Day 9 - Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Decatur, TX to Hobbs, NM
GPS Distance: 359 miles
Travel time: 5h 46m
States Claimed: NM
NOTE: Google Maps route link is the original planned route.
The travel time and distance to Hobbs is about 33% of today’s journey. It’s weighing in at around 900 miles. On ride like these, you think “900 miles?” I’ll take my time! C’mon, you’re headed home - is there any ride that you think that you’ll take your time?
I didn’t think so.
NOTE: I seemed to have been lucky and had my GoPro mostly working this entire trip. Until today. My camera itself powered up okay once I got home and away from the bike system, so it’s either the garden-variety $2 USB charging cable, or the $5 12V to 5V USB adapter buried in my fairing that died.
Okay - 359 miles; I make this in two stops. Another fuel stop, another receipt/odometer photo in Decatur, then off into the early morning blackness of north Texas.
In yesterday’s account, I made a brief mention about the speed limits. Like most places, in reality, they’re suggestions during daylight hours. More than once, I was running along at nothing more than a few ticks above the white-and-black signs, and I would be blown away by ¾ ton Ford trucks easily pushing ‘the ton’.
As you approach a community along these roads a gradual set of speed limit signs will slow you from 65 to 75 MPH, down to 55, then 45, then finally either 30 or 35 - depending on the size of the town. On the other side of the main intersection, a gradual acceleration would occur - 45, 55, 65, then 75. The lower the value, the closer to it you should be.
The other thing I noticed out here. There seem to be cops out here, but nearly all I ran across seemed to be right in town. Most all of them had that radio ranging apparatus in use. Good for me, because I knew when I heard the beeps, ease up and be sure I’m in the zone.
In some un-named town along my route, my closest interaction is described. I’m approaching a town, I go thru the deceleration dance. Unfortunately, I missed the last sign - 30 or 35? Well, be safe, do 30. The town seemed fairly short; only a few blocks. At first, I heard a chirp, then a couple more.
Yeah, I got someone here wanting to welcome me to town. Maintaining that 30 MPH, I round a slight curve in the road - chirp, chirp, then nothing. I get a wee bit closer, then CHIRP, CHIRP - Instant On radar. I pass then it went CHIRP, CHIRP a second time, as he switched from front antenna to rear antenna. Thinking that as soon as I passed, I would accelerate - but I didn’t. I think that move was ‘checkmate!’
NOTE: I seemed to have been lucky and had my GoPro mostly working this entire trip. Until today. My camera itself powered up okay once I got home and away from the bike system, so it’s either the garden-variety $2 USB charging cable, or the $5 12V to 5V USB adapter buried in my fairing that died.
Okay - 359 miles; I make this in two stops. Another fuel stop, another receipt/odometer photo in Decatur, then off into the early morning blackness of north Texas.
In yesterday’s account, I made a brief mention about the speed limits. Like most places, in reality, they’re suggestions during daylight hours. More than once, I was running along at nothing more than a few ticks above the white-and-black signs, and I would be blown away by ¾ ton Ford trucks easily pushing ‘the ton’.
As you approach a community along these roads a gradual set of speed limit signs will slow you from 65 to 75 MPH, down to 55, then 45, then finally either 30 or 35 - depending on the size of the town. On the other side of the main intersection, a gradual acceleration would occur - 45, 55, 65, then 75. The lower the value, the closer to it you should be.
The other thing I noticed out here. There seem to be cops out here, but nearly all I ran across seemed to be right in town. Most all of them had that radio ranging apparatus in use. Good for me, because I knew when I heard the beeps, ease up and be sure I’m in the zone.
In some un-named town along my route, my closest interaction is described. I’m approaching a town, I go thru the deceleration dance. Unfortunately, I missed the last sign - 30 or 35? Well, be safe, do 30. The town seemed fairly short; only a few blocks. At first, I heard a chirp, then a couple more.
Yeah, I got someone here wanting to welcome me to town. Maintaining that 30 MPH, I round a slight curve in the road - chirp, chirp, then nothing. I get a wee bit closer, then CHIRP, CHIRP - Instant On radar. I pass then it went CHIRP, CHIRP a second time, as he switched from front antenna to rear antenna. Thinking that as soon as I passed, I would accelerate - but I didn’t. I think that move was ‘checkmate!’
Texas...it goes for a long time!
A sunrise to my back, and soon my last gas stop in Roby , TX. I did enjoy this route, and fortunately, I did pick one that did allow for higher speeds.
Roby, TX - what *is* it?
A wind turbine blade. This had to have been 250’ long.
Note the scale of the blade, in relation to the standard-sized truck that’s pulling it...
Roby, TX - population 643 - traffic jam! Out here!
Entering that section of Texas typically called “west Texas”, the fields and farms, began to have oil wells and associated equipment, as well as those wind turbines as far as the eye could see.
Remember the size of that truck that was pulling that turbine blade?
I really hadn’t listened to a lot of music over the last couple of days. I turned it on now, and enjoyed my last 150 miles into Hobbs.
THE RIDE ENDS - CLICK HERE!
The only place I stopped, turned around and got this photo. Circa 1935 - Restored in 2012 - Snyder, Texas
Welcome to New Mexico - the last sign!
I stopped and got that photo. Yes, I have a NM sign, but not this one. Across that final state line in this little journey means it’s over soon. I’d picked another small convenience store, and the pump wouldn’t spit out that last receipt.
The bike's been cleaner...but it did well!
I go in and another fellow is waiting, but there’s nobody in the store. After a couple minutes the female clerk comes flying out of the back to the register. Man, I’m thinking something bad has happened… :shudder:
I get my receipt, then tell her that I’d accomplished the ride. She seemed genuinely interested, but I wasn’t in mood to chat.
I get my receipt, then tell her that I’d accomplished the ride. She seemed genuinely interested, but I wasn’t in mood to chat.
The book is full. I just went into “go home!” mode.
Grabbed the photo with both the Nikon and my cell phone; send the photo of the last receipt (this one) to my wife, along with a quick phone call to her.
I then noted that I’d had a mild case of dyslexia on the written receipt. A secondary fuel stop was on my list, it was a truck stop and only a couple miles down the road. I can take a minute to celebrate there, then head for home.
I picked up a snack, a drink and sent a couple of messages to an internet forum that had been monitoring my progress. With a photo of my second receipt secured, it was time to saddle up and head for home.
So, you’d figure that after more than 7600 miles, what’s another 570 or so home?
I then noted that I’d had a mild case of dyslexia on the written receipt. A secondary fuel stop was on my list, it was a truck stop and only a couple miles down the road. I can take a minute to celebrate there, then head for home.
I picked up a snack, a drink and sent a couple of messages to an internet forum that had been monitoring my progress. With a photo of my second receipt secured, it was time to saddle up and head for home.
So, you’d figure that after more than 7600 miles, what’s another 570 or so home?
Crying? Laughing? Read the final episode to find out!
THE RIDE ENDS - CLICK HERE!
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