When I woke up, it was 28 degrees outside (not sure what that is in Centigrade; maybe -12 or something), clear skies and the wind was ... dead calm. It was like finding a lump of coal in my stocking. Most of us trekked across that big, empty parking lot to the McDonalds for breakfast. Those with iPhones were searching the forecast. Tailwinds would start later in the day. I was all for waiting around until they kicked in, but that did not go over too well. This group is just too gung ho. I will note that the topic at breakfast was "what did we do on Day 3?". Now I remember quite well, but several were drawing a complete blank.
Getting ready to leave, I found I had a "motel flat". That is when your tire goes flat overnight, usually due to a small wire that worked itself into the tire the day before causing a slow leak. Jim fixed that for me... but it was no early start for Mike. Instead, the whole gang left en mass. We went to downtown Winslow where we had our pic taken with the previously mentioned tourist attraction (basically what you see at the top of my blog). Then we were all off.
For being so gung ho, this group gets a little slow start in the morning, and I led the way for the first 4 miles until we got on the interstate. Slowly, the fast riders started to join me. We rode as a big group for a while. I was thinking "this is nice; I think I will hang with them for the morning". Then, after about 10 minutes of that, they started to pull away. They're riding at a pace that is about 1 - 2 mph faster than I can turn out hour after hour. Doesn't sound like a lot, but at the end of an eight hour day, that can mean that I'm out on the road for an extra hour. Everyone is washed and going to dinner by the time I'm pulling in. I have no doubt that I am getting stronger - but so are they.
Today's ride profile looked like a straight incline from Winslow to Gallup NM. We climb almost 3400 feet over 134 miles. No steep climbs - just this annoying gradual climb. We're headed to the Continental Divide, which we reach early on Day 7. With about a 15 mile exception at the end, we were on I-40 the whole day.
Today was also a day of flats. Flat tires, that is. When trucks blow their tires and the debris is thrown all over the road, it makes its way to the shoulder. Those shredded radial tires contain tiny wires that play havoc with bicycle tires. You need to periodically stop and check tires; I pulled two out today before they got fully worked in. I am also running very heavy, thick, wide (relatively speaking) tires. Most everyone else is running light tires (and light wheels); that must be why they are faster...hmmm. The downside is that they get flats. One guy had four flats today. They're no fun, but the staff will change them... if they are around when you flat.
Wind did start to kick in after about 40 miles. I know it helped, but ... I wanted something that was going to push me up hill to Gallup. Two days ago, this section of I-40 was closed due to high winds. Cars and trucks were being pushed off the road. We saw the evidence of those high winds in the large interstate signs that had been sheared off. We're right behind this huge low pressure system that is spawning tornados in the Southeast.
So today was basically about biking solo again. For the most part. I did ride some with Scott, Dick and Pacific Mike. They are typically a tad faster than me on the flats and slight inclines. However, when it comes to steep descents, my superior body mass (I'm 35 pounds heavier than any of them) and reckless abandon (caused by oxygen starvation) give me the edge and I can make up a lot of ground. Not a lot in the way of steep descents today.
There's really not a lot of talking in groups. If you're able to carry on a conversation, you're simply not biking fast enough. Especially going up hills. This would be a typical conversation from a climbing day:
Pacific Mike: You going to Haunted Burgers?
Atlantic Mike: Yeah.
Pacific Mike: Me too.
Twenty minutes of silence, followed by:
Atlantic Mike: I'm looking forward to it.
Pacific Mike: Me too.
We're usually not that chatty.
The landscape around these parts is high dessert plains. We hit them at the end of yesterday's ride. Wide open country. You can see for miles and miles in all directions. You can see it snowing in the next county. Mountains and mesas are way off in the distance. The closer we got to Gallup, the closer we go to the mesas until we were riding through them. It is Native American reservation territory - poor, poor country.
While you're out on the road, you have lots and lots of time to think. I think about the question I get a lot: "Why are you doing this now?". The best answer I've come up with is "So I don't have to do it later."
If I don't sound too chipper, it is because it was a long, long day in some cold weather. We got the same tomorrow. If the wind had been coming at our face, I might have been a little happier. Because I would have spent the day riding in the warm van. My thighs are aching. Out on the road, I sometimes want to get up and sprint. That lasts all of about 10 seconds before the screaming pain sends me back down into the seat.
Tune in tomorrow when the ride is expected to be pretty much the same. I may just copy and paste on the blog.
Wow, how you are able to finish a day like that and still write such an amazing blog is beyond me! You are doing amazing, from working at an office day in and day out to riding across america. You are something else!
ReplyDelete