Movin' across Kansas

Today was our eighth straight day of riding without a rest day and we have one more tomorrow before we get Tuesday off (in Abilene). We did get kind of a break though...we got to sleep in an extra hour. The routine is so ingrained at this point that I think we go on automatic pilot for the first hour of every day. Tom is up first (his choice) and he does his thing to get ready and then makes a bit of noise to wake me up...Then it's find the bike shorts, the chamois butter (absolutely essential), the jersey, socks and shoes and head out for breakfast. Sometimes breakfast is in the hotel and sometimes at a nearby place - this morning it was Perkins and they are one of the best. You know you are going to be burning calories when they have to use two dinner plates to deliver your meal. This morning it was the usual OJ and coffee along with two eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes - and me who has an english muffin at home was satisfied but not full. Tom's Garmin PDS/computer calculates our daily caloric count at somewhere around 4000 to 6000 per day (dependant mostly on time and distance). Then it's back to pack and get the bags to the support truck and get the bikes to check the tires and sign out for the day.

This morning we left at about 8:30 and, as usual we ride out in kind of rough approximation of a group but by 10 or 15 minutes we hit the city limits and the groups start to break out. The 'hammerheads', the guys who really move start pulling away, there is one group of 4 who always ride together and a few who ride alone and are happy doing it. Tom and I rode for awhile today with a third guy who is a few years younger than us and we did a really nice pace for the first 30 miles or so and right into the SAG. He also took the photo of us together sometime after we got back on the road after the SAG.

The scenery today was pretty much what it has been the last few days: growing crops, mostly wheat but also hay and corn and an occasional cattle operation. There is a sameness to it but at the same time it makes for really nice riding - mostly flat and straight and even though the winds shifted to more of a crosswind from yesterday's great tailwind (the reason for the early posts for anyone who might have noticed - no buses here, just John Deeres) it was still a pretty smooth ride. We went through three or four little towns all so quiet it was almost eery.

We pulled into the little metropolis of McPherson at about 1;00 and started looking for lunch. Again, as in the smaller towns, almost nothing was open. We took a left into the downtown area and rode up and down the street and the ONLY open business was the Sears store (I took the photo because it looks like it dates to the 30s and should have an historic marker out front). So we headed back to our main road and toward the hotel...Along the way we passed through a pretty little residential area that also had a definite pre-WWII look: neat older homes, almost all with real porches with swings and occasionally folks just sitting and watching the world go by.

We did, in fact, finally come across a Sonic and a gang of six of us rode in for a bit of lunch. Neither Tom nor I had ever stopped at Sonic (I absolutely cannot stand their commercials) but I can report they do a great job on cheeseburgers and root beer floats. We also met two couples at adjoining tables who wanted to know all about our little adventure - initial reaction, of course, was the usual OMG when we tell where we are going. "Boston? That's the other side of the world." One of them had a connection to the local picture so they took pictures, got names etc and told us we would be in the local paper tomorrow - too bad we cannot stay and buy a copy.

And the last photo? I know it's not pretty but it sure says it all about the way I felt when we finally got into our room - that bed is one heck of a lot softer than a bike seat.

So, for today 64 miles in a little over 4 hours and a 15 mph average...enough to have me looking forward to steak and baked potato at Montana Mike's tonight.

And tomorrow it's another 62 miler to Abilene and a day off...hooray.

Amber waves of grain....

Today was another day made for cyclists. The weather guys predicted a 10/20mph south westerly wind and they were dead on target. Almost from the moment we hit US 50 we were moving at 25/27 mph and it was almost as if I was pedalling to assist the tail wind rather than vice versa. Again, like yesterday the road was good and mostly flat, the farms and crops stretching out forever into the horizon. I clicked into the big gear almost immediately and never had to touch it again - and even the rear derailleur got a rest with only the three or four lower cogs coming into play. The bottom line at the end of the day: 86 miles with an average speed of 19.2 mph, something I've never come close to for any appreciable distance. Tom and I actually took our sweet old time at both SAGs and also stopped for lunch and still got into to the hotel at 1:30 - time to hit Wal-Mart for some essentials, i.e. sunscreen and gatorade, and relax.

With the wind behind us all day we got a bit of picture of where the lyricist got the notion of "amber waves of grain". The wheat is not quite at harvest time yet so it is more a mix of amber and green but looking out over these huge fields with the wind blowing over and through them you can watch the wave effect and it is quite a nice sight. And along the side of the road we get more of the same - sometimes the waving of the tall grasses and sometimes the wildflowers that spring up at intervals along the way (and, except for the immediate border of towns, not a billboard in sight, none). We do continue to see the huge grain elevators every 10/12 miles or so and they are truly the skyscrapers of the plains.

We did hit one significant line in the highway this morning - the Midway USA point at about the halfway point of today's route. It is NOT halfway for us but, assuming a straight line between San Francisco and New York City, it is the exact halfway point between East and West Coast and the photo gives the mileage.

There was a little roadside museum at the midway point and a real mixed bag it was - lots of antique farm machines, e.g. John Deere horse drawn manure spreader from 1902 - and alongside an antique steam RR engine. The picture shows Hank, the senior member of our group, trying to get a push from a long retired engine. Hank, by the way, is almost 74 and a great cyclist - he does a strong steady pace and has tons of energy. He is also an all-around nice guy and good for lots of stories at dinner.

Tom and I stopped for lunch in the little town of Larned where I took the third picture above. You can see the ubiquitous grain elevator at the end of the main street. We went through about 11:30 and you could almost shoot a cannon down main street without doing harm. Most of the stores were open for business and there were a few cars parked or moving but I think we saw no more than about three pedestrians....Still the main street scene seemed such a almost stereotypical view of a Kansas town.

