Slow day but we met back up with John at a Casey's in Cambridge. We had a crosswind most of the day that didn't hurt us too much but didn't help us either. We stopped and took food breaks knowing it was a long distance day. We made it to Odell bumping into 2 college students riding XC. One raced for Drexel University, the other, his friend who just started biking this summer. They started at the border of NJ and PA and had to be back to school on Aug 20th so this won't be a leisurely ride for them. The racer was already on his 2nd bike. The first was his carbon fiber racing bike that snapped during a dog attack. A loaded racing bike? We were glad for a shower and some mac and cheese again. Panic attack across the Illinois River bridge!

Another serendipitous meeting with John again at lunch. He had broken a spoke on his rear wheel so we mended it temporarily with one of our Kevlar fiber fix spokes. When we met up with him again in Odell he had broken another spoke as well. His is one long day from home so he's not too worried about the equipment at this point.

John is a teacher in Culver, Indiana and had taken some students on a X-C trip. During the rides, he couldn't wait for them so he would pedal ahead and wait at an appropriate spot. One time the students didn't show up. He waited and waited putting off that inevitable call to the parents stating that he lost their children. When he finally made the call a good humored parent replied, "Well maybe you're the one who's lost?" They eventually found each other and completed the trip without any further incidents.

One note about our stay in Odell: The local pool that had public showers had a sign that said, "Everyone must take a NUDE, SOAPY shower" It's not the insistence of a shower that is strange but the two details of NUDE and SOAPY were a little too descriptive.