Chuck:
A day of challenges: Hills, headwinds and flats. Had a fitful night, the local bars must close at 2 am, that’s when traffic noise, drag racing wanna-bes and boisterous conversation started to subside. At 6:30 am, when we started our day, the huge parking area was quiet and empty except for us and an old red Chevy pick-up.
I completed the previous day’s journal and fixed yesterday’s flat bike tire. This was a chore because I was trying to cram a thick, heavy duty, thorn resistant tube into a small road bike tire. I have had this tube since we were biking in New Mexico five years ago where thorns were a problem. As I was cramming the last bit of tube, I noticed a patch on it. What! I never patch tubes except on the road, then I replace them and they get tossed. The little patch looked good and I really didn’t want all that work of putting 10 lbs of crap in a 5 lb bag to be wasted. Bad call! When Betty dropped me at the point I had reached yesterday, I removed the bike from its rack and the tire was flat. Now, I can fix it again but now in the weeds alongside the highway. The new tube went in easy. When I put about 20 lbs in for a test, I notice a bit of the tube was pinched between the wheel and the tire. Let out the air, push in the pinched area, re-inflate to 100 lbs: good to go. Betty says good-bye and is on her way, I’m off behind her, way behind. Five miles later, I sense a problem; another flat, same annoying tire. The good news is that with each change, I cut my time in half. Now, I will have no more spare tubes on the bike with me. Comforting to know that the B-Team can come to my aid if need be. It is now noon and I have barely started.
When I exit the suburbs of Grand Prairie, Highway-43 is heading due west for the next 30 miles and directly into a 15 mph headwind. Not enough yet, the road is all uphill. Well, seems so anyway because I had to pedal to go downhill. Just as an experiment, while pedaling downhill was going only 13 mph, I quit pedaling, speed steadily dropped to 5 mph. I think that if I could have kept my balance I would have been going backwards uphill?? More hills and just when I think I have reached the top, more hills. However, just as I approach the day’s destination, Beaverlodge, the wind slacks a bit and changes directions until it is almost out of the south. A direct cross wind, but that’s ok, only 2 miles to go. The highway makes a turn to the north, then another. After bucking a headwind all day, I breeze into Beaverlodge pushed by a tailwind?? That’s OK, this day is winding down. A shower, sit outside in the afternoon sun with Betty & Bren, cold beer (white wine for Betty), cheese & crackers, pizza later. This is live’n!
Brendan with the giant beaver at Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada. Pretty impressive.