SAT 10/2/99
DAY 0 – I
got up early on Saturday AM and repacked one of my bags into a
duffel bag that I felt would contain my tent, sleeping bag, air
mattress, and camp chair better. Since I also had a floor pump
and a small bike stand in it I found even this duffel bag really
crowded.
Next off to Asheboro. When I got to Asheboro I
immediately saw two folks I knew. George Hess and a fellow that I
see when I bike to work, Gregory Scott. After the ride was over
Gregory and I gave a joint presentation on Cycle NC to the monthly
meeting of his homeowner's association. George and I used to work
together and we talked on the phone the day before the ride started.
George was going to ride the whole two weeks but a brand new baby but
a kink in those plans.
To prepare the bikes for loading on a
truck we had to take the pedals off and turn them around and also
loosen the handle bars and turn them ninety degrees and tuck them
under the top tube of the bike. I was not real happy about
disturbing the "setup" of my bike but it had to be done.
On the way to Murphy we stopped at a rest stop on I40 and I snapped a picture of the folks raiding the vending machines. I was hungry since I really had not had any breakfast or lunch. We got to Murphy in the early afternoon, went through the registration process, and pitched our tents. There were some different sort of bikes on this tour, here is a picture of a recumbant tandem. That night after the riders meeting I walked up the street and had some pasta at an Italian restaurant.
