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Lon's Description: This part of the tour seems
to go fast. Everyone is smelling the finish
and riding strong. When we arrive in Charleston
the landscape we just crossed is still a blur.
Remember to take pictures, write a diary and talk
to the local people along the way.
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Today was an enjoyable day of riding
through South Carolina from Greenwood to Orangeburg, a
total of 120 miles. We were blessed with excellent weather,
and the terrain was flat and gently rolling. This was a
relief for Cheryl who was dealing with a tendon problem
that sidelined her for half of the ride on Day 23.
We also got to see some of the cotton fields (where
Cheryl took a sample), and we drafted an enormous tractor
for a mile or two that happened to be traveling at our speed.
We are all feeling the cumulative effects of riding long miles for 24 consecutive days, and we are looking forward to riding into Charleston tomorrow. Our cross-country adventure is coming to a close, and I think many of us have mixed feelings, since this is a truly remarkable experience. |
| Estimated Distance: | 121 Miles |
| Actual Distance: | 117.9 Miles |
| Cumulative Actual Distance: |
2,987 Miles This includes the following off course added miles: San Diego - 2.0 Miles when Chuck and Bob Harting missed a turn Winslow - 4.7 Miles when Chuck, Ken, and Les Drake went to the mural painting after the ride Pagosa Springs - 3.1 Miles when Chuck missed Lunch Alamosa - 11.2 Miles when Chuck missed the turn for Lunch |
| Estimated Feet of Climbing: | 2,200 Feet |
| Actual Feet of Climbing: |
2,960 Feet |
| Cumulative Feet of Climbing: | 101,200 Feet |
| Elevation of Destination: | 350 Feet |
| Average Speed on the Bike: |
17.7 MPH |
| Maximum Speed on the Bike: |
34.5 MPH |
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Chuck's Heart Rate Data: Max Heart Rate was 196 BPM a few weeks ago before PAC Tour |
Time above 150: 0:22 Time between 130-150: 3:49 Time below 130: 3:00 |
| Dairy Queen Count: |
1 Blythe, CA 2 Twister's Ice Cream in Williams, AZ 3 Dairy Queen in Cortez, Colorado was phenomenal 4 Dairy Queen in Monte Vista, Colorado (PAC Tour Hot Fudge Banana Split: Bananas, 3 Scoops Ice Cream, Hot Fudge on Side: Awesome!!) 5 Dairy Queen in Pratt, Kansas 6 Dairy Queen in Winfield, Kansas - PAC Tour Hot Fudge Banana Split 7 Ice Cream at All You Can Eat Buffet in Cuba, Missouri (Boy, did this restaurant lose money on us!!) 8 Dairy Queen in Farmington, Missouri - Dinner 9 Dairy Queen in Vienna, Illinois - Excellent Chocolate Marshmellow Shake 10 Wendy's Frosties in Greenwood, South Carolina |
| Ken didn't take any photos on his Digital Camera today. Chuck took a couple of shots on his Analog Camera which he'll post to this page later. |
| Highlights: |
Another OUTSTANDING day of cycling!!
It was a great moment in time when I saw my Avocet 50 altimeter read 100,000 Feet of Climbing since we left San Diego!! Chuck was in the right place and time today and had fun riding side by side with Lon Haldeman from the first Rest Stop to the second Rest Stop and then onto Lunch ... for about 50 miles. Lon is so fun to ride next to. Always a good story to share. A good joke to laugh at. He was painting some arrows on the road at the turns for those following later behind. The miles just fly by when you're riding with Lon. At one point a couple of mean looking dogs came out to give us a good chase ... so Chuck immediately shifted up a couple of gears and sprinted down the road. Lon stopped and yelled at them: "Now you go back home and stay." What was really amazing is that these mean, barking, meat eating dogs stopped dead in their tracks and turned around right then and there!! A couple of days ago, Spencer broke a rear spoke on his new Mavic wheels. They use a black, flat bladed spoke which no one had any spares for. I asked Lon how he fixed that one and without a hesitation he said, "Well, I took some of this really hard Black Licorice and flattened it out ...." Well, I took this hook, line, and sinker until I looked at Lon and saw this great big grin on his face. At the town of Ridge Springs, Lon and I stopped for a photo of a really cool mural painted on the side of a building. I will post this photo later. I noticed some cotton fields in Monetto. We rode down some great country roads today ... many of them were lined with trees on both sides and it was beautiful. We signed Jeff's new Cleveland Indians Jersey at the finish today. Jeff's a great guy and is getting married in November ... 2000 is a big year for him. You know you're in the deep south when the phone in the hotel reads: "Emargency - 911". No kidding!! |
| Memorable Scenery: |
100,000 Feet of Climbing on Chuck's Avocet 50 Beautiful tree lined country roads |
| Mechanical Problems: |
John Ashby appears to lead the Flat
Tire competition with 13 flats. In addition, he
has had 2 rear wheel spoke failures, a cassette
destruction, and a Rear Derailleur explosion.
John has excellent equipment but has concluded
that sometimes the less expensive stuff works
better. |
|
Biomechanical (Engine) Problems: |
Cheryl's tendon seemed to be less painful today |
| What Worked: |
Hee blow breathing allowed Chuck to hang on with some
faster pacelines No wind Blue skies and warmth of the sun 4 GU's which were like lighter fluid for Chuck |
| What Didn't Work: | Nothing to report |
| Quote of the Day: |
Sometimes it gets replaced." Sign in front of Baptist Church |
| Chuck's Song of the Day: |
Between the earth and sky Little did we realize We were flying, you and I. We sang to the stars above We praised the earth below ... It was beautiful, glorious We were riding on a wave ..." The Moody Blues, 1999 "Foolish Love" on "Strange Times" These guys are still rocking 35 years later!! I didn't start out singing this song but the jukebox kept bringing this back. It's been good for at least 500 miles on this trip across America!! |