Topeka KS. to St Joseph MO.

After breakfast this morning at 6:00 AM we loaded luggage at 7:00 and were on the road by 7:15. Conditions were cool and breezy with NNW winds increasing in intensity throughout the rest of the day. Our track was North East so the wind buffeted us from the side and as the roads we were riding on turned, we occasionally had the wind in our face, which severely impeded our progress. Oh well, I guess we got spoiled by the big tail winds.

Many of the riders inquired about my injuries this morning and throughout the day. We have become like a big family all looking out for each other. I reassured all that I was okay and ready to ride. Sue the ER nurse on the ride had wrapped my elbow with gauze last evening and Rick helped re-wrap it for today’s ride.

The terrain is increasingly rolling with longer and sometimes steeper hills on the route. Being mostly on country roads again we passed many farms and open fields of lush green grasses outlined with trees.

As we were leaving the small town of Atchison Kansas we rode across a very treacherous bridge to cross the Missouri River. About a mile later we came upon the unimpressive sign announcing the State of Missouri. The roads in Missouri have been rough. At least we get a chance to ride in the shade sometimes now.

Even though today’s ride at 89 miles was shorter mileage than yesterday’s 108 miles. It took nearly as long to complete. Less favorable wind and more hills was the cause.

It is a relief to know that tomorrow we have an off day and can rest or bodies and service our bikes for the next leg of the trip. We will be getting into some of the areas that suffered flooding and will likely have some changes to the route plan as a result.

Thanks to all for your comments on my blog and for emails that I receive. I find that I feel connected to you and I’m energized by your interest. It was nice to receive a comment on yesterday’s post from Carolyn, a previous co-worker at Dominion. My Brother in-law Don and his wife Frieda have been great cheer leaders for me, and are cruising the US in an RV also. Where are you Don and Frieda?

Abilene to Topeka

This morning was almost a carbon copy of yesterday the sky was angry and threatening. Only this time it was lightly sprinkling as we left. We had jackets on to protect us in case it really decided to rain. Fortunately it did not develop into a serious rain. It was just enough to make the road slightly we. It pretty much stopped completely by the time we had gone 5 miles. At that point we removed our jackets and proceeded on.

Today I was reminded again of how valuable the helmet is to our safety. As we progressed along the route at about 12 miles we came upon a set of railroad tracks. The tracks crossed the road at a diagonal. We have been schooled by the ABB staff on riding across RR tracks perpendicular. As I approached I saw that the ABB SAG vehicle had stopped just beyond the tracks and Girard the Mechanic was taking photos of approaching riders. He motioned to me to cross perpendicular. I approached and turned slightly to the left to cross the tracks and when I went across the first track my bicycle slipped and started skidding wildly out of control. I fought to get it under control but took a hard spill right in front of the mechanic. Rick who was following behind me saw this and started braking getting his foot out of the clips just before getting to the tracks. His bike went down also, but he was able to save himself from a fall. The light rain had made the tracks wet and extremely slippery. The ABB staff was on the scene quickly to check on my condition and to stop other approaching riders and avert the same occurrence for them. I found out later that another rider had crashed earlier at this same spot. He also has scrapes and bruises.

For all this excitement I received a pretty good case of road rash on my elbow, hip, back, and lower leg. I also dented my helmet. After getting basic first aid on the scene, I felt good enough to proceed. After arriving at the hotel and getting cleaned up, I inspected my helmet and found that it was broken with the blow. I acquired a new helmet from the ABB staff for the rest of the trip.

Even though I consider myself to be a cautious rider, I learned something from this event. Be extra cautious when the roads are wet, and beware of railroad crossings in wet conditions.

After the first SAG stop I rode in a group of four with Rick, CJ, and Girard. We covered the 40 miles to the next SAG stop in good time. I felt like the pace was faster than I wanted to maintain for the rest of the ride. After the last SAG stop I rode with Rick and CJ. Again I didn’t feel motivated to try to maintain the pace so I dropped back. Rick has really gotten stronger on the trip. I watched him and CJ getting smaller as they pulled away, until they became dots in the distance on the country road. After riding by myself for some miles, I came up to an intersection 6 miles from the end. Rick and CJ were waiting for me. I told them they didn’t need to wait, but they said we’re a team and we will finish together.

We rode 109 miles today for our last full day in Kansas. The scenery is increasingly rolling and green. We passed many smaller farms. Tomorrow we enter Missouri. We also have a shorter route of only 89 miles, and then Monday is a rest day which will be welcomed.

McPherson to Abilene

Last night while asleep I was wakened by thunder. When I got up this morning the sky was angry and threatening. It had rained during the night and it looked like it could rain on us today. Unbelievably the storm system moved East ahead of us and had no effect on our ride.

Today we rode 64 miles on our route from McPherson to Abilene. We arrived before noon. Our track took us took us East of McPherson about 11 miles before heading mostly due North for the remainder of the route. We had a South wind averaging 19 mph with a max South wind of 27 according to my GPS statistics on the Motioned Based web site, that I attach to each post.

