32.22 mi
1,737 ft cumulative climb
3:47 hrs ride time
8.4 mph avg
95 F
Hwy 70 the whole way.
I started the day a little later than I would have liked to. The hooks on my rear panniers were giving out do to fatigue. Fortunately, I anticipated this problem and I was able to replace them with a beefier spare set I made just before starting the trip.
Out in front of the hotel, as I was making final adjustments, I met a nice couple who were enjoying early retirement who were very interested in my trip. The husband worked with someone who has done a similar adventure who had tried to talk him into doing it also. They thought I should write a book. I gave them my card and told them I planned to share my adventure online. I hope they've had a chance to check-up on me.
I stopped at a waffle house for breakfast. It was very crowded. Soon after placing my order, I noticed my waitress coughing. I hoped this would not be an omen of what's to come.
Shortly after finishing breakfast, I got a nasty flat that required I replace the tube. I picked up a screw in my rear tire and it banged around, trashing the inner tube as I wheeled the bike to shade. Boy was it hot today, 97 degrees in the shade.
I decided to check my GPS mapper for a bike shop on my route after this flat. I've had two flats in as many days and I want to make sure I have plenty of patches. I found <A HREF="http://www.westbicycles.com/"