Category: Touring

June 21, 2025

I am taking a few days for rest and recovery. Since leaving Dillon State Park on June 13 I have steadily ridden up and down hills, endured the heat in the high 90’s, rain, and headwinds. To arrive in this campground in Lieber S.R.A. on June 20 meant riding ninety-four miles from Greenfield through Indianapolis and on small back roads to Nancy’s campsite.

Yesterday I ended my day at 6:00PM, tired and hungry. I surprised both Nancy and Moe when I rolled into camp. It was unclear whether I would make the trip in one or two days. The cell service here is nil so it was difficult to update my progress.

June 22.

Today we rested in the shade with the temperature reaching nearly 90° before noon. After lunch Nancy and Moe went kayaking in the lake. I stayed in the campsite to clean and check all the adjustments on the bike. I got carried away with the task and forgot to photograph my bike on the work stand. It is now ready to continue west.

Nancy and Moe returned for a late dinner. With the sun setting and the temperature in the night 80°, I walked to the shower then settled into a camp chair to welcome darkness as the sun set.

June 23.

With breakfast over we drove into town, Cloverdale, a fifteen minute drive. We stocked up on food, a few supplies at a hardware store, and the pharmacy. Not much else happened, the heat took our desire to explore the hiking trails.

June 24.

Another hot one. After breakfast we lazed around in the heat of the morning. We’ve been talking about seeing Cataract Falls so we got into the car and drove to the Park.

12:40 PM 

We are at Cataract Falls parking lot ready to begin seeing the sights. Next to the entrance is the covered bridge that spans Mill Creek.

We begin walking to Upper Falls.

Heading to Lower Falls.

2:29 PM 

Ice cream in the town of Cataract at the 1886 SchoolHouse, now the Community Building. As we drove up to the building with eager anticipation we noticed a closed sign hanging disappointingly on the front door. A man was  walking from the building so I asked Nancy to stop. I lowered the window and as the hot humid air rushed into the air conditioned car I asked this man if the ice cream parlor was indeed closed. He told us that it was. The disappointment on our faces, Moe included, prompted him to say, “I’ll go ask Wendy to open and scoop you some ice cream”. This kind man’s name is David. 

3:03 PM 

Back at our campground and tired from the long hike in the heat, we settled into chairs placed in the shade.

After dinner a young man of eleven came over to visit. He has been over a few times and always asks about my travels riding my bicycle. Tonight he asked many more questions that allow in depth responses.

It was getting dark as I walked to the water spigot  that is next to the site where his family is camping. I filled my bottle and noticed the young man, Gage, sitting with his family. I walked over and offered him my traveling card with my contact and blog URL. His look did not conceal his excitement.

Experiences like this I find to be common while bicycle touring.

June 25

Today is laundry day, our last day here. Tomorrow we both will head to the next campground. We will both head to Lincoln Trail State Park in Marshall, Illinois.

June 20, 2025

7:00 AM

I stayed last tonight in the first motel of this tour. Greenfield is where the sprawl of Indianapolis begins. I rode into the city on the Pennsy Trail which got me off of Route 40. Route 40 is also Bike Route 50, part of the National Bike Route system. All of yesterday I was riding in the sun on a four lane highway. 

I am now packed and ready for a long miles day.  I ride out of the Budget Motel, old and rundown but clean. I’m on Main Street, a strip mall, two blocks from the Pennsy Trail. Hardee’s is open so I stop for a breakfast sandwich and coffee before taking a side street back to the trail. I begin a twenty-four mile journey that is the end of the ACA Route Chicago to NYC.

10:15 AM

As I enter Indianapolis I merge on to Bike Route 35 which brings me right into the city center. I now switch to the ACA Eastern Express route. I deside to break today into two sections, I have 24.3 miles on my odometer and the Eastern Express route starts at 0 miles. This will make navigation out of the city so much easier.

I make my way on city streets with dedicated bike lanes to Washington Park. From here I ride a pedestrian bridge over the canal by the Zoo and turn onto a trail that follows the canal out of the city. In a quarter mile this trail goes under a highway bridge that is under repair, so the trail is closed. I turn back to the Zoo and stop a walker for suggestions. The only way to get back to the trail beyond the construction is to get onto the interstate and horseshoe back around to get to the exit beyond the construction. Or as a New Englander would say, “Ya can ain’t get there from here”. Well I did get there from here! I am now in an industrial area and I did find the trail. I am now back on route.

11:45 AM 

I stop at a Marathon gas station to pick up some peanut butter crackers and iced tea. This is my lunch. I eat some and pack the rest. I am once again on my way. I’ll try to get as far as I can today. I have detours on the country roads from the tornado that went through two days ago. Roads closed, trees and power lines down. I make my way through.  Everything is good for the rest of the way, I hope.

