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July 9 |
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| July 9, 1999 New Ulm to Lake Benton, MN Brian’s Ride Against the Wind: Miles Biked 52 Average Speed 11 With the Wind Miles Biked: 52 Combined Stats Average Speed: 13.5 mph Max Speed: 27.8 mph Time Pedaling: 7 hours 36 minutes Start/Stop Time: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm Wind: Strong head wind from the west. Comments: Joan describes it well. The poor conditions of the road and the truck traffic did not make it easier. We didn’t notice how pretty the land was until we started the reverse trip (see Joan’s comments) Joan’s Commentary Mental Health Day Hearing our guests slept well in their accommodations was good news to me. Cousin Laura, from the Big Apple, selected the igloo style tent as her resting-place. I envisioned it advertised in the NY Times apartment classifieds as a "One room studio with panoramic view of growing blades of grass" a real bargain at $3500/month" while the other Joan dubbed it "Laura’s Little Tent on the Prairie" in honor of the area we were rolling through, the birthplace and homestead of Laura Ingel Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie.After tinkering with the bikes the group left camp. The trip began innocently but soon the gentle winds ferociously transformed into gale force gusts causing the cyclists to creep along at 7 mph. On my first "sag" pass, they commented that even the birds seemed to stand still, unable to penetrate the wall of air. I guessed the gusts would damper their enthusiasm and energy, but surprisingly the group pedaled on. Sporadically everyone but Brian entered and exited the sag wagon for a little reprieve from the blowing. Six hours later, about halfway into the 90-mile trip, we finally scooped up Brian and convinced him to drive westward to the destination and cycle the second half of the route with the wind at his back. Looking defeated he rode in the RV, I likened the first 45 miles to a mentally ill person who was not taking medication…every pedal stroke a struggle, every blast of wind a setback. Correcting the course from westward to eastward was like taking meds, it made maneuvering life much easier. This explanation uplifted his sullen mood. When we arrived at the "turnaround" point, we saw the first of hundreds of huge windmills, signifying the wind was both a constant companion and perceived asset. |
The Gang Leaving Camp
Professor Gray & Brian |
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