Great American Wheel Route Bikepacking

[PedalUma]

Going to Chicago (The Endless Silent Blues)
[Verse 1]
I’m going to Chicago, sorry but I can’t take you
I’m going to Chicago, sorry but I can’t take you
There’s nothing in this town a seasoned woman can do
[Verse 2]
Look up at the horizon, see that smoke up in the sky
Look up at the horizon, see that smoke up in the sky
The world is burning down, and this girl's too tired to cry
[Verse 3]
Smooth spin, silent glide, heavy air is rolling in
Smooth spin, silent glide, heavy air is rolling in
Sweat is dripping down, burning up my sticky skin
[Verse 4]
The heat is like a blanket, the humidity is high
The heat is like a blanket, the humidity is high
Breathing feels like choking underneath that smoky sky
[Verse 5]
She’s riding on a wizard, straight from Shakespeare's old town
Riding on a wizard, straight from Shakespeare's old town
An electrical magic motor, spinning all the wheels around
[Verse 6]
Built up by PedalUma, made real out of the spark
Built up by PedalUma, made real out of the spark
Prospero’s got the lightning to push us through the dawn
[Verse 7]
Quieter than any motor you could ever buy in a store
Quieter than any motor you could ever buy in a store
Just a silent phantom rolling, you won't hear a rumble or roar
[Verse 8]
A pack of mean old hound dogs tried to hunt her down today
A pack of mean old hound dogs tried to hunt her down today
But she outran them o'er the Rockies, left them howling far away
[Verse 9]
Smooth glide, effortless turn, floating through the heat
Smooth glide, effortless turn, floating through the heat
Electrical magic rolling down this melting asphalt street
[Verse 10]
Chicago’s right before her, but she doesn't want to stop
Chicago’s right before her, but she doesn't want to stop
She wants to bypass the city, keep climbing to the top
[Verse 11]
Let the miles roll forever, don't let this journey end
Let the miles roll forever, don't let this journey end
Just Patrice and her magic wizard, flying round the bend
[Verse 12]
The whistle is blowing, the tracks are covered in gray
The whistle is blowing, the tracks are covered in gray
Chicago’s up ahead, but they’re gonna ride right away

---

 

[PedalUma]

Day 50 and 51 on the Great American Wheel Route

July 23 - Tipton, Iowa to East Moline, Illinois - July 24 along the Hennepin Canal Towpath

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[PedalUma]

She is in Indiana. The smelly part, as I recall. At least it used to have tire factories and other dirty industries, like acid/lead car batteries. She will be in the fourth and final timezone tomorrow. It is 25 miles away. After all those 3,000 miles of clean air and open sky, solitude, and quiet nature, the contrast must be stunning.

Patrice_McDonald - Great American Wheel Adventure 2026 individual history by trackleaders.com

Full history tracking archive for Patrice_McDonald, in the Great American Wheel Adventure 2026. Includes statistics, speed plots and other analysis.

trackleaders.com

Day 55 on the Great American Wheel Route

July 28 - North Utica, IL to Joliet, IL - Illinois to Michigan State Canal Trail

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[stompandgo]

Indiana, south of the "smelly part", is acre after acre of corn and soybean fields connected by dirt roads.

 

[PedalUma]

Pedaling East
Day 58 along the Great American Wheel Route
July 31 - Chesterton to Michigan City, IN
Patrice McDonald
Jul 31, 2026

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If you love trains, or have a child or grandchild, spouse or friend who does, spend a long weekend in Chesterton, Indiana.
Anne and Richard Riley are grand hosts at their restored train depot. I wrote about it a bit yesterday, but didn’t do it justice. In addition to the depot, they have restored several rail cars. Guests can book a room in the caboose or in the depot.

The Amtrak line passes right in front of the depot on its route to Chicago. Catch it in town, take an hour train ride to Chicago, eat steak and pizza, return to Chesterton and sleep in a caboose. Maybe I should do that. It might cool my train fever. There will be no more mention of trains or train photos the rest of this trip.
Richard served a five course breakfast. I could feel my bike creak with the added weight of it as I rode north to see the big lake.

It was grand. Save our National Parks.



Guess which one of these I am staying in tonight? Dot watchers are disqualified.

No riding tomorrow as I wait out the storm.

 

[PedalUma]

The term, How it will play in Peoria', was largely forgotten. Up the middle straight on up the middle and make that run with the ball across the goal. No more division, we need an up the middle strategy generally. Peoria and Kalamazoo remind me of that. Just west of Kalamazoo are lovely bluffs and golden freshwater sand beaches. A little A&W will serve split roasted bratwurst with frosted mug root beer by the lovely lake. America the Beautiful meets This Land is Your Land. Patrice is doing it. What does @Stefan Mikes contribute to this?

