Lone Star Rising

MOONRISE over Las Cruces, New Mexico

We observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay homage to the Lord.
                                                                   Mathew 2:2

Texas is one very large state. A drive on I-10 from El Paso to Beaumont would cover over 850 miles. I don't plan on taking the interstate. In fact, my proposed route should be well over 1,000 miles across Texas! Maybe I'll never get out of here, that's OK though because I'm no hurry. I'm enjoying west Texas because it's dry and there are some tail winds to catch during the day. I've been having some communication issues with my computer, therefore, my ability to respond to comments is limited.

Las Cruces, NM was one place I didn't plan on visiting but it turned out to be a good experience especially walking around the Mesilla Valley Mall. Although there weren't as many biking lanes there as I hoped for, I found the sidewalks appropriate when needed. Found an excellent frontage road south of town that lead me into El Paso.

My high end Armadillo rear tire let me down. The tire was separating from the tread and I noticed a lot of extra play in handling of my bike. Therefore; I decommissioned it and replaced it with a new Schwalbe. This too was a disappointment. After it installed I noticed my hemorrhaging tube bulging onto the rim. Upon further evaluation,  I noticed the outer ring of the tire had a wire protruding from it which punctured my tube. Although it was dark, windy and dusty when I installed my second spare, I was happy I had one left to install. Even though my latest spare tire has some tread wear I'm delighted that it's holding air and getting the job done. Hopefully I can find a local bike shop along the way where I can return my faulty 'high end' tires and get credited with some new rubber.