Some people flock to the Midwest in the summer to enjoy some combination of cooking, camping, fishing, baseball, beer or going to the beach. Others are just there for the ride.

On July 31, Sam Westby began a bike trip across Wisconsin that most people wouldn’t want to drive in a car. Over the next four days, the Fort Atkinson native and Ph.D. candidate at Northeastern University biked from the bottom to the top of the state — alongside his childhood friend Caleb — in just five days. The ride started in Beloit and ended with a plunge into Lake Superior.

So, 430 miles later, how was Westby feeling?

“It was pretty relaxing.”

How could 430 miles be relaxing?

“There’s less pressure, less distance to cover, less to think about. So it just makes for a more fun trip rather than a put-your-h

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