When I am riding at home in Berkshire County a 50 mile ride would be considered "long"....a half century for heaven's sake! But now, approaching the mid point of our ride across the country, a 50 mile ride falls into the category of a recovery day. And truly, if you were to remove the annoyance of the chip-seal road surface, the last two days have been pretty easy. I know for sure I am getting stronger. And that's good because the next two days in the Texas hill country west of Kerrville we will be doing some climbs that involve grades of 10%. Tomorrow we ride only 39 miles but pretty much all of those miles are either up or down...no level stretches to spin out your legs. These are the last days we will be doing any significant climbing as once we reach Louisiana the remainder of the ride is pretty flat. The challenge then will have more to do with heat and humidity.
This morning when we rode out it was misty and overcast and we couldn't see much more than the road surface a few feet ahead because of the mist on our glasses. But after an hour the clouds lifted and visibility improved. By noon there were breaks of sun and we had a pleasant and relaxing afternoon in a tiny town called Camp Wood. The town had two essential items: a laundromat and an ice cream shop. I now have a suitcase full of clean clothes and got to enjoy a traditional chocolate malted milkshake....the kind made with real ice cream and milk. Yum!
We won't have cell phone or Internet service tomorrow where we are staying so I won't be able to post again until we get to Kerrville on Thursday.
March 29, 2011
March 28, 2011
Annoying "bump" in the road...
Eighty happy strong miles into my century ride when a stomach bug hit and ended my ride after 82 miles. Disappointing as I know I had it in me to finish. It had finished its task of cleaning me out by late last night and I was back on the road riding today.
We are becoming vey familiar with a road surface here in Texas known as "chip seal"....a tar surface embedded with crushed rock that apparently hold up well to traffic but is hell for cyclists. It's so rough you get no "roll" from your pedal stroke so it's like riding through glue. It also causes perpetual vibration that numbs your wrists and punishes any part of your body that has contact with the saddle. Unfortunately Texas is a big state and we will be riding here for another couple of weeks!
We are heading into the Texas hill country tomorrow for a couple of days. It's supposed to be beautiful there and we are all hoping the bluebells will be in bloom!
We had a spritz of mist this morning and overcast skies. A relief from yesterday's heat!
We are becoming vey familiar with a road surface here in Texas known as "chip seal"....a tar surface embedded with crushed rock that apparently hold up well to traffic but is hell for cyclists. It's so rough you get no "roll" from your pedal stroke so it's like riding through glue. It also causes perpetual vibration that numbs your wrists and punishes any part of your body that has contact with the saddle. Unfortunately Texas is a big state and we will be riding here for another couple of weeks!
We are heading into the Texas hill country tomorrow for a couple of days. It's supposed to be beautiful there and we are all hoping the bluebells will be in bloom!
We had a spritz of mist this morning and overcast skies. A relief from yesterday's heat!
March 26, 2011
Getting Ready
Today's 54 miler was much like yesterday....an easy romp and into the town where our 50's style motel is. Arrived before noon. Most everyone is relaxing and mentally prepping for a long 111 miles tomorrow into Del Rio. It's going to be hot, which can make for a long ride even when the terrain is a gradual downhill with some rollers (according to the elevation chart). This is our only day with a century ride so I am hoping to make at least the first one hundred miles!
March 25, 2011
Joyful!
Our 60 mile ride today from Fort Davis to Marathon, Texas was pure joy. Rolling hills through open landscape with mountains in the distance and a gentle tail wind. Not a lot of gears needed and a wonderful easy cadence. Little traffic. Riding into Marathon after 30 miles of nothing I passed a freight train headed out of town and gave it a big wave. The engineer gave the tradition short toot of the horn in response. I remember this from my previous tours in the west. Fun!
The Gage Hotel where we are spending the night is utterly unexpected. Here in a tiny town way out yonder is a fabulous hacienda style resort hotel with green manicured gardens, shady verandas and all the amenities in the rooms. After checking in I went to a hamburger and ice cream place next door for lunch and had the best chocolate milkshake I have had in years. (I would never order a milkshake if I were going to continue riding so today was the perfect day to indulge.)