We got into Great Bend and had another great experience. We stopped at an Arby's just to get a quick soft-drink and as we were parking the bikes and stashing the helmets an elderly gentleman (84 as he later said) approached and asked where we were going...The usual question and answers ensued and all three of us entered the store and placed our order. Ten minutes later he got up from his table, came over and said he wanted to present us with a gift. He walked out to his parked car and came back in with a bottle of honey. It was labeled the Nichols Apiaries and he turnd out to be Watson Nichols, owner and beekeeper. He said that this was a high energy food and hoped we would be able to use on the journey. He was such a true gentleman and we were both truly touched by his spontaneous little gesture. Needless to say we thanked him and he wished us Godspeed - another little vignette and a great example of the basic goodness of people. And, in addition to the sheer fun of cycling on a day like this, you just cannot beat the experience of meeting people like Watson Nichols.

And by the way, before I pull up the covers for tonight - we are in Great Bend, named for a bend in the Arkansas River. That is the full extent of my knowledge of the local scene - although if you are ever in town I highly recommend the American Bistro and the prime rib goes very well with a glass of Fat Tire beer...and now to bed and on to McPherson tomorrow.

Git the heck into Dodge

Today was a day that was just pure joy for a cyclist. We left Liberal on US 54 in the early morning sun and picked up a bit of a tail wind almost immediately. The road was smooth (for the most part) and rolling with just a few long gradual climbs. Again, the country is mostly wheat with a bit of corn (just starting to come up) as far as the eye can see, and I mean that literally. We again fell in a with a group for awhile and were moving easily around 20 mph just enjoying the country and the morning. A bit of truck traffic but 54 has wide shoulders so we share the road easily. We rode without stop to Meade, about 38 miles out, where we had a SAG at the Dalton Gang's hideout (and for the Ahers: can you imagine one SAG on an 83 mile day?). The hideout is the house of the Dalton's sister with a secret tunnel under one of the outbuildings and the whole thing has been turned into a museum and tourist attraction. Was a fun place and the support folks had a supply of melon and chocolate chip cookies to make it even more attractive. (photo to the right is the Dalton house). And while we were hanging out I had a Navy/Marine photo taken with Chris who wears the USMC jersey in honor of his brother who recently returned from Iraq - and, I think I mentioned that my jersey was a gift from Z and David (our family's Marine).

Fortified by the cookies and gatorade we headed out of Meade and basically cruised for the next 45 miles. The wind shifted a bit and was in our face for awhile but it was not strong and the warmth of the sun and the big puffy clouds helped make the ride a cyclist's delight. We turned left at one point onto a lesser highway with less of a shoulder but also much less traffic. For minutes at a time the only sounds were our rolling tires and the occasional bird calls - and maybe once in a while a click as one or the other shifted gears for a little climb or descent. Wonderful!

I continue to be amazed at the farms we are seeing. I want to describe the fields we see on either side of the road but "field" is misleading - we are seeing huge expanses of land planted in wheat or corn and there seems to be no limits - they are simply seas of green that go to the horizon. I'm sure they talk of acres but it seems to me that square miles might be more appropriate. Every now and then the growing crops will be interrupted by a feed lot or a grazing pasture with scattered herds of cattle but these are not small either. And, of course, every 15 miles or so there will be the huge grain elevators rising out of the plains and creating a tiny little settlement of maybe a couple houses and a gas station.

At about mile 80 we came into Dodge City and took a left turn onto Wyatt Earp Blvd (I kid you not) and within a minute or so were at the Boot Hill section of town. There are a couple of photos above but this is basically a reproduction of the main drag in the original Dodge City with the general store, the Long Branch Saloon and so on all the way down the line. Halfway down the wooden sidewalk we found a terrific restaurant. Among other things they featured a pulled buffalo sandwich with a b-b-q sauce and the whole package was delicious....and with a hot fudge sundae for dessert - what more could a hungry cyclist want?

Both inside and outside the restaurant we attracted questions from other customers (why anyone would think that 4 somewhat senior citizens in spandex shorts, funny shoes, and brightly colored jerseys is a matter of curiosity is beyond me). Where are you headed? You mean today or ultimately? Boston??? Omigosh! And today one of interrogators was a real old-timer, maybe 80, who had ridden from San Diego to San Francisco twice - he had a couple of stories of his own. And outside was a man with two small boys, maybe 5 and 7 who were just awed by our bikes - and their father wanted us to know that we had a lot of great scenery ahead in the mid-west. These kinds of little encounters with people along the way say a lot about people in general but are also a lot of fun for us.

Tomorrow is another 80 plus day and we are looking for fair skies and gentle breezes again . Our destination is Great Bend about which I know absolutely nothing but our experience to date has taught me that, like people, each little town has something - stay tuned while we find it for Great Bend.

Another day, another state...time flies when you're having fun

The best news of the day was that we got a chance to sleep in this morning. And after two days of fighting the winds a seven AM wake-up looked pretty good. We had what is probably our shortest day today, only 39 miles by the cue sheet, and it turned into a mini-rest day. The winds were light, the sun was out, and the road was smooth - it just does not get much better than that.

Again we are in the plains now, the mountains are well behind us. And today on either side for as far as the eye could see were wheat fields: miles and miles of one single field broken only occasionally by the big watering devices and the grain elevators.

We started out the morning in a group of 12 or so riders moving at an easy pace, 16/17 mph. Eveeryone knew we had plenty of time and with a flat road and a beautiful morning it was almost a group consensus that we would just cruise. At about 18 miles we came into the little town of Hooker which is a few people and businesses gathered around the grain elevator. However, they do their best to capitalize on the not so subtle implications of the name of the town. Even the local high school gets into the act - their nickname is the Horny Toads - really!

