On into Oklahoma

June 14 127 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 0

The unspoken rules about how to pass a biker

Being a long time biker, I would like to inform those of you that are not cyclists how to pass a bicycle in a car. I like it best when I am given it ample room (½ a lane) and the car simply proceeds on by, without really slowing down or making a big production out of it. You don’t have to use your horn, I am keenly aware of the sound of your engine and tires coming up from behind. If you did want to give a “love toot”, simply tap the horn while you are still 2-3 seconds behind me. You do not have to slam on the horn as you are coming up beside me, that is unless you want to see me jump and then swear at you. Also, it is somewhat nerve wracking and intimidating when the car or more often the large truck doesn’t want to pass when they can’t see far enough ahead. But to be followed by the extra polite car a ¼ mile until I make it to the top of the hill, is almost more frustrating than being passed with less than adequate room. You don’t have to be my support car in the tour of France. I am not in a race and obviously you want me to go faster or else you wouldn’t be following so closely.

June 13

155 Km

Total points 0

Not the best day. It was hot and the road was long. In the end I could think of all kinds of things that I would rather be doing than biking towards Mexico in the middle of summer. Here are some of the ideas that I came up with today. Be with Diane. Cook food on a real stove. Plant a garden. Fix mom’s old motorcycle. Volunteer at something, anything. Relax. And many more that I can’t think of at the time. If Missouri doesn’t end soon this trip is going to be boring, cause once you’ve seen one corn field you’ve seen most of the others.

June 12

133 Km

Total points 1

Finished the KATY trail and at the end ran into Mark. He let me sleep in his back yard and his wife made some delicious chicken noodle soup. It rained most of the afternoon. Not the best day not the worst. Mark asked me a question a lot of people ask. So what do you do when you get a flat tire, or the alternative to the question, how many spare tires do you have with you. Nobody ever asks if I have spare pedals or spare chain, or even any tools but they all want to know about the tires. But to tell you the truth that is the one of the things that does break often. So far this trip, I have had no flats, but I have broken two spokes which I was able to fix.