There and Back Again!!!

As hard as my last couple attempts for 50+ mile rides have been, they were made up for by today's ride. I'm almost positive that the flats I had last week were the result of the tube not being adequately inflated, the added weight of the cargo rack/bags and improper riding techniques. Today, the weather was perfect. I was almost a tad chilly during the first 20 minutes to just outside of Hanover. The sun was perfect and the scenery (while I wouldn't use the word beautiful) was nice. The route wasn't overly complicated and I didn't make any wrong turns. When I told my waiter at IHOP that I'd ridden my bicycle down from Hanover, PA he was thunderstruck and brought me about 6 glasses of water. The burger and fries tasted so good after riding that distance! Just after leaving IHOP, I happened upon a very interesting sight which I think my former English professor, Dr. Prior, would be excited to see:

On the way home, I took a more straightforward route (a straight shot on route 30 right into Hanover). I had a couple scares, though. One driver wasn't watching me come up the road and started making a turn right into my path. I was able to brake in time, though, and I was in such a good mood that I let him off with an "Idiot!" instead of something a bit more descriptive. About an hour from home, *I* was the one not watching closely enough and hit a 2x4 wooden board on the shoulder of the road. The tire didn't go flat, though, and I chalk that one up to grace. So that's my story! This was the farthest I've gone on bike in a single day (with the possible exception of when I got lost coming home from Carlisle). 58.7 miles! The 50 to Baltimore next week won't even be such a big deal. But I'll get to see how doing 50-ish miles two days in a row feels!