So we stopped for pictures at the CofC sign and store and looked at T-shirts and postcards and were on our way again. The next stop was the border for Kansas. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the sign but did get the picture and drop the obligatory sand.

We were again on US 54 and again riding alongside a railroad track. The photo seems to me a kind of typical view of this area: the flat landscape, the upcoming little town (in this case Tyrone) dominated by the grain elevator, and the oncoming truck and railroad. And by the way this one was a two-fer - we got a honk-honk from the truck and a toot-toot from the train (a tradition I hope you carry on next year Barbie).

On the way in to Liberal (and isn't that a great name for a town Katherine?) we went off course a bit to visit the Air Museum and this turned out to be really interesting. They have somewhere over 100 old airplanes, mostly civilian craft from the 30, 40, and 50s. Early Piper Cubs, Cessnas and a whole variety of planes that I had never heard of. And we went through with Nancy, one of our company, who was herself a pilot and flight instructor and very familiar with a large number of these planes. There also a few military craft, some from WWII like the B25, some old fighter planes and then a small collection of Korea and Vietnam era jets. One of the things we don't get a chance to do is play tourist in any given place and this was a chance to just wander at our leisure.

And so into Liberal...In addition to laying claim to Dorothy - another attraction here is her house- Liberal is the home of the internationally known Shrove Tuesday pancake race and, in fact our motel is located on Pancake boulevard. I don't know all the details but some how they race down the street with pancakes and compete agains a little town in England. Sounds like fun but somehow I doubt I will be back for next year's race.

So we did a mere 44 miles today in only 3 hours of bike time....which will, I hope prepare us for tomorrow's little 83 mile hike to Dodge City....

Oklahoma, where the wind comes rolling off the plains...

Breakfast this morning in Dalhart was a couple of blocks down the the main street from our hotel - already the cattle trucks were moving through town at 7 AM. It has a population of just over a thousand and probably 50 times that many cows - a real cowboy town. And as we left and headed out US 54 we went right back into cattle and horse ranches. And for the first time in several days we started to see real farms growing hay and what looked like grain type crops for feed maybe (Jake, I could have some of your expertise). The farms/ranches are not what we are accustomed to in New Jersey however - instead of acres I think they measure size in square miles. They seem to stretch as far as the horizon. We were about 20 miles out on the road when we found our cowboy, all 25 feet of him. I have no idea why he was there - no advertising, no connection to nearby buildings, just standing there pointing his six-gun at trucks and bikes passing by. And since every self-respecting cowboy needs a horse I threw one into the mix.

Our route had us riding parallel to a railroad (as many of of the routes through AZ and NM did too) and we were overtaken at one point by a long (4 engines) and slow moving freight train. There is something cool about riding along with the passing freight cars, the clickety clack of the wheels on the rails as it slowly moved past us. The only disconcerting thing to me (who grew up with a Lionel set in the basement) is that they don't have caboose's any more - it doesn't seem right to have a tanker bringing up the rear.

We had the wind against us again today but not near as strong as yesterday and it was more on our left quarter than directly in our faces. So it slowed us somewhat but did not have the exhausting effect of yesterday's big blow. And the road was generally flat with easy grades and none of the climbing we did yesterday. Tom and I hooked up with a couple of other guys and we did some pace line riding for awhile which also helped a lot with the headwinds.

This was also another day of "no services for the next 31 miles" on the cue sheet. The occasional sign of civilization would be the gate to some one's ranch, a couple of feed lots, and rising out of the plains like some sort of strange temple these huge grain elevators - and occasionally a Dairy Queen across from the grain elevator - and, yes, we do stop at all DQs.

At the 50 mile point we crossed the state line, our second in as many days, and entered Oklahoma - trivia answer: Texahoma, pop. 1237, straddles the border and I'll bet you didn't know that before. So again we did our little rite of border crossing and left some grains of Pacific sand at the base of the sign. One picture is me and the other is another rider, Hank, with the two people who provide the majority of our support on the road - Margaret and Mack. And I also need mention they are simply fantastic. I won't go into all they do but their concern and enthusiasm for the ride and being there when we need them is really super - and very nice people as well.

And so on into the thriving little town of Guymon (I tried to pronounce it 'gee mon' with a French style and got a very funny look at the hotel desk). It's a nice motel right next to a truck stop that must have 50-100 cattle trucks out on the back lot. And dinner tonight at a pretty good Chinese restaurant - who would have thunk a Chinese restaurant in Guymon, Oklahoma?

So we did 72 miles today with about 5 hours on the bike - not bad, especially after yesterday.

Tomorrow we have another state crossing heading for Liberal , KS. And we get a semi rest day - we have less than 40 miles on the cue sheet. Time to explore the original Yellow Brick Road and Dorothy's house - and hey Tom, maybe find Toto?

So long New Mexico, Hello Texas

And so we left Tucumcari and the beautiful vistas of New Mexico this morning in bright sunshine with just a bit of a breeze. (And I'm willing to bet that at least half my readers never heard of either of those little metropolis's before.) A local in the lobby breakfast area had said it's a straight road, rolling with more hills than downs, and you might see some wind...You might see some wind? We turned onto hwy. 54 and it was like running into a punch. We had a headwind from mile 3 all the way to Dalhart and when I say all the way I mean ALL the way. And it was in our face all day. In a car you can run into a bit of wind and maybe feel it a bit in the steering but you put your foot to the pedal and keep going without thinking too much about it...On a bike you put your foot to the pedal and find yourself going about half the speed you want with twice the effort. The first 25 miles or so the winds were kind of moderate with gusts and it was annoying but we made decent progress. As we continued the force picked up along with the heat of the day and the winds got stronger and, of course, the gusts got stronger too. I kept looking at my computer (odometer etc) and seeing speeds of 11, 10/9 mph and those were going downhill, repeat downhill. You put your hands in the drops and try to cut down the sail area but these winds were simply relentless. It was like having a giant invisible hand pushing back with every stroke of the pedal....