After making our turn north we literally flew before the wind. At one point we maintained a speed of 30 mph + or – for over two miles. When it’s going that well you don’t feel any discomfort from the typical places like seat or handle bars. You get in a zone and it is a euphoric feeling. Our bikes gobbled up the miles.

We stopped and took photos at the official halfway point in our ride. We were cruising along at such a terrific rate of speed we almost missed it. Several riders had stopped and we thought they had problems so slowed down to check. They informed us that it was a halfway photo op. ABB had painted this milestone on the highway.


Can anyone interpret the significance of the cup cake arrangement on today's SAG refreshment table?

The roads we were on today were more country roads with very little traffic. It was a nice change of pace, and was very scenic. We followed the ribbon of highway through the wheat fields that had been recently harvested. There are more and more trees now and you can see the greening effect of the rain.

Since we arrived in Abilene before Noon we went straight to the Eisenhower Center. We spent 20 minutes or so exploring. We visited the chapel were Ike and Mamie are buried. I took a photo of the excerpt from a speech that he made in 1953 which was inscribed on a marble wall near his burial place. I thought how profound his words were regarding war and peace. You can click on the photo and zoom in to read the text.

We have two longer rides the next two days before we arrive in St Joseph Missouri for our next rest day.

Great Bend to Mcpherson

Today we rode 64 miles on our route from Great Bend to McPherson Kansas. We arrived in McPherson before noon. Our track took us took us due East. We had a South wind of about 12 mph that came across the wheat fields and pushed us around on the shoulder. This is the more scenic part of Kansas with more contour to the terrain and more trees, green grasses and crops.

The temperature was mid 60’s when we left and had risen to upper 80’s by the time we arrived. I can tell that the humidity is increasing as we progress east.

The road shoulder started off with a chip and seal surface as we left Great Bend and was this way several miles before changing to a smoother rolled surface. This Chip and seal is basically tar base with gravel spread over it and has not been rolled smooth. It is very rough which affects the ride quality on the bike. This generates a lot of vibration that transmits through the bike seat, handle bars, and pedals, making for a very uncomfortable ride. It also effectively reduces the speed of forward progress. Yesterday we encountered some of the same shoulder surface conditions. Some of the bikers including me were getting on the edge of the road which was much smoother to eliminate the negative effects. The problem with this was that when vehicles approach there very little room for two vehicles passing each other safely with bikes traveling on the road edge. The ABB staff was very direct in discussing this at route RAP last evening and stressing that we have to ride on the shoulder. Realizing the wisdom of this we stayed on the shoulder today.

Today I felt my energy level was down for some reason. I tried to drink water but the water didn’t taste good, I added Gatorade powder at the SAG stop, and the Gatorade flavor didn’t taste good. While riding I fantasized about having a sweet iced drink. When we arrive in McPherson we stopped at a McDonalds and I got an iced orange drink and a chicken sandwich. I have always like McDonalds orange drinks. It was so refreshing. After checking in to the hotel room and getting cleaned up I took a long nap.

Tomorrow as we travel north to Abilene we will be on more country roads and less traffic that will good change. Abilene was the home of past president Ike Eisenhower and there is an Eisenhower Center in Abilene close to the hotel. I hope to be able to take that in.

This evening I met my friend Mike Krehbiel who I had not seen since my wedding in 1969. He lives in McPherson Kansas. It was a great reunion! I met his wife Margaret, a very nice lady. They treated me to a nice dinner at a local restaurant and topped it off with a chocolate cake and ice cream dessert that we shared. Mike and I reminisced about our days as roommates in Chicago in the late 60’s and caught up on some of the events in each of our lives from then to now. He is a big sports fan and follows the Kansas City Royals. Mike has a farming background here in Kansas and when I called him today to let him know I had arrived, he was helping a friend harvest the wheat crop. It’s amazing how when so much time has passed, you can reconnect with friends you’ve not seen for years so quickly. I hope Mike and Margaret can visit Pat and me in Virginia in the future.

Dodge City to Great Bend

Today we rode 85 miles on our route from Dodge City to Great Bend Kansas. Although this was a longer ride than yesterday, we still arrived in Great Bend by Noon. Our track took us took us East and slightly North. We had a SW wind of about 12 mph sweeping us along our path.

The temperature was mid 60’s when we left and had risen to maybe about 92 by the time we arrived.

Along the way we had a SAG stop at a small park/rest stop which was the halfway point between the West coast and East coast at 1561 miles each way. When I think about it, it seems unreal that we are riding our bikes across America and that we have actually already ridden nearly halfway. The group, although very diverse with individuals being from different parts of the US as well as different parts of the world, are united in our goal to pedal across America.

