Good arrival with all bikes intact , put them together and test rode them. First day in San Diego was challenging with traffic, detours, and climbing, but got it done though short of target.
Next day had me thinking a lot of questions, did I choose the wrong bike or just haven’t ridden it enough to get “bent legs”. Leg muscles tuned for recumbents. Or was it simply being out of shape , skiing wasn’t as good cross training as I thought, or what? Fortunately the next 3 days of riding have gone really well as far as legs and getting comfortable on the “hog”. Except for road conditions yesterday.
It was one of the most beautiful and the most dangerous road I have ever biked on.
We had sand dunes, splendid flowering desert, and chocolate mountains .
A 2 lane road without a shoulder with high speed truck and RV traffic both ways going through the “dips”, a long series of steep blind hills and corners . Look back seeing nothing I raced down a hill and was furiously peddling up the next and I hear , then see a semi behind me in the mirror when suddenly another appears over the hill in front, we’re going to meet at the same spot. I hugged the line and I swear his mirror passed over my shoulder. Following every semi is a car or another truck or 2 that couldn’t see you so just hang on. After that I ditched it twice when I saw the matchup coming. A few miles later a “wide load “ truck behind me laid on his horn with a curve 1/4 mi ahead so I ditched it a 3rd time and saw the pickup passing him in a no passing zone and the dozer blade of the grader he had loaded pass over the white line where I would of been . My adrenals were kicked into overdrive all afternoon.
Unless death defying thrills are your thing, do not bike from Glamis to Palo Verde on Hwy 78.
Today was a warm 84, and delightfully uneventful, just bike riding. We’re camped tonight by Interstate 10 connecting LA with Phoenix in one of dozens of RV camps here in Quartzsite. Home to a RV rendezvous that brings in 100,000 of them according to one snowbird. As Suzy said to Jim, “If I ever say I want to do that, just shoot me. “
Tomorrow starts week 2 of adventure.
cinnicrew 
Curt….your experience was harrowing!! It must take all of Mia’s will to not force you home! Here is to hoping the death defying parts are behind you! Best of luck on week 2!
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