Note: Last night's motel internet connection didn't allow me to upload any pictures. The pictures here were added 6/22/07, the day after.
Today was 156 miles from Pine Bluff AR to Batesville MS. The morning started out t 6:30 AM with a very comfortable temperature, but still muggy. Once again Lon started us off in three groups separated by 1 minute each. Once again the usual people joined the fast group. In this group was Mark Pattinson, Peter Beeson, Charles Breer, Eric Hallam, myself and about seven others. The group pretty much stayed the same for the first half of the day. Eric however did a few things like skipping or shortening a stop so he could do some standing, rather than just sit a spin a high cadence which can get tiresome for the legs and the butt.
The group was about twelve people, each taking their turn at the front. I was in the second from the back position and heard a bike in front of me kick up some sort of object. Then it seemed as though I was caught up in something. Eventually I knew it – something was caught in my front wheel and it was going round and round through my fork. I got the bike stopped without going down. We had to remove the front wheel and untangle two pieces of heavy duty construction wire, like the mesh for reinforcing concrete. It bent two spoke pretty bad and the wheel was out of true. We opened the brakes enough to ride without rubbing and I got a substitute wheel at the next sag stop.
Wheel damage is one thing, but the repeated scraping from the rotating wires really messed up my beautiful Serotta F3 fork. I suppose that is one of the accepted hazards of riding in a pace line group when not every piece of debris can be pointed out in time to avoid it (particularly if you are near the back).
Somewhere along the way I snapped this self portrait. Maybe I'm not smiling because I'm starting to get mouth sores.
Today was 156 miles from Pine Bluff AR to Batesville MS. The morning started out t 6:30 AM with a very comfortable temperature, but still muggy. Once again Lon started us off in three groups separated by 1 minute each. Once again the usual people joined the fast group. In this group was Mark Pattinson, Peter Beeson, Charles Breer, Eric Hallam, myself and about seven others. The group pretty much stayed the same for the first half of the day. Eric however did a few things like skipping or shortening a stop so he could do some standing, rather than just sit a spin a high cadence which can get tiresome for the legs and the butt.
The group was about twelve people, each taking their turn at the front. I was in the second from the back position and heard a bike in front of me kick up some sort of object. Then it seemed as though I was caught up in something. Eventually I knew it – something was caught in my front wheel and it was going round and round through my fork. I got the bike stopped without going down. We had to remove the front wheel and untangle two pieces of heavy duty construction wire, like the mesh for reinforcing concrete. It bent two spoke pretty bad and the wheel was out of true. We opened the brakes enough to ride without rubbing and I got a substitute wheel at the next sag stop.
Wheel damage is one thing, but the repeated scraping from the rotating wires really messed up my beautiful Serotta F3 fork. I suppose that is one of the accepted hazards of riding in a pace line group when not every piece of debris can be pointed out in time to avoid it (particularly if you are near the back).
Somewhere along the way I snapped this self portrait. Maybe I'm not smiling because I'm starting to get mouth sores.
Lon and Susan went out together for the first time on their tandem (that I know of). Both of them have individually won the Race Across America (RAAM) and together on their tandem. The group (without Eric who had gone out ahead of the tandem at a break and was already with the tandem) went kind of wild in a chase for the tandem. Eventually we caught the tandem, largely do to Mark Pattinson’s influence. Then we were at the lunch stop. I was fast to fill bottles and grab a bite, but the fast group left while I was in an actual sit-down toilet facility. They might have waited but I didn’t tell anyone where I was (three minutes) and Eric wasn’t sure, so… Eric, Jeff Linder, Ed Pabst and I left together with no hope of catching the lead group. Eventually the lead group finished at 3:16 PM and we finished at 3:45 PM. Eric came in at his own pace at 4:05 PM.
Lon replaced the most badly damaged spoke after we got in (two pictures below).
Many of my pictures the last two days have been out of focus, particularly the longer focus distances. I’ve been carrying my camera in a Lowe case mounted to by handlebar stem for easier access while riding. I think the vibration may have damaged the camera. I’ll have to see what deal I can work out with Eric so I can use his camera sometimes in exchange for him using my PC to upload and do his blogging. No easy or convenient solution. Maybe I’m hosed from here on out?
1 comment:
Hey Vernon, I'm enjoying your (and others') blog. Awesome work. Tell Brad Reid his buddy Mick says "Hi."
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