Furious pedaling up steep hills in Pennsylvania has given way to furious pedaling into a stiff crosswind in the farmlands of Ohio. Today, I left Ohio behind and began my visit to the fifth state on my westward journey.
Pleasant temperatures in the morning gave way to a hot sun by midmorning. The crosswind from south kept me dry, but offered increasing frustration. In calm winds, I can sustain about 14 mph on my bike - not great speed, but it does feel like you are making progress. As the crosshead picked up later in the day, my speed dropped closer to 10 or 11 mph - with each mile passing achingly slow. In contrast, on brief segments when I turned north, the tailwind allowed me to cruise at 20 mph comfortably. All of this is a far cry from the 18 mph I can maintain on 80 mile rides without all the gear loading down my bike. From this description, you probably think cycling seems a lot like sailing.
The combination of the wind and the sun dramatically increased the desired frequency of my breaks. I sought out every small town along the route for air conditioning and/or a place to sit - gas stations, Subways (which are surprisingly common out here), or public parks. Essentially, I spent the day hopping from one air conditioned locale to the next cursing any extended stretches without respite.
At the 70 mile mark, I crossed from Ohio into Indiana with one state extending seamlessly into the next. Unfortunately, my crossing into Indiana was not marked by any of the comforting signage welcoming you to a new state. You will have to take my word that the photo below was taken at the state line.
Distance - 88.1 miles
Cumulative Distance - 761.9 miles
Vertical Elevation - 1069 feet
Pleasant temperatures in the morning gave way to a hot sun by midmorning. The crosswind from south kept me dry, but offered increasing frustration. In calm winds, I can sustain about 14 mph on my bike - not great speed, but it does feel like you are making progress. As the crosshead picked up later in the day, my speed dropped closer to 10 or 11 mph - with each mile passing achingly slow. In contrast, on brief segments when I turned north, the tailwind allowed me to cruise at 20 mph comfortably. All of this is a far cry from the 18 mph I can maintain on 80 mile rides without all the gear loading down my bike. From this description, you probably think cycling seems a lot like sailing.
The combination of the wind and the sun dramatically increased the desired frequency of my breaks. I sought out every small town along the route for air conditioning and/or a place to sit - gas stations, Subways (which are surprisingly common out here), or public parks. Essentially, I spent the day hopping from one air conditioned locale to the next cursing any extended stretches without respite.
At the 70 mile mark, I crossed from Ohio into Indiana with one state extending seamlessly into the next. Unfortunately, my crossing into Indiana was not marked by any of the comforting signage welcoming you to a new state. You will have to take my word that the photo below was taken at the state line.
The Pastimes Cafe in Paulding, OH served as a late lunch stop. The owner was quite excited to see the first cross-country cyclist of the summer - each year brings several cross-country cyclists through the area. The owner and several patrons were curious about life in New York - house prices, using the subways, crime; they all ventured that they like to visit but would never give up their quiet of a country life.
As a reminder, you can always click on Stage Summary to see my exact route and elevation profile.
Starting Point - Findlay, OH
Ending Point - Fort Wayne, INDistance - 88.1 miles
Cumulative Distance - 761.9 miles
Vertical Elevation - 1069 feet
Counties - Hancock, Putnam, Paulding, OH; Allen, IN
Wind - strong crosswind
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