16 miles trucker
85 deg f
803 days left

I took the touring bike today, what a difference, you just slow down and enjoy the ride. One thing I've found is that my Brooks B17 saddle is definitely my most comfortable saddle.
I just rode to town and back today, a really nice cool morning.
 


Everyday I ride to town I pass this little group of flowers, they really catch my attention, they have a happy disposition.


My Four Oclocks are finally starting to bloom, a really nice low maintenance flower.


A funny thing happened at the gym yesterday.
I really hadn't started my workout yet, I was visiting with Marty. Another friend walks up and says, "You guys are never going to believe this, I've never had anything happen to me like this in my life."

Marty and I are hanging on every word at this point.
Then our friend begins to explain.
"I had an Optometrist appointment yesterday in Marshall. I enter the Office, check in and then go to the waiting room.
This waiting room is small and there's several people there and only two chairs left.
I take a seat and directly across from me is an older lady with a patch on her eye and next to her is a younger, mid 40's, woman with rings on every finger, necklace, done up.
So the Ring Lady looks right at me and then asks, "Did your wife fix you a good breakfast this morning?" To which I reply, "No mam, she was still in bed when I left." A "hump" from Ring Lady.
Then the conversation in the room turns to exercise, Ring Lady says she really wants to start walking, everyone agrees that's a good thing.

Then the Receptionist calls my name, as I get up to leave I tell Ring Lady, "I really do hope you start walking," to which she replied, "If I find out where you's stay, I'm going to Walk over there and fix you a breakfast like you never had before."

Had to be one of those moments when you think, "Did this just happen?"

*********************

The "Vuelta a Espana 2018" starts this Saturday the 25th with a time trial.
I wonder how Peter Sagan is going to do, there's a lot of climbing, not sure if this is a good move, we'll see.
I'm looking forward to some bike racing.
You have to be careful when watching to much bike racing, I was in a Super Tuck the other day on my Mtn bike.

 

 


38 miles carbon
85 deg f
804 days left

I took the carbon bike out again today for 38 miles, weather was nice, almost chilly at the start but no worry, it warmed up.
I made a couple of stops to try and change up my bars but in the end put them back like I had them, which is working pretty good.

We were supposed to get some rain with this cooler weather but that didn't materialize so looks like I'm going to be watering a bit, no rain in the forecast, and heating back up, from 90 to 100+.

Bootsie's cut is looking real good we finished up antibiotics on Monday, now I just have to spray medicine on her for another week, to be so rowdy it's funny how good she is when it's time for me to doctor her.

The remainder of the day was spent indoors out of the heat, I did go on a watermelon search but came up empty handed, watermelons are about over.
 


Starting out with the sun at my back.


Bootsie drives me crazy with her ropes, anytime I go outside there will be a rope rubbing against my leg, I push her back, she pushes back, she finally drives me inside. I do throw the rope for her but that will probably happen a bit more when it cools off.

 

 


16 miles carbon
88 deg f
805 days left

I decided this morning that I'd do a quick ride to town and back and tweak my new stem and bar setup.

What a fun ride, I was flying, sort of.
I've got to get in a few more miles on it to be sure but it's feeling pretty good.

I feel like I'm getting some of my strength back that I lost over that three and a half week rough spot, hopefully.

After my ride I went to the gym, shopping and then home.
 


letting the tires cool off at the EZmart

 

 


29 miles mtn bike
90 deg f
806 days left

I decided to ride the mtn bike today. I headed in on the back road and then after Linden I did the "Mike loop with a twist," then returned to the house for a total of 29 miles.
Those dead hogs were pretty ripe on 1841, I saw one the other day and two today, lots of hogs in these parts.

After returning home and getting a bite to eat I watched the finish of the "Colorado Classic" bike race, team "United Healthcare" was the big winner.

I also installed a new stem on my road bike, I may try it out on a quick ride to town and back in the morning before gym.
 


Big Boy, who I patted on the nose yesterday, a little shy when I stop.


Love these shaded lanes on hot sunny days

 

 


33 miles LHT
90 deg f
807 days left

Nice morning for a ride. I decided to put the Carbon up before I hurt myself, I rode the LHT, Long Haul Trucker, my touring bike or all around bike.

The ride got off to an exciting start. I decided to take the back road to town instead of hwy 8.
When I leave my driveway it's downhill to a sharp right hand turn. I'm rolling down the road approaching the curve and suddenly there's a mid size gray car coming right at me. I get as far to the edge of the road as I can before bailing out into the sand, but they she me at last minute and get back on their side of the road.

Some folks never learn, in East Texas driving the backroads is a pastime, drinking ocassionally and you better learn to keep it on your side in the curves and be ready to bail.

So I survive the near fatal car accident and then I approach the house right after the curve, I'm riding by and here comes Big Boy, a big white and black dog, he charges right up to me, I reach out and pat him on the nose and he goes back in his yard and follows me on his side of the fence.
I see this dog all the time and I don't worry about him, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body, he runs up to you and then thinks, "what do I do now.?"

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful except that the big metal boxes weren't giving much room today.

