Simon's TransAmerica cycle ride - 2012: Day 26

Start time: 7.49
Start location: Carbondale
Start State: Illinois
Start weather: warrm
Total millage so far: 1286.33

Finish time: 11.49
Finish location: Chester
Finish State: illinois
Finish weather: Hot
Miles today: 60.13
Total millage so far: 1346.46
Today's top speed: 39.7
Today's average speed: 14.4

Music played:
Ice-T - The Iceberg - Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say
Ice-T - Power
Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Inspiral Carpets – Life
INXS – Kick
Iron Maiden - Live After Death

Blog:

So here we are in Chester, the sun is going down, beach volleyball is being payed next to me and I have a watery Bud’ to drink. National flag day today too, whatever that is lol. Nice short ride today which was good and I felt pretty good after that rest day in the nice hotel. There were two routes to take today, the nice hilly one or the flatter coal truck way. Yeah, the coal trucks are with us again. Apparently 500 travel too and throe along this river stretch alone. There was something in the paper today about how much coal this country usses, its crazy!!!! Non stop lorries going back and forth to keep the country going – how long for though.

So I took the nice route and headed to Ava, dam that was a crazy little town, I thought I was In the Twilight zone when I entered one shop, that or mother Russia! Check the photos, there was hardly nothing on the shelves, crazy. So I get my water and I’m like, where do I pay, so I wander about and find nothing, I then notice a crumby fabric junk shop through a doorway, which I assumed was a different store altogether. I headed in and still found no-one. Then I found another door and finally the check out with VHS films to rent behind the counter. There was a nice helpful guy in a pickup truck who gave me directions An hints on how to miss the coal trucks, cool guy. It seems everyone has been to London and have served in some military service. Also, why the heck does everyone think I’m from Australia?!?!!?! It must be 5 or 6 people now who have asked me if I am from Australia, do I look like a criminal?? So I escape and head along the nice route. The fields and scenery were pretty amazing, just how I imagined the prairies should look in places, beautiful.

Not sure what it is with American drivers, or maybe just ones from Illinois, but they are crap! I’m not sure if they just put the car in drive and set off on autopilot or what. I had two very close shaves from idiot drivers who should have just used something called a break and slowed down behind me so they could safely overtake till the car coming in the opposite direction passes. Very close indeed. Them the bloody coal trucks, I nearly became road kill by one of them . I guess they are like the drivers in London where they are on commission on how many deliveries they can make. This one tw@t decided to overtake on a blind hill. I could see there were trucks coming up and I don’t know how he didn’t. Why he didn’t just hang behind and let the trucks pass I don’t know. So he overtakes on the blind hill into oncoming trucks and has to cut into me quickly. Luckily I know these people are thick so I slam my breaks on so he has less chance of squashing me, which, he still comes very close to coming to doing.

Chester, god dam what a shit hole. Maybe get rid of the trucks and it could be much better. But there is nothing here except Popeye’s home. I must do that picture in photoshop!! So that’s about it, we cross the Mississippi tomorrow, apparently on a very dangerous bridge! Fun. Wish me luck.