Day five summary

Elapsed Time: 12:00:00

Distance: 162.97 miles

Average Speed: 16.9 MPH

Riding Time: 9:38:28

Maximum Speed: 31.9 MPH

Odometer: 81,560.1 miles

Traveled from Bairnsdale to Dandenong

Temperature from 59F to 109F; winds variable from 0-40 MPH

Today started out well but ended up very HOT when gusty winds started coming in from the north.  For some unknown reason I meandered a bit off the Princes Highway to go to the town Drouin.  Mainly, I think I must have done it to get something to drink.  Looking back now, I think there must have been something greater telling me I needed to stop here for a reason.  I stopped to go to the gas station to get something to drink.  I looked back at my back tire and noticed a bulge.  It was almost like my back tire was about to pop.  Just a few moments ago I rode past two bicycle shops.  This was pretty good for a town of 4,500.  I wasn't too hopeful thinking they'd be open since it was New Year's Eve.  Luckily though, Drouin Cycles was open.  I walked in there and told the guy my issue.  He was actually just getting ready to leave.  What good timing!  He looked at my tire and indeed told me it was damaged.  He quickly installed a new one.  I also bought another spare tire from him and another pair of cycling shorts.  He was a little concerned with me riding in this hot weather and told me to drink plenty.  He was also talking about how they were spraying the roads in town with water.  It was so hot that the roads in town were "melting".   On the news tonight they were talking about all the cases of heat stroke and all the people in the hospitals.  It was kind of scary.  The most frustrating part of today's ride was at the end when I had trouble finding my motel room. I went back and forth asking people and couldn't find it.  The problem was that there was a Princes Highway and a Freeway and I was getting the two confused.  The heat was so bad at this point in the day after being outside for five minutes I felt like I was going to burn up.  It was really awesome to finally get back to the motel room. I ordered a pizza from Dominos and stayed in for the night.  It was so hot that the bottoms of my feet were a little burnt through my shoes and socks from the hot black pedals I had been riding for almost 10 hours today.  I went to bed around 8 or so.  I did wake up briefly around midnight when I heard some fireworks going off for the new year.

I set a personal record for miles in one calendar year for 2005 with 13,299.26 miles.

 

 

 

What good luck....a bike shop just when I needed it in the near 110 degree heat.

Was I ever glad to find this motel after being in the unbearable heat.