No cattle feed lots today so the air quality was much better. Something I thought about when I was riding today is how the riding here in Kansas is in a way similar to navigating a boat to a destination on the Chesapeake Bay. When boating on the Bay, sometimes you can’t see anything but the vast expanse of water before you. But you know based on your planning with navigational charts and your compass heading that something should appear. After some distance you may see a dot on the horizon, and when you get closer you identify the navigation feature (navigation aid) and can tell exactly where you are on this vast expanse water. It occurred to me while cranking the pedals along at a clip of about 22 mph with nothing but fields of grain and corn as far as the eye could see, that the grain silos that rise several hundred feet in the air are like navigation aids. Each small town has a large complex of these grain silos. The towns may be separated by 10 to 20 miles of fields with a ribbon of highway running through. As you leave one small town and pedal off into the wide open space, after some time you notice in the distance ahead a structure is becoming visible on the horizon. Soon you can make out the outline of this grain silo structure and know that you are coming to the next town on the route. I estimate that you can see these grain silos 8 to 10 miles in the distance.

After much online bike tire shopping and calling bike shops along our route to check their stock and still not being able to find the tires we want. Rick my roommate called “Three Sports” in Richmond and found that they have what we need. They will ship them, UPS to our next day off hotel location in St Josephs Missouri. This Sunday I should be installing the Continental Gator Skins on my bike and can return the loaned rear tire I’m running now.

Garden City to Dodge City

Today was a short day. We had 51 miles of Kansas to ride through to get to Dodge City. The temperature was mid 60’s when we left Garden City and we had a slight head wind. We finished the ride at 10:30 AM so the temp increased to about 80. This was a nice change from the twin centuries with heat.


I took photographs of the predominate features of Kansas; crops, cattle, and grain storage facilities. We were welcomed into Dodge city by mounted cowboys coming right at us.

I’m very excited about the prospect of seeing an old friend from Kansas that I have not see since my wedding nearly 39 years ago. I have contacted him and we plan to meet when I stop in his hometown of McPherson on June 26.

Today I washed clothes, degreased and lubed the bike chain and gears. Tonight being in Dodge City we went to the Miss Kitty drama in town. It was a lot of fun watching the drunken cowboys come out of the saloon and carry out there act. Miss Kitty sang love songs to a couple of the guys in our troop. The leading cowboys did the same with some of the gals. It was a hoot.

Bob placed an entry on his blog to update us on his condition. He said he thought he hit a bump or hole on the shoulder that caused him to crash. He was diagnosed with a Basal skull fracture over his ear. He was in neuro ICU for close observation for 24 hours. Says he plans to see us when we come to his home state of Ohio. His sense of humor showed in his message as he described that much to his dismay his new Colorado jersey was destroyed as the emergency worker cut it off of him while attending him. It’s a great relief to hear that he is improving.

Lamar, Co. to Garden City, Ks.

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. The temperature gradually warmed until it became uncomfortable a little after Noon. Although not as hot as yesterday, the combination of heat and wind made progress over the last 25 miles difficult. My bike computer said 104 degrees so air temp was maybe low to mid 90’s.

Today we entered our fifth state. We are in Kansas now. We have ridden a little over 1,600 miles on bicycles! That’s also nearly half of the 3,800 for the total trip. We rode 104 miles today. That’s on top of the 121 we did yesterday. We are all very thankful for the 51 mile route planned for tomorrow.

We continue to travel on RT. 50. The terrain is mostly flat, but we were surprised with some rolling hills. We entered Kansas about 33 miles into our route. Again the scenery was similar to yesterday with planted crops irrigated by different methods. Some had a network of moving sprinkle systems spraying water and in other cases it appeared that the rows of planted crops were flooded with water from the network of irrigation trenches. Also now we are seeing large grain storage complexes, and as we neared Garden City more cattle lots and a Tyson plant.

As we entered Kansas we passed through the small town of Coolige and then Syracuse. The destination we looked forward to today was the town of Lakin at 78 miles. The attraction was the Dairy Queen next to the SAG stop.

I had more tire issues today. I had replaced my rear tire two days ago because it had developed a bulge in the sidewall. I installed that tire before I left home and had put a couple hundred miles on it, so with the trip it had maybe 1,800 miles and still had considerable tread wear left. The new tire that I installed failed today with a bulge in the tread line. The ABB staff installed a spare tire from their supply at the first SAG stop. I now need to buy some new tires. I will save this tire and maybe Jay, the Manager at my LBS will give me a refund when I return.

Mark, thanks for your suggestion of tire to provide more dependability. The next bike shop we have, I plan to get a set of Continental Gator skins. Several others have purchased those tires recently and installed them. The Kevlar belts should help.

As we were struggling against the wind at 99 miles all I could think about was that I just had 5 more miles. I was very tired, sun baked, and ready for the ride to be done for the day. Auto and truck traffic was heavy as we neared Garden City and there was an increasing amount of debris on the shoulder to contend with. Suddenly I noticed that my bike felt mushy rather than its usual sure footedness. I looked down, and to my distress the tire was going flat. I was so upset. I stopped and removed my rear wheel and sat in the grass dejectedly scanning the tire for the offending piece of debris. At this point I was just too tired to stand. I quickly found a very small piece of glass that had gone through the tire and punctured the tube. By this time my friend and riding partner Rick noticed hat I had stopped and returned to help with the repair. I felt a sense of relief as he took the wheel from me and quickly removed the tire in preparation for the new tube. Re-energized I stood up helped install the new tube, inflated it and installed it on my bike.

