Ray resting at Rugby.
Ray resting at Rugby.
Last Modified on 9/23/97 at 17:40:30
Day's Narrative: I left Perkins Restaurant in Minot just as the sun was coming up a little before 7. The intention was to go to Devil's Lake because the weather reports predicted 10 to 20 mph (16-33 km/h) winds from the southwest and I thought I could handle the 125 mile (200km) trip with tailwinds. Connie and I agreed not to commit to the entire distance until we met halfway at Rugby and saw how it was going. Along the way I met Erin McGuiness and Mike Kastelic, two civil engineers emigrating from Vermont to the west coast on a tandem bicycle. They had met Neville yesterday and had heard from him about me coming along today, so they were expecting me. We talked for 30 minutes or so before continuing on. [Connie] We seem to be forming a network of cross country bicyclers. [Ray] I stopped at the first, and only, store 40 miles (60 km) from Minot and had a sandwich. Connie must have passed during this time because she was waiting for me in Rugby when I arrived about noon. Rugby happens to be defined by the fact that it is located at the geographical center of North America -- whatever that is. There's a monument there conveniently designed and located for photographs (see photo). Connie and I ate lunch at a nearby restaurant. We decided to push on to Devil's Lake, and I ordered a Reuben sandwich to take with me, since I didn't expect to find many stores between Rugby and Devil's Lake. This is the lakes region of North Dakota. Small lakes are all along the road and most all have ducks in them. When I stopped and had a sandwich, I discovered they also have mosquitoes. It was a long afternoon for me. I stopped at a store in the village of Leeds for food and a soft drink. After Leeds I came to the construction site. I was bewildered. There were two narrow dirt tracks where vehicles had been crossing the site. I stood there with the flagger at the front of a long line of waiting cars and trucks wondering how I would get through this mile-long section of dirt being churned up by heavy earth moving equipment. Just then a construction engineer pulled up in his pickup and offered me a ride across the site. I thanked him profusely, and put my bike in the back of the truck. He immediately took off and weaved through the heavy equipment -- not following the two dirt tracks at all -- and dropped me at the pavement on the other side. Miracles do happen. The tailwind, which was ok in the morning, was not so great in the afternoon. My speed slowed and the time for me to get into Devil's Lake increased. I finally got there at 6 pm and found Connie at the Days Inn motel. I was really tired. The riding day had been 11 hours long. I took a shower and then passed out on the bed in a coma until Connie woke me up about 8 pm saying we should eat some dinner. I will be more careful in the future about committing to a long day's ride. Today there was no time for anything else after the ride. Tomorrow is a 90 mile (145km) ride to Grand Forks, ND on the North Dakota-Minnesota border. The following day we will turn south toward Kentucky. © Ray & Connie Poore, 1997
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