Crankin
05-24-2010, 09:34 AM
Oh boy, the real riding has begun. We left Cordoba around 9 AM and began climbing almost immediately. It was still cooler out, though. I found my Body Glide and the tour leader went tot he bike store and bought me some type of saddle sore stuff that I have never seen in the US. It's helped, but I realized that my Terry Bella shorts aren't as good in the real heat as the Shebeest Ultras (or whatever they are called). The roads in the AM were washed out from floods a couple of weeks ago; I swear some of it was like single track and I was wishing that I was riding a hybrid as most of the others are. My fear of descending was intensified like 100% from this, as well as the fact I can't reach the brakes from the drops and have to descend from the hoods. But, I made it. Had a nice tuna and tomato sandwich in a small town and off we went. It was 90 degrees by now. The 3 rabbits in the group went ahead (they are OK, but really, I wonder if they are seeing anything). The serious climbing started almost immediately. The rest of the group fell back; when Steve and I finished what I thought the "bad" climb, the leader rode up with us and told us, nope, the worst was yet to come. I was starting to doubt my ability to do it when the leader informed me I was not in my granny gear! The shifting on my bike sucks (105), and it's driving me nuts. So, up we went. It was a 7 mile climb, probably not the steepest grades I've done, but the longest/steepest combination I have done. Lots of switchbacks. It stared getting a bit cooler, up there, too. Several of the riders had stopped and walked a bit, but only one guy had to go in the van... he's probably close to 80 years old. We got to the top before the group, my strategy of just going as slowly as I can the whole time, worked. And there's no computer on the bike, so I am freed of that. After that was the long descent, where I was the last one down. We had about 4k to go until the hotel in Baena, and we all rode together, with the leader in front.
This is a nice little town. Got out of the sweaty shorts pronto,showered and went to a little bar for sangria and cheese. I am fighting sleep right now, but have an hour until dinner.
I have noticed that I am the only one using anything like Accelerade and no one else brought their own bars/snacks. I have found Shot Blocks to be a godsend in the hot weather, as well as pouring water on my head and down my jersey! This is definitely my best tour; it's an international group, no weirdos or drunks on this one.
This is a nice little town. Got out of the sweaty shorts pronto,showered and went to a little bar for sangria and cheese. I am fighting sleep right now, but have an hour until dinner.
I have noticed that I am the only one using anything like Accelerade and no one else brought their own bars/snacks. I have found Shot Blocks to be a godsend in the hot weather, as well as pouring water on my head and down my jersey! This is definitely my best tour; it's an international group, no weirdos or drunks on this one.