Day 7 Gallup to Albuquerque

Up at 5:50 breakfast at 6. A nice Continental breakfast at the hotel. They kept the dishes full. A bit of a bottle neck at he lift as everyone tried to get luggage and bikes out for 6:45 load. we were one of the last to leave just after 7. The temp was 32 F ie 0 C. It was not to bad.  I started with a single polypro and long finger gloves. I decided at the first SAG that I needed my booties as the toes were a bit chilly. Luckily we were last to pack so my bag was at the back. This was atop the continental divide.

The first section down the I 40 was trouble free although there were some really rough spots and riding East early means you are going straight into a low sun.

View along the way.

Just before lunch there was a turn that was not signposted very well and we had been warned to watch for it. My spedo reading was dead on the given mileage so we  had no trouble but Chris "I have to get to the Hotel first" got in a few bonus miles and arrived a bit later to lunch. after lunch we passed some lava fields.

Total distance: 137 miles. Climbing 4250 feet. Time 7:15. We dropped about 1400 feet and the run after lunch was slightly downhill (apart from 9 mile hill). Th wind gods were kind and there was little to no wind to start and this built to a light tail/cross by the afternoon. We beat the luggage truck by an hour or so. So there were a large group of cyclists hanging about the lobby waiting for the truck. tomorrow is rest day.We have covered 840 miles (1344 km) in the last 7 days. My first 1000 k week.

Winslow to Gallup Day 6

Up at 6 am and down to breakfast at the hotel. There was the choice of Denny's. Hotel had a basic breakfast. Stand and eat. It was fine. Get the route sheet at 6:45 and leave just before 7. Pretty much get on the I 40 until the first sag. Puncture number 3. Another piece of wire. Unfortunately I did not find the wire so after the SAG it went down again. But wait there is more when I stopped at the last sag it was going down again. Jim the mechanic pulled 2 pieces of wire out and a thorn.

The ride. 134 miles of gentle uphill climbing. The wind: it started off gentle and built up as the day progressed.

Standing on "the corner" in Winslow Arizona as "The Eagles" did

Cholla power station near Joseph City

View on the way.

We passed into New Mexico (clocks move forward an hour). No picture as we travelled on a side road not on the I  40. Thank goodness as there are no radial tyre wires there.

The last SAG for the day at 107 miles. The group is spread far and wide with lots of punctures there are a couple up the road- lucky buggers must have missed all the wire.

So we knocked off 134 miles  and climbed 3400 total and ended up around 1500 feet higher than we started in 6 hours averaging 22.3 mph, thanks to the good tail wind. More of the same tomorrow we hope.

Day 5 Cottonwood to Winslow

Up at 5:55. Breakfast at 6. Load at 7 and off.
There was an informal sag at a church at 15.6 miles one of Mikes relatives. She put on coffee and cake. It was all climbing to here so the group was spaced out by now.

Then came what was labelled as a steep climb at the 33 mile mark this was 3 miles long but not too bad. Into the lunch stop at 47 miles at a little after 10:30. Then find the I 40 East and let her rip. There was a slight tail crosswind.  I found my second piece of wire today  and had to change tube on the freeway. Onwards to the next sag- at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Pumped up the tyre with the floor pump. As the group was way spaced out now they sent the mechanics truck ahead as the food truck was back at the lunch stop. Riding out of here we cruised down  the I 40 at 25-35 mph. I stopped to check the front tyre as it has an irregularity. Let out some air and will get Jim to check tonight at mechanics time.

Off the I 40 and into Winslow Arizona. Found the motel and checked in. Waited for the luggage truck (about an hour) helped unload etc.

The weather was fine again.

Mileage was 109 time was 6:12.

Off for tea and get ready for tomorrow.

day 4 Wickenburg to Cottonwood

Great day. We tested out the restaurant across the road last night for tea- awesome. Best yet. We went there for breakfast  (5:30) also best service yet everyone got served a plate full of everything. Route maps given out and load truck at 6:30 and on the road at 6:33.

Pretty much climb and climb some more for  40 miles to the rest stop which was lunch at 40 miles in  just over 3.5 hours. Just to boot there was a gusty head wind.

The first SG was lunch. After lunch it was more climbing with rolling hills. We passed through Prescott.

Off to the next SAG and after that it was false flat climbing until you it Mount Mingus. Around 10 miles of climbing all the way til 7023 feet.

See Cottonwood way down below.

The descent off here was  gentle to start with and then ssteepened up with switch backs an we passed through Jerome which had buildings right on the road like Le tour. The road surface was rough in places an the road narrow.

 But hey it was all down hill to the Hotel.

We beat the luggage truck in again as the riders were spread far and wide with the climbing

Total distance was 104 miles total climbing was 8750 feet.

Blythe to Wickenburg

Finally got into the room last night thy left us with the master key.

Up at 6 this morning for breakfast. Continental at the Hotel. Load the truck at 6:45. Pump the tyre up that punctured yesterday. Fiddle about a bit getting the tyre seated right and then off at around 7:00. Not many turns to day in fact apart from a  few from the hotel to beat the one way street there was only one. Get on the I 10 go for  35 mile take off ramp to  route 66 east stay on this until the hotel.

We passed into Arizona after about 5 miles.

Nice photo Jason!!!!!

It was pretty much all steady climbing - false flat with a cross wind that came and went from strong to mild. Max speed on the spedo was 65 miles an hour? After around 12 miles we came up to the front boys who were talking with  state trooper Betty. Apparently the shoulder of the I 10 was closed because of maintenance and by law this means no cycling. The alternate route was through the sand. So we had to have a 4 mile or so ride in the van.

The vans took 2 x ten bikes but only 15 people so we had to relay through. As it turned out they construction had not closed the shoulder yet. Never mind.

