Friday, May 27th
Today was one of those days which never truly felt like it got off the ground. Usually there’s a point at which I break through some kind of threshold, either 30 or 50 miles, and then the rest of the day just unfolds as momentum builds. Other days it feels like i’m not quite able to pick that lock. The distance feels very tangible. Breaks are frequent, progress is slow.
I started the day slowly, deliberately, sleeping a full 8 hours or more on the beach in Erie. I woke up to the sound of the sea, as I’d fallen asleep. It was warm and apparently another beautiful day. I showered, bought coffee from the shop on site, and packed away my tent without rushing. I bought a second cup of coffee then left at around 10. I was aiming for 70-80 miles, enough to take me into Ohio, close to Cleveland, but far enough outside it to hopefully find somewhere to camp.
In the daylight I got a better look at the campsite, the RV’s and how they are decorated with kitschy signs, the gist of which is basically drink beer and sit on a beach and everything will be ok.
Breakfast came at H&K Do-nuts in Erie. A small, old fashioned doughnut shop which opens at 5am everyday. I bought 3 doughnuts, ate two and saved one for later. I headed out of town on the Route 5 again, and hoped to keep up the pace I set the day before.
The road was similar to before, some small hills, but easy going generally. The main problem was the heat, which at 10am was already intense and sweat dripped into my sunglasses.
But it wasn’t too long before I crossed the border into Ohio, close to the town of Conneaut ,OH. I took a photo at the sign announcing this fact, since I noticed it this time, and carried on into the town where I stopped soon after at the White Turkey Drive-In. I hadn’t had a proper breakfast and now I had 25 miles behind me I needed to eat.
The diner was busy, and hard to cycle by and not investigate. It’s speciality was a turkey sandwich, but I ordered a Big Ed (a double cheeseburger), fries, and a black-raspberry shake. It was probably an entire days calories in one sitting. It had been open since the 50s and had retained the simplistic charm of some bygone era, or at least my idea of it, as well as the prices. The food itself was basic too, but satisfying. I ate on a picnic bench at the back under a red umbrella and tried to plan my route for the rest of the day.
To begin with a carried along the 5. But I realised I was heading inland, away from the lake quite a distance, despite heading West which was the only real concern. But I wanted to be closer to the water, and more or less on the official Northern Tier route, which i’d only been checking periodically. The ‘official’ route was the road closest to the lake so I took a right and joined this heading towards Ashtabula. The road was narrower and cars passed closer. The heat was strong still. It was almost 3 but it felt I didn’t have a lot to show for the day.
I paused in Lakeshore Park outside of town then stopped at the Harbor Perk Coffeehouse in town. Ordered a large ice coffee and sat outside. I felt it was better to stop rather than make muddled progress. The heat was slowing me, I was being indecisive on which road to take, and I was unsure where I was aiming for at the end of the day and where i’d sleep.
I could tell at this point that this day would be defined more by the stops I made and the food I ate than the cycling I did. But that’s was fine.
I took a long break and carried on at around 4. I decided i’d stick to the road close to the water for now. The miles began to pass and my pace increased. I soon reached the Geneva-on-the-Lake, a small resort town consisting of one main strip of bars, biker friendly motels, and food outlets. I later found out it had started around the 1920’s
I saw a sign for burritos and stopped to pick one up for dinner.
In the queue I spoke to the guy in front of me, Pete. He had some cycle touring friends and was familiar with what I was up to and when the conversation turned to where I would be camping tonight he said he had a couple of friends nearby who might let me put up a tent in their garden. He sent some messages and waited for replies as I waited for my burrito. I sat down with him and his wife Kerry, and their son and a cousin. Staying at theirs was also a possibility.
In the end I took their details, as well as their friends, and i’d play it by ear as the next few hours passed. The trouble was all their homes were only around 5-10 miles away, and I wanted to cycle another 30, but then the promise of a safe space to camp was hard to refuse.
But I continued cycling. Not far away was Geneva State Park. I entered on the road and began to notice something odd with my rear wheel. It was slipping slightly under the weight of the bike. I’d had this feeling before in Japan, and it was a puncture. But the pressure seemed ok. I dug out my pump and inflated it a little more and carried on, but the problem persisted.
I was now convinced it was a puncture. So I pulled my bike to the side of the road, took everything off, and replaced the rear tube. I found a small shred of metal which had gone through the tyre and into the tube. Ironic that just 20 mins before I had been saying how smooth everything had been going.
But I was glad I stopped for that burrito and had that conversation. I’d made very little progress in the hour since, and now, in the state park I found Breakwater Beach, a beautiful sandy spot where people were swimming. I’d given up on making any more progress today. I phoned Pete using Skype on my iPhone and said i’d be with him in an hour then locked my bike and went down on the beach. I walked along toward a lighthouse, then headed back. I swam briefly. The water was cold and refreshing and just what I needed.
I sat on the sand as I dried and watched the sun on the water and thought about how odd that I decided to stop, then get the puncture, allowing me to take advantage of the offer of a place to put my tent.
I cycled the remaining 5 or 6 miles to Pete’s house. I’m greeted by him and his wife and a friend drinking craft beers and eating cheese in their garden. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but this reassures me I’m with good people. I drink two beers and we talk a little about my trip and their house here. In the garden are various projects and interesting objects in various states of completion.
We walk around and find a good, level spot for my tent and I put it up in semi-darkness.
Despite only moving a few pixels forward on my map, today i’ve eaten well and met some new people. I swam in a lake and woke up on a beach. There are plenty of other days left just for cycling.
Map
