Cycling Advocates Ride to Pro Walk Pro Bike 2006 |
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| Daily Trip Log | Jack |
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Picture of Vancouver, BC  |
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| from Wall to Murdo, SD | |||
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| Date: 2006-08-23 Distance: 132 Kilometres Cycling Time: 6.06 Hours Average Speed: 21.72 kph |
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| Trip Distance since Leaving Vancouver - 2,720 Kilometres | |||
Thoughts for the Day
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| Cycling in 40 Degree Celsius | |||
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Cycling this morning until noon was enjoyable. The speed was up there. Hills were crested at 19 to 23 kph. Average hourly speed was in the 26 kph range. The rolling hills were mounted. Easy it was. The temperature started in the upper teens Celsius. The sun was covered by clouds. The wind was blowing from the west generally. All that was needed was for the body to act as a sail. | |
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By noon, the sun returned with full force. The temperature rose. Cycling became more difficult. Despite lapses in enthusiasm, the body reacted well to the heat. The afternoon speeds, although a bit lower than the morning were still up. While some hills were mounted at 12 or 13 kph, others were topped at 19 to 23 kph. | ||
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In the afternoon I concentrated on keeping the fluid level up. The water bottles could have been used to make tea or coffee. Certainly, the water was hot enough. | ||
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Stopped at each gas station along the I-90 and drank juices and mineral waters. Frequently, the water in the bottles was replaced not because I emptied the content but because the water got so hot. | ||
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I, even, took up a John practice of wetting the skull cap at every opportunity and putting it on the head. Lowering the head temperature worked for 7 to 10 kilometres. | ||
| Time zone change tomorrow so will need to set the alarm clock for the morning. | |||
| Now where is John? The last time I saw him was about 10:30 am this morning. Our cycling styles made it difficult to cycle together in this heat. Wonder if he is still resting in a South Dakota service area where there is a convenient bench to sleep on in climate controlled room. If he is smart today he would be hitching a ride to here and skip the numerous climbs under such demanding heat. | |||
| John Last Night | |||
| After a couple of attempts to fix a flat at marker 95 last night, a ride in a truck with a couple of evangelists was preferred to cycling the last twenty some kilometres up a long climb to the motel. Listening to a bit of religion was an acceptable trade-off. | |||
| The saga continued in the motel room when John tried to fix the flat. He was out of tubes so I gave him one of mine, then two, then three. John managed to blow the first one up. The second one made it into the tire. The third one was for backup for today in case that John’s streak would continue. | |||
| Murdo | |||
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Murdo is a small village just off the I-90. As towns go, it is fairly attractive. The streets and properties are well maintained. There is only one sidewalk along the main street.
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There is a large antique car museum in town. There seems to be many motels here. By the railway line there is an elevator so the town seems to fulfill an agriculture need. As far as cycling facilities are concerned, none could be seen. | ||
| Cycling Facilities | |||
| I-90 Paved Shoulder | |||
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It was bushwhacking time today. Some of the worst shoulder sections in South Dakota were encountered today. Some had rumble strips, others did not. Some pavement was in good condition, many sections were in very poor condition with cracks in every direction Good thing that the South Dakota road authority uses non-slip crack sealant, even at 40 degrees Celsius. | |
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