CycleQuest ride.  These rides are always an effort to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.  As I cycle this route from Carbondale IL to St. Paul MN I will share my message with people along the way.  Please share the signs and symptoms with your friends and family and loved ones...we can all make a difference if we do this.  Thank you and stay tuned for more updates from the road!

Upcoming Midwest Tour

After several years with no Cyclequest rides its time for another effort.  Stay tuned for more info on my upcoming Midwest tour...

Dawn to Dusk Ride Saturday

We had a perfect Arizona December day for the Dawn to Dusk mountain bike race. I camped out at the venue the night before along with several hundred other like-minded riders.

It is a beautiful desert park and every night I have spent there has included a serenade by packs of coyotes...this night was no different...once at about 10pm and again around 1:30 am....sounded as if it was the 'yotes dinner time. Not a snack mind you but a full on feast...took me a little while to fall asleep again...man we humans are wired with something primal there.

The race starts at sunrise and the temp felt like the high 40's...good mtn biking weather. At around 8 miles in I nailed a big rock with my rear wheel. It was a hit that I KNEW would go flat...and sure enough that is what happened. Stop...remove rear wheel...get out tire levers and co2...remove bad tube...dig new tube out of my pack...inflate slightly...install in tire...put tire back on rim...pray the new tube holds air...inflate tire...prayer appeared to be answered...close tube valve...reinstall wheel in bike which is typically a quick process which I have done many times...but that was not to be...it was as if I had never installed a wheel before....breathe Bradley....take your time...the dropout-axle-rotor-caliper-axletug-quick release assembly appeared to have the upper hand in a silent-smug-snickering-under-its-breath-conspiracy against me and only thru perserverance did I finally get the wheel back on the bike...could someone stop the clock...what??...did an eternity just pass??...congrats Brad on the slowest wheel change in the history of mtn biking! After my wheel debacle all I had to do was ride the rest of the day.

My legs had 93 miles in them for the day...18th place in the singlespeed category...if they gave out medals for 18th place it would probably be made of dirt...or maybe rock...which would be somewhat ironic.

All in all it was a great day!

Arizona Dawn To Dusk Ride, December 1st

On December 1st I'll be riding The 5th annual Arizona Dawn To Dusk Ride. It's a ten hours race on the Pemberton trail at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. It all begins at 7:13 a.m. Saturday. Stay tuned for an update! Brad