Minden, Nebraska

This morning we left McCook, and now we are cooking in Minden. It is hot – in the high 90’s. For those 15 folks who joined the tour in Denver it’s been quite a week. Today was the 4th day in a row of 145+ kms, plus high heat. At least there was no headwind today. I’m currently sitting in a coffee house in Minden, sipping a Pepsi, because there’s free wireless available here. The place is full of other cyclists as well. Although we have a satellite system with us on tour, it only works off and on and is very frustrating, so we usually check in every town to see if there’s wireless available somewhere. A couple of nights ago Len Riemersma and I simply toured the town with computers on until we got a signal somewhere. We ended up sitting on a curb on Wray’s main street in order to get our blogs done.

As for the ride today, I left by 6:30 this morning in order to beat the worst of the heat and I was in by 1:15. The route was fairly level except for a stretch of 48 kms that was just a series of one hill after another. But that added some variety to an otherwise dull landscape. Below is one of the few pictures I took today, the sun rising over highway 34 just out of McCook.

One of the nice things about the route today was the number of small towns along the way. That made the whole trip a little shorter, and also provided plenty of places to get cold drinks along the way. Each of these towns could be seen from far away, because they all had huge grain elevators, such as the one in Minden pictured below.

Diane is at the swimming pool at the moment; and she also visited a local art gallery that had lots of three dimensional art and weaving, right up her alley. The air conditioning made it very attractive too. I decided just to shower. Afterwards I was interviewed on camera by a local TV station, and then I hopped on Bill Den Harders’s Harley and we met quite a few others at a local lounge to enjoy a couple of cold beers. Pictured below is an obviously very tired and hot Dick Kastelein about to enjoy a Coors Light. Take one look at him and you get an idea of the temperatures we’re dealing with!

Yesterday we arrived at the midpoint of the Sea to Sea tour time wise. We have cycled for 27 days, and we have 27 days left (26 after today). Mileage wise we will reach the halfway point early tomorrow morning. It’s hard to believe. What a strange way to spend the summer. Over a burger and Coke in Holdrege today we were speculating about how we’d get back home in September and wonder where the summer had gone. It will feel like we missed summer in the usual sense, and just skipped from spring to fall.

Apart from a few minor falls, we are grateful that the last couple of days have not seen any more major injuries. It’s hard to see people have to leave the tour, and safety has become a priority more than ever. The #1 issue we continue to deal with is the heat. We drink like fish (water and Gatorade mostly), and use lots of sun screen. So far there has been no heat stroke, and no sickness. We thank God for that!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 157.38 kms
Average speed: 26.1 kph
Maximum speed: 50.0 kph
Time in saddle: 6.00.42
# of flat tires on tour: 6

McCook, Nebraska

Nebraska is the 6th state we have entered. It was only 15 kms from our starting point in Wray, CO, but I did not take a picture of the sign since it was so badly shot up. That seems to be a national sport around here, shooting at all the traffic signs with a rifle or shotgun. At a certain point along today’s route we were within 1 mile of the state of Kansas and some cyclists went out of their way just so they could say they were in Kansas. Diane and a couple of the support crew drove there as well, with Diane and friend Renata singing the songs from the Wizard of Oz as they did so. You will remember that this old movie was located in that state.

It was very hot and windy again today; it is getting to the point that people are hoping for rain. A man in a gas station in Stratton, NE, said that it was good we were riding today because it was going to get hotter the rest of the week. Too bad, because each of the next 3 days is approx. 140-150 kms in length. In fact, someone said that this is the longest week distance wise.

The geography was a bit more interesting today, more trees for one thing. And a stretch of 20 kms or so that had fairly steep ups and downs. After climbing 7 mountain passes, of course, none of these hills are any big deal anymore, though they still require some hard pedaling. The heat is very tiring, and between km. 60 – 90 I was almost ready to say enough. Then we got to Stratton and found Grandma’s Bar and Grill and I was revived! I think I was just hungry, so I had a BLT for $3.00 – you can’t get that anywhere in Canada or anywhere else in the US – and a Coke and that gave me the energy I needed for the rest of the ride. It’s amazing, by the way, how much you drink during the day. Three bottles of water today, 2 bottles of juice, a 22 ounce Pepsi, a Pepsi float at Arby’s (for only 95 cents – Nebraska is a cheap state!), a bottle of ice tea, and lots of cold milk at supper.