I carry one spare tube and have a patch kit incase I had already used my spare tube. I can always call the Support van if I’ve used all my supplies and still have a flat. I nearly always ride with Rick and he carries three spare tubes in his bag.

With the tire repaired we resumed our journey arriving at the hotel at 3:30 PM. There was Ice water and cookies offered by the hotel staff as we entered the lobby to check in. This was a welcome treat for very tired riders.

I have just completed my second century ride in two days barely a day after being racked by the intestinal bug. The first day I felt pretty strong for the first ¾ of the ride then faded some on the last stretch. Today I felt really strong for the first ¾ and then again faded some on the last stretch. In spite of our struggle with the wind and heat late today, we had a moving averaged of 17.6 for the 104 miles. Not bad! To quote my riding partner Rick, he said, “This was because of our astonishing level of fitness”. We averaged over 20 mph for the first 35 miles.

In closing today our thoughts are for Bob who had an accident yesterday and is the hospital as a result. Please join us riders in praying for his full recovery.

Pueblo to Lamar

It was great having the rest day in Pueblo. It gave us time to recuperate physically, clean and service our bikes and, take care of personal needs.

It’s not surprising that Wal-Mart is putting other stores out of business. You can get almost anything there. There was a WM about a mile from our hotel so I made the trek. I needed a haircut, personal items like sunscreen toothpastes, etc., and I wanted to see about getting a larger piece of luggage to give me a bit more space than I had in my tightly packed duffel bag. I was able to address all these needs in about an hour.

We left Pueblo this morning about 6:00 AM after having breakfast at the Country Kitchen next to the hotel. This was a long day with 121 miles to cover and the ABB staff wanted to get us started early so most of the ride would be completed before the hottest part of the day.

About 18 miles into the ride Jeff my other roommate got a flat so Rick and I stopped and helped him put in a new tube. Once back under way I got a flat. This time it was a thorn that punctured the tire and tube, so another quick repair. Finally we arrived at the first SAG stop. While getting refueled and refreshed Jeff’s tire that we had repaired blew out with a loud bang. Rick’s rear tire also went flat at the SAG stop. Get the picture, this was not a good day for tires. There was so much glass and other debris on Rt 50.

We met a rescue squad vehicle going the opposite way with lights flashing. At the SAG stop we got word that Bob one of the riders had crashed and was taken to the hospital with a concussion. Details are still sketchy about the cause of the accident. Reportedly his wife is flying out to be with him. It’s very sad, Bob’s tour is over. We hope and pray that Bob will be okay.

The scenery today was uninspiring compared to the eye catching mountainous terrain that we had become used to. Flat prairie vistas that stretched for miles, a few prairie dogs scurried into holes nears the road as we approached. We passed some cultivated fields with corn and what looked like barely or wheat. Also alfalfha hay. It requires irrigation to grow crops here and there are canals visible from the road that provide water to these crops. We saw cattle feedlots, one of them must have been a mile long with hundreds of cattle. There was a massive mountain of manure. It was hot and because of the wind direction we could hardly breathe as we passed.

We found a Dairy Queen on our route as we passed through the town of Las Animas. We had done 87 miles and it was 12:00 noon. I got a strawberry shake and big cup of ice water. It was very refreshing! The last miles were difficult as we entered the hottest part of the day. My bike computer showed 109 degrees. Based on my GPS web site it said the max air temp during the ride was 95. It was a relief to check into our air conditioned room at the “Cow Palace Best Western” hotel in Lamar Colorado at 3:00 pm.

I didn’t take any photos today but I received this breaking news flash! click on this link:

http://rooster-productions.com/mk/kdEUmiUrfGUniU.Pat%20&%20Allison_b.mpg

Thanks to all those posting comments on my blog(read comments from previous post). Tonight special thanks goes to my friends at First Mennonite Church, specifically the small group that Pat and I are part of. I see your meeting tonight was productive. I especially like the suggestion of a certain nurse (I can't say who she is but her name is spelled Patti) on how to treat the effects on my rear resulting from sitting on a bike seat for 6 to 8 hours a days in soggy bike shorts. That takes the cake! The mental image just cracks me up. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and suggestions.

Gunnison to Salida to Pueblo

Riding from coast to coast is a major challenge. Actually it is a series of challenges. Today was one of the big days in our ride maybe the biggest for me. I admit that I have looked forward to this day with excitement, but also some apprehension. These feelings were shared by many of the other riders. Think about it, ride a steep grade for nine miles and as you progress into increasing altitude the air becomes thinner making it more difficult to breath.

During the ride when the scenery is not especially eye grabbing, or the heat is getting to me or a particular part of my body is hurting. I break the day down into segments. I focus on the next ten miles, or the next SAG stop.

When the day’s route includes Monarch Pass at the continental divide I focused on much smaller segments. As I began riding up the steep nine miles grade, I decided I would make it one mile at a time. If I felt like I needed a break after that mile, I would stop get a drink and catch my breath and maybe take a photo. As I progressed it got more and more difficult. I took even more frequent breaks to catch my breath.

