Day 2, 73 miles, Wed., August 25, 2010

(My odometer: 72 mi, 12.8 avg mph, 5 h 21m 2s, max speed 33.6 mph) Fredericksburg, VA to Mechanicsville,VA

Up at 5:00, 6:30 continental breakfast at our hotel, 7:00 load luggage, 7:15 on the road. Forecast was for mostly sunny skies and temps in the 80’s. It was a bit tricky getting out of Fredericksburg but it is easier when we leave as a group. Also, Shane sometimes leads us out. Today was rather uneventful but the riding was just about perfect. Photo opportunities were quite scarce. We are beginning to see some large horse and soybean farms. One of the 'treats' for cyclists is to stop at any Dairy Queen they see. That was the case today and Vivian loved it.

I arrived at our hotel at 2 PM and took my bike to Mike at Mechanics Time. I had discovered a small slice in my rear tire when I was at SAG2. Shane also checked it out and decided to remove the tube from the tire to see if the 'slice' had penetrated all the way through. We were surprised to find out that it did. I estimated that I had probably been riding on it for about 12 to 30 miles. We all surprised that I didn’t get a flat. Mike put one of my two spare tires on, just to be safe. I have been experiencing difficulty shifting from my middle chain ring to the large one so Mike replaced the front derailer shifting cable. We went to dinner at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Tomorrow is a is 91 mile ride to Emporia.

(Vivian, who makes her first appearance below, would like the readers to know that grown men travel with stuffed animals.)

(Click on the images below for a larger view of each photo.)

Interesting lawn art	Scenic view	SAG1 me, JV, Mike, Steve, Kathi, Leslie, Mary Kay
Soybeans	Vivian likes Dairy Queen	Vivian rests with her eyes open
Interesting road!	"Studs"