07/08/2015
I went into today thinking it was going to be the most miserable ride I'd ever do. It started off pretty shitty. My knee was clicking again, and it was raining pretty hard. I was cold, wet, and looking at doing 90 miles of riding on a wet gravel trail. Pretty soon, the Walmart poncho paid off, as it kept me well insulated. I was warm and wet, and the trail wasn't as hard to ride at I expected. My new bike sails over the crushed limestone of the Katy trail, what with its 40c tires. I'm still not sure about the flared handlebars, but I'm sure another 170 miles will tell if they're going to stay with me across the rest of the country.
The trail itself is crushed limestone, like the best parts of the flint hills trail. I'd say it averages about 10 feet across, making it such that you and a friend could comfortably ride abreast and still have room to let oncoming traffic by. Most of the trail I rode today was wooded, with trees leaning in towards the middle on both sides, making it seem like you're riding through a wooded tunnel. Rain always makes the green of tree leaves appear more saturated, so the effect was even more mesmerizing today. The trail crosses many creeks and rivers, all of which were swollen and raging today. If I were to try and ride through in a few days, I might not be able to cross some of the bridges, as they would be flooded! Overall, the trail has been a welcome and long awaited treat.
Kamal, if you're reading this, you'll be happy to know that I'm growing out my beard. I'm going full Amish, albeit with a twist -- some guys gave me a faux hawk the other day in Kansas on the side of the road.
Below are some pictures from the last few days. I'm having trouble adding captions with my phone, so I'll do it here instead. The first is a shot of the Katy trail. The second shows all my gear, minus my tent, after sending my stuff to Clinton. I was traveling light! The third and fourth show the holes left in the seat stays on my bike after the rack ripped off. The same people who gave me my haircut also took the last picture. They were doing the same route as me, but in reverse.
The trail itself is crushed limestone, like the best parts of the flint hills trail. I'd say it averages about 10 feet across, making it such that you and a friend could comfortably ride abreast and still have room to let oncoming traffic by. Most of the trail I rode today was wooded, with trees leaning in towards the middle on both sides, making it seem like you're riding through a wooded tunnel. Rain always makes the green of tree leaves appear more saturated, so the effect was even more mesmerizing today. The trail crosses many creeks and rivers, all of which were swollen and raging today. If I were to try and ride through in a few days, I might not be able to cross some of the bridges, as they would be flooded! Overall, the trail has been a welcome and long awaited treat.
Kamal, if you're reading this, you'll be happy to know that I'm growing out my beard. I'm going full Amish, albeit with a twist -- some guys gave me a faux hawk the other day in Kansas on the side of the road.
Below are some pictures from the last few days. I'm having trouble adding captions with my phone, so I'll do it here instead. The first is a shot of the Katy trail. The second shows all my gear, minus my tent, after sending my stuff to Clinton. I was traveling light! The third and fourth show the holes left in the seat stays on my bike after the rack ripped off. The same people who gave me my haircut also took the last picture. They were doing the same route as me, but in reverse.