I wanted to introduce you all to Cory today, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Cory works for CRWRC and was gracious enough to volunteer for probably the worst job on the tour: drive around the port-a-pottie. Happily, there has been no repeat of the earlier misadventure. Cory is the fellow in the orange shirt, and he is usually the first SAG stop. He is always cheerful, though the smell of the port-a-pottie begins to get to him by day 4 of each week. He is only allowed to clean it up (I think the company from which we lease it does this) once a week, on Saturday. Anyway, we all appreciate Cory for ministering to our calls of nature beyond the call of duty!

The picture below is also a common one. The Zantinghs from Alberta will recognize their son Matt as he’s attempting to fix a derailleur problem at a gas station. All sorts of small and big bike problems have to be solved along the way, and we have a few people who seem to be able to fix everything. Good thing, too, since my personal bicycle repair knowledge might fit on the side of a napkin. If you look closely at the picture, you can see Matt forming the words “Hi Mom.”

The other matter of interest was this huge pillar which marked the end of the Indian Wars in 1876. It has the faces of the two main Indian chiefs carved into it, and is located in what is called Massacre Canyon, which pretty much tells you what happened when the Pawnee and Sioux nations met there in the battle that this monument commemmorates. Do a little digging there and who knows what you might find.

We are currently camped at McCook High School, and generally speaking high schools are our favourite places to be because of the abundance of showers. It’s also fun to enter a town when people already know about you. Our arrival was reported on the local radio channel during the day, and people you meet anywhere are interested to hear about the trip. That’s pretty much true no matter where you go throughout the day; people are curious and wondering if this is some sort of race or what. That gives us the chance to talk to them about the purpose of our trip, and we have business cards which explain the whole trip and its purpose which we hand out as often as we can. So far the trip has raised over 2 million dollars.

Well, you know what time it is: supper! There are quite a few people still on the road,and I feel sorry for them. I’ll do my best to leave them something to eat…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 149.89 kms
Average speed: 23.6 kph
Maximum speed: 46.6
Time in saddle: 6.20.05
# of flat tires on tour: 6 (and holding, for a long time I hope!)

Wray, Colorado

We are in Wray, CO, and who would have thought they’d have an awesome outdoor pool with 2 waterslides in such a small town in the middle of nowhere? But sure enough, we’re camped in a very pretty park with pretty sad toilet facilities and no showers, but just a few blocks away from the nicest pool we’ve come across yet. Diane went on the water slides and you could hear her screaming the whole way down! It was awesome on another hot, sunny day with temperatures in the low 90’s F. They are opening the pool tonight again from 7-9 just for our group.

The ride today was pretty straightforward, a lot of gradual ups and downs with a very strong headwind the last third of the ride. One of our SAG drivers, Walter Vink, the one with the big RV, decided he had had enough of being a SAG volunteer; he was going to cycle with us for a day. So he put on his old farmer pants – he doesn’t wear spandex – and hopped on an old bike he had taken along. As it turns out, this was not a good decision. The first town we came to, old Walter was on a downhill, pushing almost 30 kph, when there was a sharp turn. He was not prepared, missed the turn entirely and, well, you can see below what happened to poor Walter. Suffice it to say that he quickly decided that being on SAG was not such a bad thing!!

On the more serious side, there wasn’t a lot to see, so you really have to look for photo ops. Below is a picture of something you see more often on these barren plains, an abandoned farm house with lots of old equipment and even a couple of old cars just sitting there. You wonder who used to live here, and why they left, and where they went.

We stopped in the town of Otis with a group of us at a café. I thought the bench in front of its window was cute. The homemade cinnamon bun and ice cold lemonade certainly lived up to the reputation the bench proclaims!

In that same town, I spoke with an old farmer outside the café who mournfully told me how just a month ago a huge hailstorm had destroyed 950 acres of his wheat crop. You can see the devastation in the picture below. We rode through miles and miles of fields that looked like this. The corn, however, was healthy and tall.

Finally, I came across this old cemetery alongside the highway. At first I thought it was a war cemetery of sorts, because of the flags. It turns out it was just a small and old cemetery that’s obviously not in use anymore. Every grave I checked was from the 1800’s, and no doubt every one of them contains its own unique and interesting story.