Finally the summit was in sight. Well I made it! It was a tremendous feeling of relief and accomplishment. I was exhausted. The summit sign documented the elevation at 11,320 ft. The Pacific water shed is to the West and the Atlantic water shed is to the East. We took our time to get photos and to get something to eat before resuming our journey.

As you can image if you climb a mountain you get to go down the other side. We coasted for close to 10 miles feathering our brakes to keep the speed below the sound barrier. We had to had to pedal very little get to the hotel in Salina.

After checking in and getting cleaned up I still felt unusually tired. Several riders, maybe 5 or 6 had been affected by flu like symptoms causing them to take a couple days off from riding. I had been worried that it might get to me. There was no doubt as the symptoms started. I’ll spare you the details. I didn’t go to route rap, or dinner. After talking with Pat and getting her advice, I got some microwave chicken noodle soup from a nearby 7 Eleven and a Sprite. I was able to eat half of it and keep it down. I went to bed with chills, and aches. I didn’t sleep well. My legs felt like spaghetti noodles the next morning. I knew I wouldn’t be able to ride.

Friday June 20

I rode in the support van along with three other riders that were suffering the same discomfort. We traveled through beautiful canyon country along the raging Arkansas River for the first 30 or so miles. Then we popped out into flat prairie terrain. We have left the mountains behind.

The ABB staff took us sick folks straight to Pueblo to the hotel. This was much appreciated. We got into our rooms and rested. I must say 24 hours after noticing the first symptoms I’m feeling much better. I ate a light meal tonight as I watched those who had ridden eat enormous amounts.

The good news is that June 21 is an off day for riding. I expect to be recovered and ready to go the next day.

Montrose to Gunnison

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. As we progressed the temperature actually dropped to 57 degrees, and then gradually increases to upper 70’s by the end of the ride.

Today we were on RT. 50 again from Montrose to Gunnison. The scenery was the best we’ve had on the ride so far. We paid for the privilege with some significant challenges.

We began a gradual climb as we left the hotel. After about two miles the morning mountain down draft winds came at us with a vengeance. We clawed our way through this for close to 10 miles. After that the winds stopped being a factor but the climb rate took over to make our task difficult. We had a 6 miles climb at grades that fluctuated between 5, 6, and 7% until we reached the first mountain pass at 7,900 ft. Then we had a nice downhill run for about 5 miles. The work was not over. Now we had to climb again for another 7 miles to an 8, 700 ft pass at graded similar to the first pass. Our first SAG stop was setup at this second pass.

It was much needed and after refueling we were off to finish the last 35 miles of the route.

There were many photo opportunities today with the green mountain meadows, rocky mountain structure outlined with green spruce and another tree with silver bark that jumped out at you visually. As we came down after the second mountain pass we could see a large lake in the distance. It was Blue Mesa lake, and it was maybe 10 miles long. As we descended the mountain and got closer to the lake we could see boaters on the lake. Our route took us along the lake shore for many miles. As we got further along in the ride the large groups of Ride the Rockies riders started to fragment into smaller group with more distance between them. I finished the last 30 or so miles by myself enjoying the scenery and cooler temperatures of the day. This is a place of beauty and I would like to come back to this place.

An added element today was that we shared the route with the annual Ride the Rockies Bicycle event. There were 2000 bicyclists participating in this event. We were told at route rap last night to wear our America by Bicycle jerseys so that the ABB staff would be able to recognize us in this mass of riders. We were also cautioned to be extra careful around these riders since there riding habits may not be up to the standard that we have come to expect from our ABB tour riders. There were no problems, and it was entertaining to see all the riders, SAG wagons, Police escorts and SAG stops they had setup.

Tomorrow we ride we will ride over Monarch Pass, the continental divide and the highest elevation we will do on the trip. Scenery should be spectacular. After that it will be all down hill.

Grand Junction to Montrose

Load time is always a flurry of activity as riders initial the sign in sheet, carry their luggage to the trailer for loading, pump up tires, lube chains, and applying sunscreen before departure. Here you can see Grand Mesa in the background.

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. Again It was quite hot by ride completion today, although I didn’t feel it so much until the last 15 miles. Today my bike computer reached 108 degrees, so I’m guessing there may be a 10 degree higher reading on the bike computer to the actual air temperature.

Today we followed RT. 50 from Grand Junction to Montrose. The scenery was nice leaving Grand Junction as we followed a bike path along the Colorado river for the first 12 miles.

Grand Junction is so named because it is the merge point of the Colorado River and the Gunnison River. The Colorado River was originally called the Grand by the Indian natives of the area.

Today was supposed to be a recovery day but many of the riders felt like it was still a difficult day. Even though it was difficult, the temperature was slightly cooler and the mileage less.

Tomorrow we ride to Gunnison. It is projected to be cooler with awesome scenery, only 63 miles, but increasing elevation. Our route is now taking us into the Rocky mountains. The day after tomorrow will will ride over Monarch Pass, the highest elevation we will do on the trip. Scenery should be spectacular.

