Day 14

Two weeks into the Big Ride and we have a rest day in Billings. It is the Fourth of July and all the riders are debating whether or not to stay up for the fireworks. Tough question, we leave early in the morning and no one has the slightest idea were the fireworks will be.

The rest days are really for laundry and bike maintenance. So far, the dorms that we've been at on the days off have had great ( and free) laundry facilities. They are also tolerant of us cleaning and lubing our bikes on the front lawns--just as long as we don't do it in the rooms.

The bikes accumulate lots of grit and grime between rest days. Technically, you should clean and lube your chain at least every 300 miles. We often go a little longer than that out of a combination of necessity and fatigue. It is hard to get up for cleaning your bike after a long day of riding. At that point, a shower, meal, and a bed are foremost on your mind.

The dorm rooms that we stay in are generally better than what I remember from college.  The Gonzaga dorms were better than many motels that I've stayed at.  A new feature in some dorms are sinks in the rooms.  Fill them with ice and they are a great placed to keep your beer.

Rest days are also great days for reflection and catching up with family and friends. I got a text message from my buddy Larry congratulating me for knocking off nearly 1000 miles in two weeks. He also asked me which segment was the hardest and which one was most memorable so far. I thought I'd put my answers here.

The hardest: Vantage to Odessa. There is no segment of the Big Ride that a fit rider couldn't complete with a bit of effort. The difference is always the weather. Specifically, the difference is always the wind. About midway through the stretch leading to Odessa the wind picked up and made a visually tedious ride pure misery. A close second was the wind/hailstorm outside of Harlowton. That trek could have been number one on the list if the storm had hit earlier in the day and not so close the campsite.

The most beautiful: Sandpoint to Thompson Falls. This area along the Idaho panhandle and western Montana is spectacular. I was surprised at the number of empty campsites in this area. I'd come back here in a heartbeat.

The most rewarding: McDonald Pass, the continental divide. I have the bragging rights to say that I've ridden a bike from Seattle to across the continental divide. Of course, this will be trumped by Mt. Rushmore, the Mississippi, and eventually, the Washington monument.

The most fun: Yesterdays ride into Billings. The stretches with new pavement and big tailwinds were like riding on clouds (except when the pavement sucked).

I spent the remainder of my day off at Dehler Stadium watching baseball and enjoying a one-third pound Dehler dog and a beer.  The stadium was recently renamed, previously it was Cobb Stadium.  I guess they weren't selling many Cobb dogs.  The highlight of the evening was a raffle for a gun case.

I hope you are enjoying the blog. I know it is a pain to join Google to leave comments. Please do it though, I love hearing from you.

Also, if you haven't done so already, please consider a donation to the American Lung Association. I get special recognition for exceeding my goal, and besides, it is a great cause. The link to donate by credit card is located on top of the sidebar to the right.  It's labeled "Mark's Fundraising Page"

Have a happy 4th!

BTW-Andy interviewed me for his youtube postings.  You can find them at www. youtube.com/andrewfersch.