NO Wind
Albuquerque to Santa Fe NM: 67 miles, 4,942 feet of climb.
The flags were perfectly still until this afternoon. What a nice change from yesterday. This morning at breakfast, one of our riders shared he stopped to get a photo from a high pass and took one foot out of the clips and placed it on the ground. A huge gust hit him and knocked him and his bike completely over.
Temps started in the 40s this AM and got to the 70s. We sweat on the climbs and get cold on the descents. Clothes on, clothes off.
The last 3 days, we have been riding a lot on Route 66. A lot of abandoned buildings.
We met a rider a couple of days ago that is riding the entire Route 66 for his 66th birthday. He ended up joining our group for a week and change. The group even threw him a surprise birthday party.
Had a really good lunch of buffalo burgers in the small artist community Madrid. A guy walked into the outdoor seating area with his dogs and one of them jumped up in the chair across from the owner. It looked like that dog dines there frequently.
The scenery is still stellar. Plus, at the rate we pedal, we get to see it for a long time
Today is our second mechanic's 23rd birthday. So, another party tonight. This young man is a bundle of energy and a joy to be around. In college, he was the Midwest Collegiate Mountain Bike Cross Country Champion.
Last year the tour rode through Champaign, IL and the logistics mgr stopped in the Trek store to get some supplies. He met the mechanic, saw all of his certifications, and told him they were looking for another mechanic for 2019. The mechanic called at 5 AM the next morning and said "I am in for 2019 and will join you for the rest of this year's tour". Off he went. What a great way to live your life. Allegedly, one of his first days on the 2018 tour he came screaming into the hotel parking lot superman style (chest on the seat, legs extended straight back) and skidded to a stop. The logistics mgr shared the average age of the tour was 68 and to tone it down just a bit. Our goal is to get him to do the same stunt for us this year. Maybe away from the hotel. He is a beast on a bike. Going up to the Continental Divide, I heard him say something to me, then he passes me pedaling only with his right leg.
The guy can fix anything. Last year a rider broke his shift cable for the rear derailer ~10 miles from the end town. The rider was trying to ride every mile, so the mechanic toke the cable off his bike and installed it on the rider's bike, so he could finish the day's ride.
Our senior mechanic (69 years young) has the best stories, as he has been on this tour 21 times. He talks about the old days when people would show up with a bike from Walmart. His job was essentially to triage the carnage. He talked about repairing a broken weld on a frame and fractured handlebars with stuff from ACE Hardware. He does not miss those days.
Tomorrow is a rest day. We need it.
Totals to date for 12 days of riding:
941 miles
37,048 feet of climb
The flags were perfectly still until this afternoon. What a nice change from yesterday. This morning at breakfast, one of our riders shared he stopped to get a photo from a high pass and took one foot out of the clips and placed it on the ground. A huge gust hit him and knocked him and his bike completely over.
Temps started in the 40s this AM and got to the 70s. We sweat on the climbs and get cold on the descents. Clothes on, clothes off.
The last 3 days, we have been riding a lot on Route 66. A lot of abandoned buildings.
We met a rider a couple of days ago that is riding the entire Route 66 for his 66th birthday. He ended up joining our group for a week and change. The group even threw him a surprise birthday party.
Had a really good lunch of buffalo burgers in the small artist community Madrid. A guy walked into the outdoor seating area with his dogs and one of them jumped up in the chair across from the owner. It looked like that dog dines there frequently.
The scenery is still stellar. Plus, at the rate we pedal, we get to see it for a long time
Today is our second mechanic's 23rd birthday. So, another party tonight. This young man is a bundle of energy and a joy to be around. In college, he was the Midwest Collegiate Mountain Bike Cross Country Champion.
Last year the tour rode through Champaign, IL and the logistics mgr stopped in the Trek store to get some supplies. He met the mechanic, saw all of his certifications, and told him they were looking for another mechanic for 2019. The mechanic called at 5 AM the next morning and said "I am in for 2019 and will join you for the rest of this year's tour". Off he went. What a great way to live your life. Allegedly, one of his first days on the 2018 tour he came screaming into the hotel parking lot superman style (chest on the seat, legs extended straight back) and skidded to a stop. The logistics mgr shared the average age of the tour was 68 and to tone it down just a bit. Our goal is to get him to do the same stunt for us this year. Maybe away from the hotel. He is a beast on a bike. Going up to the Continental Divide, I heard him say something to me, then he passes me pedaling only with his right leg.
The guy can fix anything. Last year a rider broke his shift cable for the rear derailer ~10 miles from the end town. The rider was trying to ride every mile, so the mechanic toke the cable off his bike and installed it on the rider's bike, so he could finish the day's ride.
Our senior mechanic (69 years young) has the best stories, as he has been on this tour 21 times. He talks about the old days when people would show up with a bike from Walmart. His job was essentially to triage the carnage. He talked about repairing a broken weld on a frame and fractured handlebars with stuff from ACE Hardware. He does not miss those days.
Tomorrow is a rest day. We need it.
Totals to date for 12 days of riding:
941 miles
37,048 feet of climb
I can't believe you have the energy to write so much. Really appreciated. So much information that I have convinced a neighbor that I did the ride :-) You guys are my heroes. I had to look up the definition of "grit" because of you. Thanks. Keep it up. Steve & Jan
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve and Jan. Bill is writing everything---who knew he was such a writer? I am just here for moral & technical support.
Delete