Salisbury Beach

Salisbury Beach
Thank You Katie, Mary, Caitlin and Brian

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

26 April 2011 Fast America Day 3

Blythe, CA to Wickeburg, AZ

Mileage:                      1109.9 miles
Riding Time:              6:46     Riding Speed 16.4 mph
Total Time:                8:54
Climing:                     3788 ft.
Flats:                           1


Today started out badly, and ended well.

I was all ready to go when I discovered the dreaded motel room flat. My front tire was flat. Mike easily diagnosed it – there was gravel in the tire bead from changing the tire in the howling wind at the end of Day 1. So now I have had two flats, and I have had each of them twice! When will I ever learn?


Also, my knee had frozen up overnight and at first I could not clip in and when I did, I could go no more than 11 mph. I said “This is going to be a long day”. But after 15 minutes, I was spinning just fine.

So I got a late start, and at mile 15 or so, I saw everyone standing on an off ramp yelling at me to get off. There was road construction ahead and the sheriff kicked us off the Interstate. As the staff explained patiently: You may ride every AVAILABLE mile, but this is inevitable on every trip. I found out that they had had to register their route with the DOT. If I had been alone, the sheriff might have just thrown my bike in the back of her car. So this took five miles off of our trip and, more importantly, 500 feet off the climbing. It also wasted a half hour. The day was one long shallow climb, followed by a 10 mile fast descent. It wasn’t too hot and although my foot was hurting by each SAG stop, 5 minutes of elevation was good for another 25 miles.

The rest of the day was uneventful, except for the 25 mph crosswinds. Everyone, including me, rode strong. Clay, whose computer I am now using, took a spill; I don’t know what happened but he has beautiful road rash.

Tomorrow WE CLIMB.

1 comment:

  1. Off to an interesting start Chris. Thought your comment about riding where we live and the desert was poignant. I lived in the desert for 5 years and it is a very different environment.
    Hopefully you are getting your quota of flats out of the way early, if not...you are going to be a flat changing phenom!

    Carry on..
    KA

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