June 2nd – Glendale, VA to Mineral, VA

Mileage: 85 ish
Terrain: Pretty Flat to rolling
Temperature: 85ish degrees
So today the sun was up at 5:30 and people started getting up shortly after that. I didn’t get up until about 6:15 and by 7:00 ruby and I hit the road. Throughout the day we made many stops. They did have a water stop for us until about 25 miles in that we stopped at and then kept moving on. At about 40 miles in we stopped in a cute little town called Ashland and had a lunch. We did get lost in the first 40 miles only once where there was a road closed and we asked one of the construction workers if 156 went straight and he said yeah, well it actually turned to the left we found out later, and that set us back a few miles. However, I guess we were some of the lucky ones coming in at a little over 80 miles because many of the other riders were in the 90 ish miles due to getting off route. Needless to say I/we are all getting better at reading the maps and watching for road signs!! So after Ashland we still had 40 miles to go well on my way out on some back road I managed to hit a big pot hole, and thought nothing of it well later on POW!! My first flat of the trip!! Pretty sure it was a pinch flat!! There was a big slit on the tube by the presta valve. There was no patching this one which I was somewhat disappointed in due to a prize at the end of who could get the most patches in a tube and still ride on it!! Last year someone had around 4 patches in one tube!! They do this in order to save tubes. Then about 5-10 miles down the road hit a small bump and something fell from my bike. I stopped to see what it was and it was my patch kit and it had fallen from my pouch under my seat bag. I had forgotten to close the pouch when I had gotten my flat and used the tools in this pouch. This is also where I keep my Guardian Angel coin that my mom gave me and I opened it and didn’t see it and immediately started freaking out!! I didn’t want to have to go back all that way to look for it. So I took everything out of my bag and it had managed to slip all the way back to the back bottom of the bag, I was SOOO relived that it was still in the bag as this means so much to me!!!!! So we continued on and stopped a few times just to rest and also stopped at the second water stop provided to us by the van and trailer. We have been informed that from now on we need to be making sure that we are stopping at gas stations and any place that has water and or food to fill up because with this kind of mileage they are not going to be able to be our only sources of water. So many of our stops were at gas stations to grab some water and a bite to eat. So as I pedaled on at about mile 65 I began to become very tired. The first 65 I felt great and then was just getting ready to be off of the bike!! Then about 10 miles from Mineral, we stopped at a convenience store to get a drink and ice cream and told the worker about our trip and he was very interested it. We had locked our bikes outside and went outside to unlock them and move on, well one of my fellow riders was having difficulty getting her combination lock undone and had thought she had accidentally resent the password and as we were messing with it almost ready to go inside and as for a bolt cutter the worker came out with rice and noodles and gave them to us. It was soo kind of him. Oh yeah we did figure out the combination lock. Finally at mile 80 something I pulled up to the Firehouse in Mineral, VA. As I pulled up I saw many of my fellow riders in the back of the firehouse under a shelter and then I also saw two young men standing in the front of the fire house with their bikes fully loaded and didn’t recognize them from our group. So I went up to them and said where did you boys come from and they said Delaware, VA which is on the coast. They have been riding for 4 days now and are going to be following the same route as us, the transAm and are planning on getting to San Francisco before August. I think they are a little crazy for carrying all of their own gear!! So then I went to the back of the firehouse with my fellow riders sat around a little while and then the van showed up with the trailer and I grabbed my stuff and went to get a nice shower!! It was sooo nice to get a shower since I didn’t get one yesterday!! There was a lot of beautiful scenery today and it was MUCH cooler today than yesterday and the temperature didn’t bother me at all!! Then in the evening I went down the street to a restaurant and had a bite to eat with some of my fellow riders. Now I am laying in my tent with my luggage which I think I am going to leave in the trailer the next time because it is rather cozy in here (in my tent) with all of my stuff. Tomorrow morning I get to get up and play punching bag again while I try to stuff all of my things into my cubby again!! Tomorrow we have about a 60 mile ride into Charlottesville, VA which is where the James Miller MS Clinic is located at which we will make a visit to. Stay tuned for lots more fun to come!!