“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 after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
