Day 33: Sulphur Springs, TX to Greenville, TX

Sun 9/30/07
37.58 mi
822 mi total
1,003 ft cum
4:16 hrs ride time
8.7 mph avg
90's F with sun and lots of clouds

Hwy 67 the whole way which was pretty much parallel to I-30 the whole way and the road conditions were the same too. See yesterday's picture of the road.

The wind was blowing pretty strong and steady out of the south and slightly against me. It made the ride feel like I road 50 miles. For most of the ride I was right next to I-30 which was rather noisy. The higher humidity, temps in the mid to upper 90's and the bag of cookies I ate along the way all wore on me too. I'm about 50 miles from Dallas and I'm thinking of getting a rental car in the morning. That way I'll be rested for my visit with family over the next couple of days. I'm thinking about keeping the rental for the entire visit and using it to get me to the next town outside of Dallas going west.

I took my first and only spill of the trip today. At the time, I didn't realize how bruised my hand was until I started to ride again in Kerrville several days later. That bruising was still noticeable even after the trip ended and I was back home. My front tire dropped off the pavement from riding too close to the edge of the road. I turned left and the tire just rubbed against the pavement without actually riding up onto it. Meanwhile my center of gravity drifted left. Because of the weight of the bike, there was no way I could jerk the wheel back up onto the pavement, so I put my left foot down and tried to lay the bike down as gentle as possible. I then went down on my left hand and stepped away from the bike trying to keep from falling down. I was successful in keeping myself upright but my palm took a pretty good impact. I probably didn't feel it because I was already loaded up with pain pills for prior aches and pains. I never was in any danger from vehicles because there weren't any around.

Just an interesting looking building in a town square

First bunch of longhorn cattle I've seen on this ride

Day 32: Mt Pleasant, TX to Sulphur Springs, TX

Sat 9/29/07
30.08 mi,
784.47 total
893 ft cum
2:54 hrs ride time
10.30 mph avg
100/90 F, sunny

Rode Hwy 67.

I decided to make today a short one. I was feeling kind of sore this morning from a fairly long ride yesterday and my knees were feeling a little pain early in today's ride.

I probably rode more like 35 miles. My front left bag keeps bumping the spoke mounted magnet causing the mileage computer to quit working. Maybe I'll find a solution to that problem this evening. I'm posting the computer reading to make things more consistent. The computer is also keeping track of my total miles which I am also posting.

The road conditions changed about 7 miles into today's ride. The road now has a rough surface that is jarring when I'm riding my average speed or slower. When hitting 20 mph or greater on a downhill the ride smooths out. Too bad I can't maintain that speed. The shoulder has gone away too. Fortunately, the traffic was very light.

I suspect the best roads are behind me now. They were probably so good back in the latter part of Arkansas because of the logging trucks. They were the only real truck traffic I saw in that state and I'm sure they contribute a hefty road tax to maintain the roads they travel.

I've been enjoying a light tail wind the last few days of 5 to 15 mph. On occasion the wind shifts and blows against me serving as a reminder of what is to come. I'm getting to some open areas and I'm told the wind generally blows west to east. One of these days, I'll be fighting that wind to make any kind of progress.

Hwy 67 next to I-30

Day 31: Texarkana, AR to Mt Pleasant, TX

Fri 9/28/07
63.99 mi
754 mi total
1,453 ft cum climb
5:38 ride time
11.30 mph avg
95/75 F

Hwy 67 the whole way.

Good roads. I either had a nice wide shoulder or 4 lanes with light traffic. Today was sunny, relatively low humidity with temps peaking at 95 F and temps dropping 2o degrees from the high by the end of the ride. I pulled into Mt Pleasant just as the sun was setting.

Today I suffered two flats. The second was probably due to a faulty patch job. I changed over to the second spare tire on the first patch job. (I've now completely replaced both original tires. Those original tires lasted approx 1,500 miles, 700 of that with the bike loaded.) The tube had a puncture right next to another patch, so I suspected the patch might not hold. Sure enough, a couple miles down the road the tire deflated. I swapped out the tube for a new one. I've been trying to locate some replacement tires, but I'm having trouble. Apparently 26" touring tires are not very common. I'll be in Dallas by Monday. Perhaps a local shop will be able to help me out when I get there.

