AAN day 31 - Mankato, MN --> Rochester, MN

Across America North - day 31 - Mankato, MN --> Rochester, MN

The ride started out with a hill within 2 blocks of the hotel. It was a half mile long and was a 10-15% grade. Stunningly steep. To make matters worse, I couldn't coax my detailleur into shifting into my first gear. I was going up the hill with brute force, though, but having trouble keeping my balance. The eroded part of the road at the edge next to the gutter was too close but I couldn't lean away from it. Uh, oh. My front wheel went in the channel and I fell off in slow motion going about 3 mph. No damage. While I was off the bike, I found some consolation in shifting the chain to the largest cog and carrying on. 39x29 is much easier than 39x26.

The ride through Minnesota farms is being lost in a sea of green. It's hard to convey the depth and extent of oceans of green followed by more oceans of green.

I had a routine test to get done today and thought that the famous Mayo Clinic would be the place. Alas, no, this was too much. So many people come to the Mayo Clinic that the hotels accommodate them with on-call and free taxi service to the various buildings of the Mayo Clinic. I took advantage of this to go to the central building. Well, the walk-in clinic closed at 3:30, an hour before I got there. Someone suggested St. Mary's Hospital, a part of the Mayo Clinic a mile or two away. Another shuttle goes there and I was on it. The lab at the hospital also closed at 3:30 and there was no other way. I called the hotel shuttle and eventually made my way back to dinner, already in progress.

Still, it was interesting to see the place that I knew only was famous and to see that it is a vast enterprise, a big business. I thought while I was at the central building, watching people arrive by the busload and leaving likewise, that it was like Lourdes. At Lourdes also, people arrive in sad condition and hoping for a miracle but I suppose that the Mayo Clinic's success rate exceeds that of Lourdes. As I was on the shuttle on my way to St. Mary's Hospital and still on the border of the Mayo complex, I struck by the supreme irony of the high school facing the Mayo property. It was Lourdes High School. The humor can't be lost on anyone, can it?

Chains are starting to show wear. Everyone will have to replace a chain sometime soon. Tires are in varying states of wear because some have already been replaced. In any case, 2000 miles of chip-seal were hard on them. We clean and lubricate our chains every day. We inspect our tires to pick out the bits of glass and wires before they work their way through the casing. Still, this trip is hard on a bike.

Tomorrow is only 91 miles so we get to sleep in until 5:45. Tomorrow is also when we cross the state line into Wisconsin. We also cross the mighty Mississippi River at La Crosse, WI. All this happens at about mile 83 and just before another one of those 10% hills.