On the Southern Tier

[Westinghouse]

I have been cycling the ST since Dec 7. I should be in TX, but rain held me up and I am in Louisiana. I just finished the Tammany Trace last night. It is cold at night with frost on the ground. My number 1-772-485-1403. The weather is sunny and bright in daytime but is expected to get rainy again by Wednesday.

[tonythomson]

Hi WH good to hear you're doing OK wondering how it was going.  Keep the posts coming, oh and not much warmer here in Florida but even so not looking forward to going back to UK after Christmas.  So let us know how you spend Christmas - might even ask for peoples memories of Christmas on a bike.

Cheers Tony

[Westinghouse]

Tammany Trace was fine. Hwy. 190 was not. I got onto the bike route in Opelousas. Excellent cycling weather for four days. Rainy tonight and freezing in the morning. I am getting 65-73 miles daily with good weather and good winds. I should have gone through New Orleans, followed the river road, and gotten hwy. 77 to get 190 west of Baton Rouge. Of 17 days I have spent only two in motels. I am a free camper. Hwy. 90 along the gulf coast has been greatly improved. Louisiana has the prize for the worst road and traffic conditions. Now, I have to go and patch a puncture in my front tube.

[Westinghouse]

Now I have made it to west Texas not too far from El Paso. Some of the Texas back roads are somewhat perilous. The vast majority of motorists are courteous, bit it takes only one bad egg to mess up your day, or your life. I have to wear ear plugs to block out all the annoying road din and noisy mufflers.
Now I am out of all those short steep hills with rocky surfaces. Mornings are quite cold with afternoons warming up quite a bit. It has been a pretty good ride so far.

[tonythomson]

Hi - keep going man - very envious - you are doing really well - are you taking the 190 all the way to Iraan?  If so look out for Red Chilli Birger Bar on the left.  I think that you have one of the best parts coming up crossing the Black Range and into Silver City, loved that town.  Was there when the Tour of the Gila was on and entered the citizens race, even Lance, Levi et al where there.  Decided not to show him up by entering the main race as he was just recovering from his broken collar bone.

Hope it's warmer where you are than here in UK as having the worst winter for many years. Looking forward to getting back to Florida in March. 

Keep safe
Tony

[Westinghouse]

I took 190 to 29 which was a mistake. I dropped south to get I-10 at Junction, TX. The interstate is a much better ride. Now I am not far east of El Paso. I am laying over in a motel. Mornings have seen temperatures of 13-20 F. Have had only six flats so far in these Continental tires. It's those damn little wires from steel belted radial tires. Too many places where good food is  spaced for car travel and too far apart, with only junk food C-stores in between. That stuff will take the wind out of yor sails after a while.
Good trip s far.

[trout]

Looking good, Westinghouse. Stay warm and dry and keep her between the ditches!~

[tonythomson]

Hey keep going WH - 6 flats that's awful I rode Continentals and had total of 2 flats on ST you must be very unlucky.  Good to hear that you are OK is it going to get cold once you cross the Rio Grande and you have that long drag up to ..... Pass (memory ain't so good these days) Wht a view though from the top!!!

Good luck and stay safe
Tony

[TCS]

You seem to be by-and-large riding across the southern USA rather than riding Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier Route as the thread heading would suggest.

No wish to split hairs, but if others are interested in riding Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier Route they should be aware that some of the road and traffic conditions you are describing are different than this forum's host's "official" route.

Wishing you a wonderful ride,
tcs

[Westinghouse]

I am now in Tucson, Arizona and have slept out in Texas's coldest winter temperatures since 1977. I stayed here because of storm warnings on the weather chanels, but the weather is quite nice after all. I met David Holmes in Van Horn, Texas who seemed to be following ACA's route all or most the way.
He cycled up from Argentina. He is on CGOAB.com You can enter his name on that web site. One thing is for sure. I have had good luck wth wind directions so far. I can't believe a woman I don't know, a stranger, knocked on my door this morning asking if she could take off on my bike to get a prescription filled, but that's what happened. ACA's mapped route in Louisiana is a much better way to go than the way I went in the eastern part of that state. Eleven flats so far, all from steel wires from tires.

[Susan]

Hey Westinghouse!  sorry you've run into such cold weather in Arizona!  Re all your flats, I know you have participated in an exchange about tires already, but I just have to say:  Schwalbe Marathon PLUS - I did the entire Southern Tier through all the wires and thorns and debris without a single flat.  Re your Route via Tucson - did you go on the I-10 up to Tucson? and if so, would you please tell me where you entered it - thanks!  On my previous tour I rode the I-10 shoulders for a quite a stretch in Texas and loved it, except for the rough surface.  And I had the feeling that the truckers were even happy to see me.
Keep on truckin' and keep us posted!  Susan

[Westinghouse]

I entered I-10 at Junction, Texas. I am about 30 miles east of downtown San Diego. The Continental tires have made the entire trip. Punctures are punctures, and they can happen if you run over wires from steel belted radials. With cheap tires there might have been 35 stop and patch its instead of 11, not to mention not having to carry a spare tire and not hving to get new tires along the way. I rolled into California through Yuma, AZ on day fifty of this tour. I used a Marathon once and got 3800 miles out of it on the back with loaded touring miles. That tire was greatly tougher than some tires I had used.

[tonythomson]

Congrats - very impressive riding. 

[Westinghouse]

I will recap main points.

[Westinghouse]

Welcome to New Mexico---thump--thump--thump---the bicycle---snap crackle pop---friendly---crunch, thump, thump for hundreds of miles---state

Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They are like beautiful women who lure you inside, then turn into screaming bitches, and challenge you to love them. You can cycle their interstates if you are in the mood for an obstacle course.