Day 6 Stats and Recap

Day 5:
Time out on bikes: 9 hours 11 minutes
Time in saddle (moving time): 7 hours 24 minutes
Miles: 327
Overall avg: 36 mph
Moving avg: 44 mph
Max speed: 101 mph

Total (rps):
Time out on bikes: 66 hours 46 minutes
Time in saddle (moving time): 48 hours 02 minutes
Miles: 2478

Guaranteed miles (if I bailed today and went straight home): 2915

Bullet Points:

• We get the hell out of Stowe fast and early.
• The gas leak has dried up on Eric's bike -- for now? for ever? for 5 minutes?
  
• Rich zips down Stowe Mountain at 7 am at 95 mph. Goeres is back up the hill, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and quickly falling behind at the wimpy downhill speed of 85 mph.
• Riding as hard as we can, and under a pledge to contribute no more dollar votes to the state of Vermont, we can't get the hell out of the state.
• We drive and drive ... I think on Route 100 South.
  
• RP says Vermont is only 75 miles tall, so we're both wondering "what the hell" when we've got 100 miles -- then 110 -- and then 120 -- under our belts and we're still in Vermont with no sign of Mass. Maps were consulted. Errors were discovered. Vermont it taller than 75 miles. Its more like 180-190 miles tall. We keep driving.
  
• Eventually we have to stop for gas (in Vermont -- destroying our pledge) and for RP to drop cargo. Still no gas leak. Hit the road again.
• We get into Massachusettes, pick up 2 East. Open the throttles.
  
• We catch some real rain. REAL rain. Eric is in the #1 slot, leading, and he's having visor issues -- a leaky Fog City anti-fog visor. So it's permanently fogged. To get through visibility of about 36 cm, we drive slow -- real slow -- Eric with visor up & amber sunglasses. A cold, wet hell. Fantastic as a memory, terrifying at the moment.
• McDonalds for lunch. One of those old-timer McDonalds in Mass. Old people on both sides of the counter. Takes us about 30 minutes to get 4 cheeseburgers, a med. coke and a coffee.
  
• One of the old timers in the restaurant tells us to get riding because the storm we just passed through is chasing us. Raindrops start appearing on the bike seats as we plow through our second cheeseburgers.
  
• We hit route 2 or 2A to 2 (I forget) and make fast work of getting to New Bedford, Mass.
• The hotel is about 12 feet from the road, easy to get to. HUGE parking lot. A Days Inn.
• A Days Inn straight out of 1966. They don't make them like this anymore. Huge '70s chandeliers. Burled wood banks of pay phones. Fantastic abandoned bar. Wide hallways going nowhere. You can just imagine the huge amber heavy glass ashtrays and wide-knot polyester neckties that must have been all over this place 30 years ago.
• One liter of Vodka to drink before caling a cab to take us to the Texas Roadhouse for steaks. We get half way through it, using vending machine ice and styrofoam cups.
• We also get to route planning. RP's got one bed covered with maps, every map he has, laid out on all horizontal surfaces, letting them dry out.
• Eric showers, with a vodka-rocks in hand.
• Route planning commences. RP hits on the idea of a ferry. Ferry reservatios are secured for $30 a piece. Our early morning destination? New London, CT by 8:00 am.
  
• Big steaks at the Texas Roadhouse. Big beers, too.
• Back at the hotel, we drink another quarter of the bottle of vodka.
  
• Next thing you know ... to sleep, followed shortly by a 6 am wake-up call.