Beaverton Oregon
I took US 26 to Manning 26 miles. Good road, wide shoulder, heavy traffic. I took OR 47 to Forrest Grove. Bad road moderate traffic. I took OR 47 to Gaston. Good road, wide shoulder, moderate traffic. I took Springdale road to Newberg- Yamhill road to Yamhill. Good road no shoulder, light traffic. I took OR 47 to Forrest Grove. Good road moderate shoulder moderate traffic. I took TV hi way to Beaverton Varying road and shoulder heavy traffic. Came in with less than 100 miles so I explored some new business parks and the light rail construction to finish up. Cloudy all day - hi in the 60s. Climbing 1680 feet.
Ride 2, 6/20/95
I took US395 North to Mesa. Interstate like hi way with beautiful wide smooth shoulders and light traffic. I took WA 17 to Othello WA. Uphill all the way, but easy grade - 800 feet in 50 miles. 20 mile per hour tail wind. Return to Pasco on various county roads through Basin City, fighting the wind, Roads are wide and rough tar and gravel surface, with more traffic than 395 or 17. 20 mile per hour head wind. Got back to Pasco with only 94 miles so I cruised the strip in Pasco to get to 100. Sunny until noon and cloudy all afternoon. Hi temperature 70, low 45. Climbing 2080 feet.
Ride 3, 6/22/95
I'm in the middle of 300 Iowanians riding coast to coast to advertise Iowa's 150 anniversary next year. We follow the same route along US93 to Shoshoni. Wide road, good shoulder, but rough graveled surface, moderate traffic. I took US26 east to Gooding, Wide road wide shoulder smooth surface light traffic. I took US26 to Bliss. Rough road narrow shoulder light traffic. I got a clank that happens whin I hit a severe bump. It is my frame pump. I ran off the road finding it. But I got stopped before crashing. When I got out of the bushes I found a big ole thorn in my front tire. But no puncture, my Mr. Tuffys saved me again. I took US 30 (thousand springs scenic byway) through Hagerman, and Buhl back to Twin Falls. Mostly good road with good shoulder except for a some of narrow spots and some rough spots. light traffic except for the 15 miles from Buhl to Twin Falls. Sunny all day with light wind and high around 75. Climbing 2220 feet.
Ride 4, 6/24/95
I took US287 North good road, wide shoulder, but some rough spots. Almost to Fort Washakie, I came upon an oncoming herd of cattle covering the road fence to fence. I stopped and let the mass swirl around me. Now I know the meaning of "you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd". After they passed I rode through puddles and of cow pee (glad I got fenders) and dodge the cow shit. Almost to the end of the cow shit when a truck came along and splashed me. While I was cleaning off the cow shit, I noticed a 3/8 inch cut in my front tire where the Mr. Tuffy is showing through. Saved again by Mr. Tuffy. I decided to ride the cut tire to Riverton where there might be a shop. Continue on 287 - hilly to US 26. I took US26 to Kinnear. Wide road with wide shoulder light traffic, rough surface. Stretch of beautiful smooth asphalt between Kinnear and Riverton. At Riverton I stopped at the Out Sportin' shop and replaced my cut tire. I took WY 789 from Riverton to Lander. Best road of the day. Mostly new asphalt. I got back with only 92 miles. Ride around Lander to get 8 more miles. Sunny all day. Temperature 50 low, upper 70's high. Climbing 2860 feet.
6/26/95 Sick Day - Drove 50 miles round trip to Maiden in the Judith Mountains.
6/27/95 Hard rain until 2pm. Hi 50 (wind chill 35). Did laundry.
Ride 5, 6/28/95
Ride elevation 3800 to 4800 feet.
Cold and cloudy, hi about 60. Strong NW wind. I went east on US87 for 30 miles. Wide road ,little shoulder, light traffic. So cold I wore my heavy jacket some. Turned north into the wind on Montana 19 for 20 miles. Several deer in ran along side in the field. They are faster than I am even going over fences, sage brush, and ditches. Turned west on US191. First commercial establishment since Lewistown - a gas station. 28 miles to Hilgar : 2 bars and a Post Office. Back to Lewistown 96 miles. Tour the town to finish up. This was the most desolate ride yet. It completely circled the Judith Mountains. Mostly just grass, a little sage and rocks out there. Climbing 3460 feet.
