Stats:
79.5 miles
1850' Climbing
3816' Descending
Winds 20 with 35-50 mph gusts
Average Moving Speed: 19.8
Slept in late today as this was billed as an easy "recovery" ride. We had breakfast at 7:30 and hit the road at 8:30. Day started cool and blustery but warmed slightly under unsettled skies.
The first 3/4 of the ride we had massive downhill stretches with strong tailwinds such that I found myself going uphill at 21 mph. We hit sustained speeds of 30 on the flats. This was a magic carpet ride like I've never seen. The scenery was commensurate with the travel. Just magical. Again, pictures just can't capture the immense vistas and the huge skyscapes.
While our travel group enjoyed the tail winds, we passed a dozen or more riders across the road pushing hard in the opposite direction. They did not have big grins on their faces. Furthermore, they were traveling with panniers loaded with gear doing a self-supported ride. Oof! That has to hurt. Relatively speaking, I may not be that crazy after all.
We did run into a self supported rider going our way. Thomas will be 75 when he hits Colorado in the next few days. He left Astoria, OR on June 4th and is shooting for Virginia Beach. It's the Cross Country Race. There's a $40 entry fee, no prizes just bragging rights. The winner this year did it in 18 days and some number of hours. She beat the previous record by several hours. Severely crazy.
The last quarter of the ride we paid for our thrills. Big sideway gusts made travel rather hairy. Of course winds were blowing from the right pushing us into traffic. We really had to keep focused, lean into the wind, and keep hugging the shoulder. Within a mile of the hotel, we popped in to a DQ for relief from the wind - and maybe a cheeseburger.
That's where I picked up the title to today's blog. The affable store manager told us of another traveler that had come from Dubois. When the manager asked him where he had just come from, the traveler said "Dubious". The Manager corrected him saying it was pronounced "Doo Boyz". The traveller replied, Oh, no. I've had a look around there. It's 'dubious' allright.
It's a hard life out here.
Across the street from our second SAG stop today
Stopped alongside Rt 26 waiting for Matt to fix a flat, here comes the ABB Peloton.
Red Rocks outside Dubois
Just more rocks early in the day
Thomas on Tour. Almost 75 years old.
Greg from Traverse City, and John from St. Pete (L-R)
Second SAG location at abandoned store lot
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