With limited motel options between Miles City, MT to Billings, MT, I enjoyed a short 45 mile ride this morning to Forsyth, MT on the banks of the Yellowstone River. The price will be a longer 106 mile ride tomorrow to Billings. In the coming days, I will follow the route taken by Captain William Clark in 1806 along the Yellowstone River as the Corps of Discovery made its way back home from the Pacific.
Today, for the first time on my journey, I rode on the interstate. Unlike states east of the Mississippi, western states permit cyclists to use the interstate highway system, though many travelers are not aware of that. While the prospect of cycling on the interstate seemed faintly ridiculous at first, after spending most of journey on highways with fast-moving traffic, this stretch of interstate riding was fairly pleasant. An eight foot shoulder with little debris afforded me plenty of room with traffic volumes similar to what I encountered in the Dakotas. However, cycling on the interstate on a cloudless day on the bluffs overlooking the Yellowstone, one does feel very small and insignificant in this part of the country.
My day off yesterday in Miles City, MT gave me a chance to get my bike checked out at the local shop. Aside from a minor adjustment to the spoke tension, everything checked out. The owner, a rough and tumble looking fellow who sees his fair share of cross-country cyclists, generously gave my bike a quick once over at no charge. He also shared stories of some of the cyclists who have come through: a 95 year old woman riding cross country who only started cycling at age 90; a young man on a solo ride calling from Sidney, MT (over 130 miles away) who rode in on a broken rear axle with only the skewer holding the wheel together. When they took out the skewer, all the bearings fell out, his wheel rendered useless
However, when conversation turned away from cycling to where I am from and what I do, the owner launched into a stemwinder on the evils of Michael Bloomberg and the crooks at the Federal Reserve. The ranting was real tin foil hat stuff punctuated with plenty of references to "nitwits" in Washington wanting to take away their guns and loose talk of rebellion. Though I hinted that I thought Bloomberg and the Fed might not be quite as nefarious as advertised, when another hard man from town in boots, jeans and cowboy hat entered and started nodding gravely, I decided discretion was the better part of valor and took my leave. After all that, I got my first flat tire headed back to my motel - I decided just to fix it on my own.
Distance - 44.7 miles
Cumulative Distance - 2119.7 miles
Vertical Elevation - 2146 feet
Today, for the first time on my journey, I rode on the interstate. Unlike states east of the Mississippi, western states permit cyclists to use the interstate highway system, though many travelers are not aware of that. While the prospect of cycling on the interstate seemed faintly ridiculous at first, after spending most of journey on highways with fast-moving traffic, this stretch of interstate riding was fairly pleasant. An eight foot shoulder with little debris afforded me plenty of room with traffic volumes similar to what I encountered in the Dakotas. However, cycling on the interstate on a cloudless day on the bluffs overlooking the Yellowstone, one does feel very small and insignificant in this part of the country.
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| Yellowstone River through the cottonwoods |
My day off yesterday in Miles City, MT gave me a chance to get my bike checked out at the local shop. Aside from a minor adjustment to the spoke tension, everything checked out. The owner, a rough and tumble looking fellow who sees his fair share of cross-country cyclists, generously gave my bike a quick once over at no charge. He also shared stories of some of the cyclists who have come through: a 95 year old woman riding cross country who only started cycling at age 90; a young man on a solo ride calling from Sidney, MT (over 130 miles away) who rode in on a broken rear axle with only the skewer holding the wheel together. When they took out the skewer, all the bearings fell out, his wheel rendered useless
However, when conversation turned away from cycling to where I am from and what I do, the owner launched into a stemwinder on the evils of Michael Bloomberg and the crooks at the Federal Reserve. The ranting was real tin foil hat stuff punctuated with plenty of references to "nitwits" in Washington wanting to take away their guns and loose talk of rebellion. Though I hinted that I thought Bloomberg and the Fed might not be quite as nefarious as advertised, when another hard man from town in boots, jeans and cowboy hat entered and started nodding gravely, I decided discretion was the better part of valor and took my leave. After all that, I got my first flat tire headed back to my motel - I decided just to fix it on my own.
Starting Point - Miles City, MT
Ending Point - Forsyth, MTDistance - 44.7 miles
Cumulative Distance - 2119.7 miles
Vertical Elevation - 2146 feet
Counties - Custer, Rosebud, MT
Wind - light headwind
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