Day 91: 114 Miles Later
Posted by the girls on Sunday, July 3, 2011
We didn't wake quite as early as usual, though when the sun is up at 5 am, it's hard to sleep past 6 am. Our plan was to ride about 60 miles to MIddlegate, NV, but that plan changed quickly. We were on the road by 7:30 am but didn't get too far, only about 11 miles, when Michelle decided she couldn't continue. After getting a new derailleur on her bike, it hasn't been shifting gears correctly and there was pretty much no way she'd be able to do the climb that was just in front of us.
So, after discussing our options, we decided it was best for Michelle to get a ride to Fallon, NV, 114 miles away, the nearest place with a bike shop. She got a ride with two women from Utah: Pat, her two teenage sons, and Suzette with her young daughter. They were really great, kind, and impressed by our trip. They drove Michelle all the way to Fallon and took her to the address of the bike shop we had on our map. Unfortunately, the bike shop no longer existed. The ladies were hesitant to leave Michelle in town with a broken bike and no where to get it fixed (the nearest bike shops in Carson City would be closed tomorrow, Sunday, and the following day for 4th of July). She finally convinced them that she would be okay and they dropped her off at the campground in town. She spent the day wandering around town, stocking up on food, and relaxing.
All the while Emily and Rebekah were cycling in the 100 degree heat, ugh. When they left Michelle, they weren't too sure if they would spend the night in Middlegate like planned, and meet Michelle the following day, or if they would try for the whole 114 miles to Fallon. They made it to Middlegate, pretty tired after a couple of climbs. They sat indoors, had a good lunch, and decided they could do the remaining 50 miles or so to Fallon. The terrain from Middlegate to Fallon was mostly downhill, luckily, however the heat was overbearing. They drank lots and lots of water, but still always seemed thirsty. With every muscle in their bodies aching, they pulled into the campsite to meet Michelle who was all ready for them with drinks and snacks waiting. The ride took over 8 hours, so you can imagine the exhaustion! We had a rather quick dinner and crashed.
So, after discussing our options, we decided it was best for Michelle to get a ride to Fallon, NV, 114 miles away, the nearest place with a bike shop. She got a ride with two women from Utah: Pat, her two teenage sons, and Suzette with her young daughter. They were really great, kind, and impressed by our trip. They drove Michelle all the way to Fallon and took her to the address of the bike shop we had on our map. Unfortunately, the bike shop no longer existed. The ladies were hesitant to leave Michelle in town with a broken bike and no where to get it fixed (the nearest bike shops in Carson City would be closed tomorrow, Sunday, and the following day for 4th of July). She finally convinced them that she would be okay and they dropped her off at the campground in town. She spent the day wandering around town, stocking up on food, and relaxing.
All the while Emily and Rebekah were cycling in the 100 degree heat, ugh. When they left Michelle, they weren't too sure if they would spend the night in Middlegate like planned, and meet Michelle the following day, or if they would try for the whole 114 miles to Fallon. They made it to Middlegate, pretty tired after a couple of climbs. They sat indoors, had a good lunch, and decided they could do the remaining 50 miles or so to Fallon. The terrain from Middlegate to Fallon was mostly downhill, luckily, however the heat was overbearing. They drank lots and lots of water, but still always seemed thirsty. With every muscle in their bodies aching, they pulled into the campsite to meet Michelle who was all ready for them with drinks and snacks waiting. The ride took over 8 hours, so you can imagine the exhaustion! We had a rather quick dinner and crashed.
