There are some pros and cons to cycling through the cornfields, prairies, and wide open spaces here in the midwest. One of the major pros is the simplicity of our directions through the heartland, as we’re taking the same road all the way through Kansas, eliminating any chance of getting lost. We have also grown to welcome the vast flat terrain between what we experienced in the Appalachians and what we will see in the Colorado Rockies. On the other hand, at times the wind and lack of civilization can serve as slight obstacles; water conservation has become more and more important now that we’ve discovered that these towns on the map are becoming further apart and half the gas stations out here closed for business back in 1978.
We’re now in Newton, Kansas after a day of riding through the Flint Hills. When we pulled off of Old Highway 50 and rode down the cobblestone streets of Florence, it felt like we were riding through an abandoned Hollywood movie set for an old western film. We stopped at the one business that is still open, The Chuckwagon, for a tasty lunch. The locals inside were very intrigued by our visit but also offered their support for our cause and wished us well. We were even given a complimentary dish of ice cream with a cookie before we departed.
Ever since the start of this journey, we’ve received a great deal of generous offers for lodging as well as public relations/media support. Some of the offers have worked out while we’ve been unable to accommodate others. We would like to thank everyone who has gone out of there way to offer their assistance to us in some way thus far. Unfortunately our journey is one of constant unpredictability; whether it be flat tires, difficult terrain, fatigue, or any one of the numerous other constraints we find along the way. Changing the route as we go, both due to mileage or unforeseen difficulties with the original route, has also been something we’ve been forced to do in order to finish this journey in the short time we have. We obviously spend most of our days on the saddle and rarely gain access to actual computers, instead forced to use our iPhones and Blackberry’s to keep up communication with our families and friends, so we are very sorry to all of our supporters who weren’t able to catch up with us, haven’t heard back from us yet, or who have offered another form of support that has been difficult for us to manage.
Dan was able to get the last waffle, Pete the last Peach yogurt and Joel threw down more hard boiled eggs than should be allowed, so we’re off to a good start today. Time to get back on the bikes and stare at endless miles of prairies and cornfields again.
- The XC10 Guys
