Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Ever Morphing Bicyclist



Ever noticed how much your body changed ever since you started cycling?  Line them up and cyclists are easy to spot.  Easier if naked.

The first step in change is skin tone, especially for whitey.  The worst suntans.  I have pale white feet (I like socks) supported by tan legs to mid thigh then pale white upper thighs and ass.  As far as my truck goes, my children said it best, "Dad has a white t-shirt."  Late summer I sport raccoon eyes from the skin that is protected by my sunglasses.

Physical changes occur as well.  Mary and I once met a man on a ride that had a gallon plastic water jug mounted on his handlebars.  A huge straw went up to his mouth.  He said it enables him to ride all day.  When he got off the bike his back was all hunched like he had been on the bike for 30 years non-stop.  Others sport the lump on a shoulder from a broken clavicle.  Novices often have scars from crashing because they could not unclip from their SPDs or EggBeaters. Many sport a greasy tattoo from a chainring.  Those that work on bikes often have filthy fingernails.

But I discovered a new mutation in the morphing of bicyclist.  Heating and cooling.  Today it was miserable hot, 99F, and miserably humid, up to 77% at times.  The a/c in the building that I work in cannot keep up.  So I found myself sweating profusely for no other reason than the a/c sucked.  But others were not as bad as me.  I started to worry.  Am I ill?  Is something wrong with me?  Am I dying?

When I left work it was 95F and 39% humidity.  Conditions that would normally melt me on the spot.  But no.  As soon as the bike was rolling I felt good.  the breeze from moving.  I've grown so accustomed to that breeze that my body cannot regulate heat without the movement of air.  I sleep underneath a ceiling fan even when the a/c is on.  When I ride I only get hot when I stop.  And at work, unless I find that a/c sweet spot or a fan, I sweat like I am having a heart attack.

Sure, this summer has not been that bad until this week.  But I reserve the right to bitch.  Looking forward to so colder weather.  I can dress for the 50s.  And I won't sweat!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

RASDak Faces2Falls Photoblog

Moving down the road.  Somewhere between Sioux Falls and Hill City.  We opted for the freeway for better tourism and higher speed limit.  Joe's truck carried Donnie's, Tom's and Joe's bicycles.  2 are recumbents.



Still to this day do not know what these are.



Badlands



Mary and me in the Badlands.

Mostly mud not rock.

Our two drivers, Aggie and Betsy Hildreth, Joe's wife and daughter.

1st group photo.  Left to right: Donnie Hildreth, Mary Guevara, Chris Guevara, Joe Hildreth, Tom Riggs.




Because we needed to carry two drivers to get our two vehicles back to Sioux Falls, the tandem had to ride on back of the van.  I much prefer bicycles inside vehicles.  Safer.  No issues this trip.


Inside the Badlands Visitor Center.

nice shot Joe!  Cannot believe I missed this opportunity.









Wall Drug





We never biked to Mt. Rushmore.  We stopped by on our way to our campsite.  The organisers of the ride asked the BIC of Mt Rushmore if we could do a group photo here.  The BIC said that we were too large of a group (less than 100 riders). 














Bicycle Gothic
Jessica.  She wrote a blog on this ride for the newspaper she works for, Chamberlain/ Oacoma Sun.  Prestine 1991 Trek 520.  I was jealous but glad I was not on it for the week.  Too fast for slow bikes.

Kasey Abbott, the person responsible for it all.  He rode every day and stopped at every town, event and food stand..


Tom's tent died during a sudden gust of wind.  It was windy that evening.  Old high profile tents tend to snap poles.






All our crap.

Tracy 


Pre-ride feed.  Unfortunately I grabbed too much salad.

kathy's bike.  Self contained for a day and a half.  Salsa.

Pancake breakfast Day 1.


Words of advice from the Official Wristband

South Dakota Beer Drinkers Association, I think.

Donnie and Jeff.  Jeff rode with us during TdK last year.  He just got dropped off this morning.







The Crazy Horse Memorial staff had no objections for us to do the group photo.  10 miles into Day 1.

La Machine


Helicopters around the corner.











Keith



Pringle South Dakota




Bicycle sculpture

This antelope almost got ran over by a RV.






Hot Springs, SD














At the time zone line.  Keith said the going rumor is that the number on the state sticker is the mileage to the nearest FEMA Camp.








Cosey


These two just rode 100 miles and have about 10 more to go!
















Preparing for the downhill.























Tim Fairchild relaxing.

















Kathy


Craig Rust between Donnie and Mary.  Very funny person.  Hell of a rider.  He helped us kill the FireBall during TdK last year.


Jim, Jeff and Tracy at Tim's RV.  Basically 3 parties going on at once this night on the eastern shores of the Missouri River,




The man with the safety vest was riding across the country.  As fellow bicyclist we could not help but smother him with questions.  He just wanted a shower and time to finish his Mike's hard Lemonade.



The South dakota Cattle Women were quite a good sponsor!










1957 Thunderbird painted as a memorial for veterans.













Went there for the All You Can Eat chicken and buffet.

Road Booty contest.















Tim has a turtle.





















Dawn in Freeman, SD



Retired Secretary of Agriculture meets his former employee Doug.  He provided snacks at his mother's cattle ranch.

My son has the same shirt!

Wildlife in Sioux Falls










David Sunde

At the finish with a flat.


Jim and Tracy at the finish!


Video interview of Kathy explainer her crash.




never let strangers use your spy camera.

They don't know how to use it!  At The Falls, Sioux Falls, SD.



My view sans hands and forearms

Front view.