My Charlie horse from two days ago did not make a reappearance today so I am hoping that is history. All is well.
The Gage Hotel where we are spending the night is utterly unexpected. Here in a tiny town way out yonder is a fabulous hacienda style resort hotel with green manicured gardens, shady verandas and all the amenities in the rooms. After checking in I went to a hamburger and ice cream place next door for lunch and had the best chocolate milkshake I have had in years. (I would never order a milkshake if I were going to continue riding so today was the perfect day to indulge.)
My Charlie horse from two days ago did not make a reappearance today so I am hoping that is history. All is well.
March 24, 2011
Charlie horse and a rest day!
We rode out at dawn yesterday into a steady head wind and a long gradual climb. Shortly before the first SAG stop I got a Charlie horse in my right thigh. Although I was able to continue riding until I reached the SAG it took me off the road for the day. And that might have been for the best as my body was feeling tired after several consecutive days of riding. Today we have a rest day and the bit extra will probably be good for me. The challenge of this kind of a ride is not only the daily mileage but the cumulative effort as well. We have a century coming up in three days (111 miles) which I would love to be able to complete. We all need to rest up for that.
The place where we are staying is a lovely 1930s built lodge at a state part next to the MacDonald Observatory. Many of you may know of it from NPR. They have night time programs a couple of nights every week but unfortunately not on the nights that we are here. So we are whiling the time away going into town to do laundry, doing necessary bike maintenance, and catching up on things like emails and blogs. I might even throw in a little nap :-) .
Life goes on as we ride each day.... Several of us have had unexpected unhappy news to deal with. Family members who have become ill or passed away unexpectedly. Or, as in my case, household problems of sizable proportions.....flooded basement, dead furnace and hot water heater in a basement with no previous history of flooding. Thank goodness for my daughter who has stepped in to manage the necessary repairs. Without her help I would have had to return home to do it myself. I am grateful to her for every day I ride. (I confess to having times when I really miss my family and friends and home though.)
Our good luck with weather continues to hold. Looks like the next several days will continue to be sunny and pleasant. Hope to be riding strong again tomorrow!
The place where we are staying is a lovely 1930s built lodge at a state part next to the MacDonald Observatory. Many of you may know of it from NPR. They have night time programs a couple of nights every week but unfortunately not on the nights that we are here. So we are whiling the time away going into town to do laundry, doing necessary bike maintenance, and catching up on things like emails and blogs. I might even throw in a little nap :-) .
Life goes on as we ride each day.... Several of us have had unexpected unhappy news to deal with. Family members who have become ill or passed away unexpectedly. Or, as in my case, household problems of sizable proportions.....flooded basement, dead furnace and hot water heater in a basement with no previous history of flooding. Thank goodness for my daughter who has stepped in to manage the necessary repairs. Without her help I would have had to return home to do it myself. I am grateful to her for every day I ride. (I confess to having times when I really miss my family and friends and home though.)
Our good luck with weather continues to hold. Looks like the next several days will continue to be sunny and pleasant. Hope to be riding strong again tomorrow!
March 22, 2011
18 miles per hour uphill?
Must be a tailwind!
Yesterday we rode 47 miles and were struggling with a crosswind much of the time. Tractors were out in the fields plowing creating big furls of dust that we often found ourselves riding through. Although the mileage was not long many of us arrived tired and ready to be off of our bicycles. The motel where we stayed was the only one in town and nothing to write home about. We were greeted by a new bicyclist's menace called goat heads, a nasty little grass seed with several sharp thorns protruding from it.....the sort that can work it's way through the toughest of tires and cause a flat. We carried our bicycles in and out. Our wonderful cook made us pad Thai for dinner so the day ended very well. There was also a store across the street that carried all kinds of unique specialty chile powders. I bought a few and the sales person gave me a bunch of samples to try as well. Very much looking forward to experimenting with them when I get home.
