Tom's Cross Country Ride

Today we left Gallup NM under blue skies but temperatures once again in the low 30s. I must be getting used to it because outfitted in my cold weather gear I was comfortable on the bike as we headed southeast to Grants NM 65 miles away.

As we rolled out of Gallup we followed historic Route 66 through town and into the surrounding country side. Along the way you could see signs of a bygone era. Abandoned buildings that were once used to service travelers on this once busy road now standing in silence as just a few cars and we cyclist passed by. Sad in many ways.

At mile 17 we merged onto Interstate 40 for 11 miles that would take us up to the Continental Divide. Our crossing would be at just over 7,200 feet and most of that climbing was behind us. We did have a few hundred feet to go so we knew there would be some climbs on Interstate 40 before our exit at the top.

About three miles from our exit at the Continental Divide we saw signs that there was road construction ahead, the right lane was closed, and traffic should merge left. On this trip we’ve seen this before and most of the time we could continue to ride on the right shoulder or in the barricaded right lane through the construction area.

This time was different. As we approached the construction zone, we found that the entire right lane and shoulder had been excavated. There no longer was a right lane or shoulder. We would have to merge left with the rest of the traffic. To make matters worse the merger point was at the base of the final climb up to the Continental Divide.

To say that I was nervous merging into the left lane would be the understatement of the year. I was terrified. Fortunately the traffic had come to a crawl so speed was not an issue, just space. As I looked over the situation, I found that I had two remaining choices. 1, hug the white line and the concrete barrier next to it on the right as I made the ascent or 2, work my way over to the shoulder on the left side of the lane. The latter option would require that I cross the traffic lane twice, once to get to the shoulder and once to get back on the right side for the exit at the end of the construction zone.

I rolled the dice and stayed on the right. Crawling up what turned out to be a pretty steep hill for most of a mile hugging the white line and praying that the trucks and cars that were passing just a few feet to my left saw me and my fellow riders and gave us the room we needed. Fortunately speed continued not to be an issue. Even on the steepest parts of the hill when our speed dropped to single digits the traffic to our left was stop and go. And also just as fortunate, all of the drivers were quite courteous as they recognized our situation and gave us as much room as possible.

After several very high anxiety minutes we made it through the construction zone just before our exit and dashed to the safety of the right shoulder as we passed the last concrete barrier. All the riders made it through safely and all had stories to tell at our next rest stop. Craziest dam thing I have ever done on a bike!

When we took the exit off Interstate 40 we gathered for a rest stop at the Continental Divide. It was a great place to take photos and talk about the construction zone adventure but also about how far we’ve come. At this point we have basically peddled to the top of the continent!

As we left the rest stop we prepared ourselves for what appeared to be a nice downhill 40 mile ride into Grants. Unfortunately our route turned southeast and the friendly tailwind of the past few days did not turn with us. For most of the ride into Grants we battled a strong gusting cross wind that I times hit us straight on. At times in the past couple of days with the wind at our backs we could ride 25 miles per hour with little effort, today with the wind in our face there were times we struggled to ride at 10. In the end, it was an exhausting day.

New Mexico did however continue to provide us with amazing scenery as we peddled along. Again, I have attached some pictures.

Tomorrow we’ll ride 78 miles to Albuquerque. Unfortunately the wind will be with us again and the direction will not be favorable for a good part of the trip. I better rest up. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 94 miles from Holbrook AZ to Gallup NM. We again woke to very chilly temperatures but by the time we hit the road shortly after 7:00 the skies were blue, the winds were calm, and the riding was comfortable with no precipitation in the forecast.

We again found ourselves riding the shoulder of Interstate 40 most of the day and dealing with the little wire fragments (I had two flats) but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday. Although the winds picked up in the afternoon it wasn’t as cold so repairing the flattened tires was easier and not as uncomfortable. And the wind once again was mostly at our backs so we were pushed along which helped shorten the day.

Unlike yesterday’s route, there were few attractions along the way. Mostly just high desert; miles and miles of high of desert. However, as we approached New Mexico the scenery changed and became at times breathtaking. I hope the pictures attached capture a little of the amazing sights.

Tomorrow we have a much shorter day as we’ll travel 68 miles to Grants NM. The route will again find us on Interstate 40 for part of the trip but we’ll also spend time on historic Route 66, where I’m sure we’ll get some kicks! Thanks for following along.

