(January 22)

Day 28 - Van Horn TX - Weather Avoidance Day

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

I'll not write much today other than to explain why I'm not on my bike at this moment. The weather forecast called for the strongest...and lengthiest...wind storm that I've seen all week. And while I've ventured out....earlier this week for isntance...in stuff just about as bad, tomorrow, Monday, was predicted to be sunny and, in contrast, much less windy.

And I need a riding day that isn't grueling. I need something where I am not just chanting in my head "must keep going or you may, literally, die out here" as I pedal in my lowest gear with my head down and body hunched trying make myself the smallest possible sail against which the wind can push. I need a bit of sunlight in my bike touring darnit!

Interestingly, my other non-riding days were for my body. It was played out. Exhausted. Unable to go on without rest. But not this time. My body feels great. My legs feel great. I think I'm, finally, getting used to this a bit (long may my acclimitization continue!). This day isn't a rest day, but a weather avoidance day.

To commemorate this first non-rest day stop day, I've spent the morning writing an epically long post about my bike, complete with dozens of pics for all your gearheads out there. And, most importantly to me, it also features a rambling, stream-of-consciousness discussion of how I've arrived, so far, at the current "working name" I have for my bike.

P.S. While exploring Van Horn (not a major effort I assure you), I picked up a large thorn in my front tire. So, rather than put a new innertube in it, I patched my old one and put it back in the tire. Assuming I didn't screw it up, I think that makes me a real, honest-to-goodness bike tourer. The instructions on the package of patches I purchased before I departed seemed simple enough, so I've got my fingers crossed. It was a huge sense of accomplishment to complete the repair. I know, for others it is not a big deal, but I'd been dreading it a bit since I'd never put a patch on a tube in my life.