Day 27: And the Winner Is?

Total: 1871 miles

Cyclist's Observation: Not everybody can be a winner everyday!

The logic behind any good testing mechanism is to distinguish between individuals who have a full grasp of the material and those who only understand the basics. With the efforts in yesterday's quiz, it is readily apparent that all responses were logical and thought out. First, Eric's response about the use of Red Bull was an insightful look at the trucking world. Second, Laurie and Jerry concurred with that logic, but left only with three other alternatives, had to select a second option, Bic Lighter. We did, in fact, see many Bic Lighters in our travels and this was another thoughtful alternative. Lastly, big G provided a clear rationale beyond what good sense would dictate. Naturally, this was the correct answer! It just goes to show you that educational testing has a long way to go before becoming foolproof. In this case the fool was correct!

In our effort to move west, we headed north to Las Cruces, New Mexico. As we made the turn to the west and stopped for a quick drink, Serotta had an issue. The bottom bracket (the part that holds the peddles in place) lost a bolt and my left peddle began to flop. Nothing was happening. Please see the picture of the hole where one would expect to find a crank with a peddle attached. Back to the gas station and beg a ride on a pickup. First pickup, first ride. Pieti (see picture) took both of us and our bikes across town. He then shuttled us to another bike shop. As you might expect this is not good news. Serotta is now resting peacefully at the shop awaiting repair parts. More bad news, the parts can't get here until about noon Tuesday. Forced rest days were not in our travel plans. We had a great morning ride from Anthony, Texas to Las Cruces for 29 miles at 14.9 mph. The pecan groves provided a pleasant landscape with several small towns. We hadn't seen this much green for 1000 miles. Bill and I would rather be riding, but considering the other rather bleak possibilities, this is not such a bad break.

This is the Old Land Cruisers resting in peace in Las Cruces.