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Dyersville to Manchester, Iowa Monday, July 5, 2021

Today I got an unmitigated taste of what a hot summer headwind can be like on the open plains. Followers of this blog know I have dealt with headwinds before, but this was something new. Something new, but nothing I didn’t expect. I knew the wind would be primarily out of the west in the summertime, and that most people elect to cross the country from west to east, for just that reason. My rigid insistence in doing everything from my home, and avoiding mechanized transportation, committed me to this opposite direction. So I have no one to blame but myself.

One of the better books I’ve read about cross country bicycling is A Hole in the Wind by David Goodrich. He was a climate researcher who was also crossing the country from east to west, and was so beaten down by the headwind that he fantasized about finding a hole in the wind. I guess we all find ways of coping with it. I would get into a full tuck, which would help, but was hard to maintain for long periods. Uphills were helpful, since they blocked the wind a little, but they were still uphill. Once you crested, the full blast of the wind came back. You were grateful that it cooled you down a bit, but frustrated that you had to pedal hard just to go downhill. I typically listen to podcasts during difficult stretches, but the wind was so deafening that I listened to music instead.

You get the picture. I stopped every 10 miles. At the second stop, in the sizable town of Manchester, I found a scrap of shade under a tree and considered my options. Only there, out of the sun’s glare, could I even see my phone screen. A car stopped and asked if I was if I was OK. He was an EMT and had seen me hunched over the handlebars. Geez.

I had planned to go 50 miles to a campground in Oelwein, but at this rate I wouldn’t get there until dusk, and it was going to be a hot night. I looked for a closer motel and could only find an affordable one in the town I was in. Part of my problem is that I’m leaving too late, and riding in the hottest part of the day. Better to stop here, get to bed early, and reset my daily cycle to an early departure. So I stopped after only 20 miles. Sheesh. Hope this works.

Distance 20 miles, 3,468 total. Time 4 hours with stops. Elevation gain 594 feet.

©️ 2021 Scott Luria