These are the Days that Make It All Worthwhile!

It was an 80 mile day to Henrietta from Niagara Falls. Load was at 6:30 with a short ride down the street to breakfast. At least for those that were early to breakfast, service was quick so we were able to be out on the road in short order.

We climbed roughly 2,600 feet today, mostly short and steep. The best part, though, were the winds. Tail winds most of the day. That means we were into Henrietta early and have some time to prepare for tomorrow.

The ride was really good today. Adjusting to daily riding and coming into the middle of a ride is a challenge, although somehow I seem to forget that each time I do it.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the off day in Niagara Falls yesterday. Many even spoke about going to the Casino and eating at the buffet (this after complaining about being tired of buffets). Most evening meals do consist of a buffet somewhere. Tonight will be Old Country Buffet.

After finishing laundry yesterday morning, I disassembled and cleaned the bike. I hadn't had the chance to do that since riding in the rain into Port Huron. There was plenty of grit and road residue that had coated the frame, the chain and drive train.

I then walked to the bike shop / safe shop / locksmith to pick up a few things. As you can probably guess, it was a smaller "bike shop," but I was thrilled to find they had the Tri-Flow lube that I like and cannot find at home anymore. The other things that I was looking for will wait for another day.

I had hoped cleaning and new lube might help the shifting issue that has developed in the past couple of days. Unfortunately, it didn't; so I'll pay a visit to the mechanic tonight. Need to get it taken care of before getting into Vermont. "Minor" mechanical work is included in the trip, which is a bit subjective. The staff will do everything that they can to get you back on the road. Someone broke a chain on one of the short, steep climbs on Sunday. Jim, the mechanic on the ride, was able to temporarily fix the chain and then replace a little further down the road.

He is the same mechanic as the portion of the trip I did last year, and was able to "farmer" together a shifter for me last year when I broke mine going into LaCrosse. He is the best (including the guys at home).

Jim has a pretty dry sense of humor. He was at the front desk when I checked in at Niagara Falls on Sunday. The hotel staff handed me a small package that Brenda, my sister, had sent. Jim said, "That's not big enough for cookies." He remembers last year's packages she sent, that were plentiful enough to share at SAG stops. It was, however, "Encourage-" mints (aka peppermint patties). So, I made sure to share with him. I'll take more with me to the mechanic's van tonight.

I also walked around the Falls yesterday and stopped for lunch at an outdoor food stand after hiking to the bike shop. Many of the riders took in the various tours that are available, including Maid of the Mist and Cave of Winds. I decided to keep it pretty low key.

Today's route was rural, but in the eastern sort of way -- no visible towns but lots of houses. I enjoy this riding. There's alot to look at and take in. We actually even saw camels today?! (I have photos.)

We appear to be back in dairy country. Dairy barns were more plentiful again.

We also saw cabbage being boxed in the field and onions.

I wonder what people from the coasts think when they ride into the West (i.e. Idaho and Wyoming) and the Midwest (i.e. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, etc.) with all the wide open space? It's hard to describe, but I would expect it might be a little unsettling to ride for miles without seeing a house or other human being when you're used to having visible neighbors even if you live in the "country." Even the farm fields in Iowa are huge compared to what we have seen in the past week. And, it's amazing how quickly the topography and culture changes.

We didn't pass through many towns, although there were signs for "villages." We were in Niagara Falls for approximately the first 15 miles this morning. The rest of the route took us through Akron, Byron, Bergen, Riga and Scottsville.

We'll be in Liverpool, NY tomorrow night. Weather continues to look good, although heating up a bit but our luck continues to hold.

~ Lisa