Day 16: Green River to Grand Junction - I70 Exacts its due

Miles: 99
riding time: 6:02
avg speed: 16.3
max speed: 40
total trip miles: 1189
weather: sunny, high upper 80's, moderate wind from the west
Alt change: +500' to 4700 at Grand Junction,
Pictures are here.

Cool, blue skies and prospects for the upper 80's with the wind from the southwest forecast. Great day for biking the final stage of the jaunt across Utah. I70 would take us through the gorgeous east Utah landscape and what better way to enjoy that except from a bike.
I had access to a pump late yesterday and was tempted to just pump up and get it done with. I decided against it and just stick with my routine of pumping right after loading my bags. So when I did, I found the pressure had dropped to about 50psi which was half of what it should be. I could pump it up and hope it would last or just change the tube right there. The latter was the sensible option so that's just what I did while the others in our little group stood by and waited before pushing off. That was to be a harbinger of what this day would hold.

A rest stop 19 miles out was a welcome sight for several of us who needed to reset fluid levels. Additional enticement was a great overlook view. Gerard and Sean soon showed up. Sean riding no hands and Gerard doing his usual back and forth trick riding. They hung around because they enjoy riding with us. So when we finally shoved off , we were again at the end of the parade. That always presents opportunity to pass some of the more leisurely folks, say hi or more and encourage others along the way. Soon 7 of us were happily buzzing along at a good clip. I got a good chance to share about one of my favorite topics -- the Bible. One of the guys was interested in reading it for himself and I encouraged him to do so with a searching heart and its author would reveal Himself to him personally.
Grace, one of the SLC adds, rode with us for a good while as well. She has done a XCountry jaunt herself and was on this tour to reconnect with others of the group she'd done it with. The tour she was on, was 3 weeks shorter and twice as expensive. Made me feel like I had gotten a huge bargain for all we were getting. Again, I cannot say enough good about AbB. They continue to be helpful, enthusiastic, supportive and generally an absolute delight to travel with.

In the midst of all this great chatting and cruising along, my bike started bobbing a bit -- first sign of a flattening tire. Sure enough, the front one was goign soft. Since I'd used my one unpatched tube on the back, I had only a patched second one left to put on the flat front. The fix went quickly with Gerard to do the mop up and soon we were rolling again. Gerard had a water bottle shaped speaker and ipod set that was blasting out tunes for our pace line. Other riders began to join in, some with more chaotic riding styles than I like. So, next time I led the line, I begain stepping on it some and was soon well ahead of the group catching up to Jim.

I slowed down to ride with him and we rode together for some time before he flatted and mounted his good tube. The others caught us and then passed on and went. I stayed with him and we rode together through the second SAG, past the Colorado State line and on toward Grand Juntion. On one of the day's steepest descents, Jim slowed and stopped at the bottom for another flat, his second. Ed, my triples roomie stopped and provided the long stem tube that Jim needed. He jokingly said Jim would likely be repaying him with his short stem tube within 3 miles -- how prophetic.

Ed left and Jim and I did too when we finished collecting all of the repair related acoutrements and stuffed them back into their little containers. Within only a few miles we passed two of the new riders at the roadside fixing yet another flat, casualty to I70 roadside debri. They waved us on when we asked if they had what they needed.

Not 2 miles later, there was Ed, busy taking his rear wheel apart to fix a flat. Jim's short stemmed tube was going to work for Ed. As Ed was wrapping up, I suggested we might check our tires for protruding stuff that could lead to flats. Sure enough, my rear tire had gone flat while we were watching Ed fix his! But now we had no tubes left between the 3 of us.

Just then the 2 riders we just passed stopped for us and after some deliberation, we took the punctured tube they had just replaced and patched that so I would have something. And that, was the last flat before we arrived at the motel! We soon learned that most everyone had had one or more flats -- we figured between 20-25 of these annoyances among all of us including several who had 3 like me.

Zero greeted us in our triple. He had gotten in earlier and had conferred with his film crew who wanted to do an interview with me about Pedal-with-Pete. They want to feature other riders on the 5 30 minute shows they were putting together for Korean TV. So, before supper they set up a little outdoor studio and I had a great time telling their viewers-to-be about Pete, the genesis of PwP, its purpose and its accomplishments. They asked about C.R.A.C.K. House Ministries as well and specifically asked about what could be done to curb the growing drug use among Korean-American kids. I told them a strong home with present and engaged parents was critical and that faith in the Freedom Giver was important from my experience.

They were very receptive and after the interview were interested in re-joining the ride through Ohio so they could meet Pete and do some additional shooting and interviews then. I am going to provide them with the dates we are in Wooster when Pete would most likely be present.

Well, tomorrow's ride will be in midst of the 2000 rider Bicycle Tour of Colorado. Our AbB staff are a bit apprehensive about the logistics of all of this, but we are confiden they will work this out as they have all the other unexpecteds that have have arisen this trip. Not too too much climbing and only 70 or so miles.

We're hearing the east has been hit with blazing heat. We are hoping this will not drift our way too much and that when we hit the heart of the Midwest, cooler weather will return. As we head into the Rockies, some verses from Psalm 121 seem especially applicable:
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep. ...
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.