Silver City, New Mexico
Ken's Blog
Silver City in the snow
December 23rd, 2011Myth of indestructibility
December 22nd, 2011Nothing is indestructible. Kit may be hard-wearing, robust. But eventually everything breaks, whether it be down to accidental damage or just plain usage. Of course, some things fare better than others. And generally you get what you pay for. You’d also be wise to stay away from house rabbits. Trust me on this one.
People are often a bit surprised just how much in shape my trusty steed looks, especially after something in excess of two years on the road. True, I did, quite deliberately, invest in decent kit, the best I could afford. But even that needs quite a bit of looking after. But not too much. As the old adage goes, if it isn’t broken…
So far nothing too serious. Bolt failure on one of my rear panniers easily fixed with a cable tie. A favourite first aid item with more uses than you might imagine. But only if you present a threat… The usual punctures – flats – but only nine of those so far. Little else worthy of mention.
The only real disappointment has been a Kevlar liner I bought in Anchorage, Alaska. Claimed to prevent punctures, it’s designed to sit between the inner tube and the inside tyre wall. And, to be fair, I didn’t get a single one. Instead, began to notice a distinct bulge in the tyre. Eventually discovering that the liner had – as the photo above shows – cut deep into the tyre. Not a cheap one, but a very robust Schwalbe Marathon Extreme off-road tourer. Similar with the rear. Good hundred plus bucks to replace before they blew out.
Snowbound and stoic
December 22nd, 2011More snow. But Ken’s strangely pleased about this…
Festive spirits
December 22nd, 2011
Said I’d be delighted to lend a hand. But had my boundaries. No dressing up as an elf, green not my colour. And definitely no fairies. Being snowbound in Silver City had its positives, the delay meaning I’d be in a hostel in Austin, Texas, for Christmas.
The hostel was laying on a Christmas dinner and I’d offered to help. Infinitely better than the alternatives. Instant mash and dog food – my own euphemism for anything in a tin – in the tent. Or microwave meal-for-one in a cheap motel.
Beyond reach
December 22nd, 2011
It was the chap with the billboard who’d got me thinking. Stood on the roadside, come rain, hail, or in this instance, snow. Of course, I might be wrong. He might have health insurance. But quite possibly not.
There’s an awful lot I do like about the US culture. A Constitution that clearly enshrines the rights of the individual and, just as importantly, a legal system that enforces them. Politeness. And quite a bit more. I can even put up with the guns and an overly punitive penal system. I’ve even forgiven them for the Declaration of Independence.
Where I do struggle though is with health care. If you accept the first duty of a Nation State is to protect its citizens, this is the US’ Achilles Heal. It may be home to some of the most sophisticated medical facilities in the world, but that’s little comfort if you can’t afford to access them. The free market model works only if it offers genuine choice, universal provision, competition keeping costs in check. This is patently not the case. Even if you can afford the premiums, the exclusions can render the policy almost worthless.
The UK’s own National Health Service is far from perfect. Postcode lotteries for certain treatments. Waiting lists. And it’s not free, simply no charges are levied at the point of delivery. But there is universal access based on clinical need rather than ability to pay. And I suspect diagnosis of terminal illnesses in Accident & Emergency is a rarity. Not the case in the equivalent US Emergency Room.
And that’s the terrible thing. Patients being offered little more than palliative care when the treatments they really need, even for life-threatening conditions, are withheld from them simply because of their lack of ability to pay. Knowing you’re going to die when the help you need is just down the corridor. Hardly the hallmark of a sophisticated society.
Tactics
December 22nd, 2011
Refreshing the plan to reach El Paso, I’d begun to realise how tactical I’d become. Economy of effort. On the road, finding myself, save for the toughest of climbs, averaging a steady ten miles an hour. No matter how much I might want to improve on it. Any tapering as the afternoon draws to a close barely noticeable. As if I’d a governor, limiting exertion to a level sustainable indefinitely.
Regular rests, even if running late. Often better to finish a little later than planned than rush and make mistakes. Chances are they’ll only compound your problems. If you do need to night ride, best to accept it. Do it slowly and safely. Always try and tackle steep climbs fresh in the morning, or at least not at the end of the day.
Longer days in the saddle are always possible if you’re going to be staying with a host and have no need to pitch the tent. But never normally on the day you depart. Early starts a bit rude, especially if you arrived late the previous evening. Always making best use of local advice, especially from fellow riders with a similar perspective. Exploiting weather windows wherever possible, although wait for ideal conditions and you’d never leave.
Working in roughly thousand mile blocks. Each ending with three or four days off the road. Domestics, writing, cycle and kit maintenance and planning to be done. All with a steadiness, a stoicism, that extends beyond the saddle.
Settling snow in Silver City
December 21st, 2011Snow continues to fall in Silver City, New Mexico…
Roads to El Paso
December 21st, 2011
Snowbound in Silver City at a little over six thousand feet. Fighting the white quite fruitless. Instead, refreshing the plan for the journey east to El Paso, Texas. Studying ten day forecasts, looking for a suitable weather window to traverse the 8,230 feet Emory Pass – twice the height of Ben Nevis. And the elevation profiles on my maps, making sure daily targets are challenging, but remain art-of-the-possible.
Careful balance required. Conditions at eight thousand feet can be very fickle. Best to be cautious, as flexible as possible. Draw on experience of the earlier passes. Expect the unexpected. But need to commit to a plan as I’ve already made arrangements to stay with fellow cyclists in El Paso and beyond. People generally don’t mind change, so long as you let them know in good time. And don’t do it too often.
And the plan. Wait for expected daytime temperatures to rise above freezing. Tyres never good on ice. Reposition thirty or so miles east of Silver City at a US Forestry Service campground at the base of Emory Pass. Complete the traverse the next day – about twenty five miles so if conditions are less than ideal, plenty of time to be cautious. Then downhill for a couple of days to El Paso.
Price of a coffee
December 20th, 2011He’d asked if it was ok to go onto the roof today. Kept repeating "McDonald’s of Silver City". Said he lived at home with his Mum. Helped looked after her. Roles, I thought, were probably reversed. Despite his enormous build, mostly harmless. Even caring. But his limited intellect often meaning he’d be misunderstood. I returned to nursing a now lukewarm coffee at a corner table.
You’d be forgiven for thinking coffee culture is, well, a bit of a luxury on the road. After all, shy of soft drinks in English pubs, it’s a beverage with probably the greatest of mark-ups. Surely best to brew your own. And I do. Whenever I can. Always like to have a small flask of something warming. Great for morale.
But you’d be rather missing the point. Popping into a cafe about much more than a hearty drink. It’s the fringe benefits. A break from the elements and an opportunity to reinvigorate waning spirits. Chance to reflect on the day’s progress, to jot down some notes for the blog. Company. It can be very lonely on the road. Flushing toilets and a sink to freshen up. Often free WiFi. Remembering that even the cheapest of coffees are expensive if you over-indulge.
Outside it was snowing once more. This was expected. As predicted. Which, I hoped, meant it would also clear up in a few days as forecast. Allowing me to return to the road before becoming gripped by cabin fever.
Early White Christmas
December 20th, 2011Silver City may be surrounded by desert. But at over six thousand feet elevation, that doesn’t preclude it snowing…
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