Today we rode 76 miles with a sweet 15 mph tailwind all day, except for one 2.5 mile stretch. We had a long climb in the middle of the ride and at one point I glanced down at my bike computer and noticed that I was riding 18 mph uphill! That's what a tailwind can do for you. There was a fair amount of flat and rolling terrain and although the ride was almost 30 miles longer than the one yesterday I was less tired at the end than the day before.
Tomorrow we ride 90 miles, climbing up to 6000 feet, and will be staying in a state park lodge in Fort Davis, TX. The following day is a rest day and I am sure we are all going to appreciate a day off.
Hard to believe we have already covered more than 1000 miles since San Diego!
Yesterday we rode 47 miles and were struggling with a crosswind much of the time. Tractors were out in the fields plowing creating big furls of dust that we often found ourselves riding through. Although the mileage was not long many of us arrived tired and ready to be off of our bicycles. The motel where we stayed was the only one in town and nothing to write home about. We were greeted by a new bicyclist's menace called goat heads, a nasty little grass seed with several sharp thorns protruding from it.....the sort that can work it's way through the toughest of tires and cause a flat. We carried our bicycles in and out. Our wonderful cook made us pad Thai for dinner so the day ended very well. There was also a store across the street that carried all kinds of unique specialty chile powders. I bought a few and the sales person gave me a bunch of samples to try as well. Very much looking forward to experimenting with them when I get home.
Today we rode 76 miles with a sweet 15 mph tailwind all day, except for one 2.5 mile stretch. We had a long climb in the middle of the ride and at one point I glanced down at my bike computer and noticed that I was riding 18 mph uphill! That's what a tailwind can do for you. There was a fair amount of flat and rolling terrain and although the ride was almost 30 miles longer than the one yesterday I was less tired at the end than the day before.
Tomorrow we ride 90 miles, climbing up to 6000 feet, and will be staying in a state park lodge in Fort Davis, TX. The following day is a rest day and I am sure we are all going to appreciate a day off.
Hard to believe we have already covered more than 1000 miles since San Diego!
March 20, 2011
Hello Texas
Today we rode out of New Mexico and into Texas. While Arizona got a big thumbs down on bicycle friendliness New Mexico got a thumbs up. Good road surfaces, clean and well paved shoulders, friendly people, gorgeous views. Curious about how Texas will shape up.
The first 45 miles today were basically flat with a few little rolling hills through interesting countryside. We saw lots of pecan orchards, chile farms, cotton fields and even a couple of vineyards. The winds were kind to us today....mostly of a gentle nature. The last part of the ride was through the city of El Paso, and not being fond of city bicycling I chose to ride the last few miles into the city in the SAG. It was Sunday afternoon and there was a fair amount of traffic so was happy to a be in the Subaru.
Tomorrow we leave El Paso and ride off into nowhere where no services (WiFi or 3G) are available. I should be back online in Van Horn, TX on Tuesday. The national weather service has posted damaging wind warnings (up to 60 miles per hour) for Tuesday so don't know if we'll be riding our bicycles or riding in the van that day. The forecast can change so I'm not counting on anything just yet.
My bicycle is working very well and I am a happy camper!
The first 45 miles today were basically flat with a few little rolling hills through interesting countryside. We saw lots of pecan orchards, chile farms, cotton fields and even a couple of vineyards. The winds were kind to us today....mostly of a gentle nature. The last part of the ride was through the city of El Paso, and not being fond of city bicycling I chose to ride the last few miles into the city in the SAG. It was Sunday afternoon and there was a fair amount of traffic so was happy to a be in the Subaru.
Tomorrow we leave El Paso and ride off into nowhere where no services (WiFi or 3G) are available. I should be back online in Van Horn, TX on Tuesday. The national weather service has posted damaging wind warnings (up to 60 miles per hour) for Tuesday so don't know if we'll be riding our bicycles or riding in the van that day. The forecast can change so I'm not counting on anything just yet.
My bicycle is working very well and I am a happy camper!
