Can't Outrun The Heat

We got an even earlier start this morning, leaving Sacramento at 6:15am. Was that early enough to beat the heat? It was not!

We started with a lovely ride along a car-free bike bath out of Sacramento (with some brief mechanical setbacks) and then got on a few two-to-four lane roads through fields. If all of the vegetation was green, it would have looked a lot like the English countryside. A pleasant surprise!

The roads were rather busy (possibly because it was a Saturday) but most of the drivers were surprisingly courteous (?!). So, they wouldn’t buzz past us rather than wait 3 seconds for a gap in oncoming traffic that would allow them to give us a wide berth. They just..waited..until they could pass us..safely. (Yes, I’m looking at you, NoVA drivers).

It was hot, hot, HOT today. We biked from one almost-nonexistent shady spot to the next. At one point we turned on to a road that had multiple trees providing shade for several seconds while we rode and Mike delcared it to be an oasis.

Halfway through the day we picked a hotel in Plymouth as our final destination. 5 miles out, Mike and I stopped to cool down in the shade and drink water. 2.5 miles out, Mike and I stopped again to cool down in the shade and drink more water. 1.5 miles out, Mike and I stopped to cool down in the shade and eat food because we didn’t think we could ride another 8,000 feet, even with the promise of air conditioning at the end, without sustenance.

Highlights

• We met a lot of very friendly cyclists, both while riding and while dealing with some mechanical problems. They gave us tips about places to visit in the area, told us about long distance rides they’ve been on, or wished us luck.
• Mike found a great boutique hotel in Plymouth. Initially it seemed a bit expensive, but by the time we got here we would have paid literally any amount of money for a shower and AC. When checking in, they asked if we had any special dietary requirements, and then they made vegan appetizers for the happy hour! They also packed up breakfast for us tonight so we can get an early start in the morning.

Lowlights

• The heat
• Jordan got a flat
• It actually got quite hot out. Some might say, uncomfortably so.
• There wasn’t a lot of shade, and it was very hot.

Julie’s food (Plymouth hospitality)

• Breakfast: frozen breakfast bowl, peanut butter banana sandwich
• First snack: granola bar + gatorade
• Second snack: gatorade
• Lunch: uh.. four slices of bread and an entire tub of hummus. Mike didn’t want any and I couldn’t let it go to waste!
• Dinner: a veggie rice bowl from a food truck at a local brewery. Opa Anton hooked me up.
• Hotel happy hour: something similar to bruschetta and local wine.

Stats

• Total distance: 50.94 miles
• Elevation gain: 2143 feet
• Weather: hot and dry, high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit