Rusty Crank Coast to Coast Bicycle Tour across the USA on the ACA TransAM Route

TransAm Day #18 June 12, 2018 Carbondale, IL -  Farmington, MO 99 Miles Ride Time 8:35 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1307 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180612-0513-40436 I slept well last night at the dingy Heritage Motel in Carbondale. All of my clothing, except for my socks, was dry in the morning. I got up at 4:30am, and was on the road by 5:13.  As I was leaving town, a motorist hollered out to me, “Dangerous road, man! Be careful!” He waited forever to let me pass. If I had been in Brooklyn a Hassid would have cut round me in a New York second. I don’t miss those F-ing Hassids.  There were so many deer out this morning. I usually spy them before they notice me. Once they see me, they bolt, often across the road right in front of me. They’re so graceful! The skies were cloudy this morning, and I was hoping they’d stay that way all day.  The Mississippi is referred to as the big muddy, but there’s actual...

TransAm Day #19 June 13, 2018 Farmington, MO - Ellington, MO 61 Miles Ride Time 4:58 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1368 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180613-0629-07132 I slept so well last night. I was completely exhausted. Another cyclist showed up at the hostel late last night, but I can’t remember his name. He and Becky were still sleeping when I left this morning. Brian was out the door before me. I left the can of spinach in the kitchen cabinet.  The sun was up and it was a pleasant ride. I admired all the wildflowers alongside the road. The milkweed here is in bloom. After about 20 miles, I stopped for breakfast at the Rustler Cafe in Pilot Knob. My waitress was apologetic that there was no WiFi. There was no cellular or data service in the area, so I was unable to check in on things.  Outside of Graniteville I passed an east-bound cyclist zooming towards me in an aerodynamic bubble. It appeared to be a recumbent tri...

TransAm Day #20 June 14, 2018 Ellington, MO - Houston, MO 71 Miles Ride Time 6:20 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1438 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180614-0512-75454 I didn’t sleep so well last night at the Ellington bike hostel. The cot was too short, and the end bar dug into my shins. Claudio snored in the adjoining cot. The air conditioner loudly hummed to keep out the heat and humidity. Claudio and I got up at 4:30am and packed in darkness while Miles slept in. Claudio made me coffee. Italians are so funny about their food and meal routines. I was on the road by 5am. There was a dude robot sticker on the map at the hostel. It’s nice to know that I’m back on Mike Riscica’s trail. Somebody had tried to peel his sticker off so I decided not to tag the hostel.  It was a hazy, foggy, and cool morning. The smell of skunk was in the air, and I spied the culprit. One of the benefits of going westbound is that the sunrise is at my ba...

TransAm Day #21 June 15, 2018 Houston, MO - Marshfield, MO 70 Miles Ride Time 6:07 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1505 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180615-0510-99548 Last night it was the Rusty Crank hammock sushi roll at the Westside Park in Houston, MO. A barking dog and kids playing, made it difficult to fall asleep. I also had itchy bug bites which should have been zapped by the swimming pool chlorine.  Miles has a broken spoke and his rear wheel was badly out of true. Today he had to rent a U-Haul and drive his bike back east 130 miles to a mechanic in Farmington. We looked at all the options last night. A one-way Über to Farmington was $200 and there weren’t even any cars available. He could have proceeded forward 180 miles to the next bike mechanic in Pittsburgh, KS, but his rear wheel had a bad wobble and he’s loaded down with four panniers. The mechanic in Carbondale had told him that he didn’t have the right touring whe...

TransAm Day #22 June 16, 2018 Marshfield, MO - Golden City, MO 86 Miles Ride Time 6:59 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1589 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180616-0513-97404 Last night I did the RC hammock sushi roll sans goose down in the Marshfield City Park Pavilion. It was pretty toasty out, so I didn’t use the silk bag or insect netting until it got cool in the middle of the night. There was a lot of traffic noise from nearby route 66 and a dog seemed to bark forever.  Becky showed up after dark and I had saved her two slices of pizza. We talked for awhile and had some good laughs. Becky is a computer IT consultant from London. Her family has no idea that she’s doing this trip, and she’s not going to tell them until she gets home. If of my readers know Becky’s family, please don’t spill the beans. She’s never done any bike touring, but she’s an avid backpacker. Her original idea was to hike the Appalachian Trail but the TransAm so...

TransAm Day #23 June 17, 2018 Golden City, MO - Chanute, KS 92 Miles Ride Time 6:46 Hours Tour Total  Miles 1679 details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180617-0515-82423 Last night I slept in my hammock slathered in Deet, with no silk bag or insect netting until late in the night, when it got chilly. At 3am we were all rudely awakened by teenagers playing basketball in the adjoining pavilion. Becky was up before any of us, incredibly irritated yet achieving a new personal wake-up time record. Steve and I were on the road shortly after 5am. Becky packed up her things and headed over to Cooky’s, which opened at 6am.  Last night Becky told us about another TransAm cyclist who had been hit by a motorist. Apparently he’s in pretty bad shape with numerous severe fractures. Stories like these cut me to the bone.  There was a colorful sunrise to our backs as we rode towards the Kansas border. Our breakfast stop was a thirty mile ride...