Day 87: De-Railed
Posted by the girls on Tuesday, June 28, 2011
We got up at 4:30 am as planned and got going on time (finally, no flat tires this morning). As soon as we left Baker, we had to start climbing up to the first peak, Sacramento Pass. The road sucked; it was being repaved so it had sticky tar and tons of loose gravel. The little rocks would stick to our tires and then fall off and vibrate against our fenders. Talk about a noisy ride!
About 12 miles into the ride, Michelle was suddenly stopped. She could not move because her chain and derailleur were messed up. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that her derailleur was broken. She was lucky that she was going uphill when it broke. No injuries.
As soon as we realized that Michelle needed a ride, a friendly, old man pulled over. His little station wagon was already packed full with a dog, an adult tricycle, lots of bags, and other junk; he also had a kayak with more gear on top! Even though he was fully loaded, he really wanted to help us out. He was concerned that we might not find another ride for awhile seeing that we were on Hwy. 50, nicknamed, "the loneliest highway in America."
We managed to put Michelle's bike on top of the car, inside of the kayak. Emily stuffed the panniers into the back of the car with the dog. Finally, Michelle hopped in the passenger seat and had to prop her feet up since there was a cooler on the floor. But no worries, we are always appreciative of any help we receive!
Rebekah and Emily continued biking. The first pass was not so bad. However, as soon the descent started, the winds picked up. The flat/downhill part of the ride that should've been easy, was strenuous. As soon as the winds let up a little bit, it was time to start climbing up the next pass (even higher than the last...almost 8,000 ft)! With one break, the girls made it to the top and took a little break.
The rest of the ride to Ely, Nevada was mainly downhill. The winds, however, were still strong. For awhile, they pushed the girls, but kept changing directions. Eventually, they made it to the KOA Campground, where Michelle had set up one of tents. Michelle had already gotten her bike fixed at the one and only bike shop in Ely, Sportsworld. It ended up being only $75 for a new derailleur, chain, and labor. What a deal!
We plan to hitch a ride into town for dinner (the KOA is about 3 miles outside of Ely). We also think that we will have to take another day off tomorrow; the forecast is showing strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph! If it was a short day, we might consider biking, but we have to go 78 miles and over more passes to reach the next town. We will remember Lucy's advice, not to kill ourselves by biking in the wind. The forecast for Thursday looks great, so we'll just have to make the most of Ely!
About 12 miles into the ride, Michelle was suddenly stopped. She could not move because her chain and derailleur were messed up. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that her derailleur was broken. She was lucky that she was going uphill when it broke. No injuries.
As soon as we realized that Michelle needed a ride, a friendly, old man pulled over. His little station wagon was already packed full with a dog, an adult tricycle, lots of bags, and other junk; he also had a kayak with more gear on top! Even though he was fully loaded, he really wanted to help us out. He was concerned that we might not find another ride for awhile seeing that we were on Hwy. 50, nicknamed, "the loneliest highway in America."
We managed to put Michelle's bike on top of the car, inside of the kayak. Emily stuffed the panniers into the back of the car with the dog. Finally, Michelle hopped in the passenger seat and had to prop her feet up since there was a cooler on the floor. But no worries, we are always appreciative of any help we receive!
Rebekah and Emily continued biking. The first pass was not so bad. However, as soon the descent started, the winds picked up. The flat/downhill part of the ride that should've been easy, was strenuous. As soon as the winds let up a little bit, it was time to start climbing up the next pass (even higher than the last...almost 8,000 ft)! With one break, the girls made it to the top and took a little break.
The rest of the ride to Ely, Nevada was mainly downhill. The winds, however, were still strong. For awhile, they pushed the girls, but kept changing directions. Eventually, they made it to the KOA Campground, where Michelle had set up one of tents. Michelle had already gotten her bike fixed at the one and only bike shop in Ely, Sportsworld. It ended up being only $75 for a new derailleur, chain, and labor. What a deal!
We plan to hitch a ride into town for dinner (the KOA is about 3 miles outside of Ely). We also think that we will have to take another day off tomorrow; the forecast is showing strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph! If it was a short day, we might consider biking, but we have to go 78 miles and over more passes to reach the next town. We will remember Lucy's advice, not to kill ourselves by biking in the wind. The forecast for Thursday looks great, so we'll just have to make the most of Ely!