Day 30: Hope, AR to Texarkana, AR

Thur 9/27/07
33.67 mi,
690.40 total
672 ft cum
3:26 hrs ride time
9.7 mph avg
Low 90's F and sunny

I took Hwy 67 till just before Texarkana where I took Sugar Hill Rd to N State Line Ave where the hotels are located.

The good road & shoulder I experienced yesterday went away about halfway to Texarkana. A nice day for riding.

Day 29: Arkadelphia, AR to Hope, AR

Wed 9/26/07

I apparently deleted today's ride data while removing the computer from the bike

approx 52 miles,
656.70 miles total
approx 1000 ft cum climb

cloudy upper 70's
rain last 15 miles

Hwy 67 the whole way.

About ten miles into the ride the back tire started to give out. The threads were beginning to separate, creating a swollen bubble. I rode on it like that FOR another 10 miles while pondering why the better of the two tires gave way first (I swapped the tires when visiting in Little Rock to keep the back tire from wearing out too quickly.) When I finally stopped to replaced the tire, it was obvious what happened. When I swapped the tires in Little Rock, I inspected the insides for damage and where I saw large punctures I put patches on the inside of the tire for added security. In one case, I was overzealous with the sandpaper and frayed the cords. This is exactly where the tire failed.

All went well from that point till I stopped at a Mc D's to check prices on motels in Hope. When I came back outside, my front tire was flat. I then decided to stay at the hotel directly across the street.

I was very surprised by the quality of the road today. I had a nice shoulder on all but about 5 miles.

Comments about routing

It looks like I'll be heading through the State of Texas on my way to Tucson, AZ. If all goes as planned, I'll take roads that parallel I-30 to Dallas where I'll visit family. From there, I'll follow as close as possible to I-20 till I reach I-10. I believe I can parallel I-10 all the way to Tucson. I should be leaving Little Rock, AR on Wed. 9/26/07 pending weather.

Day 16 Thru 28: Visiting in Little Rock, AR

I had a nice long visit with a high school buddy. On day 28 he dropped me off in Arkadelphia, AR.

My friend's dog

Day 15: East Memphis, TN to Forest City, AR

Wed 9/12/07
49.46 mi,
603.93 total
590 ft cum.
4:06 hrs
12 mph avg
80/96/86 F

I continued on Hwy 70 for this entire ride. The temperature started of in the low 80's, peaked at 96 and settled into the mid 80's for the latter half of the ride. The humidity was low and the sun was shining. A very enjoyable day for riding. The kind of riding I have been looking forward to.

Stay tuned for info about my next leg of this trip.

Today I woke up to the first full day of sunshine since I started this trip. A nice crisp day with high visibility.

First stop of the day

The first thing I did was ride over to the Bass Pro Shop, since it was so close to the hotel and picked up some more supplies. One of the things I picked up was pepper spray for added insurance against dogs that won't back off. So far, I've done well without it. Most will stop pursuing me if I stop the bike and yell firmly for them to stay. I then start moving on, either walking the bike or riding slowly, while watching to make sure they don't approach me again. If they follow, they usually don't pursue much further than their yard.

I was about 10 miles or so from the Memphis bridge when I started this morning. About 4 miles into my ride I stopped at Captain D's for lunch where I met Ross who took the time out of his work day to give me a ride to the other side of the bridge in West Memphis. This saved me the trouble of riding thru the roughest parts of town and having to cross the bridge. Thanks Ross, you may have saved my life. We crossed the north of the two bridges. Note: If you ride a bike, do not attempt to cross this bridge. About halfway across, the very narrow shoulder completely goes away leaving two lanes of very heavy traffic with lots of trucks.

Thanks to Ross, I was able to avoid riding across town and over the bridge.

From where I was dropped off till I reached Forest City, the ride was very flat without many services. I should have stocked up on more water, but I had just enough. That's something I need to keep in mind from here on out. Services started thinning out after I left Jackson a couple of days ago.

After checking into the hotel, I called my friend in Little Rock who said he wanted to pick me up in the morning. On one hand, I was glad to know I'd be bringing my trip to Little Rock to an end. On the other, I was sad to see my newly experienced easy cruising on long flat stretches come to an end. I'm thinking of riding on to Tucson, AZ from here. Hopefully, I'll see many more days like today along the way.

