What a difference a day makes! If you can't change the wind direction, then change your course. (Actually, we didn't change the course, it just worked out that way). The wind blew from our backsides all day, and blew us down the road for about 112 "easy" miles. Today, we "soft peddled" and cruised, often over 20 mph. We used today to recover and plan to recover some more tomorrow (winds still forecast out of the west, although lighter, and we're heading due east), because Saturday's ride is the longest of the trip at 143 miles. Tomorrow we leave Texas and head to Elk City, OK. I'm a little disappointed with Texas. Tonight we ate dinner at the Texas Rose Steakhouse. They didn't have Lone Star beer! And after one round of Corona (served without a lime), they ran out! The waitress told us to stock up on beer before entering Oklahoma, because the alcohol content statewide is only 3% (never heard of that; is that Coors Light mixed with half a glass of water?). Riding a bike makes it hard to stock up on beer, besides, if the Texas Rose can't get any beer, what hope do we have of finding any?
I didn't take any pictures today, nothing notable. Soon after we left Dalhart, we began seeing oil well pumps dotting the landscape. We passed a huge refinery somewhere between Dumass and Borger, TX (Google it). The air smelled of petroleum for miles (which rivals the offensive smells from yesterday's cattle feed lots outside Dalhart).
The Pennsylvania boys picked-up the Sheila (Monique) sometime after the 1st SAG/Rest stop and she rode with us for about 75 miles. She was able to sit at the back and draft off our broad shoulders (not Jere's). We were rewarded for our gentlemanly behavior by having to stop twice to assist her with fixing two flat tires (the Pennsylvanians were flat free). So while we speeded up her ride, she slowed our ride, but Pampa, TX was still there when we got to the end of the cue sheet. (That may not hold true once we enter tornado alley).
The New Zealander, Simon (the one that face planted a few days ago) got on the bike today and rode the last 30 miles. I think he'll be good to go for the full 102 mile distance tomorrow.
Off to bed to rest for Day 12.
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When I walk down the street a parade forms behind me.
ReplyDeleteOklahoma was French till Lousiana purchase in 1803. It became the 46th state in 1907. You are now in tornado alley. Just last week several towns were torn up.
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