from Coastin' Jan 2004 ...

It is a lot easier to climb a hill with a tailwind versus a headwind

Additional weight does not help you climb hills

There are a lot more cars with out of state tags on the road this weekend

It's harder to reach the drops when you're wearing 3 layers of clothing

You can stay warm in cold temperatures with enough clothing

You can sweat too much if you wear too much clothing

Trainers are nice, but there is no substitute for riding roads

More people are outside and also ride when temp's are 65-75 degrees than when it's in the 30's

Mexican food and Margaritas have no nutritional value

The most original Christmas decoration was a farm where they had taken bales of straw, made them look like a tractor and put a Santa on it.

A noisy bike (chain drag and squeaky pedals) attracts more dogs

Older dogs with gray hair definitely have more bark than bite-they aren't quite as fast either

Dogs either chained up or behind a fence can't chase you

Farm dogs are not chained up

Microsoft Streets and Trips software doesn't always show where a paved road turns into a gravel road

A wonderful ride can quickly turn into an unpleasant trip when a paved road in the middle of nowhere turns into a gravel road and you don't have an alternate route.

Cold PB&J sandwiches and cold Oreos still taste good

Fluids in your water bottle stay cold when temps are in the 30's

It's faster to ride on smoother pavement

The longer the ride the more profound the observations.

When you chase down another rider in the distance and it turns out to be a mailbox it's probably time to head home.

If there was a way I could pick up all the neat stuff I've seen along the roads I could have one heck of a yard sale

It's cooler riding in the shade than in the sun

It's also cooler at the bottom of hill than at the top of hill

Most of the time, if a car comes around you, there's another one right behind it

When you enter an intersection called 5 points, it's a really good idea if you know what road you're planning to take beforehand

The only time I ever stop at Gazebos and parks is to eat a snack

There is a very nice Park in downtown Albemarle honoring policeman and Highway Patrolmen in Stanley County that died while performing their duties

If you have a house on higher ground, you will not have water/flooding problems

Most cities are built on higher ground

There really is a an electrical substation on a road called Substation Road

There is a Bloomington, NC-but it's not nearly as big nor well known as the one in Illinois

The only Plyler in the US is in NC and it's close to Bloomington

A road you could call a "roller" is a lot of fun

You will not climb back up a hill very fast that you were able to come down 45+ mph

A well tuned bike with accessories is wonderful-but when something goes awry it's really aggravating

After 4 hours in the saddle all you're thinking about is how the heck to get back to your car

All food tastes extremely delicious after being on a bike for 5 hours