Old Flying Farts Bicycling Club
 
Pat and I read about a guy who had his personal best 100 mile ride on this stretch.  The route is flat with a gradual loss of 300 feet.  The guy said he had an 8 mph wind at his back.  We had been thinking about this day well before we started in San Francisco.
We rode to the edge of Pueblo to avoid any stop lights.  When we were clear, we put the hammer down.  For the first 50 miles we averaged almost 23 mph.  Then we slowed for a wrong turn, picked up the pace again and ran into stiff crosswinds.  Not enough to stop us but enough to slow our pace considerably.  We both finished in a little over five hours.  It was hot and we really appreciated the support from Rod and Sal.
Pat's back caused him a lot of misery and I had to switch from my regular riding shoes to riding sandals to alleviate the hot foot I was getting.  Hot foot is really swelling feet that press the metatarsal nerve at the point the shoes clips into the pedal.  It's almost always a problem for me on long rides.  It's a good thing I brought the sandals.
At the 102 mile mark we loaded up the bikes to find a motel in Eads, Colorado.  Unfortunately, the only motel had a no vacancy sign.  We had to go 30 miles off the route to Lamar, Co. to find a motel.  Fortunately, the motel had an indoor pool and a spa that was refreshing.
Not much scenery today as we rode through the high Prairie.  The highlight sight of the day was a big Sign announcing,"Snack Shop".  Underneath, "Snack Shop" was another sign, "Fresh Bait".
Strangely, our wrong turn today could have been a right turn.  Had we followed the wrong route we would have ridden directly into Lamar.
Roy
7/13/2010 12:42:58 am

I have been secretly sneaking up beside you and placing burning matches between your toes when you are not looking. It's not easy to find you, get away with this trick, and return to DC all in one morning. However, I thought it was add some "zest" to your adventure.

I think if you rigged a sail out of your riding jersey, you might pick up some speed. Just a thought.

Hi, Sal! Hope you are holding up well on the cross-country trip!

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    Don Ballingall

    I am a retired elementary school teacher.  Married with a daughter and two wonderful grandchildren.
    I have ridden across the United states at  ages 38, 50 and 60.
    So why not try it again at 70.

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