The second day began with breakfast at 06.00 but we were not permitted to start the cycle until 07.30,slightly frustrating,but I am sure there was a good reason.there was good cloud cover,which was very welcome.Very built up to start with busy roads but again,usually a bike lane marked on the road.Early on there was a gentle climb that lasted the best part of two miles.Elizabeth and I cycled with Charlie and other folk as they appeared.There are so many traffic lights and they take a long time to transit through all the directions possible,that if you are caught out at one you lose the folk in front.
The first break came at 40 Kms,still cool weather.We set out with about 7 others and had a fine ride at a good pace,then turned left and started an 8 mile climb,a good bit steeper than the first.My climbing aspirations emerged and I left E in the care of the others whilst I challenged myself to ascend as quickly as I could.We all made it to the top and enjoyed the company as we made our way to an Indian reservation.We were permitted to cycle through,to avoid a nasty stretch of freeway,but only with one police car ahead of us and another behind us.
The folk we passed in the reservation all gave us friendly waves and we soon passed out onto a magnificent stretch of road,slightly downhill and with a strong wind behind us.The miles flew by as we passed mass ranks of windmills down to the second rest stop.By now the sun was shining brightly and shade was in short supply,but the fresh fruit,fluids,and biscuits plentiful.once we left there the slight descent continued so we were soon in Palm Springs,saw nobody famous but stopped at a Denny's for a quick lunch and back out into the ,now, hot sun.
The last stretch of 25 miles was tedious,hot and seemed to last forever. However we made it by 16.00,another 98.4 miles nearer Boston.Interestingly we climbed 2966 feet today but descended 3845.
Dinner in a huge Buffet restaurant in a nearby casino-endless fruit machines and all busy! But a very good dinner.
The first break came at 40 Kms,still cool weather.We set out with about 7 others and had a fine ride at a good pace,then turned left and started an 8 mile climb,a good bit steeper than the first.My climbing aspirations emerged and I left E in the care of the others whilst I challenged myself to ascend as quickly as I could.We all made it to the top and enjoyed the company as we made our way to an Indian reservation.We were permitted to cycle through,to avoid a nasty stretch of freeway,but only with one police car ahead of us and another behind us.
The folk we passed in the reservation all gave us friendly waves and we soon passed out onto a magnificent stretch of road,slightly downhill and with a strong wind behind us.The miles flew by as we passed mass ranks of windmills down to the second rest stop.By now the sun was shining brightly and shade was in short supply,but the fresh fruit,fluids,and biscuits plentiful.once we left there the slight descent continued so we were soon in Palm Springs,saw nobody famous but stopped at a Denny's for a quick lunch and back out into the ,now, hot sun.
The last stretch of 25 miles was tedious,hot and seemed to last forever. However we made it by 16.00,another 98.4 miles nearer Boston.Interestingly we climbed 2966 feet today but descended 3845.
Dinner in a huge Buffet restaurant in a nearby casino-endless fruit machines and all busy! But a very good dinner.
Hat off for galant men and women
ReplyDelete"and old (previous tour) cyclists"
ReplyDeleteSome of us are previous tours and OLD.
Have a safe trip. I'm following vicariously.
Jim XC09, XC17
I'd never heard of Denny's until yesterday when it was mentioned in one of the books you gave me - you didn't see Reacher in yours did you?! Impressive scenery.
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