Day 7, April 27, 2014

Day 7 proved the axiom, "Adjust and Adapt".  Part of the planned 134 mile route to Albuquerque involved the shoulder of Interstate 40 in two sections.  About 8 miles out of Gallup, I-40 was under construction and reduced to one lane.  The shoulder along that stretch had been deteriorating, and the staff made the right decision that the shoulder was too broken up to safely ride along.  The decision was made to portage riders in 3 waves.  The slower riders were loaded into the vans, with bikes on the roof, and shuttled about 14 miles from the hotel and deposited down road from the bad shoulder.  The 2nd wave of riders left the hotel and rode 7 miles and waited to be picked up by the van and shuttled 7 miles around the bad shoulder.  Dave, Jere, me, Freider, and Kai were the rear guard and left the hotel in the 3rd wave 40 minutes after the first group.  We rode the 7 miles to the pick-up point.  After being picked-up the decision was made to transport us to the first SAG (support/rest stop), situated at the Continental Divide, to keep the 3 groups closer together for support purposes.  Not only did we miss the bad section of interstate, we also missed the climb, into the wind up to the Continental Divide. :(  We passed the 2nd group of riders in the van, they looked beat, fighting the wind, uphill.  After getting on the bikes again, we rode two lane highways until the 89 mile point before re-entering Interstate 40 for what was supposed to be the final 30 miles to Albuquerque.  The winds were blowing hard all day.  Initially, the winds were in our face, then moved to our side and then to our rear.  We were either crawling along or soaring along, at the wind's pleasure.  We easily caught up and passed the slower riders, only to find they had all been picked-up by the van and transported to the 2nd SAG/lunch stop because the head and side winds proved too difficult for them.  The staff was concerned with the forecasted afternoon winds, blowing at 35 knots, with gusts to 50 knots.  Ultimately, after the 3rd SAG stop and right before entering the interstate the decision was made to allow us to enter the interstate because it was believed the winds would be blowing from our right rear quarter.  Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, the roaring winds were a direct cross wind, blowing us toward the highway.  Jere was riding with a 20 degree lean into the wind.  If the wind gusted or let up, we all had to fight to keep upright.  Again, I got broadsided by a tumble weed, which could have been disastrous.  Unlike the last broadside, which disintegrated on impact, this tumbleweed just stuck to the side of my bike.  I yelled to the guys that I was stopping to dislodge it.  As I was slowing, my front wheel suddenly locked up.  Had I not slowed before the wheel locked up, I likely would have been thrown over the handlebars.  It turned out, the tumble weed also consisted of nylon rope that got caught in and wrapped around my spokes and front brake.  One of the riders, who is also an American By Bicycle staffer on other tours, called the staff and advised its too unsafe to continue.  The vans drove ahead of everyone and parked at an underpass, and as riders got to the point they were loaded up and driven the last 30 miles to the hotel.  Unfortunately, for Jere, Dave, Frieder and another rider, there wasn't enough room in the vans, so they had to wait under the underpass until a van could make the round trip to rescue them.  As our van drove away, leaving the boys under the underpass, I said I feel like the women and children in the lifeboat, leaving the men on the sinking Titanic.  All told we logged 95 miles of the projected 134 mile day, still not a bad effort.  But, already we can't brag that we rode the whole way across the USA.  Mike, the head staffer said in his 18 years of doing these tours, this was only the 3rd time they had to pick-up riders due to weather conditions.  He made the right call, because it was dangerous!

  Sunday, April 27, Day 8 was a much needed rest day.  New pictures are loaded, as promised.  Tomorrow's ride to Las Vegas, NM takes us on a north east track turning to a northerly track toward the end of the day, with the 2nd most feet of climbing of the tour.  The forecast is projecting sustained winds of 20-30 knots out of the north-west, which puts the wind on our front left the last part of the ride; I'm sure some of our fellow riders will again throw in the towel and opt for the van ride to the hotel.  

Time to get out of Albuquerque while we can; the city is hosting the 30th annual "Gathering of Nations", a Native American festival; not a good place for a white man in Spandex.