Bike Camping

On Saturday four (4) of us loaded up our bikes with camping gear and headed West toward Mitchell, SD for a bike camping excursion. This was to be the last training ride before our eight (8) day unsupported ride across the state.

It was hot, about ninety (90) degrees, and humid. Thankfully our route was west, northwest, north and then west. The wind was twenty (20) to thirty (30) from the South. The crosswind sections, the westward ones (1’s), were slow going.

We met up at 10 AM at a local bike trail trail head. We picked 10 AM as to not arrive too soon and not be able to check in to our campsite. Ha! That was not going to be a problem. We rolled straight west out of town on West 12th St which became South Dakota Highway 42. There was not much traffic and a nice wide shoulder for many miles.

Our first (1st) stop was a Wall Lake Oil for some non-oil products, but instead calories and beverages. The next opportunity was not for another thirty (30) miles. After we’d made our purchases we saddled up and continued along.

The next stop was Bridgewater. Everyone was hungry and this stop was a bit longer as we dined and waited to group up. We were riding loaded and that always garners comments and questions from locals. Some seemed actually disappointed we were “only” riding seventy (70) miles and not across the country.

Bridgewater was the point at which we started angling Northwest. The wind was straight out of the South and having a quartering tailwind was nice. We made another stop in Emery for some drinks and to change a flat. At Alexandria we made our last stop before our destination and ice cream.

At Alexandria we had a short four (4) mile northerly leg. It was easy to roll at twenty-four miles per hour (24 MPH) with the very strong tailwind. Rolling at that speed made our tailwind section short. We reached South Dakota Highway 38 and our last nine (9) miles were straight west.

We pulled into the KOA campground six (6) riding hours after we started. Tents were assembled and showers taken. One (1) of the group needed to catch a ride home that evening. The rest of us devoured delivered pizza and beer.

The trees at the campground did not allow much breeze to our area. This was bad in two (2) ways. First (1st), the low wind did nothing to deter the many bugs. My deep woods Off was their favorite flavor, I think. Second (2nd), the high temperature, high humidity, and low winds made for hot tents. We knew a storm was coming but it couldn’t get here quick enough for our liking.

However the storm did arrive. The winds picked up from another direction and it rained steady. This was welcome as it dropped the air temperature quite a bit.

By morning the rain had stopped. We packed up and reversed the route toward Sioux Falls. Again, we stopped in Alexandria for breakfast pizzas and water. Overnight the winds had switched and we had a nice, light, tailwind most of the way home.

We stopped at many of the same places we did on the way out. Each time eating some or getting water. The miles passed quickly. Cars gave us a wide berth and many waved at us. This was to change.

About the time we hit the Sioux Falls City limits some of the car drivers were honking at us. Somebody rolled down a window to say something but I didn’t catch what they said. The car-driver-asshole factor went up exponentially when we hit Sioux Falls.

The assholes who drive here coupled with the crappy roads sure don’t paint Sioux Falls in a pretty color. If I didn’t live here but were a biker riding across country coming through here, I probably wouldn’t stop. Rolling back to Sioux Falls on Sunday really makes me question the Bike Friendly City status recently awarded.

I’ve been pushing Public Service Announcements to educate both drivers and bikers for some time. I can’t guarantee it would help matters. But at least it would be a start and is worth the time and effort to see.

Ride On.