riding the Mississippi day #19

I cebrated my 64th birthday by riding 69 miles from grafton Il to halfway to Hannibal MO, and by reaching my fastest speed ever on a downhill (38 m0h). I also rode a ferry across the Illinois River and the Mississippi River.

The ride was alternately flat farmland with a nice 10 mph tailwind, and rollers of 1/2 mileor so length with grades from 6-11%. The tailwinds didn't help much on the rollers however. The temperature coming off the road when I stopped at 12:30 after 5 1/2hours riding was 97 degrees.

Of the 26 women on the tour only 6 or 7 were going to try the whole distance. the first two ladies have just ridden in. It is 6:30 pm. They have been on the road for 12 hours.

The road had little or no shoulder, lots of gravel, and a lot of truck and farm equipment on it. I got off before the traffic or the terrain got too crazy, but someone in the van was monitoring the steepness of the hills past mile 80 and they were running between 11-18% so the ladies that did finish are the real heroes not to mention baking aces.

It was a nice birthday, and Bebe the bike is now flaunting red white and blue pompom which will be passed onto Brigette (aus Austria) in a few days when it is her birthday.

We have a free day coming up soon so I will post some photos then. These days I fall into bed early as soon as I have eaten and prepped my bike.