Puttin' on the miles

I have been getting some good rides in. The Big Island offers outstanding terrain. The Queen K highway has the widest shoulder I have ridden on, because it was built for the Ironman. You get 20 feet of room in most places, which is a nice buffer against the big trucks. You need to hit the road early, because once it gets hot you struggle to stay hydrated. I have been drinking a large bottle every 45-60 minutes depending on the terrain.

Speaking of terrain, there is everything you could ask for within easy reach of where I am staying in Waikoloa Beach. Want to keep it flat....no problem, stay on the Queen K. Want a Grand Tour HC climb, yeah, we've got those as well. I will do separate ride reports to give a better description of the more epic routes. Brad Sauber of Bicycle Adventures send me some suggested rides that were awesome.

There is a weird effect in Hawaii where your perspective gets skewed somewhat. The pic on the right looks like I am going downhill, and that is what my eyes were telling me. In fact, that section was dead flat, which is what the Garmin and my legs were telling me. I ran into this phenomenon in several places. Of course, on Kaloko Drive, after slogging up the steep pitches, the 4% sections seem flat, but that is "oh my god that hurt, I am glad that is over" effect, combined with the "hey man, this is your brain here, I am totally out of oxygen and shutting down, later" effect.