Niles, Ohio

Today was a very special day for some of our crew members. Along the trip it is encouraged for crew members and cyclists to switch positions so they can see what each other go through on a daily basis. Today three of our crew members did this, one being my chapter brother Josh. I was very excited for him to ride with me because although we have been together this whole trip we haven’t been able to spend as much time together since he isn’t on the road wit me. The plan for the day was for the three Tennessee boys to ride together but Jack was still having bike problems after his crash so Travis stepped in to ride with the two of us.

I could tell it was going to be a long day when Josh struggled to keep his balance on the bike when we pulled out of the parking lot of the Delta Gamma house. Our first 5 miles or so were pretty slow as we talked to Josh about changing gears, and how to clip in and out properly. The ride was going relatively fine until we started hitting hills, which I was worried would completely wear Josh out. Unfortunately while we were climbing a pretty steep hill Josh had to stop riding because his whole body was shaking. The big guy made it 15 miles, which I was very proud of! Because of our slow pace and several stops Travis and I were pretty far behind so we had to step up the pace.

Travis and I ended up having a lot of fun on the remainder of the ride, seeing some pretty interesting things and keeping a fast pace throughout. For about 15 miles we rode through an Amish area, which was pretty crazy. We saw a few horse drawn carriages as well as lots of facial hair and long skirts.  It is cool to see how people live differently from me, and even from people who live in the surrounding areas like Cleveland just 40 miles away. After a 55 mile ride we arrived at the school that we would be staying at for the night. Our sponsor for the day was waiting there for us with a great lunch and an exciting friendship visit planned for us.

Once the team had eaten lunch and got showered up we went into the gym to have a dance party with the Fairhaven school, which serves people with disablitlies from newborn to the age of 21. There were close to 50 clients that came out for the dance, and I know the whole team had a blast. Towards the end of the dance everyone in the room made a huge circle and everyone sang patriotic songs together. It was a great way to bring some life back to the team after a slightly difficult ride.

As soon as the visit ended the team loaded up in the vehicles and made our way to Olive Garden for dinner. This was a nice surprise because we haven’t had OG this summer, and unlimited salad and bread sticks didn’t sound half bad either. While eating I sat with Michael Walton, Jason Miliken, and Jack Johnson and we had a blast talking about memories throughout the trip and eating as many breadsticks as we possibly could. The friendship visits are unforgettable but these meals the team have together are something I am really starting to value as the days come to an end. After dinner most of the team went back to lodging but Truck 1 went out and scouted the route for the next days ride. We head to Pittsburgh, which I am very excited about because I am going to a city I am familiar with!