And with all of this the scenery was, again, all ranches and cattle grazing land. For the second day in a row we had a cue sheet that reminded us a couple of times "no services for the next 29.5 miles. Even the SAGs had to set up at little roadside rest stops with no facilities other than a single picnic table.

So the bottom line on the day: about half of our number did not do the entire 96 miles finishing anywhere from 50 on up. And Tom and I were among that number...I am a bit disappointed but we did do 78 miles and by the time we conceded it was about 4:15 and we were doing about 10 mph into increasingly tough winds - simple math told us that we would not get to the hotel until 6:30/7:00 so we made the decision to accept reality and come back to fight another day.

Among the highlights of the day was crossing another state border and hence the photo at the border. I don't know whether you can see from the photo but apparently someone has emptied his six-gun at the sign. And with all the open range I thought it good to get at least one shot of cows...yes, we really are in Texas. And I will also tell you that Dalhart is known for having some of the largest cattle feed lots in the world and they are all right on the highway. I will spare you any attempt to describe the smell but I will say to any potential visitors to this fair city: stay upwind at all costs. And tomorrow we go into Oklahoma - I'm going to be looking for cowboys and tail winds, not necessarily in that order. Good night all.....

And how did we celebrate Memorial Day....?

Tracy, our fearless leader, warned us that today would be the 2nd toughest of the tour (I'm not sure what gets #1-I have about 3 candidates) and she was right on. !08 miles, 7 hours and 40 minutes on the bike (9 hours on the road total) and I was never so happy to see a motel as I was tonight. We started in a very cool Las Vegas and were quickly out into the high desert ranch country. We looked behind and could see snow on the higher peaks of the mountains behind us. The cue sheet (our directions for the day's ride)said "no rest rooms or services for 75.9 miles" and that was true. No towns, no stores - just wide open spaces and open range with infrequent sightings of cattle or horses and the occasional loading pens and ranch buildings. On the other hand the country was incredibly scenic. One of our group, interestingly enough from Ann Arbor Mich, said at dinner tonight that New Mexico now rated in his top 2 or 3 beautiful states. We rode for about 30 miles with the open range areas all around and the mountains on our left and right. And then we entered a couple of descents and sharp curves and all of sudden were viewing one of the outstanding scenes of the trip (top photo above). It was simply breathtaking. We then descended down into that valley on a road that would have made Lance Armstrong nervous. It is a fairly steep descent - 25 mph for cars - and one long series of S curves for maybe four miles to the valley below. And add to that a bit of a head/cross wind and you can bet I was feathering brakes all the way down - when I wasn't stopping to take other pictures of course. The next 50/60 miles was a long ride through this high desert valley with dramatic views of the mountains all around us. This was enhanced by the fact that there was virtually no traffic on this road (folks tend to miss the back country because they opt for the interstates) and the big puffy clouds and deep blue sky - just a gorgeous, gorgeous day. I've tried to capture a bit of this in the photos but they are only a partial reflection of the reality.

Another highlight of the day was our passing of the 1,000 mile mark for the trip - and so Tom and I posing at the 'line in the desert".

The last 20 or so miles was a series of rollers: nice little downhills with follow climbs punctuated by one stiff climb that is referred to as "the wall" - only .7 of a mile but the grade was easily the toughest of the day and came at a time when the legs were starting to feel a bit rubbery. That's what I bought my granny gear for and you just roll into it and grind it out.

So: a glorious day but I am truly ready for bed and that is next on my agenda...tomorrow is another long day 90 something miles into Texas. And it is truly time for me to check out the bed.

Las Vegas Without the Slots and Shows

First off tonight something I've been intending to do for several days now (the brain gets a little foggy after many hours on a bike) and that is to thank all you folks who add your comments to my postings. I started this blog thinking it would substitute for multi-phone calls to family and it has kind of developed a life of it's own. I am really flattered to think people are following it and, even more, enjoying it. I am truly loving the ride and the adventure and am happy to share it. There is no way I can respond other than to continue posting but know that the comments are the first thing I go to when I open the computer...I am enjoying them all (and Iowa Bob - I don't know how you found me but thanks and I'm glad you are enjoying this year's ride - I certainly enjoyed your stories.)

We woke with a bit of trepidation this morning. It rained off and on all day yesterday and the skies were cloudy and a bit forbidding when we went down to breakfast - and it was cool, verging on cold. So the jacket and long sleeves and off we went - leaving Santa Fe and heading for Las Vegas. We were promised a day with a bit of climbing and were not disappointed. We had about 4000 feet of climbs but it was mostly rolling with a few long downhill runs. For you AHers I think of today's climbs as Lindberg Road occasionally multiplied by 3 or 4 - very doable so long as you just keep the pedals going....

About 10/12 miles out of Santa Fe we came upon the monuments to the Glorieta battlefield and cemetery. Glorieta is referred to as the Gettysburg of the west - it is the site of the westernmost battle of the Civil War. A unit of Texan rebels thought they could take the west from the Union and they almost succeeded. The battlefield is now part federal park and part private ranch - the photo I have above is the original cemetery where some of the casualties were originally buried.