March 19, 2011
Over the hill and off the grid
Friday's ride was truly gorgeous. The first 40 miles were steadily uphill to Emory Pass at 8228 feet. As we gained altitude the scrubby desert terrain was replaced by evergreen forest and craggy rock outcroppings. Beautiful views seemed to appear around every corner. The only disappointment was that about a mile short of the summit I ran out of air and had to get in the SAG. I know it was altitude but didn't want to take the chance of pushing my compromised heart past it's limits. I am just so happy to be doing this at all and take delight in every mile I ride. Our accommodations last night were at a place called the Black Range Lodge....a unique former bordello transformed into a bed and breakfast. Every room was different and there were large sitting areas and porches where we could hang out. The best part was that my bed had a down puff on it, much like my bed at home. Very cozy.
Today we rode to Las Crusas, our last stop in New Mexico. We started with a nice descent and then continued on flat and rolling terrain. The biggest challenges of the day were the wind and the distance. It was an 87 mile ride and we encountered some strong gusty winds which for most of the ride were either head winds or cross winds. At about the 65 mile point the woman I was riding with decided she had run out of steam and I willing waited with her for the SAG. It was hard riding as the cross winds were constantly moving the bikes around on the road. When I started this tour I had hoped to ride every mile, but now I am determined to ride a good ride every day regardless of how many miles it is. It's hard to get up in the morning feeling trashed and feel happy setting out. I want to love my time on my bike! I suspect that I will be completing the ride on the majority of days.
I haven't written a lot about the women on this tour but they are truly an amazing group. We have gotten a rhythm going on the rides. Some are regularly at the front of the pack. Some of us ride toward the middle or the back. Some like to ride in pairs or groups and some of us are lone riders. But whatever our preference or place in the line up everyone is truly supportive and helpful, and in the evening when we gather for a beer or wine and dinner the conversation is always interesting. We also have a wonderful tour leader and a talented cook who feeds us exceptionally well. Tonight we had salmon with a raspberry - chipotle sauce cooked over charcoal, a pasta salad with pesto and a fabulous spinach salad with walnuts and raspberries. There was also a dessert (though I rarely eat dessert). Although this sounds a bit bizarre we eat dinner in the parking lot of the motel (unless the weather is bad). We set up a circle of plastic chairs and the meal is served buffet style. Our cook's kitchen is the back half of the trailer that carries our luggage and supplies. It's a wonderful part of our day and I am sure motel parking lots will never look the same to me again!
Tomorrow off to El Paso. Hopefully the winds will be kind!
Today we rode to Las Crusas, our last stop in New Mexico. We started with a nice descent and then continued on flat and rolling terrain. The biggest challenges of the day were the wind and the distance. It was an 87 mile ride and we encountered some strong gusty winds which for most of the ride were either head winds or cross winds. At about the 65 mile point the woman I was riding with decided she had run out of steam and I willing waited with her for the SAG. It was hard riding as the cross winds were constantly moving the bikes around on the road. When I started this tour I had hoped to ride every mile, but now I am determined to ride a good ride every day regardless of how many miles it is. It's hard to get up in the morning feeling trashed and feel happy setting out. I want to love my time on my bike! I suspect that I will be completing the ride on the majority of days.
I haven't written a lot about the women on this tour but they are truly an amazing group. We have gotten a rhythm going on the rides. Some are regularly at the front of the pack. Some of us ride toward the middle or the back. Some like to ride in pairs or groups and some of us are lone riders. But whatever our preference or place in the line up everyone is truly supportive and helpful, and in the evening when we gather for a beer or wine and dinner the conversation is always interesting. We also have a wonderful tour leader and a talented cook who feeds us exceptionally well. Tonight we had salmon with a raspberry - chipotle sauce cooked over charcoal, a pasta salad with pesto and a fabulous spinach salad with walnuts and raspberries. There was also a dessert (though I rarely eat dessert). Although this sounds a bit bizarre we eat dinner in the parking lot of the motel (unless the weather is bad). We set up a circle of plastic chairs and the meal is served buffet style. Our cook's kitchen is the back half of the trailer that carries our luggage and supplies. It's a wonderful part of our day and I am sure motel parking lots will never look the same to me again!
Tomorrow off to El Paso. Hopefully the winds will be kind!
