Ben Dymond
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Day 30 - Nickerson, KS to Larned, KS - 61 mi

First off, check out our Tribune article from Chanute, KS a couple of nights ago!

After downing some AmeriCone Dream last night I slept in to a lazy morning - as did everyone else. We rolled out of the campground around 8 am with the thought that we only had a 60 mile day and we could crank it out before noon (which happened). We rode through probably the most desolate section of road yet where there were no services (water/food/restrooms) available. It was key that we had a support vehicle for water and snacks!

(campsite from last night next to massive grain silos)

The ride today was super flat and we were able to cruise anywhere between 17 and 24 mph on the ride. We rode through flat agriculture land and past massive beef farms. It was pretty gross to get passed by trucks hauling (even empty) manure from the farm to the fields.

We have been extremely lucky on our trip in terms of weather and today was no exception - the skies were beautiful and the temperature not extremely hot. So far on the trip, we have not had very much rain and the temperature has been manageable enough that you can bike through the hottest part of the day (1-3 pm). Today the lack of headwinds prompted a horizontal pace line for communication sake rather than pace.

(Leigh Graziano, Bret Taylor, and Ben King)

Over the past week we have been running into more and more TransAm cyclists - specifically those heading from West to East. We have encountered many solo cyclists and smaller groups of 2-3 people carrying their own gear, but today we ran across our first group of the trip - the ultra plush America by Bicycle group that will be heading to the East as we go West.


After doing laundry at the local laundromat, I am currently enjoying a cold Miller Lite before heading to the local public pool across the street!