The two flat tires I have gotten both have been as a result of very thin wire maybe a ¼ in long or less puncturing my tire and then working it’s way into the tube. In both cases the tire lost pressure gradually. As I said earlier there is a tremendous amount of debris on the road shoulder, mainly on the highways frequented by trucks.

Green River Utah to Grand Junction Colorado

The temperature was low 60’s with blue skies at time of departure. It was very hot by ride completion. My bike computer said 111 degrees, so air temp was probably upper 90’s. We had been prepared by the ABB staff that it would be hot and that we needed to be sure to stay hydrated.

Our route took us on I-70 96 miles to Grand Junction Colorado. The scenery was much the same with mesas, plateaus and painted mountains in the distance. When we came into Grand Junction we rode along the Colorado River. It was beautiful with Grand Mesa in the background. Sorry I was to hot and tired to stop for pictures.

I drank an enormous amount of water and Gatorade today in an attempt to stay hydrated. The ABB staff was really conscientious about being sure we had plenty of water. They stopped twice on I-70 and refilled our bottles with cold water. When it is so hot the water is not refreshing and hard to drink. At 91 miles Rick and I stopped and got a subway sandwich and a cold drink. I really needed that to get me the last 5 miles to the hotel.





I had another flat today. It was no fun fixing my tire in the hot sun. Today was the toughest day so far. On days like today it is a little hard to maintain focus. The big thing is the goal of getting to the next SAG stop where we get cold drinks and snacks. When I'm tired and hot, I am thinking how far do I have to go to get cold water and a break from the bike seat. When the scenery is great I'm just taking it in.

After showering and getting refreshed at the hotel a bunch of us went to the local bike shop to get needed items. When we returned we walked next door to the A&W root beer stand and got a free root beer float. It was sooo good!

Tomorrow is a recovery day with shorter mileage. We will not be traveling on the interstate so photo ops should be good.

Price to Green RIver

We were up at 5:30 AM to have time to eat breakfast and do final packing and luggage loading at 6:30 AM. Today’s route takes us to Green River Utah a distance of 67 miles.

The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and a wandering mild wind . It was quite hot by ride completion, maybe 90.

We continued in a Southeasterly direction again today. The scenery today was beautiful with mesas and plateaus and painted mountains in the distance. The vegetation is low growing plants and some grasses with scrub brush accents.

At the SAG stop there was a interesting earth hill or mountain not too far away. While we were fueling up with snacks an Antelope sauntered by in the distance. The grade of the ride over the 67 miles was descending elevation. You could see for miles. We rode by the Book cliffs toward the East. Book cliffs are rock formations that appear like books stacked on a shelf. The sun position did not present a good photo op for the cliffs. I got a couple of shots at the SAG stop. Check out my dew rag with the flames. One of my room mates bought it and it didn't fit so he gave it to me.

We stopped at an Arby’s and got lunch at 11:00 AM then proceeded the last couple of miles to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel in Green River at 11:30 AM.

We maintained a fairly fast pace today and I felt it when we arrived. I drank a lot on the way but may not have taken in enough water. After showering, enjoying a handful of cookies from Kristy and drinking a large bottle of ice water I felt better.

With today’s ride we have surpassed the 1000 mile mark. That’s something! Tomorrow we head straight east for Grand Junction Colorado and into our fourth state.

Provo to Price

We were up at 6:00 AM to have time to eat breakfast do final packing and luggage loading at 7:30 AM. Today’s route takes us to Price Utah a distance of 75 miles.

The weather conditions were the same as yesterday except for a stronger headwind. The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and wind out of the south East. It reached upper 70’s by ride completion.

We continued in a Southeasterly direction again today. Once out of the town of Provo we followed route 6 to Price. I could see large wind driven rotors apparently for electric generation in the distance near a mountain pass we were headed for. This should have been a clue of what was to come. As we started ascending the mountain pass near the rotors, the wind started increasing directly at us. It was difficult to make much headway. I stopped to get a picture of these wind generation rotors. They were a stark white contrast to the green mountain background. When I resumed riding, the group that I had been riding with was a good distance ahead though still in sight. I finally caught up to them after several miles of pedaling. The next 15 or so miles were up, up, up. The riding group broke up as each rider found a pace they could maintain.

I finally reached the SAG stop at 28 miles into the ride. It was a welcome sight since I had been riding hard and was in need of fuel. After fueling up and using the facilities I resumed the day’s journey. Riding by myself I had 7 more miles of steeper climbing to Soldier summit at 7477 ft. elevation. The view was not impressive, but here's a photo of the summit.



We were told we had a nice downhill the rest of the way. As it developed, when I reached the summit and started down, the headwind picked up fairly strong. Even on the 2% grade downhill I had to pedal to maintain an acceptable pace. I felt cheated! After a long difficult climb you expect to reap the rewards with a nice downhill coast. To add to the challenge today there was significant construction work on the road leaving a very narrow and sometimes non-existent shoulder.

