I wanted to wake up in time to be at the library at 9AM when they open, bags packed and bike loaded. When I finally opened my eyes this morning it was 8:40. Guess I won't make it by 9:00.
As I told you earlier, how far I go is determined by where the next town is. Usually, about sixty miles. Today, however, there's a glitch.
My choices are: I can ride to Sonora, which is 35 miles away, or I can ride to Junction, which is 91 miles away. I COULD ride about sixty miles, then dry camp along the way, but if I do that tomorrow's ride will again put me between towns.
So, today will be a short day. Besides, I'd like to do some catching up on the blog.
Breakfast consisted of powdered donuts and chocolate milk... starting the day off right.
I went to the library and worked on the blog until noon. After deciding that I should eventually start making my way towards Ozona I climbed on the bike and started pedaling.
I made it as far as the Subway before realizing that I was hungry so I stopped for lunch.
Thirty minutes later I was on the road. Hmmm... any other excuses I can think of before leaving town....?
The day is GORGEOUS. There are no clouds, it's 68 degrees, and there's a very slight breeze - just enough to make you feel lazy. (or at least, that's my excuse)
I rode thirty miles and was within five miles of Sonora when I had another flat, my second one in twenty six days and my second one in three days. This one was on the back tire. There was a nice shade tree just ahead so I rolled the bike there and started repairing it.
Really, it was such a nice day that I wasn't in a hurry.... it was just nice being outside.
Riding on I-10 has been generally safe enough because of the wide shoulder.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Out here in West Texas, there's not a whole lot of traffic, and the occasional semi usually pulls over into the left lane. However, one drawback of traveling the interstate is that the shoulders are full of junk.
I try to be careful about riding over anything, but sometimes you just can't help it... there's just so much there. Apparently, I must've run over a piece of a steel-belted radial tire...
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
Because I knew exactly where the puncture was, I didn't even take the tire off the rim - I just patched it and slipped it back on. Even with the shortcut, I still managed to take a long time repairing the flat... I'm just not in a hurry today.
Some scenery along the way...
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
What?? Already???
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
In Sonora, I checked in to my motel, then promptly fell asleep for twenty minutes.
Welcome to Texas!!! On the inside of the motel room's door, instead of the usual information about the checkout time and room rate, there's a statement about the hotel's "limited liability" in the event something is stolen from the safe. I thought it odd that there's even a safe in this place. Anyone with anything valuable wouldn't be staying here - they'd go to a different hotel.
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| From Mark on a Bike 08 2 |
There was a Mexican food cafe fifty yards from my room, so I just ate there.
That evening I rode to the laundromat so I'd have some clean riding clothes to wear tomorrow. Oddly, at least to me, there wasn't a change machine. I pedaled down the street where I found a classic car show and some live music, but no change. When I finally found a place that would change some bills I got plenty of change and decided to always keep enough coins to be able to do laundry. The same thing happened in Silver City and I had to ride around from place to place looking for change (except for the classic car show and live music part).
I'm not even in the Deep South yet, and the mosquitoes are as bad as I've ever seen them. Inside the laundromat they were SWARMING. I had to go outside and just walk around to keep from becoming anemic.
Back at the motel, I blogged for a long time before going to bed.
Another slow day for you to read about... I talked to the hotel manager, my waitress, and two cashiers at stores. It was a good day for me, though. I'm having a blast.
39.03 miles
12.2 average
25.2 max
3:11:12 time
1266.6 total miles
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