Ride 6, 6/30/95
Ride elevation 2400 to 2800 feet.
Cool and sunny, hi about 67. light NW wind, switching to the east. A few puffy clouds going by. I went south on ND 22 through New England at 26 miles. The road was wide with little or no shoulder. Some stretches were very rough road grader pavement. I turned east at 35 miles onto ND 21. Road about the same. At mile 50 I came to Regent, pop 258. They're having a big shindig for the weekend. I got directions and headed north on unmarked road. I came to some 50 foot high constructions that the sign says are the world's largest tin family. It also says that this is the enchanted highway. It's the best road I been on all day. Wide smooth and very little traffic. After a few miles more I came to a 50 foot high wire frame of Teddy Roosevelt on a horse. At mile 69 Lefor, at 82 Gladstone, unlisted and deserving it. All day was up and down long gentle hills of grain and hay. At mile 83 I turned west on I-94. Back to Dickinson at 93 miles. Out a local road and back to finish. Climbing 2750 feet.
North Dakota sent me a bicycle map That rates the major roads in 3 categorys: Green = greater than a 4 foot paved shoulder. Yellow = greater than a 4 foot gravel shoulder. Red = other. Why I should care about the gravel shoulder I don't know. This is a pretty stupid way to rate roads in my opinion. In addition, it was wrong for the 2 roads I rode on. Both 22 and 21 are green. There was a 4 foot shoulder on about a mile next to Dickenson and less than that at the county line. The rest was 0 to 1 foot. The Enchanted Highway was the best road of the day and it wasn't on the bicycle map at all. It was on the state map, but was not marked by name or number on the map or on route 21. (Maybe, since it's enchanted, only good people can find it.) So they get an E for effort.
Ride 7, 7/2/95
Ride elevation 1270 to 1730 feet.
Sunny and a few clouds, hi 78. South wind from 20 to 30 miles per hour. Headed north on SD 37. Wide concrete road with shoulder. I was doing 20 mph with the wind. Turned east on SD 28 Wide road with little shoulder. Terrain is flat but gently rising to the east. The shoulder became 3 feet at the county line. I encountered my first live rattlesnake lying in the shoulder. It skittered into the grass and I kept going. I stopped at Willow lake hot dog stand for lunch. Turned south on SD 25. Against the wind it took me 2 and a half hours to go 17 miles. Just before DeSmet I was detoured over a mile of gravel road. Turned west on US 14. Wide concrete road with shoulder that has rumble strips. Traffic was light all day. A few miles from DeSmet I encountered hundreds of bees crossing the road. They were bouncing off me and the bicycle. Must be some hives around, but I couldn't see them. Back to Huron the loop was a little long - 105 miles. This ride had the best roads yet and the flattest terrain, but the wind made it a hard day. Climbing 1030 feet.
7/4/95 Rain until Noon. Watched the fireworks at AG park in Columbus.
Ride 8, 7/5/95
Ride elevation 1320 to 1830 feet.
Cool and cloudy in the morning, sunny and warm in the after noon. Hi 80. 20 to 30 mile per hour northwest wind. Went north on US 81 for 23 miles. The road was wide with wide paved shoulders with concrete bumps. The traffic was moderate. The wind makes slow going. Slow climb away from the Platt river. Turned East on Nebraska 91. The wind was worse. The road is wide with no shoulders, and light traffic. Terrain turned hilly. Went 28 miles to Albion. Average speed was 9.8 for first 50 miles. The wind gusts made my lips flap sometimes. Turned southeast on Nebraska 14 and then 39. The road is wide with wide shoulders. With the wind I cruised at 22 miles per hour. Went through St. Edward to Genoa and turned east on Nebraska 22. Road is wide with wide shoulders. Turned south on US 81 and return to Columbus. Only 97 miles so I toured town for 3 miles. Climbing 1700 feet.