Cycle Across America – Day 11

Umatilla to Walla Walla

55 Miles / 1375 ft climb

We keep our eyes on the weather apps, so that we can prepare for each day that lies ahead. The 35 mile an hour gusts of wind forecast for today caused a slight angst. A headwind that strong would make 55 miles today immeasurably more difficult and tiring for us. A sidewind that strong can threaten to blow us off balance. A tail wind can……..

Wow! We had a tailwind pretty much the whole way. It was like an invisible force that propelled our heavily laden bikes in the direction we wanted to go. We sailed along at an average speed of 16 miles per hour with minimal effort. 4% gradients were completed without realising we were even going uphill and we could breath easy on much steeper inclines.

A 7am start, we had had a beautiful breakfast stop and had cycled 35miles by 11am. A garage for lunch (we know how to treat ourselves) and at our hotel by 2pm. 55 miles completed.

I’d hate to suggest it was all too easy. There were busy spells along the Old Highway 12, spells with narrow shoulders where we had to ride with the traffic, not aside it. There was however also a long, virtually traffic free stretch from Touchet to Walla Walla which we felt like we were flying along.

I know that this is by far the fastest 55 miles I have ever cycled, I suspect it might be the fastest 55 miles of this challenge.