Flying low to Chester - The Metal Hip Club attempt the Northern Tier. - CycleBlaze

June 25, 2021

Flying low to Chester

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At the end of yesterday’s ride we were all very tired.  We were not looking forward to riding again today.  Because of lodging options, we had 2 choices as destinations for today.  First would be a 25 mile day to Shelby, the second option was a 67 mile day to Chester.  We decided to ride to Shelby, gauge how we feel and either stop for the day or make the big leap to Chester.  We got a fairly early start hitting the road at 8:07, after a hotel breakfast. The day was sunny starting with cool temps in the 50’s with the highs reaching mid-70’s.  The wind was light.  As we got rolling the ride was very good.  The road was flat to downhill all day with a few bumps along the way.  The wind was generally a tailwind.  This made for some fast riding.  We made it to Shelby by 10:30 am.  We stopped to get something to eat and drink and we decided it was too early to call it a day.  We continued along hoping the wind would not shift or that the road would not turn hilly.  Neither event happened.  The road stayed fairly flat with a good shoulder and not much traffic. The wind continued being a tailwind.  We continued cruising down the road at a fast pace.  There were some reports that bicyclists were seen flying low on hwy 2 this afternoon.

After about 24 miles from Shelby we found an oasis in the desert.  The Galata general store was in the middle of no where and offered us cold drinks and a break.  With about 10 miles left to go, Janet’s and my energy level started to fade.  After the big miles yesterday we were starting to run out of gas.  We slowed it down and had a nice easy ride to our destination, Chester.  The town of Chester allows bicyclists to camp in their city park.  There is a pavilion, rest room and running water.

I want to take a moment to talk about this biking game we have been playing for the past several days.  When one of us (usually Ross) passes another of us, we sing part of the song “I will walk 500 miles”.  It goes something like this, the passer will for “blah-de-dah-dot” and the passee will reply “blah-de-dah-dot”. Or the passer will say “I will walk 500 miles” and the passee will say “and I will walk 500 more”.  Bicyclists are such a fun crowd.  You should try this at home.

Tomorrow we plan a 57 mile trip to Havre, Mt.  It is supposed to start getting hot, so we are planning an early start.  Wish us well!

The scenery is not as dramatic as the mountains.
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Flat road.
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These were mountains to the north that we saw all day.
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The road followed a railroad track all day. We raced a few trains.
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A break from the sun.
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The oasis.
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The oasis had a motel.
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Camping at Chester city park.
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Today's ride: 67 miles (108 km)
Total: 1,042 miles (1,677 km)

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Deb NusbaumCongratulations to you all on hitting your 1000 mile mark today! Outstanding!!!!!
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2 years ago
Paul & Amy TeafordBig Sky Country, indeed! Plains, Trains and Bicycles. You all have gone over a thousand miles so you've got this. The pictures are still amazing and may more tailwinds assist you. Thanks for the earworm: "Doo-too-doo-too, doo-too-doo-too..."
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2 years ago