Over the hump to Mason City

Day four brought a short scenic ride along Clear Lake to Mason City. None of the four H's - heat, humidity, hills or headwind - were present for the 695 feet of climb spread over a mere 38 miles.

Coe legacy, alumnus and parent Kurt Lichty '78 and his daughters are hard at work making a grilled chicken dinner before the big Brett Michaels concert tonight.

Tomorrow we'll fly the crimson and gold into Knight country, as it's college jersey day for the 66-mile pedal to Waverly.

14 for 14

Century riders, that is.

Fourteen brave CoeBRAI souls earned century patches after adding the 25-mile Karras Loop to an 80-mile day.

The wind shifted rather spectacularly just before 7 a.m., though not enough from the west for anyone's liking. Regardless of direction, all would agree less of it is best.

We should get that wish tomorrow for the 38-mile walk in the park to Mason City. And continued dry weather is a big plus.

Here's today's gratuitous food shot:

Day 2 to Emmetsburg

Varying reports on the degree of difficulty of this 40+ mile day. Continued southerly winds presented an added element as we followed a southeastern route from Milford. Suffice it to say, no one wished for a longer day.

That'll come soon enough.

Tuesday's 80-mile trek to Forest City presents for the hardiest among us the Karras Loop and an extra 25 miles of cycling. Weather wise, we should get a push out of Emmetsburg before the wind switches to the northwest for a continued assist.

Here's a few photos from today.

Pork chop for breakfast.

Sweet corn for lunch.

Casino buffet for dinner.