Currently I’m sitting in a covered picnic area watching the cooks prepare supper. As usual, it smells great and we’re all hungry. I can’t wait to eat!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 141.0 kms
Average speed: 25.0 kph
Maximum speed: 45.3 kph
Time in saddle: 5.37.19
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Fort Morgan, Colorado

It was a wonderful, restful weekend in Denver. Diane and I didn't do any sightseeing, just a lot of sitting back, reading, chatting, relaxing. The Denver folks were very hospitable. A lot of the married folks on tour who are not fortunate enough to have their spouses with them were met by the same this weekend. Randy De Wolde and Fred Meyerink from Chilliwack had their wives Shelly and Elly surpise them, so we did not see much of them this weekend. We were very happy for both of them. The pics below are of breakfast on the high school campus, the bike parking lot we made out of the gym, as well as the most popular place in the school, the computer room.


Today I was on the sweep team, and Bryan Flikkema and myself volunteered to be the last in. We went out last, close to 9 a.m., and came in last, just after 6:30 p.m. It was a hot, windy, and long day. It was also a slow day, as we caught up with the slowest rider about 45 minutes in. The initial part of the trip, close to 30 km, was on a bike path that took us around the city of Denver. That means no traffic, only a path following the Platte River. It was very pleasant. Once we hit the road, there wasn't much traffic on the frontage or service roads along Interstate 76but traffic was always close by. We also traveled on the interstate for approximately 30 km and of course that means lots of trucks and such. All in all it was a long day, which meant a late supper, and - I may as well be honest - at peloton meeting I fell asleep on a bleacher and missed most of what was said. I never sleep in church, though!!!!!

Now that we are out of the mountains and on the plains, the geography gets a little less interesting and photogenic. I did take a few pics, however, and hope they give you some idea of the road much travelled today: an old farm house, a wheat field and big sky, a lonely tree ("I think that I shall never see a thing as lovely as a tree" - who wrote that?), a flower, a cactus (lots of them off the shoulder of the interstate, you don't want to sit down and do you know what there!!)





One interesting incident: Bryan and I - and the rider we were sweeping, Gayle Harrison - came across a couple from California stranded on the shoulder of the interstate. Their trailer tire had blown, and their spare had no air in it, so we pumped it up with a small bike pump until it had enough air that he could slowly roll a few miles to the next exit without wrecking anything. So we fixed one tire today, it just wasn't a bike tire!

There were also 2 accidents today, one minor and one major. Dick Kastelein was on his first day riding and fell and cracked a rib. But he's OK and will continue tomorrow. One of our female riders, whom I don't want to identify at this point in case her family has not yet been informed, had a bad fall while in a pace line, and ended up with a broken pelvis and a concussion. Her tour is over, and that's a major disappointment for her and all of us who feel for her. That is 2 people in the last 2 days who had falls that ended their bike tour. So tonight's peloton, I was told, was very heavy on the safety issue, especially the risks of pace lines. Personally, I don't like them. I am far too independent, I suppose, to suffer a pace line very long. They also make me feel out of control. I prefer single file, with plenty of space between me and the next rider, or simply being on my own.

Alright, I'm pooped, and going to bed. I'm "stealing" a signal from a wireless not connected to our tour, so I'm happy to be blogging at all. Good night.

Today's stats:

Distance: 143.86 km
Average speed: 19.8 kph
Maximum speed: 53.6 kph
Time in saddle: 7.05.56
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Denver day of rest

This will be a brief blog because, frankly, we didn't do much today. This morning we had an outdoor worship service at a local football field; it was a nice service, with communion, and very warm and humid. Lunch followed, served by the area churches, who are also serving us supper at our camp, Denver Christiah High, this evening. The kitchen crew is loving it.

This afternoon Diane and I did our laundry, which happened to be right beside a Starbucks. Not our usual place to hang out, but it was airconditioned and pleasant and we relaxed in easy chairs sipping ice coffees while machines washed and dried our clothes.

Other than that, we're just hanging out and resting after a long and tiring week. I actually have to do a bit of work tonight, as our head chaplain has asked me to lead the peloton meeting tonight in his absence - the first time anyone but him has led this meeting. Should be interesting.

A couple of sad notes. Two more riders can no longer ride. Tyler Buitenwerf was at the end of a pace line yesterday and either wasn't warned that the line was stopping or ignored the warning, I'm not sure. In any case, he hit the cyclist in front of him, fell off, and broke his collarbone in 2 places. So he's leaving for home tomorrow. Another rider, Art Smith, has ligament damage in one of his knees and has not been riding for the past week, and likely won't be for some time as it is not healing. He is staying with the tour, however, as an additional support person, which was badly needed.

