I rode 98.5 miles in about 6 and a half hours. The day started out with a heavy cloud cover and a pretty serious wind out of the northeast that I figured i was going to battle at some point. By the halfway point the sun was out, and the wind never bothered me at all. It turned into a great ride on good roads and the scenery was a change from the coastal area we have been riding. I saw some longhorn cattle and a train that had all Tropicana Orange cars instead of coal cars like i,m used to. I went through one busy area in Eustis and Leesburg, but the 15 mile stretch of malls and car dealerships had a bike lane, even though it was a 6 lane road at times. Riding this stretch on a Sunday was a blessing, because I figure the whole trip would have been much more congested on a weekday. I saw very few 18 wheelers, and a lot of motorcycles, which dont take up nearly as much of my lane! There were times when I almost felt like I was riding in Ohio, with the slightly rolling hills and farm lands. I saw alot of cattle and horses, but I knew I wasnt in Ohio when I would go by the orange groves, the huge nurseries, and the palm tree farms. Most of the homes were surrounded by four or five of the huge oak trees with these large canopies and Spanish moss, that probably never lets the sun ever hit their roof, which must be the secret to staying cool in the summer.
My legs are strong i think, as ive been noticing the 100 milers are not taking near the toll that they used to on my legs, and with the nice roads and reduced traffic, I do alot of no handed riding, which takes the pressure off my wrists, and overall I feel pretty damn good. I never feel like Im ready to stop when I get to my destination. This weather is really nice, but its not so hot that its sucking the juice out of me either. I cant think of anything else i would rather be doing. It would be nice to see the kids and the grandboy though.
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| First campsite with fruit trees! Yes, Mike picked this.... |
