Why do people ride cross-country on a bike?
It is not easy! It takes physical and mental preparation. My butt hurts. Some roads are steep. You may get lost, even with all the electronic devices we have today, and you're not guaranteed a single in remote America. It's hot. It's humid in the east. There are head winds...only sometimes does it swing around to be a tail wind, and then riding is sweet. It's really, really hot above heat-reflecting asphalt. Those starting in the West in April or May suffered rain, sleet, ice, and snow conditions at the higher altitudes. Starting this year in the East, riders found themselves in a prolonged heat wave of temperatures consistently in the high 90s and reaching into the 100s. Kentucky is known for bike-rattlin' dogs. Kansas anticipates strong winds and lots of trucks serving the agriculture and small oil industries.
It's the best way to experience the country, to meet its people, most riders responded when asked why they are out here.
