Today was an interesting one, but a very fun one too! We are nearly through our fourth state and will be riding into Indiana tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s ride is one of the longest of the summer at 99.2 miles (and many will probably ride an extra 0.8 to make the century mark). Though we are seemingly always on the move, the opportunities we have to explore places like Maumee are always special to us.

Ride Overview

Mileage: 62.4

Elevation: +766’/-729’

General Direction: Proceed west from the church and south on Old Railroad Rd., ride for five miles, then direct toward town of Clyde via Route 101, meet and ride northwest on the North Coast Inland Trail for 24.5 miles (with directional interruptions in Fremont, at mile 43.3, turn left, cross the Ohio Turnpike, and navigate to town of Stony Ridge, turn right onto U.S. 20-23 and ride for 6.6 miles to pass through Perrysburg, cross over the Maumee River and navigate to the stayover.

Points of Interest: North Coast Inland Trail, Sandusky River, Birchard Park, Maumee River, towns of Perrysburg and Maumee

Tales of the Trail

The day began three times. The first two were Slack messages from Mike saying we could sleep in another hour each due to the AQI value being too high, so we got to sleep in all the way until 6:40! Mike decided to shuttle a group directly to Maumee and hopefully, if the air cleared enough, a rider group could do part of or all of the route. As the first shuttle group departed, those in the riding group and van group got some more sleep and had a second breakfast at Wendy’s or the Sandusky Bay Pancake House. The sole riding group, consisting of both Sams, Adam, Paul, and myself was given the all-clear and departed at 12:30, much later than the team normally begins a route.

While the riding group got underway and the van crew talked, jammed out, and slept, the team in Maumee explored the town and ate a delicious lunch. For the riding group, the route took us through mostly flat farmland with the early summer corn crop having just reached calf height. For a fair portion of this route, the North Coast Inland Bike Trail was not only scenic in a simple way with long sections of trees and open country, but super convenient on the route to reach Maumee. It was a day spent in the big ring and a great one to ride. With the help of the amazing van crew, the riders that day were well-equipped and arrived in time for dinner.

Tonight, we are staying at St. Paul’s Lutheran, and thanks to Jaylen’s mad skills, we were donated an incredibly filling fusion of Mexican and Mediterranean food from local restaurants Vaquero and Zingo’s. Many of us decided to check out Maumee Valley Chocolate and Candy, which had plenty of quirky selections of candy, ice cream, and soda. We then walked to Towpath Park as the sun was setting and checked out the waterfront; definitely a relaxing and fitting way to end our time in Ohio.

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Jonathan Boudreaux

How are you today? Doing well, and yourself? Fine, thank you.

What make and model of bicycle are you riding? An electric blue Specialized Diverge E5 with 38 mm tires, however, I am currently riding Mike’s bike and trading off with him until the new wheels are installed in Champaign.

What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? There’s quite a few, but for me its getting to share this incredible experience with a team of such dedicated, supportive, and very cool people. Seeing the entire width of a continent and pedaling through all of that is absolutely monumental, and there is so much intrinsic value in the places we see and the people we meet, but I could not do this without them. Our camaraderie only gets stronger and its just amazing to be a part of.

How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? Some, but nothing like we’re doing. I have biked on a trail system in Bloomington-Normal called the Constitution Trail ever since I was a little kid; it ran two houses down from mine and reaches all over the town and beyond. The longest single ride I had done before I4K was something like 25-30 miles. I was never this into road cycling before, it was always just fun to ride.

Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? Today, we shared some words about some of the people and reasons why we are riding during our team meeting. It was very emotional and I rode for all of them today.

For me, I am doing this ride for my grandma who I never got to meet as well as my mom’s best friend Maureen, and by extension my mom because of her closeness to them and all that she did to take care of and help both of them as their struggles with cancer took over. I am also riding for two of my BSA troop leaders who have passed from cancer and each had a large impact on my life: Mr. King and Mr. Clark.

Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? Riding down the bike trail that took up a good 20+ miles of the route. We were cruising at up to 20 mph and the way that the trees surrounded the trail and seemed to stretch on forever reminded me of the trail at home.

Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support throughout this journey and for believing in me all the way through. I could not have hoped to do all that I am doing through I4K without you.

Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)

~Dictionary of I4K~

Slack: A business-oriented messaging app that is I4K’s primary mode of electronic communication. Common phrases include “It’s in the Slack”, “Check Slack”, and more.