I got to sleep before 10, but woke up about 4:30 and didn't get back to sleep. Again, it was cold in the morning. My Karoo said 37 °F when I started riding at 8:30. I wasn't in a particular hurry to leave since it was cold, so didn't leave until about 8:30. There was a 500 foot climb over the first five miles and then we lost about 1200 feet over the next 70 miles. The surface was chip seal most of the way, but in the roadway it was worn smooth. There wasn't much traffic, so I rode there unless there was a vehicle coming from behind and one approaching from the other direction. It was type 1 fun: I averaged 19.5 mph into Van Horn. I went 25.2 mph over 10 miles. I did the whole thing in less than 4 hours of riding time, which was kind of a goal. I tried to keep my power in the 120 W range and tried to sit on the nose of my saddle and spin rather than sitting back. That helped keep pressure off my saddle sore.
In Van Horn BW and I got lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I got a smothered burrito with ground beef and a side of beans and rice. It filled me up, but it is now 5:30 and I am hungry again.
We are staying in the Van Horn RV Park. We are in a group site that is a dry, dusty patch with nothing alive in it. It is also apparently part of the Park's dog walk and people don't pick up after their pets. Disgusting. Not the nicest place we have stayed. I took a shower as soon as I got in so I could medicate my saddle sore.
Tomorrow we ride 75 miles again, this time to Fort Hancock. We will cross into Mountain time early in the ride. We ride about 12 miles on I-10. It looks like there will be a crosswind.
Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km) Total: 1,957 miles (3,149 km)
1 month ago