Data: 136.5 mi Riding time 7:32 (18.1 mph avg)
We really got our kicks on Route 66 today. Some was still on Interstate 40, but most was on 66, which was a frontage road. The scenery was mostly impressive as this photo shows.
Mile after mile of Route 66 illustrates the "casualties" of putting in Hwy 40 to bypass Old 66. That is, there were crumbling old motels, skeletons of homes and even settlements, and thousands of old rusty car hulks and parts of cars, many looking like they've been there since the 30s, as if they never quite made it from the Dust Bowl states on their journeys to California. The businesses still open capitalized as best they could from being on Old Hwy 66 (such as their names) to attract tourists. Also, we crossed through numerous Native American Reservations today, so lots of "Indian" stuff and art. (The Canadian term, which I like, is First Nation.)
Today's gold-medal photo (from Dave R.). A scene we play out every day on America's western highways. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go.
I should note that riding on 66 is MUCH preferred to Hwy 40, as 66 has hardly any traffic and the road is smooth with no debris. On the shoulder of the interstate, we are always dodging debris that can flat a tire. When you're in a drafting group of six, it's kind of funny to hear the communication going through the pack, as each person shouts the warning to the person behind, and points where it is: "SAND, sand, sand, sand, sand,", "HOLE, hole, hole, hole", "WIRE, wire, wire, wire", "ROADKILL", ""bungie cord", "gator" (meaning a huge piece of truck tire extending almost across the entire shoulder, "glass", or "mine field" (meaning so much stuff that we have to split up and weave through with full view as opposed to just following the rider in front of you).
This was another successful day! No flats, no injuries, no bad weather. Our first rest stop was at the Continental Divide. However, at this southern location, it wasn't too interesting since everything out there looked the same, and there was no noticeable summit in the road.
Since it was a long day, and into a headwind much of the way, I stuck with a drafting group of six riders for the entire distance. Near the end, we had strong side winds but with just enough of it coming from behind to make it a tailwind, and we flew effortlessly for the final 20 miles or so. Speaking of flats, and knock on wood, but I think there are only four of us who haven't flatted yet. At tonight's motel there is a bike shop nearby, and about 10 people bought the kind of tires I'm using to replace what they started with.
When the tour is over, I will not be able to say, technically, that I rode the entire way across the country. Why not? Because they had to shuttle us for 9 miles due to construction on Interstate 40. They put 7 of us at a time in the van, our bikes on top, and took us around the construction zone. I jokingly said, while riding in the van, that now we could not claim to have ridden all the way across the country, and Mike (the tour leader) said "Nonsense! Of course you're still riding all the way!" He thought I was serious; I got a good laugh out of it. Here we are loading the van for our free ride.
The past two day have had changing periods of cloud cover and sun, so I have been constantly putting on and taking off my clip-on sunglasses. Today we had a few drops of rain as we were near the end, but luckily it didn't develop into anything steady or long.
Well, we finished Week One! Everything's fabulous.
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