After Arlene's exit, I went to church -- the one mass that they supposedly have in English ??!! -- well, they accomplish that by doing everything twice (not quite, just the readings etc.) so it is a long service. The church was full of Spanish speaking people though, so perhaps the other masses are just as long but with more singing ? -- I won't know unless I sample other mass times on another trip.
Back at the ranch, I had an early lunch and then went out for a ride. I ended up cutting it short though -- there was a stiff wind from the west, that wasn't so much a problem riding into as it was creating a riding hazzard. With such a stiff wind at my side and no shoulder, every time a vehicle went by -- and they all seemed to be pulling large trailers since this is the end of the kid's Easter break -- it caused me to swerve towards the vehicle, and there was not much room to spare. I figured that this was definitely a situation where I should give it a break. As a result, I only did 28 miles -- unfortunately there is nowhere else to ride; north is the only possible direction for a road bike. That's ok, I plan to do a longer ride tomorrow morning, setting out early and then having Sandy pick me up on the way to Phoenix and George & Geri's.
We will be getting things organized today for an early exit tomorrow. Since Sandy will head out after me, I'll have to be fully packed and loaded, which should not be too much of an issue. We plan to go into town for dinner tonight, which will minimize the cleanup later in the day.
We start the ride one week from tomorrow -- and I got an email today from Mike Munk the ride leader to remind me. I've copied the text into the blog below for those of you interested in details, details.
It looks like there will be 27 riders in all -- if my count is correct. I only see one woman, although there is an email address without a name associated which could go either way. Mike Munk, the ride leader, seems to be the one who runs this particular ride each year. As for the comment about snow around Flagstaff ... yucch.
From :
Sent : Sunday, April 15, 2007 7:32 PM
To : kebauer@earthlink.net (Karen Bauer), pandersn@hbci.com (Phillip Anderson), beechen@earthlink.net (Paul Beechen), kasbijl@yahoo.com (Kasper Bijlsma), judson.bishop@gmail.com (Jud Bishop), guenterbluemel@hotmail.com (Guenter Bluemel), bryant@UGS.com (Steve Bryant), glcjmp@charter.net (Jerry Christensen), Pamski0801@aol.com, directions_dave@acd.net (David Dubuc), john.b.goodman@accenture.com (John Goodman), landes21@msn.com (Rob Landes), rlong@dailyexp.com (Bob Long), vmeek@centurytel.net (Victor Meek), mercurios@earthlink.net (Ken Mercurio), Aurorafmaz@aol.com, reenstra@berkeley.edu ( Bill Reenstra), droark@cfl.rr.com (David Roark), Jandy.rogers10@tesco.net (Andrew Rogers), besmole@hotmail.com (Brian Smole), geoff.swarts@comcast.net (Geoff Swarts), thompsw@pobox.com (W.David Thompson), iainwhitfield@comcast.net (Iain Whitfield), logan2cycle@yahoo.com (Logan Wolf), jay.lewis@applicamail.com (Jay Lewis), feeltheburn@optonline.net (Daniel Spector), SOL@rochester.rr.com (Shane O'Leary)
Subject : America by Bicycle Fast America Bicycle Ride 07
Hello Fast America Riders
It's about time to get started. You are probably chomping at the bit to get on the road...so are we. I just wanted to send you an email to welcome you to the ride and to remind you of a couple things that are important in our operation before you arrive. First, you should have tons of miles in those legs by now...I know you folks from the frozen tundra of the northern states probably had a tough time getting saddle time, but if you did, you'll be right at home as the weather this year seems to be more fickle than usual. Be prepared for the extremes. We'll ride in the desert and we'll ride in the lingering winter of the northern states. Not to mention, we usually have snow somewhere around Flagstaff. You'll probably find any purchases you did procuring Goretex was well worth the money. Aside from that, where ever we ride, it will be long days everyday so your preparation will be put to the test...welcome the challenge!
One other thing, don't forget the 35 pound baggage limit. If you must bring more weight than that (and for the life of me, I can't imagine why), please bring a smaller second bag for the excess. We are limited on the weight we can carry with this large a group. We have a trailer for luggage but if everyone brings 60 pounds of "stuff," we'll have to leave something in California.
We will have bike assembly, safety checks, registration, and orientation on Sunday. Please arrive as soon as you can on Sunday so we can get everyone processed and the assembly done before early afternoon. We'll start our orientation session around 3:30. We want to have everything done before we start orientation. In orientation, we'll cover how we do business on the road, how our support works, what we expect from our riders, some important info that will keep you out of trouble during the trip, and answer any questions you may have about the ride. The front desk will have info on where we'll be meeting and when.
My crew will be on the road Monday, 16 April, morning and will arrive sometime on Friday. We have lots to do to prepare for your arrival and will be pretty busy all day Friday and Saturday. We are anxious to meet you all and get started. We're looking forward to a great ride across the US...when you get through, you will be in the best shape of your life. Spend the next few days resting more than you are riding. You will be glad you did. The first week is the toughest on paper. Until we get to Tucumcari on day 9, you'll have several days above 125 and none under 115...oh, forgot Cottonwood...it's only 100...but the 11,000 feet of climbing will make up for it. :-)
Until we meet on Sunday, be safe and take care. See you soon. Mike Munk, ABB Ride Leader
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