Day 50 – Head in the clouds
Despite the fact that my body hasn’t recuperated much, nothing was going to discourage me from crossing the finish line in Reykjavik today.
Waking up to no sound of rain drumming on the tent was a good sign. I quickly packed and got on my way. My knees were aching but I knew I could push myself. My concern was Greengo. After yesterday’s ride in the rain and on some unpaved roads, he was squeaking and screeching. One of the gear shifters wouldn’t work, the only available speeds were 1-3-5, and at some point a high pitch noise started to come from the front wheel. I kept my fingers crossed that there would be no mechanical breakdowns along the way. I knew there was one long uphill on the way but I didn’t let it get to my head, When I reached it I didn’t even curse, just kept on pedaling, ever so slowly because of my knees, but up and forward. In this weather many mountaintops are covered with clouds, so when I reached the plateau I was covered by one as well. It wasn’t raining but it was misty, the temperature dropped and steam was coming out from my mouth. I was getting cold, my shoes were still wet from yesterday and my feet and hands were getting numb. But my spirits were high, I could see on my Garmin watch that I was getting closer and closer to the finish line.
Then there was final downhill to Reykjavik. Soon I was in the city, back at the campsite.
Greengo and I, we did it. Our cycling adventure is over. Basta!
I took a long hot shower and then gave Greengo a high-pressure wash at a nearby car wash. It looks and sounds much better. This is one tough, sturdy little bike.
We are both ready for some rest. I have a real vacation coming up, but Greengo and I won’t see each other during this time. We need a bit of space.
Today in numbers:
58 km – distance covered
3h18m – riding time
130 – active and inactive volcanoes in Iceland
1 – spoke is missing from Greengo’s front wheel