Another piece of good news today was that we had almost no time on Interstates - one little five mile stretch and that was it (although that was enough for Tom to pick up one of those evil little wires for another flat). And somewhere around mile 30 the sun came out and what had been a nice ride through nice country turned into one of the most beautiful (that word again-can't help myself) ride to date. Big puffy clouds, deep blue skies and mountains and mesas all around us - I wanted to stop for a lot more photos than would ever be possible on a day after day ride. I did include a couple above, however, that I hope will give you the general idea. And there is also one photo of one of our SAG stops - out in the middle of nowhere this ramshackle bar/market/gas station with about 16 dogs checking us out. Our last stop of the day? The local Dairy Queen in Las Vegas for a root beer float-can't beat it.

Tomorrow is a long one - 108 miles and desert again. It is supposed to be "moderate" temps for the desert (whatever that means) but I will be carrying plenty of water and Gatorade. G'night for now.

Hangin out in Santa Fe

The day dawned dark with rain clouds and a wind blowing the trees outside our window - and so back to bed for a little more sleep. What a relief to get a rest day. We wandered down to breakfast, took our sweet old time and shared stories of yesterday with a couple of other riders. As it turned out the temperature never got much above 55 and it rained intermittantly all day - perfect day to clean the bike and stay the heck out of the weather.

About 11 Beth and Sabine showed up (Aaron home studying for his next set of exams) and the best part of the day began. Sabine was much less shy than Friday night and had a "Hi Papa"almost immediately for me. So we Skyped Mom-mom Susan and had a little visit and then headed down to the pool (indoors) which Sabine thoroughly enjoyed - played in her floaty and then we moved to the hot tub...ah, heaven for a tired cyclist. Beth took us to a local bike shop for a couple of things we needed and then we found a delightful Mexican restaurant for a late lunch: perfect day. Without any desert photos for today I have a couple more of Sabine...one in the hot tub (now a new part of her vocabulary) and the other working her charms on Tom Ryan.- he could be kicked out of the Curmudgeon club for that shot....Tomorrow we head for Las Vegas (NM not Nev) and are hoping for clear skies and a bit of warm weather (a week ago who would have guessed we would be complaining about cool weather). It's a 72 mile ride with only 5 miles on an interstate - that is good news......Time for a bit of dinner...more tomorrow.

This Ride Ain't for Sissies....

Tonight's caption is a quote from Tracy Leiner, our tour leader . She made that announcemt from the back of her support truck as half a dozen riders were struggling up one of the series of climbs that made up today's ride. But I'm getting ahead of myself - more on today's ride later.

Sorry I missed last night - yesterday was a hectic day. Tom and I were up early and rode our bikes in darkeness to the Denny's for breakfast. I, who at home would have an English muffin and coffee had two eggs, two pancakes, two sausages, two bacon and the usual coffee and OJ - and that is just to get through the morning....Anyhow, back to the hotel to lather up with sunscreen, fill the water bottles etc...We get to the door with our bikes and the thing we don't like to talk about is actually happening - rain is falling in Grants. So back for rainjackets, plastic baggies for the camera and wallet - and let a couple of pounds of air out of the tires for the slick roads. The good news was that we were riding on olde 66 again, a nice road and lightly travelled - not bad if you've got to ride in the rain. It is not exactly fun but we rode for maybe an hour and a half before we finally left it behind. At that point we were scheduled to go back on I40 but Tracy had discovered a major construction project and so decided we would put bikes and riders into the (2) vans and we would jump around the dangerous detour. So we skipped around it and our 75 mile day turned into a 61 mile day. We still had about 20/25 miles on the interstate, most of it rolling except for one long 5 mile climb as we approached Albuquerque...We picked up 66 again about 10 miles from the city and rode in on the old historic route. We crossed over the Rio Grande river and then turned into the Old Town section of Albuquerque. It has the old plaza built by the Spanish a couple hundred years ago that is anchored by the lovely old mission church which is still in active use today. Daughter Beth had given me a name for lunch so we found a little Mexican restaurant and had lunch on their patio.

The highlight of the day was a reunion visit with Beth and Aaron and Sabine. Beth picked us up for dinner at their house. Sabine is just a delight and has grown so much since I last saw her - Skype is nice but does not replace the real thing. So Aaron made a terrific guacumole before dinner and they then gave us a marvelous mexican meal with all the appropriate attention to Sabine's antics....And so the photos above.

Today started with heavy clouds and winds whipping the flags viciously at the hotel. We had a 66 mile hike to Santa Fe and knew it would be a day of climbing - we were leaving 5000 feet and Santa Fe is somewhere just over 7000. We headed out old 66 and directly into an intense headwind. We also started a slight ascent but it was the headwind that wears on you. Actually it was kind of interesting to do the rest of 66 - there are lots of remnants of the old highway: the drive-ins, the tourist attractions, some of the old motels. We joined the road to Santa Fe, the Turquoise Trail as it is know at mile 16 and the climbing began in earnest. And the cloud cover got blacker and the temperature started dropping as well. The Sandia mountains were on our left but you would never know - they were covered in fog and low clouds. In short order we started feeling the first ominous drops of water..so along with the winds and the climbing add rain and a cold rain at that. And at that point we crested the hill and there was Tracy and her truck - and maybe she is right (the advertising DID promise adventure) but that line haunted me for the next forty miles or so. The highway is truly beautiful and I know because I have seen it in the bright sun (and in a car) and even today it had a kind of eerie quality to it which I tried to get a bit of in the two photos. Where are couple of old mining towns along the way and in one, Madrid, we stopped for lunch at a funky place called the Mine Shaft Tavern - filled with cyclists, bikers (the motorcycle kind) and ordinary tourists. They make a marvelous chicken quesidilla if you are ever in the neighborhood....And in the all honesty the rest of the ride was just sheer hard work:the neverending wind, more than enough climbing, lots of time spent in the granny gear, rain off and on, and just getting colder and more exhausted pushing on for the hotel...Found our rooms, took a shower at the hottest temp I could stand and fell into the bed for a pre-dinner nap. And am I ever glad that tomorrow is a day off. And now that I mention it I think I may be ready for bed right now...ciao and sleep tight.

