>>1441553I wouldn't say it sucks so much as it's less of a tour than it used to be. There was always support, but now it's hard to find a few miles of the road that aren't thronged with people. Vendors are everywhere; some are farmers or local charity groups or rural school boosters which is great, but there are also lots of food trucks and "officially liscensed" beer tents that are packed morning to night. Official stop and overnight towns are fun, if overcrowded, there's always a massive party. Also the danger of being on the road with people who have no idea how to enter or exit a busy roadway, hold a line downhill or through a corner, maintain uprightness on steep grades, etc. There are usually a few serious accidents every year due to this, but the only deaths I'm aware of have been due to heat stroke or collision with a vehicle. Most of the roads are open but the locals know to stay away due to congestion. There have also been incidents of riders being rude to locals; last year a group of them pissed all over someone's lawn and berated the owner after they were asked to leave. Some people gain weight over the week of ~400 miles. There's still a little of that bike tour weirdness but it's faded pretty heavily. No more hand-drawn photocopied maps. No more successful rumors of Clint Eastwood being on the ride. No more cornfield marriages. Great food though, especially in Amish, Czech, or German country.
