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Mammoth Trip, 2019

September 14

Sonora Pass West

It was hot, but not as hot as in 2016.


Rather ominously, the road surface had been roughed up for repaving, which was unpleasant to ride on, and I worried I'd run into repaving work above. As it happened, there was paving equipment parked along the way, and parts of either lane had been recently repaved. So recently, that the surface was tacky, and you could hear the tires sticking to it. But it was dry enough, luckily, that the tires didn't pick up tar and gravel. You can quickly destroy a carbon fiber frame like that. But I can't help thinking the sticky surface cost me many seconds, maybe minutes. -F.