I apologize for taking no pictures today. I know they liven up any blog. Beginning this evening I'll be on sweep team, which means we leave last tomorrow and have to make sure all the riders get in. That will leave time for pictures again. The good news is that we are still a mile high, and over the next number of days there will be more downhill than uphill. A welcome relief for all. Till tomorrow...

Denver, Colorado

We are in Denver! The first stage of our cross country trek is over, and we are over the mountains. But first things first.

Last night we had an emotional communion service in which we said farewell to 15 cyclists who are leaving the tour. All of them spoke and had someone speak on their behalf, and the common thread was definitely the sense of community we are experiencing as a group. We also reflected on the fact that it was 3 years ago from this date that Elizabeth Woudsma had her accident during training for the 2005 Sea to Sea tour; that accident left her a paraplegic, and we remembered her in prayer.

Because of altitude sickness, Diane did not attend the service but rested inour cozy room. We both had a good sleep, and were glad to be inside, since the overnight temperature was only 8 degrees Celsius. Today she is still somewhat tired, but there is improvement.

Now to today's ride: it was spectacular! This was our last pass to cross - we crossed a total of 7 - and Berthoud Pass was a 30 kms ascent. Surprisingly,it was not as difficult as Rabbit Ears Pass of 2 days ago, as the grade was not quite as steep. We climbed from an altitude of 8700 ft to 11,300 ft - unbelievable. The pictures below tell some of the story....a waterfall on the way up, a view looking back while resting, purple flowers (can you see the bumblebee?), kitchen crew vehicles (Diane was not in them today as you'll see later), myself near the top, a SAG stop at the top, myself at the summit and thrilled to be there. All of it will give you some idea of the beauty we saw today, I hope.








Then came the ride down - a 30 km downhill ride with plenty of switchbacks so that you had to use your brakes. I reached 75 kph but didn't dare go any faster. At the first town, Empire, we piled into a cafe - see the group shot below, many others had already left again - for coffee and danishes. Diane was able to join the fun because she rode in the gear truck today, and driver Steve Dykstra from Abbotsford was able to find a spot to park the truck nearby. So enjoy the pictures of Diane and grandma (to the grandchildren).


After this brief oasis, we continued on our way, largely downhill for the next 30 kms or so. Then came another long climb, not as long as the pass, only a few kms but steeper. Following that came a wonderful, gently downhill ride through Bear Creek canyon that was almost like a roller coaster ride. I was in a pace line of 5 people and for about 45 minutes we average 35 kph. A brief stop on the way was made when 2 girls from Edmonton, daughters of rider Gerry Schenk, greeted us with popsicles and dropjes - delicious! And just so you know I don't ignore wildlife, note the elk grazing alongside the road without a care in the world.
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Now we are in Denver at the Christian High School, and we were greeted with a party atmosphere: balloons, music, food, drink, even cheerleaders from the school. We also met Joe & Margaret De Weerd, folks we know from Waterdown, ON. Margaret is joining the tour along with a friend from here on in. So everything is good: the ride, the camp, and now Diane is calling me to supper. Yes, I'm hungry!

We also got mail: from mom & dad Slofstra, Chris & Jeff Wubss, and the Zantings from Ponoka (for Diane and kitchen crew). Thank you! Alright, it's time to eat. And did I mention there will be an ice cream social at 7 tonight after supper? We'll sleep well tonight...

Today's stats:

Distance: 143.53 kms
Average speed: 22.5 kph
Maximum speed: 75 kph
Time in saddle: 6.22.45
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Granby, Colorado

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Kremmling, Colorado

P.S. I wrote the notes below yesterday, but no internet was available in Kremmling.

I am physically and emotionally drained. Not only did we go a long way, that’s no big deal, but again we did a lot of climbing – just shy of 5000 ft in total - with one especially significant climb. But first things first. Last night we were in Craig, and I thought I’d show you the lay of the land from our campsite at Moffat County High School. The second picture is of our camp site, which was an odd place because we were restricted to piece of land that was sloped. That made sleeping somewhat awkward.


