Meet Cycling Legend L THE WOMAN WHO RACED 4,200 MILES IN 18 DAYS AND WON
Picture the distance between Oregon and Virginia on a U.S. map. Now, picture crossing that distance on a bicycle. Odds are you either can’t imagine it or you conjured up a monthslong slog, but in 2016, ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox crossed that distance in just 18 days and 10 minutes — the second-fastest time in the history of the Trans Am Bike Race. As hard as it is to believe, the 4,200 mile stretch from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia, is actually a racecourse. Every June, roughly 50–100 cyclists undertake the journey, pedaling through a total of 10 states. It’s an insane obstacle course of cars, mountains, and weather events that riders go through alone, without required checkpoints or designated rest periods. When Wilcox won the Trans Am in 2016, she became the first woman and the first American ever to do so. According to NPR, the victory came down to a combination of endurance and luck. In the final days of the race, she was in second place behind Steffan Streich when exhaustion sent him pedaling out of Bumpass, Virginia, in the wrong direction. When the two met on the road
at 3 a.m., a panicked Streich turned around and sprinted neck and neck with Wilcox toward the finish. After a few miles, she pulled ahead and won.
In response to those who said a woman could never win the Trans Am, Wilcox told NPR, “If you beat ‘em, you beat ‘em. That’s what happens. And then everybody has to change the way they think.” Perhaps the most impressive thing about Wilcox, even more than her 2016 win, is that she didn’t start cycling until she was 20 years old, when her boyfriend at the time gave her a bike. Since then, she’s competed all over the world, logging a total of 100,000 miles in 35 countries. When she’s isn’t racing, Wilcox encourages teenage girls to try cycling with scholarships and group events. In November 2019, she even starred in “I Just Want to Ride,” a 38-minute film following her quest to win the 2019 Tour Divide Race. To learn more about the film and what makes Wilcox tick, visit LaelWilcox.com.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR WATER PRESSURE IS TOO HIGH
And How You Can Fix It
A s a plumber, I trace the source of many plumbing issues back to high water pressure. When customers call to report a problem and they explain what’s going on, they often say something that makes me realize it could be related to high pressure. Things like drippy faucets, running toilets, pressure surges when faucets are opened, banging noises in pipes, leaky ice maker lines, and water heater leaks are several things that could mean you have a faulty pressure reducing valve. A pressure reducing valve (PRV) is located within a few feet of where your water line enters your house, usually located right after your main water shut off valve. Pressure from the city water mains in our area can range from 100 pounds per square inch (psi) to over 180 psi. This pressure varies during the day. During high-usage times it can be lower, but in the middle of the night it can spike way up. Your PRV is designed to keep your house water pressure between 55–60 psi. A residential PRV can be adjusted between 25–75 psi. If you maintain your pressure around 60 psi, your plumbing will be happiest.
screws onto an outside hose bib. They cost about $12. Screw it on tight and open the hose bib valve. That will tell you what your water pressure is. If it reads over 75 psi, you need a new PRV sooner rather
than later. Like I said, high water pressure will cause a lot of plumbing problems if not corrected pretty quick. A worst-case scenario would be a
burst washing machine hose, (which you should replace every few years anyway), among several other unfortunate scenarios.
If you have any questions or concerns about PRVs or your water pressure, don’t hesitate to call Plumb Smart at 404.427.0302.
So how do you know if your PRV is operating properly? Go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and buy a pressure gauge that
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www.BePlumbSmart.com
404.427.0302
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