My arms were very red, even with sunscreen. I rode without sunscreen on my face the last two days and today it showed. I suppose I'll have to switch to my long sleeve shirt and go back to sunscreen on the face for days like this. Their isn't much around to get out of the sun around here.

Hwy 70 on the left, I-40 on the rightA closer look at Hwy 70 a little further down the road. Lots of cracks that go bump, bump. They will wear on you after a while.

Day 14: Jackson, TN to East Memphis, TN

Tues 9/11/07
80.65 mi,
554.47 total
2,144 ft cum climb
7:33 hrs ride time
10.6 mph avg

68/78 F

I took Hwy 412 out of Jackson till it connected with Hwy 70A and rode that all the way to East Memphis.

A very nice day to cover lots of ground. An overcast sky, most of the day, kept the temperature in the low 70's. I didn't see the sun till the late afternoon where it only raised the temp slightly. Mostly flat riding allowed me to make it all the way to East Memphis. That's a good thing since the last convenient place to get a room was in Brownsville which would have made for a really short ride.

I came across a bike shop as I was leaving Jackson and stopped to re-stock my patch kit. I had a nice little chat with Ed and by the time I left he gave me a fist full of power bars and power gels. Thanks Ed, they came in handy today. I missed my best two chances to eat when I decided not to eat in Jackson and I passed up the chance to eat in Brownsville. There were no other places to eat till I got to within miles of my hotel. Ed, best wishes to you on your hike across the AT.

Leaving Jackson, a view of hwy 412 just before getting on it. It turned out to be the best riding of the day with a nice wide shoulder.
Some turkey and a chicken in a rural yard.

A look back after a long flat ride with large fields on either side.

I've seen quite a few backyard shack/pubs along Hwy 70. This has got to be the smallest. Is that a drive thru?

The only other bicyclist I've seen all day. He was walking on the opposite side of the road. Could have been a flat, not sure. He didn't ask for help and I had lots of ground to cover still so I rode on. I arrived at the hotel just as the sun was going down.

Day 13: Rest Day in Jackson, TN

Some Pics from around the Super 8 Motel

Day 12: Camden, TN to Jackson, TN

Sun 9/9/07
57.99 mi,
473.82 total
1,964 ft cum.
5:51 hrs ride time
9.8 mph avg
80 F

Day 11: Montgomery Bell State Park, TN to Camden, TN

Sat 9/8/07
54.77 mi,
415.83 total
2,098 ft cum.
5:13 hrs ride time
10.4 mph avg
73/78 F

Hwy 70 all the way.
Today I awoke to the sound of rain. After a while it lightened up a bit and I was able to start packing up camp.

Day 10: West Nashville, TN to Montgomery Bell State Park

Fri 9/7/07
29.27 mi,
361.06 total
1,520 ft cum.
3:09 hrs ride time
9.2 mph avg
95 F

Continued on Hwy 70.

The temperature was in the mid 90's all day but I seem to be handling it well. I just keep going slow and steady with lots of short breaks.

I'm glad I stopped where I did yesterday. I did not see any real options for hotels beyond that point. It took me a while to get out of the West Nashville suburbs today. In addition to checking out at the last minute, I stopped at Dick's sporting goods to purchase a new tent and at Target for some more supplies. I hit a few hills in the suburbs that were reminiscent of what you might see around Atlanta. Not too long after that I saw my first tourist on the opposite side of the road heading east. Traffic seemed heavy and I was just getting in a groove so I just waved and rode on. The traffic never seemed to lighten up for the rest of the day nor for the next few. My goal was to make it to Dickson. I had a flat just before a state park where I decided to stay the night. It was a deal at $11. By far the cheapest place I've stayed this whole trip and it wasn't far from my planned goal.

Occasionally, I come across trees that look as if fall has arrived and it's still 95 degrees. The leaves are dropping as a defense mechanism from a drought that is affecting the whole southeastern part of the country.

Park entrance
The new tent. Notice all the leaves.

Conveniently located near the restroom, showers and wash tubs. There was even an outlet I could use to recharge my GPS mapping device.

