Roads wind and twist snaking their way up the side of the mountain. At least you can see the oncoming cars and trucks for miles.
- love the drop offsa
- mu.st take your turn
- more turn taking.
- one day this will be a wide two lane highway.
So far travel has been slow. Like 10 mph on the average on dirt roads. Today we went 100 kms.(62 miles) and it took 3 1/2 hours and I was exhausted. My riding skills have improved though I wish I had taken some off road riding courses before starting the trip. Most of these difficult conditions are the result of road work to improve narrow and inadequate dirt roads prone to slides, washouts and other changes.Irregular road surfaces are caused by big trucks and loose soil. This can mean deep ruts that fill with water.
My biggest fear is mud. Today I got plenty of it, more than I would wish on anyone. Why? Well, two wheels in line don’t give the stability that three or four do and riding in mud can be most like being on a frozen lake when you can’t get any traction or the mud dictates which way your tire goes, not you.Sometimes the mud is like a thick chocolate shake and other times like a soft fudge. Today I went through some Big mud holes or ponds without knowing how deep they were. There was no way around so you just giver some more gas and lighten up on the steering and let the front wheel kinda move on its own. Remember to keep your balance! I have learned to find my line and follow it. Once committed you go for it and you go faster than slower- just maybe the speed will get you through if the traction doesn’t. Anyway, a drop in a mud hole can’t be all that bad, now can it? I don’t want to go there.
My next biggest fear is being on a narrow road cut out of a hillside with a drop a 1,000 on my right and a deep ditch on my left and a big truck coming. I usually don’t have time to sight see and look over the edge as I’m moving along the wet or dry bumpy road but I do catch a glimpse of a sheer drop and wonder how many times the bike would bounce as it careens down the face of the cliff…
No comments:
Post a Comment