tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27330863.post-90767637298701403182008-05-21T10:02:00.000-07:002008-05-21T10:05:22.471-07:00<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_H3amZTHUs5Q/SDRWTr2Cc2I/AAAAAAAAABU/v1iV_jen1O0/s1600-h/americamap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202878365706646370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_H3amZTHUs5Q/SDRWTr2Cc2I/AAAAAAAAABU/v1iV_jen1O0/s320/americamap.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As you read from a previous post, our mechanic Steven Garrett is riding his bike all the way to the coast over the next few weeks. We requested that he keep us posted when he can and he was recently able to update us on his wild ride:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>Hey,<br /><br />I don't get to stop at computers very often but I will try to keep you as posted as possible. I am in gunnison CO, right now, staying in a hotel (we decided to treat ouselves to a hotel just this once so we could do laundry and get the continental breakfast). We should be in Montrose by the end of the day. So far we have met quite a few people. In Salida (two nights ago), there is a hostel opening up on friday. We met the owners, went on a moonlight fiasco ride, then slept on the back porch of one of the owners houses. Salida was a great town and I would love to go back for a mounain biking, climbing adventure.<br /><br />We stopped to camp in the san isabel national forest the other night, and we met a guy panning for gold in a creek.<br /><br />There are lots of people touring right now, and we come across other cyclists every other day at least. In Eads CO, we met a few guys from boulder cycling to new york and they let us sleep on the floor of their hotel room.<br /><br />Riding in the mounains is good and bad. With only double chainrings and 35-40 pound trailers, ascending can be slow. Yesterday we made it to our highest elevation for the trip at around 11,300 feet. It was a 20-30 mile climb at around 6% grade. The decent was amazing though. I don't have a computer, but I maxed out my gearing of 53-12. That puts me over 40 mph! Although, I still have to maintain a little reserve because of the trailer.<br /><br />Anyway, I have to go. Thanks I will update asap.<br /><br />P.S. Kansas has lots of thorns. We didnt think it was true until we crossed the border into colorado and had 4 flats all at once thanks to the thorns. </em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As soon as Steven writes us it will be posted on here with maybe a few fun pictures along the way.</div>TimSTLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06269156899793455860noreply@blogger.com