We slept in and left an hour later than usual this morning - because it was a shorter day (68 miles) and to make up for the hour we lost yesterday I guess. Tracy who is the Crossroads leader has the routine organized almost perfectly and the support for the riders is fantastic. But sometimes it gets funny. We have a quick communications meeting every day and then (usually) go to dinner as a group. I get this feeling every now and then that I'm in summer camp or boot camp - what's the schedule? what do I need to next? and what happens if I don't do it? We actually have plenty of time to do whatever but we do have an organized routine and Tracy watches closely to make sure it works. The good news is that it does work. The SAGS are always where they are supposed to be, the hotels have been great, and the folks doing the support functions are really good.

We headed out on a cool morning and had our first 20 miles or so on route 66 - good road and the Red Rocks of NM on our left for scenery. At mile 19 we got back on I40 and experienced a drastic change in the road. The shoulder was simply a mess: in addition to the usual junk we had gravel, crumbling pavement and a most uneven surface. Really ugly for bikes and when we get to Santa Fe I may just call Bill Richardson and lodge a complaint.

Fortunately 66 starts up again and at mile 30 we exited the interstate and were back on the historic highway. Almost immediately we arrived at the Continental Divide, the highlight of the day. Of course, we all posed for photos at the official sign and I took an extra photo of the ubiquitous trading post that has probably been there since 66 was built. The elevation at this point was 7275' which I believe is the high point of our trip. I bought a couple of postcards, wandered by the fireworks displays and passed on the moccasins and t-shirts.

From there we had pretty much a straight shot to Grants on 66. We had a bit of wind which could not really make up it's mind whether to be cross, head, or a tail wind but the road itself was beautiful. Much of it was recently re-paved and it was a real pleasure to just cruise after the disaster of I40. About 12 miles from Grants we stopped at a Dairy Queen/trading post for a cheeseburger and a shake. We pulled in with a stiff wind trying to blow us off the road - by the time we left the wind had shifted and was this wonderful tail wind. We did an easy -and fun - 20/22 mph all the way to Grants and our abode for the evening. We were racing a moving gray/black cloud all the way and with a couple of miles to go we started getting a very cold shower but we were so close to the hotel we just charged on and pulled in before it got heavy.

Tomorrow is 75 miles to Albuquerque and one of the real highlights of the ride for me - I will be visiting with daughter Beth, her husband Aaron and, of course, Sabine now 1yr & 1/2. Beth has invited Tom and I to dinner so am looking forward to a great evening....

And the the other photos...just two scenes from the ride today along 66 that I liked - enjoy.

Playing dodgem on the Interstate

Another day spent mostly on I-40 and another day playing dodgem on the shoulders. Riding the interstate sounded pretty awful to me when I first heard about it. I had visions of Rt 95 or 80 in the east and I cannot imagine being on either of those on a bike. I-40 in Arizona and so far into New Mexico is the only way to go-and I do mean only, there are no other roads to carry you through these vast open high desert spaces. They have wide shoulders, the scenery is lovely and the traffic, while it does rumble along is not near the heavy concentration we have on the eastern interstates. There is one issue however and that's where the dodgem comes in. The shoulders are littered with debris from blown out truck tires. What you see as a driver are the big hunks of tire casing-what we see from the bike is single bits of junk that goes into that tire in addition to the tire itself. In addition there are all the other things that get tossed to the side: lots of glass, discarded monkey wrenches, shoes, dead animals (aka road kill). It's easy to see and avoid the big stuff but all the little bits and pieces, the strips of rubber, and the most evil of all, the little hunks and pieces of wire that blew out with the tire. These are the things that get into our tires and work their way through to the tube until we feel the wobble and look down (or back) to see the flat tire on the bike-arggghhhh. And so we weave our way down the highway trying to make speed or climb a hill and all the while keeping an eye on the road just beyond the tire and turning and twisting our way through the maze. Unfortunately you can't see it all. One guy I talked to tonight has now had 6 flats, not fun. I had my second today and just as we were in the home stretch. I dug out out 4 little wires to find the evil culprit...Fortunately it was the front this time-I can change that in a very few minutes and without all the greasy hands that the rear wheel causes. Aside from that it was really a pretty good day. Contrary to my earlier thought Arizona does allow clouds in the skies and the last couple of days we have had lots and lots of big white puffy clouds to complement the high desert landscape. The terrain today had a bit of a roll at times but was basically smooth and other than the fact that it was 87 miles fairly easy. We had a few moments of head wind and cross winds but nothing like yesterday. From our last SAG at the 60 mile mark we picked up a nice tail wind and Tom suddenly turned into the horse who smells the barn. We did the next 25 miles or so (except for a brief stop when I changed my tire) at speeds of 20/23 mph-fun way to get to the hotel.

I-40 has basically replaced the old 66 and we stopped for a cheeseburger at the 44 mile point at a place just off the interstate but is a survivor of the old road. We go in with our bike togs and of course draw a few stares. Eventually an elderly (I do realize I need to use that word carefully) Native American came over to ask where we were going - "Boston huh. That's quite a distance from here." And where did you start - "Los Angeles...bet you haven't seen much rain" And so on until he wished us luck and reminded us to be careful out there with all those trucks. And meeting folks like that and those little conversations is part of what makes this ride so much fun. And at mile 70 we crossed into New Mexico, our third state on this journey. We did our little ritual with the Pacific sand at the state line sign so hopefully the biking deities will continue to smile on us.

And the photos...That's Tom posing at the state line and sprinkling the sand at the base..note how the jersey picks up the chilis on the sign...And a scene from the road-those big puffy clouds I was talking about. And finally a photo for Jacob...I probably won't see any alligators in the desert but I did see this T-Rex this morning-looks like he is trying to bite my head off.

