(I'm a) Road Runner...Day 11...Tucumcari to Dalhart, TX...Weds 04/05/11

This did promise to be a 'champagne' day's cycling thanks to the short length at 95 miles and the forecasted favourable winds...well, I think that we were all upgraded to Jacuzzi Class!
It was almost like a rest day, except for a few of the fast guys who took the opportunity to post insanely quick times: how about 3 hours and 45 minutes for 100 miles? For what it's worth, they had to cycle a few extra miles to clock the distance but didn't enjoy cycling back into the wind to the hotel, hah-hah!

The good roads department people of New Mexico making good some tatty tarmac, which held us for a few minutes.

Never ceases to amaze how much freight is shifted in this country both by road and rail.

Well, it's almost 'Dallas', isn't it? Alright, I'll get my coat...

Had to take a picture as the fast fifty rolled-up...ridiculous.

The obligatory set of photos on about 10 different cameras which explains the rather half-hearted and frankly, limp effort on display here.
From the left we have...Daryl, Mark, Me, Lasse, Steve, Bob, Jason, Jim, Patrick and Steve.

Oh yeah, we lost another hour today, so now am only 6 hours behind the Motherland. Good day to lose it on, though.

Shot to ribbons. The sign, that is.

You heard The Can.

More freedom to roam...make the most of it, lads. You'll see why shortly.

But before that, here's a lucky escape...I was cycling beside Mark at 25mph explaining to him how that despite what he had heard Stateside, all the arseholes haven't quite given-up on killing in N.I. yet (he asked me, honest), when his rear wheel goes BANG and he manages to remain upright.

As you can see, a nail had decided to get acquainted with his tyre and rim. Good job it wasn't his front, eh? Jim the mechanic was with us before too long and had it sorted. I had only just changed a tube myself so we were glad of no further dramas.

Dalhart is a cattle town and below is a tiny section of the many thousands of animals who are sent here to eat constantly for 6 weeks prior to being offed. And then scoffed. Their weight will increase from around 800lbs to over twice that in that time-span.

There are quite a few of these vast feed stations along both sides of the highway, and as we caned-it past there were cattle trucks arriving and departing constantly.

Didn't really fancy a steak tonight.

Embarrassed stats time...fantasy conditions=jacuzzi cycling stats!

What A Difference A Day Makes...Day 10...Las Vegas to Tucumcari...Tues 03/05/11

So we are given an extra hour this morning to ready ourselves as a sort of 'well done for not dying' yesterday, hah-hah! Well, that and the fact that today is a shorter ride at 110 miles and only 3100' of climbing along with mainly favourable winds should mean an earlier finish.

Headed-out wrapped-up as it was only 42F (5C for you modernistas living in the 21st century) and loved views like this:

Still remnants of snow up here...

Breathtaking descent time...again: just past the town of Trujillo and you can't believe the vista as the bends unfold. Makes you laugh out loud...again.

As the road worked across the plain below, this B1 flew across low-level. My initial reaction was "Eh, what on earth...that's going in...aw, it's gonna ruin this good run...how inconvenient..." but it put the power on and climbed a little and promptly sodded-off. As did I.

At the first stop and we make the 1000 mile barrier. Only another 2500 to go, then. Oh good.

Wheezing up the 'steep' climb of the day: I think it was 9% at worst, so not UK-steep, just a drag.

Yeah, I know that I've posted about 80 of these 'road-goes-on-forever' shots but it never fails to alternately inspire/demoralise you...probably the same effect that this blog has on you good people, hah-hah!

Into Texas tomorrow: don't mess with it.

And finally...those winning numbers!

Viva Las Vegas...Day 9...Albuquerque to Las Vegas...Mon 02/05/11

On paper, this is the toughest day of the trip, as it means over 8000' of climbing and 135 miles ganin' forward. Of course, as the hoary old line has it...we don't cycle on paper, do we?

Away from the hotel in Albuquerque just after 7am and I had the pleasure of Tom's company until the first stop at 35 miles, and I was glad of it too as we shared the work through freezing temperatures with headwinds and snow-flurries, with plenty of climbing from the off: 1000' for every 10 miles.

What happened to 80F?

See? Told you there was snow up here...

As well as stunning views...just keep pedalling to keep warm.

One of those days that when you did get a downhill stretch, the windchill was biting. Still bombed-on, natch.

This was the other Madrid, with tons of arts'n'craft shops, burnt-out hippies and coffe shops. But no Mourinho.

Just staggering landscapes- the outcrops on the horizon never seemed to get much closer though.

Yes indeed I do, Dionne- you take exit 319 off I-25N.

Just over 10 hours (!) after leaving Albuquerque I arrived at the Comfort Inn, Las Vegas. Sure, a long day but a strangely enjoyable one: I remembered back to this date one year ago- I was seeing Iggy & The Stooges go bananas in Hammersmith. Definitely did not forecast this malarkey one year on, hah-hah!

Reckon there must've been some method in yesterday's steak, beer, wine...then pasta, beer, wine diet as I seemed to fare a wee bit better than some out there. Think I should share this...I'll let Brad Wiggins know.

Have I got stats for you: check the elevation and temperature...not the fastest century ever, nor the easiest. Job done!

Chill before the hill...Day 8...Rest day in Albuquerque...Sun 01/05/11

So it's a day-off in windy and cold Albuquerque: what to do? Well I'll tell you what I wasn't planning to do and that was wake-up at 5am as per, but that is what I did anyway...d'oh!

