Ride Day #16 - Early Morning "hum" ...

Today was a long ride! We rode just under 83 miles. It was a good day! We had a nice cross-wind which helped to keep us cool...and we had a slight tail-wind which helped us move into Ohio. I am now in Difiance, Ohio which is about 55 miles SW of Toledo.

We started out a little earlier (7 AM) than normal this morning due the length of the route and the anticipated heat. About an hour into the ride there was this really 'cool' moment (which lasted for several miles). There I was, riding in a pack of about 9 strong women riders. We were all riding close and stacked up....zipping along at about 18-20 mph....no one was talking.

We were all in-sync just listening to the early morning birds, feeling the early morning air on our skin....and feeling the rhythm and the 'hum' of our wheels against the pavement. You may have to be a cyclist to really get the full impact of how 'cool' this was!! We rode together for several miles like that. I felt as though I could ride my bike around the world!


Nothing particularly new in terms of the scenery....just more of the beautiful green fields, forests, quaint farm houses, and the occasional river and streams. We stopped for a quick lunch (and to get out of the heat) in this reallly cheesy diner -- I'm all for 'small town charm'...but some of these places are just 'tacky'(it makes me really appreciate the OC !). A big part of the route we're following is that we are usually far away from the busy highways which then means we're traveling the roads of the REALLY small towns....we are a long way from Starbucks, etc.

We'll have 4 more days of riding thru Ohio.... looking forward to each mile!

A few photos from today.....


A snapshot of how our mornings get set up....The guides prepare oatmeal and eggs for us...many mornings we eat outside. We also pack all kinds of yummy snacks for the road....

We came across a buffalo farm ....the babies were adorable!

Crossing another state line...(this is the 7th state we've rode in!)...