Day 4: Cayuga NY to West Seneca NY

So I did pretty well on taking it easy for a while. Stopped in at Denny's for second breakfast - my appetite is still not great so I just ordered pancakes - but did finish them. Then I had a (pretty) proper lunch at Subway, followed by a real proper siesta under a tree - sorry I forgot the selfie on that one.

The day ended with a little more riding than planned as the location of the nearast hotel looked to be about 10 miles to me which I thought was fine, but in fact it was about 30. Too much, but I did make it before dark. One nice things about riding after about 6:00 is that the winds seemd to die down.

So I have now been on route 20 from the very beginning of New York, across most the state. Other than the effin terrain, it has been a pretty good road with a big shoulder most places. Today the ride was much more rolling hills - almost never had to put on my brakes downhill and the uphills were both shorter and less steep. The road gets a little repetitive on the approach to Buffalo, but that is really just an aesthetic thing, and only a small part of the way. I was going to take a slightly more scenic route, but opted for the wide shoulder.

Only tried to take one pic today, and apparently I failed to do that (it was a rain ruined house with a new Satellite dish on top). So let me explain the halo:

My Bike Under Flash

I saw an article online recommending using a pool tube to stick out a bit so that people would give you more room. My daughter suggested reflective tape to make it really stand out. The above is what I got. I decided to keep the amount sticking out relatively small (about 6-8" past my panniers), but it really works. There are still annoying drivers, of course, but mostly I am given a wide berth by everyone.

Reflection: I have typically believed the common wisdom that you can't recapture your youth. And some of that, hair included, is clearly true. But it is interesting to me to see my strenghts and weaknesses manifest in almost identical ways as I respond to the rigors of the road. It would be dull to wax too philosophical, but I think I am the same person that I was 35 years ago.

July 1, 2019 West Seneca NY