Week Six: Fremont Nebraska to Madison Wisconsin

Monday August 4: 144 km. 89 F partly to mostly cloudy. Fremont Nebraska to Sioux City Iowa

We actually had rain today!! Mid morning there was a ten minute shower, getting me totally drenched. What a refreshing change, however brief, from all the heat. This was the first rain we have seen in over a month. The prevailing westerlies have again failed to appear, a stiff northeast wind blew most of the day, directly into our face. Makes for a long day, but the good side again is that it keeps us relatively cool. We travelled into Iowa today, more corn and soybean fields that seem to go on forever. The last two thirds of the day were spent cycling on the Missouri River flood plain, flat as can be, with fertile soil giving life to eight foot high corn.

One more state closer to my dear sweet Elaine.

Some guys never quite grow up!

Old steel toll bridge over the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska.

Tuesday August 5: 99 km. 87 F mostly cloudy. Sioux City Iowa to Sioux Center Iowa

Today was a pleasant, easy ride to Dordt College were we spent the night after a celebration service there. Cloudy skies, cooler temperatures, moderate headwinds and rolling hills to cycle thru made for an enjoyable day. Tomorrow brings on the real test of our stamina, as we have three consecutive one hundred mile plus days. Most cyclists ultimate goal is for a "century" ride and here are us fools doing three back to back in the middle of a cross country ride. And we volunteered for this???

Cycling thru Iowa farmland.

Cyclists and bikes taking a rest at a refreshment stop put on by the CRC in Ireton IA.

Dordt College in Sioux Center IA where we spent the night after a celebration service there.

Wednesday August 6: 183 km. 75 F light rain. Sioux Center Iowa to Algona Iowa.

We finally got rain! On our longest ride of the tour, of all days! It stayed cool and dreary all day with rain till about noon and overcast with occasional rain the rest of the day. It was almost pleasant biking in the rain. Even soaking wet it was a relief from all the heat we have been getting. The weather cleared and the sun came out just when we set up camp for the evening. The ride itself was nice in spite of the distance. A good tailwind developed mid morning, bumping up our average speeds considerably through the rolling Iowa countryside. All in all the much feared longest day was nothing too difficult at all.

Cycling in the rain.

Thursday August 7: 181 km. 86 F sunny. Algona Iowa to New Hampton Iowa.

Another long day in the saddle. Our second longest day of the tour, two kilometres shorter than yesterday. It was a cool and sunny day till late afternoon when the temperatures rose from the mid 70's F to the mid 80's F. Another day thru Iowa farmland, rolling hills and small towns every 20 km. or so. Some would say that there is nothing new or different to see while riding across Iowa, but I beg to differ. I see new soybean fields and different cornfields all the time. The ride took somewhat longer today than yesterday, due to a cooling north wind. In spite of much lower speeds, the day was pleasant. It went great considering it was our second "century" ride in a row. Tomorrow will bring our third cosecutive hundred mile day. So far so good.

Windmills abound in north central Iowa.

Friday August 8: 163 km. 80 F sunny. New Hampton Iowa to Fennimore Wisconsin

Our third consecutive one hundred mile day! It was a cool and sunny day with a good stiff crosswind, but it was a nice ride over all. Our average speed was down from the previous two days, but the wind in our face was kept us cool all day long. I have to admit that I am exhausted after our three longest rides of the tour, but it felt good to get it over and done with. The roads we not the best, with a very rough surface for the first 40 km. and rumble strips and narrow shoulders the rest of the ride. More rolling farmland, but we did reach a major landmark along the way. We crossed the Mississippi River this afternoon, still a huge river, even this far north.

Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin.

One more state down, six more and one province to go.

Saturday August 9: 118 km. 82 F mostly sunny. Fennimore Wisconsin to Madison Wisconsin.

I awoke at 4:30 AM to the sound of rain pounding on my tent. It rained till about 8 o'clock so breakfast and taking down camp was done in the rain. What a soggy mess! O well we all new that this was bound to happen sooner or later. I was on kitchen detail this morning which means getting up early and helping get set up for and serving breakfast as well as clean up afterwards. We also are the "sweep team", which means being the last cyclists on the route, make sure everyone else gets in safely. It makes for a long slow day as there are always some slower cyclist to wait for. The weather cleared up mid morning and it was a pleasant ride for the five of us, stopping numerous time for coffee and lunch. We did not finish our day till 6:45 PM.

Taking down camp in the rain.

Here's something most cyclists would not think of doing, but John and Alex could maintain an easy 33 kph drafting of all things, a manure spreader!

Video of cycling thru the Wisconsin countryside.




Sunday August 10: Madison Wisconsin.

We spent Sunday camped out at Crossroads Community Church where the members there again did everything for us from feed us, take some cyclists into their homes and run us around for all kinds of errands that needed doing. All of us cyclists are overwhelmed and humbled by all that is being done for us along the way. Even people who don't know us or about the Sea to Sea Tour are more than kind. Yesterday myself and four other riders stopped at a cafe for an afternoon break in Mt. Horeb WI and when the time came to pay the tab, the proprietor told us it was on the house. (Should have ordered a steak lol!)

Celebration service and lunch at Crossroads Community Church in Madison WI.

Some of the signs kids at church made for us.

Bill van Wyngaarden (no relation) of Alsip Illinois on his three wheel recumbent bicycle.