Day 27 – Sun/Jul 13 – Willard OH to Warren OH

Today we woke up to showers for only the second time since we started this ride. We took advantage of the time to have a good breakfast and watch the first 30 minutes of the Tour. At 8:00 AM, we started our ride for the day in a light shower – no lightning. We rode in rain for about an hour and wet roads for an additional hour or so. The terrain was more rolling hills with trees everywhere. We hit the steepest hill on the ride so far, luckily the hill was only about ½ mile long – 16% to 18% grade…and yes, Matt beat me to the top – Rule of 27 still applies.

We climbed a total of 3,387 feet over the 114.2 miles we rode today. Once again we were chased by dogs. This time we had three of them at once. Matt has taken up the habit of growling at them. This usually freezes them for just a second – giving us a chance to sprint by them.

We met Matt’s sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece for lunch in Cuyahoga Falls, about 70 miles into the ride. We had a good visit and then rode the last 44 miles to Warren OH under sunny skies. Matt’s sister brought us dinner shortly after we arrived at the hotel. We averaged 18.5 mph today, not bad considering the wet conditions and hilly terrain.

Based upon the weather forecast, we should have good weather the rest of the way – no rain and relatively cool temperatures. We are now less than a week from the Atlantic Ocean. What started out as a Ride Across America has now become a Ride to Saturday. We are now 2,807 miles from our start and 650 miles from our goal.

Day 26 – Sat/Jul 12 – 25 Miles east of Decatur IN to Willard OH

We got up early with breakfast at the Comfort Inn. As we finished up, the desk clerk gave us a small bag of apples and bananas for the day. We appreciated their gesture. We started our day just inside the Ohio border and headed due east on Hwy 114 and 224. Today and tomorrow were the two days that the forecast indicated could be rainy. We got off to a good start. With all the homes and farms that line the road, we were chased by dogs at least three separate times. At these times, I tried to make sure I stayed ahead of Matt.

Just 38 miles into the ride, the skies broke open with heavy rain – no lightning. Lucky for us, Larry had stopped for gas and we found him just before the rain. We spent about an hour in the gas station – taking the time to grab a quick meal.

After waiting an hour, the skies lightened up but the rain didn’t quit. The decision was made to continue our ride and we spent the next hour riding in light rain, trying to get to Willard before the predicted afternoon showers hit. The last 53 miles were in overcast skies as we arrived at our hotel for the evening. Shortly after we arrived, we got one of the predicted showers. More rain is predicted for the evening and morning tomorrow. We will deal with that in the morning. The roads were generally good today, but the last 25 miles were rough. The route was again flat with total climb of just over 1,200 feet. We averaged 18.9, despite the wet conditions. We had a stiff crosswind (20 mph) almost all day long.

Tomorrow we will start our last week of riding with about 770 miles remaining. We have one long day (over 125 miles) and one day of climbing before we dip our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean at Plumb Island.