“If constellations had been named in the 20th century, I suppose we would see bicycles.” —Professor Carl Sagan, US scientist
- Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2022
- Weather: Thunderstorms blew through last night and took the humidity and overcast skies kept the temps in check. It was a nice day to ride.
- Starting Point: Merriman, NE
- Departure Time: 0550 mst
- Miles: 61
- Moving Time: 3:06
- Total time: 3:18
- Overnight Location: Wacky West RV Park, Valentine, NE
Some nasty thunderstorms last night that spawned a tornado warning gave way to a beautiful morning in Merriman, NE. After some RV bike maintenance, I hit the road early to beat the heat.
It was shaping up to be a beautiful ride. With calm winds, moderate temps, and only a bit over 1,000 feet of climbing, I was cruising right along. For some reason, it took an hour longer than anticipated.
Valentine, NE is a thriving metropolis relative to the towns we’ve visited recently. Unfortunately, it is undergoing a Main Street beautification project, and we can’t fully experience the Western flavor.
Conor was especially disappointed that he couldn’t place himself in the setting of one of his favorite video games, Red Dead Redemption.
They have the Wacky part right!
About the DIRT Dad Fundo Pledge for Day Twenty-Eight—Matt Partridge
Here is what Matt had to say—”Average Joe, never going pro cyclist here. Having the DIRT members to ride with, encourage each other, and lean on is invaluable. I’ve met some amazing people and I look forward to future rides with existing DIRT friends and ones I’ve yet to meet.”
Amount Raised to Date—$6,767
Thank you, Matt!
Now off to Stuart, NE!
To support Chris in his effort to raise awareness of The DIRT Dad Fund, the non-profit he created to assist members of the worldwide cycling community, check out this link to learn more.
Find out where you can pledge a donation and subscribe to The ZOMs newsletter to follow along on the journey.
Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit. Chris is committed to helping others with his bike through its work and the pages of his site.
In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to New York to support the charity he founded, TheDIRTDadFund. His “Gain Cave” resides on the North Fork of Long Island, where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two independent children.
You will read him promoting his passion on the pages of Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. Chris is co-host of The Virtual Velo Podcast, too!
