Island Biking

Once the air freight arrived I didn't waste any time unpacking both the bikes. Conte's Bike shop of Norfolk (shameless plug) did a fantastic job boxing and as far as I can tell there was no damage to either machine. The level of disassembly was further than I would have done myself, but that just goes to show what I actually know. Not only were the wheels and handle bars removed, but the shifter cables were removed from the frame mounts and the skewers were also removed from the hubs on all four wheels. The tricky part was unlacing the front wheel from the crank arm. I'm not entirely sure how the Mechanic did that, but the crank was jammed into the spokes to hold the wheel in place. Damn good thing I was patient enough not to start snapping spokes. God only knows where I would find aero replacements for a Mavic Ksyrium SL wheel here in Koje!

No sooner than the bikes were together, I was out the door. Of all the things to have forgotten to pack in the air freight were my bike shorts, but fortunately there is a hole in the wall shop in Okpo where I could buy a new pair. So, the riding....

First thing to know about this island is that the roads are in pretty good shape, but there is really not much of a shoulder and everything is steep. After living in flat-as-a-pancake Norfolk for the better part of two years where riding wasn't really an option, I'm completely out of shape and feel like I'm going to die pretty much as soon as I leave the apartment. To the north is basically 20 or 30 miles of hills, seaside villages, and rice paddies. To the south is Okpo, DSME, and the majority of the traffic. As can be expected, I've been keeping my rides to the north. So far I've done about 50 miles total over three rides. Considering that the daily temps have been about 35 deg C (95 deg F for you non SI types) I've been trying not to actually kill myself. Ellen seems to appreciate that level of self regard. Anyway, the scenery is absolutely amazing and I love being able to grab quick glances of the ocean as I'm speeding past verdant fields of rice and chili peppers. 

To mix things up a little today, I decided to go for a leisurely ride out to a rock pebble beach about 10 miles from Deokpo for a swim. Splitting the ride into two parts was good for my legs and definitely a good way to cool off. The way back was slower, but I decided not to push too hard since I volunteered for the office soccer game tonight. 

If I'm actually able to walk tomorrow I'll consider myself very lucky.