Day 13 through 18: Saint Clairsville, OH – Zanesville, OH – London, OH – Hamilton, OH – Brookville, IN – Columbus, IN – Bloomington, IN
Following my most recent route through Pittsburgh, I decided that it just isn’t worth it to go through large metropolitan areas. The main issue is that the city traffic is far more dangerous than the rural traffic. Especially, when you don’t really know where you’re going. Like I mentioned before, I rely solely on my iPhone for GPS directions. So looking at it constantly, is the equivalent of texting AND riding a bicycle…with 60 lbs of luggage…with your feet clipped-in…with no idea of whether this car behind you is going to side-swipe you…and that looks like a pot-hole big enough to dent your wheel and if you dent your wheel you’ll definitely be walking all the way to the nearest bicycle shop to buy a new one…which is probably closed for the day…and you’d have to find somewhere to stay for the night which is most likely going to be sky-high in this town.
With all of those thoughts happening pretty much simultaneously at all times. You might understand why I choose to eliminate the unnecessary hazards.
The Good.
Avoiding the large cities is safer.
The Bad.
Only seeing rural towns during this trip, is SO monotonous.
If you’ve seen one rural town, you’ve pretty much seen them all in my book. Some of these smaller towns that I’ve been riding through are so dated, they look like they haven’t been touched since the 40’s. And I mean, I could write a script, make “Doo Wop Divas” the working title, select a cast, hire Tarantino, and use any rural town that I’ve ridden through that doesn’t have a professional sports team, or college or university with more than 5,000 students.
I could shoot the movie in any of those towns without making any modifications. And every set would be perfect. AS-IS.
Ok, you got me. I’m exaggerating just a little bit. But you see what I’m saying.
Despite the monotony of rural routes. At least the sunsets never get old.
###
You can follow along in real-time and spot exactly where I am, as I have a GPS unit that updates a Google map in real-time every few minutes. To view it, “LIKE” the iHeartCardio Facebook Fanpage.
Also, you may contribute to the American Heart Association which is the cause I’m riding for. 100% of what you donate goes to the AHA. You may learn more about WHY you should donate. Whether you choose to donate or choose not to, please help SPREAD the word.
Last but not least, I want to thank my equipment sponsors. GoPro and Detours.