Tomorrow we head for Grants-and it's a mere 68 miles so we are getting a later start and will get an extra hour of sleep-and believe me we can use it...night all.

Monday again...back to work

5:30 A.M. and Tom is moving around and making lots of noise - the weekend respite is over, time to get ready for another day at the office. I think I would not have voiced any strong objections to another day of leisure but we have things to do, places to see and so down to breakfast we went.

We headed out of the motel and joined the old Rt 66 and rode a few miles through downtown Flagstaff, the same route I had taken coming from the bike shop on Saturday. Within about 4 miles we were entering I-4o and getting into a long 40 mile stretch before our first SAG. We quickly saw a sign announcing 6000 ft Elevation but I think that was our high for the day. The city quickly disappeared and we were into unending open range - I know it was range land only because an occasional cow would be visible on the otherwise unremarkable landscape. We were riding paralel to a railroad track and the most exciting thing we saw was an occasional long freight train passing with it's cars loaded with trailer and containers - and we realized they have eliminated the caboose, too bad. In any case we had a 96 mile day ahead of us and a warning of winds near Holbrook so we did not tarry. We had a great tail wind and were cruising at 20/23 mph. We actually reached our SAG at 42 miles in a few minutes under 2 hours which is really cruising for us. Our first exit off I-40 was an exit back to the old (and now historic) 66 at Winslow, the little town made famous by the Eagles in the 70s. And sure enough there is a little memorial the "standin on the corner in Winslow Arizona" right in the middle of town. So, of course, Tom and I took a couple of pictures including the one above. I should also add that I tried to put my arm around that guy's shoulder and he practically gave me 3rd degree burns - it was about 11:15 and the sun was hot. There really is not a single other reason for Winslow to exist as far as I could see but we did find a kind of all-chicken version of Burger King and had a pretty good lunch before moving on. We were back on I-40 in short order and again moving with a gentle descent and the friendly wind. The next SAG was at the 76 mile point and it was back on 66 to the Jackrabbit Trading Post which is apparently one of few surviving businesses from the old 66 days to be close enough to the interstate to still attract some customers. Apparently the Crossroads folks (our hosts for this trip) have been using their parking lot for years and they look forward to seeing the bikes pull in every year. I started talking with Isobel who just turned 11 and says she has been watching the bike riders every year since she was 3 - cute little girl and the proof is above.

Shortly after we left Jackrabbit the ride turned a little more challenging. All of a sudden we had a stiff headwind and our cruising speed was turned to turtle speed. And as we got closer to Holbrook the wind shifted and became a strong crosswind. With my crash in the crosswinds last week this did not exactly make my day. We slowed down and took a conservative tack, holding tight to the handlebars and trying to breathe only through our noses as the wind created dust storms as well as the unstable conditions on the road....We finally got to our exit and were back on 66 heading into the little metropolis of Holbrook. We still had winds but they were not quite so strong and we felt much more confident heading for our motel. And then my little string of good luck ran out. I think I was just about the last of the entire group not to have a flat tire and I finally got mine with about 5 miles to the end. Two of those nasty little wires that litter the shoulders of the interstate got me-I've never had to carry tweezers in my kit before but that is the only way to get them out of the tire. So we stopped at a Dairy Queen as reward for our efforts and finally pulled into the Days Inn of Holbrook.

Stats for the day-96 miles with a 16 mph average and under 6 hours of riding time. And we still feel pretty good. They tell us that last week should be seen as a training week and it will get easier...we'll see tomorrow. 75 miles and more winds promised. We also get into New Mexico tomorrow and get to move into a new time zone...More on that later.

Time to snooze...zzzzzz

Sunday is the traditional day of rest and thank God we finally got one. After dinner last night Tom fell asleep almost immediately and I followed not too long afterwards. And, instead of a 5:30 wake-up call we slept until almost 8:30. We wandered down to the hotel breakfast, took our time over coffee and war stories with our fellow riders and basically just rejoiced over the fact that we were not going to suit up and go for a ride. They put out cleaning stuff this morning so most of us did a little housecleaning on the bikes...the bike shop cleaned and re-oiled my chain yesterday so I was spared that part of the process. Tom came up and took another nap after that bit of exercise - I envy his ability to launch into a power nap at a moment's notice. We wandered into a nearby cafe for a late brunch - omlet with chorizo, green chilis and salsa sauce - delightful way to get back some of those spent calories. Tom's garmin estimates caloric consumption and it has indicated daily amounts of anywhere from 4000 to 7000 per day. So therefore we eat a lot with a clear conscience. And today we finally got the sound working on Skype app (video) for Susan so we had a great conversation and she didn't have to write notes. And, I should also add my thanks to Matt (our new son-in-law) for coming down to mow the lawn-I have about three different kinds of beer in the fridge so I assume he was rewarded appropriately. I also talked with daughter Beth whom we will be visiting on Thursday when we stop in Albuquerque-looking forward to a home cooked meal and a get re-acquainted visit with g-daughter Sabine. Also visited with daughter Katherine and Jake and kids-this Skype thing is really great... I got thinking today how great the Anchor House rides were to prepare us for this little adventure. It is hard to compare the two but I learned so much on the Anchor House rides: training first and foremost, how to ride in a group, the experience of the long distances. All those experiences taught me to take the training seriously for this ride, developed a lot of confidence, etc, etc...I could go on. If only the Anchor House ride could incorporate a desert day or two (just kidding Brian in case you are reading this). So now it's off to dinner...get some sleep and back on the bikes again tomorrow. Monday calls for a 96 mile ride to Holbrook AZ (for you nitpickers out there that is officially recorded a century by cycling's governing body). Looking forward to both the bike and body working as they are supposed to. Good night for now

Riding 45 miles with one gear....

