For reasons that bear no weight at all, there are a great number of people in America who believe that the American health care system needs little or no attention and that it is the best in the world. These people are generally the same ones who believe God has blessed their nation with rights … More A Question of Kneed (Part I) by Mike Jennett 2012-01-18
One might be forgiven for thinking that, after two specific hotel tales and several references to the mixed state of accommodations as we pedal our way across the country, all material had been exhausted. Not so. Let’s not dwell on the coffee maker with the wrong-sized pot, too small to trip the coffee-release valve so … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 28: Avalon by Mike Jennett 2009-08-12
This has nothing whatever to do with riding a bike across America but, as we pedalled through a closed near-ghost town the other day, someone remarked that it felt like Sunday and my mind travelled back in time a generation to another era… – – – – – It’s Sunday morning. It’s 1978. It’s England … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 27: Sunday by Mike Jennett 2009-08-09
It’s raining. I’m alone in a Dairy Queen. I think it’s Tuesday. By tomorrow night in Topeka, we’ll have passed the halfway point, both in miles and time. That’s around 1,700 miles – is the trip half done or half left? Ask Freud, I don’t know. Yesterday was the end of a nine-day continuous stretch … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 26: Half Way by Mike Jennett 2009-08-06
Walmart – savior of the masses. There, I said it. I don’t care what you think, I like Walmart and K-Mart and any other mart that rescues me from wasting my weekend. Do you think it’s fun, trudging around ten different shops to get a few basic things on a Saturday, then panicking at the … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 25: Walmart by Mike Jennett 2009-08-04
We are now almost half way across the United States. Each day blends into the previous and most are little more than a pedal slog to reach the next town. Yes, there are odd restaurants that stand out, nights to be remembered and tourist sights to gawp at, but go buy a Bill Bryson book … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 24: Non-Quality Inn by Mike Jennett 2009-07-21
It’s only been 2 weeks but every hotel blurs into one. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a Super 8, a Comfort Inn or a Holiday Inn – they’re all clones. The town is of no importance. The day does not matter. The brain works on blood. After riding all day, it’s all in my legs. Just … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 23: Door Dilemma by Mike Jennett 2009-07-19
Tracy proclaimed that four minutes is all it takes to deal with a flat tire. That minimalist period probably assumes all tools are ready to hand, that the unfortunate flatee replaces the tube instead of patching it and uses a CO2 injector for inflation. I can do it in eight to ten, hiding from assistance … More Wheels on the bike go round and round 22: Flat Tires by Mike Jennett 2009-07-17
The Ovi 