Mike (tour leader, doing well for 133) advised us to keep a wee bit active today otherwise we'd find tomorrow's horrible hundred even more er, horrible.

That being the received wisdom, I cycled to a local bike shop and bought a cheap'n'nasty rain jacket and then shared a cab with Sir Clive down to 'Old Town' Albuquerque, where we did our own thing.

Mine involved a fruitless search for an Italian restaurant...dunno why on Earth I thought I'd find one down there but there you are.

This is the Senor who founded Alby.

'Old Town'...fulfilling all your tourist-tat wants. Unless you want an Italian restaurant, like.

Settled for the High Noon Steakhouse. And no, I'm not making that up. It was alright, as was beer of the day.

Cheers!

Stats? No chance pal!

Ridin' or hidin'...Day 7...Gallup to Albuquerque...Sat 30/04/11

At 5.30am the answer would've been, "...er, hidin', thanks all the same...give me a knock at 11am...": some change from yesterday's crazy but ultimately benign conditions.
I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the only one but I really didn't fancy cycling 135 miles in what looked pretty Baltic weather, even if it did lead to a day-off.
After a ropey and rushed breakfast I rolled out half-asleep and realised that when the weather-geezer said 27F he wasn't joking...even buy my standards this was unpleasantly cold. My fault for thinking that we'd be warming-up nicely after an hour or so....

Our highest point en-route...

...is celebrated with a couple of knackered-looking signs and three knakered cyclists...take a bow Steve and Bob.
After this stop I was joined by Jim and we shared the work until lunch at 64 miles, which is when I changed my first puncture-flat on this trip. Well, I had been living a charmed life, hah-hah!
You can usually tell how people are feeling at lunch by how keen they are to press on...I was happy to potter and pffaf around.

Smoke signals say..."Coal-fired power station nearby...".

Apparently they've got 'Tommy' at La Scala tonight. Result!

Now *this* is what you call Freedom To Roam.

At least after lunch the temperature began to climb under flawless skies and U.K. Bob (from Blackburn but defected to Wiltshire) and I managed to catch Craig who is one of the speed-merchants...he obviously was taking it easy today.
The most enjoyable bit was being able to again share the work with him for 20 fast miles which brought us to the 90-mark...he blithely commented that that was the first time he had ever drafted anyone and now he saw what a help it was...I was having a coronary at the time and disappearing backwards!

Coincidence of the day (if not ride) was when he asked me where I was from...near Belfast...Northern half of Ireland...keeping it simple...and he says one of his best mates lives in Bangor! Yep, he visited not so long ago and had a blast, going all over. I was able to laugh and wheeze as he then floored it into the distance.

No opportunity over-looked, hah-hah!

Registered to one 'H. Bear'. Apparently.

C'mon Lee, you can do it...out powering a Hog. He is George Hincapie-esque. Respect.

The final 40 miles brought the sprawl of Albuquerque within sight...a tough day, but what a good feeling. Cheers!

Way happier with today's numbers more than yesterday's.

Mandolin Wind...Day 6...Winslow to Gallup, NM...Fri 29/04/11

"...Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...".
That's quite enough from The Eagles, thanks all the same.

Well, it's about 7am in Winslow and as you can see, they have Royal Wedding mania. Actually there is a bit of interest as all the news channels were giving it the full monty.
I was able to watch a fair bit of Diane Sawyer on ABC going into full BS-meltdown mode because the brains trust here thought that we lost an hour due to Mountain Saving Time or somesuch, and thus got up an hour before everyone else...we actually lose that hour tonight, so I'm down two on the deal. D'oh!

Right, back to the job in hand...133 miles to Gallup, NM. All I need to say is that I will never cycle a faster mileage again, such was the help from the strong Westerly winds. Still tiring all the same, but a joy really.

The other feature of our day cycling on the shoulder of the interstate was that between 21 riders we had 35 punctures. Not me thankfully, so that's all right then.
I was cycling with Sir Clive Woodward (Steve from Rickmansworth) when he had a flat...I think he's benefiting from my guidance on how to change the tube correctly...at least I think I heard him say "...thank you!". A lot of traffic noise, you see.

Masters of understatement!

Our tour leader Mike (doing well for 83) demonstrating just *how* strong the winds were...

Sporting a dodgy bandana (essential wear) and a dodgy jersey off Ebay. Couture, 'innit?

As none of us have the same amount of hair that we once were blessed with, I did wonder if this could be the answer. Please, no non-PC scalping gags. Oh, too late...

Hiding behind Mike (doing well for 103) and Karen...these two are pootling along holding 30mph while I'm blowing out my arse trying to keep up and take a photo which if Mike (doing well for 133) ever sees, he will kick my afore-mentioned, hah-hah!

167 miles until we can have a day off. Oh yes.

Right on the Arizona/New Mexico border...

More couture.

Well, if you say so.

Finally to post-ride food: surely Denny's have gone just a wee bit too far this time? Even Homer J. would baulk at the idea, wouldn't he?

Ok, bed-time is with us once more: tomorrow is only another 135 miles to Albuquerque but also that fabled day off...praying for those lovely winds again.
By the way, as the hotel is on Indian land, it doesn't serve alcohol...rarely have I wanted a Corona more, hah-hah!

Stats Corner..Never see these numbers again.