In South America"I had pavement all the way to Rio Mayo and then the fun began. I had pictured compacted dirt in my head for some reason. The road was actually loose gravel with two tire tracks. As advised I went from 42 psi on the back tire to 20 psi and from 32 psi on the front to 25 psi. It helped, but not nearly enough. If I just had the road to deal with it might have been acceptable, but there happened to also be a 50-60 mph wind that 90% of the time hit me from the right side.
The cars make two tire tracks down the road. If there is not any loose gravel in one of these tracks you have some sort of traction. When the wind was at my side the bike was at an approximate 45 degree angle with the rode. If you happen to hit some loose gravel in one of the tracks you are at such an angle that the bike cannot stay upright. As a result you have to upright the bike and let the wind take you with it. Heading south the wind was hitting me on the right and would drive me over to the left side of the road. As soon I would start loosing the front I would go with the wind, get the bike perpendicular with it, lock the rear tire and hope to stop before going into the ditch on the other side of the road. When I came to a stop I would put the bike in first gear and head back over to right side of the road and continue. I must have done this move 20-25 times.
Late in day one it happened. I came over a small hill and the road slanted a little to the left. With the wind coming from the right I was done for. I tried to lean right, but the front drifted into the soft gravel in the middle of the road and that was it. The bike landed on my right foot and I was stuck for a few moments. That whole thing about adrenaline and super human strength is true. I was able to somehow lift the bike off my foot and with the next gasoline station 100 miles away I immediately reached under the bike and turned the fuel line off before the precious gas spilled all over Ruta 40 and stranded me in the middle of nowhere.
I had pictured Tierra del Fuego in my mind, but light wind, 60 degrees and sun was not one of the pictures.
... All I keep thinking about was how anyone could tell someone else this road was 'acceptable' and how I could be sitting on the deck of a ferry drinking a strawberry daiquiri. I was in total and utter despair.
As I am standing over the bike covered in dust and completely exhausted I look up and in the distance see a car approaching. The young driver jumps out and asks me what he can do. The wind is so strong that I have to tie all my bags together to keep them from blowing away. I have him put his car in a position to block the wind and then put all my bags in his car and then after we have the bike up, put all the bags back on the bike.
After we have the bike ready I still don’t know if I can continue. My savior gets a bottle of water and two candy bars out of his car and then asks what he can do to assist me. I know he sensed my despair. We stood there in this incredible wind considering options. He was headed in the opposite direction, but offered to take my bags in his car. I would follow him back to the town about 100 kilometers away to regroup. After about 10 minutes of contemplation I knew I had to continue. The question was whether I could physically keep the bike up.
100 days and 12,278 miles later I arrive at my final destination before heading north. Thanks to everyone who made this happen. You know who you are and you were with me every mile.
I thanked him profusely and he took my email address to find out my fate. I proceeded at 5 mph constantly performing the maneuver whereby once I lost the front I let the wind take me to the opposite ditch, lock the rear brake and hope I stop before actually going into the ditch. After another 10 times of doing this I am completely exhausted and wonder how long I can keep saving the bike.
I eventually make it to Tres Lagos after 9 hours of riding the 210 miles. I stopped outside of town and stared at a spectacular sunset knowing that this was probably the hardest portion of the trip to Tierra del Fuego. I pretty much broke down. The day had been so demanding both physically and emotionally. I had come so far and I think I knew at that moment that I would be able to complete the journey to Ushuaia. I keep those candy bars that were given to me by the car driver whose name I will probably never know. The incident truly typifies the entire journey. People going out of there way for me without any possibility of me being able to pay them back. Truly inspiring."
quotation: www.horizonsunlimited.com/newsletter/2004-03.shtml
