Today marks the end of our push westward through Iowa and our entrance into our ninth state: the Cornhusker State of Nebraska. We start at Nebraska’s largest city and somewhat exponentially decrease in population the farther we pedal west. It will be a challenging week, but there will be plenty of laughs and joy brought to many along the way.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 64.3
Elevation: +3649’/-3685’
General Direction: Ride west from the stayover and turn onto westbound U.S. Highway 6, follow its turning path until mile 46.1, turn onto southwest McPherson Ave. and follow into Council Bluffs, navigate through its downtown, surrounding neighborhoods and over the bridge to cross the Missouri River, when in Omaha, navigate to Farnam Street and ride on it 1st to 50th Street, turn left on 50th, then right on Howard, turn onto the trail through Elmwood Park to find the northbound Keystone Bike Trail, turn left onto Blondo and make a final climb for the stayover.
Points of Interest: Historic Highway 6 + White Pole route, downtown Council Bluffs, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Missouri River, downtown Omaha, Elmwood Park, Keystone Bike Trail
Tales of the Trail
Another cloudless day has come and gone for the Bike America Team as we conclude our tour of Iowa. The first twenty miles gave us plenty of rolling hills and sunrise shadows of our bikes, and our first rest stop at Destination Coffee and Cuisine in Oakland was quite a memorable one. We decided to make this our “lunch” stop and sit down for some breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and lively conversation. While there, we were graciously given an entire box of shirts and tank tops, enough for everyone to have another piece of clothing for time off the bike! We talked to all of the patrons in the shop about our mission, shared some stories, and took pictures. We also took a Portrait of Eric, the owner of the shop who drove in and told us his story.
MY cows!
The next twenty-plus miles were, you guessed it, more rolling hills! We even caught our first glimpse of some terraced fields as we clung to U.S. 6 and its constant yet greatly differing peaks and valleys. The wind was a little bothersome, but nothing compared to yesterday. The scenery then gradually shifted to urban as we approached Omaha’s Iowa counterpart of Council Bluffs. A good bit of problem solving encompassed these last fifteen miles as we navigated confusing trail paths, detoured around stopped trains, routed through road construction, and basically got an entire tour of Omaha from 1st to 90th street. Fun fact: The College World Series was occurring in Omaha when we got there. :) Quite a brain melting day out in the sun in multiple respects, but after one final climb (which is becoming a trend surprisingly) we made it to our stayover.
Making wrestler-cyclist a career path since ‘23.
Laurel smiles with downtown in the background. A bit of Charles Schwab Field, location of the College World Series, is visible on the right.
Crossing the Missouri.
We are staying the night at All Saints Epscopal Church just a few miles west of downtown. We made our classic pasta and lentils with some donated hot dogs and other goodies from the church. Another fun addition for the night: beds! We are in a dorm-style facility for retreats, so our kitchen space, showers, main room, and dorm rooms are in one convenient location. Tomorrow brings Nebraska’s capital of Lincoln, the second largest city in the state and only a 65-mile bike ride from Omaha.
A pretty sick handstand by Jon in front of the stopped train.
Sous-chef Jaylen.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Jonathan Yuen, Assistant Ride Leader
How are you today? Doing pretty good. Today was a pretty good day and it feels surreal to have entered our ninth state. After the wind yesterday, I was kind of expecting an easier day, but of course nothing goes completely to plan. The last ten miles were hard because we could see downtown Omaha from a distance and in the back of my mind I knew there were ten more miles after we passed through it. I’m glad for the time we had at the first rest stop and for making another portrait while there, and I am also very glad that I could finish the ride for my dad’s birthday today.
You’ve fundraised thousands of dollars for our cause. What has been the most impactful fundraising experience you’ve had? Honestly, any fundraising event that involved the team, including concessions (I remember once all I did was scoop popcorn for three hours, and these were always chaotic), canning nights, the potluck, etc. Having the team working together in those settings was really great, and while we don’t usually make a whole lot of donations, it’s a great opportunity to get to know the team and work together. Reaching out to businesses also builds your confidence and gives you a lot of experience for future fundraising, so I have really enjoyed that too.
What keeps you going when it gets difficult to put in all of those miles or even to get on the bike? Over the past three years, I’ve seen my dad’s fight with late stage lung cancer, and especially within the last month with helping my dad on hospice care, I’ve come to better understand that cancer patients don’t have a chance to sag. They don’t have the choice in the morning to be like “you know what, I don’t want cancer anymore, I don’t want to fight”. So for us to be on the bikes and having the van as a backup plan puts things into perspective. Thinking about my dad’s struggle, how much my mom has cared for him the past three years, how exhausting both mentally and physically it was to help him with hospice care for just twenty or so days out of that period all get me going at the beginning and throughout the day. It also helps me to know that I am fulfilling my piece in the fight against cancer by doing this. It helps to know that I’ve done all of the rides day to day before, and even when my body hurts, pushing through is what keeps me on the bike.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform? I keep special things in my wallet including a photo of my dad, a guitar pick my friend gave me (even though I don’t play with a pick), a card that Olivia gave me with an affirming message, Hanna’s cow sticker, and Maya’s painted Polaroid of the American Heartbreak album by Zach Bryan. For the last of these, I paid a dollar at the Lafayette festival to get a baseball card sleeve. That ended up being a good investment because the next day into Rockville it was pouring rain! I also wear custom I4K sun sleeves which are very fun.
What’s your rest stop routine? It’s relatively simple. I try to do whatever I need to do immediately so I don’t forget: filling bottles, eating a snack, using the bathroom, etc. before I relax. Probably five minutes before we’re expected to leave, I put on sunscreen. Sometimes, I seek out a gas station breakfast sandwich or a chai if we are stopped at a coffee shop.
In the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most? There’s a lot. I think the one that comes to mind first is Colorado. I’ve never been there, but from what I’ve heard its absolutely gorgeous, so I hope it lives up to expectations. The Rockies will be cool too. There will be hard climbs, but they will be so rewarding. I’m also excited for Wyoming when we hit the Tetons and Yellowstone on back to back days. Yellowstone was a place my parents wanted to visit so I think that it will be a very special moment when we reach it. I love nature and will enjoy our nights camping as well.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? I’m doing this ride for my dad, for my mom, and for anyone in my extended family, unfortunately a lot of people, who have had to suffer through their fight with cancer. I mentioned this in my bio, but I feel like I was pretty naïve when my mom had her second bout with breast cancer; luckily it wasn’t life threatening. I was initially a part of the 2020 team and wanted to dedicate that ride to her, and unfortunately in March, 2020, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. I then knew I wanted to join this team and do the ride in 2023 to honor and support him in his fight. Unfortunately, he passed in May and isn’t able to see me do this, but I am still doing it for him and I know how proud of me he would be. I am doing this for the two most important people in my life. They have supported each other through the years and I can only imagine what that is like to experience from their perspective.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
Five stars. :)