Near the end of the ride we passed through an old town called Helper. It is so named because being on the train line it is where additional engines were added to the trains so they could make it over the mountain I had just descended. While coming down the mountain I saw a long Union Pacific freight train straining its way up the mountain. At the end of the train it had extra engines pushing.

I arrived at the hotel in Price at 1:45 PM. The first thing that happened when I was checking in was that I was told I had a package. It was from Kristy and Matt! Guess what, more cookies and a Fathers day card! I feel like a kid when I get these gifts from home. Thanks Kristy and Matt. Cookies are great when getting in from the ride. I'll eat as many as I can then share the rest with my room mates.

Rooms were not available yet when I checked in so I changed into my swimming trunks and spend the next half hour in the pool. That was refreshing.

To end my post today I want to include a Fathers day message to my Father. Since this posting probably won’t be read until Sunday I will include it with today’s ride report.
My Father (Gilbert Rohrer) is 91 years young and lives with his wife, my Mother (Elsie) in Harrisonburg, VA. He enjoys mostly good health. He loves his family and enjoys visiting with family and friends. I love him very much! He has been and continues to be a good role model as he navigates life’s pleasures and challenges. He was a hard working man during his working years and provided for the needs of his family. Happy Fathers day Dad! I look forward to see you when I finish my trip. I’ll be thinking of you as I crank the pedals on my way to Green Utah.

Salt Lake City to Provo

We left at about 7:30 AM after breakfast and luggage loading. We felt revived and ready to ride after our rest day. Today was a shorter ride with final destination Provo Utah and total scheduled ride distance was 64 miles.

The temperature was upper 50’s with blue skies and wind out of the south East. It reached lower 70’s by ride completion. We have been blessed with great weather so far!

Our route took us in a Southeasterly direction. We had many turns on our route sheet. At times it seemed like we were going in circles. The first 30 miles was getting out of Salt Lake City and it’s suburbs. We had great views of the snow topped Wasatch Mountains as we rode.

Our only SAG stop today was at 29 miles. Today we had home-made cookies made by my dear wife. I proudly announced to the riders that were enjoying them that my wife made them and shipped them for the riders to enjoy. Those partaking were enthusiastic in their appreciation and asked me to to pass their sentiments on to Pat. Hetty said that she and Piet had cookies at the SAG stop and also put one in their pocket to enjoy later. Others came up to me in the hotel and raved about them saying be sure to tell Pat Thank You! I think we will be enjoying them a couple more days. There must have been 4 dozen. Thanks Honey!

At one point in the ride we could not find the street for our turn. We took one that was not labeled but we thought was right only to find a street sign sometime later that wasn’t what was called for. So we retraced our route a miles or so but couldn't find the street identified on our route sheet. We finally found a post lady to ask. She informed us that the street names had been changed and directed us to the correct route. This resulted in adding about three miles to the day.

During the second half of the ride today, our route took us on University drive right through the campus of Brigham Young University. It is an attractive campus.

When we were about 8 miles from the finish we saw a Dairy Queen. Rick and I decided to take a little break and get a refreshing dairy treat. I got a strawberry shake and he got hot fudge Sunday. Refreshed we resumed our journey arriving at the hotel at 1:45.

Yesterday on our off day I had a nice conversation with Jose one of my fellow riders. He had set up his computer at a table in the hotel hallway. Jose is from California and was from Laredo Texas originally. He is retired from a career in education as a school counselor. Jose is 69 years young and has dreamed of doing a cross country bicycle tour for years. He has a wife and three grown children. I asked him if his family was excited for him to do this trip. He said they were very supportive and that he decided he should not wait any longer to do it. Jose is a strong rider and we see each other frequently during the ride and sometimes ride in the same group together. He is an enthusiastic man. One day he passed a whole group of riders near the end of the route cheering and taking pictures of riders he passed. It is a pleasure to meet and be able to spend time with people like Jose.

First rest day in Salt Lake City

Wednesday June 10

I got a wonderful surprise care package from home. Pat made a bunch of cookies and Allison shipped them to me. I received them in West Wendover. I've been chowing down on homemade cookies since. My roommates are loving them too. I really have no space to pack them in my luggage so the ABB staff agreed that I could put them in the van. There are enough to share with all the riders. We will have real cookies for SAG stop tomorrow. All the riders will love them!

Friday Morning June 12

It was great to sleep in this morning, even though you might not call it sleeping in under some standards. I was up at 6:30. I guess I'm in the mode since I've been getting up at 5:00 AM recently.


After breakfast I posted my brief report for yesterday. Then I talked to several other riders and we decided to get a transportation to Salt Lake City town center at 10:00 AM. We are in a Comfort Inn near the airport.


So we had about one and a half hours before 10:00 which gave us time to clean our bikes. The hotel furnished a big bag of old towels. I degreased my chain which was very scuzzy, then cleaned the rest of the bike. My bike is happy now!


10:00 AM came quickly so we were off to SLC town center. Free tours are offered of the Mormon church facilities. We went to the visitor center (nine of us) where two young ladies probably in their early twenties were waiting to give us a tour. Together they gave us the background and history of the Mormon religion. It was clear as they spoke how meaningful and personal it is to them. Their role as tour guides was part of their personal mission commitment.


