May 15, 2023

Day 9 - Flagstaff to Holbrook, AZ - 96 miles - More Descending than Ascending - 5:12 hours in the saddle

Today I was struck by their vastness of the territory on our route.  Not sure why it hit me today.  Maybe because you can see forever.  Last week in the desert the mountains always seemed closer.

I had 2 flats today and I wasn’t alone.  The first flat came 4 miles before the 1st SAG.  Mark B from UK and I had been riding a pace line (trading off who is riding in the front to break the wind) for some 30 miles.  Mark got a flat and when I stopped I had 3 wires in my tire and the tire was going flat.  Fortunately one of the vans come along so we could use a pump instead of CO2 cartridges to inflate the tires.  My 2nd flat was just after I left the 2nd SAG at 75 miles.

These wires from the steel belted radial tires break off and worm their way into you tire, causing a flat

We rode on the Mother Road, the old Route 66, through Winslow, Arizona and of course had to take pics of Standing on the Corner in Winslow Arizona from the Eagles song Take it Easy.  The second pic is of me and my best college friend, Mike Wood, in Winslow circa 1978!  I’m on the right.

Enjoyed a great double dip cone.  We are burning so many calories everyday that it is hard to eat enough to refuel for the next day!

Mark S is our ice cream expert with a 5 cone ranking system.  He gave the Sipp Shoppe 5 cones!

The 2nd SAG was at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post and we had some fun riding the jack rabbit.  It was hard to get on it with cycling shoes on. 

                                                    I lasted the full 8 seconds!

In the last 20 miles into Holbrook, we encountered a short rain shower and raced a train.

I made it to the La Quinta just before 3:00 with a Coors Banquet Beer in my water bottle cage.

Another 90+ mile day tomorrow as we leave Arizona and ride into New Mexico.

Savor the Journey // Achieve the Goal