March 17, 2011
The Road to Silver City
Yesterday we rode from Lordsburg NM to Silver City. While the mileage was on the short side, 47 miles, about 40 of those miles involved climbing. Most of it was railroad grade but there were a few stretches where the grade was more strenuous. We crossed the continental divide at the mid point of the ride. The weather was perfect for riding....sunny, 70ish, gentle wind. I loved the ride. We still have not really done any climbing that rivals the climbs from my previous western ride or the climbs I did in the French Alps, but I am enjoying them nonetheless.
When I arrived yesterday afternoon I took my bicycle in to the local bike shop to see if they can remedy the problem I am having with the shifter for my rear cassette. Riding will be a lot more fun when I have all my gears back. Never having had any issues with my bicycle on previous rides it's been a bit disconcerting to have to deal with them this time around. Still managing to do most of the riding however.
Today is our first day off after 8 days of riding. Good to give the body a rest! Tomorrow we will be climbing again to an altitude of 8000+ feet and then spending the night at an "off the grid" lodge in te middle of nowhere. Should be fun and interesting. No WiFi there so may not be able to post as I think 3G is doubtful as well.
When I arrived yesterday afternoon I took my bicycle in to the local bike shop to see if they can remedy the problem I am having with the shifter for my rear cassette. Riding will be a lot more fun when I have all my gears back. Never having had any issues with my bicycle on previous rides it's been a bit disconcerting to have to deal with them this time around. Still managing to do most of the riding however.
Today is our first day off after 8 days of riding. Good to give the body a rest! Tomorrow we will be climbing again to an altitude of 8000+ feet and then spending the night at an "off the grid" lodge in te middle of nowhere. Should be fun and interesting. No WiFi there so may not be able to post as I think 3G is doubtful as well.
March 15, 2011
Good-bye Arizona!
While I do not want to indulge in negativity I have to say that I am not unhappy to be leaving Arizona. We have ridden a lot of poor roads with minimal shoulders, aggressive drivers, hostile law enforcement and the dreaded rumble strips (like Route 7 toward Williwmstown). I can only hope that New Mexico will be an improvement in that respect. All of us in the group seem to be tired. We've been riding for 12 days now, the point in a tour where the miles begin to wear on your body and mental negativity starts to set in. Fortunately we have a rest day coming up on Thursday in Silver City which will give us a chance to rejuvenate ourselves. I am also hoping to be able to get my bicycle issues remedied there and get back to being able to ride full days. There's some climbing again tomorrow which I am hoping to be able to do most if not all of. We will be crossing the continental divide, which will make at least 6 times I have done that on a bicycle. That's it for now. I need to take some time to organize my things for an early start in the morning.
March 14, 2011
Last full day in Arizona
I had a plan for doing the ride today in my three gears and it worked pretty well. At times I was spinning faster than my usual cadence and at other times I was pushing a bigger gear than I wanted to but I managed to do 45 of the 60ish miles. The last part was virtually flat and I definitely did not have the gear for that so I took the SAG for the last 15 miles. Turns out there is a bike shop in this town and my bicycle is there now with one of our guides being checked out. Hopefully they will be able to adjust it. Tomorrow we have a lot of miles with a couple of nice climbs and I want to be able to ride them well.
Weather has been so ideal. Sunny but not too hot. Had a bit of a headwind today but it didn't interfere all that much. Vistas of mountains with snow capped peaks. Nice! Nice!
Life is good!
Weather has been so ideal. Sunny but not too hot. Had a bit of a headwind today but it didn't interfere all that much. Vistas of mountains with snow capped peaks. Nice! Nice!
Life is good!
March 13, 2011
6% Grade
Yee haw! Two lovely long climbs today..... The first was about 4 miles at a moderate grade. The second was a georgeous 6 to 7 miles at a lovely 6% ....the kind of climb that is doable but challenges you as well. The weather was perfect. The sceney was amazing. The legs were ready to go. The only down side was that there was a lot of traffic and not much shoulder for a lot of the climb, so we always had to have one eye on the traffic coming up behind us. Still it was wonderful and totally reminded of how much I love a good climb. We have a few more ahead. Happy about that! We are eating out at a Mexican restaurant tonight. Hope it's a good one because I love Mexican cuisine.
