New Ride

While i was relating the story of my trip to Aaron he asked about my bike. Since i was about to hit the mountains again and i was still without low gears he offered me his touring bike to finish my trip with. I was hesitant at first though it sounded great. After a few more times of offering i decided to take him up on it. I had to get new tires and adjust things so that it would fit better. I rode it around and it feels good. Dan took my bike to Laramie so if after a day the new bike feels wrong i can trade back to my old one. I have to say that this is the most generous thing that has been done for me since i left. Thanks Aaron. The picture is Dan on the left and Aaron on the right.

Dan

I arrived in boulder on Thursday at Dan Hanley's house. I was excited to get an opportunity to hang out with a friend and have a place to stay for a few days. Boulder by the way has the best bike paths and is by far the most biker friendly place I've ever been. One could actually not have a car and commute comfortably to work. Dan had a BBQ the first night i was in town. The following morning we went rock climbing in Dream canyon with April and her dog Charlie which was a great source of entertainment to everyone. That evening we went out and drank beer and had dinner. I met lots of Dan's friends though i will refrain from listing the names of everyone. Craig, Dan, and I went for a bike ride of about 40 miles the next morning. I felt great though i was not in shape for the speed we were doing. There is a vast difference from riding 100 miles day in and day out, and riding 40 miles at a fast pace. That evening we went to evergreen to see a friend of Dan's by the name of Aaron Worstell. After a few beers we went into evergreen and saw some live music by a band called Harper who's lead singer is a Australian. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Got up late got breakfast and went back to boulder. Sunday was just a relaxed day and Dan cooked some stir fry. In the morning Dan left for Laramie and i stayed to pack my stuff do errands and mail some things off. I'll be back on the bike Tuesday. I'm headed to Laramie where I'll hang out with Dan for one more day.

Near Miss

The scariest moment to date was as i was headed to Hugo. A truck was passing me and i turn to see how much space there was. As i turned my head back i hit a block of wood in the road. It jarred me so hard that my hand slipped from the handle bars and both of my feet unclipped from the pedals. So i was riding the bicycle like a bull in a rodeo. The bicycle was listing to the left and the wheels were just entering the dirt off the road. At this point images of scraping across the asphalt ran through my head. Some how i managed to pull it off, get the bicycle righted, and back on the road. It a good thing nothing like this happened earlier in the trip because I'm sure i would not have had the balance to make it safely through this.

Rain

As i was leaving Hugo I saw dark clouds in the distance. I decided that i could make it the 15 miles to Limon before they arrived. After about 3 miles i realize my mistake and decide i had better pick up the pace. I pedaled as hard as i could for the next 11 miles. The lightning was making me nervous and It was just beginning to rain. I managed to get to the I-70 overpass 2 miles before Limon and waited out the storm their.

Flat Tire

Not but 15 minutes after leaving the chocolate shower i was riding past a truck stopped on the other side of the road. I thought about stopping, but he had a cell phone and looked like he had the tire off. At the last minute i decided to check on him anyways. Well it turned out he was unable to jack the truck up high enough to put the inflated tire on. The problem was improper use of the jack. After about 15 minutes i get his tire back on and he's ready to go. He said “I've only got $3 but you can have it.” I appreciated the offer but i couldn't imagine taking it. So i decline at which time he tell me that he had been there for 3 hrs and no one had stopped to help him. He thanked me again and i was on my way. Just as i was leaving a cop showed. I would love to hear the guys relating of the story when he says so i was stuck in the middle of nowhere and some guy shows on his bicycle fixes my tire and rides off. I was also very happy to get an opportunity to help someone and just be helped all the time.

Chocolate milk

I stopped to grab a bite in Kit Carson, CO. As i was sitting there eating my food. I picked up my chocolate milk to give it a shake and after two vigorous shakes it dawned on me that the cap was still on the table. Just then the repercussions of the my actions hit me, or should i say showered me. I look around to see just about everything within a 4 ft radius covered in milk. I get up and start cleaning. A minute later the man who works at the store came up and asked what had happened. He laughs after i explain and brings more cleaning supplies. I clean the mess and we get to talking. He related two similar stories that were funny enough to tell again. The first one was when a child dropped a soda and the cap cracked just a little. Well the soda spun and a small stream of coke covered everything in sight. The guy said it took 3 people 3 hrs to clean the mess up. The other story was when a woman bought a coffee and immediately bobbles it. It came to a rest upside down in her purse. The counter was completely clean and every last drop was contained by the purse. Well as you can guess the woman was not enthused. The guy working at the store though said “it's impossible to see this happen in front of you and not laugh”. I totally agree. Then it was back to riding.

We're not in Kansas any more

So Kansas was fun and now I'm happy to be out of it. The state is everything that Missouri wasn't. I guess you have to ride through Missouri to appreciate Kansas.