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Tuesday, November 6 - The Eighth Cycling Wonder of the World
60 miles. Kerrville, TX to Blanco State Park, Blanco, TX
We left the state park campground very early and it
was cold. A slow moving cold front that had be dawdling about for two or three
day finally pushed thru and the low last night was 41*. We pulled on most of our
clothing and rode with the long pants for more than an hour before it finally
warmed up enough to remove them. A benefit of the front moving thru was a
beautiful and perfectly clear Texas autumn day with a high of about 72*. We had
our usual headwind but it was not strong and so was not a real factor.
The first 20 miles were along our friend the Guadalupe
River including a secluded stretch near the river and its accompanying Cypresses
in their Fall splendor. Then we crossed the river for a final time and climbed
onto the ridgeline that parallels the north bank of the now meandering
Guadalupe. Here the riding for the rest of the day became challenging with
rolling hills with steep drops and climbs into the creek bottoms that we were
crossing as they ran down to the river with their cargo of water, all this under
an azure November sky.
We passed thru Center Point (pop. 900), Comfort (pop.
1,477), Waring, and Sisterdale on our path to Blanco (pop. 1,238) It was about
10 miles from Blanco that we stumbled across cycling's Eight Wonder. There
coning down a small hill was, I dare say, the only quinticycle in the world with
its inimitable British [English actually] sibling crew of two sisters and a
brother.
We had heard of them coming our way several days
previously but were still not entirely prepared for the sight we now beheld. I
walked around it and sat in the captains chair, for the crew of three all rode
seated as on a recumbent bicycle, and marveled at the mind that concocted this
craft. It had disk brakes and steered much like a car and the single wheel was
in the middle. I wondered at how it would handle in the steep climbs to come and
more so about controlling it on a serious downgrade but the British are the ones
that brought man hauling for Arctic exploration so it may not be a problem after
all.
The front two thirds weighs about 90 pounds and with
the rear third it would have to weigh about 120 pounds plus all their gear and
themselves. They were all tall and svelte. Both parties had destinations to
reach with a setting sun so we parted ways. We road away incredulous. Needless
to say all three of the crew are immediate iniciates into my Cycling Hall of
Fame with the fair sex finally smashing the stainless steel spoke ceiling. They
are collecting money for charity so Joan dutifully wrote out a check before they
left. It is absolutely amazing what you can propel down the road with less than
one horsepower. The rest of the ride was uneventful and we are staying at the
Blanco State Park on the Blanco River.
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