Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Westside, Eastside, Northside, Southside

2310.3; 52.2. Yeah, longest ride so far, but only by about half a mile. Really tried to keep the energy up, via 8-mile rests and small snacks. STILL got sluggish around 35 miles, but did manage to continue for (evidently) 17 more, stopping more often, but pressing onward. Man that WIND! It seemed particularly bad on the last stretch, the westbound Rodota trail. Stopped in at the shop to make appt for tune-up and ask about tire life. He says (a) if you're not getting regular flats, you probably have some mileage to go (b) the "tread" (really just angled grooves in the basically smooth tire) still has some depth, and you could probably keep going even when it doesn't (unlike a car), (c) If the tire spilts, you can use a dollar bill (?) for a temporary repair, or electrical tape you have ready by winding it e.g. around the seatpost.

Is a century doable? Jeeze, that's a tough call. It's basically two of this, but the second one a LOT harder, I'd imagine. I'm looking at Cloverdale as a probably round-trip destination for it. Lunch in Cloverdale, definitely. With an early start, on a good day, I think I could make it. Need to map out 60, 75, 80, 90-mile rides first, maybe, but I might also just get on the bike one day and go for it...

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