One of the first things I learned not to underestimate on a bicycle tour was the wind (followed by: flies, butt chafe, and the smell of roadkill).
Although the rain has come close, the wind is the only thing that's given me reason to fall from my bike and cry in the dirt on the side of the road. Why does it have to always be blowing in my face?
To make things worse, I frequently have to listen to the Grey Nomads whinge (that's “complain” in Australian) about how it was so difficult for them to drive their caravans, and how they're using so much more fuel. I have zero sympathy.
But today, despite Mother Nature's repeated attempts to cast me back into civilized society, things take a turn for the best.
Yes, today I witnessed a miracle I've been dreaming about for nearly two months: tailwind.
And it was every bit as glorious as I imagined it would be.
Visual approximation of headwind.
Visual approximation of tailwind.
At first I don't know what's happening.
I'm moving with little effort? I'm not needing to pedal furiously to maintain speed on flat ground? I'm not wishing for the next road train to clip me and end this ride one and or all?
I must have done well to please the mighty Aeolus (my preferred wind deity) with my recent bouts of self-flagellation in Alice Springs, because before I know it, my GPS is beeping at me that I've already completed another five miles (8 km).
Until today, my daily average fastest five-mile split day has been nearly 23 minutes. Now I am seeing times at or below 16 (something I haven't seen since riding out of the Adelaide Hills).
My average slowest five-mile split for each day? Thirty-three minutes. My slowest five-mile section today? Twenty-seven.
Today is awesome.
Sun in my eyes, wind at my back.
I make it 84.46 mi / 135.93 km and average my fastest moving speed of the entire trip, 15 mph / 24.1 km/h.
If I felt every day the way I feel today, I would be loving every minute of this bike tour (despite the objectively boring and monotonous Outback landscape).
Let's hope this trend continues tomorrow.
Time to get flogging.
- START: Prowse Gap, Northern Territory
- END: Barrow Creek, Northern Territory
- DAY'S DISTANCE: 84.46 mi / 135.93 km
- TOTAL DISTANCE: 1,697.67 mi / 2,732.14 km
