Dolly's Bike Blog

Musings about fun between my legs

A rather unpleasant transition

Late Wednesday afternoon, Don and I returned to Carmel, having driven from The Villages to Atlanta on Tuesday.  After spending the night with friends Gary and Lisa Lancaster, we got an early start Wednesday in the rain.  The temperature fell as we headed north, with the showers continuing, fog, freezing mist on the trees, and similar unpleasant weather into Kentucky.  It was In the mid 30s in Indiana.  I certainly missed the 70 degree days in Florida.

We spent 17 days with our tandem buddies Ray and Linda Cannarella at their home (many thanks for the hospitality). I biked 15 of those days, 596 miles in total. The two off days we spent at Disney World, with Ralph and Karen Craft, Don’s brother and sister-in-law. On the tandem for 231 miles, the single for 365 miles. The roads in The Villages are wonderfully smooth; there is a golf cart/bike lane on most roads, also off road trails for carts and bikes. Outside of The Villages, the rural roads are rougher, though not as many potholes as here in Indiana. And I even found some hills for my workouts.

So back in Indiana, the temperatures are cold. This coming week, single digits are predicted. But today, with the sun shining, and a forecast in the 40s, I headed out: 45 miles! The first 30 miles with a tailwind or crosswind, I averaged 14 mph. Riding home into the wind (20+ mph, with gusts 30 mph), my average fell to 12.2. The good news was that I seem to have dressed correctly; I am enjoying my merino wool jersey.

On the cross country tour, I will likely encounter a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. I certainly do like the 70s with soft breezes the best!

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