FACE AIDS Ride Against AIDS 2010 Blog

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Map of 2010 Route

Map of 2010 Route
You can view the day-to-day schedule, terrain, mileage, and checkpoints by clicking on the map!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Day 10: The Border Inn



Got up from another KOA camp this morning in Ely to start the trek to Baker, NV. As I was eating my oatmeal, compliments of Sanford, we watched the Push America team ride by, unfortunately about 30 minutes too early to join their groups again, BUMMER. It's really nice to ride with a bigger group and talk with other biking groups about what they're doing and why they're doing it.

We had a 62 mile ride today with some unexpected summits and headwind. Wind is definitely my worst enemy. I also got my first flat. Major bummer. That adds a big chunk of time onto the day, since I'm pretty much at a loss how to change it. It's not that I don't know how to change it, it's that it is physically hard for me to change it. First, you have to take the tire off the rim, which is definitely the trickiest part. Then you have to pull the flat tube out, take the whole tire off the bike, put a new tube in, pump that one up about 1/2 way, and then get the tire back onto the rim. Then you can put the whole thing back on the bike. Finally, you get to pump your new tire back up to the proper pound per square inch (psi). That may be the most exhausting part, and nearly impossible with a hand pump. Yikes. After about 30 minutes of struggling, I was ready to go, with my first solo flat tire repair under my belt.

Doesn't the cloud look like the U.S.?

After the ride, we had a lot of time to kill so Mike and I went to The Lehman Caves in town, while the rest of the group chilled out at the campsite. We took a tour with Ranger Steve for about an hour through the caverns. It was soooooo cool. He filled the time with a lot of history and geological information about the caves, all of which was very interesting. Little towns in the middle of nowhere have big treasures, I'm glad we're getting to pass through some of these little wonders.

Ranger Steve.

Tonight, we're camping at the Border Inn tent site. I met an amazing couple at the campsite, Hank and Bobbie, and talked with them about the ride for a while. They were very lively and knew a lot about biking and representing a cause. They were very avid bikers back in the day and had done their fair share of campaigns and events for organizations, particularly in the cancer realm. They were very enthusiastic and supportive of the ride, constantly reiterating how impressed they were with the feat and the mission of the ride and FACE AIDS as a group. Meeting people like this is another amazing aspect of the trip.

We are straddling Nevada and Utah, and will say goodbye to Nevada tomorrow, as we head into Utah for the next few rides.

2 comments:

  1. I like your blog! Read all of the entries today. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Keep enjoying the experience!
    Huff

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Huff! I always keep everything you ever told me in mind....it is definitely helping to approach this with a running mentality!

    ReplyDelete

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