BunceMan's TranzAmerican Bike Ride

Day 15: Bridgeport to North Platte, Nebraska. I knew it was going to be a long ride, so I was on the road by 7:30am. The winds were generally favorable and the roads were flat and mostly straight.. the first 50 miles. Really not much to comment on.. a motel front in Broadwater that had seen better days when Highway 26 was the way to go before Interstate 80; fields and fields of hay rolls, corn, and waterpedes; and the ever-present coal trains running east loaded and west empty.

So far, I rate Nebraska as having the worst roads. Not all the roads are bad, but there are long sections where maintenance is only done on the road proper. The shoulders (where two-wheelers may ride in relative safety) are left with the residue from this maintenance, along with aging cracks that make for a bumpy and annoying ride. Gotta concentrate more, being constantly on the lookout for potential hazards. So here's what I do. On long stretches where I can see up and down the road, I get off the shoulders and out onto the well-worn and smoother road proper.. left side of the road preferred. As traffic appears coming towards me, I look behind to the right to see if it's safe to move to the right lane. If it appears I will be caught in a no-win situation between the two lanes, it's back to the unforgiving shoulder.

90 miles into the ride, Peggy and I had lunch in Ogallala. 90 degrees and higher humidity than that of the high deserts of Wyoming. I still had 55 miles to get to North Platte. This part of Highway 26 is smooth, flat and straight, but was into a strong headwind. 13 to 15 mph the whole way. Nothing to do but get into my tuck, put my head down, and listen to some U2 to help keep my legs going...

Day 15 mileage: 145 miles | Peggy Pics | some additions to the Roadkill menu

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