The prickly heat! It prickles...

It's been a bit humid for a few days, and nothing ever dries...

Sunday, 31 August: Today I woke up ready to bang out some serious miles, so I went back to the road instead of staying on the canal towpath. Everything was going along fine until, somewhere south of Rochester, I realized that it had been a while since I had seen a sign for either Route 31 or SBR 5. I stopped to consult my Garmin about where exactly I was, and another cyclist rode by. He asked if I needed help, and I explained how I was only a little bit lost. He didn't know where exactly SBR 5 had gone, but he was on his way to work at a bike shop, and they have maps of it there, so he invited me to ride along. What the heck, it kinda seemed to be in the general direction I needed to go to get back on route. We rode along and chatted for a few miles to the Park Ave Bike Shop, where we examined the map and he told me the best way to get back to where I wanted to be, and he gave me a couple of free maps of New York state bike routes. Nice! He also pointed out where on the map he had run into me, and I could see where I had gone straight instead of turning. The lame thing is: I totally remember that intersection. The signage for cars was vague, and there were no bicycle signs! I had pulled up to the light and looked around, and decided to go straight, since that had generally worked out before when there were no signs. The state of New York had neglected me again!

There were a few more instances of neglect, but for the most part I had a pretty nice shoulder, and was making really good time. I got to the city (or town, or village, I dunno) of Macedon, and was faced with a choice. Based on where the bike map said I could camp, which I assumed was free camping in the park like last night, I could either stop in Macedon just shy of 50 miles, or continue to Port Byron, Which would put me at just over 90 miles. A wiser person might have decided to take two short days in lieu of a rest day, and camp in both towns, but every now and then I have to test my limits. I rode like a demon for about 35 more miles, and was on track to reach Port Byron before nightfall. I had time for a break, and decided to stop at a gas station in Savannah for some Power-Ade. I considered just sucking back a packet of Gu, but it was pretty warm today, and a quart of refridgerated liquid sounded nice. I met a woman there who thought I looked like I needed a shower, and who also didn't like the idea of me camping in the park in Port Byron, so she invited me back to her place, which happened to be just a couple of miles further in the direction I was headed. More serendipity! I got a shower, washed some clothes in an actual machine, cleaned my bike, ate some food, and played Scrabble with her kids. It was a pretty fine night, in my book.

And even though I didn't go 90 miles today, I still pedalled a new personal best: 84.7 miles.