Before I started on this tour I was worried about my physical capacity. Interestingly my body has far surpassed my expectations. All my problems have been with equipment....a problem with my rear cassette, a flat tire from road debris and now I have a problem with my right shifter. Apparently the mechanic in the shop in Phoenix where my bike went to get the casette issue tken care of decided to adjust the tension on the shifter. He made it so tight I can barely manage to operate it so was riding today with only two gears.....vey low and medium low. That's pretty much what I will have until I get to Silver City in a couple of days where there is another bike shop. The funny thing is that those gears are fine for climbing but harder on the flats where big gears are helpful. I'll make it though. Would hate it if I couldn't climb!
Time for a beer!
Before I started on this tour I was worried about my physical capacity. Interestingly my body has far surpassed my expectations. All my problems have been with equipment....a problem with my rear cassette, a flat tire from road debris and now I have a problem with my right shifter. Apparently the mechanic in the shop in Phoenix where my bike went to get the casette issue tken care of decided to adjust the tension on the shifter. He made it so tight I can barely manage to operate it so was riding today with only two gears.....vey low and medium low. That's pretty much what I will have until I get to Silver City in a couple of days where there is another bike shop. The funny thing is that those gears are fine for climbing but harder on the flats where big gears are helpful. I'll make it though. Would hate it if I couldn't climb!
Time for a beer!
March 12, 2011
News from Apache Junction
Sixty-some long flat miles today through urban and suburban sprawl. Tomorrow we ride out of it and do some serious climbing....about 4000 feet with a 6% grade. Let the fun begin!
Oh, and I got my first flat tire....in my motel room! I'll fix it in the morning :>( .
Oh, and I got my first flat tire....in my motel room! I'll fix it in the morning :>( .
March 11, 2011
On the road to Phoenix
Interesting day today. We all headed out early to beat the afternoon heat. (Yesterday it got into the upper 80s in the afternoon.) We were traveling out in town on a divided two lane road
with a shoulder that had a rumble strip and was full of evil stuff....loose gravel, broken glass, strips of blown tires, broken pavement.....all bad news for cyclists. So, we were riding the white line to the right of the righthand lane. A policeman passed us and then pulled in and flagged us down. How long have you been riding in Arizona? he asked. And then proceeded to tell us we were riding illegally. That we should be riding on the far right of the shoulder. Now anyone who is a cyclist knows that by federal law bicycles are vehicles and we are allowed to ride to the right of the right hand lane. None of us said anything however. Then the guy went on to tell us that he knew a guy who always insisted in riding in the road. He's now dead. OK. Yes sir officer. Whatever you say officer. We onlys had two miles to go until we turned off onto another road. About a midle further on after crossing the rumble strip to avoid a bush in the middle of the breakdown lane my chain jammed. After trying and failing go get it righted I ultimately had to rack my bike up and ride with the SAG into Phoenix to a bike shop. The mechanic there fixed my problem, checked over the rest of my bike and charged me a very reasonable fee. I'll be back on the road tomorrow. Yippee!
with a shoulder that had a rumble strip and was full of evil stuff....loose gravel, broken glass, strips of blown tires, broken pavement.....all bad news for cyclists. So, we were riding the white line to the right of the righthand lane. A policeman passed us and then pulled in and flagged us down. How long have you been riding in Arizona? he asked. And then proceeded to tell us we were riding illegally. That we should be riding on the far right of the shoulder. Now anyone who is a cyclist knows that by federal law bicycles are vehicles and we are allowed to ride to the right of the right hand lane. None of us said anything however. Then the guy went on to tell us that he knew a guy who always insisted in riding in the road. He's now dead. OK. Yes sir officer. Whatever you say officer. We onlys had two miles to go until we turned off onto another road. About a midle further on after crossing the rumble strip to avoid a bush in the middle of the breakdown lane my chain jammed. After trying and failing go get it righted I ultimately had to rack my bike up and ride with the SAG into Phoenix to a bike shop. The mechanic there fixed my problem, checked over the rest of my bike and charged me a very reasonable fee. I'll be back on the road tomorrow. Yippee!