6:00 PM

I could not find any Warmshowers, campgrounds, nor motels in the sixty mile stretch so I continued to the Lieber S. R. A. where Nancy set up camp yesterday. 

Today I’m riding strong and feel good. For the past three years I’ve been fussing with the way I pack and load the bike. I have finally hit the bullseye. I carry sixty pounds and this is the first tour that I can stand to climb and not fight the bike up the hill. When I was racing through hills I’d ride down as fast as I could then pedal hard until I slowed then stand and run on the pedals to the top. I can now do this with a fully loaded bike.

I am now in the campsite with Nancy. It has been eleven days riding without any rest days. I finished strong after a ninety-four mile day.

June 19, 2025

9:45 AM

I cooked oatmeal for breakfast then packed and said my thank you and goodbyes. Jonnie directed me back on my route. The weather didn’t show any rain, just cloudy in the morning and clearing for the afternoon. I wasn’t a mile from leaving and the rain came. Thirty minutes later the rain was over.

12:54 PM 

I stop in the town of Straughn to get a bite to eat and get out of the sun for a bit. I am sitting in the back of a small church with a nice breeze. We’ve had headwinds all day. Funny how the perspective of wind changes when not riding into it.

The headwind continues all day.

The last eight miles into Greenfield is on the Pennsy Trail.

4:00 PM

I ride to the Budget Motel and get a room for the night. After I shower I walk to Hardies for a chicken BLT for dinner then I cross the street to get a pint of ice cream to bring back to the motel.

Now I plan to find a place to sleep tomorrow night.

June 18, 2025

6:30 AM

I am awake, the day starts. I begin thinking about yesterday and the last time I felt dizzy. Yes, I didn’t drink enough! I am not sixty anymore, my food and drink situation is not the same. I can not ride one hundred miles without food or water. The heart bothers more. I am not seventy anymore, I can’t stuff myself full of food and stay in riding hard. I can no longer eat a whole pizza and jump back on the bike and push hard. What I think happened yesterday is I ate a lot of heavy food and rode hard to beat the rain. I can no longer do this. I can’t digest and ride hard. Along with not drinking enough my body couldn’t digest the food so my brain could not get energy. Getting older is a whole new learning curve.

8:41 AM 

After packing I ride out of the park. I’m on my way to my next sleep spot. I stop in the center of town at the Brick Road Bistro for breakfast and visit with people that pass by my sidewalk table.

Just as I get back on my route the sky opens wide and drenched me with rain.

11:35 AM 

I just crossed into Indiana on a small back road. There’s no sign for the state line but I am in Indiana now.

12:15 PM

I arrive at my Warmshowers house, it is a nice old house with many rooms that are filled with charm. Kurt, an acupuncturist, is in his office. His wife comes out to greet me as I sit comfortably in the porch rocker. She showes me to my room and gives a tour of the house. I bring in my panniers and clean my chain. Now it’s time for a shower and washing my clothes.

I had a bite to eat and now I’m settled into the living room. The rest of the day is my recovery day.

June 17, 2025

10:36 AM 

Riding into Dayton, I’m on a bike route 50 which is right along the river. The river has flooded over the route, I slip in the mud as I push the bike through. My feet, bike, and panniers are all wet and muddy. I’m continuing on. The rain is finally clearing, I will stop to take off my rain jacket soon.

12:22 PM 

Now in Brookville, I stopped for iced tea and some ice cream. It’s around noon so this is my lunch, I’ll be heading off soon. Looks like it might rain this afternoon. Thunder showers are possible, I hope not.

As I come to Lewisburg it pours heavy rain, no lightning so far. I ride into the town park to wait out the rain in the Dixons Branch Bridge. The motel close by is closed, the next motel on my route is twelve miles away. I feel a bit dizzy, it is suggested that I contact the EMTs at the fire department to check my vitals. Everything checkout, all is in good ranges. My resting heart rate is a bit higher than normal but not high. The EMTs suggest that I need fluid, it’s 85°. As I age I cannot get by with the water level that has worked for thirty years of cycling. 

3:30 PM

This park closes at dusk, there is no place to sleep within twelve miles. I call the police department and explain my situation. Officer Campbell makes an exception and allows for me to sleep in the park.

It now looks like I will get to watch a Little League ball game.

June 16, 2025

9:34 AM

A great night’s sleep was interrupted with birds singing at 6:30AM. Time to get up and start the day. Oatmeal and coffee with the clean up and the gear is packed.  People are coming in to use the trail, I’m ready to join them.

