S.I.N...

PCL, L-?-L. The question mark between the two L's (earlier in the week) was to be filled in with Valpo & Ceresco as the gravel bound way (weigh?) stations for this gathering of like minded individuals on bikes. The PCL is adaptable & due to the generally crappy conditions of our local gravel the route was transfered to the road & became Lincoln-Seward-Wahoo-Lincoln. We're guessing 30ish or so gathered downtown Saturday for a 7:30am departure from The Coffee House. This was my first visit to this coffee outlet & I left there with a general understanding & new found affinity for chicory, I'll save that for another time. I've got some experimenting to do.

Looking out just prior to departure. FOB, Marc, CVO, & JB...

Saturday was a long, difficult, & generally pleasant journey. The first leg to Seward I found myself & Marc burying ourselves (actually myself) to rejoin with a few that had gotten away on HWY 34. Marc would take these really long pulls while I would come around him just long enough to give him about a minute breather which he really didn't need, I hope it helped to some degree:) I hadn't ridden that hard in a long time, that stretch from the airport until we made contact a few miles east of Seward was my first serious gut check of the year. It was sweet, I wanted cry or puke, unsure. One of those "I could just quit & the pain will be over" moments that you tell yourself "just hang on it'll be over soon" & when it is over it feels that much better because you didn't pull the plug.

Why do I always go to this store in Seward? This bathroom is in my top two worst restrooms category. The other one is the Cubby's on the West end of Columbus, I quit going there all together a few years ago. I can't mention any names for this Seward store because I'm not even sure what its called, but I'm not going back. It always looks this bad...

I needed something strong to erase the bathroom imagery clouding my brain...

The ugly leg, the S.I.N. leg (Safety-In-Numbers). If the 20 mph cross wind to Seward didn't beat you down, the next 20 mile leg to the 92 corner into a 20+ mph headwind sure would. With my water bottles filled with Jim Beam I bid farewell to the store I won't be back to & joined forces with JB, Aaron G., DK, & Brian D. for the upcoming headwind leg. It sucked, but we made it. Somewhere along the way we picked up this outcast...Rafal. Don't know this dude real well but he makes me smile, great energy.

Long live the PCL!

I struck out on my own for awhile after we made the 92 turn, stopped in Weston & talked Saunders County High School hoops with one of the locals. We tried to get the Lady Huskers game on the tv but he didn't have FSN on their satellite. The shoulders were moist all day & a lot of grit ended up on the bike & my person...

We regrouped at Weston & Brian flatted shortly thereafter. JB & Rafal either were discussing bikes or beer. Just a few miles to go & we would be in Wahoo with Mexican food as a reward!

The payoff...

Rafal & I were so stoked to be sitting down & eating that we joined together & started belting out Jay-Z's 99 Problems. "Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo'? Well you was doin' fifty-five in a fifty fo'. Rafal is a big Jay-Z fan, I was just wasted from drinking a fifth of beam...good times.

C-bread, EB, & Scott B showed up...

Bellies full & the last leg to come, 30 miles to Lincoln with a crazy strong tail wind. Motorpace time. We wound it up & arrived back in town in record time...

random...

Saturday was a blast. Glad I got to spend it with some different faces & some of the usual crowd as well. When I rolled out of the house @ 6:45 am I told the wife I'd be gone all day. Yep all day, returned at 4:40 pm. 100 & something miles, plenty. I felt great, I feel great, a great day.

Fast forward to this morning...I screwed up the time change, whoops. Supposed to meet C-bread at 7:00 to ride, I rallied & showed up around 7:30. Below: at rest at D Street this morning...
We managed a wet & windy 2 hour loop with stops at two coffee shops, always a good day to be on the bike...
Later,

TK