Another Video of Pata Riding

I still think it is remarkable that David can ride one handed and take video of me riding, zooming in and changing the view.  Thinking about that process is as interesting to me as the video itself.

Cleanliness IS Next to Godliness: Bike Maintenance on the Road

Tina waiting for David to finish cleaning her front wheel.

David is in charge of bike maintenance and he is rather fastidious.  This of course is a good thing as a clean bike runs better and the components last longer – there is nothing worse than grit in the drive train wearing it out like sandpaper on soft wood.  As we meet other touring cyclists, more than one has commented on the cleanliness of the bicycles and we have noticed that many don’t really take care of their bikes much.

But we are on the road and one might wonder how he does such a good job.  First, he carries tools for the task – a small container of rubbing alcohol used as a solvent, a few rags, fresh lube for the chain, and a pump.  We also carry other tools for fixing things too, but these are the necessary items for basic maintenance.  Every other day or so he cleans the chain, puts on fresh lube and pumps up the tires.  However, there are times when the bikes need a REAL cleaning.

For instance, imagine the state of the bikes after the day we were stuck in the rain and the mud.  They were a mess.  We did have a chance to hose them off but that just got off the top layer of muck.  That night we stayed in a dumpy motel room, but it had one really nice feature.  It had a bathroom that was large and had a vinyl floor (actually it looked like it hadn’t been touched since 1950 or so).  That evening, while I was at the laundry mat washing all the muddy clothes, David took apart the bikes and washed them in the tub.  After he was done they looked new again – literally. 

In general we both take good care of bicycles – however, being on the road offers new challenges to the process.  I am lucky to have David taking good care of “Tina” as she has taken me over 3300 miles with very few issues and none related to lack of maintenance.  After all, these machines are our lives right now and take care of them we must.  As David says, “Whatever conveys you – take care of it.”

Big Passes in Montana: from Dillon to Jackson and then to Wisdom (September 6 & 7, 2012)

We left Dillon and started upward.

The horse notes our pedal-by.

Stopping to answer the call of nature.

The way we came.

The black and brown horses watched us closely.

Climbing the Big Hole Pass and passing Go.

Ever upward the road goes.

At the top of Big Hole Pass, where the oxygen is thin.

Pata makes it to the top!

She rode, she saw, she conquered. 

Time to rest a bit...climbing is hard work.

Hooray for reaching the top.

Like many signs in Montana, this one is full of bullet holes.

We actually had two passes that day: Badge Pass and then Big Hole Pass.  After Badger Pass there was a delicious downhill and David hit 42 MPH and even I hit 41 MPH -- the fastest I have ever traveled on a bicycle.  It was fun as there was no traffic to speak of and the road was good.

We stayed in Jackson, MT in a tiny cabin at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge.  It was warm and I was thankful to indoors.

Mountain lion in Jackson Hot Spring Lodge.

Heads of state.

It is freezing out the morning of our departure from Jackson.

A very large bird nesting on top of a pole...leaving Jackson MT on our way to Wisdom Montana.

Pondering the Continental Divide climb tomorrow... 

We then went an easy 18 miles to Wisdom, MT where I was expecting a package at the post office.  (It came that afternoon.)  We are off to ride over the continental divide tomorrow. (YIKES!)

Bike Camp in Twin Bridges, MT (September 4, 2012)

The morning of our departure from Three Forks MT.

It is quite cool in the morning: long sleeves and thermal gloves required.

Two deer having their bath in the river below our route.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

A tee-pee and the wide open spaces of Montana. 

Our route is spectacular! The haze comes from fires in Idaho and Montana.

We basically have the road all to ourselves.

This section of riding is one of the best we have had the entire trip.

A pair of signs along the way.

The town of Silver Star.

Granny's Country Store was run by one of the seven dwarfs, Grumpy.

Big wheels a keep on turnin'...by the side of the road.

Ancient steam engine upon entering Twin Bridges.

Twin Bridges, our stop for the night.

Pata rolls into Twin Bridges...and

...after fighting a headwind nearly the entire way...

...reaches for the water bottle. Some days you cannot get enough water into your body.

We arrive at Bike Camp - a cyclist only camping area.

Board signed by many many cross country cyclists. Pata is pointing to "pedal til you puke" a sentiment we don't share.

Self explanatory sign inside the camp house.

Spacious and clean the camp has tables and chairs.

Odie from Ohio showed up later in the day; that's his rig with the blue towel handing from the rack.

Lauren showed up later from Knoxville TN - pedaling alone to Oregon. Then Spencer holding the seat of his "tall bike" pedaling from L.A. to the Tetons showed up last (and late). L-R: Lauren, Spencer, Pata, Odie.

The "tall bike" is a Franken-bike made from various frames and tubes.

Full house at Bike Camp...everyone has road stories to share.

The "tall bike" in the day light.

Pata, Lauren and Spencer getting ready for the morning ride. Note the warm clothing on everyone - it is freezing!

We are off and riding into the smoke filled morning.

We Only Have This Moment

One thing that I am acutely aware of as I ride is the fragility of life.  There are a number of reminders of this fact.  First, there are white cross markers on many of the road that show where people have died on that road.  Sometimes there are a number of them together.  Sometimes they are decorated or have names of the fallen on them.  We saw this one ghost bike on the road, memorializing a fellow rider.  The number of them we see is sobering and you know there is a person with a life’s story behind each and every one.

Then there is all the myriad of road-kill that litters the roads, especially the shoulder of the highways.  We have seen dead raccoons, deer, dogs, cats, skunks, and unidentified bones.  It makes me sad to see so much death. 

Finally, there is the inherent danger of riding the roads.  For the most part, motorists have been quite courteous and usually give us a lot of space.  This is especially true of the truckers who will slow down, change lanes, and wave at us.  However, there is the occasional jerk who speeds by way too close or yells at us out the window startling me and putting me on edge.  I am aware that it only takes one drunk or texting driver to crash into us and that would be it.  I don’t think about this too much.  I do try to be as cautious as I can and do all I can do to be safe while riding. Yet, I know that living is dangerous and we never know when our day will be.  Given that, I feel that I have to do my best to live in this moment (not to sound too new agey). 

The trip is good for that actually.  Lots of times there is nothing I can do, but pedal or eat or sleep.  Although there are other life chores I still have to do, much of it is reduced to riding, eating as well as one can out of a gas station, and getting as much sleep as one can given the various circumstances in which we find ourselves.

I hope when I get back that there is a bit of carry over – that I can continue to focus on the present and the moments that I have in this life I have.