Day 7 (5/29/09)

Today marked one week on the road. Today was also a first for all three of us, as it surpassed the most miles any of us have ever ridden in a week. We totaled 652 miles for the week, on target for Jere and Sam to get back to work. Today, started from our hotel's doorstep in Eureka with a climb out of town. The morning was pleasant with no headwind for a change. We stopped in Eli, Nv. for lunch, 77 miles from the start. In Eli we had the first cell phone coverage in two days. We all frantically made calls, because what ATT giveth, it also taketh. We decided we would spend the night in Eli, because it had more hotel options, but we needed to keep on track with our mileage. So, once again we took advantage of our support vehicle. After lunch, we continued riding east another 35.5 miles, for a total of 112.5 miles, the furthest I had ever ridden in one day. Unfortunately, the wind picked up and was again in our face. Thunderstorms also were popping up all around us, but by the hair on Tim's chinny-chin-chin we avoided getting wet. Seven days without precipitation! The mojo of Jere's fenders is working. (Jere outfitted his bike with fenders and opted to carry the weight, figuring as sure as he drug that weight all across the US, he would never need them.) We chose our ending point at the bottom of a decent for two reasons. 1. Its easy miles after a long day, and 2. A long, fast decent in the morning is cold. The final summit of the day was the highest point (7,722') we crossed since crossing Carson's Pass in Calif. We reached the summit at our 100 mile point with an average speed of 17.2 mph. During the 12 1/2 mile decent our average speed for the day increased to 18.0 mph! Since I outweigh Tim and Jere by at least 40 lbs, the "mass of my ass" carries me downhill faster; therefore, my job is to punch a hole through the wind while the feather weights rest. Turn around is fair play, because they have to drag "Chunky" along on the uphills. Speaking of weight, we are either doing something right or something wrong, because none of us has lost any weight. Tim has been burning, on average, 5,900 calories per day on the bike, while Sam 's average is 7,230.
We expect to reach the Utah border on Sunday. The support team has heard their liquid nourishment may be tough to obtain in Utah, especially on Sundays, so they will stock pile their special Support Team Drink before crossing the boarder. The support team is now firing on all cylinders; water bottles are automatically filled, laundry done, positioned along the road just at the right spot and right time, etc. They even made the successful water cache for the poor laden down soles riding unsupported, who we shared dinner with the day before. In case you are interested here is their blog; http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=4222&v=Pc
In sum, I believe I can speak for all of us that the trip has exceeded our expectations and we are still motivated. (Jere does get homesick and needs ATT to do a better job of allowing him to keep in touch with home).