Day 8: Country Roads

Here in northwestern Ohio, the hills are now a thing of the past giving way to acres and acres of flat farmland. Pleasant temperatures and sunny conditions in the morning gave way to strength-sapping heat in the afternoon. In contrast to warm weather days last week, locations offering respite from the sun were at a premium. The wind was particularly brutal today with a warm headwind from the west making the afternoon a tough slog.

Riding cross-country is always a mix of cycling on highways and country roads. Highways typically offer larger shoulders, gentler grades, and better pavement. County roads by contrast feature a lower volume of traffic and typically slower-moving vehicles than highways. In Ohio, my routes have increasingly turned towards county roads with the volume of traffic at its lowest in the trip. Between the small country villages of New Washington, OH and Carey, OH, fewer than a dozen cars probably past me per hour. The resulting silence can be both pleasant and eerie - a chance to enjoy nature's soundtrack tempered by the vague sense of being lost.

Oddly picturesque burned-out farmhouse

The absence of passing automobiles gives more time to listen to the other sounds of the Ohio countryside. In particular, it's been interesting to judge the reaction of the livestock I pass on my ride. Sometimes, the cows and horses I pass by take no notice, while other times they seem to stare intently, turning their heads as I pass by. Yet other times, my presence seems to alarm them as they turn and flee away from the road. 

Today, I even had a horse try to charge me down only to veer off just as it approached the fence line - not sure what I would have done if there was no fence. It is well known that dogs typically have an adverse response to bicycles often barking, chasing, and occasionally biting passing cyclists. Maybe some horses react similarly.

Horses staring at me

Food options around the motels where I am staying are not particularly interesting, so meals during the ride offer one of the few times to sample something local. Today in Carey, OH, I stopped in the Splinter's Cafe for a late lunch. The meal was decent, though not great, but I was struck at the number people drinking at midday. When I asked my otherwise talkative waitress if there's anything to do around town, she forthrightly answered, "Nothing". 

At the end of the day, I stopped by Muddy River Bicycle in downtown Findlay for a quick check of my bike - as with of the bike shops I have visited on my journey, the mechanics have been extraordinarily helpful and interested in hearing about my trip.

STAGE SUMMARY:

Starting Point - Mansfield, OH

Ending Point - Findlay, OH
Distance - 73.4 miles
Cumulative Distance - 673.8 miles
Vertical Elevation - 1348 feet

Counties - Richland, Crawford, Wyandot, Hancock, OH

Wind - strong headwind