Including the bike ride from the hotel and to the hotel in Wilkesboro, I rode 74.25 miles. The actual distance from Banner Elk to Wilkesboro, recorded by my GPS, is 70.62 miles.
Cycle NC 2006 related miles ridden to date: 97.74 miles
Here is a Google Earth Satellite Image of the ride:
Use the Google map on the Motion Based summary page to see the actual roads.
Here are a few pictures. The route we rode is so picturesque. I would have loved to have captured much of the scenery I saw. Stopping frequently on a mountainous ride would not have worked–I’d probably still be riding.
It rained last night in Banner Elk. At 6:00 am, there were still sprinkles. At 8:00, the rain had stopped. I, as well as most of the riders, dressed for the rain that did not come. At rest stop #1 I began to remove layers and continued to do so through rest stop #4. Hopefully, tomorrow I go out in summer riding attire–less weight–maybe arm warmers. Tomorrow’s low for Wilkesboro is forecasted to be 48 degrees. The days high should be in the 80s.
Tomorrow’s distance is 60 miles. I will try to finish under 4 hours. If not, then between 4-4.5 hours. My knee did better [some pain] today.