As we rolled out of Flagstaff at 7:30 this morning a lot of my anxiety of the past 48 hours played out. It was 34 degrees and a few drops of sleet were coming down. The few drops quickly turned into a downpour of sleet that stayed with us as we worked our way out of town. For 10 miles or so the sleet was so heavy it was difficult to see and the support crew were making snowballs as we passed.

Despite the winter gear that I bought I was cold. Very cold. The only respite I found from the cold was to push hard on the bike to generate my own heat. As I did I could see small patches of blue sky ahead among the grey clouds and falling sleet. So I hammered toward the sun. In 30 or 40 minutes I found myself out of the sleet riding under a mostly sunny sky, in slightly warmer temperatures, being pushed along by a giant tailwind. I found myself traveling along at 25 miles per hour plus without a lot of effort. Unfortunately I also found myself on the shoulder of Route 40 (not Route 66 as I thought) a four lane highway littered with the little wire shards that were so prevalent along Interstate 10 a few days back. Sure enough I soon felt that familiar bounce of a rear tire going flat.

As I stopped to change the tube on the flat tire, the friendly tail wind became quite the foe. As I stood still, the wind was biting cold. Fortunately several riders stopped to help and the job went quickly. Good thing because as we finished the repair the sleet storm overtook us and we again found ourselves in the midst of it.

That series of events would turn out to be the theme for the day. We would ride like hell being pushed along by the giant tail wind, someone would go flat (I had two and the group collectively had more than 25), we’d stop for the repair, freeze in the wind, be overtaken by the sleet storm, repeat.

Along the way, we mostly rode through the high desert. We had a rest stop at Meteor Crater although we barely stopped (see above), visited Winslow Arizona, and of course stood on the corner, and also stopped at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post.

All in all in was a very strange day on the bike. Tomorrow we’ll ride 94 miles and cross into New Mexico with our destination being Gallup New Mexico. The conditions look a little more favorable with slightly higher temperatures, the same tail wind, but no sleet. Hopefully a better day. Thanks for following along.

Today is our second day in Flagstaff AZ and our first rest day of the tour. The day off is welcome and a chance to rest our legs after all the miles and climbing of the past week.

After waking early to get a start on the laundry I met up with a group of most of the riders for breakfast here in the hotel. It was a good time to relax, share stories from the past week, and to get to know each other a little better.

After breakfast, myself and a few other riders met outside the hotel to clean our bikes and perform the necessary maintenance to insure the machines would continue to function properly when our ride resumes.

A big topic in our breakfast conversation was the weather. Rain is moving into the area and the temperature has been falling. The forecast calls for 37 degrees and a “wintery mix” at the start of tomorrow’s ride. With that in mind, in late morning six of us walked a few miles to a local bike shop and a local REI store in search of winter riding gear. As we walked, the grey skies produced snow showers. I bought some heavy gloves, shoe covers, and a base layer top for under my riding jersey. All stuff I didn’t think I would need but here we are. Hopefully it will keep me warm and dry enough to get through tomorrow’s ride.

Other than the weather, tomorrow’s ride should be pretty cool. We’ll ride 94 miles to Holbrook AZ on historic Route 66. Along the way we’ll pass through Meteor Crater, Winslow AZ (expect pictures of me standing on the corner), and The Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Should be a cool ride (and hopefully not too cold and wet).

No pictures today. Forgot to plug in the phone, but I attached a few more from yesterday. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode from Cottonwood Arizona to Flagstaff Arizona. A shorter ride in distance at 47 miles but the route included 5,093 feet of climbing. We again followed AZ Route 89A for most of the day. And once again the scenery was amazing. Around mile 10 we began to see the red rock formations that surround Sedona AZ and a few miles later we rolled into that famous little city.

At mile 18 we took a break at a little coffee shop in Sedona. The shop had a large patio and a million dollar view of beautiful rock formations all around the city.

After our break we headed up Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Flagstaff. The road was pretty narrow and heavily traveled so it was a bit tricky on a bike. However, for the most part the motorist were patient and understanding and everyone made it ok. At mile 25 we passed Slide Rock State Park and more amazing rock formations.

