Who likes a detour? I don\’t; and I had to detour twice on this morning\’s trip to and from the salvage store!

On the way to the store, I had to ride about half a mile out of my way to reach the bike path because a train was sitting there. The lead locomotive was idling just short of the next crossing; and I hoped the train would be gone by the time I got back home.

That was a vain hope. The train was still there; and even worse, it had edged forward just enough that the crossing was blocked! I didn\’t quite dare try walking my bike around the front of the locomotive; so I had to ride to the next crossing, a good seven-tenths of a mile away. It was quite hot by then, too; and that made me all the more anxious to get home.

I was relieved that I had decided not to use the trailer today. Those detours were enough of a nuisance without the added drag of that trailer! Between the trunk and the panniers, I still brought home a decent load.

Tomorrow

OK, so I made it to and from the salvage store; and I also made a short trip to the drug store to bring home some sodas. But what about tomorrow\’s ride?

Tomorrow will be as hot as today; and I have to adjust my ride plans accordingly. I want to put in the miles — say, 50 or even more — but what good does that do me when I get overheated? It might help if I could get cold fluid; but that\’s difficult or impossible. Even if I could get it, it won\’t stay cold for long!

How about putting my electrolyte drink in an insulated bottle?

Polar Water Bottle

I tried one; but it\’s a bit too long for my road bike\’s frame size. When I tried to pull it out of the bottle cage, the tip of the nozzle bumped into the head tube; and it was quite annoying. On top of that, the fluid inside didn\’t stay as cold as I wanted, for as long as I wanted.

So for tomorrow, a shortish ride; and I hope I\’m not forced to detour by another train!