July 14,
2001. Riverside to Rawlins, Wyoming. (64 mi.) Mile 2692
Crawlin
to Rawlins
The riding has become easier as we
get stronger each day, and I look forward to pedaling down the road each
morning to see what lies ahead. We stopped for breakfast at Lollipops, a cute,
trendy cafe in Saratoga, where the portions were so small that Mike looked
like Oliver Twist taking his oatmeal bowl up to the counter and asking for
more. "Please, sir, could I have some more. I have to ride 60 miles
today."
Breakfast portions in Saratoga
were too small
We appreciate those who have wished
tailwinds for us because it seems to be working. The first half of our route
today paralleled the North Platte River, a noted fly fishing destination, and
also a historical Outlaw Trail, used by outlaws like Butch Cassidy. We counted
over 20 antelope, some close to the road, watching us ride by with their big
brown eyes. Even when I tried to keep pedaling nonchalantly, as soon as they
heard me try to unzip my handlebar bag to get my camera, they puffed up their
white rumps in alarm and demonstrated how fast antelope can run.
Sky blue and sage
green: Our route crosses a historic Pioneer Overland Trail near here.
The final miles of our
route were along I-80, a very busy Interstate with a wide shoulder. Seven
miles of this were under construction, squeezing 4 lanes of divided highway
into a dangerous 2-way. We took the recommendation of other cyclists,
including Ed from Yorkshire, who advised us to "nip on over" to the
part under construction. This made for seven miles of paved bike
path.
Avoiding
dangerous I-80 traffic by riding in the construction zone.
1) 
2) 
1) Our own bicycle
lane paralleling I-80
2) A rare
sighting - Marilyn was seen without her high visibility cycling vest for a
short time in the traffic-free construction zone.
The Sinclair oil refinery outside Rawlins
First thing we did in
Rawlins was head to the bike shop to have Mike's rear wheel trued after it was
re-spoked, only to find that the bike mechanic had called in ill with Saturday
morning "allergies". This is the third time this trip that we have
stopped at a bike shop to find the mechanic gone for the day. Maybe this was
for the best since the shop did not have a real truing stand. Mike used the
bike repair stand to check it himself, and the wheel looks great. Jared, who
re-laced the wheel at Great Adventures bike shop in Breckenridge, teaches
wheel building and has a lot of experience with the abuse mountain bike wheels
and spokes can take. We are optimistic that Mike's spoke problems are solved
but will continue to keep an eye on it.
Rawlins has a colorful
Wild West past, but we didn't make it to the museum. Instead, we're hanging
out in the campground lounge right now, relaxing as this afternoon's
thunderstorm rages overhead. Now we'll see if we can upload this journal entry
using one of the phone lines on an unoccupied RV site.
This evening's
storm front. The objective each afternoon is to get to shelter before the
dark part catches us.
