Stage 15 - Crash & Burn

A very rough day out on the roads today. First of all, due to scheduling conflicts I ended up riding solo. I went northwest into the headwinds, turned east towards Lake Michigan and by the time I turned southwest to head home the winds had switched direction - now coming from the southwest and providing a very annoying headwind. 61 miles, almost all of which was into the winds. Grrrr!

But I did have it better than some people. I came upon a serious car wreck just as the ambulance was pulling away from the scene. Take a look at what's left of the big Chevy Suburban and note how they had to use the jaws of life to cut the roof off for access;

Tree 1, Truck 0

Just a few miles further up the road I happened upon a house fire. Or rather, the smoldering pile of what used to be a house.

Ashes to ashes

All of this makes you stop and think. There is such a fine line that separates things like; living and dying, love and hate, winning and losing. But that's what I like about riding a bike; you can forget about all of that garbage and worry about important things like finding a route that takes advantage of the winds, has many coffee shops along the way and goes by a public beach with pretty girls. You know what I'm talking about, important stuff.

Body Update: The saddle sore has been reduced to a minor annoyance. The searing pain is gone and a lingering ache is all that remains. The wasp stings are very itchy and the wound spots are beginning to harden. The swelling of the knuckles is gone. My weight has not changed since the Tour started. I'm sleeping OK, but not great. My neck and shoulders are stiff and sore. My legs hurt.

Bike Update: I don't know exactly where or when it happened but the front wheel has a dent and a corresponding flat spot. There is now a steady and annoying thump-thump-thump as I ride down the road. Once the rhythm of the thumping gets into your head it's hard to push out. The Boss has offered to loan me his spare and I just might take him up on it. My wheel, a Mavic Ksyrium SL will need to be sent to the factory for repair. Other than that the Shimano Dura Ace equipped Colnago C-50 is performing wonderfully.

Over 800 miles done and just under 300 to go.