5/25/2009 Barcelona

Bike assembled with front and rear racks, panniers, good ole Rivendell Boxy frame and bag00both now discontinued. I wish Grant would bring these two guys back. Perhaps if a write a polite letter.

The next day I would ride to Girona, at first going the wrong way for 15 kilometers before being put in the right direction by Paco, a volunteer cyclist, who rode with me for about 40K before turning back to the block of flats from which he emerged. Paco is the cyclist in the photo. The other photo is the assembled stealth bicycle in the hostal. Yes, hostal, it is a word and is spelled correctly. Folks in Spain know what I mean.

Rode past tiny mountain in 29 minutes with full caradice bag--frame pump, 2 water bottles, full platypus, jacket, winter gloves, vest, facemask, tools, bikelock, leg warmers. But I cannot blame the bike or the bag for the time--without the bike and bag, on a lightweight racing frame, take 3 minues off, easy. But that is still 26 minutes, still not very fast. So there was still great shame.

No problems with the sun or heat. Road the climb above tiny mountain and that was fine too. The descent was joyous, as all descents down tiny mountain are.

I will built up a lonely steel frame soon--questions about stems and old bottom brackets--threadings?--and internally routed front deraillers.

A trip to the villages

I will journey to the villages today, covered in thick sun screen. On my list: bicycle tubes, sight seeing.

Burnt on tiny mountain, villagers of no help

Very fast pace towards tiny mountain, then 2/3rds into mountain itself, hit strong wall and also severe acid reflux attack. Provisions after all at top of tiny mountain--Rolaids, of which I ate 1/2 package. It occurred to me to ride the descent shirtless. 3 miles from finish, nausea, delirium, lungs irritated and barely absorbing oxygen, shortness of breath, dementia. 3 hours later, with much iced lemonade and sun screen, feeling more alive. How will the 93 miles of medium and large mountains feel tomorrow? Was it only the heat/sun stroke, or is there a new recurring physical ailment i should identify? Strong thunderstorms now!!! The sky reverberates with thunder, has darkened quickly, temperature dropping from 84 to 70 in 15 minutes.

There is a tiny mountain not too far from the village. I will ride to it. There are no villagers at the top and no provisions. It is not high enough for goats, but there are deer. From the top of the tiny mountain, you can see the villagers below. I have never waived down to them.