When we reached mile 32 the road turned into a series of switch backs that took us up 730 feet in just over 2 miles. At the top of the switch backs we enjoyed a break at the day’s rest stop before peddling into Flagstaff to end the day.

Tomorrow is a rest day here in Flagstaff, our first of the tour. I’ll do my laundry and some cleaning and maintenance on the bike in preparation for our departure Monday morning, but mostly I plan to rest.

In the first seven riding days of the tour we have ridden 541.1 miles in two states and have climbed 25,197 feet. I’m pretty tired right now but am looking forward to more adventure ahead. Thanks for following along.

Today I awoke to my alarm at 5:30 A:M in Prescott AZ. The first thing I did was open the weather app on my phone and found that the current temperature in Prescott was 37 degrees. If I were home and planned a riding day, that temperature reading would have sent me to the basement for a ride on the trainer. Not today. Today it meant that I had to pull the cold weather gear from the bottom of my bag, that fortunately I brought along on the trip.

By the time we rolled out of the hotel at 7:30 (1/2 hour later than normal due to the weather) the temperature had risen into the low 50s and the cold weather gear made for a comfortable ride.

Today’s ride was just 44 miles to Cottonwood AZ. The shortest distance of any day on the tour. The route followed AZ 89A most of the way over Mingus Mountain and through the small town of Jerome on the way to Cottonwood.

At mile 22 we started the ascent up Mingus Mountain. The climb was a steady 5-6 percent grade at times pitching up a bit more and at others flattening just a bit. It took a pretty good effort to get to the top just under 6 miles up the road. At the start of the climb a good bit of the cold weather gear came off and into my pack.

At the summit of the climb at mile 27, a rest stop was waiting for us. It felt good to rest a bit and fuel up. The stop also provided an opportunity to pull the cold weather gear back on as the rest of the ride would be a descent of nearly 5,000 feet. And what a descent it was!! The views were spectacular. There are some pictures attached that capture a tiny bit of the scene but in no way capture all of it.

About half way down the descent we stopped in the little town of Jerome and had lunch at the Haunted Hamburger. A very unique restaurant in a very unique little town built essentially on the side of a cliff.

All in all a pretty good day. Tonight I’m concentrating on rest as tomorrow’s ride is again relatively short at 47 miles but includes 5,000 feet of climbing into Flagstaff. I understand that the last 2 1/2 miles of the climb are switch backs and are generally considered the hardest of the tour. Thanks for following along.

Today we woke up in Wickenburg AZ to temperatures in the low 70s. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and a calm breeze. A great day for a bike ride. Our destination for the day, Prescott AZ, 60 miles to the north. Our route was AZ 89 for most of the ride.

AZ Route 89 meanders through some very beautiful country and is not heavily traveled so it was ideal for us on the bikes. A big change after riding on Interstate 10 for most of two days. Today’s route although beautiful was challenging nonetheless as it included two big climbs totaling more than 6,000 feet. The first climb started at mile 19 and took us up over Yarnell Pass. Although the climb was just over 5 miles in length, it was the hardest of the two. Steep grades and no breaks in the climb until we reached the top.

At the summit of the first climb we had our first rest stop of the day in a little town perched at the top of the pass. After the stop we continued along AZ 89 through long sweeping down hill curves through a valley nestled between the two peaks of the route. As we travelled through the valley the wind picked and eventually became quite an issue with gust over 30 miles per hour. The wind was mostly a crosswind to us so it presented a challenge on the bike.

After a short break at mile 43 at a little general store we began the ascent to Prescott. The total climb was just over 2,000 feet and was much easier than the first climb. Unlike the first, the second climb included a few descents as AZ 89 twisted and turned through the mountain pass. Along the way we were treated to spectacular views of the mountains and the valleys below. Easily the most spectacular ride I’ve ever done on a bicycle!

A long descent ended the day’s ride in Prescott. A beautiful town that we were able to enjoy for a few hours this afternoon as we finished the ride around 1:00 P:M.

Tomorrow we ride to Cottonwood AZ just 44 miles away. There will be some climbing but not nearly as much as today. It should be a short day. The real issue though is that we were told to expect to wake up to temperatures in the 40s! Thanks for following along.

