Today was probably the easiest day we've ridden so far. Sixty miles are basically flat (and very well-paved) roads. A slight crosswind. But some serious heat.
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| Emporia, Virginia at 6:00 am. Notice that regular gasoline down here is selling down here for less than $2 a gallon! |
I couldn't spend another day just sitting in one of the SAG vans. I still had a bit of a fever this morning, but I was champing at the bit to get back on the road. I soon realized that the riding wasn't going to affect my breathing, just my energy levels.
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| One more state down, one to go. We keep sneaking into cities, towns and states through the back door. |
We spent the morning riding through small, one block long towns as well as out in the country. Lots of empty spaces in between small, country towns.
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| A lot of today's ride was along these country roads. In the mornings, these backroads provide a significant degree of cooling before the sun gets too high in the sky. The riders collectively thank the North Carolina Department of Highways and Public Works for such well-paved roads today. Much appreciated! |
We did have a chance to use our dog whistles this morning. Michelle and I were riding through a very rural area when three dogs began running out of their yard towards us. I really think the first dog would have stopped had it not been for the other two dogs behind it wanting to get into the action. Before long, the three had bolted across the front lawn and to the edge of the road when Michelle, whose reaction time was quicker than mine, blew her dog whistle. I followed shortly thereafter with a toot from mine as well and the three stopped right in their tracks upon hearing the shrill sounds. So, yes, the dog whistles worked!
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| When we emerge from underneath the trees, we come upon these small, block-long towns. As has been the case in many parts of the country, these are the communities hit hardest by tough economic times. Many boarded-up store fronts. |
Apart from tobacco and cotton farms and the occasional solar farm, there wasn't much to today's surroundings. This was your basic "head down and pedal on" kind of day to get from point A to point B. That and dealing with the heat.
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| Which way!? It's tough enough following the cue sheet every few miles for another turn. It's even harder when you have to deal with confusing signs such as those above. |
At one unplanned watering stop where the SAG van had positioned itself to supply us with extra water, Michelle and I stopped to refill our bottles. While I was waiting for my water bottles to be refilled, I was attacked by a swarm of some kind of huge horse fly. Easily the size of a half-dollar, three of them were on me as I attempted to swat them away. One bite me but good near my knee. At first, I didn't think much of it until Michelle notice the blood seeping down my calf from the horse fly bite. Later, that turned into a dime-sized black and blue mark. No pain, but just an odd occurrence.
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| Yes, you are reading that correctly. With about five miles to go, my bike computer (verified by two other riders on theirs as well) hit 108 degrees at 1:05 pm this afternoon. I stopped to take this picture as proof. Bike computers are picking up the temperatures from the road. The air temperatures are usually 6-8 degrees cooler. It still made for a hot day. |
Tomorrow, the temperatures will return to normal (only the mid-80's), but it's a 101-mile day into Warsaw, North Carolina. Should be interesting.
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| About 12 miles out of this morning's SAG stop, Michelle and I stopped for something cold to drink and to refill our water bottles. We were drinking quite a lot to stay hydrated and cool. As I was waiting for her, I noticed this sign on the front window of the convenience store. There are always some cute and/or funny signs along any bike route. This one surely was the funniest one I've seen so far. |
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