R16 8 That One Time We had a Tailwind

We started out on the highway, but it was a quiet back road, so we didn't have to worry about a lot of traffic. We weren't much past the Redfield town limits when we started climbing. Up and up and up out of the Middle Raccoon Valley. It sucked immediately. The road curved around and then headed west, and up. We began our first big climb of the ride. Steven, standing on her pedals slowly pumped away from me, as I huffed and puffed in a low gear. Around us were ravines filled with treats, hills covered in long grasses, and a big blue sky. 

Because of our difference in gearing and tire width (I like to think), and because of my lack of fitness and Steven's comparable fitness (the actual truth), soon Steven was off in front of me, where she would remain for 70% of the ride out. 

At the end of the climb, the road flattened out and we continued west. Moving slowly in the heat and under the bags, I took the time to notice the scenery. A sailboat parked in a yard here, a sweet little farm house there, and before long we were passing P48, about halfway down this stretch of highway.

From the map I knew we had a sharp jog to the north, about halfway not the next section and I was looking forward to it. The wind was a hot gasp out of the south and that short bit would give us a respite. Somewhere along the way, I noticed that Steven had pulled over in the tiniest shade of a yard so we stopped for a water break and a chat. A UPS Truck zoomed by and high speeds, but there weren't a lot of other cars. We drank water in a tiny patch of shade and looked west.

Soon we were on our bikes and together again we rode onward, turning right and enjoying the peace and quiet of the brief northward section. Tailwinds are such a mixed blessing. Quiet and easy, but hot and always shorter than a cyclist would hope for. 

We turned west again and began the game of "try to get truckers to honk." This game is fun when we are riding together, but can be quite scary when we are not. A sound of a truck blasting is fun when you know it was requested and terrifying if it comes as a surprise. But this time, I was on Steven's tail and we chuckled when our mad gesturing led to a blast of noise on those quiet country roads. 

It wasn't long before we were turning south at P28 for the ride into the town of Stuart. Notice those polka dots next to the road? That means we would be riding on a scenic byway. 

Not the actual sign

When you are driving a car, a scenic byway is pretty neat! A winding, quiet country road, with less traffic and lots of "scenery." 

I am here to tell you: scenery is a cyclist's enemy. We were entering some beautiful country, but sh!t was about to get ugly.