Mark's in this 100+ degree heat riding his 200k today!  He wanted me to report that he's alive in Tioga right now at 6:04pm.  His status is....He's HOT!  He'll have a full report as soon as he's cooled off and rested.

I made it to the end by a few minutes after 8.  
The heat was brutal and I forgot my neckerchief in the car although it probably would have only delayed things by mere moments on a day like today. Took a nice 90 minute nap in Valley (??) on the way back I was soooooooooooo tired I kept nodding off.
 
I was really dreading Tioga and with the increase in traffic almost 2 dozen horse trailers passed kicking up tons of dust in a new bad section of road (hopefully temporary) it turned out icky and my bike is coated with dust.  From the Tioga border out east for 2 miles is what I can only assume is boulder seal without the seal. The whole road was pretty large jagged loose light brown rock. It was ridable for the most part with my 1.5" wide tires if I was really careful and balanced because it was pushing me around a little  but even with the suspension it was slow going. It was fun in the morning before it was so hot.  
 
I'm sooooooooo glad I didn't switch to my kojaks last night they probably would have got cut up walking it. The Vittoria Randonuer tires are tanks in every way which was good with alot of stuff today, not so much the hills though ugh..

It took me a while but I found a little cornfield on the way back.

Mostly saw alot of trees

 
Silly me when I was further away I thought this was going to be a nice road

 
Took this when I had to take a break in a smoother section

 
Didn't have any trains in the way this time

 
Yeah for mcdonalds!
g

hm wrong picture the first time.. the chip was like this

 
Nelson the roads near ERA were good. There is still alot of construction and the road is narrower because you have to ride in the left tire track going east due to gravel.  Two sections where it goes to one lane. One is about a 1/2 mile and there is a red light that alternates to let apposing traffic go but it doesn't give a cyclist enough time to get through before the other side gets a green. When I was heading east in that section an SUV at first gunned it when I assume they got the green but saw me with my lights and stopped and waited a light cycle to go which was nice.
The second section is just a little east of there and there is a rough transition and it goes to one lane but there is no signal. It is only about 100 yards though so it was easy to go both ways. I was a little worried because even a regular bicycle would be obscured by all the walls/barrels and other stuff they had in that area but you can see for a mile or two in either direction so it was easy to cross if you waited till it was clear.  What was funny is neither section had any warning signs that I saw especially one near the gravel warning of say how long it was! Closer to the start there is a sign that says rough pavement next 7 miles and well there isn't any rough pavement? At least not rough with a suspension and fat tires anyhow.
 
 
Almost forgot as I was headed out to Van Al. along 121 I saw two cyclists crossing on an early morning 100k flying through the intersection. I was in the middle lane so I was stuck going forward but I spyed two bacchettas!
 
Nelson thanks for clearing me with the last minute notice. Even if you told me there would be a mile or two of gravel I still would have gone but perhaps not left the first control late as I showed up at 7 and didn't want to rush anything.  I had gotten to sleep after midnight the night before, and for the last week or two actually, so ran late to the start after trying to nab a little shuteye.

Was there still alot of loose gravel? The mud doesn't sound too fun but might be refreshing after a long ride in the sun all day and at least it keeps the dust down from passing horse trailers  
When you went was it all or did you walk some? When I rode through I was able to hold about a 9mph average if I remember correctly but the bike was getting pushed around a bit as it slid around and bounced on down the road.  
 

Quote from Kwijybow on Jul 8^th, 2009, 12:00pm:

 
Much thanks to Nelson for the detour, because this simple detour as also applies to my "Bobcat Bite" route.