I enjoyed watching the "Colorado Classic" bike race when I got home from the ride.
What an exciting finish, it surprised everyone even the commentators, the Peloton caught the break right at the line, amazing how that happens.
Looking forward to watching the final stage on Sunday.

Stay tuned to see which bike I ride tomorrow, maybe I'l take a photo.

 

 


25 miles
90 deg f
809 days left

I had me a fun ride on the Carbon Bike today, it sure is peppy. I got in 25 miles with some good hills, the weather was acceptable, warm and humid but that's what it is this time of the year.

Old riding buddy Roger went down the other day, he's not sure what happened, whether he hit a hole or what but I suspect he hit the front break and it put him over the handlebars. He ended up with a black eye, scratches to his cheek, swollen hand, sore chest but luckily nothing broken, shit happens.

After my ride I picked up Teresa and Josie and took them to the Vet so Josie could get her rabies shot. Got home from the Vet and watched the "Colorado Classic" bike race on the computer, a good finish with a lone breakaway taking the win, a 20 yr old.

Here's a few pics from my ride today.
 


Climbing up the backside of Thompsons Bluff


The top of Thompsons Bluff and a drop down the face, fun ride.


mrbill on top


Huff hill, named because of some friends named Huff and the fact that I Huff and Puff to get up it.

 

 


16 miles
85 deg f
811 days left

Well that was fun.

In my game of musical bicycles today I choose the Carbon bike, I hadn't ridden it in a while so it was fun. I've been riding my mtn bike and my touring bike so the Carbon felt kind of peppy. No rain today but conditions were fine, few clouds and out early enough to beat the heat.

After my ride and a bite to eat I took Teresa and Josey, her Chihuahua, to the vet so Josie could get her rabies shot, Josie is a good girl.

The "Colorado Classic" bike race starts Thursday, sure would like to be in the park for the finish of that one on Sunday, Party.
 


A nice treat, frozen banana slices,
don't let that banana go bad, slice it and freeze it.

 

 


27 miles
84 deg f
813 days left

A ride with Sprinkles, I got lucky cause it poured just after I got home.

After my ride I watched the "Tour of Utah," always enjoy it, really like the area.

I usually don't start a ride in the rain, but thats changed.
I'll tell you what finally got me out in the rain. I thought about golfers, the lowest on the sports totem, some folks don't even consider golfers as athletes and they play in the rain, only stop play for lightning.
Looking at it like that what choice did I have, ride in the rain.
 

 


18 miles
90 deg f
814 days left

Put Trekking Bars on the LHT
Rode in the rain and enjoyed it.
Watched the "Tour of Utah"
Mowed the grass
Doctored Bootsie.
 


Bootsie was a little nervous at the Vet, didn't like hearing the other dogs howl and hollar.


I got my trekking bars put on my LHT


Really enjoyed riding in the rain, who'd have thought

 


17 miles 90 deg f
815 days left

Busy today.

I did get me in a bike ride today, to town and back on my mtn bike for 17 miles. Ride was uneventful and only foul up was when I left my water bottle at the EZmart, so no drink on the way home.

After my bike ride Teresa and I went to the gym, got in my workout, and did a little visiting.

We left the gym and headed to the Library, I left a gas cap for my chain saw with them so they could make me a new one with their 3D printer. After checking on this for 2 weeks they tell me today that they can't do it because the plastic they use won't stand up to gas, sure looks like someone could have told me that.

Next I headed to Wally World for supplies, I'm liking Wally World less and less.
We leave WW headed for Linden, I'm hungry and haven't had Mexican food for awhile so we decide to eat at the Mexican Restaurant in Linden, Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce, muy sabroso.

Then I leave Linden headed for the house to check out the "Tour of Utah" on my computer. I get home, get my computer going and watch a bit of the race and decide to take a quick break and take Bootsie for a walk around the trail. Everything is fine until we get on the back stretch and Bootsie sees something and takes off like lightning. She catches back up to me as I'm headed toward the house. I see shes acting kind of weird, I thought maybe she had a sticker in her foot but then I notice that she had cut herself, probably on the bob wire fence. I looked at it when we got to the house and decided it might need a few stiches so I took her to the vet. Vet said he could put stiches but she would have to wear a cone for a week, or I could give her antibiotics and spray the wound twice a day and she would heal in 2 weeks. I went with the no stiches and no cone, I hate to put one of those cones on a dog, it has to be torture.

So Bootsie and I get home for the finish of the Tour of Utah and then finally my day is about done.

 


80 deg f
816 days left

Sitting here this morning watching the liquid gold run off the roof, always nice to get rain this time of the year as we're almost always in drought conditions with burn bans. I got ready to ride this morning and then when I went to the shop to get my bike I noticed it was raining, most times I don't start a ride if it's raining, plus I needed to get to town this morning early so I could take some tennis shoes to Teresa so she could try and exchange them for me at Academy in Texrarkana. Thinking about Colombia this morning after I heard from a friend, Marc, who I met while in Popayan, Colombia. Ever since I met Marc he has been roaming around South America, a true traveller, and thankfully he checks in once in a while with a travel report, always interesting. Hopefully I'll still get in a ride today between rain showers, I need one.