Bicycle and Rider Overloaded

I knew when I left North Richland Hills that I was overloaded.... I had added quite a few items for this leg.... I thought I could handle the extra weight.... I was wrong.

I found myself laboring up the hills between NRH and Lake Mineral Wells State Park in 2nd and sometimes even 1st gear of my 21-speed mountain bike.

As I said in an earlier post, I didn't weigh my pack and the items in the Action Packer for this leg... probably for good reason.... I didn't want to know.... but I have hiked into the back country of Yellowstone with my back pack weighing 53 lbs and I know it weighed at least that much now.... plus I was carrying at least another 5 - 7 lbs in my Action Packer.

My planned route to Santa Fe NM has me leaving Lake Mineral Wells State Park and going due west on Hwy 180 through Breckenridge then Anson then Snyder where I'll turn northwest on 84 to Lubbock and then to Muleshoe Tx - staying in motels in each of those. I then plan to cross into New Mexico by cutting over due west @ Muleshoe to camp at Oasis State Park in Portales NM.

Bottom line is that I won't be camping out for the next 6 - 7 days so when I leave tomorrow I'm stopping at the Mineral Wells post office and mailing all my camping gear - tarp, sleeping bag, inflatable mat, remaining food stuffs and cooking related items forward to the Muleshoe Tx post office where I'll pick it up when I go through there a week from now. I've also went through my clothes and taken out a few items I don't think I'll need and I'll mail them home.

All totaled I should shed at least 10 - 12 lbs in this process.... may not sound like a lot but when you're hauling it up and down hills on a bicycle for 6 - 7 hours a day, it's a real big deal.

Anyway - that's the logistical plan for now.