Today: 61 Miles: AVG Speed: 9.6MPH – Top Speed: 34.2MPH
Total: 4,758.6 Miles
I woke up with my eyelids welded shut from bacterial gunk this morning. Yeah, I know, nice, right? I had two choices, either take a day off or roll on half-blind. Well, after the five day hand hiatus I am up against it. Betty and I must be in San Francisco next Saturday to meet my mother and her victorious suitor, Chris. If we don’t they’ll be walking around like a pair of bewildered geese searching for a thawed spot in the canal during a Canadian winter. They could drown for christ’s sakes. I cannot let this happen. Also, I had a date to keep with Matthias so my mind was made-up, I would cover the eye with a makeshift bandage to protect it from light and dust, and utilise my new friend as a human white stick, guiding me around any potholes or glass or whatever.
We met for breakfast where I, for the first time on this trip, opted for granola and yoghurt. All the crap I’d been eating recently had been making me feel a little lethargic so I decided to go for health. We set off and it was hard to get used to the old one-eye business at first as my depth perception wasn’t what it could be with two functioning eyes. What I didn’t expect out of this day is how tough it would be. Only 61 miles, but it was extremely taxing. After a couple of miles we were on Highway 50, a road once dubbed The Loneliest Highway in America by one Life magazine photographer in the 1980’s. Well, whoever it was, they’re full of shit. It wasn’t exactly brimming with traffic, but I’ve been on much quieter roads on this tour so far. Life should find this person and fire them. Unless they’re dead, of course.
Anyway, the morning was spent on a climb in the searing heat, and just when we turned a corner for a downhill and a flat, gale force Amerciana winds battered our beautiful European faces. We were both battling, but Matthias was in particularly bad shape after his gruelling 150 miler yesterday. We eventually made it to some creepy Trading Post for a microwaved burrito, though. Yum.
After this chewy snack we continued with the final 5 mile climb of the day before 21 miles of downhill and flats to Ely. The climb was easy enough, but when we arrived on top of the Connors Summit the valley below was dominated by an enormous storm cloud. We got to the bottom of the valley and decided to play a strategic game, we couldn’t ride into the storm, but there was also one behind us rapidly gaining size and speed. We had to sandwich ourselves in between the two beasts, watching lightening strike around us, all the while avoiding the storms. We were, at one stage, out running the shadowy oppressor behind us. It was exhilarating.
After over 7 hours of riding we arrived in Ely, struck a deal in a Motel 6 and we are celebrating a hard day with a cold beer, just the way it should be. The only problem is that my right eye is still as red as a baboons arse. I eagerly await the next ailment.
Total: 4,758.6 Miles
I woke up with my eyelids welded shut from bacterial gunk this morning. Yeah, I know, nice, right? I had two choices, either take a day off or roll on half-blind. Well, after the five day hand hiatus I am up against it. Betty and I must be in San Francisco next Saturday to meet my mother and her victorious suitor, Chris. If we don’t they’ll be walking around like a pair of bewildered geese searching for a thawed spot in the canal during a Canadian winter. They could drown for christ’s sakes. I cannot let this happen. Also, I had a date to keep with Matthias so my mind was made-up, I would cover the eye with a makeshift bandage to protect it from light and dust, and utilise my new friend as a human white stick, guiding me around any potholes or glass or whatever.
We met for breakfast where I, for the first time on this trip, opted for granola and yoghurt. All the crap I’d been eating recently had been making me feel a little lethargic so I decided to go for health. We set off and it was hard to get used to the old one-eye business at first as my depth perception wasn’t what it could be with two functioning eyes. What I didn’t expect out of this day is how tough it would be. Only 61 miles, but it was extremely taxing. After a couple of miles we were on Highway 50, a road once dubbed The Loneliest Highway in America by one Life magazine photographer in the 1980’s. Well, whoever it was, they’re full of shit. It wasn’t exactly brimming with traffic, but I’ve been on much quieter roads on this tour so far. Life should find this person and fire them. Unless they’re dead, of course.
Anyway, the morning was spent on a climb in the searing heat, and just when we turned a corner for a downhill and a flat, gale force Amerciana winds battered our beautiful European faces. We were both battling, but Matthias was in particularly bad shape after his gruelling 150 miler yesterday. We eventually made it to some creepy Trading Post for a microwaved burrito, though. Yum.
After this chewy snack we continued with the final 5 mile climb of the day before 21 miles of downhill and flats to Ely. The climb was easy enough, but when we arrived on top of the Connors Summit the valley below was dominated by an enormous storm cloud. We got to the bottom of the valley and decided to play a strategic game, we couldn’t ride into the storm, but there was also one behind us rapidly gaining size and speed. We had to sandwich ourselves in between the two beasts, watching lightening strike around us, all the while avoiding the storms. We were, at one stage, out running the shadowy oppressor behind us. It was exhilarating.
After over 7 hours of riding we arrived in Ely, struck a deal in a Motel 6 and we are celebrating a hard day with a cold beer, just the way it should be. The only problem is that my right eye is still as red as a baboons arse. I eagerly await the next ailment.
eye, eye cap'n.
Matthias and the Storm
Matthias and the Calm.
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