Cycle 29 Miles to Bassfield in the Rain

Bob shares our trail mix with Big Bird!

Friday, April 23, I'm up at 8:00 on a board after a back kink last night. The hard couch cured it. It is overcast with a low of 55 degrees and a high of 79. We leave at 9:45 getting fuel and a paper in Sumrall. We cycle north on the trail by 10:17. About one hour and 25 minutes out with only two rests; one to feed the emus. We only had a 10 minutes rest and snack at Bassfield and turned around to head back.

As we head back it starts raining from the first peddle out from under the trail head. We stop at the first shelter to towel off. I put my long sleeves on. We stop under a tree in a few miles at a dry spot on the trail. I put a poncho on; Bob toughs it out. A racer guy goes by us.

It is really raining as we cycle into a tough headwind. Another racer comes up behind us. We couldn't see him in the rain as our mirrors are spotted and our glasses are wet. He rides alongside chatting and asks where we have to make it back to. We tell him Sumrall. he says he wishes it was only that far for him. He's going all the way to Hattiesburg so he must have done the entire 80 miles! However, he fails to mention his riding partner is behind us. I try to get over, Bob brakes and we both slow down riding side by side. I hit the brakes hard and another racer rushes by. The guy out front says "there's one more behind me." A little late I think.

The rain quits. I take off the poncho which is causing way too much wind resistance. We just about dry out by the time we get back and it's starts raining again. We have to stop at Hwy 42 to wait for a dozen cars and we get soaked all over. Big, hard drops start to fall as we cross Main only 50 feet from the truck. We load the bikes and dry off under the trail head roof. We decide we're dry enough to eat at Lau-Tori's. We dig our Titanium jackets out of the truck.



We ask our waitress for the hard antique wooden chairs in the front room. Those soft ones are hard on the back. Catfish Jule for me and grilled catfish for Bob. We head home in a pouring rain that finally subsides as we back in under the 5th wheel overhang to keep the bikes dry.

It is great to be home in our dry little home-on-wheels. We turn the space heater up to dry out and warm up. I stretch and take a welcome hot shower. Then we read the paper. It's 4:02 p.m. and 72 degrees with 79% humidity.