Today we left our hotel in Blythe CA and immediately got back on Interstate 10 heading east. Five miles into the ride we crossed the AZ border. One state down. From there we continued on I-10 toward our destination for the day, Wickenburg AZ, 110 miles away. The 115 mile day will be the longest on the tour. We spent a lot of time on the bike today as the course included about 4,000 feet of climb as well. Throw in a number of flats, Greg and I each had one and Bill, a rider from Milwaukee, also had one (Bill had five altogether today, three when we weren’t riding with him and one just as he finished the day), and it made for a very long day. We didn’t finish until late in the afternoon.

The weather was better than yesterday with a little cloud cover at times and it wasn’t quite as hot. I saw a couple of readings over 100 but for most of the day it was in the mid 90s and cooled to the high 80s as we finished.

The route today included just 35 miles on Interstate 10 and marked the end of Interstate travel for us. Hopefully that will also bring and end to so many flat tires caused by the little wires left along the road by tire blowouts.

Arizona is beautiful. After leaving Interstate 10 we traveled on AZ 60 the rest of the day. The scenery was spectacular most of the way. The desert, dotted with Cactus, and framed with hills and blue skies was really special to see as we cycled along.

Tomorrow we have a shorter day of 59 miles as we head to Prescott. It should not be as warm as the last two days but I don’t expect the day to be easier as we have to climb over 6,000 feet.

One more thing. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful all the people have been that I have met. All of the riders and the staff of Big Dreams Bike Tours are friendly, kind, helpful and interesting. All of them are adding positive things to this experience and I am grateful. Thanks for following along.

Today’s ride took us from Indio across the desert to Blyth near the Arizona border. 97 miles and around 2,500 feet of climbing. Nearly the entire ride was on Interstate 10. Riding on the Interstate was a new experience and as it turned out wasn’t bad at all. For most of the way there was a wide shoulder and a smooth riding service. Unfortunately there was a stretch of several miles where the surface was filled with pot holes and was nearly un-rideable.

I was fortunate not to get any flats today as the Interstate is known to be filled with bike tire hazards most notably wire fragments from blown truck tires. The little wires stick into bike tires and puncture the inter tubes. My riding partner Greg was not so fortunate as he had three flat tires.

The big story of the day was the heat. I’m not sure how accurate the thermometer is on my bike computer but it had readings above 110 most of the afternoon. The wind also became an issue as it turned from a slight tailwind in the morning to a very strong cross wind in the afternoon.

I really worked on hydrating myself and was able to overcome the heat (and the wind) to finish the ride. Unfortunately a few riders couldn’t do the distance today and opted to drop out before the end.

I’m really concentrating on recovery this evening as tomorrow’s ride is the longest day of the tour; 116 miles into Wickenburg Arizona.

I don’t have any pictures to post today. The ones I took didn’t upload for some reason. Perhaps I can figure it out when I’m not so tired and post them at a later time. (pictures added later) Thanks for following along.

At 7:30 this morning we left the hotel in Riverside California headed to Indio, 98 miles to the East. The sky was gray, there was a little drizzling rain, and it was very cool again. With temperatures in the 50s, it was once again a bit uncomfortable on the bike. However, as we worked our way out of town we were met with some long climbs. Nothing real steep but steep enough to get the blood pumping and to chase the cold away.

The overcast skies hung around for a few hours and didn’t really break until we went up. At mile 32 we began an 8 mile climb that took us up a little more than 1,500 feet. Easily the biggest climb I have done. I did ok but there is more to come.

As we reached the top of our climb the sun came out and the temperatures began to rise. By the time we rolled through Palm Springs in early afternoon the posted temperature on my cycle computer was 106! Dehydration was the biggest concern so we drank, drank some more, and then drank some more as we road.

In contrast to the big climb where our speeds were in the single digits most of the way, later in the day we rode a log descent through a valley filled with wind turbines and the wind at our backs. We reached speeds around 30 without peddling for several miles.

The back tire on my bike went flat at about mile 65 but with the help of Bill and Linda, a couple from Milwaukee doing the ride, I was up and riding in a very short time.

Tomorrow’s ride will be quite interesting. We’re headed to Blyth California, 97 miles to the east and across the desert. The entire route is on the shoulder of Interstate 10. Not sure what to expect. Thanks for following along.