summer tours

  The summer bicycle tour is in full swing. The Tour de Kota and Biking Across Kansas just finished their 2011 versions last weekend. You can check the websites for more information on these tours. Or, if you would like a feel for what these tours are like, because you've ridden other tours, or because you think you might like to ride a tour, here are a couple other sites you may find interesting:

Gene, over at Biking Bis made his way from the Pacific Northwest with his son to take part in BAK. Check out his blog for stories and pictures from a week spent pedalling from Colorado to Missouri.

And for an account of what it's like to ride around the eastern part of South Dakota, check out  Peter Harriman.  The Tour de Kota is sponsored by the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls. Peter is a columnist with that newspaper who has ridden and reported on all seven editions of that tour. Each morning cyclists can pickup a complimentary copy of the newspaper and read Peter's account of the previous day.

I got to meet Peter on one of my tours (de Kota) when Patrick and I were among a handful or riders dumb enough, I mean brave enough, to take the Century loop detour on a day that featured one of the most energy-sapping headwinds I've ever ridden in. Peter interviewed us to hear our account of the day. Or maybe just to determine if we were a threat to others.

A little more than seven weeks until: