Slept in late this morning got up about 6:30 AM. Had a good nights sleep even though the camping spot wasn’t that great—had to put my tent over gravel and rocks. I don’t think the spot where I was at was intended for tent camping, but I was so tired I didn’t really matter.
Got everything packed up and hit the road by 7:30 AM this morning. I only have about 18 miles to get to steamboat. Was an easy ride because it was all pavement all the way into town and mostly downhill.
Got to town about 9 AM. Took a bike path into town for about the last 4 miles and there’s several turn offs from the path that takes you into downtown. I wasn’t sure where the bike shop was located. I think there’s a couple in town, but I just picked a path went into town and as luck would have it ran straight into a bike shop, Call steamboat ski and bike. There’s a guy standing outside—lot of activity around from people renting bikes and such and I think he spotted me as a person riding the Great Divide. We’re pretty easy to spot, where the dirty ones with a ton of stuff strapped on our bikes.
So he came over, and asked what direction I was going, if I need any help. I explain to him my spoke problem and that I needed those replaced and my tire set back up to tubeless. He took me over to the maintenance area introduced me to the technicians and they said that they would be able to get on it right away. So I left the bike with them, gave them my phone number and they said they’d text when they were done.
The guy suggested a couple places in town for breakfast, so I went and ate breakfast, after breakfast went to a place that had some good shade and drink a couple beers—Yes, it was 11 AM but I drank them anyway.
About 12 o’clock they texted and said my bike was done. I went and picked it up picked up a few other items that I thought I might need like extra CO2 cartridges and an extra tube just in case and headed out the door. I rode the bike for about a half a mile or so just to make sure everything seemed OK, and it did.
I’m a little paranoid because on my Trans Am trip the first time I allowed a bike shop to replace a broken spoke they cross threaded the spoke and that caused me problems for a couple of days until I figured out what they had done and I was able to temporally fix it with a zip tie until I got to Berea Kentucky to have another bike shop fix it. And that Bike shop screwed up my brake in the process of fixing my spoke.
From that point on I decided I would do all my bike work unless it was absolutely necessary for me to stop at a bike shop. This stop was necessary….I didn’t have the air compressor to reseat a tubeless tire.
Anyway, I made a reservation at the rabbit ears Motel in town and decided to just stay here the rest of the day and recover. Yesterday was a hard day and I needed a little rest. My right knee started hurting a little bit, my right hand is going numb from the pressure on the drop bars and my fingers are numb. I think it’s just because I’m in a different riding position doing this than I am during my normal training. When I’m training back in Myrtle Beach my hands are up on my break hoods most of the time. It’s a more upright riding position and it’s easy to do because it’s flat.
Out here 95% of my riding is with my hands down on my drop bars because of all the gravel and dirt I’m on and needing to maintain control. Also, with all the climbing I’m doing I need the leverage so as I push down on the pedals I can pull back with my hands and arms…otherwise I just wouldn’t be able to make it up some of these grades. It is a full body workout.
Riding on the drop bars so much is putting a lot of constant pressure on the palm of my hands and I think it’s cutting off circulation a bit and may be pressing on some nerves. Anyway, it’s not serious but it is a little bit painful and annoying.
Anyway enough whining.
It’s 5 PM, I’ve already uploaded Yesterdays blog post, I’ve taken a couple hours nap, and I’m finishing today’s post. Feeling much better. I walked across the street to a natural food market. Thinking I would get something there to eat tonight in my room and not go to a restaurant because I’m not really that hungry. I walked in the store and didn’t recognize about 90% of what they had on the shelves. They didn’t have any beanie weenies or potted meat or anything like that, so I ended up picking up a few plums a thing of yogurt and a couple energy bars. I’ll have to find a gas station somewhere later tonight or tomorrow to get Gatorade snacks and something for dinner tomorrow night because I’ll be camping out in the middle of nowhere somewhere.
I’ve got about 150 miles from here to Rawlins Wyoming and there’s nothing in between. So, it’ll take me two days to get there and I’ll probably be disconnected tomorrow and then be connected back online when I get to Rawlings day-after tomorrow.
I’m going to upload this post, maybe go find something light for dinner, and then hit the sack.
Good night.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g8zw9vg17ln3wdw/AABqObvomOGTmeD_jBIwWsqta?dl=0
