Yeah, it’s not a real race. I liked the quiet streets on the last trip, so I figured I’d go more-or-less on the same route.

Turned off to my main street, and there were probably 50 cyclists, a few tents, bunches of cars and the odd random officiant wearing dayglo orange. Now, I was feeling very manly today, because I had just put on my 2 ft long rainbow windsock on the back of my already tres manly recumbent, so I sped up behind some wedgy riders and asked what the race was. It was apparently the High Desert Road Race. I was peeved. It was my road, after all.

So, I figured out which way they were going, and I went the other direction. It wasn’t a closed route, so I wasn’t being a dick…there were still other cars passing me. Anyway, turns out guys don’t look at you when you’ve got a rainbow windsock recumbent, but the ladies all smile. Sure, they’re laughing on the inside, but it’s all good.

I also found a few really nice smooth roads, one that went on a really nice gradual 3 mile or so descent. It was completely awesome until I saw the Pavement Ends sign. The 3 miles back felt longer.

Also broke my first spoke, which was pretty nifty, and I felt hardcore wrapping it around a good one and going on. The wheel was pretty untrue by the time I got back, so the wheel’s in the shop. They look at a 20″ tire with a road wheel on it with some questions.

Hot freaking day today. And the gaps that my GPS put into the Map My Ride map ended up ripping me off of a full 5 miles today. The GPS, which I trust more than MMR, showed a little over 41 miles…2900 calories burned. I feel it too. I just about barfed three times afterwards.

Sara wanted to go to lunch and a movie, so we did. It’s a damned good thing it was the Bourne movie, ’cause I wouldn’t have made it through any other movie without falling asleep. As it is, the camerawork only made me want to barf one more time.

I know I should leave earlier in the day, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Well, I took nearly three weeks off, because my back went out a few weekends ago. Rooting around all day in the crawlspace was not a good idea, apparently.

So, this was a short ride, but good for a few reasons. A lower traffic route to China Hat, and finally getting my goggles figured out. No dust, no fog. Perfect.

Only one downside…after a family breakfast, I didn’t get out the door until around noon, when the temps were in the mid-90s. Bad idea. I sunscreened well, but I burned my lips, of all things. Think I’ll have to start earlier next week. Backs all strong again though.

I decided to go on Saturday instead of Sunday…the weather report was much nicer. They lied.

Once I got out of town it started raining. I tried to ignore it for awhile, but it got old, and I put on my jacket. That warmed me up a lot, but I already had issues.

The goggles I had on work great. They form an even better seal than I thought they would. I had no dirt in my eyes at any time during my ride, and that makes them worth the $30 alone. Unfortunately, they form a really good seal. Apparently the skin around my eyes sweats. They have a fog-free coating on them, which is nice, but once your eyes sweat enough, you get a thin film of water on the inside. I thought something was screwing with my eyesight for awhile. Instead, if I lift up the bottom of the goggles for awhile, and let some air circulate, then it clears up.

Second, it was cold. I’m not sure how cold, but I should note it, because parts of me respond poorly to the cold (no…not that part). My right knee aches in the cold, and given that the main part of me that’s sore right now is my knee, I think it may be related. I have knee warmers, and I need to bring them the next time. That pretty much kept up through the entire ride.

Since Sara is pregnant, the phone is a godsend. It’s my map, my lifeline. I got to find out where I got lost, and to call Sara on occasion. Also, at about a mile past the turnaround marker on the map, Roby called. Completely randomly, since I was 25 miles away from Bend, and he called to talk about Mark, another friend of mine.

My big bonehead move was not paying enough attention to my phone. I ended up looping around and adding about 10 miles to my route by retracing my steps, and then realizing it, turning around, and going back down the same road for the third time that day.

All of this time it was raining. Raining enough that when I stood up, pools of water poured out of my jacket. Raining so that after awhile I got tired of wiping off my goggles, and completely abandoned my mirror, because all I saw was water droplets.

Eventually, when I saw how much time I had lost, I realized it was time to call it in. I’d been riding for about 3.5 hours in the rain, I was cold, and I just wasn’t having fun anymore, especially when the lion’s share of my remaining ride was going to be going through downtown. I called Sara and said, “pick me up!” I had another three miles in me after that, so i finished a respectable distance from town, and still got my 52 miles in.

Next week, rather than spending all my time riding flats, I’m going to head up into the mountains until I get tired of hills, then turn around and coast back. We’ll see how long I can make it. Climbing in the ‘bent is harder, but still doable.

Also, a late-breaking problem…my lower back was sore last night, and today I threw it out bending over wrong. So, we got a heating pad, and I need to take it easy for awhile. I’m not entirely sure what I do that exercises my lower back, but it surely does. I need to watch that.

Goddamn China Hat Road.  I was so ready to like you.  Rolling, steady uphill (meaning rolling stead, fun downhill on the way back) and it went for almost 10 miles straight.  I had a route planned that would let me take a left in about 6 more miles, hit Hwy 20, and cruise back in style, after one huge hill.

I was fighting dust in my eyes again the entire time, so I almost missed the “Pavement Ends” sign, but I definitely felt the cattle guard.  I pulled over to take a look to see if I could get an idea of how far the dirt road went, when a guy in a minivan stopped going the other way and told me it would be a dusty route forward, and that the dirt went on for about 10 miles.  That meant turning around, since I was already having a hard time seeing, and I’m far from comfortable enough on the recumbent to go on a long dirt road.  That, and the lack of new tubes meant a U-turn.

As a result, the path looks like a big sperm.  I wasn’t ready to go back home yet, so I tooled around, and actually hit my max speed so far on the bike (31mph) on a steep downhill on Knott road.  That was a little scary because there was debris all over the bike lane.  But, quickly got to the bottom, found a nice mormon church parking lot to turn around in, and headed home.  My eyes are still hurting.  Those goggles better come soon.

Nice and sunny out, which also meant lots of people driving. That kicks up dust, and I spent the better part of the ride crying out of one or both eyes. A good part of the time I could only see out of one eye.