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Lon's Description: The following day we will ride Old Route 66
for the next 90 miles. Passing through Rolla and Devils Elbow
on classic old sections of highway. We will have to plan some
stops at antique shops.
Route 66.com has lots of fun info about the motels and landmarks we saw |
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We woke up in Lebanon to cold, damp weather, but looking
forward to a shorter day. Today's route was from Lebanon to
Cuba, MO, a distance of 88 miles. The last few days have
taken their toll on everyone and the next two days of short
mileage will be welcomed. We only had very light rain the
first hour, but the cold temperature and moist air were
present all day. It was just plain cold. The route followed
old Route 66 (which parallels I-44 in this area) for most of
the day, passing through the town of Rolla which has a lot of
automobile traffic. Cheryl spotted the Dairy Queen she
visited during her days commuting to college in Arkansas from Chicago.
Chuck had an attack of the hungries and stopped at a Waffle House for an outstanding Hot Chocolate and Waffle about an hour into the ride. He talked to some Marines about what a great country this is and that riding a bicycle across America is an excellent way to see it up close. Chuck also stopped at a local fireworks stand for a critical "Saturn Missile" Rocket for his seatpack. In PAC Tour it is easy to get caught up in the competition: who's ahead of you, who's behind you, who's the fastest, who's the slowest ... etc. It's nice to back away from that and try to "recover" while riding 88 miles and climbing 3,480 feet. Yet, the competition is also good for us to keep us moving down the road. At mile 44, we rode through a beautiful forest area on "County Road P." No cars. We were all spread out. There was beauty surrounding us everywhere. Chuck thought to himself, "this is why we came." It was as pretty as the Roubaillet Forest on Paris-Brest-Paris last year with green trees and ferns for as far as the eye could see. Today we passed the 2,000 mile point ... we have ridden 2,000 miles since we left San Diego about 2 weeks ago. The immensity of what we are accomplishing is slowly sinking in and is overwhelming. Route 66 is interesting because it's like taking a step back in time to see the old motels and gas stations that are derelict and abandoned. We also passed a classic car museum and a vineyard on Route 66. The terrain today was rolling but with gentler, longer grades, and lots of trees and scenery. Our destination in Cuba Missouri is a very small town on old Route 66 which has an enormous cemetery that we passed entering the town. We were all happy to get to the destination motel so we could warm up. The temperature at the start was 45 degrees, and at the end it had only warmed up to 47. The wind chill we feel when riding makes it a lot colder, and even though most of us were wearing multiple layers of clothing, it was a cold ride. Since it was raining today, Ken did not take the Digital Camera on the bike so we don't have any photos to share. Chuck took some shots on his analog camera which he'll scan into this page after the PAC Tour is over. |
| Estimated Distance: | 94 Miles |
| Actual Distance: | 87.0 Miles |
| Cumulative Actual Distance: |
2,022 Miles This includes the following off course added miles: San Diego - 2.0 Miles when Chuck and Bob Harting missed a turn Winslow - 4.7 Miles when Chuck, Ken, and Les Drake went to the mural painting after the ride Pagosa Springs - 3.1 Miles when Chuck missed Lunch Alamosa - 11.2 Miles when Chuck missed the turn for Lunch |
| Estimated Feet of Climbing: | 4,000 Feet |
| Actual Feet of Climbing: | 3,480 Feet |
| Cumulative Feet of Climbing: | 58,400 Feet |
| Elevation of Destination: | 1,080 Feet |
| Average Speed on the Bike: |
14.6 MPH |
| Maximum Speed on the Bike: | 36.0 MPH |
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Chuck's Heart Rate Data: Max Heart Rate was 196 BPM a few weeks ago before PAC Tour |
Time above 150: 0:01 Time between 130-150: 2:00 Time below 130: 5:04 |
| Dairy Queen Count: |
1 Blythe, CA 2 Twister's Ice Cream in Williams, AZ 3 Dairy Queen in Cortez, Colorado was phenomenal 4 Dairy Queen in Monte Vista, Colorado (PAC Tour Hot Fudge Banana Split: Bananas, 3 Scoops Ice Cream, Hot Fudge on Side: Awesome!!) 5 Dairy Queen in Pratt, Kansas 6 Dairy Queen in Winfield, Kansas - PAC Tour Hot Fudge Banana Split 7 Ice Cream at All You Can Eat Buffet in Cuba, Missouri (Boy, did this restaurant lose money on us!!) |
| Highlights: |
Susan loaned Chuck her nice warm bacclava and it
felt real good all morning. It was very cold and
drizzly at the start and remained very cold all
day ... bone chilling cold.
Riding rollers is like a roller coaster: crank up a a big lift hill, listen to the chain straining under the power, look over the top as your train car is creeking, see the huge descent, and fly down the other side. Is there enough momentum to get up the next side? That's the big question for sure to each one. Barry Bergman from Ft. Wright, Kentucky, has 5 Chainrings on his bike. Coupled with 8 cogs on the back, Barry has 40 Gear Combinations!! Barry just motors right up the hills with plenty of gears to choose from!! Our bodies are amazing. How are our legs able to crank for over 2,000 miles in about 2 weeks? It's beyond my comprehension. Good food all day and all night long really helps!! I rode in the final stretch with Lon Haldeman. He and Susan have just got to be two of the nicest people you'll ever meet anywhere. Lon and I talked about RAAM Videos, Power Meters on Cranks, and all kinds of important stuff. It's always fun to ride with Lon because he's constantly pointing out interesting things to see. I've been very bad at sending postcards: haven't sent even one. "A Big HOWDY" to my family, my friends, and the Boys and leaders at Church. |
| Memorable Scenery: |
Waffle House was a welcome sight County Road P was beautiful with forests all around |
| Mechanical Problems: |
None to report |
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Biomechanical (Engine) Problems: |
Cold toes and fingers as expected |
| What Worked: |
Hot Chocolate at Waffle House Waffles at Waffle House Hot Dogs and Hot Macaroni at Lunch |
| What Didn't Work: | Nothing to report |
| Quote of the Day: |
Jeff Sipos |
| Chuck's Song of the Day: |
Soaring free, Spread your wings, I'm beginning to see ... Out of mind Far from view Beyond the reach of a nightmare come true" (aka, the winds of Kansas) "Where is this place that we have found? Nobody knows where we are bound I long to hear, I need to see 'Cause I've shed too many tears for me But I'm never going to lose your precious gift It will always be that way 'Cause I know I'm going to find my peace of mind Someday .... Someday" The Moody Blues, 1973 "New Horizons" on "Seventh Sojourn" These guys are still rocking 35 years later!! |