Howling Grits practice ride

Jayjay and I rode Jerry's Howling Grits 100K populaire today, not for credit, but just to see if we could do it.  We might actually finish in time.  The hills were a challenge for us, since Jerry has done a masterful job of linking together roads with minimal flat sections.  And it was hot, though we dodged the worst since it was overcast the first several hours.  Of course, we won't stop at a shaded beachy stretch along Jordan Lake on a real ride, like we did today.   And I will definitely not ride my bike the 10 miles from home to the start, like I did today.  Maybe we'll try again in October, when it's cooler.

Of course, what would a rando ride be without a detour?    Photos

Bike maintenance

I noticed two diagonal slits in the sidewalls of my rear tire during our last 200K. There was one slit on each side of the tire, about two inches apart. Very odd. I bought a new rear tire and installed it tonight.

While the wheel was off, I replaced my spoke silencers with new plastic strips (re-purposed from the packaging of a lawn mower blade). My spokes are notched from wear and make an annoying click when I ride. These strips keep them separated and quiet. And the silence helps me ignore that the spokes are ready to break.

Am I a redneck rando? Photos

Snarky Sprints

Four randos rode the RUSA Tar Heel 200K on a beautiful summer day today. Dean, Jayjay, Mike and I started at daybreak in Benson. Mike rode with great vigor, fresh from a 1000K in California. The rest of us rode slow and had great conversation. Click on the little thumbnail photo here to see Dean and Mike the second time we met, some miles from the turnaround point in Tar Heel.

Quote of the day, from Jayjay to a non-rando roadie friend:

"Randos don't sprint for county line signs. We sprint for state lines."

...which segues nicely to this little video of me NOT fooling Dean at the Bladen County line: video

And a few unremarkable snapshots: photos

No flats or mechanicals, just the usual dogs, detours, and missing signs. A great day on the bikes.