We passed through Hope. The wind was blowing again.

Then on to lunch. Sill on the false flat up.

On till the next sag. Because of the earlier relay the vans were under pressure to get there before the speed demons. They made it.

A stop by local flora whilst carefully avoiding the rattle snakes and other vermin.

We stopped at a post office on the way into town and bought some stamps. Arrived here at 2:50 about 5:55 hours of biking and 110 miles on the road. The mountains are a coming I have heard.

Day 2 of Biking 25/4/2011

Palm Springs to Blythe. 134 miles 7:08 biking.  Awoke at 5:25 to get to beakfast at 5:30. Avoided th queue for omlettes and got into the pastries and cereal. Off to pack up and load the truck at 6:30. First mike took our photo for the web page as he currently has this for us.

Then ensure the tyers are pumped and off we go. The weather is fine with high temps expected (near 40) as we get deeper into the desert. The first 20 miles is through a built up area with lights and lights and the USA favourite a four way stop intersection. The rule at these intersections is the first one there has right of way. We came across numerous where there were 4 or more cars at each stop. Fun fun fun We started with a small group but this split up at the lights lights lights. A local guy had joined in for the ride and he says "you do not want to go "that way but like good little boys we followed our map. and duly arrived at the first pit stop.

The next leg was up a 25 mile climb though a box canyon. The road was in rough condition but the gradient was consant. Cresting this we joined the I 10. This had a nice wide sholder and was a good clmb. Arriving for lunch at Ciriaco Summit the wind appeaered to be a head wind for the rest of the journey

Leaving lunch we found the swirling wind to offer some good tail wind sections. We were also told that the support may not arrive at the third sag before us as they had to wait until everyone had arrived and left lunch. Motoring along at 22-33 mph we caught the guy who left lunch before us. He had stopped off at a store. Cruised into the last sag. The suport had managed to just make it. The council had closed the rest stop for maitenance. That did not apply to us. Some sections of the I 10 Shoulder contained ridges that jarred the bike every 2-5 m some were pretty violent.

Lasse from Norway came with us as we rode to the motel h is a big strong guy and hates to waste the dowhill or tailwind sections often cranking it up

Finnaly arrived at the motel. The first key thy gav us did not work nor the second nor third. The woman let us in with a master. As of writing they have ffered us a smoking room. We have said n. Sill waiting for a call back.

Checking the tyres I found a piece of wire in the front one. I pulled it out and out came the air. The best place to get a puncture. Fixed it up. Ready for another ay.



We have put the washing on and thn will go out looking for some tea.

Day 1 of biking Sun 24

Costa Mesa to Palm Springs.
Jason and I have not yet got our ABBIke shirts- they only had small left. They are being sent to the first rest day in Albuquerque.


We awoke at 6:25 and were up and ready for the promised 6:30 breakfast. Unfortunately we choose the last table to be served and also they forgot to cook ours so everyone else was loading up the van and here was us sitting at the table waiting. Fnally it arrived we scoffed that back. Off to the room grab the bags chuck them in the truck get the bike and we were off to the beach

The route map had 38 turns. We all started off together down the bike trail. All black top and dedicated to cyclists. Walkers could use the grass verge. This took us out of the city mostly. The weather was cloudy and threatened to rain. This luckily was only a few spits and by the first sag stop off came the warm gear We quickly leant that some people could not read the instructions and you should navigate yourself as some times the people at the front insisted on passing a turn. Fool them. There was a couple of reasonable climbs but not too steep, the last one was  about  6 mles. Once over here we had an awesome tailwind and a slight downhill un. We were softpedalling at 45 miles per our and we even got flahed by a speed camera. We had a couple of short bursts on the freeway once was pretty hairy as we were doing 40 miles per hour on a bumbpy verge and semis were screaming past. Total distance was 112 miles from the beach, the time was around 6:08. The last hour we were flying. The legs feel good. The wi fi works ok. No pnctures yet. No geas has been lost.

Tomorrow is an early start.

First official day

The right to carry.

Only in America!!


Yesterday Mike ran an unofficial bike put together day and safety check. Bikes all ok but Jason's helmet was cracked so off we went to the big specialised store we had found in the morning. We walked straight past it and got back to the motel at 6pm. We asked Mike where is that darn store- just 2 blocks down the road. Off we went again and arrived just in time (6:30pm closing)> Jason was shown $300 USD helmets but opted for a more modest purchase.

We are just about to attempt to checkout from our tab and check in on AABikes tab. Hopefully they can handle this as we have already lined it up to keep the same room. Time will tell. Today we have induction and tomorrow it is the first day on the bike.

Putting the bikes together.

We were woken at 12 midnight by some nice quiet guests.

Went back to sleep and woke again at just after 7am. Up and went for breakfast. Went for a walk and bought a cheap cell phone $9.99 USD. Talk about throw away.

Came back and assembled bikes ready for safety check at 4pm. Met a couple of other cyclists already.

Jason has forgotten his power adapter for the laptop so this is via the motel computer it will not allow me to upload photos.

We are here.

After being searched and drug swabbed (bag) leaving NZ we made it through to LAX. Bikes were there although boxes had a bit of wear. Jason did not impress the customs/immigration people when he said he had 100 usd + coins for the trip. Jason went of on a hunt for the elusive shuttle to John Wayne Airport, from which we could catch the free hotel shutle. It appears that no such shuttle exists? He was told we should get the bus to the disneyland hotel and swap here to the John Wayne Bus and then the shuttle. As we waited for the 1/2 hourly bus he found a minivan guy who offered to take us straight there for around the bus fare. Off we went in slow traffic due to an accident and finally arivved 5pm.

We ran into Mike and Karen Abbike staff members who are her laying in the supplies.

Went for a wander and got some tea.

Weather is looking good for the first few days biking.