I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the only one but I really didn't fancy cycling 135 miles in what looked pretty Baltic weather, even if it did lead to a day-off.
After a ropey and rushed breakfast I rolled out half-asleep and realised that when the weather-geezer said 27F he wasn't joking...even buy my standards this was unpleasantly cold. My fault for thinking that we'd be warming-up nicely after an hour or so....
Our highest point en-route...
...is celebrated with a couple of knackered-looking signs and three knakered cyclists...take a bow Steve and Bob.
After this stop I was joined by Jim and we shared the work until lunch at 64 miles, which is when I changed my first puncture-flat on this trip. Well, I had been living a charmed life, hah-hah!
You can usually tell how people are feeling at lunch by how keen they are to press on...I was happy to potter and pffaf around.
Smoke signals say..."Coal-fired power station nearby...".
Apparently they've got 'Tommy' at La Scala tonight. Result!
Now *this* is what you call Freedom To Roam.
At least after lunch the temperature began to climb under flawless skies and U.K. Bob (from Blackburn but defected to Wiltshire) and I managed to catch Craig who is one of the speed-merchants...he obviously was taking it easy today.
The most enjoyable bit was being able to again share the work with him for 20 fast miles which brought us to the 90-mark...he blithely commented that that was the first time he had ever drafted anyone and now he saw what a help it was...I was having a coronary at the time and disappearing backwards!
Coincidence of the day (if not ride) was when he asked me where I was from...near Belfast...Northern half of Ireland...keeping it simple...and he says one of his best mates lives in Bangor! Yep, he visited not so long ago and had a blast, going all over. I was able to laugh and wheeze as he then floored it into the distance.
No opportunity over-looked, hah-hah!
Registered to one 'H. Bear'. Apparently.
C'mon Lee, you can do it...out powering a Hog. He is George Hincapie-esque. Respect.
The final 40 miles brought the sprawl of Albuquerque within sight...a tough day, but what a good feeling. Cheers!
Way happier with today's numbers more than yesterday's.
Guv, top photos as always. Is it going to be 3k miles on the hard shoulder or do you get the american version of country lanes? Jonsey.
ReplyDeleteHey Joe!
ReplyDeleteWill be getting off the hard shoulder soon...can't come soon enough, hah-hah!
Hope you are getting a few miles in yourself for the JOGLE?
Check back as tomorrow promises to be bleedin' awful, and no mistake!