11:40 AM

I had hoped the stop at the Bean and Cream for brunch but the electricity on Main Street was being shut off at noon to replace the electric line. So off to Xenia. Eight cyclists from the Dayton Cycle Club came up from behind so I rode with them to Beavercreek. I am now 4.5 miles from my Warmshowers host.

2:00 PM

I arrive at my host’s house and Tom is there to greet me, Katy will come home shortly.

Lots of conversation and good food with a nice IPA. I’m showered and the laundry is done. I will start tomorrow with clean clothes.

9:50 AM

Leaving Columbus.

12:06 PM 

I stopped in the town of Galloway to get something to eat and drink. I didn’t have breakfast this morning, I thought I’d stop on the way. This is my first opportunity. Just before I go into my lunch stop. I hear a little pssst from my front tire it is a puncture just a small one. I rolled the puncture to the bottom to press it against the road. This sealed it instantly and I’m good to go.

3:29 PM 

I am at the Prairie Grass Trail Head.

The Gibbons family ride into the trail head. A husband, wife and three young kids. They are riding 40 miles today. The oldest daughter’s bike was having trouble with the shifting. It was making noise so the bike is on the repair stand. I offered to help the derailleur is bent a little bit so we straighten it and then readjusted the cables. It shifting fine. We are now having a nice visit.

4:00 PM

Jim, who volunteers for the FMCPT, welcomes me and we visit. He is now following the blog.

I am now showered and finished dinner. There is a nice cool breeze. The tent is under the pavilion without the rain fly. The birds are singing. I should sleep well tonight.

June 14, 2925

8:45 AM

Blaine, made a nice scrambled egg breakfast. He will be riding into town for a group ride from the bike shop, he invites me to join them to where my route splits from theirs. OneLove Cafe and Bikes serves a great Turkish coffee.

12:01 PM 

I am now at the Hoover Dam in Columbus, Ohio, and I’m gonna take a few minutes here and just look around and then continue on.

2:00 PM

I’ve made my way to the northwestern end of Columbus. Now I’m riding the Olentangy Trail heading south along the River. I don’t have a Warmshowers here so I stop to find a hotel for the night, camping is not an option. This is where it gets interesting and why Nancy says that I am the luckiest person in the world. As I am studying Google to find an affordable hotel close to my route a runner, Matthew, comes up from behind. He stops and asks where I started and where I am headed. This starts a lengthy conversation. He is finishing up a marathon run and has run twenty-five miles so far and lives four miles away. I ask if he knows of a good place to stay the night. He calls his wife. He said, I wish you could camp out in our yard but his wife has made plans to celebrate Fathers Day. But, he then called his best friend who lives just two miles off my route and arranged for me to camp in his backyard. Yay!

2:30 PM

I am now at his friend’s house setting up my tent under the shade of his small trees. Matthew comes by to let me into the house before I walk the few blocks to visit the local bike shop. Then I stop at Ritz Burgers and bring back a burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake. They make their own ice cream. Score!

I’m waiting for Chris, Matthew’s friend, to finish up his day and come home. I will be resting until tomorrow morning, well, a bit more conversation might be involved also.

11:30 AM

We are packed and leaving Dillon, Nancy Is going to Mounds Historical Site Campground and I am riding to Granville for a night with a Warmshowers host. 

12:19 PM 

I stop to take a picture of the world’s largest basket building.

2:00 PM

I am in Granville at the home of my host Blaine. We visit as I settle in. Then we head to Three Tigers Brewery for dinner. Great beer and wonderful Vietnamese food.

Now back to Blaine’s  for more stories of life and bicycle touring.

June 11, 2025

8:30 AM

Last night’s sunset over the lake.

10:18 AM

I want to get going so I’m packing the tent and rain fly wet. It’s uphill out of the campground to the road. The road will be my first major climb of today. I have two miles to get back to my route.

12:37 PM 

Seventeen miles of brutal hill to Claysville. I’m at the Carriage Market sitting in the shade enjoying a pint of ice cream and ice tea.

4:29 PM 

I arrived in Zanesville a few minutes ago. I’m now in the Greenwood Cemetery hiding in the shade. The heat and hills killed me. I have about six miles to the campground and I’ve thrown in the towel. Nancy is on her way to bring me to Dillon Park Campground.

6:00 PM

We are now at the campsite in Dillon State Park. I’m exhausted and a bit dizzy, and may have gotten a little too cold to heatstroke. I’ve now taken a cool shower and eaten a cheese  burger and salad. Still very little energy but still enough to visit Clint on the other side of the loop. The visit was a nice one.

10:18 PM

All my gear is stored undercover, it’s time to think about sleep. I’m too tired to check for errors in the blog.