Diane slept in this morning and took down our tent, which made for an easy morning for me. But that’s where easy stopped. The first part of today’s trip was to Steamboat Springs, a ski resort town. There wasn’t much climbing but there was a lot of traffic and a strong headwind, which made those first 80 kms or so feel like a lot more. The biggest problem for me was that I was tired to begin with. This was the fourth day in a row of significant distances that included a fair bit of climbing, plus we are at high altitudes. A number of people, especially those with lung related problems such as asthma, simply cannot handle the altitude and have to take a couple of days off or be sagged up the big climbs. I’m not sure if it was the altitude or just plain tiredness, but it was a hard day.

Today’s significant climb is known as Rabbit’s Ears pass. In the first 12 kms of that pass we climbed over 3200 feet; that was the toughest part and it took me just under 2 hours to complete it. That included quite a few breaks to drink water and rest. Once we got to the first summit, it was an up and down trip over 6 kms, and while the true summit – the Continental Divide – was over 9400 ft., the highest point we reached was almost 9600 ft acc. to the GPS system we use. One of the girls on the tour, whose name I won’t mention, took 4 hours to complete the climb, imagine that, but she was that determined to do it.

After that it was a fabulous ride down, reaching speeds consistently over 70 kph without trying, until we were about 30 miles from our destination. From that point on there was a lot of up and down, though mostly down, but every hill seemed like another mountain. What a relief to finally arrive. I only took 3 pictures of the trip, missing all the wild flowers up on top because I was too exhausted to look. Diane assured me there were plenty of them there, however, and she and the kitchen crew enjoyed a picnic in the midst of it all. The first picture is a shot about 1/3 of the way up looking back, the second is self explanatory, and third is a shot about 2/3 of the way down looking ahead.



For the first time in a couple of weeks we also had some rain in camp. A brief thundershower passed over us, sending everyone running for cover, but it didn’t last more than 10 minutes or so and now everything is calm again. Supper is done for most of us, but there are still a few people on the road. I can only imagine how tired they are going to be. Oh well, tomorrow is a short day – 55 kms – although that will again involve some significant climbing. Saturday will also include a mountain pass which will bring us to an altitude of over 11,000 ft, but that climb comes early and then it’s a long coast in to Denver. But now I’m looking ahead, and our regular reminder to each other is “one day at a time.”

Today’s stats:

Distance: 154.11 kms
Average speed: 20.4
Maximum speed: 72.6
Time in saddle: 7.33.02
# of flat tires on trip 6

Craig, Colorado

As I woke up and got my stuff out of the gear truck this morning, I realized that many of you might not have an idea of what the inside of this truck looks like. It looks like a lab where they keep rats, doesn’t it? Anyway, here’s an early morning shot with Denise Bentum trying to look like she’s eager to begin a new day of riding.

Today was another long day, but much better than yesterday. We were on the same highway – US 40 – but the road was in better shape and there wasn’t nearly as much traffic. There was lots of climbing again, one very long climb and lots of shorter ups and downs. No sooner were you up then you saw the next hill ahead already. The shot below gives you some day of the country we saw for most of the day today.

One minor adventure: I barely missed riding over a fat old rattlesnake on the shoulder when I thought I should turn back and capture the poor critter on camera, with the caption “Snakes the way Diane likes them – dead.” So I turned back, zoomed in on the little fellow and lo and behold it moved! It had not resurrectered, but was alive all along, as the second picture clearly proves. I only wish Diane had been there as she always has a pretty dramatic reaction to seeing a snake, dead or alive, but especially alive. Her snake dance and song is something to behold!


We rode over 140 kms again today, and between Dinosaur and Craig there was only one small village, consisting of a few houses and a general store and gas station, and about 2/3 of the way to our destination. So it was a lonely ride most of the day, very quiet and beautiful. I was among the first to arrive in Craig, and the first thing our group did was get a milkshake or ice cream at the local soda shop. Diane had set up the tent already – bless her heart! – and we are in a highschool again, for which we are all grateful. Showers and bathrooms the past couple of nights have been less than plentiful and hard to get to.

Tomorrow will be our fourth 140 kms+ day, and apparently includes another pass approximately 20 kms in length. Can’t wait….ha!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 146.14
Average speed: 21.2
Maximum speed: 65.6
Time in saddle: 6.51.57 (includes sightseeing in Craig)
# of flat tires: 6

Dinosaur, Colorado

It was a long and somewhat unpleasant ride today. With a group of others, we made the first 45 km stretch in an hour and a quarter, my fastest average yet. After that, it was one long gradual hill after another, on a very busy highway, with some very rude drivers. Some cut in really close, others would step on the gas right beside you and let loose a huge dark cloud of diesel exhaust. I wanted to wring some necks today!