March 9, 2011
Good-by CA, hello AZ!
We have been so lucky with the weather. Today was another clear sunny day that reached the low 80s by the afternoon. A lot of gentle uphill riding with the total for the day at 64 miles. Felt easy after a rest day yesterday. Tonight we are staying at a motel that must have been built in the 1950s.... A long line of rooms stretched out by the roadside in a sleepy little town called Salome. Our tour leader made us a pitcher of margaritas to celebrate the crossing of our first state line. I guess that margaritas are a tradition each time we enter a new state. Beginning to fall into the rhythm of riding everyday, feeling like I can do this!
March 7, 2011
Blythe, CA
What a fabulous ride today was. We started out with a tail wind heading out of town and just cruised along a relatively flat section for several miles. Then after a gradual climb rode into an area of sand dunes where a cross wind was blowing sand across the road in wide ribbons. A bit like being sand blasted on one side of your body. This was followed by a long stretch of rolling hills and dips that were glorious to ride....fly down one side, hammer a few strokes in a big gear and roll over the top of the next. Almost effortless. The final 20 miles were flat and as the direction of the road changed sometimes we had a tailwind and sometimes a cross wind but rolled into town in good shape by mid afternoon. Ninety miles my fourth day on a bicycle since Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow is a day off to do laundry, clean our bicycles and rest up for 8 days of consequetive riding starting on Wednesday.
I heard there was a snow storm in New England. Is it true?
Tomorrow is a day off to do laundry, clean our bicycles and rest up for 8 days of consequetive riding starting on Wednesday.
I heard there was a snow storm in New England. Is it true?
March 6, 2011
Brawley, CA
We did a little climbing at the start of the day and then had a long descent through canyon like twists and bends to bring us back down to sea level again. Beautiful as the scenery was it was hard to enjoy because we were assaulted by strong gusty winds. It took focus and determination just to stay on the bicycle. Then we had a long relatively flat ride through desert which was wonderful. Brought to mind an old Woody Guthrie song called Way Out There that involves some yodeling so I amused myself by singing it at the top of my lungs for several miles. Later in the ride we hit a 20 mile stretch of very rough road surface which left me with hands and feet that were completely numb....so I got in the van for the final 6 miles. Tomorrows ride is a 90 miler to Blythe. Our last day in CA.
March 5, 2011
Day 2
Another day with beautiful riding weather. We rode just under 50 miles and climbed over 4000 feet. Demanding but I was not trashed when I arrived. I'm amazed. Only the second time this season that I am on my bicycle. Tomorrow has a major descent where we lose all those feet we climbed and then is mostly flat....but we will be riding 67 miles in all. The challenges just keep coming, but so does the fun. Great group of women to ride with! I am so happy to be doing this!
March 4, 2011
Day 1
Day 1..... Perfect weather. Sunny and 70 degrees. Two thousand feet of elevation gain. Forty miles. Never used my clinging gear. The girl and the bike are good to go!
March 3, 2011
San Diego
I have arrived in San Diego to sunny skies, green grass, palm trees and warm temperatures. A far cry from the weather I left behind in western Massachusetts. I collected my bicycle from the shop yesterday and had a chance to do some riding. My ride from the shop to my hotel was over a steep San Ferancisco-like hill. Both bicycle and rider made it up and over. Happy to have my butt back on a real bicycle rather than a spinning bike and to hear the lovely sound of click-click as my cleats lock in. I'm ready to ride!
Members of the group have begun to arrive, including our group leader and our chef de tour. They both seem great. Our first official function is an introductory gathering at 1:00 this afternoon and then our send-off dinner tonight. Let the fun begin!
Tomorrow is our first day of riding which includes 2000 feet of elevation gain. Wish me luck!
Members of the group have begun to arrive, including our group leader and our chef de tour. They both seem great. Our first official function is an introductory gathering at 1:00 this afternoon and then our send-off dinner tonight. Let the fun begin!
Tomorrow is our first day of riding which includes 2000 feet of elevation gain. Wish me luck!
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