Today was another day of climbing. It started out as a relatively easy grade but soon became a real climb and except for a few sections of rollers it was pretty much climbing all day. And at about the 12 mile point I discovered that my granny gear was not going to work unless I gave it a good push (I thought of a good kick but that is not really a good idea in the long run). In any case once I got the chain on the the small gear, i.e. granny, which I needed for the long climbs I hesitated to go back up to a larger gear knowing I would have to stop and manually move the chain every time we came to a larger hill - so long explanation for the simple fact that I did virtually all of todays ride in the granny - a most annoying situation but there is a happy conclusion later.

So the ride today took us to Sedona and the very famous red rocks. These are giant red rock formations that are all around the Sedona area. This morning was another patented Arizona sun-shining day and the sky was a deep blue and the rocks almost seemed like they were part of a show just for us. I have seen them once before when visiting daughter Beth at NAU a few years ago but this time was coming in from the west (as opposed to the South from Phoenix). It is a simply awesome sight. I was riding with a woman from Florida on the way into town and she was blown away by the sight-as was I. I did, of course, take a bunch of pictures and have downloaded a couple above-I can only tell you to multiply these by 100 or so to get the full effect.

Sedona itself is an artsy/touristy town that is kind of fun but we stayed for only a while. Although you will notice from the 4th photo we did get a chance to meet Mr. Pig...Tom is the worrier type so he kept his distance-can't be too careful with the swinee flu you know.

We left and headed North through the Oak Creek Canyon on what has to be one of the very prettiest, scenic roads in America. It follow the creek at a steady ascent for some 15 or so miles through the red rocks-from a bike I was literally close enough to touch them at some points-and a forest of pine and other wonderful green stuff that I really wish I could identify. It is a two lane road with lots of tourist traffic on a Saturday but for the most part they respect the rights of the bikes so it wasn't too bad. As we were leaving the red rocks we hit a 2.2 mile section of very serious climbing-all very tight switchbacks, 8-10 % grade and a real challenge.Think of some of the scenes of the Tour de France and you will have the general area. One of the photos above I took from a scenic view area at the very top-I think I captured at least three and maybe levels of the same road. And from there it was into a state forest of Ponderosa pine and another 12 miles of climbing to the hotel. Very tired and glad to have a day off to look forward to.

And so the rest of the story on the bikes...Tom with his wheel problem from yesterday, me with the balky derailleur, and two others with bike problems. We put them in one of the vans and headed for the Absolute Bike Store on the original Route 66. I'm thinking Saturday afternoon, who knows if they will even have a mechanic in the shop...One of our party had called ahead and when we wheeled our bikes into the shop there were 4 mechanics standing ready to put the bikes on stands and go to work. Bottom line: it eventually took 2 guys to figure out my problems(two new cables, lots of adjusting) and 5 street tests but they did get it right...the bike is ready for our century on Monday. If you are ever in Flagstaff with a bike issue Absolute Bike shop is the place to go...actually just go and hang out for a while- they are all great guys. For the first week: 534 miles, two (major) deserts, two states and two tired bodies. Night all....

Short ride -Long climbs

I've realized that I have not learned the trick of manipulating the photos so I'm trying to simply get a couple in up-front and then talk about the day. Our schedule does not exactly lend itself to learning software...eat, ride, eat, drink, ride,drink, eat some more and then finally sleep....

Today was actually a pretty short day - only 49 miles from Prescott to Cottonwood...have I mentioned that I am seeing a portion of Arizona that I have never seen before and it is truly a beautiful state. We left Prescott late this morning - at 9:15 which allowed us to sleep in a bit, Much needed extra sleep was a godsend for the climbing we had today. The first 13/14 miles were all pretty flat and mostly open range for cattle and horses. I did pass by one retirement community that I thought was pretty nice and had a couple of for sale signs-was tempted to call Susan but then decided maybe these houses were just a bit too far from the g-kids. So at about the 15 mile point we were at an elevation of something around 4800 ft and staring a line of mountains in the face...We started up on a 12 mile climb that was challenging but also simply breathtakingly beautiful (am I using that word "beautiful" a lot?). The road itself was all switchbacks and curves with speed limits on some turns that went as low as 10 mph-not a concern for us since we were doing anywhere from 5 to 7 mph most of the way. I passed a roadside sign at one point that said Elev 6000 and thought "enough already". Ultimately we hit a little turnout area and the summit of Mingus Mt.-Elev1023 (pic above). And the photo on the second line to the left is me looking down on two of my compadres struggling up to my vantage point-it also gives some small idea of the gorgeous views. At some point we went around a curve and the red rocks of Sedona came into view across a huge valley. The scene is more than I can describe and the photos don't really do it justice-everyone should have a view like that in a lifetime. The other part of the descent is that is was just as long and just as full of hairpin curves as the climb. So for the next 15 miles it was hold on tight and keep a light touch on the brakes. Halfway down was an old mining town, Jerome, that had been abandoned years ago only to be revived as a tourist mecca. Tom and I stopped for a hamburger-what I would have given for a beer to go with it-and then rode through town. Literally perched on the edge of the moutain it was the same hairpin curves all through town and finally out to the valley below...One pleasant little diversion: I went off course a bit to stop at the ruins of a 14th century Native American pueblo-the Sinaguas who had a settlement with hundreds of people and then simply disappeared. Very interesting but also a very puzzling story....

Tomorrow it is on to Sedona and then to Flagstaff-another day of climbing. We are at 3400 hundred tonight and Flagstaff is somewhere between 5000 and 6000-I think I hear my pillow calling now.