Marysville to Wooster, Ohio

98 miles, 6:28 riding time, 3,582 feet of climbing, 4,794 Calories

"Bike" by MAL WEBB (2000)

Push on a pedal, push on a pedal / Get your (gasp) heart started
Push on a pedal / Push it down and up again
Get on your bike, sit on the seat / Push your feet on the pedals
And ride it all around / Ride it all around
Oh, get that car out of my way / I want to ride my bike today
It keeps me fit and gets me there / And won't go stinking up the air
Leave behind the daily grind / And let your mind unwind
If it's life you tend to like / You'd better get yourself a bike
Oh, oh, get yourself a bike

Today was another long day after yesterday's century - two centuries, back to back. Peter's knee was bothering him, so he, Al , nd I started out easy. After leaving Marysville, we returned to the winding country roads. As we move further east, we are seeing more trees and the farms are getting smaller and more frequent. The first seventy miles were either flat or rolling. Before the first SAG stop, we came to a bridge-out on our route. Margaret set up an impromptu SAG at the detour sign and we walked our bikes around the barriers and over what was left of the bridge. After the second SAG at mile 73, the rollers got much bigger and we had climbs of up to 12%, the steepest of the trip! For a while, we even got to ride in the shade of the trees hanging over the road, with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle in the air. We were in Amish country and I saw a few dressed in their black clothing and hats, but I did not take any pictures as that would be considered rude (thanks, Barbara). Al, Tom, and I raced to the hotel with Sue in hot pursuit.

Someone asked me about Sue's recumbent bicycle (see image above.)

Factoids: Wooster is an old manufacturing town. It used to be the headquarters for Rubbermaid Products. It is said that the first Christmas trees were introduced to Americans by a German immigrant who lived in Wooster.