By now the days have become routine.Wake up early (which for some cyclists means before sunup, for others it means before 8 a.m.). Eat something. Tear down the tent, pack up the bag and throw
CARA PESEK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2008 7:00 pm
PETERSBURG – By now the days have become routine. Wake up early (which for some cyclists means before sunup, for others it means before 8 a.m.). Eat something. Tear down the tent, pack up the bag and throw both on the semi that will transport them to the next town.
Ride. Drink something. Ride. Eat something. Ride all morning, and possibly into the afternoon. Arrive at destination. Set up camp, shower, eat something. Go to sleep early. And do it all again.
But there are diversions along the way. On Wednesday, some cyclists on the 28th annual Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska visited Ashfall Fossil Beds near Creighton. They petted George the friendly camel at what was once the Royal Zoo in Royal. Earlier in the week, they took photos of the wind turbines outside of Ainsworth. They visited the refurbished schoolhouse and depot in Winnetoon.
“America’s little towns are just amazing places,” said Dean Lang of Sandy, Utah, who is riding this year’s 454 mile route with his wife, Janet Lang, and their friends Anne Duncan and her 11-year-old son, Matt.
For the Langs and Duncans, the downtime on BRAN has also provided a chance to get to know each other.
Last year, Dean rode his bike solo across the United States. As he rode, he blogged about where he stayed and what he saw. Not too far behind him was Anne, who currently lives in Ohio, on a cross-country bike trip with a group. She learned of Dean through his blog, and eventually her group caught up to him.
And Dean and Anne became friends.
“She had a personality that I knew would be compatible with my wife’s,” he said.
They exchanged a few e-mails, and soon, the Langs and Duncans were on their first BRAN.
During the day, Duncan, the Langs and a few other riders take turns driving Anne’s RV. At night, they sit outside on lawn chairs, talking and getting to know each other.
And they go to sleep early, all in the RV. After doing “the ‘Waltons’ good night,” Janet said.
As the grown-ups talk, Matt makes other plans. One night he played basketball in a high school gym until 10 p.m.
His mom put a stop to that after she had a hard time getting him up the next morning.
But for the two families, who try to get on the road around 6 a.m. each day, BRAN is just as much about playing basketball as about talking and seeing a new part of the country (the two families agreed they had never seen a less populated place than the Nebraska Sandhills).
In Petersburg Thursday night, cyclists headed uptown to look at the old bicycles that residents had decorated and placed around town (including on top of the grain elevator).
They sat at picnic tables and listened to a local band play.
And they got ready to do it all again the next day.
“We’re out here to ride a little and eat a lot and have some fun,” Dean said.
Reach Cara Pesek at 473-7361 or cpesek@journalstar.com.