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BRAN: Two days later

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- Forty-eight hours after the end of the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska, I must say I'm still feeling the effects of the challenge.

I probably won't touch my bike again until Wednesday, when the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society rides in Smithton. It's also at the shop getting new bearings for the front hub. A horrible noise started emanating from the hub during Friday's ride, but a mechanic who helped support the ride said I could survive the rest of the ride with the hub.

As I have said several times over the past week, the hospitality of the host towns along the BRAN route really amazed me. Lots of friendly people representing civic and church groups fed us lots of great food at a reasonable price. Probably the best of the ride came Friday night at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brainard. There was plenty of roast beef, casseroles and salads prepared by members of the church, all at the reasonable price of $6!

It was difficult to choose the best host town, but I cast my vote for Arthur. Overall, I thought Arnold was the best host town because of the numerous food options -- including homemade ice cream -- and the shuttle to the scenic Devil's Den Canyon. But I voted for Arthur because the town did a great job for its size. The town has only about 145 people, and it is the only town in a county with fewer than 450 people. With limited resources, I thought the town did an exceptional job handling more than 700 riders and BRAN support staff.

My biking performance was about what I expected, considering I put in less training than what I would have preferred to have done before such a challenging ride. I would have preferred to have done all 525 miles, but I have to be happy with 485.

Headwinds made an already challenging route even more challenging. Even on Saturday, we had to contend with a strong crosswind that made the day a bit rougher. But the final seven miles to Waterloo were great because we had a nice tailwind on a flat stretch!

I do intend to do this ride again, but I don't know when. There's an awful lot of states and Canadian provinces I'd love to see. But when I go back, it will be because of the great scenery in the western part of Nebraska and, above all, the great people who live in the state.

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