No walking today! Fantastic!
Today was a 63 mile ride. We got out a little earlier today. It was a longer ride and we wanted to hit all the sag stops a little earlier and get the majority of the ride done before the temperature got into the eighties. The rides always starts in the Cumberland Mountain State Park. As we head out, we ride over a stone bridge with the view below. There was a forecast of fog this morning but luckily it stayed away from the route and hung around the mountain valleys.
We did not see any steep inclines or descents today, but still had a lot of rolling hills. A lot. You can see the profile below - one longer descent and then an incline that was around 2 miles, but only around a 6-7% grade. The low area of the profile was along Watts Bar Lake. As we eventually left the lake, we found ourselves on very rural roads - two lane roads in the mountains with nothing much around. Surprisingly, this was an evacuation route should anything bad happen at the nuclear power plant 5 miles away. Seemed odd.
We had no major gear or bike problems today. However, Gregg’s front tire did spring a leak… twice. His wheels are tubeless tires that contain, along with air, some kind of high tech liquid that seals leaks when they happen. The first time it sprayed the liquid all over everything while he was riding before it finally sealed the leak. Then second time we were stopped and talking when a hissing started from his tire. We could see the pinhole. He just rotated his tire so the pinhole was at the bottom. Done. Very cool. A stop at the mechanic to make sure all was good followed at the next sag stop.
In three days, the ride mechanic helped all three of us with gear problems. He looks happy doesn’t he? He’s a lawyer who apparently enjoys this more than his profession. There wasn’t a bike question we couldn’t ask ask him for which he didn’t have a thoughtful answer. In fact, his answers all had the hint of a lawyer’s response.
Tomorrow is a 55 mile ride called Potato Farm. We’ll see if we pass or stop at a potato farm. We hope it’s a little less hilly. It looks like it may be. We are three days in and this has so far been the most difficult organized ride. We laugh as we talk about how we have been constantly fighting hills one after another every day. No flat roads here, yet.