The visitor center was furnished with beautiful art of Jesus and special events of the new testament. There was a statue of Jesus with painting of the universe on the wall as a backdrop. They stressed how the Bible was an important basis for their religion and that the book of Mormon was another testament of of their faith.






























We were taken to the tabernacle and given some history. We were able to take some pictures there.

























We were not taken into the temple as that is a sacred place only for Mormons in good standing. But we were given some history on the construction of the temple. It was build starting in the 1850's and was completed in the 1880's. Each granite building block was transported by horse and wagon from a location four days from the building site. Each block weighed 5000 lbs. It is an impressive structure.

It is apparent that this is a Godly place.

We had lunch together before returning to the hotel. After I post this I will chill out the rest of the day, maybe makes some phone calls. Tomorrow we are back on the road.

West Wendover to Salt Lake City

We left at about 6:45 AM again this morning after breakfast and luggage loading. Today was another long ride with final destination Salt Lake City Utah.

The temperature was 50 degrees partly sunny skies. It stayed cool in the 60’s all day.

This was our second century day with 117 miles to Salt Lake City. We rode past salt flats. It looked like a sea of water, stretching on far into the distance. The traffic got very busy near SLC (Salt Lake City) until we finally exited to a frontage road for the last 10 miles. Much of this was on the lake front.

We arrived at the hotel at 1:30 and were first to the laundry. This is the longest consecutive days of riding scheduled for the tour. We have ridden eleven straight days for a total of 862 miles and have crossed two states. Finally a day off!

I will clean my bike today, degrease and re-lube. I also plan to visit the downtown SLC and get some pictures of the Mormon tabernacle

Elko to West Wendover

We left at about 6:45 AM this morning after breakfast and luggage loading. Today was to be a long ride and the ABB staff wanted to get us started early

The temperature was a cool upper 50’s with cloudy skies. It looked like it could rain and it did sprinkle on us as we were leaving. As the day progressed the wind picked up into a strong tail wind. The temperature warmed some, maybe into low 70’s by the end of the ride.


This was our first century day with 107 miles to the next stop in West Wendover, NV. Three of the riders including me had never ridden a century. We were instructed how to eat and drink to prepare for this. It was encouraging how the other riders shared advice with us.

Rick one of my roommates and I rode together averaging 20 mph for the first 34 miles. The wind was our friend today.

The landscape started to get greener and tress graduated from 3 ft shrubs to 10 footers. We saw some very scenic ranches near the base of the mountains. It looked inviting, like it could be a nice place to live.

At 70 miles into the ride with top the 6900 ft. summit of another mountain to arrive at the final SAG stop of the day. After refueling and refreshing we were off to finish the day. From the summit you could see I-80 at the base of the mountain stretching for maybe 10 or 15 miles. The miles really clicked off from here. We didn’t really have to pedal for maybe 6 or 7 miles. Just coast and as always keep a sharp eye out so as not to ride over debris on the shoulder.


Here's Rick heading down the mountain.


After crossing the mountain the landscape really changed again. Suddenly it looked like a desert again. About ten miles from our destination I had my first flat tire. Bummer! As luck would have it the SAG van with the mechanic driving went by just as we stopped. We gave him the signal for assistance needed and he pulled over on the shoulder of I-80 and put a new tube in my tire. It’s like taking AAA along on a trip in case you have problems. The ABB support team has been excellent! They do a great job.

These two pictures are looking back at the mountain we just decended.

There have been many flat tires so far on the ride. One of the riders has had 6 flats. I haven’t wanted to discuss this subject because I was afraid I would jinx myself. There is so much debris along the interstate we are constantly dodging truck tire debris, nails, glass etc.

After my tire was repaired we proceeded on to our destination. As we were about to exit I-80 some very strong side winds nearly blew us off the road. We arrived at the hotel at 1:30. I now have ridden a century. Hooray! Tomorrow we ride 117 miles. Better get some rest before morning.

This is our final night in Nevada. I noticed that during our ride through Nevada every hotel we’ve stayed at has either had a casino as part of the hotel or there was one near by. This is truly a major part of the economy in Nevada. I understand that the government gets 20% of the casino income and there is no state income tax.

The hotel we are in tonight is a major casino, “Rainbow Casino”. They don’t have wireless access so that’s why this report won’t get posted until Salt Lake City. We had dinner at the casino buffet which had many choices of good food. We walked through the casino to get to the dining area. The casino is arranged like a maize. It's easy to get lost. There were many people playing the slot machines and at the poker and black jack tables.

I found out at dinner that Hetty from Netherlands crashed and was injured as a result of the strong cross winds as she was getting off the interstate near the hotel. We experienced the strong cross winds when we arrived also. It nearly blew us off the shoulder of the road. Hetty went over the handle bars and got a cut on her chin. Also scraps and bruises on her legs and chest. The ABB staff took her to the hospital where she received stitches. Everyone was concerned for her at dinner. With all that she plans to ride tomorrow.