So they have this mobile thingy for blogspot, but clearly I don't have it right. A couple of times during the day i tried to send photos or comments but I don't see them here. At this point I can't get to photos, so a bit of narrative will have to do.
I left a bit later this morning than planned, no real surprise there. I'd forgotten to do a test pack of the bike, so it took me a while to organize when I went to do it in the a.m. (another drawback of no garage, i couldn't do it the night before and be ready to go. oh well. hit a bit of traffic just trying to get out of Baltimore, and my wake up call was the guy who decided he'd missed his exit and cut over two lanes, right in front of me, of course. Another reason I almost always ride in the left lane, but hadn't made the move over yet. OK, uneventful, just a bit startling.
just outside Baltimore on I-70 there's a sign that says Frederick xx miles, Columbus oh, xx all the way to somewhere in Colorado where it ends. I'd seen that sign a million times, and that's what got me thinking I'd at least start this trip on i-70/us-40 rather than jump down to DC and us-50. so that's what i did, alternating between stretches of the slab or 40 most of the day. I really wanted to put miles behind me so more slab than not today. 40 is nice riding for much of the early part of the trip, but in Ohio frankly i got bored, so went on 70.
my rules for myself this trip are few. one is no chain eateries, only locals, which got me two good meals today. the first was in a very depressing Cambridge Ohio for lunch, they're investing lots in sprucing up the 'historic downtown' but between the construction and largely empty storefronts, it didn't do anything for me. but on the edge of town there was this little family operated diner -- mom, dad and I'd say high school daughter. (dad rides a Harley which was parked behind, but i didn't hold that against the place). in the spirit of learn something new every day, i now know that 'fair fries' -- so-called in reference to state fair fare -- are hand cut skin on versions. OK. here in Indy where I'm spending the night (at the KOA) i tasked the manager for a place to eat that wasn't a chain and she sent me down to a little Mexican place down the road. who'd have known. actually quite good (and remember i lived in Texas for a number of years). I'm just sorry i didn't dare partake of the 20 oz margaritas they were pouring. a guy who had clearly had several saw me pondering over my map and asked why I'm doing this. it took a while for him to get the whole idea of it, i don't know that he's ever left the state. another guy i talked with when I'd stopped for my morning coffee (which i hadn't had at home, given my late start, and saved for a treat for myself a ways down the road) about my age, clean cut, on his way to some white collar job, was just the opposite. loved the bike, (except for the 'democrats' sticker on one of my bags) and sat with me telling me about rides he did while stationed in California when he was in the air force.
so back to the ride. this morning it was actually verging on chilly. so much so that I'm glad i brought the jacket liner (though I didn't wear it) and kicking myself for not bringing any insulated gloves of any kind (those I would have worn had i brought them. both because easy to switch and i have bad circulation so my hands always get cold quickly.) but it warmed up eventually, and all's good now. the bike felt great. fixing that blown seal makes a world of difference in how the front end feels, and a nice new metzler in the rear is always a good thing. the second rebuild of the rear caliper (replacing the seals the second time around) did the trick, no leaking fluid, well-functioning brakes, and no drag. my mileage is back where it belongs, I've been monitoring and getting mid-40s each tank, which is perfectly acceptable to me given my 70 mph moving average speed.
covered around 650 miles all told today, not a bad first day. i worry not about the bum but more about my oft-achy hips and knees (running injuries) but knock wood, all feels fine so far.
so, the plan for tomorrow is again to eat up the miles. I'm thinking I'll stay on 70 till st. Louis, go see the arch, and depending on how much time i burn there and looking over the city, get on 50 the rest of the day hoping to make it to KC. that might be too ambitious, especially if i try in the morning to find the brickyard while I'm here in Indy, and depending on when i get started, which is uncertain given I'm camping so have to wake up, get all the gear stowed away etc. i think I'd rather succumb to the slab for more of this part of the trip, so i have more time to relax out west, but we'll see.
anyway, that's it. day on in the history books.
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