Texas
Thursday May 28, 2019. Tucumcari, NM to Dalhart, NM. 96 miles
Ascent and Descent approx. equal, 2,100 feet each Cumulative= 1,228 miles
I realize that a large portion of my posts have dealt with weather condition, which can make them tedious and boring, but you cannot spend the majority of your day on a bicycle without being obsessed with weather conditions and how they will effect your day. They will dictate everything from what you wear to how much you may need to eat to generate the power to move from Town A to City B.
Today we spent the entire day on US Route 54 traveling northeast from Tucumcari to Dalhart, crossing the New Mexico / Texas state line and entering the Central Time Zone. I would describe the terrain as gently rolling countryside, remaining at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet throughout the day, There were relatively few trees, many ranches set back from the road, and both sides of the road were lined with barbed wire almost the entire day. The only town between Tucumcari and Dalhart over the entire 96 miles was Logan, NM, population approx. 1,000., which made me wonder, do school buses around here travel hundreds of miles daily to collect and return schoolchildren their homes?
I nearly ran over the first live rattlesnake I have seen. I have seen several dead ones previously along the way.
I don't think that I have mentioned the train tracks which have paralleled much of our trek thus far, and we see many massive trains, most with multiple locomotive both at the head of the train, and almost always at the end and sometimes in the middle of the train as well.
The shoulder of the road was generous, but jarring to ride, so we tried to ride on the highway when we could and moved to the shoulder when we had to, so we had to keep checking our mirrors for approaching traffic. Fortunately the terrain generally allowed us to see traffic approaching for miles. the shoulders were not only rough, but with enough "stuff" that.there were several flats, including one for me. I had just examined my tires about 2 miles before the flat while stopped to help another biker with his flat, but managed to pick up one of the tiny wires that remain from the shredded steelbelted radials that we frequently encounter. This was my first flat in over a week (several hundred miles. I have had 4 flats total so far. I am pretty sure that this is not the lowest total, but I know that some have had 4 or more flats in one day.
The big factor today was again winds over 20 mph with gusts over 30 always a tailwind allowing me to complete the day slightly above 19 mph, not something I could do without such a wind.
My sister Prudy did my laundry this morning, such a luxury for me, but caused her and husband John to leave late enough that they missed our 3 SAG stops. They were waiting for me at the La Quinta we are staying at tonight. After I cleaned up , we enjoyed a couple adult beverages before having dinner together. It's great to have them here.
Ascent and Descent approx. equal, 2,100 feet each Cumulative= 1,228 miles
I realize that a large portion of my posts have dealt with weather condition, which can make them tedious and boring, but you cannot spend the majority of your day on a bicycle without being obsessed with weather conditions and how they will effect your day. They will dictate everything from what you wear to how much you may need to eat to generate the power to move from Town A to City B.
Today we spent the entire day on US Route 54 traveling northeast from Tucumcari to Dalhart, crossing the New Mexico / Texas state line and entering the Central Time Zone. I would describe the terrain as gently rolling countryside, remaining at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet throughout the day, There were relatively few trees, many ranches set back from the road, and both sides of the road were lined with barbed wire almost the entire day. The only town between Tucumcari and Dalhart over the entire 96 miles was Logan, NM, population approx. 1,000., which made me wonder, do school buses around here travel hundreds of miles daily to collect and return schoolchildren their homes?
I nearly ran over the first live rattlesnake I have seen. I have seen several dead ones previously along the way.
I don't think that I have mentioned the train tracks which have paralleled much of our trek thus far, and we see many massive trains, most with multiple locomotive both at the head of the train, and almost always at the end and sometimes in the middle of the train as well.
The shoulder of the road was generous, but jarring to ride, so we tried to ride on the highway when we could and moved to the shoulder when we had to, so we had to keep checking our mirrors for approaching traffic. Fortunately the terrain generally allowed us to see traffic approaching for miles. the shoulders were not only rough, but with enough "stuff" that.there were several flats, including one for me. I had just examined my tires about 2 miles before the flat while stopped to help another biker with his flat, but managed to pick up one of the tiny wires that remain from the shredded steelbelted radials that we frequently encounter. This was my first flat in over a week (several hundred miles. I have had 4 flats total so far. I am pretty sure that this is not the lowest total, but I know that some have had 4 or more flats in one day.
The big factor today was again winds over 20 mph with gusts over 30 always a tailwind allowing me to complete the day slightly above 19 mph, not something I could do without such a wind.
My sister Prudy did my laundry this morning, such a luxury for me, but caused her and husband John to leave late enough that they missed our 3 SAG stops. They were waiting for me at the La Quinta we are staying at tonight. After I cleaned up , we enjoyed a couple adult beverages before having dinner together. It's great to have them here.
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