Reporting on: Saturday, June 20, 2009
Riding Route: From Hamburg to Canandaigua, NY
Temperature: 60-72 degrees/Winds:10-15 mph
Elevation Climb: 5100 feet
Miles Ridden Today: 94 for a few - 0 for some and 27 for me!





Day 43 presented us with another test. You probably know the east is getting inundated with rain, rain and more rain. Today was another tough day weather wise. It was raining when we started today and the prediction was for rain all day. Many of our riders opted not to even get in their biking gear and took the SAG wagon from the beginning. I decided I'd give it a try - and lasted for 27 miles. Again it was dangerous and wasn't fun. The wind was blowing and I couldn't keep my glasses clear enough to see in front of me! Champ, my roommate, made it the entire way - and he had a flat tire to boot! (That's #11 for him)! Needless to say he was soaked to the bones when he arrived at the hotel. I told you about the EFI Club. He wants to join the "Every Fantastic Inch" club but said if we have another day like this one he's going in the SAG wagon also! Enough is enough! Our room looks like a tornado went through it! We're in a hotel that has no laundry facilities (which is unusual)...and have clothes and gear all over the place trying to get it dry before morning. It's kinda like a sweat box in here! If you'd pray to the weather gods to give us a nice day tomorrow we'd sure appreciate it!



Tonight I'm having dinner with my good friend Jeff Morrell. If the weather holds he's going to ride with me for part of the day. He needs to be home to celebrate Father's Day with his family in the afternoon! If the weather's bad - then we'll have breakfast and call it a day!



If you can pronounce the name of this town, Canandaigua, you're doing pretty good! Most of us can't! I did find out it comes from an Iroquois word which means "chosen spot." The only bit of history I was able to find out was that in 1873, women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony was tried in the local county courthouse for voting. She was found guilty and fined $100. (Which I'm sure she didn't pay)! We're also told there is a beautiful lake just south of town - Canandaigua Lake, which is the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes in NY. But to be honest, we don't have any interest in seeing another drop of water! Where is the Mojave Desert? I need to conjure it up in my imagination!


Tomorrow it's on to Syracuse - a 68 mile ride!