The country we went through was not as beautiful as yesterday, and you’ll get the idea from the pictures below.

One very scary incident today: Jake Kuipers was biking along when his seat post simply sheared off. Jake was thrown onto the highway where, fortunately, there was no traffic at that moment. He has quite a few scrapes on his legs, hips, and face, but all in all he’s OK. I and two others - Randy De Wolde and Fred Meyerink - came upon him just shortly after it happened (he was on his own), and while Randy and Fred went ahead to look for a SAG wagon, I stayed to make sure he was OK and wasn’t in shock or anything. Our nurse, Betsy, picked him up and checked him out, then brought him to the next town (Vernal) to a bike shop where he got a new seat post and he was on his way again. This could have been something very serious, even life threatening, and we thank God for protecting Jake from anything worse.

I expect that a lot of people will be “sagged” in today, that is, will be picked up by support vehicles. It is hot, windy, and hilly. The last 32 kms today is basically one very long and very gradual uphill with the wind in your face. Not fun.

So now we are in Dinosaur, Colorada. Yes, we crossed another border today (see below) and the first thing we saw was a liquor store, because Utah is a “dry” state –meaning you can’t buy liquor in stores but can only get it in bars, etc. We are also 2 miles away from Dinosaur National Park, but too tired to go there. Hope you enjoy the pictures below, especially my personal favorite of the day, my yellow taxi against the backdrop of the Utah hills. That’s it for today. I am done in….

Today’s stats:

Distance: 148.75 kms
Average speed: 22.5 kph
Maximum speed: 56.0 kph
Time in saddle: 6.36.15
# of flat tires: 6 (I had another while parked last night!)

Duchesne, Utah

We now understand why we had to do so much climbing during the latter part of Saturday: because we could not have done those climbs and the ones we had to do today. The route began with an awesome downhill glide, but you know the rule with biking: what goes down must come up. And sure enough, 8 kms in, we had our first major climb. The picture below was taken at the summit looking back at the place our camp was this past weekend.

That was followed by a meandering road along a river and lined with trees, with the occasional fly fisherman plying his craft in the river. It also featured some interesting rock formations; the one below looks like a human skull, don’t you think?

Then came the climb we did not know about, and for which we had not gotten an elevation chart. It started very slowly, and then….it was 13 kms at an 8% grade through Uinta National Forest. I had to stop at least a couple of times, but mostly to take some pictures (yeah, right!). In any case, both are looking back, one without flowers, and the other because of the flowers.


Finally, the summit was reached. Here’s proof that I made it.

The descent was awesome, over 20 kms of pure adrenaline rush. Speed had to be controlled somewhat, because of the curves, so I didn’t quite hit 70 kph. I also stopped about a third of the way down to snap a shot of these sheep.

Once we hit bottom we reached the village of Hana, where a large group of us stopped for coffee and pie (cherry, no ice cream – I’m on a diet, you know!). I also snapped a couple more pictures to give you the lay of the land, and the cute little house in the middle of nowhere in front of bright red rock was irresistible.


Up to this point, it was smooth sailing all the way, and I was destined for an early day in spite of the long distance. Then the trouble started. Going up another hill, I heard what I thought was a rifle shot – CRACK!! It was my rear tire, however, that was shot. The sidewall of the tire (a $60 tire – ouch) blew out completely and with it, of course, the inner tube. Two fellow riders – John Vandersteen and George Vanderkuur – came up with a temporary solution for the blown tire, but that solution lasted no longer than about 3 kms. which meant another blown inner tube. Finally a rider who was carrying a fold up tire came along, hurray, and when we had the tire together I pumped it up and promptly snapped the stem right off: alas, another inner tube gone. But that one was soon replaced, and I was on my way again. The whole drama, however, cost me close to an hour.

At just over 4 p.m. I finally arrived at the public park in Duchesne, and a welcome sight greeted me: Diane sitting in front of our tent already all set up, and a bottle of grapefruit juice waiting for me. I feel spoiled rotten. All in all, I also feel very good about the day. I’m getting stronger as I go along, and a day of over 145 kms doesn’t feel that long anymore. I would not go so far as to say that I love climbing long hills, however…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 146.07 kms
Average speed: 21.7
Maximum speed: 68.9
Time in saddle: 6.44.43
# of flat tires: 5