Day 9: Lebanon, TN to West Nashville, TN

Thur 9/6/07
37.81 mi
1,484 cum. climb
3:49 ride time
9.8 mph avg
low 90's F

I'm continuing on Hwy 70. My GPS device routed me through some back roads for the first 20 miles and I stayed on Hwy 70 starting about the Nashville city limit on through downtown and to where I'm staying now.

Even though it was in the low 90's, the weather was very suitable for riding. Being overcast with a 5-10 mph wind from the south helped. I wanted to ride 15 miles further, but around 4:30 the traffic started to get heavy on Hwy 70 just west of down town Nashville. The roads in this area do not have a shoulder. On top of that, it started raining so I checked into the first place I saw, the Comfort Inn. It's very nice and twice as expensive as where I stayed last night in Lebanon's Super 8, but they have a computer that's allowing me to write this up.

Things were uneventful. I only saw one bum who had a sign that said "Why lie, I want beer." He seemed very cheerful and was singing as cars drove by. It was also interesting riding through the down town tourist area. One fellow walked up to me and asked me where I was from. He then began to tell me he was from England and how he wanted to rent a bicycle when my light turned green. I interrupted, saying I have to go. We each wished each other a great day as I left him. I don't think he realized I rode the bike from North Carolina.

I had a front row seat to view some dynamite blasting

Any relation to Elvis?

Is this the same name used in Office Space?

View approaching downtown

Touristy area in downtown

View leaving downtown

Day 8: Sparta, TN to Lebanon, TN

Wed 9/5/07
56 mi
2,014 cum. climb
5:52 hrs ride time
9.5 mph avg
100 F

I continued on Hwy 70 the whole way.

The cold medicine I took last night really helped me sleep. That's a good thing because I had a long way to get to Lebanon. The cold is moving down into my chest, but I seem to be getting over it.

The temperature stayed above 100 degrees till about 4:30 where it dropped to the low 90's for the remaining 15 miles or so to Lebanon. About at that point, the terrain flattened out, making it much easier to improve my avg speed.

After checking into the hotel, taking a dip in the pool and a hot shower, I headed next door to O'Charley's for the best meal I've had in a while. I hope to be eating there again sometime.

Day 7: Crossville, TN to Sparta, TN

Tues. 9/4/07
33.62 mi
1,448 ft cumulative climb
3:28 hrs ride time
9.6 mph avg
95 F

I'm still on Hwy 70 heading towards Nashville and decided to spend the night in Sparta. I was feeling kinda sore this morning and my body was telling me to rest. Traffic is still light. This is turning out to be a pretty good route.

The most interesting thing I saw today was a squirrel that appeared to be flattened in the road and then I saw it move. It seemed to be fine and looking for something till a car came by, then it would flatten itself out again. I stopped to take a picture when I realized I might be increasing the chances of it getting run over. Me being on the side of the road and it in the center, cars might vier to the center to avoid me. So, as soon as I took a picture and the cars cleared, I rode to the middle of the road to scare it off the road in case it was too scared to move. It just flattened itself out and moved over slightly when I nudged it with my foot. I decided to ride off to the side of the road and leave it there. It immediately went back to looking for something, till cars came by again then it would flatten itself again near the middle of the road. I couldn't tell what it was looking for. What a dangerous way to live. I don't have the ability to upload images tonight. I'll add the picture later.

The temperature peaked at 107 F, but because of low humidity, it was very tolerable. The cold is still bothering me. I hope a short day will help.

Sparta is very Spartan like. Of the three hotels I could find, only one looked decent, The Royal Inn and it was over priced. The other two looked like they should be torn down.

This evening, while in the lobby to use the computer (Win98), I met a motorcyclist who was English. He came over here to ride the Trans America Trail. I assumed he was talking about the same one I was familiar with and I said I might ride north from Little Rock to ride a section too. Pretty soon it became apparent he and I were talking about two different trails. I'm familiar with the one mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association. He described a trail of dirt roads made up of public lands connected coast to coast. Visit transamtrail.com to learn more about the motorcycle route.

Just looking back while taking a break

Just a ranch

The same ranch. These cows were near the fence when I stopped and bolted to where they are now before I could get the camera out and take this shot. I was surprised by how fast they can move.

The Squirrel. This is the only photo I took.

A video I found of a squirrel showing the same kind of behavior.

An overlook just past where I saw the squirrel. This was the most scenic view of today's ride.