"Transit of Uranus"

Five randos rode the RUSA Lookin' out my back door 200K yesterday, in central North Carolina yesterday.  Dean, Jajyay, and I started early.  Alan and Mike started a little later.

We pulled off the road for this monster farm vehicle near the Averasboro Civil War Museum.  A few moments later, it turned directly toward us to avoid a mailbox on the other side.   We scrambled even further away from the road.  Ugh.

Congrats to Alan on reaching R-36.  Here's a 5 second video of Alan crossing paths with us.  In the video, he is talking about catching up to us after the turnaround point. [video]

Jayjay's rear tire developed a slow leak at the end of the ride.  We stopped about five times to pump it up, ever more frequently.  We made it to the finish without patching it.

In the 'boyish humor' category, I've been encouraging my wife to tease her elementary school students about the "Transit of Uranus" (spoofing the actual Transit of Venus).  She scowled at me.  I shared the story with Dean and Jayjay.  Instinctive reactions:  Dean laughed heartily.  Jayjay scowled.  Yay for boyish humor.

Another great day on the bikes.

Redneck Rando

What does it mean when:
1) You replace a front tire which has a small hole bulging in the side, and then
2) you discover a piece of duct tape inside the tire?

That's Redneck!

As Sting might sing: "Don't ride so close to me"

100K in 4.5 hours

Jayjay and I set a personal best record today, bicycling 100km in only 4.5 hours.  It wasn't because of improved fitness or better bikes.  It was bacause a tropical storm off the coast of North Carolina was generating strong tailwinds many miles inland.  Yay.

Alas, we then had to turn around and ride back, to complete the second half of our 200K.  Ha!  And then the summer sun came out.  Double ha!

All told, six randos rode the new RUSA Lookin' Out My Back Door 200K today, from Raleigh to Cedar Creek NC and back (Dean, Skiff, John, Mike, Jayay, and me).  We had a great time chatting together on the outbound leg.  On the return, folks split up into small groups and rode at their own pace.

Shortly after the turnaround, we spotted three other cyclists approaching.  I saw bright headlights.  And reflectivewear.  And handlebar luggage.  And a Moulton.  Wow, they look like randos.  As we crossed paths, both groups cheered each other.  Yep, definitely randos.  After they passed, Dean confirmed they were riders on the 600K pre-ride, headed down to the coast.  Kudos.  I trust they had an incredible ride.

Approaching the town of Dunn, we came upon a nasty car wreck.  First responders were working on the injured, and policemen were directing cars to turn back and not pass through the intersection.  Jayjay and I got off our bikes at a distance, walked slowly past the wreck with our heads down, along the shoulder.  They let us pass.

At dinner later this evening, Jayjay gave it a positive spin:  "Except for the heat, hills, and headwinds, it was a great ride."

Another great day on the bikes.

Snaps of the commute

As I biked home from work this afternoon, I was approaching a railroad crossing. All was quiet. I had not heard a train horn off in the distance.

 But as I got close to the tracks, the bells started clanging, red lights started flashing, and the gates went down. Seconds later, this small red maintenance vehicle (a ballast tamper?) rolled through the crossing.

 You never know what you'll see.

Video snip from the commute

Bicyclists can see and hear much better than car drivers.  This morning, I heard this fire truck approaching so long in advance that I had plenty of time to dutifully pull over and stop, and get my camera out.  The car driver who passed me took a tad longer.

Here is the 10-second drive-by: [video]

No signs permitted on this property

Four randos (Dean, Jayjay, Phil, and Andy) rode the [RUSA Tar Heel 200K] in eastern North Carolina today.  The weather was grey and threatening all day, but I only felt about 10 raindrops right after the start.  The wind pushed us along on the outbound trip, but took revenge on the return trip.  I don't remember one dog chasing us out on the street; I can't imagine why.  Traffic was cordial, and I don't remember even one buzz.

Perhaps the highlight of the ride was meeting randos Mike O and Fearless Leader Alan at the afternoon checkpoint in Stedman.  They were riding a [different RUSA permanent] today, and timed their ride hoping to meet us.  How very nice.

North Carolina is having a primary election in early May.  Political signs were everywhere, advertising candidates for a wide variety of positions.  This 200K passes through many counties, and they all had their own set of candidates.  In Tar Heel, Phil noticed this one sign prohibiting other signs without permission (click to enlarge).  Ha.

Click [here] for a few more photos.

A great day on the bikes.

R-12 vs Real Life

I have been lazily postponing the start of another R-12 this month.  Meanwhile...

* My father went in the hospital, so I was away one weekend.

* I got assigned to a new project at work, which demands lots more nights & weekends ramping up.

* A pickup truck smashed into my wife's Honda Fit.  [photos]

* And with only a few days left in the month, the weather is now 'suboptimal'.

Ugh.  Old lesson re-learned:  Ride early each month.