Distance: 41.0 mi, Climbed: 1,240 ft
Completed: 1,869.8 mi, 97,837 ft
Today could have been a light day. About forty mostly flat miles and not a cloud in the sky. However, the forecast was for a steady 25 mph of wind with gusts up to 45 mph. The wind is forecasted to come out of the SSW, so it will hit me on an angle giving both a solid headwind and a strong side wind. Great.
For the first fifteen miles, I was on a slightly protected road, and the winds were not too crazy. The biggest challenge was keeping the bike upright against the cross wind. I literally had to lean the bike into the wind to maintain my balance. Whenever a gust came along, the handlebars would jut to the right, and I would have to quickly turn them back to center to stay balanced. The whole experience was like driving in the rain. I had to stay ultra-focused to stay upright, which gave very little time to enjoy the beautiful scenery all around me.
At mile 15, the route turned south and headed directly into the wind. I could only manage 4 or 5 mph in the intense headwind. It felt like I was pushing hard but getting nowhere. Fortunately, after about two very long miles, the road turned west, and I was back to a cross wind.
However, this section of road was even less protected than the earlier section. The cross winds were more fierce, and it became even harder to maintain balance. This road had more traffic, and every time a truck passed, the combination of the wind generated by the truck and the prevailing wind would almost bring me to a complete stand still. Normally, I would listen for the trucks coming so that I could brace myself. But, the wind was so loud, I could not hear the trucks coming so there was no way to prepare. Very unnerving.
It felt like an eternity, but at roughly mile 25, I made a right turn to continue the rest of the route with a mostly NW heading. Now, the wind was mostly at my back, and I could sail home. What a relief.
With the intensity of the wind, it was easy to forget that my bike computer said 99 degrees and the heat index was 103 degrees. It was hot. But the wind took my mind off the heat. When I finally had the wind at my back, I started to notice the heat. The last fifteen miles were still going to be tough.
I took frequent breaks to ensure that I did not overheat. During one stop, for some unknown reason, my chain came off. The first time on the trip. While I am putting my chain back on, a rider with a full set of panniers comes up to me, says hello, and asks if I need any help. He has panniers? Could he be a 76’er?
Stuart is riding from New York to San Francisco to raise money for ALS. We rode together for the last ten miles or so into Toronto. Stuart is much faster than me so it was really nice that he pedaled at my pace so we could stay together. I think we were both excited to see another rider and have someone to talk with. I would learn that Stuart’s father passed away from ALS thirteen years ago, and he was riding in his memory. You can learn about Stuart’s ride and make a donation at Going the Distance for ALS.
I had an Airbnb reserved in Toronto for the night, and Stuart was planning to continue riding and find a campsite further down the road. We stopped in town to have a snack before saying goodbye. He went right for what has become my favorite post-ride snack — ice cream and a soda. Not exactly the healthiest of choices, but an effective way to cool down, hydrate, and get some quick calories. Besides, who does not enjoy a good ice cream? I have earned it.
While we were eating, the lady serving us said we should get going soon because a thunderstorm was due to hit in thirty minutes. A thunderstorm? Uh, oh. The Airbnb I had rented had two bedrooms. I offered Stuart a room for the night to stay out of the storm. He insisted on at least cooking me dinner. He bought some pasta and everything he needed for a quick homemade pasta sauce. Stuart is quite the cook. We ate very well.
Great story!