Our shift was from 6pm to midnight. We got to ride the path both in light and dark (and it got DARK). There was lots of wildlife (especially deer) and the scenery was spectacular. The road was smooth, flat, fast and there was very little traffic for most of the way. Absolutely zero complaints...just awesomeness.
About the off-roading...
There was a detour on the path near Jackson Mississippi - cars were required to get off while cyclists can still ride through. Our support vehicles were sent away to meet us later on...while our team stayed on the route. We had about 20 km's of 'freedom' without anyone with us. Just the bikes, our lights, an empty road, and the quiet of the night. It was like children being allowed to play for the first time without parents watching. The off-roading was a section that required us to go off the path...grass and dirt for about a kilometre in the dark....mountain bikes would have worked great here. Sorry no photos...it was way to dark...
Our team finished the ride shift early due to the great conditions...125 km's - and we are now almost 2500 km's done by all 5 teams. Almost there...only a few days remaining.
Donna's envelope for us today was a welcome treat after our ride at midnight....chocolate coins!
A few stops along the way...such as Tupelo...the birthplace of Elvis...this was his house:
Some of the gas stations are truly 'classic' as you can see here with Dean:
Local bike shop in Florence, Alabama:
To help save money...teams will swap rooms when there is an opportunity. We took over rooms from Team 2 at our midnight transition, as they were riding from midnight and no longer needed the rooms. Dave and Jetje left us a treat in their room, which we found on the night table when we arrived. Awesome.
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