Today's Tracking -
(I note this tracking ignores the 4-mile loop at the east end of the trip)
Well, I finished (1) installing the new pressure switch in the water system at the house and (2) installing the last new tire on the Tandem Terratrike .
Trouble is, Jacque came down with what appears to be a Norovirus (requiring frequent trips to the stone throne) and is NOT in condition to take a test ride. So it got tested solo, so low in fact I only went 100 feet or so in order to make sure the wheels still turn and the brakes work, before parking it out of the weather under the deck.
But it was a beautiful day today and I have not yet succumbed to puking my brains out (which in all likelihood will start in the next 24 hours :?( )
So I saddled up my beat-up 2-wheeler recumbent and did the mail run thing, plus another 8 miles or so just to get the blood warmed up good.
It was sunny and warm today, perfect for cycling and being out-of-doors. Except for the wind. When I left the house it was just breezy and a bit gusty. While I initially rode up the long climb to the Post Office, I fought some mild headwinds, but it wasn't terrible. Yet.
As I turned around toward home, I wanted to get in at least a 10-miler so I rode on past the house and further east, to do the Frost Road / Mountain Valley Road / Entranosa Road / Tumbleweed Road 4-mile loop. The wind, at my back, actually began helping me up some of the hills. When I finally turned north on Mountain Valley I was buffeted by some pretty strong side gusts which worried me a bit, and for good reason. It got even stronger as I turned west on Entranosa, and when I parked the bike using its dual-fork kickstand for a short call of nature in the bushes, the wind started howling so bad I was sure it would knock the bike over, which has happened several times before, occasionally doing no damage but often shattering handlebar mirror or other nasty stuff. The bike was still standing when I remounted but when I resumed riding it was a veritable struggle to stay erect and not be blown over or off the road. Thankfully on this 4-mile loop there is precious little vehicle traffic, but when I finally struggled back to Frost Road for the last leg home, it was almost 4:00 PM with the associated heavy going-home traffic... and the wind continued to get worser and worser. As I approached the last 2 miles I was fighting to stay on the road and praying fervently to Heavenly Father to help me make it home without being blown off the road or into a passing car. If Jacque hadn't been in such bad shape when I left, I probably would have called her to come rescue me even though I was less than 2 miles from home. You know you don't enjoy riding when you have to struggle along in LOW GEAR.... going DOWNHILL where normally coasting approaches 30 MPH.
But, no griping allowed. I made it to our goat-path turnoff, which is heavy with trees and bushes on both sides of the passage, so the wind was not as bad. Thankfully.
Still happy to have done the ride, however. As usual, after cooling down and getting my wind back to normal breathing, I feel supercharged instead of lethargic. Lethargic is what happens when I miss a day....
Trip Started: 1:58 PM Trip Ended: 3:50 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Voltage: 13.1
Lowest Temp 60 F Highest Temp: 65 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 13.7
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
7.8 MPH 9.6 MPH 30.9 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 45 minutes 1 hour 25 mins 19 mins 14 secs
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