 

[PedalUma]

Pedaling East
Day 60 on the Great American Wheel Route
August 2 - Michigan City to North Judson, IN
Patrice McDonald
Aug 02, 2026

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I left the hotel about 8:00. Even though it’s Sunday, I needed an early start to avoid traffic. Also, towards the end of my ride on Friday, I could see that there was a road closure ahead on my route out. I intended to go around the closure barricades to to stay on route, as a detour would add at least six miles to a 40-mile day. Risky though, as going around the barricades might add a stiff fine to the touring budget. Maybe worse. One of my friends reminded me to be careful in Illinois as that was where the Blues Brothers were jailed. I guess his point was if they would jail the Blues Brothers, a 72 year old grandmother on a bicycle should be extra careful? Okay, stay on course.
Here is the closure.


It looked to me that if I stayed between the yellow lines I could squeeze right through. I could, and did. Once beyond the barricade, I was on a bridge crossing over I-94. The bridge looked fine, no sign of any road project underway or danger. When I looked over the railing, I could see that road work was ongoing below on the interstate.


I pondered why the bridge was closed but couldn’t come up with any logical answer. I exited the barricade on the other side of the bridge. No danger, no fine, no jail.



Once back on route, it was all quiet back country roads. Endless pedaling across wide-open fields of corn and beans.





I’m here for the pedaling. On flat, smooth surfaces and when the wind is quiet, I sometimes forget I’m pedaling. It feels more like floating forward.
There are different ways to pedal. The bike guys, Rick and Josh, both instructed me not to pound the pedals. It’s not efficient to pump the pedals like a piston. Josh explained it as a smooth push down, flowing right into a movement that feels like scuffing mud off the bottom of your shoe. Rick explained it as “swimming”. He said it’s best to use my feet like swimmers use theirs. Be loose in the ankles, use the flexion in the foot to move the pedal down and back up. Try it, you can really feel the difference.
There is a lot of other stuff involved in the action of cycling. My eyes are constantly scanning the surface ahead, the brain is processing the reaction needed. Is that a hole in the pavement, or a shadow cast by the sun dappling through the tree leaves? Is that rabbit luring me away from its nest of babies, or is it going to turn right around in front of me? Is that climb/descent a really steep one, or is it the optical illusion of distance? Shift up or shift down or shift at all? Is that noise something coming up behind me, or around the bend ahead? Where is the best line in the gravel, mud, sand? Is that a parallel railroad track or a horizontal one? How acute is that curve, does it require braking or finesse in the turn? Is it best to swerve around that ____ or just go through it? All those decisions made in a nano-second. A wrong one could end the ride. Don’t over-think it.

More than 20 miles of the 40 mile route had been newly surfaced with asphalt, so the bike glided. It was also slightly downhill the entire way, with a nice tailwind.

It was noon when I arrived on Main Street.

It was too early to check into my night’s lodging, so I visited the railroad museum

and an Irish Pub.

It was the best kind of Sunday.

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Support Pedaling East​

 

[PedalUma]

Hi Rick, sorry I have been out of touch. I’ve had some of my biggest mileage days this week. Once in my lodging, I just crash.

I was able to get the new chain installed without a bit of problem. The bike is running so smoothly. Wish I could say the same for myself. I don’t have any particular aches or pains, I’m just tired. Still, I enjoy the days riding and am thankful every morning I get to do it.

I have had such good luck with the weather but may be in for several days of rain ahead. I have decided to get off the GAWR after Dayton, OH and jump on the Ohio To Erie Trail (OTET). It will take me north towards Cleveland before heading east to Pittsburg. I’m making that change to avoid some bad roads through southern Ohio and West Virginia. I’m trying to stay on pavement and avoid gravel and single/double track. If this area continues to get a lot of rain, I may have to pull my fenders off before I get to the last 150 mile stretch, the C&O. It can be a mud pit. The mud gets caught between fender and tire and the tires just lock up. What’s your opinion about that? What have you been doing? -Patrice

Patrice,
Try to live with the fenders and just scrape them out with a stick and rinse them out, if needed. They are saving you from all that muck and doing their jobs. You really do not want mud all over you and the bike. Big lightning storms are coming. Hunker down. Read a book and talk to me. The storms will pass and you will be stronger. I am so glad that you sleep well and did not crash the bike. I have been mostly improving cheap bikes and am almost done making one custom for a little person so she can ride with her cyclist husband..
Rick

 

[PedalUma]

@Art Deco,
It appears that she will take the Great Allegheny Passage. That is your neighborhood. Maybe you could meet.

 

[PedalUma]

Because she will be rained out for a couple days, I expect a good update soon. Here is the Ohio to Erie Trail. No mud or big rigs. Then there is the Erie to Pittsburgh trail that leads to the Great Allegheny Passage. She had spoken of riding to Maine but it is now looking to be DC.

 

[PedalUma]

I would like to copy the most recent post here but it has way too many photos. Just click here for the full thing. And, yes, I boiled her chain for 12 hours in wax.

Days 61 - 66 on the Great American Wheel Route

August 3 - 8 Done with Indiana. On to Ohio

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[PedalUma]

She did 60 miles today making it to Columbus, OH. And she only rides when she's loaded.

 

[Art Deco]

Please hold the comments about riding loaded ...