There is crisp fall coolness to the air as we ride out of Lincoln. Kevin, our host, has an early appointment and leaves us at about 6:10. We roll up our mattresses and pack our gear away. After our usual breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, we roll our bikes to the elevator and out onto the street. Lincoln has many bike routes and despite the morning commute going on we are able to find our way easily out of the city. We pass through the University of Nebraska and are sorry we did not have an extra evening to walk around the historic Haymarket area.
After we get clear of the city we take state highway north. There is a shoulder for the first ten miles or so, but then the road narrows and we lose the shoulder. At Valparaiso, we are disappointed not to find a cafe for a second breakfast. Instead we feast on the cinnamon rolls we carried from the Sunshine bakery in Beatrice. Between Valparaiso and Brainard we take the Oak Creek Trail, another abandoned train track turned into trail. We stop on the outskirt of Brainard at a picnic area for our lunch break. After Brainard we have a couple of kilometers of pavement, but then there is a choice to make. The paved road heads west for another two miles then turns north before turning back east. There is a shortcut avoiding the extra miles, but it is unpaved. Road Q does not look too bad though so we go for it. It is about 10 miles of dirt, with some good hills and occasional soft gravel areas. With the pavement in sight, Patrick gets a flat and has to change tubes. The wind has been good to us today.
We cross the Platte River and enter Schuyler (pronounced Skyler here, probably because they cannot properly pronounce the German “sch” sound). Right at the south side of town is the municipal campground. While Rachel sets up camp, Patrick rides into town to the supermarket to buy our evening meal of pork chops, Idaho mashed potatoes and baked beans, in addition stuff for lunch tomorrow and a couple of cold beers.
A flat with the paved road in sight. The shoulders are covered in prickly stickers as Patrick finds out the hard way. Rachel leaves her bike on the gravel.
