Today was day two of the Texas hill challenge. As almost perfect as the weather conditions were yesterday, today the wind picked up and the conditions quickly turned dicey. The first leg of the ride to Medina featured many short and steep rollers and a mile plus steep climb, all complicated by steady 40 mph crosswinds with occasional higher gusts. At one point I thought I was going airborne and quickly braked and pulled over until the gust abated. Caution was the name of the game for the rest of the way to Medina. The ride was gloriously beautiful, although the conditions limited the photo opportunities.
A friendly Shetland pony
The crest of the first major hill
Home of the longhorns, below
In Medina we gathered at the appointed bakery for their famous apple pie with cider sauce.
I headed back out for the second half of the ride, directly into the, now, headwind. After about a mile, I thought I had to be crazy to continue and turned back toward the orchard. Just as quickly, I decided I was being a wimp and turned around again, heading toward the second major hill of the day and the steepest grade of the entire trip. Three miles later, I finally came to my senses, deciding that this was a foolish and dangerous mission. I called Ann, driving SAG today, who reported that three riders were down from the winds, one with a concussion and on her way to the hospital. She arrived shortly thereafter to pluck my bike and me from the side of the road and, together, we continued on to monitor the progress of the six riders who insisted on continuing. They were fortunate to finish unscathed.
These bikers are quite the religious sort. Think they'll let me join?
Many of us are having family or friends in to visit on the Kerrville rest day, as it is the halfway point of the trip. Tony was due in this afternoon, but his flight was delayed for several hours because of airport closings due to the high winds. I am awaiting his arrival—
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